1.87 – Telegnosis

non-sentient tentacles and lewdness. Uh, mentions dissociation that I guess could maybe be triggering for some? Nothing too much worse than the usual telepathic orgasms, but mentioning it here just in case.

"Here it is. The Trial of the Erogel. You should count yourselves lucky. At one time, the wait list spanned hundreds of pages. It got to the point where anyone who wanted to actually attempt it, had to prove themselves somehow to expedite the process. Or pay."

Remi paused to let them take in the rather small room. In the center was a square pool, roughly the size of the one they'd bathed in. This one had steps leading gradually deeper on three of its sides, however, leaving slightly less space in the deeper center.

Surrounding it were a few rows of chairs, meant for only a small audience if there were to be one. On the walls were gold plaques with names; those who had passed the trial, ages past.

The plaques may be valuable simply from the metal content, if they were real gold. Maple wasn't sure she'd be able to melt down such ancient history for her own profit, but that would be up to the scruples of Thera and the rest of Azure Bond.

"The trial is simple: last five minutes."

"Without cumming?"

Maple wasn't sure she could, as aroused as she still felt. The same likely went for the others. Thera may be able to, using her willpower, but it wasn't clear what the challenge even was yet. She saw only the pool of crystal clear water. Remi laughed at the question.

"No, just without giving up or passing out. That liquid is a powerful aphrodisiac that also enhances your senses. It gets stronger the longer you're in it, and just that would be enough to make most people cum multiple times over."

"Oh, so just stay in that water for five minutes? Or do we have to..."

Masturbate, or do things to each other? Maple may have been a little hopeful, and eyed Thera. The ghost shook her head.

"There's more than just water..."

She did something with her hands, and glowing purple tentacles filled the pool. They writhed and groped and squirmed. Dort shook his head and turned toward the exit.

"I think I'll sit this one out. You ladies have fun."

Alas gave the tentacle pool a considering look, glanced at Dort leaving, and then nodded to Maple and Thera.

"Perverts."

So saying, she followed Dort out of the room. Sneaking off with him somewhere, perhaps? That left Maple, Emma, Thera, and Sylla. Remi didn't seem surprised as she turned the tentacles back off.

"It's definitely not for the faint of heart, or anyone with heart conditions, or—there used to be a wavier to sign, but...it's safe, generally. Are any of you willing?"

At least one of you, Remi's voice practically begged. Maple could take or leave it, honestly. That plant had been kind of fun, if not morally questionable, but a pool of tentacles? Really?

She looked at Thera to see what she thought of it. On her face, Maple saw an eager yearning for...adventure. Maple licked her lips and had her own answer, then.

Emma dipped a toe into the water, rising a few inches above the first step into the pool. After a second of consideration she pulled it out and shook her head. She was out, and explained why.

Feels too much like your bad enhanced pleasure.

Maple had really messed her up with that, when she first got that Skill.

"Aw, sorry cutie. Will you watch? I think I'm going to do it, and—it looks like Thera wants to."

"Oh yeah, I am in."

Emma grinned and nodded. She would watch with pleasure. She gestured at Sylla, asking if she was going to do it. Sylla replied by covering her mouth and nodding slightly. She avoided making eye contact with anyone while answering.

Hehe, Sylla was so horny. Maple couldn't wait to see her cum, perhaps multiple times if the trial lived up to Remi's warnings. Remi clapped her hands together, glee on her face.

"All three of you? Ooh, I'm so excited. The rules are simple: Once you're all submerged to your necks, the timer will start. Thirty seconds in, the tentacles will activate. If you verbally give up or lose consciousness, the tentacles will carry you out. You can also walk out on your own at any time. Traditionally, if anyone remained by the end, they would then stay to see who could stand it the longest. Amateurs like yourselves would be lucky to last even two minutes though, so I wouldn't worry about that too much."

Maple's body ached with anticipation, and her stomach had butterflies from a slight nervousness, but Thera looked at her with a competitive smirk. A silent challenge. How could she resist that? Thera thought she could outlast her? Maple had been through—a lot since getting here.

She used to always have [Lesser Enhanced Pleasure] active. She'd wasted an entire day with the upgraded one active. She'd experienced half of Syber's population cumming at once. Thera had too, but almost all of Maple's orgasms were accompanied by at least one other person's. Willpower or not, Maple felt she had the advantage.

"You're on."

Emma took a front row seat, ready to silently cheer for them. A five minute timer appeared in the air above the pool. Maple, Thera, and Sylla stood together at the edge of the water. Ready. Remi bounced from foot to foot.

"Can I...could I join you again? If you don't mind, that is? I won't interfere or move you—just watch. I just can't really feel much without a body, you see..."

"Oh, what the heck. Come on, then. Have you ever done this before?"

Thera held out her arm, inviting the ghost into her. Maple would have let her, if Thera hadn't. She kind of wondered what it felt like. And come on, Remi had been stuck here for hundreds of years without even being able to cum? Maple felt bad for the ghost, maybe even pitied her.

