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It was a storm-ridden autumn night in a small village within the region of Vipin, with rain hammering down upon the small houses. It was a heavy storm, wind howled through the trees around them, and when they were really unlucky, lightning cracked across the sky and thunder boomed its rattling voice. It felt as if Rhoda, the Goddess of Nature, was furious with them, though none of the villagers could know why.
The village consisted of mostly humans, but there was a small family of brownies as well, Sarah and Lilly. They remained huddled by their fireplace, feeding it slowly, making sure not to put in too much wood at once and waste what they had, which wasn’t a lot. If they were careful, they’d likely have enough to comfortably make it through the night, and hopefully the storm would have passed by that point and wood outside can begin drying again.
For now, the mother and daughter huddled in one cozy wooden chair built to their size, while they found themselves bundled in a blanket, eyes closed and resting. They couldn’t really sleep, not with the frightening thunder, but resting their eyes and doing their best not to remain too stressed helped.
However, that was easier said than done… Every time the thunder boomed, Lilly especially flinched, for she really didn’t like such loud, frightening noises. A small whine escaped her this time and she even pulled a corner of the blanket over her head. It didn’t really help block much of the noise, but it did make her feel ever so slightly safer.
Meanwhile, Sarah wasn’t sure how long they’ve been sitting here, waiting out this storm, or how much longer it was going to rage on for. That was up to the whims of nature, and for now, they were at her mercy. With luck, maybe they would eventually fall asleep, if the thunder let up enough to allow that.
For the time being, it showed no signs of even slowing down as wind and rain continued to rage on their poor little house. Then the windows flashed with lightning and Sarah tensed, knowing what came next-
A cracking boom, seeming closer this time than last, caused both brownies to flinch and huddle closer.
Ironically, thunder was just a noise, the true danger came from that flash of lightning. Sarah knew this and inwardly scolded herself for flinching to the former. She had to remain strong for Lilly, and if she showed stress, then what reason did her child have to trust everything was going to be fine?
Sarah frowned at herself from these thoughts, before they were quickly shattered rather suddenly, for three strange thuds sounded out against the door of their home from outside. Both brownies jolted and let out yelps of alarm. Someone was knocking?! At this hour, in a storm?
Sarah held Lilly with protective strength as she turned her head to look towards the door, trying to remember if she even barred it or not. No one really had proper locks in the simple village, but nearly every door had a small piece of wood to rotate and keep the door from opening from the outside.
“Stay here sweetie.” Sarah whispered to her daughter, who nodded silently, showing no signs of wanting to disobey.
Thus the mother brownie carefully removed herself from the blanket pile, then slid down onto the floor out of the chair, before picking up the candle on a plate nearby for light.
As she prepared to greet this guest, she passed by the kitchen and grabbed a knife in her free hand, but hid it in her dress as she approached the door. Much to her dismay, she did forget to bar it too, but whoever was on the other side thankfully wasn’t entering yet. They just waited for someone to answer.
The sky flashed again, and light flooded into the tiny house, but it was too brief for her to make use of the windows and see who was outside. Instead, she just tensed as a rumble surrounded them once more, seeming to shake the roof with its sheer force.
Once it was over, Sarah exhaled, before she approached the door. Her mouth opened to speak, but only a stressed airy noise came out at first. With a thick swallow and a deep breath to calm herself, she tried again, and finally spoke words.
“Who is it?” She asked as firmly as she could.
“Just a seer seeking your hospitality, if you can spare it.” Came a voice that was... vaguely familiar, but Sarah couldn’t pinpoint why.
He sounded as if he hailed from the desert region of Nevaeh, and his tone was gentle, though almost nervous-sounding himself. He certainly didn’t sound threatening, and for a fleeting moment, she felt guilty about the knife.
But he was still a human, which meant he was much bigger than they were. And a seer? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
“Mister Sokhayan... ?” Lilly’s voice suddenly spoke up in a soft, yet hopeful manner, and Sarah looked over to see her peeking around the chair with big pink eyes.
Sokhayan... that name stirred some old gears in the mother’s mind, a distant yet not entirely that long ago memory. She’d have to see him to truly reveal it though, because as it stood he was just a name and a voice with nothing behind it.
Judging by the smile on her daughter’s face, she remembered this ‘Sokhayan’ very well, and was happy to hear from him. That eased some of Sarah’s worry, if he had a positive impression on Lilly, then that improved the situation considerably.
