Nymphsaga/Rose Garden
Study on Nymph's Partner Selection
My father and I always talk a lot about his work at home because we share similar passions in life. That's why it was so easy for me to approach him to ask what kind of paper I should write as one of my most important assignments for this school year. He told me about strange creatures inhabiting an alien world called Phantasm not too long away here from Altaria, capturing my curiosity. He would not tell me what I should write about, but he suggested that maybe I could look at these creatures for inspiration. So, I did.
He introduced me to a book he wrote thirty or so years ago when he was fresh out of school, called "a Study on the History, Biology, and Behavior of Nymphs", which served as a good introduction to the subject. After reading it, I spent the following two days searching various libraries scattered across the city to dive further into territories not covered by my father, reading and loaning many books written from many different perspectives. Turned out, there weren't many proper books or scientific papers published, meaning that there definitely weren't enough studies for me to use as my only references for my assignment. Studying them has been a taboo of sorts, a stain on the legacy of our species. Even my teacher was against the idea of me trying to study Nymphs in any capacity, mostly because he didn't see any value for an aspiring biologist studying artificial species. I quickly realized that the only way for me to study them was to get up close and personal with Nymphs. But how?
After approaching my father again regarding my pickle, he mentioned that his team of scientists will be conducting a trip to Phantasm soon. He suggested that I join one of these expeditions on my upcoming two-week-long break. My teacher - once again disagreeing with me - warned me about the possibility of me not being able to find the answers I want on Phantasm, suggesting that maybe I should instead try to work on something else. I decided to compromise and have a plan B ready just in case I would not be able to collect enough material for my essay, which I would fall back to should everything else fail me. It still is a risk, since if this fails, I will not have enough time to work on it to make it worthy of my teacher's strict standards, but sometimes you have to take big risks in the name of science. This brings me to the present day and time.
The trip to Phantasm was a surprisingly short one. I had never traveled so far away in my life, and traveling through hyperspace alone was an experience that made this trip worth it. It was so cool. We set our "camp" on the orbit around Phantasm, and now, we settle to conduct our own independent studies. But as I look down the window at the colorful moon covered in greenery, I find myself overwhelmed.
"Umm, where should I even start?" I ask, walking up to my father, the captain of the ship.
Deep in thought, his eyes wander around the main control room, taking his time to answer. His eyes glance at the thing locked inside an energy barrier container, trapped in a see-through wall of gel. There is a body of a Nymph inside, and it captures my attention. "Don't even think about it", he finally says.
"Why not?" I ask. "I thought that this trip was meant for me to get up close and personal with Nymphs."
"Not literally", he comments. "It's too dangerous down there."
"If I went my current form, it would be even more dangerous", I comment and walk up to this body trapped inside gel.
I look at it closely and begin to wonder how much these aliens truly resemble us; four limbs, similar head shape, genitals located between legs… Okay, these creatures are a lot weaker and smaller. That's not to say that they aren't beautiful, because they certainly are. This one has long and curly, bright yellow hair tied to two tails. Her eyes are currently closed, but apparently they are yellow as well.
Now, I must admit. I lied a little. You see, this thing isn't a Nymph; it's a Sylph. On the outside, it's completely similar to Nymphs, and they are biologically near identical and have the same exact bodily functions, same needs, and even the same sex drive. You cannot differentiate a Sylph from a Nymph by just looking at it. What's different is what's installed into them. If Nymph is a plastic gun that sprays tiny splashes of water, then this thing is a fully loaded plasma railgun. Basically, it's a camouflaged combat suit designed to "survive" the source-rich atmosphere of Phantasm. This seems to be a caster model which comes installed with the entire arsenal of spells known to Nymphs and even some Sylph abilities that Nymphs can't access. One of the things I really wanted to try when I learned about this thing was to try this thing out, perhaps even down there in Phantasm.
"Can't I try it?"
"Operating that thing requires some serious training", he responds. "You can try the simulation in your free time, but don't even think about using a Sylph to go down to Phantasm without permission."
All I can really say in reply is "Okay". I won't promise to not use this though, because I won't make a promise I don't want to keep. I will, however, try out the simulation.
As evening rolls in, I enter the virtual reality world to try out what it's like to be a Nymph in a controlled environment. Yes, I want to heed my father's warnings because while I want to experience the Phantasm up close and personal, I can't take stupid risks. The difficult part here is that the training must be done as a Nymph; I can't just jump into being a Sylph and steamroll through everything. In order to grow up to be a lion, one must first learn how to fight as a cub.
Turns out, it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. For starters, I've never been a fan of video games, especially not games like this. I've liked some augmented social games that are popular and some puzzle games, but I've never really spent enough time on them to be good with them. Besides, controlling this little thing really is hard. I mean seriously, I feel so cripplingly weak and small against this world. It's so crazy how real Nymphs survive down there. From what I understand, they may not be as technologically advanced as us Altarians are, but they are cunningly intelligent - even surpassing us in some aspects - and have a much better sense of combat, which is partially the reason why, but I digress.
The missions I have to do in this training are very similar to those in which Nymphs can find themselves on a daily basis. My goal is to simply kill the enemies and protect myself from getting raped. Although my father admits, the simulation isn't meant as a pornographic game, it does offer the possibility of it. That extension just isn't installed on this machine, which means that this program cannot simulate senses. There is a separate machine for simulating the heightened senses that Nymphs feel, meant to help us get "used to" the extreme sensations that their bodies feel. Yeah, that's another way in which these creatures are different from us. They feel both greater pain and pleasure, thanks to their nervous system that is more sensitive than us Altarians can even imagine.