"Yay! Thank you, thank you. And I have. Lots of times, actually. The staff used to love it."

Thera nodded.

"Alright, ready to lose Maple? And, are you sure you want to do this, Syll?"

"I...I'll outlast both of you!"

Sylla said it an outburst of honest enthusiasm, face bright red. It was so adorable. Maple laughed and took in both of their nude bodies one last time. She had far more arousal than shame at this point.

"We'll see about that. Ready?"

They took their first steps into the water. Maple's feet tingled pleasantly, then her legs, thighs. The water reached just higher than that and she almost stumbled. It was like the water was stroking her. By time it was up to her belly button, she was breathing heavier.

Sylla wasn't having any easier of a time, and Maple wondered if it was entirely fair for the lamia, given her larger surface area.

They quickly finished walking down the steps until their necks were submerged, and the timer started. Maple's body felt hot. Both Thera's and Sylla's reactions were arousing. She wanted to touch herself.

Instead, she reached over and gently flicked one of Thera's nipples. Thera recoiled with a gasp.

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

Maple grinned, and got ready to flee if Thera came at her. She hoped she did. Come on, chase her. She wanted to feel...hunted? And then caught, and pinned down, and ravaged. Thera folded her arms.

"Nothing. I'm not a cheater like some—"

She lunged at Maple, trying to catch her off guard. Maple yelped with a laugh and stepped away just in time. Thera chased her, and Maple had to keep moving through the water. She managed to put Sylla between them, dancing over her snake-half. Sylla had her arms to her chest.

"Keep me out of it, please!"

"The tentacles are about to start, you two."

Remi pointed that out flatly, and Maple felt bad for using Sylla as a shield. She was about to apologize, when the slick wriggling mass appeared all around her. They gently whipped and stroked her body as they passed. Some wrapped around her briefly before letting go.

Her thighs, her feet, between her legs, against her nipples, around her neck—it was sensory overload. It already felt equivalent to at least [Lesser Enhanced Pleasure], and her body was growing more sensitive by the second.

The tentacles were completely smooth, and made of magic, or prana probably. Some were larger than others. One tentacle seemed to have found its preferred spot, and pressed up against her, between her legs. It went all the way down her crack and then back up to her belly button. She was being spread open slightly around it.

The tentacle started moving slowly back and forth. Maple gasped and closed her eyes. She held still. The slightest movement might make another tentacle brush against her body.

She felt her Skill able to activate and opened her eyes. Sylla was cumming. She moaned, and couldn't hide her orgasm. Maple watched, and then came herself.

"Mmm—I'm cumming already."

"Heh, you won't win like that, Map—hnnn—"

Maple watched Thera's hot o-face, not that she needed even more stimulus. The tentacles just didn't stop. She'd expected Sylla to have bowed out immediately, but she was still with them, eyes shut and body shuddering. Would she really stand a—

"Mmnnnaah, I'm done, I'm done—nngh—"

Sylla had clearly cum again, perhaps twice more, before the tentacles had pulled her out and deposited her to the tile floor, twitching and curling her tail up around her. Emma bounced to her side, offering her comfort, and to wash the water off.

Thera grinned at Maple, and took a step toward her. 3:15 remained on the timer.

"This is—nothing. Did you think—ahh. That I'd forget?"

Maple's eyes went wide, but she couldn't move. Thera took willful step after step until she was right on top of Maple.

"D—Don't."

Maple was cumming again as Thera wrapped her arms around her and pulled her against her. Several tentacles brushed against her body in the process, and then squished between them. Her skin felt so soft and amazing against her. She could feel Thera's body heat.

She was sideways to Thera. Thera wrapped an arm around her body, pressing her hand against her stomach and slowly sliding downward with it. Each inch sent electric pleasure through Maple, and even the anticipation felt enhanced with pleasure.

Thera's hand stopped a few inches below Maple's belly button, just another few inches to her...Thera stopped because, she was shaking and shuddering, cumming too hard to move. Maple had a moment of reprieve, but even Thera's convulsions against her were nearly more than she could handle.

Maple panted hard for a few seconds, and then forced her hand through a mass of tentacles to Thera's nipple. She squeezed it and pulled it. Thera cried out with a moan. Maple couldn't move more than that. Her body's sensitivity was still increasing, and she kept cumming and cumming. It hurt. She gritted her teeth.

"This is—nothing—"

Incomprehensible moans came out of Maple after that, and she convulsed against Thera. 2:45 remaining. Remi chimed in, herself finding it difficult to speak over the pleasure she felt through Thera's body.

"15 seconds—until penetration."

Maple's eyes widened. They'd go in? She'd expected that initially, but they hadn't so far and thought maybe they wouldn't. She panted and tried not to move. Thera didn't either. A momentary ceasefire.

15 seconds that felt like a minute had passed, in agonizing, euphoric pleasure, when the first tentacle pushed inside of Maple. She moaned and met Thera's eyes. Thera replied with her own sounds, and a knowing look.