Thus, Sarah decided to set the knife aside on a nearby table, then open the door to see who this seer truly was. She’d work on deciding if they should actually let him take refuge in their home or not afterwards. Luckily, Lilly stayed in the chair for now, likely due to the storm, but the mother was ready for that to be broken any minute.
The door creaked open slowly, and she had to hold it with steadfast strength as the wind on the other side threatened to pull the door from her hands. On the other side however, stood a rather pitiful sight.
Sokhayan’s purple and burgundy robes were soaked through, and his manbun hair was flattened and deflated. He did have a cloak, but it too was soaked through, it seemed that it wasn’t a very good one. She noticed it however, because she saw his hands holding it around himself... allowing her to see the gleaming black claws on his fingertips.
The man also offered her a sheepish grin, revealing a strange secondary pair of fangs protruding from his gums. Not so unlike the fangs of some serpent hiding under a rotting log.
As disturbing as these sights were, she also found her memories returning to her. This man was that mercenary who came into the village back in spring of this year. Lilly wanted to visit him, and...
Sarah let out an uneasy breath as she watched this man bow before her, dipping his head low and closing his eyes, showing considerable respect.
“Forgive me, I would not typically wish to disturb you during such a harsh storm. However, the inn is full, and I cannot set up my tent in this.” He said in a genuinely regretful tone, and held the bow through each word. He only stood after speaking, his brow furrowed in a troubled manner.
He seemed to be a good man, all in all. Even though those claws and fangs meant he wasn’t human after all, but half-evuna instead. A chimera as some scholars would call him. Sarah remembered this detail, and something even more troubling.
“I understand. I wouldn’t want to leave someone out in this, you’ll surely get sick or worse.” She began with sympathy, but she couldn’t hide her apprehensiveness either.
The brownie mother looked over him again, even as his shoulders shook slightly, showing that he was cold, yet doing his best to not let it be known. In truth he was probably freezing, but he clearly had some willpower to hide it this well.
Rain pattered hard around them, and the wind came close to blowing out her candle. She breathed in, and Sokhayan peered down at her with a lowered head and a warm, hopeful gaze, almost pleadingly so. He was trying to present himself as non-threatening, and as true as that may be, he could never claim true harmlessness. Not with claws like that... and not when she remembered how the mercenary chose to return Lilly home that spring.
“If I let you in... can you promise that you won’t swallow either of us?” Sarah asked him as sternly as she could, though her voice came out more frail than anything.
Sokhayan’s shoulders drew in further, while he let out a quiet, sheepish laugh. A moment passed then, and he seemed to be genuinely considering her words... until an expression of regret crossed over his features.
“I am afraid that I can only promise this. Should the two of you find yourselves within my belly, I swear to be gentle with you, and will take splendid care of my little inhabitants. To promise anything else would be dishonest.” Sokhayan declared with sincerity and warmth. He meant every word, and he offered Sarah a benign smile afterwards.
Despite his intent, it wasn’t exactly what Sarah wanted to hear.
The mother sighed and deflated a bit, feeling conflicted and uncertain if she really wanted to risk being devoured, even in a nice way. Letting the serpent into their home and expecting him to do anything else besides just swallow them up whole seemed foolish, he was even honest enough to tell her so!
Lilly giggled from behind her, sounding both giddy and amused by this and Sarah glanced to see her standing there, out of the chair and closer to the door. That was a pretty significant silver lining... Sokhayan made Lilly happy, and that included the time spent in the man’s stomach. Sarah remembered how much fun she had explaining what it was like, and how she hoped he would come back.
She also hadn’t been happy since the storm came, especially with how the thunder spooked her so much...
“Please momma, can we let Mister Sokhayan stay?” The child pleaded with big hopeful eyes to her mother. “It’s really warm and snuggly in his tummy too, and we wouldn’t hear the scary booms as much!” She pointed out with bubbling joy.
Sokhayan himself let out a deep, warm hum to hear that, his smile widening with benevolence, but he didn’t speak. Instead, he just rested his clawed hands on his abdomen, and waited. No doubt the child’s words only amplified the chances of him being more unable to uphold the promise Sarah wished he’d make.
The mother knew she already lost, deep down. She couldn’t deny Lilly comfort and warmth from the storm, and the possibility of even getting some true sleep. There also wasn’t anything stopping Sokhayan from just gobbling them up now, without even being invited in. But he was being polite enough to wait, and technically she could turn him away and she knew he’d likely respect it... But at that point, who would be the monster then? She’d be breaking her daughter’s heart and leaving the man out in the storm without any shelter at all.
