It’s been a long morning for Beatrice. Her attempt to sleep in was thwarted by her daughter Paige excitedly waking her, reminding her of her promise to play, and after much whining, Bea gave in and let her cub chase her around… For all of five minutes, until Paige became bored and wandered off to do her own thing. The giant lioness laid down to nap for a while longer, until her partner Leroux woke her in a panic, reminding her of her appointment at the clinic! The two rushed over… Only to be told they weren't due for another hour.
"Oops, heh… Forgot about daylight savings…" Leroux had muttered sheepishly while on the receiving end of Beatrice's thoroughly unamused glare.
After standing around with nothing to do in the interim time, Bea received her checkup and a nice grooming along with her mate, and they even got some massive sweets to chow on. Leroux enjoyed his cookies and ice cream, while she munched some sweet angel-food cake and some nice chocolate-covered cherries – The two even got to share a jam-filled donut together! After exchanging a loving nuzzle and kiss, Leroux left to check on Paige, while the lioness decided to take the afternoon to herself. After giving it some thought, she’s decided to start with a quiet stroll, and she makes her way to nowhere in particular as she lets herself relax from the chaos of the morning; at least, as much as she’s able to with the quite noticeable soreness in her paws…
As she walks along the quiet clearing, Bea shakes her head, trying to keep the tiredness away; she can’t lay down now, or else she’ll mess up her sleep schedule. "Maybe I should have gone with Paige; she’d have kept me awake at least…", she thinks, before spotting something ahead – There’s a quite large lake, and the cool water would certainly help rouse her mind!
She approaches the water with a determined look in her eyes, and with nobody else apparently around, she even breaks into a sprint as she draws close – But at the last moment, she realizes something, and Bea quickly slams to a halt, making herself trip and tumble into a somersault, landing just shy of the water’s edge. She just got groomed; going in the water would mess that up!
Laying on her belly, the lioness looks out over the alluring, tempting water, before sighing in exasperation. She just wants to relax after the day she’s been having, but it seems like there’s no way she’ll be-
"Miss… Miss Beatrice? Is that you?"
Bea blinks upon hearing her name, and looking over to her left, she spots the source – Relaxing in the shade of a tree is an anthropomorphic housecat, looking a little shaken from the massive earthquake caused by her tumble, but mostly seeming concerned to see her in this state. She's never had a chance to meet him for herself, but she's heard from her mate and from those at the clinic how he's quite friendly, so she decides to give him a chance.
Sitting up and dusting herself off, Beatrice nods, speaking in her firm but gentle voice. "Yes, that would be me, little one. And I presume you’re Lysergia?"
The feline nods and gives a little bow, which makes the lioness chuckle. "Oh, you don’t need to worry yourself with formalities – I don’t particularly like being treated as anyone special." Smiling warmly, she adds "But it is quite amusing, I’ll admit…"
Lysergia stands up again with another nod, looking up at the massive lioness – Standing just shy of two hundred meters tall, she easily dwarfs his six-foot-one height. His purple eyes look over her deep, dark grey fur with the emerald-green fluff inside her ears and the eyeliner-like markings around her eyes, as well as on her entire muzzle, just behind her nose, and trailing down her neck and chest along her entire underside! As her tail flicks, he spots that her distinct lion poof is green too!
Bea, meanwhile, takes a look over the housecat, not shy about it as she leans down closer to him. Her brilliant fuchsia eyes take in the sight of this particular micro she’s heard about; he’s apparently not bothered wearing anything today, as every inch of his figure is visible. His inky-black fur is adorned with icy-white stripes, much like a tiger’s, and his hands and paws are colored with the same light fur in sock markings. His long, jet-black hair sticks out like messy bed-hair, though it’s immediately obvious to her this is just how it grows; no amount of brushing or combing would make it behave. His long, fluffy tail is lowered in mild apprehension, though the white end is perked, giving away his interest in meeting her for himself!
After a few seconds of looking each other over, the housecat suddenly startles, realizing he's been staring! "O-Oh! Sorry, heh, I uh… I've never had a chance to meet you properly, Miss Beatrice; I guess I kinda-"
Though the lioness shakes her head and smiles. "It's okay, little one – I was just groomed, too, so I imagine it must be a lot for you to take in. And again, don’t worry about formalities – Please, call me ‘Beatrice’. Or even ‘Bea’ if you like; if Leroux trusts you, then I see no reason why I shouldn’t myself."