I have to say, this training is super difficult though! I get raped by absolutely everything at first. I only manage to kill one foe ten minutes into my training, but considering the fact that I start losing again, it feels like such a fluke. I'm finally starting to get the hang of two more hours in, but completing the practice is still out of the question. I hop into practice mod to try out a Sylph just to see how much easier it is. Well, let's just say that I really evolved from a water gun to a railgun.
Anyway, this is why I don't really like video games. If I had used this time to do something productive, who knows where I would be now. My time here is limited; I can't keep wasting it. Actually, that's not fair because I might not have been a waste of time after all. Now I know I can survive Phantasm as a Sylph. Probably. But would I really dare to "loan" her? It's not a plan that's completely out of the question, but I have to wait to conduct my cunning plan. After all, I can't waste my only opportunity to use Sylph aimlessly. Either way, I'm spent and have to catch some sleep.
As I take a good, long bath, I recall my experience inside the simulation, and I dwell on the visuals of the beasts preying on me, trying to rape me. It brings my thoughts to something, a clue regarding what I perhaps should do regarding my paper.
Nymphs are the most important wheel in the ecosystem of Phantasm. All the species desire them, and the majority of them depend on them for their survival. There are even a large number of species that solely rely on Nymphs for reproduction. Nymphs, in their very nature, desire reproducing as well. They enjoy it greatly, and the whole process from intercourse all the way to labor brings them extreme pleasure, both physically and spiritually. It provides a massive dopamine rush to them, making them happy to just be alive.
"Why do they fight back?" I ask myself, talking to the walls around me. Yes, really. Why? It doesn't make any sense. They love to have sex and reproduce, it's extremely healthy for them and the world around them, and even though Nymphs can't birth Nymphs, it does, by a proxy, help Nymphs increase in numbers. After all, the abundance of source and increased generation of it helps more Nymphs grow and be born from nature. Sex to them is like eating; it's so extremely essential to their very beings that the idea of them trying to resist it doesn't make any sense. Does fighting back against their desires serve a purpose?
That's when I got an answer to another one of the questions that have tormented me recently. My answer to the question "Why" will be what I will be studying. I sat down to write a rough sketch and an introduction to my work. I call it "Finding meaning in Nymph's counterproductive reproduction strategies, title pending". Yes, this is what I will be working on, and I'm confident it will be a paper even my skeptical teacher will approve.
It's been four full days since I began my work, and I've made a lot of progress. I still have a lot of work to be done, especially as far as finding evidence for my theories goes. I still haven't had an opportunity to actually visit Phantasm, which makes studying what's going on down there hard sometimes. That's about to change soon though, because I have made progress as far as getting my hands on a Sylph goes.
After determining that I can't just simply "steal" this Sylph and go down there as I please, I made a calculated risk to train myself to survive down there and proved myself to be able to fight as a Nymph, which is why my father has finally allowed me to try it out. He has given me strict rules to follow though. I'll respect them, for now, because who knows, maybe I need to use this in the future as well. I can't have him forbid me from doing so. Anyway, I enter into the chamber and connect myself to the machine, which allows me to control Sylph's body. Logging into it works pretty much the same as logging into the simulation. Of course, the big difference is that I will be logging onto a bio-engineered cyborg. And then, I wake up again and open up my eyes inside the gel-filled container.
Emptying it from its contents takes roughly nine seconds, and the barrier disappears into the air, allowing me to walk outside. I expected to feel sticky, but strangely enough, the gel this body was in didn't stick to the skin at all. Even my hair is perfectly fine. And I've got to say, this body feels pretty good, and it's full of energy. The senses are all over the place though, probably because I'm not used to it yet. This body feels extremely sensitive overall, and maybe a little cold, my hearing and sense of smell are a little stronger, and my vision - while good - is nowhere near as good as Altarian's vision. Reality feels nothing like the simulation.
"How do you feel?"
I look up at my father, who towers over me. Yes, that's the biggest difference; the sense of scale. Everything looks huge in these small eyes. "I feel fine."
Suddenly, my father bursts out laughing, almost as if he found what I said to be hilarious. "Oh, right, I forgot! That thing speaks in tongues!"
"What does that mean?"
"Sorry, but I can't understand a word you're saying", he explains. "This Sylph has its speech automatically translated into the language Nymphs use. The same program also helps you understand what Nymphs are saying to you."
Well, there's no point for me to reply in words, so I just nod to signal my understanding.
"I've set up coordinates for you", my father says, instructing me to follow him. "We'll get you something to wear too. It's to help you blend in."
If I felt a little weird in this body a moment before, now I feel really weird. I'm so used to wearing skintight fabric that these kinds of baggy, airy clothes feel just… Weird. The quality of the material is pretty poor in comparison and is probably very easy to break. And what's up with this legwear? I think it's called a skirt. It feels more like a garment than proper clothing. This feels so uncomfortable. Oh well, I can't complain because if there's a silver lining, at least these clothes compliment Nymph's beauty. Anyway, I'm quite excited to go down to Phantasm now.
Now, if ever, is a good time to discuss the rules I've been given. I was given quite a few, but all of them basically boil down to several words: "Don't leave the barrier." That's right, I must conduct my studies within the safety of the barrier that surrounds the village I will go down into. It's called "Meadow's Edge", and about two thousand Nymphs live there. It kind of sucks that I can't leave that place, but it should be more than enough for now. After all, I'm just going down there to conduct some interviews.
I enter the capsule that will take me to the surface and descend down there. It can't actually penetrate the barrier Nymphs have set up, so I technically have to break the rules and park it outside, but since even my father recognizes this, there's no problem here. After I leave the pod and use my remote controller to turn it invisible, I instantly head inside. I've heard that Nymphs are natural isolationists who really, really don't like leaving their communities to join other ones, so I wonder if they grow suspicious of a stranger appearing all of a sudden. Then again, I've also heard that they're always happy to receive visitors; they just don't like Nymphs moving out.
