"Malice," the slimegirl said. "You know Malice?"

  Her teasing, overtly-sexual tone had disappeared. Not that Natalie thought it was an act, as in fake, just that she'd been shocked out of the pyful demeanor she liked to use. Natalie was surprised her question had elicited such a respohere were reasons to believe that one dungeon monster might know ahough it wouldn't have been surprising to have received a 'her. So it had been a shot in the dark. If an ear one. Natalie really did want to know whether the two knew each other; she hadn't asked to catch her off guard.

  "So, you do?" Natalie asked.

  "Of course I know who—" She cut herself off and took a sed to school her expression. When she responded again, she was back to her normal self, a teasing lilt in her voice. She waggled a finger dramatically at Natalie. "Nuh uh. This isn't how this is supposed to go. We're going off script."

  "You have a script for your enters?" Natalie asked dryly.

  "Well, not really. But by now, one of us is supposed to be ihe other. It's unchivalrous to leave a woman unsatisfied." She turo Vaa. "Is she always this rude?"

  "I have no clue what's going on," Vaa said, "but yes." She rolled her eyes, then pstered a serious look on her face. "No, really. What's happening? I knew Basement monsters could talk, but—this isn't how it's supposed to go, I'm pretty sure."

  "See? Even she agrees," the slimegirl whined. "You'll get me in trouble with ma. We're supposed to be fug by now."

  "Ma?" Vaa asked, bewildered.

  "Though, Lady Lust is a lot more fiving," she mused. "So long as you're inside me, or I'm inside you, a few minutes from now, there won't be problems." She stamped her foot. "But still, you're being mean! I was serious that it's been a few days, which is forever in this body. I haven't even given you the terms of the fight yet."

  "Or your name," Natalie pointed out.

  The slimegirl pouted at her so dramatically that she almost felt bad, if she didn't know she utting on an act.

  "Cherisse, but Cheri is fine. You know, less than half of you end up askihat. Maybe they think I don't have one." She winked. "Then again, half the fault's mine. I don't give them much time. My mouth is usually busy with stuff other than talking, pretty fast."

  "Yes, yes, flirtatious teasing, we get it," Vaa said. "Expin what's going on."

  "Ugh, you're rude too. Fi works like this. You have two choices: we either fight, or we —"

  "Not that!" Vaa said, exasperated, which had undoubtedly been the slimegirl's goal, because she snickered behind her hand. "Lady Lust. And Malice. Whose names are those?"

  "Mm." Cheri made a show of sidering the question. "Eh, I don't think I wanna give answers away for free. Same goes for you, Champion. I think I'll alter the rules of agement. Winning gives you free passage, that stays the same. But also, how about—fulfill one request of mine, you get one answer?"

  "Request?" Natalie asked warily. "What 'rules of e', anyway?"

  "I'd have expined by now if you two didn't keep interrupting. Shush." When Natalie and Vaa stayed silent, she beamed. Then coughed into a fist and seemed embarrassed. "Though, there's not much to expin. Not a plicated girl, here. If you want to pass, all you have to do is py with me until I've had my fill."

  "Uh huh," Natalie said. "And just how hard is 'giving you your fill' gonna be?"

  "You'd be surprised how few people ask," the slimegirl ughed. She began to sway her way across the room, and Natalie had to resist the urge to lift her hammer. The goo-girl pressed her body into Natalie's, getin-like tits squishing across her armor and bare skin—she was only a few inches shorter, makialler than most girls, a height where it was easy to le together. "I've got super high expectations from a Champion of the Lady, though. I'm sure you keep up."

  Admittedly, Natalie's thoughts became hard to keep trol of, having a goo-girl pressing her soft, squishy, and very its into her own—and there was a lot of tact elsewhere, like oomad thighs; it was a whole-body hug, and the uexture of gooeyness against her skin was … an experience.

  But she wasn't that easy to make her brain shut off, sihat was clearly Cheri's goal. Well, not that easy when it was a total stranger, at least. If Vaa, Jordan, or any of her other teammates had put on a seductive act like this, she might have been a lost cause. As it stood, she only lost half her brain power.

  "Terms of e," Natalie struggled out. "We satisfy you, and we leave." She knew she wouldn't get a straight answer about what 'satisfying her' meant, but it would be a challenge. One she for, to be ho. "And every request of yours we fulfill, we get one question? Any question?"

  "Any question I want to answer," she corrected. "Don't be greedy. It's a sin, you know."

  "Uh huh." Natalie would admit that the teasing lilt of Cheri's voice was much more effective when her entire body ressed against her. Still, she kept trol. "And what might those 'requests' look like? We turn them down?"

  "That's only fair, since I won't promise I'll answer everything. And unlike you, I'm not greedy—I'll even go easy with my first one." She stepped away, and the sound of their bodies separating made an audible squelch. "I want you," she said, pointing at Vaa, "to take her," she poi Natalie, "armor off. And then I want to take yours off."

  Vaa blinked as she digested those words. While her cheeks colored, she didn't react more than that—and even stayed focused and tinued interrogating their oppo. "Who gets to ask the question?"

  The slimegirl blinked. "Um, decide yourselves? I don't care." She shrugged. "Or maybe whoever's my favorite in the moment," she said with a grin. She gave Vaa a wink. "It'll be you, cutie. I've got a thing for virgins."

  Vaa tried to keep her face straight, with half success. She turo Natalie. "You know, I could just ask you. Who the hell is Malice? And Lust?"

  "Hey! That's cheating!" She faatalie with a pleading look. "It's my only leverage on her. I won't py nice if you don't."

  Vaa ighe slimegirl, waiting for Natalie's response. Natalie hesitated, though. She needed Cheri to cooperate, and she might meahreat.

  "We should probably py along," Natalie said. "Sorry—I'd have told you."

  Cheri beamed. "I knew I'd like you. But seriously, no cheating. I'm the only one who gets to answer questions from here on out." She folded her arms under her breasts, and it was defio emphasize them as much as to show her displeasure if they disobeyed. "I'll go easy on you two, in exge. Besides, I'm a poor dungeon morapped in the bowels of an a crypt, soul bound to an undying master. These games are all I have. Taking them away would be unbelievably cruel, don't you think?"

  The words were said in ahe-top joking manner, but they still made her pause—and Vaa too. Because there had to be at least a kernel of truth there.

  "Fine," Vaa said. "But I better have answers when we're done."