Or she could let him in, and be warmly tucked away in his belly. Something her curious little child had already experienced once with no harm done.
Thunder flashed behind Sokhayan, lighting up the sky in an eerie manner. His expression fell a bit, Lilly whimpered, and Sarah tensed up. She didn’t want the door open when the thunder came, and the wind was picking up.
“Fine, come in, just hurry.” She said as she stepped aside, and allowed the half-evuna to enter.
Thankfully, he did hurry as he ducked through the small doorway and shuffled inside, then turned to help Sarah close the door. And this time, Sarah turned the little board to keep anyone else from entering.
Right after that, the thunder bellowed out, rattling the tiny house again, and causing poor Lilly to yelp in fright. Sarah was quick to move to Lilly’s side then and pull her into a hug to comfort her, something that the child returned with gratitude.
Sokhayan smiled down at the both of them with his own warmth, and Sarah watched as he then bowed to her.
“You have my deepest gratitude for allowing me to come inside. I promise to treat you and your home with the utmost respect.” He said sincerely to Sarah, and kept his head bowed, as if waiting for her to speak.
Her arms still remained around Lilly, who snuggled her side while looking up at Sokhayan with curiosity, seeming to be returning to her happy self for the time being. At least until lightning strikes again.
Sarah glanced over the mercenary one more time, he really was soaking wet, but he’d dry soon enough by the fireplace. Besides that detail though, everything about his body language was nonthreatening and gentle. He was very clearly grateful to be out of the rain, as he had said, but there was also a sense of warmth in his demeanor, the kind that threatened to engulf the little brownies. She just wasn’t quite sure in what way yet.
“You’re welcome, Sokhayan. And if you want, you can hang your cloak on that hook there, it should dry in due time.” She told him, gesturing to the hook in question hanging near the door.
Sokhayan straightened himself then, thankfully able to stand at his full height within the home, even just barely. Only a handful of inches remained between the top of his head and the ceiling. He then nodded once, smiling in an innocently happy way as he turned and shed his soaked cloak. As she watched him hang it up, she couldn’t help but declare her worries.
“Just uh... well, can you at least try not to eat us?” Sarah sheepishly requested then, though she soon regretted it when she heard a sad noise come from Lilly.
It was subtle, but it reminded her that Lilly wanted that unusual shelter from the storm, to mask the foreboding booms of thunder. Sarah wished that they had a better solution, one that didn’t involve the man’s stomach, but she had nothing to replace that with or they would have done it already.
Sokhayan paused from this request as well, his smile fading quickly and replaced with an expression that Sarah could only describe as sadness and shame at the same time.
“I could try my best, although...” He began reluctantly and trailed off.
Both adults shifted their attention to Lilly then, who had her head lowered, peering down at the floor as if someone had shattered her dreams. It was a heartbreaking sight, really. At the child’s disappointment, Sokhayan made a sympathetic noise in his throat while a troubled frown crinkled his brow.
Sarah let out a slow breath, lowering her own gaze. She knew at this point that the best thing to do for her would be to let Sokhayan shelter her, and that also meant herself as well because she wasn’t just going to leave Lilly alone. No harm would come to them, the half-evuna was not a malicious person, the mother could see that. They would just be a bit... goopy, and subjected to a fate of strange cuddles, judging by what Lilly had told her excitedly about her previous venture within.
She closed her eyes briefly, before she craned her neck to look up at the seer, who was now looking at her with a warm and hopeful glint in his eyes. She knew what he was asking, and while an instinctual side of her made her hesitate, she pushed through it and nodded to him.
It was a silent yet effective exchange, because she saw the man light up in response, with a broad and friendly smile appearing on his face as a result. It was oddly endearing, even with the long, strange fangs that the expression bared to them.
“Try as I might, I am afraid that the two of you are just too precious for me to resist~” He declared with light-hearted mischief, which caused Lilly to perk up with a soft, excited-sounding gasp.
All signs of previous sadness seemed quickly whisked away by those words, replaced with innocent joy and lifted spirits.
Both brownies then watched as Sokhayan’s tongue flicked out briefly, not to lick his lips, but more like a snake tasting the air. It was very possible that he didn’t even realize that he did it at all, but was done more as an instinctual or reflexive thing. Could he actually taste the air, as true snakes do? That was slightly unsettling if so.
