User blog:MockingJester/Built from the bottom up

That was it. The breaking moment. The moment Lucien had stopped.

His mind had retreated from his body to see everything in perspective. Ever since childhood, she stood up for him, a monster with a less than common probability to act in such a manner. All the way to their teenage years, where this sense of protection had joined with her heart opening up to her monster's instincts of love.

Yet Roxy couldn't bear herself to move accordingly, in grave fear of hurting him. Hurting the poor scrawny Lucien. And hearing the very reason why she was such a contrarian compared to many others had shifted the balance. He admired her, looked up to her. In fact, she had become the reason why he was able to pursue his dream profession. And what did he bring her for all her efforts? What exchange has he given?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

"Not anymore, I'm owning up to this thankless debt" Lucien makes a point to write a note. A singular date on the calendar, May 22. The birthday of Roxy, his childhood friend. A spider demon, so to say. --- Friday, 5 pm, August 5. "Well, might as well be this day out of any" Lucien speaks to himself as he scoops up a gym bag and a water bottle from the passenger spot in his car. He walks straight to the world bovine fitness center, a place that once highlighted a minotaur's rise to fame after an accident that should have had left her crippled for life.

His fresh member badge adorned in his workout outfit, Lucien passes through the gate, catching the eye of many regular patrons around. Their brief surprise turns to mock.

"As expected...of course they wouldn't skip a chance to have a jolly. Not like I'm used to this anyway..." The young man immediately puts himself to work, going for the small weighs.

As expected...he does horribly. Be it dropping the dumbells, struggling to make a basic session or tiring out midway, Lucien's first day at the gym was about a much a bust as a comedian on his first night.

Many wheezes in laughter while passing nearby the newbie in his inexperience, in deep sight as he pulls out a picture of Roxy. A picture featuring the woman giving a side smirk during their graduations in high school. Many times over, would he give up, as he did other things.

Many times...save for this one. His hand clenches, a bitter pill he swallows while shoving his broken confidence, ever piled on by the sneering present "I'm going to do this...I,m going to do this for you, Roxy. For you!"

Tomorrow, the same session would occur. A struggle on the day's workout and a struggle to keep his psyche amped up. A fight to weather the pain and one to weather the mockery. A fight without and within. His saving grace? The same picture that was given to him, of her. Behind the picture, on the blank canvas are her words, two of them.

Good luck! signed Roxy...

Again, he would go, enduring those who judged his presence to be a mistake. Again, he would put everything in his attempt at a workout. Every day, he pours his miniature strength in the stretches, and crunches, and squats, and pumps.

Every day...

Every week...

Every month...

Their laughter persisted in the first week, expecting Lucien to give up halfway through the week. Then, they expected him to surrender by the end of the week. The second week. The third week. The end of the month to the decreasingly warm month of October.

Lucien was still here, despite his shriveled body of his seemingly impossible to grow. His form began to slowly increase, his reps, sharpening the way his mind does in the heart of his profession. The patrons could see it, the persistence in his eyes. His mental, most of all, was the biggest benefactor, learning to make white noise of all their words.

So much so that some began to wander near the man, their eyes directed to the miniature picture he holds near himself. The same one he fixes in every workout session. A beautiful flame of rust hair and autumn irises adorned with a lovely bandage covering her right eye in gilded and crimson silk.

Some went as far as to sit near, intrigued "Hey, little guy". Gustav was one of them, a rather distant man who merely was curious about the young man. Unlike him, he was a hulk of a man, about three times Lucien's height. The flushing violet in his eyes was an indication of demon strength augmenting his own formidable prowess, a gift from his green-skinned wife.

Lucien was taken by surprise of his direct interaction "Ohh! Hum, hey..."

"The gals and guys have noticed you've been going at it for a while now. Not an easy task to do from where you've begun".

"I should know, I was here. But..." he takes a sip from his bottle "...Weirdly enough, it kind of became a motivator".

"That and that young woman you keep fixing. A sweetheart, I presume?"

"The very reason why I'm even here, to begin with".

