Fugue Feast

[Excerpt from a book on the celebrations and holidays]

At the end of every year, after the last day of the Month of Songs, we begin the Fugue Feast.

The new year has not started and thus the time that follows is ‘outside’ the calendar. A period of celebration and feasting begins, during which the people abandon the very practices that keep them whole and healthy over the year.

Many leave their homes, euphoric with spirits or potent herbs. Some paint their faces or wear masks to conceal themselves as they pursue their passions without reservation.

When the right cosmological signs are observed and it is time for the calendar to begin anew, the sitting High Overseer calls for the hymn of atonement and the Fugue Feast ends.

Families return to their homes, wives to their husbands. Enemies put down their weapons and fires are extinguished. No complaint is given for those who have wronged others, deviated from ancient codes, or discarded oaths; for this time during the astrological alignment does not exist, and is not recorded.

The following day starts the new year, marked on the first day of the Month of Earth, as it has always been.

Early in the morning, Helena headed out to Holger Square. Despite the morning heat, she covered herself up heavily; she didn't want to be arrested for violating some stricture while surrounded by overseers. Though hopefully nobody would bother her, it was after the last day of the Month of Songs after all. Even if the High Overseer hadn't officially declared the start of the Fugue Feast yet. Her fiancé should be around here somewhere, even if it was damn hard to recognize anyone with their masks. While she was looking around towards the Office of the High Overseer, one of them approached her from behind. "Restrict the Wandering Gaze… and the Wanton Flesh."

She swiveled around, turning to face the overseer making the accusations. His face was unreadable, but she felt that she recognized his voice, so she decided to gamble on it. "Wanton Flesh, overseer? Do you mean to call me a prostitute?"

"If you are, perhaps the most expensive in all of Gristol."

She raised an eyebrow. "And if you are who I think you are, I don't think you have enough coin for me."

The overseer unstrapped his mask and removed it to reveal a bright grin. "It's a good thing we're engaged, then."

He opened his arms for a hug and Helena leaned into them. "One of these days, I'm going to mistake you and get in real trouble, Waylon."

"Well, I think you know me too well, Helena. Happy Fugue Feast," he said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I don't think the High Overseer," she poshly mocked, "has quite declared the start of it yet."

Letting go of her, he looked over toward Holger Square. "I believe Campbell has sent word out, it's just a matter of when the--"

The loud noise of many speakers simultaneously powering on echoed around them. "Attention Dunwall citizens. High Overseer Thaddeus Campbell has declared the beginning of the Fugue Feast. Be advised, during this period outside the calendar, neither the Abbey of the Everyman nor the City Watch will enforce the codes or laws. Another announcement will be made when the Hymn of Atonement commences and the Fugue Feast ends. Happy feasting and many celebrations."

With a sound just as loud as its beginning, the announcement ended. Waylon picked up where he left off and said, "See? I'm sure the High Overseer's as excited as any of us to partake in the Feast." He looked around and leaned in a little closer. "Between you and me, the man's not very righteous and pure. This just makes it easier for him to do his normal business."

Helena laughed, though looked around herself to make sure she wasn't attracting attention. "Everyone's a bit of a heretic, I suppose. So, Waylon, any plans for the Fugue Feast this year?"

He seemed to brighten up at that question. "I'm glad you ask, milady. It just so happens I've managed to get something that can help us get closer… in that way I like, you know?" Taking her hand, he placed a hotel key in it. "This is to a room in the Black Friar, off of Lackrow. Top floor. VIP." He smiled sweetly.

"Lackrow?! The Legal District?" She couldn't believe the key in her hand, but it was definitely very expensive looking. She covered her mouth with her free hand and muttered, "By the Void." She looked back up at him, "Can you afford this?"

"Being part of the Abbey pays well," he shrugged.

"Well, if you mean what I think you mean by the other part of that statement, I hope you can afford a fitting feast."

"It'll be special, just for you." He winked slyly, but then realized he needed to say something else. "Meet me there at noon, but don't eat anything before then!"

Pocketing the key, she returned to her normal joking personality. "Is it alright that I ate breakfast, overseer? Or should I restrict my Rampant Hunger?"

"I see I've been rubbing off on you. No, that's fine." He started to put his grimacing mask back on and finished, "I have a little more work to do, but I'll be there soon."

She planted one last kiss on the forehead of his mask, right over the symbol of the Abbey. "See you soon, Overseer Waylon."

*/^\*

The Legal District was fortunately close by to Holger Square, but Helena returned to her home anyway to change into something more festive. It was a rather summery sky-blue pantsuit, though with enough extras to appear rich. It had silver buttons with a complimentary tan button-up beneath her coat that made for a highlighted collar. Waylon helped pick it out with her once. As a last piece for the Fugue Feast, she put on a feathery green mask that resembled a bird. With that and her belongings, she headed out for noontime rendezvous.

She arrived pretty punctually but felt a bit disoriented upon arriving at the Black Friar. It was a tall hotel, five stories. Her first instinct upon arriving was that she was lost, but the expensive key in her pocket reminded her otherwise. Upon heading inside, the receptionist helped her find where her room was, though it was quite simple given the nature of it. The top floor up the stairs, at the end of the hallway.

When she entered, the first thing she saw was her fiancé. He was not in the uniform of the Abbey anymore but wasn't dressed massively differently either. He still wore the same boots and pants and had simply removed the jacket with the Abbey's symbols. The mask was nowhere to be seen either, replaced with a nicer-looking mask that was shaped like a wolfhound's muzzle. Standing in the doorway, Helena put her hands on her hips and said, "Well overseer, I can't help but feel a little overdressed now."