Lysergia nods and smiles, replying "O-Okay, Miss- I mean, heh… Bea… I uh…" He shakes his head, trying to gather his thoughts, taking a deep breath, before he tries again. "I understand, Bea. And if you like, I also go by ‘Ly’. Heh, a smaller name for a small cat, eh?" He chuckles, his mind seeming to have switched to a much more relaxed state once he saw for himself how down-to-earth she is; he’s even comfortable enough to joke with her!
Bea giggles with her paw over her mouth, amused by the silly joke, and nods warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ly. I do hope I didn't shake you too much with my arrival…"
Shaking his head, Ly smiles. "No, it's okay; I was lying down so I didn't fall or anything. But I do wonder…" He tilts his head softly, his concerned expression returning. "…Is everything okay, Bea? I noticed you seemed a little… Well, disappointed and sullen, before you saw me…"
Bea’s ears lower as she sighs gently, glancing out over the water and admitting "Well… It’s been a long day. I won’t bore you with the details, but… But…" Trailing off, she looks at him again, her ears perking subtly. She’s heard a few things about the cat, and she wonders if they may be true. If so… "Actually, perhaps you could help me. You see… I’ve been on my paws a lot today, and they’ve grown quite sore. I’ve heard from my mate you give some… Exquisite paw rubs…" Leaning down to his level with a hopeful look in her eyes, she asks "Might I request your services for myself? I would be ever so grateful if you agree…"
Ly tenses softly as Beatrice leans in close, especially when she expresses her desire for some relaxing attention to her paws, but he nods despite his fluster. "Oh, I… Sure! Yeah, I uh… Heh, he's got some… Nice paws, for sure… I'd be honored to tend to yours, Miss-" He clears his throat, before looking over her again. "I reckon you'll have enough room to lay on your side a bit back from the water, Bea; that should give me room to get to everything, while you can relax safe from getting wet and messing up your groom. Sound good?"
Beatrice's eyes brighten when Ly agrees to her request, and before he's even finished speaking, she's already lying down in the spot he indicated, stretching out with a mostly silent yawn. She reaches her paws out while looking at him expectantly, ready for him to get to work!
"Heh… I'll take that as a yes, then!"
Ly smiles, a faint blush on his cheeks as he admires the lioness from this position, before he heads to her forepaws as they’re closest to him. Each paw is about the size of his back deck at home; each of her four digits per paw are as long as he is tall! It certainly would be quite a daunting task even if she wasn’t a predatory felid, but despite the potential dangers, Lysergia smiles, climbing onto her left forepaw and pressing his hands against the large metatarsal pad, kneading softly while letting it squish gently beneath his touches. He cleans off the stray bits of grass lingering from her tumble, picking a few blades from the roughly textured surface designed to grip the ground when she sprints.
Even though there’s quite a lot of paw to be tended to, the feline is up for the job. He straightens the fur around her metatarsal pad, before pressing through the fluff on the sole, working the joints and bones inside. After adjusting to the top of her paw to relax the metatarsal bones and joints as well, he hops off before moving to her toes, spreading them and carefully rolling them with his hands to loosen the joints. He can feel the subtle pop when her knuckles crack, and the pleased "Ooh…" along with the lioness’s rumbling purrs show him just how much Bea is enjoying his efforts! He moves to the digital pads on each toe, treating them the same as the large metatarsal pad.
He chuckles softly as she begins to reflexively curl her toes, kneading at the air softly – Though his chuckles stop when the tips of her massive green claws peek from the tips of her digits; it's evident she received a good pedicure as part of her groom earlier, going by how sharp they are! He knows full well she's an apex predator, and he's very aware of the damage the claws on a lioness that isn't the size of a skyscraper could do – Even his own claws could make someone have a bad day if he didn't have a gentle, pacifist mindset – But he takes a breath to steel himself before continuing. She's shown no signs of aggression or malice towards him, and she certainly seems happy enough with his efforts; he reasons as long as he keeps his wits about him, he won't be in danger.
