I arrive back at the house, where the sky blue spirit Cloud is playing a video game. "Hey Snow," they greet, "how'd it go?"
"It went great. Just a nice talk about respecting limits. I didn't even need to use my powers."
"Nice. So I had an idea for a roleplay premise earlier, and I think you'd be perfect for it. What do you say, snowflake?"
"Maybe. What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Can I keep it a surprise? I think it'd be more fun that way."
"... You're asking the spirit of apprehension and consent to agree to something without knowing what it is."
Cloud chuckles. "I guess I am. You can pause or back out whenever, nothing committal."
"... Alright, I'll try it."
"That's what I like to hear!" Cloud pauses their game and bounces off the couch. They raise their hand, and the door to their room is enveloped in a thick fog. "Alright, I'm ready when you are." They walk through the foggy doorway.
Well, time to see what Cloud's cooked up this time. I take a deep breath, summon my courage, and step into the fog. As usual, everything gets fuzzy and numb before I find myself stepping through to the other side, my body reshaped.
I look down at my new quadrupedal body; white fur, big paws, and a tail that I recognize as a lion's. Looking around, I see not Cloud's room, but instead a cave, and another lion (presumably Cloud) sits some distance away.
Once I've got my bearings, Cloud(?) stands and slowly walks toward me with a malicious grin. "Well well, look who's wandered into our territory. A lion from the rival pride."
Wait, are we enemies?! "Uh, r-rival?"
"Indeed. As you know, our prides have been in conflict for many years." Cloud walks closer, and I'm about to step back when they circle around me, cutting off my escape. They resume walking toward me, forcing me to step back. "And we have a very entertaining way of dealing with intruders~"
I keep walking backward, the fear in my voice quite real. "W-what do you do to intruders- Oof." I take another step back, and find the cave wall blocking me.
Cloud steps forward one last time, getting right in my face and staring into my eyes. They cup my cheek with a paw. "Oh, you're about to find out~"
At this point, I'm genuinely scared. "T-t-time out, um, character break! You're going to tell me what you're doing before we start, right? You're not going to spring it on me without a chance to react?"
Cloud doesn't drop their persona. "Of course, my dear snowflake, I wouldn't do anything like that to you. In fact, I'll tell you right now. It's... nothing." They relax. "I didn't have anything planned, it's just cute to see you get all shy!"
I sigh with relief, smiling. "Very funny. What are you, the spirit of teasing?"
Cloud shrugs. "Eh, spirit of play, close enough right? Anyway, we can do whatever you want. Maybe cuddling?"
"Yeah, cuddling sounds nice."
"Alright! Ready to resume?"
I nod.
Cloud shifts back to that sly smile, stepping back to give me a bit of room but still keeping me trapped. "So, my lost little lion, why have you wandered into enemy territory? I can think of a few reasons why you might be here~"
"I..." Shoot, I wasn't prepared to influence the plot! At least they're offering suggestions- Oh, I've got it! "I'm... I'm here as an act of trust and diplomacy between our prides!" Yes, nailed it!
"Oh?" Cloud gives me a fascinated look, prompting me to say more.
"... Our pride grows tired of this ceaseless conflict. I was sent here to... to offer trust and peace between us."
"Coming alone to the heart of our pride... How very brave of you. How could I refuse such a display of trust?" Their smile softens. "We too are tired of the conflict. Very well; to establish peace, I accept your offer to perform the diplomatic ritual of Cuh-Dul."
"Yes. Indeed. That ritual. Which, uh, I believe requires a bed?"
"Of course." Cloud steps away, toward a bed of woven grass that I'm 80% sure wasn't there before. They lie down on it and look back to me, waiting.
I step into the bed and lie down beside them. I'm not quite sure what to do; the 'ritual' is just an excuse, but I don't know if I should be the one to start, or what exactly to do or whether I should say something or-
My mind goes quiet for a moment, as a blue glow pulses over my body; a little touch of relaxation magic to snap me out of my thoughts. Cloud smiles at me, an innocent paw on my shoulder. "Well? Go on, you know the ritual. Unless you'd prefer me to lead."
Giving me control once again. Alright. I take a deep breath and reach out, putting a paw on their shoulder. I slide it down their arm (or foreleg, I guess), stroking their fur until I come to a rest on their side. They return the gesture; the gentle strokes make for a pleasant warmup, as though we were strangers getting comfortable with each other. Which we kinda are.
Getting more confident, I wrap my arm (foreleg) around Cloud, pulling them in for a hug that presses our chests together. We close our eyes and relax awhile, until I begin nuzzling their shoulder, prompting them to move their paw to pet my head. We purr together, which lions technically can't do, but Cloud didn't care about that when they made these bodies~
Our hug grows closer, pressing our whole bodies together. I move up to nuzzle their face, and they respond in kind. We play like that, rubbing and nuzzling each other, purring up a storm, filling the room with the sound of care and affection. But eventually, I get eager for the grand finale; cuddling a spirit of relaxation comes with a very convenient perk. "Um, this is the part of the ritual where we magically fall asleep together, right?"
"Right." Cloud pulls me closer into the hug. With a flick of their tail, a blanket falls over us. "We'll sleep as peacefully as the peace between our prides will be. Three... Two... One..."
And my energy drops as sky blue light surrounds us. I let my head rest under Cloud's chin, just in time for my eyelids to flutter closed and my mind to slip away...