Sarah also didn’t realize until now that even his tongue was forked, and it certainly seemed deceptively longer than she would have expected it to be. She supposed that she’d learn more about that first-hand, given what was about to happen next.
The half-evuna took a large, but slow step towards them then, while at the same time, he began to bend down and reached to scoop them both up into his arms together.
The mother let out a soft yelp and held Lilly close to her chest, who giggled happily as they were lifted up and then hugged to the man’s chest. His robes were still wet, which ultimately got them wet too, though it was hardly a concern at this point.
Past the wetness of his attire, the hug was actually rather nice, and there was even some warmth emitting from him, even through the rainwater that soaked him. The hug itself had tenderness to it, and gratitude, likely towards Sarah for both letting him in, and also allowing him to return the favor, so to speak.
The man had his eyes closed, his smile was softened with no teeth showing anymore, and his expression looked ever so peaceful as he held the embrace. It was actually rather soothing, despite how Sarah felt cradled like a child, and her own actual child rested on her chest.
“It’s gonna be just like what you saw in my future!” Lilly suddenly squeaked out with happiness, so much so that it wasn’t hard to imagine she had been thinking about that vision since spring.
A vision that Sokhayan apparently didn’t fully remember, because both of them heard a confused noise deep in his throat as his eyes fluttered open. He stared for a moment, the gears in his mind shifting to dig up those memories... then it came to him, and he lit up even brighter than before.
“Ahh it is true! I had nearly forgotten that this is what I foretold~ The vision was not entirely clear then... ahh, but it is incredibly clear to me now~!” He chuckled warm-heartedly then, looking down at both brownies with benign glee.
Sarah sheepishly laughed at this, even fate was on the side of them being consumed... She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. But she imagined what he saw was a cozy sight, given how Lilly latched onto it with so much excitement.
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She did too. In truth, Lilly hadn’t forgotten hardly a single detail about what he told her about that foretelling, and ever since her mother seemed so wary and uncertain of the seer, she hoped during every storm with rain and thunder that Sokhayan would return so that Sarah could see he was good.
After all these months, here he was, and they were moments away from experiencing his vision in full.
Then the man’s soft forked tongue flickered out again towards them, it was so brief and quick, but Lilly saw it as amusing rather than anything negative. However, the two brownies were also treated to something new! A deep, but benign-sounding groan from the man’s belly, inviting them inside for warmth and shelter. Because despite Sokhayan being half snake-evuna, he was still very warm and cozy within.
The wee child let out a happy coo to this noise as Sokhayan’s face neared them, with his smile so gentle and innocently caring. There was not a single sign of malice or anything bad, just a desire to protect and hide them away from the storm. Which Lilly was grateful for, because another thunder boom could happen at any time.
At that moment, the man’s jaws began to open... but not very far. Instead, his tongue extended slowly this time, not like a flicker, but more deliberate. Lilly watched with innocent curiosity as the forks proceeded to... give her forehead a little lap! Leaving a bit of harmless saliva in its wake before retreating back into a softly amused close-lipped smile.
“Eeep!” Lilly exclaimed in giddy surprise, before she began to giggle at the seer’s light-hearted mischief.
Sokhayan warmly chuckled with her, before he opened his mouth again, and this time, his fangs retracted, sliding up entirely from view as if they were never there.
Lilly did her best to remain still then as benevolent darkness engulfed her vision. It was far too dim in the house to see much of his mouth, but she knew from before that it was largely human, save for the fact that he had no uvula! Just a fleshy pink tunnel leading down into his cozy belly.
Since it was so dark anyway, Lilly closed her eyes as her head and shoulders slid into that tunnel, and quickly she found herself coated in a healthy amount of slick goop to help her slide down easier.
Given her small size though, it was a wonder if Sokhayan even needed such. Thanks to his serpentine nature, swallowing her was almost like some kind of second-nature for him, especially when his throat’s muscles already began gently pulling her down deeper, thanks to soothing ripples coaxing her within.
Already the storm was muffled for Lilly, which put her at ease. Instead, the noises that surrounded her were not of hammering rain or heavy winds, but sounds of life! A steady heartbeat, powerful yet rhythmic, stood out the most among the organic noises. Most others were too subtle to pick out specifically, but put together was like a symphony of peace.