Reassured by this thought, he refocuses and continues working her toes – One, two, three, then four. Every one of them receives the same treatment of a careful twist to pop the knuckles if needed, then a thorough massage on the pads and joints to quell the soreness within. He truly is a master at his craft; it’s no wonder Leroux spoke so highly of him!
After the left forepaw, he moves to the right, going through all the same steps here. Metatarsal pad, sole, top of the paw, then each digit and their pad in turn. Bea’s contented purrs and happy, wordless noises encourage the feline on while he does his best not to think about those massive sword-like claws just inches away from him. The keratin is nice and smooth, but he doesn’t want to imagine getting on the wrong end of them… Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to notice the occasional pause or shudder from her little helper!
Once her forepaws are treated, Lysergia makes his way alongside her splayed body towards her hindpaws. Beatrice looks down at him with a smile, commenting "Mrrow… Ly… Your touches are absolutely marvelous…"
The feline pauses and chuckles, looking back up at her with a shy smile. "I'm truly happy and honored you think so, Bea… Heh, your paws are quite lovely too!" Going by his blush and the faintly flustered tone of his voice, it's apparent to Bea that her new friend has a fondness for paws. And going by her own amused chuckle, it’s clear to Ly she doesn’t mind letting him indulge himself while tending to hers!
After the long trek to her lower end, Ly starts on her left hindpaw, giving it the same treatment as well. He finds the pads much more firm and the joints much stiffer than on her forepaws; evidently, she hasn't had a chance to relax them in a fair while! But he's up to the challenge, pressing firmly against the metatarsal pads and popping the joints – Before he finds himself suddenly gripped in those digits!
He yelps softly, and Bea looks down, chuckling as she releases her hold. "Heh, apologies; your efforts are simply magnificent… I couldn’t help it."
Ly waves up to her as he catches his breath, responding "It’s alright; no harm done! Just… Surprised me, is all!" He resumes the massage, then he swaps to her right hindpaw and goes through his checklist once more, loosening everything in the metatarsals and phalanges to help Bea relax fully.
It takes the better part of two hours to complete the task asked of him, but he commits fully to making sure she’s tended to. She feels every trace of soreness dissipate, leaving nothing more than a pleasantly tingly sensation in her paws, and when he finally hops off of her right hindpaw, Beatrice rolls herself over to give her masseuse a grateful nuzzle and a soft lick of appreciation! "Wow… I’ve never had a massage that thorough… You’re truly a delight, Ly."
The feline blushes, both from the compliment and from the warm, wet tongue dragging along his entire front half. "I uh… Heh, goodness… I'm… I'm truly happy you enjoyed it so much, Beatrice!" He smiles warmly, giving her nose a gentle pet, clearly just as appreciative for her praise as she was to receive his attention! He tries to ignore the look in her eyes as she shifts her tongue inside her mouth, attempting to distract her from regarding his flavors by asking "I-Is there anything else I can do for you? Anywhere else bothering you that you'd like me to rub?"
The lioness sits up and tilts her head, considering his offer, before replying "Actually, yes, there is something that would be suited to someone of your size…"
She lays herself down again, but this time facing away, bringing her shoulders close to him now. "I’ve got this… Terrible itch between my shoulder blades, and it’s just out of reach for even my hindpaws…" Looking over her shoulder, she smiles at him. "Be a dear and take care of it for me, would you please?"
Despite his fluster, Ly can tell she’s less itchy and more just seeking another massage, and though it’s another challenging request, he reasons if it keeps him on her good side, it might keep her mind off of his taste! "Alrighty then, that shouldn’t be a problem… I’ll do my best, Miss Beatrice."
He didn’t seem to catch his slip, but it doesn’t bother her at all; she just lays straight and adjusts herself so he can climb onto her shoulder, before rolling onto her belly once he has a grip. Ly stands shakily atop Bea’s upper vertebrae, able to feel the spike-like tips of her spinal bones beneath his paws, but he soon moves to the left, crouching down in the dense grey fur once he finds her scapula.
Using the very tips of his claws, he gently scratches the skin beneath her fur, and the reaction is immediate – He nearly falls over as Bea shivers and gives an elated exhale! "Woah, careful," he implores, "it’s a long way down!"
"Mmh, apologies – That felt… Really nice. Could you do that again, a bit further to the right?"