"Really? Do tell, that is unusual". --- A week passes, now witness to Lucien taking a spotting mentor. Gustav had been moved by his desire to reach a commendable physical fitness, reminded of his own quote on quote 'ass whopping to shape' by his own dear. From spotting him in the more hefty sessions to the advice freely given, Gustav became a strong anchor to fuel Lucien's path.

With the weeks passing by, those who initially laughed him off had joined in his work, mostly the monsters, egging him on about how thorough Ushi-oni can be in their...mating session.

And again, the pages of the calendar are marked one by one, threading a path through the winter. A winter seeing a group work themselves in the controlled harshness of the weather's temper. A continued built to build Lucien's endurance under Gustav as the others follow closely "If you can work through the cold, you can tame a Ushi-oni!"

Or, a swim in the steaming waters well beyond ordinary temperatures "If you can move amidst boiling waters, you can tame a Ushi-oni!"

Or better yet, a handstand in the midst of conflicting temperatures...in his underwear. Many of the group was content watching him struggle to keep his balance, behind a control room beyond the touch of said shifts to the environment, though not out of malice. Of course, the young man was prone to question this particular method "Are...are you sure...this is...necessary?"

Gustavo grins at the question, dropping his head near the microphone "Boy! Your mate will want to try every position she can think of. While in heat! And I doubt you'll be wearing anything during this baptism of fire! From a man married to an Ogre, I tell you now, you'll thank me!!!"

The women present nod in agreement with no sense of shame, having partaken in this sort of behavior.

And thus, like a blade tempered by the hammer, Lucien's body grows over the repeated weigh. Like a blade tempered by the molten heat, the shimmering temperatures craft his resilience, endurance, and vigor. --- This training remained true all the way to the month of May, with sporadic communications to Lucien's flame, Roxy taking hold of many of his nights. The times for the two to meet became scarce like bread crumbs, ever savored to the last second. Though she did question his new choice of attire, becoming a set of long coats and buffed sweaters.

A conversation constantly overshadowed by the talks of her birthday, mostly from her mother with who he was in compliance with. A gleeful scream comes from her strong voice "Eeeekk! You can't be serious!"

"Why do you think I've been wearing these ridiculous sweaters? Trust me, I know they look somewhat goofy" he speaks back with a peal of muffled laughter.

"I didn't think you were preparing for that much of an impression! Oh dear, she's going to be so happy! Ohh, we need to meet for an exchange, I have something that will greatly help you with this 'gift'. Consider it a blessing for the hand of my daughter..."

"Ohh? Pray, tell..." --- May 22, 9 pm...

Lucien sneakily enters a household, a coat adorned on him. His eyes had changed. Gradually. They shine in a radiant purple, a docile one, as part of his personality. Eyes hiding power behind them. A tradition of Roxy's family, to impart a sample of their blood for whoever the Ushi-oni is to give herself to. Roxy already had her own vial of the precious lifeforce sheltered somewhere, mysteriously disappeared, obviously intended to Lucien's name.

The woman of his heart spent the day away among the family, breakfast, dinner, and supper in fancy places. The time between them is displaced in activities. Plenty of time for him to prepare himself inside her own home with a key given by her mother.

He goes for the fridge, picking up a jar of rare fruits. A licking fruit, a snack much sought after by usually celibate monsters "There goes the bait. Now, a spot..." Lucien looks to an open room. The living room "Perfect! Just a few arrangements..."

He spends the next minutes moving things away from the middle, be it the couches, the chairs, or the mini table. The television goes as well. At the heart of the room, he places the jar, right in the middle. And he waits...

...he waits as he begins taking off pieces of his clothing, leaving but his underwear that he covers under his trench coat. Hiding his very well toned body further enhanced by the incubi blood that was now his. For the first time in his life, by his long-repressed thoughts, the changed man felt an excitement brewing in his body. She was in love with him. And now, he was as well...

The target does return home after hours of familial reunion inside a darkened house. Polymorph was commonly used in her family, considering their houses were mainly fitted for humans. Getting used to human legs was easier than thought, her true shape unleashed in special circumstances.