After about three minutes of walking, I come across what seems to be the first sign of residency, a little treehouse with a lovely rustic little garden with all kinds of flowers. Seriously, there has to be at least fifty different varieties of flora here. There's also a nice little wide garden chair… Thing, whatever you call it. It's wide enough for maybe three Nymphs, it's been padded with comfortable cushions, and the whole thing is hanging from a wooden frame, kind of like a swing. It's occupied by a Nymph who's reading something. She's a white-skinned little thing, dressed casually and modestly in a dress. Both her wavy, shoulder-length hair and her eyes are light brown, and she's pretty much exactly my size. If what my father said is to be believed, I should be able to communicate with this cute little thing. So, I take an opportunity to find out.
"Hello there", I say, bravely walking up to her. She notices me immediately, reacting in a very friendly and inviting manner. Her smile and joy on her face are so infectious that I can't help but immediately crack a smile as well. I've never met anyone who would be this happy to see a stranger.
"Oh my, who are you? I haven't seen your face around before!"
To say that I find it hard to answer her question is an understatement. I never even thought about what kind of excuse I would have ready should someone ask me about my origins. It must be written all over my face because she looks quite confused by my silent treatment.
"Wait, could you actually be a local after all? Are you a newborn, or did you perhaps resurrect recently?"
"Ah, no, I did come here from a… You know, place over…" After stumbling around with my words, I fall silent, not sure what to say next. I even bit my tongue. Seriously, even talking as a Nymph is harder than talking as an Altarian. She doesn't really seem to mind my awkwardness though, because she just responds with laughter.
"That explains everything! What's your name, cutie?"
"Tinluark", I reply, telling her my real, Altarian name out of pure habit.
After a brief silence and a couple of brief blinks, she offers me her hand for a shake, a traditional greeting known to Nymphs. "My name is Poppy! I'll just call you Tina, okay?"
I suppose a nickname is fine, so I simply nod. After that, I shake her hand, but instead of simply being happy with it, she steps close to me, hugging me with her free arm. I knew Nymphs are intimate little creatures, so I was expecting this, but it makes me a little nervous nonetheless.
"Was it a rough journey?" she asks. "Did you get into trouble? Did you come alone?"
"I-I'm alone, and I didn't get into any trouble on the way here…"
"That's amazing…" Suddenly, there's a suggestive undertone to her voice. She still hasn't gotten off my skin. She's super flirty with me. "Let's get inside… I'll brew you some tea. It's my own blend."
I have no idea what tea is, but I take upon her offer regardless.
I fall a little suspicious after finding out that "tea" is essentially just scented hot water. But then, I get to smell it, finding it pleasant. And the taste, it's incredible. Although there is a lot going on, I can actually count every single flavor and taste them all so distinctively. It's very rosy, a little juicy with wild forest berries, and I even sense a hint of vanilla. I had a sense that this girl might be good with flowers and gardening in general, and it looks like this skill is transferred to her culinary skills as well.
"Take your time. Don't burn your tongue, okay?"
I slowly nod, setting the cup back on the table. "This seems like a nice and safe place to live in."
"Yes, it's really comfortable in here!" she replies. "The area around us is fairly safe as well."
"Do you girls actually have to depend on the outside world at all?"
"Why, of course", she replies, almost as if it was obvious.
I should've known that, so I don't really even know why I asked. "How many of you actually go out there regularly then?"
"Maybe like, nine out of ten", she says, thinking about my question deeply. "I mean, we all are expected to know how to fight and defend ourselves. Aren't you?"
Now I'm just feeling stupid. I wouldn't be surprised to have her grow suspicious of me and smell something fishy. I have to turn this around and try to salvage the situation. "Well… I don't know, I kind of assumed that it would be different here, considering that this place seems so nice and safe and all…"
"Yeah, not every place has barriers to protect us. It's kind of a shame, isn't it? They really offer a lot of security. Peace of mind, if you may."
"Yeah, exactly."
"But what's this all about, Tina?"
"Well, because traveling here got me thinking… Us Nymphs love sex, right…?"
She looks at me confused and nods slowly. "Who doesn't?"
"Riiiight…" I reply, letting out a little piece of awkward laughing.
She leans forward towards me. "Dicks are pretty amazing, aren't they? To me, nothing beats getting fucked by a good old doggy cock. How about you? What kind of dicks do you prefer?"
"I'm not actually sure… It just got me thinking, why do we fight the desire?"
For a second, it looks like she's going to reply straight away, but then, she falls silent. "I mean… Sex is fun, but it isn't everything…"
"But it's the most fun thing in the world", I say, trying to reason and push her buttons. Her blushing face suggests that she wholeheartedly agrees. "Wouldn't it make more sense for us to just give up fighting and surrender?"
"Nah, I disagree", she says, this time shooting me down straight away. "I really do think there's more to life than just fucking. Besides, you've got to make them work for it, you know. Let them show they're being serious about fucking you."
That's not exactly what I thought I would hear from her mouth, but at very least she has a reason to give out. Maybe conducting these kinds of interviews is going to bear fruit.
"Yeah, and also… Isn't it also far tastier to spice things up a bit…?" she asks, almost whispering, with thin eyes and a suggestive smile on her face. "You know… Make them rape you… Like, honestly, I still remember the first time I got raped, and it was the best sex I've ever had. I'd rather experience that once in a week or a month than let myself get fucked every day…"
"I… I must admit, I've never thought about it like that…"
"Yeah, and it's not like we can't let ourselves get raped every now and then, so to speak", she says, smiling. "Some girls here like to conduct raids to the outside world for the sole purpose of getting raped and getting pregnant. You just have your allies save you after you get knocked up."
