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thecandywrites · 1 month

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Monster March 2024- Day 21- Shapeshifter

A Mother's Hearth and Home

As always, huge thanks to @borealwrites for their amazing Monster March 2024 Prompt List.

Monster March 2024- Shapeshifter

Part 3

Adorim came up the stairs to see both the kitchens of the shop full of others who were still in the middle of making a proper family meal while others were setting out every dish from both the shop and their own homes to set up the many tables around the shop, as many of the younger kids were helping set up sets of steel utensils, as he could see others peek in the cracks of the closed curtains and shutters of the storefront curiously.

“What do you guys need?” Allura asked as she came around everyone who was cooking in the massive kitchen for the shop, clearly meant for a crew of cooks.

“Taste this!” They all seemed to say as they each seemed to stop to offer her tastes of what they were working on as they were all practically shoulder to shoulder as she came down the line to taste them before she took their spoons and handed the rest to Adorim to taste.

“Here, you taste, see if you like it.” She urged him.

“Oh, I…my sense of taste isn’t that really refined…” He tried to slink back but Allura grabbed his arm to pull him forward again.

“Come on, use that brutal honesty of yours.” Allura encouraged him in a light teasing tone before he took the small spoons and brought them up to his mouth to taste test them since he was a head and shoulders above them all.

“Um, yeah, they’re good.” He answered as he handed it back.

“That’s it? That’s all? Come on, you can do better than that. Come on. We may not have scales but our skin is thick enough to take it. Was it too sweet? To savory? Too spicy? Too rich? Too salty?” Allura asked.

“Well, what were you going for?” He asked the young looking woman who handed it to Allura to begin with.

“It’s supposed to be rich and savory with some good flavors and a hint of spice, but not hot enough to burn the mouths of the little ones.” She specified.

“Oh, then you got it.” He insisted.

“Could use a bit more garlic and green onion, maybe some shallot to cut through the richness of the bone marrow and bone broth you’ve used as the base.” Allura offered.

“Green bird pepper.” Adorim suddenly blurted out as both Allura and this female relative seemed pleased with that as they both smiled happily up at him.

“I should have some dried bird pepper in the pantry- it will be with the equator spices.” Allura urged before she left and got some before Adorim watched where she went- to see her step down into what looked like…a large food storage area, through a door, that he thought led to a broom closet or something.

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Allura practically cooed teasingly before she continued down the line as she gave her input fist before Adorim grew more and more comfortable with offering one or two more suggestions which were met with delight.

“You like your spice.” Allura noted.

“I do.” He nodded before they moved to where those making sweets and desserts were doing their best to make fillings while others were working dough to make pie crusts.

“This flour could use some more grinding.” Allura noted as she reached out to touch and then rub the flour between her fingers.

“Sorry, the boys are upstairs in your kitchen.” The girls offered.

“Could I grind some flour for you then?” Adorim offered.

“No you just came from a huge journey, you’re a guest.” One of them tried to dissuade him.

“I don’t mind. I would like to help. And if you need finely ground flour, I can help grind it.” He offered before they all looked to Allura, since this was still, very much, her kitchen.

“Have you ever ground grains to make flour before?” Allura asked him thoughtfully.

“I’ve sharpened more than my fair share of blades against the whetstone, I’m sure it can’t be too different.” Adorim offered with a small shrug as she gave him a thoughtful but still slightly weary look.

“...ok. Well, I’ll show you how it’s done, then you just copy my movements.” She offered as she pulled up her sleeves to wash her hands before she handed him the bar of soap to wash his own hands as he did so, taking off his arm braces to reveal his forearms and washed up to his elbows, the same way she had.

“Perfect.” She grinned once he was done before she showed him her millstones and the hole drilled in the top of them as she swept up the hastily ground flour and poured it back into the top and he could see that she had clearly done this for most of her life as her whole body seemed to take up a particular stance so that she used her own body weight and all her body’s strength to help get the stone moving and once it was moving, to keep up the momentum as Adorim watched her closely before she let go and he hastily grabbed the handle at the top to continue and keep up the speed and rhythm of the grinding.

“Ok, ok, that’s enough. We don’t need any more flour.” Allura stopped him as she swept up the last of the fine flour into the sack until it nearly overflowed before she managed to use a needle and thread and sewed it up to keep it mostly fresh.

“There, you’re a natural.” Allura smiled happily as she used a special brush to brush the now, much finer ground flour out and into a bowl before she gave some to each person at the counter who were all quick to use and incorporate it before she came back and put that bowl back to catch it before she got a scoop and scooped up a bigger heap of whole grains and matched her pouring of them into the millstone as he was grinding it away.

