Gwylan the Curious | degrees of lewdity

Summer was approaching. The weather had been oddly sunny for the past week, which was a nice change from the normal gloomy, rainy weather. Certainly nothing to complain about—especially once Sam put out the summer menu.

Every morning, you'd meet up with Gwylan at Sam's Cafe. At first, it had been coincidence. The two of you always seemed to visit at the same time, and she always looked so lonely, staring at the sea every morning. You hadn't known her too well when you first approached her, but over time, it had become routine for you to meet her there and eat with her.

Gwylan was nice. You enjoyed her presence, and if it weren't for her, you would have never known about her shop in the forest, a neat place filled with knick-knacks and rare and unique clothing.

"It's good to see you again, dear."

Gwylan gave you a gentle smile as you sat across from her, waiting for the food you had ordered from the counter. You had decided to try something different today, and soon enough Sam was bringing over a milkshake... with two straws stuck in it.

The brunette saw the milkshake and giggled, taking it in stride. "If you wanted to share a milkshake with me, pet, you could just ask." She plucked a cherry off the shake and popped the whole thing—stem and all—in her mouth. Moments later she took the stem out, tied in a perfect knot.

"So? Let's see how the milkshake tastes, dear!"

The forest wasn't really a safe place, and yet you found yourself in it often. There were too many antiques to sell at the museum, as well as plenty of fruits and flowers to pick. Sure, you had been chased around by wolves a couple of times. And that wasn't to mention that crazy ass hunter that once literally shot at you after you had gone too far past the lake.

For the most part, it was peaceful. Like now, as you heard a soothing voice singing nearby. At first, you thought nothing of it. Somebody else enjoying a walk through the woods.

Then, you felt eyes on you.

The hair raised on the back of your neck and your arms. Moments after you felt the gaze of somebody hidden in the tree line, you heard rustling in the bushes...

And then, you were running.

Footsteps were behind you, but you were too scared to look behind you as you bolted. Closer. They were getting closer. And then—

"—Gotcha!"

You were tackled to the ground, the plush grass keeping you from getting scraped up as a familiar figure laid on top of you. She kicked her feet, giggling, as you stared up at Gwylan.

"Hehe. You gotta run faster than that, dear!" She teased you, making no move to get off you.

You should have known that you'd be dragged into this after you had witnessed Gwylan allowing herself to get fucked by a wolf in her garden. When she had realized you had seen, she made you promise that you'd come back the next day. Had promised to tell you everything. The truth.

And she did—Gwylan explained her role in purifying the forest, how every week she had to lure a denizen of the forest to purge them of the darkness by pleasuring them. It was absolutely insane, and you would have said as much if you hadn't already experienced her hypnosis, if you hadn't seen the magical way the shop changed its layout on a whim. If you hadn't seen the way darkness lurked over the town and the surrounding woods.

But you hadn't expected to be drawn into one of her purging rituals. Sure, you had offered to help... But you hadn't expected it to be like this.

The two of you were naked in her garden. She hadn't lured an animal back, but a dryad. You had been in shock, seeing one for the first time, but that shock didn't last for long as the dryad had wrapped you both with tentacle-like vines.

Well... As they say—in for a penny, in for a pound.

Gwylan was a confusing individual. The two of you had sex multiple times, had been intimate in the most extreme way possible—and yet, when you kissed her and confessed your love, she had called you rotten, slapped you, and then kicked you out of her shop.

It was your fault. She had told you to never kiss her. Had reiterated time and time again that sex was not love. There should have been a kinder way to confess your feelings, but it had been in the moment, and now, this was the price you had to pay.

The shop had shut its door on you for a week. Whenever you tried to visit to apologize, the door would lock you out. You even tried apologizing through the door, only to receive no response. Gwylan hadn't shown up at the cafe throughout the week, either.

She was just... gone. And you felt emptier than ever.

So it was a surprise when you went to the pub, only to find her face down on a table in the back corner, a drained tankard in front of her.

A part of you wondered if you should just leave her be, but guilt gnawed at you. And so, you approached her hesitantly.

"This seat's taken," she mumbled before she lifted her head. Her face was flushed, but she brightened up upon seeing you. "Ooohhh... It's you! I missed you so much, dear!"

She reached out, pulling you into her lap. She had been tired of repressing her feelings for you, but she was clearly drunk as she brought you forward, only to press an insistent kiss upon your lips.

Being in this town sometimes meant having to cater to the lecherous population. Especially when you were trying to make a living. For some reason, a darkness hung over the town. A corruption that ran deep, touching every person living here.

Getting a job at Sam's cafe as a chef had been surprisingly easy. You had started out as a waitress, but Sam had been short-staffed, and you had experience in cooking. Soon enough, Sam had taught you all the recipes and you were put to work as the main chef. As the only one in the kitchen, you had to resort to unique ways to making things taste better than other places.

Most people didn't question it. Most people.

Gwylan was more perceptive than most. It was one thing you loved about her, but this time you weren't really eager to entertain her curiosity as she cornered you leaving the cafe.

"I just want to know what you do to make the cream buns taste so good," she urged, her eyes practically glowing as she leaned forward. Her insistence made it hard to resist telling her, as if she was crumbling up your willpower in her hands.

"Why don't you just tell me, dear? It can be our little secret!"