Oh, what the hell? I should've known these sex-crazed maniacs would think of something like that. Anyway, I'm surprisingly enough done with my tea, and I thank her kindly. "Thanks for sharing your perspective, and thank you for your patronage. The tea was absolutely delicious."
"You're welcome! I've got a dozen more flavors for you to try if you want to!"
"Maybe some other time", I say, standing up. "I don't want to come across as rude or anything, but I should probably be going. I kind of want to meet other locals as well."
"Well, if you insist", Poppy replies, standing up as well. In the end, it seems like whatever I do, I can't do her any wrong. She walks up to the door, even offering to open it for me, or so it initially seems. She stops halfway and looks straight into my eyes. "How about a little kiss before you leave?"
"K-kiss!?" I blurt out loud, confused.
"Yes, to celebrate our blossoming friendship! Or could it be that it's not usual to kiss your friends where you come from?"
I had no idea they have these kinds of traditions here. Maybe she's just pulling my leg? Either way, I take upon her offer and walk up to her, arms spread, offering myself for her. All of her passion flows into me, and she takes me into her arms, even going as far as using her hand to squeeze my butt. She presses her lips against mine and takes one wet and sloppy kiss from me. It's not just lip-to-lip contact, either. No, she's sticking her tongue out. As surprised as I am, I am unable to resist this. It feels so amazing. Everything from her warmth to her touch is to die for and so addicting. Her lips, though, are the best of the best. I never knew kissing would ever be so much fun. Finally, after couple more seconds, we separate, and she finally opens up the door for me.
"Here in Meadow's Edge, kiss signifies friendship. If you're true friends, you share kisses."
"I-I see…" I reply and end up blurting out a little lie. "I mean, kisses are commonplace where I'm from as well, but they aren't, like, mandatory or anything…"
"Interesting…" she says, giggling. "Anyway, come visit me again!"
"M-maybe I will. I'm not sure if I'm staying for a long time…"
"That's too bad", she says, seeming a little saddened for the first time during our exchange. That frown is quick to disappear since she gets back into being flirty. "Next time you go, let's go a little further", she suggests. "Let's cuddle naked, okay?"
Hearing her say that, especially after having her kiss me like she did, makes me want to stay. Damn it, Nymph's sex drive is a really, really crazy thing, and it's starting to affect me as well. My body and my beating heart are telling me to stay for a while longer, but I must remain steadfast and stick to my mission. "I'd love to come again", I say, and finally leave for real. In the end, my words may be just false hope for her, but it's not like she can't get her sexual desires fulfilled with others. I'm sure she's not into me because she sees me as special or anything. As nice as it would be, it just can't be the case.
As I continued to explore the area, I met various Nymphs, some of who I got a chance to talk to. While none of them were as hospitable as Poppy, every one of them struck me as very friendly. During my interviews about their views regarding sex and rape, I also learned that they all had a somewhat unique take, showing some real diversity of opinions in this community. There were, however, some things that everyone agreed on. They all love sex, obviously. They just all want sex in different forms. They are also all somewhat okay with being raped but to a wildly varying degree. Some try to avoid it to the best of their abilities, while some just flat out admit to me that they literally hope to get raped, going as far as doing a half-assed job or going easy on some "weaker" opponents. One Nymph even said that she has thought about getting captured on purpose to live her life as a sex slave, which totally came out of nowhere to me because she was the exception to the rule I thought was universal.
In the end, I didn't learn a whole lot; all I got was confirmation of the root of my question. You could say that my time wasn't wasted, but it mainly was a fruitless endeavor. Maybe what I really need to do is put myself into the shoes of the adventurer, but would I dare? I would have to break one of the rules given to me, meaning that the next time I use Sylph will also be the last time. There's no way my father would allow me to use it ever again if I broke the strictest of the rules given to me. I think that I might be completely okay with that though, because it's the only way to move forward with my research. Besides, it will make for an interesting experience.
After two more days spent interviewing Nymphs in various communities scattered across Phantasm, I finally am determined that I have enough samples to work with. And so, I put my cunning plan into action and face the world and the beasts who will try to rape me. I don't know. Am I putting myself at risk, really? What if I really lose? I've thought about it a lot, but I can't really see a situation where I would actually face an enemy that would be able to completely submit me. I have a lot of tools in my arsenal that will help me break free should I get caught, provided I don't have my hands tied and restrained. I wonder why there's no "emergency exit" of any kind installed into these "combat suits". Perhaps the transfer of consciousness from one body to another is impossible in long distances?
I suppose I don't have to try too hard to get attention on me, but why not go the extra mile to get monsters excited? Before I leave my pod, I undress completely. Then, I leave it, turn my pod invisible, and head towards the forest, in the opposite direction from where I'm supposed to go. I wonder how long it will take for the crew to realize that I'm doing something I'm supposed to? I guess it doesn't matter anyway, since there's not much they can do at this moment to stop me.
Having walked through the forest naked for merely ten minutes, I can already tell how incredibly exhilarating this is. My heart is pounding in a way I didn't even think possible. It certainly isn't possible to feel anything like this as an Altarian. It's strange, isn't it? I know that I'm a death machine with an expansive arsenal to take on any foe, but it doesn't change how insignificant I am in size and how weak I am physically. Or, maybe I'm just overreacting because I'm yet to face real combat with any real stakes.
Then, I realize that I'm actually being watched by an enemy. It's a wolf, and it doesn't attack even though it realizes that I've seen it. It just follows me. It makes me wonder, for how long has it been tailing me? If there's anything I know about wolves, it's the fact that they don't typically hunt alone. Their tactics involve trying to encircle their prey on all sides, making it hard for them to escape. Often, this is to cause panic, but against a lone foe, that rarely is necessary. Running away would be a mistake on my part because I can't outrun them, and I can't defend myself on the run anyway. It's a little scary to think they use the same tactics against the prey they're planning to eat and the prey they're trying to rape. My only option is to fight, but it's very hard when I don't know how many are there? My best bet is to prepare for combat immediately.