“You make that look practically effortless.” Another praised nearby with a pleasant smile as he returned the polite smile but focused on Allura and her movements as she seemed content to move around him and help feed the mill in between brushing the other flour into the bowl before refeeding the once ground flour back into it, so it was ground down twice into a very fine flour before giving it down the line of bakers, all the while, Adorim was happy to keep the movement the same, switching hands, to keep from one hand and arm from tiring out and kept at it until all the bakers not only had enough flour, but until Allurah refilled every bag of flour that she had emptied out.

“Goodness. Your arms must be burning.” Allura noted as Adorim slowed the grind stone down before he lifted it off to make sure he got all the flour from between the top and bottom mill stones as Allurah simply grinned and helped get any chunks out and reveal the special grooves that were cut into the two ends so that the two stones ground the flour between them.

“Nope. They’re fine.” Adorim shook his head no.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” He asked before the girls behind Allura whispered something to Allura.

“What was that?” He asked.

“Well if you really wanted to, my grandma has cacao beans that need to be ground down. And maybe some coffee beans too?” One of them suggested hopefully as Allura gave her an unimpressed sidelong glance.

“He’s done more than enough already, good grief, we are not here to take advantage.” Allura tried to dissuade them.

“Everyone is working hard to provide food for all. All I wish to do is offer the same effort everyone else is putting forth. If I didn’t have the effort or strength to give, I would not offer.” Adorim stated resolutely.

“Please?” The others pleaded to Allura.

“Ok fine, cacao it is. But I’m doing the coffee.” Allura said as she huffed and Adorim walked with her into the storehouse to where she walked over to one of the many sacks that took up most of the floor space.

“Wasn’t this empty?” He recalled when he had cast a glance into here earlier to see only a mop and a broom against an empty shelf.

“It was. But thanks to that very overzealous restore blessing the Great Dragons gave us, it’s practically bursting at the seams. It’s been…psh…years since this store house was this full. It will take, at least a year or two to eat through it all, even if every night we cook and eat like we are about to- tonight- for every meal of every day from tonight onward. The Great Dragons just really want to make sure you guys want for nothing as far as food and drink goes. Even my wine and ale and mead jars are full and about to overflow.” Allura answered as she took a bowl and scooped up the cacao beans into it to measure out how much she would need before she seemed to grab just a half scoop more to make it a heaping bowl full.

“You have wine and ale?” Adorim seemed to blink in surprise as the thought of ale made his mouth water.

“Yeah, several varieties too, what do you like? Light ale, dark ale?” She asked as she walked over to the large casks that were partially in the room and partially sitting down and into the dining room so that they could be refilled from here, without the whole huge butte ton caskets wouldn’t need to be moved while huge wine jars were in a room just under this.

“Dark.” He answered.

“Ok.” She nodded with a giddy smile as she opened the cork and used a special cup on a ladle and pulled out some and used it to pour into a larger stein before she handed it to him.

“Oooh, this is very good.” He praised once he began to drink it. This was, hands down, the best ale he had ever drank in his life.

“Thanks. We call it a stout.” She grinned as he was quick to drink it up.

“More?” She asked.

“No, I just needed something to quench my thirst from making the flour.” He politely declined before he finished it off and left with the large bowl of cocoa seeds as she brought a small bag of green coffee beans and she set him up with the special grinder for the cacao and showed him how she ground them before he took her spot and continued to crack, break and grind down the cacao beans into a gritty paste before he took over from her.

But he still lowkey watched Allura as she set to the green coffee beans and put the green coffee beans into a special roaster over the fire to “roast” the beans until the aroma seemed to fill the kitchen as they all seemed to pause to smell the heavenly aroma.

“Almost done.” Allura said as she got into a special glass jars and dropped special drops onto the coffee beans and then mixed them by hand before roasting them just a little more as scents of caramel, and praline pecans and other nutty desserts and even the chocolate that Adorim was grinding bloomed before she pulled them off the fire and let them cool down in a special bowl before she used a special grinder to grind the coffee beans down before she brewed a pot of special coffee and poured tiny little shot glasses full and gave one to each person in the kitchen before others that came down from her upstairs kitchen came down to get some too.

“What kind of coffee is this?” He asked, since it seemed to be especially intensely flavored.

“Espresso.” She beamed happily before she helped him move the gritty paste from the rougher grinder to a marble one, so that the finer grit would be broken down before she added milk and sugar to help make it more refined and proper chocolate.