The wee child cooed again with happiness, nuzzling into the slick esophagus that enveloped her like a blanket from all around. As she did so, gravity began to shift as Sokhayan tipped his head back. Just from that alone, most of Lilly was already inside, with her legs in his mouth and the rest of her in his gullet.
After just a brief moment though, the seer swallowed heartily, but gently. He used just enough force to comfortably send her down without squishing her too much.
“Weeee~!” Lilly exclaimed with glee as she was gulped, and found herself slipping down entirely into his chest with such ease, it was like a slide.
With his mouth empty, he was able to take a breath again, and Lilly heard the air pulling into his lungs, expanding around her and harmlessly squishing her as she passed between them. She knew then that she was nearing his stomach, and sure enough, she soon passed through a ring of muscle that opened up just as she arrived, allowing her to smoothly slip down into Sokhayan’s belly.
The walls barely stretched from her presence, she was just so little, and he seemed built to have a bigger stomach than a normal human would. Thus she was no doubt just a cute little bump outside, all tucked away under his robes from the big scary storm.
She was welcomed within by a gentle groan, the walls subtly closing in to give a soft cuddle to the small and delicate child. It was as if his body knew to be gentle with this little bitty visitor, and that she was to be protected above all else.
Thanks to the slickness of his stomach, adjusting herself to be upright was quite easy, with only needing a few little wiggles inside. After that, she murmured happily within, just as she felt as much as heard Sokhayan sigh with content around her.
It caused the walls of his belly to shudder a bit, and the noise seemed to echo around her in a way. Though it was nothing compared to the experience of him speaking.
“There you go, my little gugooli~” The man cooed with tender kindness and delight, though his voice rumbled a bit more deeply than perhaps intended.
There was barely any true gravel or force in his tone, but from within him like this, the words reverberated around the small child not entirely unlike slower rumbling thunder, but not nearly as scary. Thankfully his words, even as powerful as they were, only brought her increased comfort and peace.
Thus the wee child happily giggled in response, and found herself snuggling against the velvet-like walls of her current confines, listening to another gentle groan of his tummy as she did so. She wasn’t sure what a ‘gugooli’ was, she never heard him say that before, but with the way he said it, Lilly guessed it was some term of endearment.
“Thank you Mister Sokhayan! It’s so nice and comfy in your tummy~!” The wee brownie cooed with gratitude and innocent joy, the thoughts of the storm raging outside having almost completely left her at this point.
“You are welcome dear child, although I am not finished just yet.” He began with earnest, but ended in a more light-hearted manner.
She knew what he meant, and felt her excitement spike with a quiet ‘tee-hee’. It was gonna be so nice to just curl up in the nice man’s belly with her mother, kept safe and warm in such a cozy place. After having been forced to stay up so late without sleep because of the storm, she hoped they would get to sleep in late.
“Oh gods.” She heard her mother say from outside just barely, and that was only because she was still in Sokhayan’s arms no doubt.
She sounded a bit nervous, but not actually afraid. Perhaps just apprehensive and uncertain. Hopefully she’d see once inside that it’s actually quite comfy and nice.
“Do not worry, dear Sarah, I promise to be slow and gentle with you.” He said with tender earnestness and respect, and while his words were addressed to her mother, Lilly felt each syllable surround her with a soothing, supportive edge, even as he continued. “Not like your wee one, who slips down so easily that it is quite difficult to keep her out of my belly~” He cooed afterwards with a light-hearted chuckle.
Lilly giggled along with this as well, and soon snuggled into the seer’s innards some more, this time towards his spine. She didn’t mind this harmless little fact and no doubt would be perfectly fine finding herself cuddled up in him every time he came through their village.
Sarah did finally laugh after them, as if needing a moment to process and decide how she wanted to take that. It sounded both uncertain, yet not without an edge of genuine amusement. She then ended with a soft sigh, before more words came!
“I know, I trust you Sokhayan, I do. It’s just... instincts, I suppose. This isn’t usually something that I should just... let happen.” Sarah sheepishly admitted, and Lilly heard a deep, sympathetic hum rumble in the seer’s throat.
It reverberated through his inner walls and even into the child, serving as a surreal reminder of just how little she was in comparison to him. While some may have seen that as a bad thing, Lilly actually found comfort in it, with the knowledge of being protected and sheltered by a living being so much larger than both of them.
“Then I shall do my best not to aggravate those instincts. And once you are tucked in with your dear child, I am certain her love and joy will tell that side of you that all is well.” He said to her with just enough confidence to show he meant what he said, and Lilly could feel that he did.