As soon as I stop to cast a rune under my feet to boost my defensive and restorative abilities along with my casting speed, they attack me, almost as if realizing I'm unable to move without sacrificing these enhancements. Three of them are trying to attack simultaneously, which is kind of bad because I can't attack in three different directions at once without sacrificing a great deal of damage. I start by cutting one of them off with an earth spell, which alters the battlefield in my favor by creating a barrier. I continue with the same spell, which continues to shape the ground around me anywhere I point my palm towards, and I manage to launch one of the wolves high into the air.
Then, I switch to spells to deal real damage with, and I decide to rely on a bolt that is a combination of fire and lighting, a high-tier spell available to Nymphs who specialize in those schools of magic. With my offensive capabilities, boosted by my mana restoration and cast time that has been sliced in half, I can blast dozens of these in rapid succession. I wonder how much damage I can deal? To my surprise, one blast is all it takes to kill one wolf. First, I kill the one on its feet, then I finish off the one that crashes back into the ground, and then I kill the one that I blocked off with my magic. There are three more wolves, but as soon as they realize what I've done, they flee with tails tucked between their legs. I see no point in trying to damage them at this point, so I drop my guard and sigh out of relief. I guess I can relax a little bit because I feel I won't be getting into trouble here.
Based on what I've learned from Nymphs, I acted in the exact same manner most Nymphs would; I realized I was about to be raped, and I defended myself accordingly. I guess the only difference is that I wouldn't enjoy it if it happened. Probably. It's a little hard for me to think I would like it if I failed for real, but then again, I'm a Sylph now, which is technically a Nymph. It could be that the hormones running in this body would actually make me like it, but I don't plan on finding out.
Or, maybe, just maybe I could let myself be captured to find out exactly how sex would affect me. Or do I even need to be captured? Could I rape my enemy? No, that's inconceivable. Or, maybe not… Depends on how you define rape… I can always just find a target and threaten to kill it, and then make it fuck me… I can have Sylph's womb cleaned from semen in the ship, so there's not even any need for me to get worried about repercussions either.
I continue to search and blast my way through most of the enemies right away. There are a lot of enemies I deem unacceptable, either because I'm disgusted by them or because I find them too stupid to be reasoned with. That's when I come across a large, lone humanoid, sitting on a fallen tree with its back turned towards me, and it's eating something. It's tall and has an underwhelming build; it's not skinny, but it's not fat either. It has terrible posture, long hair with a ponytail, and it has a huge nose. Based on its yellow tones skin that is covered by a layer of brown fur and its body type, it's clearly not a goblin, and it doesn't really resemble any of the other dominant humanoid races either. Instead, what I have in front of me is a Kukuhara.
They're the race of humanoids who dominated this world before the arrival of Nymphs and who were thought to be extinct, known to be highly intelligent. Have some of them survived after all? My father's team has looked around most parts of Phantasm, but they haven't found any active settlements. I guess this is one of those parts they haven't looked closely at yet. Even if I may get harshly punished for my actions, I can offer my father some outstanding news; the Kukuhara aren't extinct after all! Needless to say, if there's any monster in this forest that can be reasoned with, it's this monster. Hell, collecting his DNA through his sperm could actually be an idea too good to pass by!
He hasn't realized my presence yet, so I decide to call out to him. "Hey, you."
He turns around, literally jumping back away from me. I can see lust written all over his face as soon as he feasts his eyes on my body. He reaches up to his weapons - which he has two of - and he prepares for combat.
"Can you speak?" I ask.
"You…" he responds. "What do you want?"
Oh, so he can speak? I wonder if he knows the language of the Nymphs or if it's the "talking in tongues" my father told me about. It would be strange for this Sylph to have the Kukuhara language pack installed, considering my father and everyone else thought they were extinct, but I can't rule that out either. Either way, this makes things much easier. "I thought you lot were all dead", I comment and offer him a friendly smile. "How many of you are there?"
"…" At first, it seems as if he's not looking to reply, but he does give me the reply I want. "About a couple of thousand or so."
That's quite a bottleneck, but it's not inconceivable to think they could bounce back from here. With our help, they certainly could. "So, your future is questionable. Needless to say, you're critically endangered."
"It's been like this for a couple of generations now", the Kukuhara replies. "We can keep ourselves afloat, but with no females of our own, we have to rely on your kind a lot."
"I guess you need help with reproduction", I say, with a finger on top of my smiling lips. "Want help?"
"Well, you ARE going to help with that whenever you like it or not", he says, finally drawing his weapon, ready to attack. "I'm going to work you to produce a lot of offspring."
"H-hold on a minute", I say, taking a couple of steps back while I prepare my spells. "We don't need to fight."
"Are you telling me you'll let yourself be enslaved willingly?" he asks.
"E-enslaved? No, that's out of the question…"
"Then I'm not interested in hearing your terms."
Yeah, I should've seen this coming. It's a good thing he gives me time to prepare.
"I'll have you know, I've never failed to capture a Nymph I've set my eyes on", he says and goes on full offense.
Well, if his warning is anything to go by, I might be a little bit in trouble. He's got a perfect track record? Granted, his fights have been against ordinary Nymphs, but I can't slack at all with him. First, I just rely on dodging, but after seeing how ridiculously strong and fast he is, I realize I have to rely on shielding magic as well. Using runes to my advantage is out of the question on the move, so this is looking to be a battle far harder than anything I've faced in this forest or even in simulation. I quickly determine that the best course of action is to rely on curses and frost magic because I know for a fact that the native residents of Phantasm have no resistance against cold. How could they? Ice doesn't form naturally in this world.