“Ok, now, lets put these into molds.” Allura urged him before she brought out a special pan and they poured the chocolate into the special molds so that everyone could have some once they would harden before Allura was much more keen to lick the chocolate off her fingers before she would wash her hands as Adorim seemed just as keen as she was. He had not ever done anything like that. But yet, surrounded by others, all of them cooking various things, it seemed so…normal. The closest thing to normal since they had to flee from home.

And Allura getting chocolate on her face was suddenly filling his mind with thoughts of licking it off of her face himself before he tried to bat those thoughts away as the younglings came down to check on her as the kids helped lick her face and her fingers clean while seeming to lick her grinding stones and tools down too before she urged them out of the kitchen and back upstairs so she could check on things up there where her sons, and grand sons and great grandsons were all cooking in this kitchen and just as eager to offer her tastes of what they were working.

“Just like Papa used to make?” They all seemed to ask her eagerly and hopefully. Referring to her late mate- Luminaire.

“Just like Papa made, if not better.” She praised each one as they were just as eager for her approval and constructive criticism while they seemed to make a polite inquiry to see what Adorim thought before Searsy seemed to pull her aside and tried to subtly slip a letter into her hands.

“What’s this?” Allurah asked.

“Dorierra’s favor in exchange for the tomb meat.” Searsy answered in marinai.

“Do they know I have a prince? Or just refugees?” Allura asked him seriously.

“The Great Dragons told me to tell them about the young prince, so that you would get loins and fat nodes and not just legs.” He answered as Allura just sighed heavily and didn’t bother opening it but slipped it into a pocket.

“Who else knows about this matter?” Allura asked before Searsy answered her with the members of her family who had gone with him and gotten it in the first place.

“Have any of you told anyone else?” Allura asked.

“No.” He shook his head no.

“Good, don’t. He is still a nursing babe. He should live as normal of a childhood as possible for as long as he can. When he is of adult age, and old enough and capable of making this decision for himself, we will bring it up with him then. But not a moment sooner.” Allura insisted as she eyed the node of fat and the loin of tomb meat hanging on her kitchen wall with weary suspicion now.

“What’s going on?” Adorim asked as he took a step closer.

“A family matter. Some of the items were bought with a price a little higher than I would have liked or wanted, that’s all.” Allura insisted before she moved to gather her dishes out of her cupboard and began to help the others set the many tables in the store part of the house where many long tables were set up as others were already using all of the business’ dishes and sets of eating utensils to set up places for everyone to sit and eat before others came and brought their dishes down to the buffet table as Allura called all the dragonborn to come and eat first.

“You are the guests of honor, you need to eat first.” She urged them.

“Only if you will get your own plate as well.” Adorim insisted.

“Fine.” Allura caved as she got her plate and went down the buffet line with them, telling them about each dish as she only got a small spoonful of each one- and even then- by the time they got down the line, their plates were practically overflowing before they sat down at Allura’s favorite table in the restaurant before all the other kids then got in line behind them, then all the adults did after the kids did before everyone seemed to crowd around all the tables, all of them eagerly talking and complimenting each other on what dishes they cooked for the family feast as they giggled to see the dishes practically constantly refill themselves so that everyone would get to eat a bit of everything as Allurah urged them that they would all need to take portions of the food home with them after the feast as Adorim was given yet another stein of stout, this one, somehow, even more delicious than the first as he did not contest when he had barely had one before one of Allurah’s grandson’s offered to refill the stein for him when he would be refilling his grandma’s wine glass with her own sweet wine she had made the year before. It wasn’t the prettiest food, but it was some of the most delicious food they had ever had other imperial feasts. And filled every notion they had ever had of being hungry on this trip as many were celebrating the new holiday this was for them. Yet one more Day of Safe Haven for the colony to celebrate Adorim’s group safely finding a haven here.

But Adorim and his group were all profoundly touched that here, they were refugees and relative strangers to those around them, yet they were warmly invited, and cared for and welcome here along with Allurah’s family.

Adorim however, tried to get used to how the women would openly nurse at the tables, often trading babies to whoever had milk to nurse, as many were passed to Allura to nurse as she ate one handed and held a babe in either arm as she nursed from either breast- as she sat kitty corner to him at the end of one of the tables as babes- rather instinctively began to cry in succession the moment their mothers passed her when one would be done before Allura readily took them to nurse so that their mothers would be able to eat, even though the mothers claimed many had already nursed and had been fine only moments ago.