Ly nods, taking a few steps closer to her spine, and this time he gets down in a much steadier stance on his hands and knees before scratching again.
"Ohhh, almost… Little higher, please?" Bea is biting her lip, her excitement growing as she feels her little helper moving ever closer to the spot. "A bit more… Almost… RiiIIAAHHRR!"
Laying down on his belly to withstand the earthquake of her pleased trembling, Ly huffs and focuses his efforts on this spot, using his entire arm-span to tend to her itch. Loud exclamations of "Mrrrow!" and "Rrrrrh!" show the feline just how happy the giant panthera is appreciating his scratches, her entire body shuddering in satisfied contentment, and he keeps going with the scratches until the quaking subsides. At that point, he retracts his claws and begins to press and knead with his hands, giving her a massage in her needy spot, listening to her rumbling purrs, and smiling to himself as he knows just how happy she is to receive this care!
Lysergia keeps this up for several minutes until Beatrice decides she’s had enough, and once she’s satisfied, he carefully climbs down again – Promptly receiving another nuzzle and another lick, this time much slower, as though confirming the flavors she tasted earlier. "Mmh… You taste exactly like strawberries, did you know?"
He blushes deeply at this, even more so when he feels a rumble from her stomach instead of her chest, and he again tries to distract her once he spots her eyes narrowing. "I’m… I’m really happy you… Enjoyed the shoulder rubs, Bea! Uh… Do you want any more rubs? Like, say…" He glances down, tilting his head. "…your belly, perhaps? I can hear it’s working on something; would you, uh… Like some help digesting what’s inside?"
Raising an eyebrow, Bea looks bemusedly at Ly, chuckling. "Noticed that, did you? I won’t lie, the thought of swallowing you is certainly appealing to me right now, but I’ll let you give me a belly rub for a while. You’ve been pampering me so nicely today; I’d hate to lose my little helper…" Smirking, the lioness adds "Why don’t you show me you can treat my belly well enough to warrant staying outside it?"
A firm shudder runs through the smaller feline at this last remark, his ears lowering momentarily as he glances down to her stomach again, then back up at her. "I-I… Alright, I’ll… I’ll do my best, Beatrice!"
Satisfied by his answer, Bea holds out her forepaw for him, and once he climbs on, she rolls onto her back and gingerly places him onto her belly, closing her eyes in peaceful anticipation.
Finding himself on a sea of green fur instead of the grey of her shoulders, Ly blushes, feeling the subtle lifting and lowering with every breath the lioness takes, the steady thump… thump… thump… of her relaxed heartbeat, as well as the rumbles both of her idle purring in her chest, and of her stomach directly beneath him. He takes a moment to just appreciate the lioness, before he crouches down to knead his hands along her belly, treating it much like he had for her paws.
The reaction is immediate as Bea lets out a soft huff, her body relaxing as Ly gives his caresses, and despite his much smaller and lighter body compared to hers, she makes it apparent just how much she’s enjoying his efforts. Her belly rumbles in approval, the muscles of her stomach squeezing and clenching on whatever remains are inside – Ly reasons there’s not a whole lot of solid material left in there, but it’s not quite liquefied enough to be sent deeper into her system.
Blushing softly, the feline gently places his ear to the belly, listening to the noises deep within – The rumbling groans of Beatrice’s stomach, the faint sloshing of semi-solid material, the bubbling of digestion… Even with his apprehension, he can’t help but feel some fascination towards the anatomical process, and as he moves about her abdomen to massage every part of her he can, he takes an occasional moment to admire her body’s functions from where he is.
His attention, though, is grabbed when he feels a particularly firm purr, followed by the ground beneath him shifting – He grabs on tightly to Beatrice’s fur as she begins to roll over! He quietly speaks up, trying to get her attention with "Bea… You’re… Uh…" before yelping as she rotates completely horizontally – And then keeps going! "Bea! Careful!" he shouts, but in vain, as she turns completely onto her belly, pinning the tiny feline completely beneath her enormous body!
Fortunately for Ly, he’s pretty resilient; even though the titanic mass of a lioness is pressing him into the ground, he’s holding up surprisingly well. He can’t move more than the slightest of wiggles, but being pressed down by such a soft, warm belly is… Actually rather nice, in a strange way! The heat and sounds emanating from Beatrice’s body relax the feline, and he presses up against the tummy in an attempt to continue his affections; he’s unsure if she can even feel him anymore, but he’s enjoying himself immensely all the same!