As soon as I reveal frost to be a part of my arsenal, I see my enemy turning cautious and more careful in his offense. That's a smart move on his part, but it's also worrying because it means that I can't surprise him by relying on magic he doesn't know anything about. I'm fairly sure I know some fusion magic he doesn't know about, which fuses frost with other schools of magic, but I can't show my trump cards just yet.
The combat continues without either of us having a strong advantage against each other, which is really a testament to his ability. I now realize what my father meant when he said I shouldn't come here without proper training. If I came here without preparing in any way, shape, or form, I would've surely been already captured and raped by this foe. Moreover, this Sylph's hormones are reacting to those thoughts in a strange, tingly way. Is the prospect of it being able to defeat me making me horny? I can feel myself getting wet, which is a feeling I've never experienced before. It's slowing me down, and it allows my enemy to strike me. I cannot be hurt physically, but it does drain my power a lot. Few more strikes like that, and I really lose.
He snickers and takes a breather. "You're getting nervous, little thing…"
Is it that obvious? "S-shut up…"
"Just a few more minutes, and you'll be pregnant with my kid."
Fuck, really? Me, losing here? Wait, I'm seriously in danger right now. I better shape up quick if I want to have any chance of ever getting away from this planet on my own. I can't let these blasted hormones and my horniness get better of me!
As soon as the combat resumes, I determine it's time to get the big guns ready, and I do so by resorting to water magic. Essentially, all I do is shoot copious amounts of cold, harmless water out from my hands. I can't damage him like this, and it may seem like I'm wasting my time, but it does hold a purpose because another seemingly innocuous spell called Cold Snap will cause it to play in my favor. I lure him towards the puddles with the sole purpose of trying to knock him off balance by slipping on ice. I must say that for a couple of spells that cannot in their nature be deadly, they are sure as hell proving to be the most damaging ones, especially since I've splashed some water on him as well. He must be feeling freezing, and it's slowing him down. He can't even dodge my next ability, which is a poison sting, which I use to slow him further.
"What is this foul magic…!?" he whispers angrily and finally falls to his knees. "H-how can you keep up with being able to use magic continuously without getting tired?"
"Oh, I'm not normal", I say as I summon roots from underneath the frozen soil that grabs onto him, immobilizing him completely.
"You little cunt…!" he swears.
"I said", I begin, with an annoyed tone, "We don't have to fight. I don't want to kill you."
"Then what…? Do you wish to torture me?"
"All I wanted was to have a little talk."
He spits on the ground. "I'd rather die than reason with a hole."
Hole? Wait, is he referring to me as just my hole? I have a feeling I should be a little offended, having my intelligence and goodwill insulted like this, but I can't be bothered because, at the end of the day, I won. "Well, sucks to be you because now you're going to listen to what this "hole" has to say."
"Just kill me", he asks. No, he's telling me; he really seems to want to die a warrior's death.
"You Kukuhara are endangered enough as you are. It would be foolish on my part to kill you."
"Stop trying to talk like you are better than us", he says, taunting me. "You Nymphs are literally a species of whores and sluts. You're just rape meat, and you live to be fucked by species that are better and stronger than you. Don't you dare look down on me, inferior creature."
And here I thought this creature could be reasoned with. I feel he won't be taking anything I say seriously, so I might as well give up. After all, I don't really have to reason with him since I already have him where I want him. "Have it your way then", I say and walk towards him, assaulting his pants which hide a rock-hard erection. It's pretty amazing to think that even in a life and death situation, this thing can have a boner this strong. Is this what they call flight or fight, or is it simply a bad case of "Why boner"? Nah, I'm just joking. It's me, isn't it? Of course it's me. As soon as I manage to get it out into the open, I grab onto it with both hands and start to jerk it.
"W-what the fuck are you doing?"
I continue to ignore his protests, insults, and questions. He has already convinced me that he has no interest in talking, so I might as well have my way with him without giving any regard to what he has to say. I've never actually touched someone else's dick before or even inspected a phallus of an alien species before. I must say, it's not too different from what we Altarians have, at least as far as its features go. Proportionally speaking, it's way bigger than Altarian's, but it might actually still be a little smaller overall; I can't say because, at the end of the day, all I can really say is that in the eyes of a Nymph, this thing is HUGE. It's long and thick and has an amazing pungent smell that tickles my senses. He's already leaking precum like a broken faucet, proving his dick to be in a very good condition. I can hardly even stop jerking it. He continues to struggle and wiggle, but he can't get himself free anymore. I can do whatever the hell I please with him.
"Kill me, you bitch."
I respond with playful laughter and begin to taunt him. I really know I should do it because I know these proud warriors see dishonor and shame as sins worth a death, and they will surely kill themselves before they let their peers do it, but at the same time, I cursed him to this fate the moment I defeated him. "How does it feel like being raped by… What was it you called me again…? An inferior creature?"
"Shit…!"
Finally, I climb on top of him, using my vines to pin him down further. It will be a little difficult, but I should be able to ride his dick somehow. Having responded to these perverted thoughts and his masculine aura, this vagina of mine is already dripping wet, though. With my hands as my sole assistance, I introduce his boner to my pussy, and let it deep into my folds. The beginning is the hardest part simply because of how tight I am, but as soon as it's properly in, I lose my footing and take it all the way in against my deepest parts. Pleasure more overwhelming than anything I've ever even imagined overtakes my entire body, penetrating me from the epicenter between my legs all the way to the back of my head, as my millions of pleasure-seeking nerve-ends are being stimulated by a pulsating cock. At last, I truly know how it feels, and I don't think I can ever go back. Just the insertion alone made me feel pleasure more incredible than any orgasm I've ever experienced in my life.
