Part 7: Peril

The long awaited part seven in LFN Park's tale that follows Bubbles from our game Inheritance.

I've got the next installment in hand, as well as a couple of pieces that play out parallel to the Maki story chain that was just recently added to Inheritance.

Enjoy the story!

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Bubbles wiped the sweat from her brow, reaching for her bra in one corner of the blue tent. She sat up, eliciting a disappointing moan from Maki as her olive skinned arms unwrapped from around her chiseled midsection. She groped for it in the darkness of the tent for a few moments before she felt its soft lace in her palm.

“You don’t have to get dressed, darling.” She murmured lazily, stretching her arms over her head to twist the knob of a square lantern light. It bathed the interior of the tent in a faint white glow, casting odd shadows. Bubbles glanced at the naked woman covered in sweat and more just like her, but  Maki was the picture of utter comfort stretched out on her sleeping bag. Bubbles felt uneasy with her nudity, like she was exposed and unprotected. She said nothing, putting back on the lacy black bra to assuage her embarrassment. She winced when she felt the cool material touch her hot skin, but began looking for her panties.

“As you wish.” Bubbles smiled inwardly when she felt Maki’s arms encircle her waist, fingers brushing her abs playfully as the smaller woman’s larger breasts pressed against her back. Outwardly her face remained as stoic as ever. 

“It makes it more fun to take them off again later, anyway.”  Maki nipped gently at Bubbles shoulder.

Bubbles reached out, grasping her black panties from near the zipped up entrance to the tent. She could hear the wind howling and the violent spattering of the rain against the seemingly thin material of the tent and felt a knot of concern in her stomach.

“It’s storming.” She muttered, suddenly aware of exactly what was protecting them from the violence outside.

“Wanton Cove has lots of storms that pop up. As long as there’s no lightning we should be fine.” Maki assured her, tracing her caramel abs lazily.

“This tent is thin. It’s also large.” Bubbles noted. Indeed, as long as she didn’t stand up or get to anything past her knees, she could comfortably stretch out without pushing at the sides. She shifted, sliding her black panties back up her legs quickly.

“It’s strong enough, darling. I also bought it due to its size so you’d be comfortable.” Maki smiled broadly, trailing soft kisses up Bubbles’ neck.

“You planned for this.” Bubbles said, running a hand along the bandage on her face. It was coming undone from their earlier physicality, and the sweat had eliminated any stickiness from the medical tape. Now it was simply uncomfortable and held in by the cotton wedged in the empty eye socket.

“I hoped for this. Is the bandage bothering you?” Maki’s hand deftly touched Bubbles’ shoulders, rubbing the tense muscles gently.

“It’s fine.” Bubbles muttered, trying to adjust the tape.

“Just take it off for the night. We’ll put a fresh one on in the morning. You can always put the mask back on if you want to protect it.” Maki murmured, biting Bubbles ear gently.

“It’s fine.” She insisted quickly, trying to fix it. The tape was refusing to stick back to her skin.

“Darling,” Maki gently grasped Bubbles’ chin, turning her gaze to the olive skinned woman’s face. “Just take it off.” She pressed a soft kiss to Bubbles lips before resting her cheek against the larger womans.

The giantess hesitated, her cyclopean gaze lingering towards the ground as the gears in her mind turned. She felt something growing in her chest, something she wasn’t used to...something she only remembered experiencing after her last real fight in a tiny locker room….that cold grip of despair...

“It looks horrible.” She finally breathed, her deep baritone barely above a whisper.

“I saw it not twenty minutes after it was inflicted, darling. I didn’t care then, I don’t care now. It changes nothing.” Maki murmured, her breath tickling Bubbles’ cheek as her arms wrapped around Bubbles’ neck. “When you were covered in blood in that filthy locker, all I could think was how hot you were, beating the odds and saving yourself. I wasn’t disgusted by you then. I’ve seen your entire body not five minutes ago, scars and all, and I wasn’t disgusted. Why would I be now?” Maki murmured hotly, turning Bubbles head to meet her happy gaze.

“I hate it.” Bubbles murmured, feeling tears sting her eye. “I hate it and...these…” 

Bubbles hand shook as she touched the corner of her lip, tracing the scar going up her cheek. She felt that raw emotion in her chest creep through her, wrenching a soft, weak sob from her throat.

“I-I can’t smile. I can’t see right. I’m hideous. I don’t...know what I can do anymore.” Bubbles choked up as tears flowed from her one eye, shame heavy in her voice.