It takes a few moments for Bea to notice something amiss; after looking back at her own body, she realizes what position she’s in and quickly stands. "Oh, my apologies…" Looking down at Ly, she’s relieved to see he’s okay, and she continues. "Your attentiveness and your care have been an absolute pleasure to experience for myself… I feel like royalty!" She chuckles, giving the feline a nuzzle, and then a slow, deliberate lick, her intentions obvious as she finishes with "It's a shame I'm going to have to eat you, Ly…"
His ears had perked when Beatrice gave her praise and compliments, but receiving the lick and the confirmation of the fate she has in mind for him, his expression falls softly. "Oh… I, uh… Were they not… Good enough for you?"
Beatrice shakes her head and smiles warmly. "Oh no, they were simply marvelous! I truly enjoyed every minute of it – You spoiled me so nicely and made me feel so delightfully pampered, and I truly am grateful for it!" Her expression turns almost apologetic as she remarks "But at the same time, lions need to eat, you know?"
Spotting his growing worry, Bea lowers her ears a little, continuing "Oh, it’s not so bad, really! It was truly a treat being tended to so thoroughly, and I want to round off the whole experience with a treat in the form of a tasty, strawberry-flavored tiny!" Her head tilts softly as she tries to play this up. "You seemed to like my belly quite a lot… Don’t you want to contribute to it, to make it even softer and to make my fur even warmer?"
The feline shivers, blushing deeply as she tempts him with her words; Bea is such a lovely lioness all over, and he can’t imagine she’s any less lovely inside. But at the same time, he’s (reasonably) apprehensive about the idea of, well, being preyed upon by a lioness the size of a cruise ship! "I uh… Actually… I kind of… Have things I need to-"
Without letting him finish, Beatrice scoops him up in her paw with a chuckle. "Heh, your objection is noted, but I've kind of already made up my mind. Thank you for everything today, Ly; I'll remember this for a long time."
As Bea’s mouth opens widely right in front of him, Lysergia cowers back just a touch in her paw; being presented with the opened mouth of a hungry lion would be enough to frighten nearly anyone regardless of size… But Ly speaks up meekly, evidently understanding his fate, but making one soft request. "Bea… Please, just… No biting, okay?"
The lioness closes her mouth to look at Ly, chuckling at first until she sees the fear in his eyes, and she nods understandingly. "I promise I won’t bite or chew, Ly. You’ve been so amazing to me; it’s only right I grant you that request at least."
Lysergia nods, relaxing a little as she slowly opens her mouth again, giving the feline a chance to admire every last detail within.
Thick black lips separate to reveal thirty cleaned and polished leonine teeth, the enamel so white it could have sparkled in a toothpaste advertisement. A terrifying sight to behold, dental bones the size of cars attached to an apex predatoress, but she promised not to use them, and he sees no reason not to trust her word. Beyond them lies the absolute monster of her tongue – Soft, rough, and slimy; this massive muscle is the size of a parking lot, and the pointed papillae could scrape the asphalt straight off of said parking lot!
Around the sides of Bea’s mouth are her inner cheeks, the elastic flesh designed to stretch for her mouth to open wide like this, or to puff out if she takes a remarkably large mouthful of food! Above, the deep contours of the palate’s ridged rugae are plainly visible, running laterally along the roof of her mouth and providing a surface against which she can press her food while biting it or licking it clean. The palate only runs about two-thirds of the way along her upper mouth, at which point it becomes visibly softer and fleshier – This is the start of her velum, also known as the soft palate. Just beyond that is the space of her pharynx, with the rippling squish of her gullet flexing eagerly in anticipation, and directly in front of the pharynx hangs the fleshy uvula; swaying idly, almost hypnotically, back and forth with every breath the lioness takes.
As Ly takes in the admittedly fascinating sight of Beatrice’s mouth, he realizes she’s bringing her paw closer to her maw… But instead of simply tossing him inside like he’s expecting, she extends her tongue over her teeth and onto her paw, letting the tip rest right in front of his paws. Blinking at this gesture, Ly looks slowly up to her, who opens one eye to watch him, apparently seeing if he’ll take the invitation on his own. The feline, fully aware he’ll end up inside that maw regardless of whether he climbs in himself or not, takes a deep breath and stands up. She’s promised to be gentle with him, and it’s clear she’s taken quite a liking to his affections today… And his fears notwithstanding, he’s admittedly feeling quite a deep curiosity about the notion of being devoured by the lioness!
