The Oppressive Sweetness 1

Before he had realized it, he was seated back upright. What happened?

He remembered placing his clothes off to the side and laying down, and then a branch? A vine or at least something similar forced its way into one of the veins on his wrist.

After that it got all murky. The ever so slight chill commensurate with the feeling he got where he touched the Great Csillacra's heart. Did he become submerged in it somehow? Or was he just chilly and slightly sweaty?

"How long was I out?"

"Out? Donovan you barely just laid down. Thirty seconds at most. Are you done already?" Diana hadn't even had the time to feel horror at the plant that stuck itself inside of him.

Donovan looked to the Arboreal Maiden for answers.

"I said it would be quick didn't I? Unfortunately that will be the only short measure today. I am afraid transforming the body is quite the time consuming process."

"I'm sure it is. When do I start that part then?"

A hole opened up in the floor, a thin purple branch emerging in turn. Weighing down this twig was a fruit the size of a fairly large pomegranate. Unlike a pomegranate though, this fruit was visibly juicy. A great big fluorescent purple plum practically dripping with sucrose.

It's odor was the same as the one that had surrounded them previously, only this time much more potent. Diana wasn't even that close to it and she was practically choking on the stifling sweetness.

"Eat that and lay back down as you had before. It is vital that you consume the seed as well, without chewing it."

Donovan, used to following orders, felt reluctance at this one. He was used to bad food to a degree, and he could tolerate a great deal of discomfort should it be required, but he had a feeling that this fruit might be a little too sweet for his liking.

Sweet to the point of pain in fact. Like the instant he put it in his mouth all of his teeth would develop cavities and his brain would overload from the new sensation.

The smell only got worse when he plucked it off, a small tear in the outer skin exposing the interior. A plume of gaseous sugar seemed to travel directly through his nostrils into his brain.

Trying not to think about it too much, he bit in.

He was unsure of whether or not he regretted taking the bite, or thought he was the luckiest person alive. On the one hand, he had just experienced what was probably the most delicious tasting fruit in the entirety of the galaxy. On the other, he could no longer feel any other signal besides 'sweet' anywhere on his body.

It was strange. His entire body sensed the sweetness, even parts of him which he understood had no method of determining what qualified as sweet or not. He could understand taste, scent, and sight, maybe even touch to a degree, but sound?

Could you hear sweetness?

Stuck in a mire of the now oppressive perfume, he soldiered onwards. Bite after bite, chewing and swallowing as necessary, making sure that he didn't let anything spill.

Not that there was anything TO spill.

Despite the plumpness, odor, and general softness of this succulent snack, there was no liquid being spilled. It wasn't dry, Donovan could feel the gushing with every squeeze of his mandibles, it just wasn't leaking from where he had bitten. It was like the fruit outside of his body was frozen somehow, unable to move except where he touched it.

Before he had realized, he was left with only the seed. Truly it was more like a pit considering its size, but it lacked the rounder shape and rough exterior. Visually, it was more akin to a sunflower seed.

He wasted no time throwing that into his gullet either, pleasantly surprised to find it lacked the overbearing odor of the flesh.

"So do I just lay down now?" His stomach already felt like it was going to tear itself apart. Just what was the sugar content of that fruit?

"And close your eyes. You will likely feel some discomfort or even pain around your throat and chest, but you should remain calm. It will not last long."

Not long after Donovan closed his eyes, he could feel vines slithering along his exposed skin. The wriggling sensations traveled all over his body, between his digits and even (to a short bout of shock) underneath his underpants, before stopping it what he felt might be symmetrical patterns.

Some around his legs, others securing his arms, while the majority placed themselves along his ribcage. There where even a set of three on his neck, one on each jugular and his trachea.

- - - - -

When Diana saw what those vines were doing to Donovan, she almost screamed. Initially they just scrambled all around his body like ribbons in the wind, but when they stopped a chill started to run down her spine. He was starting to bruise, everywhere.

Split Decay.

An arm restrained her before she could jump to his aid. "Settle down, he isn't in pain. The protection of those seeds you two ate needs to first be removed before it can begin. The Great Csillacra will not let him be needlessly injured." The Arboreal Maiden was stronger than she looked.

Once those same webbed patterns indicative of decay along his arteries and veins manifested itself fully, the vines once again took action.

All across his body they inserted themselves without so much as a sound or drop of blood. The only sign they were actually inside of him were the distinct bulges that slowly shuffled around under his skin.

Diana had no doubt that they were also slaving away much deeper inside of him.

She wondered if she had made a mistake in letting him go first. Now that she knew exactly what was going to happen to her, she was far less enthusiastic to take part.