Maki was silent for a moment as her smile faded. She hadn’t known about Bubbles inability to smile, but she’d suspected as much; nerve damage was common with that kind of injury.

She cradled Bubbles’ head in her arms, clutching her black hair as she pressed her cheek against her. The larger woman’s hands gripped Maki’s smaller arms gently, shaking with unfettered emotion.

“Why would anyone want me? Why do you?” Bubbles murmured, looking at Maki pleadingly.

Maki sighed gently, pulling her arms away from the larger woman’s head. She placed one hand on her cheek, a finger brushing against the hard tissue running up from Bubbles’ lips, as the other gently touched the loose patch hanging by the barest margins of medical tape over her right eye socket. 

Bubbles flinched as she pulled it off, turning immediately to hide the wound. Maki frowned, gripping Bubbles’ cheeks firmly with her gentle hands to turn her gaze back. Reluctantly the giantess’ head began to move, her blue eye filled with dread and fear as it held Maki’s gaze. 

Maki could make out the pink scar tissue, still somewhat moist and swollen in the dim light, as Bubbles turned her head. It quickly darkened, instead becoming a massive void in her scarred face. In the dim light the shadows that played across Bubbles face combined with the missing organ reminded Maki of some of the drawings she’d seen in the folklore books of Wanton Cove...monstrous faces enveloping people in their nightmares…

Except for her single blue eye, vivid against the rest of her darkened face. Its fear and trepidation broke the mask the shadows cast, letting Maki see the truth of the poor girl before her.

Maki smiled lovingly at Bubbles, caressing her cheeks gently as she locked her gaze with the scared girls.

“I want you because you are magnificent. When I see you walk, I see a warrior goddess fresh from conquest, a massive heroine undefeated. Each scar a triumph of a hard-fought battle.” She brushed a strand of hair away from her right side, her voice soft and kind. “This one...the most difficult as the deepest felt.” She ran her fingers along Bubbles’ right eyebrow.

“I know you’ve lost so much, sweet girl. My heart aches for you; if I could take your pain away, I would. I can't. ” Maki gently brushed her thumb along one of the scars curling up Bubbles cheek. “You have to bear it, but…”

Maki trailed off as Bubbles closed her eye, the vestige of humanity on her face disappearing into darkness as the monstrous shapes seemed to swallow her. The larger girl nuzzled Maki’s palm, shaky fingers brushing her wrist. Maki pressed her lips against her caramel forehead, a sob wrenching from Bubbles throat as the smaller woman pulled away. Her fingers dug suddenly into Bubbles cheeks, her blue eye snapping open as Maki locked her gaze with hers. Bubbles felt her tears stop as those hazel orbs burned with a sudden intensity that drove the raw emotion consuming her back to her chest. 

“Pain is fire. Pain burns us, but it can fuel us. Pain can forge us, darling. Reshape us.” Maki whispered fiercely, her face hovering close enough Bubbles could feel her hot breath against her nose.

“Tanya….that pain made me into the woman I am now; I do terrible things, my sweet Bubbles. I have done things that would haunt your dreams.” Bubbles swore the shadows cast by the lantern enveloped Maki’s face, leaving her burning eyes staring directly to her soul.

“To hunt down monsters, you have to become their nightmare. It tears one’s soul away…” Maki relaxed her grip, inhaling deeply as she shifted, the light flowing over her face once more. ”I do so gladly if I can save another boy, save another girl from Tanya’s fate….if I can save someone from being tossed away like garbage. I can’t save the world, but I can save someone.” Maki’s voice softened, her fingers trailing down to gently trace Bubbles’ collarbone.

“You suffer now, darling, but I believe you will be stronger for it, as I am. I believe in you. I hope you let me have the privilege of seeing you walk this path.” Maki whispered, smiling once more.

Bubbles stared at the olive woman for a long moment, one hand stretching up to touch her cheek with shaky fingers.

Bubbles grasped the back of Maki’s neck, pulling those soft lips to hers with a sudden fervor. Maki melted against the larger woman, wrapping her arms around her neck as she felt Bubbles’ lips move against hers. Bubbles broke the kiss after a few moments, breathing heavily as she stared into Maki’s smoldering eyes.

“You...are unique.” She murmured, before pressing herself against her once more, her lips voraciously attacking Maki’s. The olive woman moaned happily as the larger woman pushed her back down against her sleeping bag, losing herself once more amidst caramel flesh.