Carefully, he steps forwards onto the tongue, his paws squishing the wet muscle as he advances; taking the red carpet, as it were. He hears Bea giggle softly, and he finds himself chuckling quietly as well – She’s managed to entice him into willfully walking into her mouth despite him knowing full well what will happen once he does. But as he passes her lips and then her teeth, it’s apparent he’s accepting of this, and he seems ready to at least make this easy – Perhaps even enjoyable – For the both of them.
His paws find a remarkably steady grip on the rough papillae of Beatrice’s tongue, and although the tremors of the muscle’s involuntary twitches quake the surface beneath him, Ly manages to keep his footing. The air in here is humid and warm, carrying a sweet scent that reminds him of cake, or perhaps chocolate, or maybe even a donut? He chuckles softly – As Leroux’s mate, presumably the lioness also partakes in some of his dietary habits; no doubt that’s what he felt digesting in her belly!
A soft snort escapes him as he realizes he’ll soon be able to find out for himself.
Lysergia yelps softly as he slips onto his backside when Bea pulls her tongue back into her mouth and softly closes her jaws, trapping her little treat inside! Even within the darkness, his feline night-vision lets him see the details of her mouth closely, and he shudders as he takes in the enormity of his surroundings, but he’s not given much time to explore before the wet tongue curls around him and the pressure drops as Beatrice begins to suck on him like a piece of candy!
Thick, warm saliva rushes in and surrounds the feline, soaking into his fur and drawing out his sweet strawberry flavors, then it’s drawn away and swallowed by the lioness, before another glob of drool surrounds him to repeat the process! Contented rumbles of satisfaction and the occasional pleased "Mnnh…" let Lysergia see just how much she’s appreciating his taste, how much she’s savoring him as her little treat, and he can’t help but shiver in a touch of excitement – In spite of what the approval of her taste test means for him, he still finds it rather flattering to be enjoyed like this!
Beatrice’s tongue carefully brings him against her left cheek, smooshing him softly against the springy flesh for a moment, then she brings him up against her rough palate, pinning him in place as she swallows down another mouthful of him-flavored saliva. Mindful of her volume, she gently speaks to him. "Mhhf… Ly… You taste simply divine." She giggles, adding "Forgive me for speaking with a full mouth, but I want to make sure you know…" A firm, elated shudder runs through his form, the tremble enough for Beatrice to notice, as evidenced by her chuckle and soft "Awwh…"
Rather than verbally responding to her compliments, Lysergia instead rotates himself and presses his hands against the massive muscle, blushing as he starts to work his magic on her tongue! Bea's surprised "Mrrh!" shows she wasn't expecting to feel even more rubs, but the steady purring that builds from her chest lets her tiny friend see she's certainly not going to complain about the delightful sensations. Ly feels some movement from the lioness, and he reasons she's lying on her belly, relaxing and just basking in the amazing treatment her catch is giving her. She uncurls her tongue, letting the feline move about her mouth as he pleases, eager to receive his attention anywhere he wishes to share it!
And share, he does; tiny hands press down on the huge tongue as he gives it the same treatment he had given her paws, shoulders, and belly. Kneading the squishy muscle, his fingertips stroke over those rough papillae, taking great care to rub in the direction they’re pointing so he doesn’t hurt himself. Ly spends a good several minutes caressing every part of her tongue; from the very tip at her incisors, all the way back to the precipice of her gullet.
Once he finishes with her tongue, he smiles and stands up at the back of the muscle, but before she can do anything, she instead feels his hands on her uvula! "Oooh!" She says in surprise, her pleased smile growing and her purrs increasing in volume as he shows the fleshy appendage his love as well! Gingerly, his fingers stroke the narrow stem, before carefully squishing the bulb at the bottom – Lacking a gag reflex, Bea closes her eyes and lets him treat her as lovingly as he’s able. She chuckles in amusement as those rubs turn into a warm hug, squeezing her uvula softly, until she faintly hears his voice, quivering in an audibly blushy fluster. "M-Miss Beatrice… May… May I…"
She doesn't wait for him to finish before she responds "You may, little one."