Her mind in the clouds of vivid imagery, she easily manages to filter out Lucien sitting on one of the displaced sofas, patiently waiting "Man, that was a wild birthday! Nothing like a feast to bring out the eight legs! Shame Lucy didn't make it..."

Her graceful and toned body wanders to the fridge. One of the first things she does in a daily repeat is to snack, or rather, 'suck' on her favorite fruit. Obviously, the fruit itself was but a simulator.

"Ehh! Where did I put the jar?! Was it empty? No, that can't be! I took one this morning and had at least five to spare!"

"Looking for this?" His voice bounces out of the living room, prompting her to glance his way, where the jar was.

"Oh yeah, it's on the mat in the living ro--living room? Lucien?! What are you--"

Her stare of surprise heightens behind Lucien's act of stepping in front of the jar as if to interject himself between her and her prize. A chuckle seeps from her rust-colored lips following her hands on her hips "Lucien...you can't be serious. Trying to get in the way of a gal's much-needed snack? I thought you of all people knew how danger...danger...dangerous..."

Her smirk turns to awe as she watches her love interest slowly remove his coat. The abs on his chest, the humble, yet immeasurably resilient muscles on his limbs, the gaze of absolute confidence in his face, while devoid of arrogance, all chiseled before her. Even his height had increased enough for them to compare size, although she was still slightly taller than him.

"Roxy!" he calls out, a voice different to his usually timid pitch "I have worked myself close to exhaustion for this very moment! Do you wish to relieve yourself in a day's worth of movement? Then come seek what is yours...if you can!"

Roxy's awe turns to a flustered expression of desire. Hunger intertwined with love so long buried. Slowly, she takes off her jacket, exposing her voluptuous body for his eyes to feast upon "Oh, oh, oh! What do we have here? My little Lucy has grown quite a stack! Don't you worry, though, I'm coming for my birthday present! My strong, well-toned, chiseled present just asking to be claimed..."

So she knows the jar is just to be the engagement. Her eye is lined on Lucien's new body, waiting for the signal, waiting on his end.

He smiles tenderly, assuming the pose of the sumo, braced for impact "Happy birthday, my protector! Come and claim my present!"

Barely finished spelling out his sentence, Roxy sens herself in a sprint of barely restrained yearning. He waits...

...and wait. She nears, her eye gleaming. Closing the distance. And then, contact.

A contact of whispers. Whispers in each other's ears. Words of softness, seeking to enamor the other, turning their cheeks red and bothered. Her flight comes in Lucien's advantage, able to spin in such a way to see Roxy fall on her back with him on top.

Her hands coil behind his neck, pulling him in close for a kiss. An overdue kiss. He obliges, fully giving in, letting his new blood guide him through her lips, her tongue. An instinctual knowledge of her body kicks in, giving him ample details of her sensitive spots. This series of sloppy kisses was a 'battle' in itself, one he was winning, one she had no qualm losing.

"Lucy..." She pants his name repeatably, eyes full of tearing happiness. He worked and sweated in her sake, for this moment. The best gift she could think of receiving, to let loose with the one she deeply loves, to be loved so fiercely by her half. She wants him as she wanted him since her feeling's awakening during their teenage years. She can claim him in due form, pre-emptively moist at the prospect of feeding her monster instincts.

"Well, you got through me..." Lucien whispers to a tearful spider demon "The jar is yours now..."

"To hell with that jar!" she spouts, clinging to his shoulders "With the hulk standing on top of me, these won't do it anymore!"

She plunges a finger in her top, ripping through the middle to the bottom, exposing her sublime breasts marked by black spots "Come! Strip me! Strip me bare! Make me a woman! Make me! I want to scream!"

"Now who's asking for it?!" His hands fixate on her hips, using their new strength to pivot the two in position. He now was on the floor on his back, hands still licking her in place.

She leans to his ear, planting a hand on the left side of his head "I've been asking it forever now...how about I unwrap my present now?~ Her other hand tears away as his only cloth...