"It's in me."

Thera nodded slightly. Her too. The movements of the tentacles were getting faster, wrapping around them more tightly, and now thrusting in and out. Maple could barely think—but she turned to face Thera. Thera's hand slid around her body as she did—she loved being touched by her.

Maple lurched forward to kiss Thera. She reciprocated, the fool. Her mouth took in Maple's tongue, and plenty of saliva. Maple wrapped her arms around Thera and pulled against her. She felt Thera's hard nipples against her, and her own press into Thera, and she came again.

Thera pulled her mouth from Maple as she shuddered. Maple tried to make an evil grin, but was probably just making a really lewd face.

"You—cheater—"

Thera groaned, cumming hard. She'd realized her mistake, taking in even more aphrodisiac from Maple. More sounds were coming from Remi now, too. If she cared that the trial had turned into a battle—she was enjoying the showdown either way.

A second tentacle entered Maple—her other hole. She moaned and squeezed her arms tight around Thera, digging her nails in slightly. She really was reaching her limit. 1:42 remained. Thera taunted her.

"I thought—this. Was. Nothing?"

Maple gasped and struggled to speak. She had two nuclear options at her disposal. One, would actually be cheating, unless she also used it on herself. But the other...Maple stared into Thera's eyes.

"I—could..."

"Fuck—"

Thera convulsed without saying anything for several seconds. She knew what Maple had meant, and she nodded.

"Do it."

"[Telepatchic Orgasms]—"

The pleasure doubled; she'd left Remi out of it. Maple felt both of their pleasure at once. Their multiple orgasms created a chain reaction that made the Skill go without end. Each orgasm felt like it refreshed the Skill, sending a new, even clearer picture of the other's entire self.

Maple wasn't herself anymore, but both of them. Thera was right there with her mentally, while her body embraced Maple's and they both shuddered and moaned in pure, slightly painful ecstasy.

It wasn't a contest anymore, but an experience shared in the deepest of ways. More and more thoughts leaked through—wordless, conceptual thoughts. The connection between them was becoming whole. Complete.

Maybe it was just oxytocin flooding their brains, from a succession of orgasms that could be measured as a per second rate. Or maybe it was something more. Maple felt a deep love for Thera and happily let it leak through. Affection, bliss, I can see so much of you, and I love all of it. A mutual feeling came from Thera. They were both in this together, as one.

Something intangible clicked into place, and suddenly their bodies were far away. Distant. Somewhere else, while she and Thera were...where? She heard Thera's voice as a thought, rather than words.

Maple? What is this?

It was a thought, and carried a much deeper context than words alone. She felt all of Thera's thoughts like they were her own, and knew hers were the same for Thera. A kind of mental signature was all that distinguished them.

I don't know. Was this a bad idea? I'm scared.

Was what she immediately thought, and she knew Thera heard it because she'd already acknowledged Maple's with even more thoughts. It was a process that happened faster than language.

Maple spoke anyway, for clarity. She formed a body, in whatever this place was. A mental space? It was just a black void, and Maple stood in the center.

"I don't know..."

Thera made her own body appear next to Maple.

This is weird.

"This is weird."

She thought it, and then spoke it. She could feel their bodies, but distantly. Her own eyes were closed, but Thera's were open. Thera had an anxious thought she didn't vocalize.

Did that ghost do something?

I hope not.

"Can you move your body?"

"No, but—look. Is that Remi moving mine? She's carrying you out of the water."

They watched Thera carrying Maple's limp body out of the water, from afar, in first-person perspective. A dissociative kind of feeling.

I guess I'm unconscious. Is this my mind? Both of ours?

I don't know.

A feeling of fear came from Thera. Maple hugged her mental form. She was scared, too. They heard Remi speaking through Thera's body in reality.

"I think she's unconscious, too. I don't know—the tentacles should have pulled them out, and they shouldn't be out for this long."

Remi slapped Thera's face a couple times, both she and Maple could feel it. Thera communicated via a thought.

I'm going to try to reach my body.

Maple's own thoughts replied faster than her words.

I'm sorry. Please don't leave me stuck here alone.

"I'll try, too."

They both reached, or stretched, mentally. Maple remembered her trick during the milk incident.

I'm Maple. I'm Maple. I'm Maple.

She woke up, gasping in her body. She looked around frantically.

"Thera? Are you there?"

Remi shook Thera's head, a worried look on her face. Panic flashed through Maple. She had no idea how—Thera jerked.

"I'm back. Gods."

Maple threw her arms around her, relieved that she was okay. That she herself was okay. That she hadn't gotten them trapped by doing something dumb. She was crying, and Thera kept a hand on her head consolingly. Remi politely slid out of Thera's body.

It's okay. We're okay.

Maple heard Thera's voice in her head. In a separate place from her usual thoughts. A separate mind. Maple pulled back, eyes wide. She sent a thought to that shared mind. The place they'd just been.

Thera?

Thera nodded in shocked silence.