And after a second, she feels a tiny kiss placed delicately on the bulb of her uvula, making her giggle again.
"Awwh… You’re adorable, you know?" Her voice turns almost regretful as she says "I do feel bad that I’m going to swallow you… But I think, at this point, you don’t mind anymore, do you?"
Ly’s ears lower as he shakes his head softly, having accepted his fate. Then he blushes, realizing she can’t see him shaking his head, and he replies "N-No… I’m… I’m ready, Bea…"
Beatrice chuckles, but before she swallows, she asks him "If I may ask one last favor of you, since I granted you yours… When you’re in my stomach, could you give me some more of those delightful touches, please? I’ve always wanted a belly rub from the inside…"
This time, it's Ly who giggles quietly, and he gives her uvula another hug before sitting down at the back of her tongue, his paws hovering just above her squeezing, flexing gullet. "Alright, Bea… I will."
Satisfied by his answer, the lioness lifts and tilts her head back, feeling the feline slide off the back of her tongue and into her pharynx, and she takes a slow, deliberate swallow, plunging him into the snug grip of her esophagus. Her paw reaches up to her neck, gingerly caressing the bulge he makes as he descends into her body, and she shivers and exhales a deeply contented sigh, finally sending her treat to her belly where it belongs.
Inside the muscular tunnel, Ly feels the powerful grip of those muscles guiding him along in rolling contractions of peristalsis, easing him through the long, narrow tube smoothly and steadily. He feels the subtle shift of gravity as he rounds the gentle curve into her chest, the sound of her relaxed heartbeat pounding in his ears in a soothing rhythm and nearly drowning out the wet squishes of her esophageal flesh squeezing him deeper, while the mighty whoosh of air filling and leaving her lungs adds a calming ambiance to the entire soundtrack. A smile grows on his muzzle – Despite everything going on, he’s remarkably content with his current situation.
It takes nearly a full minute or so to traverse the entire tunnel, but when Lysergia feels his paws press against a tight ring of muscle that begins to relax, he braces himself, squeezing through the esophageal sphincter and dropping into the lioness's cavernous stomach. He lands with a wet Splat on a mostly liquefied mass of mush shifting idly around along with the movements of her stomach, and once he surfaces and cleans his face, he takes a look around.
Aside from the mostly digested remains of what he assumes used to be pastries and chocolates, her stomach is unoccupied, and after a minute of feeling through the slop, the only solid matter he finds is a single giant strawberry seed that falls apart as soon as he squeezes it in his hand. Everything’s more or less been churned into a soupy, homogeneous mess, sticking to his fur as he wades through towards the stomach walls and making him softly groan from the unpleasant feeling as it soaks into his fur. The air in here has a faintly acidic scent; Ly reckons it would be much stronger, but the sweetness of those former desserts is cutting through more prominently.
Reaching the edge of the gastric chamber, he takes a moment to admire the folded flesh all around him, shifting idly and mostly guiding the slop towards the far end of the stomach – The faint glorp noises let Ly realize the mess is gradually being taken deeper into the lioness’s digestive system to be further processed and absorbed. It’s a gradual process, and he doubts it’ll fully empty before she goes for her next meal, but the biological function is still quite fascinating, even from the perspective of the food being processed!
Remembering his promise to Beatrice, Ly places his hands on the stomach walls, pressing against them tentatively as they cover his hands in slimy goo. The gastric mucosa is hard at work keeping the inner lining covered with an acid-resistant coating, preventing the organ from literally digesting itself. But as the feline begins to rub and knead the flesh of her stomach, he finds the coating also works as an extremely effective lubricant, letting his hands glide effortlessly all along those walls!
Again, the lioness’s reaction is immediate; Ly feels the chamber quiver all around him, before he hears Bea’s voice. "Hahh… W-Wow… Ohh… Oh, that’s… That’s really nice…"
Chuckling quietly, Lysergia smiles and continues, listening to Bea’s excitement to his lovely touches from within! Soon, he’s fighting to keep his footing when she shivers delightedly each time his hands find a particularly sensitive spot on her stomach walls, but he keeps going, determined to please the lioness with this. Though it’s easier said than done when he feels gravity suddenly shift, and he yelps as he suddenly falls sideways into the sloppy mess with a noise somewhere between a splat and a splash – Bea must have rolled onto her side!