But Allurah didn’t seem to mind sharing her milk because the nursing ones that had come with Adorim were happy to eat solid food since they had nursed their fill from her before dinner and were happy to eat the meal- cut up into smaller, easier to eat pieces from the end of Allura’s knees as the little ones were happy to sit down the line from Allura across from Adorim since the other adults and subadults had been pulled to eat around the large feast hall as the fires blazed to keep everyone warm. Even the younglings would try to feed her every often which Allura appreciated so she could hold the babes at her breasts- with both arms, often trading off each babe and nursing until each babe seemed to drink their fill and then fall asleep before their mothers were sure to return to get their babies back with thanks before yet another would practically have her babe ready to go to Allura in it’s relative’s place as Allua seemed eager and happy to get these aches from her practically constantly overfull breasts to go down as she chided her own clothes for being too tight across her own heaving bosom.

Adorim however, seemed to be plagued by thoughts and fantasies of what she would be like nursing his own dragonborn hatchlings and was chastizing himself for having such lewd and disrespectful thoughts. But with her other family members talking to others in his group- questions about such things, just trying to get to know more about them as individuals and as a peoples, usually such topics of conversation were seen as impolite to discuss so freely and in such candor and while he found that others were wanting to engage those in his group in conversation, he could little but simply overhear the conversation all around him as it was clear that only Allura felt truly comfortable to engage in casual conversation between talking to the others and of course to the various babes at her breasts as they were happy to nurse to fall to an early sleep for the night.

Then once the feast had been eaten and all had gone home to get their own dishes to take heaping portions of all the foods made for the feast so that every single one would have more than enough food to last them practically for the rest of the week- the leftovers- which practically looked like fresh- never touched dishes- still full- were put into Allurah’s food storage room to eat for the next few days so she didn’t have to cook for them.

Then she excused herself and their group for sleep, since she was feeling quite tired herself as her family readily assured her that they would wash her dishes and return the shop and her kitchen back to working order by morning, which brought a grateful smile to her face as she said her thanks and her goodnights and then picked up the babes in her arms and carried their now sleepy forms up the stairs from the shop and then up the floors of her home to the second floor while the other adults and subadults took to the third floor to the bedrooms there.

But on the second floor was where her bedroom was as she was eager to keep all the youngest younglings with her- in her bedroom where she had a series of cribs for toddlers and babes around her room as the youngest were eager to wrap their legs and arms around her, not wanting to be separated from her as she had to brush her teeth one handed before she handed him a new toothbrush that had been made for him as he was ever so grateful to finally really get a chance to brush his own teeth, rather liking the sweet and minty and even slightly floral toothpaste they used. He was happy to help her to help the youngest ones start to brush their teeth that were coming in before she got them changed for bed, grateful that they weren’t too big that her old baby and toddler sleeping gowns could still fit them as she offered that she would see to it that they had clothes that would fit them when they would get up in the morning.

“Ugh, I need to brush my hair and braid it so it doesn’t tangle.” She offered to her tired reflection in the mirror of the bathroom sink once they had finished with brushing everyone’s teeth as her other family members were walking the other adults and subadults through how to work her bathrooms upstairs.

“Could I do that for you?” Adorim found himself offering.

“You know how to braid hair?” She asked.

“I’ve been known to braid my horse’s hair.” He offered which got a sputtering snicker from her.

“Well ok then. That’ll have to do.” She offered before she sat down at something of a vanity as he brushed her super fine, and silky hair, marveling that it was so blonde, practically white before he did his best to braid it as well as he could before he used a special tie to tie it off for her as she had kept her eyes closed, enjoying the experience of someone brushing and coming and braiding her hair for her.

“Thank you.” She offered him a sweet smile through the mirror before she moved the now sleeping one in her arms with her into bed as it was clear she had raised dozens of kids to sleep right where she put them in the bed as Adorim was half tempted to crawl into the other side of the bed.

“Goodnight Adorim.” She offered tiredly as she settled in bed and pulled the blankets up over her, Alami, Tolla, Kidane and Amare, with Alami and Amare under one arm and Tolla and Kidane under the other as she laid on her back, happy to have the four of them with her as Adorim simply tucked the five of them into the bed to make sure they would stay warm before putting on yet another few logs on the fire in her bedroom.

“Goodnight Allura. Should you need me, I’ll be through here, just call and I’ll answer.” He offered since he took the “weaning room” with the other little ones who were still being weaned and potty trained.

“Ok, I will.” She smiled tiredly before she just graced the pillow that stayed beside her own- as if bidding goodnight to Luminare’s memory.

What was Adorim thinking? She was a widow who had lived 5 whole lifetimes with her mate, and he had been an ungrateful bastard to her when she first answered his prayers. There was no way she would ever look at him with nothing but kindness and respect but never desire, the way he had started to look at her through this whole ordeal.

He got into bed and for once, was practically flushed and overheated. He worried he had overdrank. And what was up with his scales suddenly getting itchy? Did he really eat so much he was going to shed again? That would be just…typical, finally get here and have to shed one’s scales immediately? Oh as if he needed any more pity.