--

Bubbles snapped awake as a crashing sound broke through the howling wind.

She sat up quickly, reaching for the lantern light in the corner. Maki beat her to it, light filling the tent as the olive woman looked towards the right side.

“What was that?” Bubbles asked, instinctively adjusting her bra back down over her breasts.

“A tree fell...perhaps more than one.” Maki murmured, kneeling on her sleeping bag. Bubbles could see a concerned expression on her face, sending a chill down her spine.

“The wind is strong…” Bubbles murmured, seeing the fabric of their tent buffeted and bowed.

“Yes…..Perhaps we should get dressed just in case….” Maki mused, reaching for her shirt and jacket.

“In case of?” Bubbles grabbed her sweater, slipping it over her head.

“Anything.” It didn’t take long for Bubbles to slip her discarded clothing back on. As she finished buttoning her jeans, Maki crawled over to the tent flap, slipping her jacket back on.

“I have to check something.” She unzipped the tent flap, filling the tent with a gust of wind and its howling as she slipped outside.

Bubbles sat in the glow of the lantern light, a lump in her throat as the seconds stretched by interminably. She picked up the half plastic mask and secured it over her face, an uneasy feeling gripping her stomach tighter as Maki didn’t return immediately.

Then the olive woman came back through the tent flap, Bubbles exhaled loudly, realizing she’d been holding her breath. Maki was drenched from her short excursion, but the grim expression on her face concerned the giantess the most.

“There is lightning.” She said simply, grabbing her sleeping bag and beginning to roll it up.

“What’s that mean?” Bubbles asked, her tone soft and tiny as she gripped her own sleeping bag.

“You wouldn’t know…” Maki clucked her tongue reproachfully at herself for missing that. “We have some time…” She began securing it to her pack.

“The lightning is some distance away, so there is no immediate threat of it striking anywhere near us. You can’t hear the thunder over the wind, so that’s somewhat good and bad….but that can change very quickly, darling, and should the lightning come this way this tent will not be safe.” Bubbles gulped as Maki grasped her larger sleeping bag from Bubbles and began rolling it up.

“What do we do?” 

“We need to get to lower ground and away from the water. About two and a half miles north east is the old town. There’s plenty of structures left for us to take shelter in until this wickedness blows over.” Maki secured the bag to the larger girls pack and pushed it into Bubbles’ lap.

“What about the weather?” Bubbles asked, slipping the damp grey beanie over her head. Maki pulled a brass circle from her pack and held it up.

“I have a compass, and even then I am the most familiar with this island, save maybe Brie. We’ll get there fine….wet, but fine.” Maki smiled, tucking the compass into her pocket.

Bubbles reluctantly shouldered her bag onto her back, eyes on Maki as she grabbed the lantern light. She slipped through the whipping tent flap first, followed quickly by Bubbles.

The giantess winced as the wind slapped her in the face, the pouring rain cold against her exposed hands and cheek. Maki pulled up her hood, shining the light over her compass. She said something, but the wind tore her words away before they could reach Bubbles’ ears.

Bubbles simply followed her as she started trudging against the razor sharp wind, the rain seeped into her clothing.

The caramel giantess lost track of time, focused solely on keeping Maki and her light in her view through the rain and harsh wind. She stumbled over roots and constantly had to pull her boots from thick mud. Her clothes had become heavy, her coat soaked through to her sweater underneath. What’s worse, the half mask she wore was becoming slippery as the straps were soaked and rubbing into her scalp as her hair stuck to her cheeks and neck.

Bubbles saw Maki turn to look at her briefly, holding the light aloft like a torch, before turning back to the compass. Bubbles brought her hand up to wipe water from her eye futilely, and when she searched for Maki in front of her she saw the light drop suddenly.

“Maki!” Her cry was drowned out by the wind as she saw the smaller woman pitch forward abruptly, her leg disappearing from under her. Bubbles dashed forward as she saw her flail and abruptly vanish from her view, but suddenly found her feet on soft ground that gave away under her weight.

Bubbles flailed as she collapsed, her feet unable to find any solid purchase. She felt herself tumble down an unseen slope as her world became a blur of shapes and mud. At some point she lost her pack, Bubbles didn’t know when, but her world ended suddenly as she felt a sharp, yet familiar pain in her side followed by her ears filling with a harsh cracking sound. Her world faded to black quickly.