Pulling himself to the surface and sputtering, the feline shakes his head with a quiet "Bleh… Careful out there, please…" before he giggles and resumes his caresses, listening to Bea’s happy sounds and imagining her paws kneading the air in bliss.
Every last inch of the chamber receives his affections, and as he makes his way towards the end of her stomach, he peeks into the narrower section of her pylorus, spotting the flexing valve at the end gradually draining the chyme he’s wading in. A momentary thought crosses his mind as he curiously wonders if he might be able to fit through the valve and explore deeper inside her, but then he shudders and cringes as he suddenly remembers precisely where that path leads, and what becomes of food further along the digestive tract. With as much of the mess that’s already been taken through…
He shudders softly again and retreats from the pylorus, deciding he’ll just stay in the stomach and let fate do as it will. He smiles to himself as he gives it more thought; he’s treated her so nicely, and now he’s her nice treat!
Even as he starts to feel a tingle in his paws, he keeps massaging the stomach walls, feeling as they begin to shift and squeeze more firmly around him; they’ve noticed there’s more food inside to digest, and Ly soon slips onto his rump, chest-deep in the chyme, unable to stand in the constantly shifting chamber. But that doesn’t stop his rubs, even as the warm tingle grows stronger – He almost feels like he’s sitting in a hot bath instead of a mess of mostly digested slop.
Over the next several minutes, Ly feels his paws growing numb with how long they’ve been submerged in the acidic mush, and he eventually lets out a quiet yawn as exhaustion and weakness claim him. He keeps rubbing Beatrice’s stomach up to the last moment, when his eyes flutter closed and his form abruptly collapses onto his back as he passes out. The stomach clenches, submerging the feline beneath the chyme for several long seconds, and by the time the muscles unclench again, he’s fallen completely still. His body is hers to digest; her little treat.
And the unmoving smile on his muzzle stands as a mark of his last contented thoughts of giving himself fully to the great lioness.
----------
"Mom!"
Beatrice blinks slowly, stretching out with a yawn, before looking over at the source of the voice.
An excited young lion cub stands close by, her brilliant fuchsia eyes bright in eagerness. "Mom! I finally found you!"
Beatrice stands up and chuckles, patting her daughter on the head. "So you did, Paige." She tilts her head curiously. "What's got you so excited?"
Paige grins, bouncing on her paws. "Ly's coming over! He said he's got a surprise for me!"
"Huh?" The older lioness's ears lower, realizing what she had done. "Oh… About that…"
"What? Don’t tell me I can’t play with him!" The cub whines, already ready to pout if told no.
"Paige… Ly can’t come over. I… Well…"
But the cub interrupts. "Why not? He’s right there!"
Beatrice blinks, slowly turning her head down beside where she had been resting – And sure enough, the feline is looking up at her with a shy wave.
Bea yelps, recoiling and standing in a fearful stance, back arched and fur raised. "W-What the… But… You… Are you… Are you a ghost?!"
Ly and Paige look at each other in confusion, before they both laugh.
"Mom, stop being silly!" the cub says with a giggle.
Ly shakes his head and chuckles. "Nah, it’s just plain ol’ me, Bea."
Beatrice cautiously approaches, much like a cat tentatively approaching something unknown. "But… But I ate you! How are you still here?"
The feline tilts his head with mild confusion. "Oh, didn’t Leroux tell you? I reform when I’m eaten." He giggles. "Comes in handy, considering what I taste like!"
As if to accentuate his point, Paige leans in and gives him several licks, making him sputter and laugh. "Ack! Paige, careful!"
Bea regards the scene for a few seconds, her head tilting to the left, then to the right, before her eyes widen. "Wait…" Leaning in close to the striped cat, she asks "So does that mean… I could eat you, as much as I want, and you'll keep coming back good as new?"
Brushing the cub's saliva off of his face, he innocuously responds "I suppose, yeah… Why do you ask?"
"Ly…" Beatrice's eyes narrow as a scheming grin spreads on her muzzle. "I think you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together…"