Another, though smaller, laugh came from Sarah then, but it sounded warm and amused.
“You’re probably right. She is... very happy with you.” The mother said, taking a moment to choose her words carefully, but she sounded relieved all the same.
“I am happy! But it’s gonna be even better once you’re here momma!” Lilly declared, little hands excitedly pushing against the outer wall of the stomach now. Not that much happened beyond her hands just softly squishing into that cozy, yet dense muscle.
“Indeed! So, allow me to nestle you inside, dear Sarah.” Sokhayan stated then with a sense of warm finality.
At the same time, Lilly felt as much as heard his tummy rumble with benign anticipation, something that the child shared with an equally eager cuddle into those slimy velvet walls.
Sarah said something in response, but it was too quiet, or Sokhayan’s belly was too happily-rumbling, for Lilly to make it out. Regardless, she now just waited and listened as the stomach finally settled down as well.
At first, nothing happened... until she heard a more distant sound from somewhere above. Was that rumble the sound of thunder, or was that the sound of his body pulling her mother down to join her within? The child wiggled a bit in place from the suspense!
Shortly after, Lilly actually heard as much as felt Sokhayan gulp heartily, causing the muscles of his gullet to ripple all the way down into his belly. He then let out a deep, soothing hum, likely for Sarah’s sake.
A few moments passed, while Lilly did her best to remain quiet and still so she didn’t distract either of them. And true to his word, he did take his time so that the poor mother brownie wouldn’t be overwhelmed.
Another few seconds went by, before the mercenary swallowed again, causing another wave of ripples, and Lilly even heard the squelching of his esophagus at work. Or perhaps it was the ring of muscle above her, opening up?
It was too dark to truly see, so instead Lilly reached up with curious hands, and felt a face! Which sheepishly laughed at her touch.
“Momma!” The child declared with glee, just as Sokhayan finished Sarah up with a third gulp, sending her spilling down into his belly.
Sarah let out a small, yet surprised yelp as she entered, and unlike Lilly, was large enough to actually stretch the walls out a fair bit. But, thanks to the momentum of gravity pulling her down with his swallow, the mother found herself upright after slipping inside fully.
“Yes sweetie, it’s me.” The mother greeted back to her child warmly, even if her tone sounded a little taken aback..
However, at that moment, both brownies were tucked away in Sokhayan’s tummy, coated in harmless goop and nestled safely from the foreboding storm that raged on. Lilly wasn’t sure if thunder just hadn’t struck again yet since she was gobbled up, or if she really couldn’t hear it from so deep inside of the seer.
“Ahh forgive me, that was not as slow as I intended. However, much like your precious little one, you too just slipped right down in there~” The man cooed with warmth and innocent glee, while Lilly could easily imagine the big, soft-hearted smile on his face as he spoke to his belly.
His words also now surrounded them both, enveloping them further in that verbal warmth as much as the literal. Shortly after he spoke, they were treated to a series of content groans and gurgles from his stomach, welcoming them both inside, and promising safety in his care. At the same time, the walls and floor cradled them both as Lilly cuddled against Sarah’s side, and the mother wrapped one arm around her child, holding her close.
“It’s alright Sokhayan, it’s uhm... well, more comfortable in here than I expected.” Sarah admitted sheepishly, just as the stomach began to harmlessly knead into the brownies.
It felt much like being cuddled inside of him, which was only amplified as soon, the walls closed in due to a pressure outside, almost entirely engulfing them in this endearing embrace. It didn’t take much to realize that the mercenary was hugging his stomach, especially given the content hum that echoed and rumbled through the walls, then into both of them.
“I am honored to hear that! I promise that I will take good care of you both in my belly for as long as you need me to.” He declared with a sense of duty in his tone this time, though it wasn’t without his cuddly joy in it either. That probably wasn’t going anywhere for as long as they stayed in his tummy.
Lilly giggled gleefully to this, while Sarah just let out a singular laugh.
“Thank you, I think.” The mother replied with a sense of amused uncertainty.
The half-evuna then made a new noise! It was quiet, but thankfully his belly was settling down a bit, allowing them to hear what sounded like a... subtle hissing noise. It wasn’t hostile or aggressive, but it certainly sounded like a large serpent hissing contentedly to the little mice he just swallowed up.
The noise didn’t frighten the child, it was merely a part of Sokhayan’s half-evuna nature, thus it made it more fascinating than anything!