But all he could see when he closed his eyes was Allura’s face, and her body behind his eyelids as- for the first time in a long time- his cock rose from the blankets as he fisted his hands into the bedding to keep himself from touching himself.

“This can’t be happening. She’s too old for you. And you’re too old for her. Too old for this shit.” He breathed to himself as the more he tried to ignore his need- the worse it got. He even tried to roll over and instead, all he could imagine was fucking her from behind as she would have those blessed babes asleep in front of her. Before he could stop himself he had taken his length into his fist and was pumping furiously against his own length as he had to use both hands to grab both the length and the bulbous knot at the base. She probably was small enough she couldn’t take all of him. But fuck he wanted to try anyway. He had been pubescent the last time his cock spurted this much precum.

Just his imagination running wild with how heavenly she would sound, her sighs, her pants, her keens, her moans. Even if she called out Luminaire’s name instead of his own, he wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t matter to him. He just…he felt indebted by her kindness and generosity and even if all the thanks he could give her would be to give her- her overdue release? That would be enough. Even if all she would want- is to use him to just get off, that would be enough. Even if she took from him greedily- he wouldn’t care. He’d give until she would have no more want.

He came in a growling grunt that he tried to hide in the pillow that had the audacity to smell like Allura, as if she was laying right next to him as he rubbed his face into it to accept the comfort her scent had began to give him.

He really hated how much his hands were now covered in his own cum. He hated how he practically soiled his bedding. He hated how badly this had only seemed to fan the flames of his own desire for Allura.

He could only peek his eyes open to see the weaning ones still sleeping blissfully away as he tried to contain the mess to only the upper sheet as he tried to clean himself up the best he could manage.

What was his body doing to him? Shouldn’t he be at the age where sex was the last thing on his mind? Shouldn’t his cock stop working altogether? Shouldn’t his drive to breed have died off by now? He was behaving like a sex brained subadult. He had his chance to have kids of his own and had refused it. He had helped his brothers raise their sons. He had trained his own cadets the same way his father had trained him. He had already passed on all he needed to. He didn’t need…he didn’t need to continue his own legacy more than he already had. Besides, Allura had already insisted that she would lie with no other than her former mate. She had already told him that. And he had believed her. He had seen her with her own children, as moura as they were, granted her children and grandchildren had even chose to marry others that had found refuge here and their children had looked perfectly pleasant. And he had seen the pictures she had had of her family from all the rebirths. She had seen her bright, happy smiles in them. He had touched the very tiles she used the hand and feet of all of her children to tile her kitchen walls. He could feel the love and the pride she had in her family and in her remarkable home.

And he had also seen her pain, her sorrow, her sadness, her loss right along with all of that. And had she not lost her mate, and instead kept him, she never probably would have bothered to scout and never would have been looking out for them and never would have…they wouldn’t be here and all that he was able to save of his empire- wouldn’t be alive now, if Luminare had been reborn with her. And he most likely would have died on that mountain. The Royal Litter still strapped to his chest and back.

And to see how bright her eyes and her smiles and to hear her laugh and tease and gently poke and prod and become more familiar with her adopted kids, was such a blessing in itself. Even if she had just been able to come, if he had just been able to see her for her. He probably would have handed her the Royal Litter and fought off their pursuers, just so that they would have been completely safe and sound and would have grown up here, even without him, even without the other guards, even without everything else. Even if they had to grow up, learning marinai instead of draconic. Even if they had to give up everything they were, to embrace a new life as anyone they wanted to be. That would have been enough.

But instead, he could not go back and change his past mistakes. All he could do, was continue to support Allura, continue to try to teach the younglings. And try to reteach everything he had already taught to those who hadn’t survived with him. That would be more than enough. Even if, she never would look at him with any kind of desire, even if he would just have to continue to pleasure himself and only himself. That would be enough. There was roof over his head, clothes on his back, food in his belly and life in his chest. That was enough.

Then his ear caught the sound of Allura sighing in contentment as he turned his head to see light shine under the door that separated her room from this one.

He should get up and check on her. Make sure she didn’t need anything. But first, he needed to wash this mess off of him.

But by the time he had done that, and peeked into the room. She was fast asleep as he mused he was just so tired he must have heard or seen things. Besides, tomorrow would be hopefully a new and better day, where he might be of some use- if he could get some sleep before he slipped back into bed and promptly fell fast asleep.

#Monster March 2024 #Monster March 2024- Day 21- Shapeshifter- Continued!#Moura #Dragonborn #Shapeshifter

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