Even without a mirror, I can tell that my face must look rather amazing right now. Shit, this cock really made me make an expression I've never made in my life. And that scream, oh how I would've loved to record it. I don't think I could ever recreate such a scream of pleasure without a dick. I'm done with just twisting my hips from side to side and from front to back, and as soon as I get a good footing, I jumpstart my body and begin to bounce my hip on top of his cock. Right from the beginning, I go hard and as fast as I can. I could try to rationalize it by saying it's not safe to fuck out in the open, but let's be honest and just say it like it is; I just can't help myself!
What's more is the fact that despite seeming clearly tormented and humiliated, my conquered opponent can't help but counter my movement by thrusting his hips. Even in defeat, his animalistic instinct to mate is taking hold of him, and honestly, it's quite a sight to see and quite a pleasure to enjoy. Even his expression, while still angry, has been overtaken by ecstasy. It makes me want to tease him more.
"Does it feel good inside me…?" I can barely even speak properly. I try to contain myself and speak calmly and silently, but the pleasure is causing my voice to crack, making me want to shout and moan instead. He can't even bring himself to reply, and honestly, his inability to speak makes me want to laugh. "It's fine…! Just let it flow into me…!"
This time he does reply, but not with words. He roars with pleasure and proceeds to thrust his hips vigorously into me, almost as if trying to drill straight into my womb. It feels almost as if every single thrust hits me deeper than the last one, and it's driving me nuts. He's making me cum!
My back arcs in pleasure, and I stop to appreciate what's happening to my body. There are no words to describe the pleasure I'm feeling in the Altarian language, as this kind of pleasure is not even known to our species. I could die happy tomorrow just having felt something like this even once. But even though I may have stopped, my mating partner continues to please me with all the pep he can muster from his disadvantageous position. And in the middle of this all, I can't help but tell myself that all of this could feel so much better should he actually be the one in control of this situation. My body - which has found itself unable to act in this situation - is literally begging for him to thrust and fuck me hard through my climax. This is making me really understand what Poppy and the others meant when they said they love rape.
It's such a shame that he couldn't be reasoned with, and it's such a shame that there's no safe way for me to enjoy the greatest pleasure known to Nymphs at this moment. I guess true pleasure only exists for those who are willing to make sacrifices and take risks.
In any case, almost as soon as I pick up the pace again, as hard as it may feel considering that I can't seem to recover from my mind-numbing orgasm, it's his turn to cum. I can feel it throb deep inside me, spraying thick gooey clouds of semen into me. His seed finally fills my womb. With a broad smile on my face, I let out a moan that resembles a sigh, and I push down my body to make sure I take all of it in and minimize spillage. I didn't think I would be able to feel any undiscovered pleasures from his ejaculation, but I can actually and distinctively feel every single splash and spray that enters my belly. And it's not just the physical sensation either, because now, I'm so really, really happy with myself. I actually fought, defeated, and then raped a creature that is significantly bigger and physically stronger than me, and in the process, I experienced pleasure greater than anything I've ever felt.
Now, his seed lies safely stored inside my belly, in a container better than anything I could've brought from the ship. It means that my mission is done and that I have everything I want from this creature. Leaning back, I let his still rock-hard cock slide out from my vagina, and I sit down on top of his legs, gasping for air as I smile, overjoyed at my accomplishment.
"As long as I have your cum", I say and stand up, trying to have my shaky legs support me, "I can help you and your race. In fact, I'm sure that my allies and I can do a better job helping you breed than you could ever do by enslaving me and other Nymphs."
As I ready myself to take my leave, I wonder how much that sex will hold me back. I am not too far away from my pod, but this is the most vulnerable I've been during this entire excursion, but before I manage to get away from my fallen foe, he calls out to me. "Who the hell do you think you are, you bitch…? I swear in my ancestor's name that I will hunt you down for humiliating me like that…!"
"Well, at least that's better than a ritual suicide!" I reply and let out a laugh.
"Don't you dare make fun of me!"
"I'm sorry to inform you", I say and turn around to face him one final time. Of course, I still haven't let him go of the vines that continue to pin him down. "We're probably never going to meet again. I will leave this world for a long time, and I'm not sure when I will return."
He clicks his tongue in frustration and continues to struggle. That's when I just summon more vines to entangle him; the last ones were starting to lose grip on him. "Let me go and fight me!" he shouts.
"No way. In this state, I'd surely lose." And those words end up being the last ones I speak out to him. He still continues to curse and taunt me as I leave, but all it does is make me want to pick up speed and get out of here even quicker. Never mind the noise I made, he's undoubtedly going to alert someone at this rate.
Luck appears to be on my side as I manage to make it safely back to my pod. Just like always, I turn it visible, and I enter it. I make my way back to the ship, only to be reminded that I will likely get some real shit from my father for doing what I did…
He and the crew knew what I was doing, but it seems like they haven't done anything to try to stop or protect me. I know why; they didn't want to waste resources trying to fetch me unless I actually got into trouble. I return to my original form, and now, I can finally have a talk with my father, and the impression I get right from the start is that he doesn't really seem all that angry.
"I hope you're real proud of yourself", he says.
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't try to do something like this?"
"Are you kidding me?" he asks and lets out a laugh. "Of course I knew you would break the rules eventually! You're my son, and I know you inside out."
"Then why didn't you stop me?"
"To be honest, I kind of wanted you to fail and learn your mistakes the hard way."
Really? He wanted to see me fail and get raped? "That's mean. Were you even tracking me?"
"Obviously", he responds, "but we were planning on only fetching you if you didn't get back by bedtime. Well, either way, I will have to punish you, but that will have to wait until tomorrow."
As he's about to take his leave, I stop him and ask him, "Do you not want to hear about what I found?"
"Oh, is it something noteworthy?"
"There are Kukuhara still alive in the area."
"What? Really? Are they really still alive?"