However, the next noise they heard was less appealing, though it didn’t come from their cuddly devourer. It was the storm, thunder boomed again, no doubt shaking the house with its force again. But, the sound itself was quite dampened by the time it reached them, with having to travel through layers of skin, muscle, clothing and more.
Lilly tensed instinctively, but soon relaxed when she realized that in the end, she could barely hear it. Other sounds, like the idle rumbles of the belly they inhabited, or Sokhayan’s steady heartbeat above them, were much more prominent. The child smiled then, relief washing over her to know for certain now that this worked! The storm could no longer frighten her and steal her happiness.
“Do not worry dear brownies, I will remain awake until the two of you drift to sleep.” Sokhayan stated reassuringly and with care as he began to walk... somewhere. Causing their whole little squishy world to subtly sway with his stride.
Logic dictated that since the poor man was still soaking wet from rain, he probably wanted to be by the fire. Something that was now his responsibility, but Sarah didn’t seem concerned, and thus nor was Lilly.
As he walked, his arms finally released them from the hug, and instead, they were treated to a series of gentle bellyrubs and benign squishes, almost like a massage. This brought further comfort to the Burtons, and even a sense of tranquility as a wave of sleepiness washed over them.
It was incredibly late, and that fact finally began to sink in after the excitement wore off, and was replaced with peace and comfort of their current abode. The warmth and supportive, velvety softness of the seer’s stomach really did serve as the perfect environment to sleep in.
“Thank you, Sokhayan. We both appreciate it.” Sarah told him finally with earnest gratitude of her own, while Lilly found herself hit too hard by the sudden wave of sleepiness to speak coherently.
The child merely murmured some happy, cooing words into the soothing darkness around them, accompanied by a sleepy giggle.
“Ahh it is the least I can do for you allowing me to take refuge in your home. And I do promise to respect your abode during my stay.” The seer replied with respect.
His deep yet gentle words enveloped Lilly in further comfort and peace. Within a short moment longer, with her mother’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, and head resting on her chest, Lilly drifted off to a peaceful slumber with a delicate smile on her face.
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Sokhayan felt a flurry of happy emotions spread to every corner of himself, but the main forefront ones were contentment and tranquility, alongside just feeling incredibly touched by the hefty amount of trust the two brownies filled him with. In every meaning of the word to boot, given the cozy fullness that was in his belly.
It barely mattered to him that he was soaking wet still, that would dry, and he’d willingly walk out into twice as much rain if it meant this.
The furnishings around him were all too small for him to use, but that was fine, he didn’t want to get anything wet anyway. So he found himself carefully sitting down on the ground in front of the hearth, crossing his legs while he cradled his stomach with one arm underneath to help keep them stable.
Sarah wasn’t quite asleep yet, but he was pretty sure Lilly did drift off. The mother was quiet though, so Sokhayan decided to be too... for the most part.
While he sat in peaceful stillness, listening to the gentle crackles of the fire and how the storm continued to rage on outside, the seer began to whistle!
It was a benevolent tune, quiet and slow, allowing the notes to drift and flow around them while he tenderly rubbed his stomach with his other hand, making sure not to apply too much pressure now.
Sarah made a quiet, curious noise in his stomach from the whistling, but she wasn’t disturbed by it, he could feel it... because the whistle allowed him a sort of unspoken, subconscious exchange with her soul. The answer he received was happiness and relief, but on a deeper level. It was as if the mother finally allowed herself to relax after being on guard for years.
He continued to whistle as he peered down at his stomach cradled by his arm, and watched the wisps of his magic swirl around the brownies. It looked like a little bitty aurora borealis, a rich purple in color, with glimmers of shimmering silver woven throughout. It actually originated from his palm that now rested on the top of his abdomen.
From this, it didn’t take long for Sarah to join her daughter in peaceful slumber, and this allowed Sokhayan to feel comfortable with closing his eyes.
He didn’t go to sleep right away, and instead was more-so meditating, something the seer had to do to help keep his mysterious magic organized, for a lack of a better term. The true extent of a seer’s power was unknown by most, including Sokhayan himself, for there was really just very little known about it, including why he was one at all.
But that was something to be explored for another time. Tonight, Sokhayan had found peace and happiness here, even among the darkness of thunder and rain. Thus in due time, he fell asleep as well, and now all three of them slumbered in the comfort and tranquility of each other’s company.