As much as I will be embarrassed to say this to my father, I need to. "Yes, and I collected some semen from one of them."
"Oh, nice! Very nice! I've been looking for their DNA for a long time in hopes of bringing their species back from the dead! It's good to know they're not extinct, but I think we can help conserve their future regardless."
"That's what I had in my mind as well."
"This almost makes me want to forgive you and reward you", he says and heads towards our Sylph, perhaps to clean it out and collect the sperm. "Yeah, almost, my son. Almost. Even though you did good, you will receive a punishment."
Well, that's fine, because to be honest, the trip is nearing its conclusion, and I don't need to rely on the Sylph anymore anyway. He can keep me in house arrest all he wants; I've already got all the data I need. Yes, that's right. I think I have cracked the code and found the answer to my question.
When I first started thinking about the answer to the question "Why", I immediately approached the subject by projecting my personal feelings and values to my little internal debate. Despite the effects Sylph's hormones had on me, I am still a very different being from a Nymph, and I'm driven by completely different values and desires. In that sense, I was wrong to use myself as a model for anything Nymphs choose and choose not to do … or so I initially thought. Turns out we might not be so different after all.
While there are huge differences in our opinions and biology and even differences between their communities, Nymphs, generally speaking, don't really want to see themselves get raped any more than I want to see myself get raped. They, like me or any other Altarian, don't want to just fuck anyone. I see sex as something I want to have with someone I deem worthy or desirable. Nymphs are precisely the same in this regard. The only thing that is really different about me and those crazy little creatures is what we consider "worthy".
I know it's crazy to think this might be the case considering how naturally submissive Nymphs are, but they are actually the gatekeepers of sexuality in Phantasm more so than females of most species in the universe are. More often than not, they're strict when it comes to their partner selection, but they only have one standard; strength. If the male can't defeat the cunning Nymph, the male does not deserve to mate with her. Nymphs make sure of this, hence I'm calling them the "gatekeepers" in this instance; they take the lives of their unworthy mates before they get an opportunity to pass through the gates of Nymph's sexuality. It's a ruthless world where the rule "kill or be killed" stands firm and steadfast. Of course, if Nymphs themselves get defeated, they will face their fate, and as upset and scared as they might sometimes be, based on my interviews and personal experiences, they always unconditionally begin to love it after a while, because in the end, Nymphs just really, really love sex.
So, to summarize, Nymph's resistance isn't resistance per se, but rather a brutal method of partner selection.
All of my observations, experiences and interviews done throughout this trip seem to be perfectly consistent with this theory as well, so I've got a lot of evidence to support my studies. Based on the studies and the papers I've already seen, I can also positively say that nobody on Altaria has comprehensively studied this part about Nymph's ecology. All that's left for me to do is to compile my evidence in one cohesive essay that my teacher will be proud of. I'm sure I'll get a good grade for my work.
As I leave Phantasm to return from holiday to school, I will conclude this brief chapter of my life by talking about what I predict the long-term future of Phantasm to look like. Why? Because I have a reason to believe it's a grim future. This reproduction tactic is not sustainable in the long run.
We already saw it when Nymphs were introduced to Phantasm's ecosystem. Many species perished over a very short period of time because they couldn't adapt quickly enough to the changes. Many scholars - my father included - call this the worst extinction event that this world had ever seen, and to be honest, they weren't wrong. What I disagree with is the assertion that this extinction event is over. It's not necessarily the impact event itself that causes the most damage, but rather the climate disaster that follows. Phantasm may be over the scorching tornadoes burning and ripping apart forests, but the atmosphere is still blocked by a thick layer that sunlight cannot pierce, continuing to slowly drain Phantasm of its wildlife. Many species living there right now are too weak to be considered up to Nymph's standards and are likely to be hunted to extinction by both Nymphs and the stronger, carnivorous species that rely on them for nutrition. When the weak truly perish from Phantasm, their demise will likely continue to snowball out of control and affect those further up the food chain as well.
And then there is the issue of demons, who were introduced to this world very recently by the man who was my father's mentor, the previous captain of the team. My father never really questioned this decision, which is honestly something I vehemently disagree with since there was no need to introduce demons to Phantasm. I'd go as far as to argue that demons have done more harm than good to this world and are contributing towards what I believe is a dead end. Sure, demons do provide a counterbalance against Nymphs, but what about those caught in the middle? I don't know for a fact, but it could very well be that in not so distant future - relatively speaking - Phantasm will become a world for nobody but demons and Nymphs. What once was a virgin world, untouched by outside interference, will have all of its life replaced by these two foreign powers, who have ruined it with their miasma and source. Bringing demons here truly was a huge mistake.
I don't want to see this world be ruined further. Be it Nymph's attitudes or the extent to which we are willing to intervene in preserving this ecosystem, something has to change. I do not know the solution or which key opens the door to Phantasm's survival, but I will try every key I can find. Hell, I don't even know for a fact if what I've talked about is factually accurate. Still, I want to work towards changing things for the better, and I sure as hell want to continue studying and observing this world to collect evidence to prove my hypothesis correct. Better safe than sorry, as they say.
All I can say for sure is that it was a mistake on our species part to abandon this world. Sure, it was a shameful thing for our ancestors to ruin this world, but I'd argue it was even more shameful for those who criticized the "polluters" for abandoning Phantasm when it needed help the most. The team of researchers currently led by my father has generally done an excellent job on studying this world and bringing it back into the discussion table, but these are mere baby steps, and they've made mistakes too. I want to spearhead change in Phantasm in the future, and I hope to overtake my father as the captain of this team and fix some of the mistakes they've made while also ensuring we preserve a future for Phantasm. If I ever manage to do that, I vow to run a marathon with my agenda and make saving Phantasm my mission in life.
And I think I know exactly how I will go forward and where I need to begin.