He smiled back at her and got up from the bed, walking over to embrace her and give her a kiss. "I'm sorry, I didn't have as much time as I liked between getting here and leaving Holger Square. But you look wonderful, dear."

During their hug, as she scanned the room, she noticed a large mechanical device on a table against the wall. "What is that?"

Waylon let her go and matched her gaze. "Oh, that's a Holger's Device." Helena remained confused, so he continued with a demonstration. "Here, you might have heard one before." He walked over to it and began to turn a crank.

Helena winced slightly as an awful, grinding, and reverberating noise emanated from the device. "Outsider's eyes, what an awful sound!"

Taking that response as enough understanding, he stopped playing its music. "Holger's Device is something we use to stop the magic of the Outsider and his followers. Its mathematical music can cancel out magic."

"Well, I hope you don't mean to use that to put us in the mood."

"Oh no, it's just a safety precaution."

Her curiosity was piqued again. Waylon gestured her over to the other side of the table, revealing an object that was hidden by the clunky machine. It was a small, whitish object with a metal stake driven through it. There were runes engraved into it and she realized it resembled a rib of some creature. As she focused on it, she realized it was humming softly. As she reached to it, she felt warmth from within the bone. And when she touched it, her stomach growled loudly.

She snapped back, clutching her stomach. "Oh, excuse me. I suppose I'm quite hungry after all." Though even as she smiled towards Waylon, she could still hear the very different music of the bone charm on the table. "Waylon… What is that?"

"It's a bone charm. We confiscated it from the belongings of some fat choffer living large out in Rudshore Financial. Apparently, it lets you eat way more than any normal person can." At this point Helena rolled her eyes and made a silent oh with her mouth. Waylon grinned and continued, "I knew it would be perfect for… us, so I snagged it before it was scheduled for destruction."

"Isn't it dangerous to play with the Void, overseer?" She said, in a half-joking tone.

Patting the music box, he said, "That's what this is for. It can cancel out his magic. Look, put your hand on the bone charm." Obliging him, she rested her hand over it and felt the same pang of hunger accompanying its warmth. He cranked up the device again, creating its awful music but also… silencing the piece of bone beneath her. It was cold to the touch, as much as she'd expect an average piece of bone to be. Maybe she couldn't hear over the racket, but it didn't seem to be making any noise anymore either. She nodded, now understanding its purpose, but also wanting the racket to stop.

As soon as Waylon released the lever, the charm's music and warmth immediately returned to her, as well as the hunger. She let go of the charm and said to her fiancé, "This is nice and all, but can we get on to the feasting part of this Fugue Feast? I'm absolutely famished."

Waylon's grin only widened, and he even developed a certain giddiness to himself. "Well, that's the real surprise of all this, my dear. Using this magic, safely, with just the two of us... " He swallowed nervously, but was simultaneously clearly eager to get out the next part. "I think I could be your feast. At least, for a little while."

Helena could barely believe what she was hearing. True, she had never encountered magic so closely like this, but… To eat another person? Removing her mask, she said, "Waylon, no. You'd get hurt. Or I'd get hurt?"

He shook his head and removed his mask as well. "No, it'll be fine! You wouldn't dice me up like a Pandyssian cannibal or some such. I think that charm can help us find a different way." He grasped her hands, looking into her eyes. "A way to be closer than ever before."

She looked into his eyes and saw how confident he was in this, how serious he was about the idea. "Waylon… It's absurd. You can't… I can't just… Do you expect me to swallow you like a whale?" She chuckled at the thought, though mostly out of nervousness about the idea.

"It's worth a try," he said with a soft smile as ever.

Looking back at him, she felt warmer to the idea. He believed in it so sincerely, just as he did those strictures of his. And… she did feel so awfully hungry. She repeated, "It's worth a try." He nodded back, accepting her response. With the tension somewhat relieved, she then shot, "But there better be an actual feast if this doesn't work. Or even if it does, overseer."

Laughing now, he said, "Don't worry, Helena! We will be getting quite the platter of food later. I'm sure you'll find it satisfactory."

Getting onto the main event, Waylon gestured her onto the bed and started to undress. Even as she settled into the bed, she noticed him undressing and wondered aloud if she should do the same herself. Unbuckling his pants and crossing into being completely nude, he assured her it was fine if she wanted to stay clothed for comfort. He was just removing his clothes to avoid causing her any extra unpleasantness. She simply undid her coat and hung it on the edge of the headboard, then comfortably laid back against a clutch of pillows and relaxed there until Waylon was all prepared to eat. When he handed her the bone charm, she instantly felt her hunger rock through her again. She tucked it under her so that it would maintain contact, all the while feeling its heat and the odd tune in her head.

Fully naked and raring to go, Waylon hopped up on the bed and stood over Helena. Dangling a foot over her mouth, he singsonged, "Open wide," which she obeyed. He dipped it into her as if he was going for a swim, resting his foot somewhat gently against her tongue and the back of her mouth. Normally, she would ask for permission before moving forward with something so risqué, but he seemed eager enough and she felt so hungry. The tasty piece of meat in her mouth inspired her to go ahead and try and swallow.

Much easier than she expected, a single swallow pulled most of his foot into her throat. It clearly had no problem swallowing such a large object now, and the charm under her back seemed to heat up slightly to inform her it was responsible for that ease. Regardless, knowing that it was so easy now, she became unafraid and rather eager herself. She sat up slightly, pulling more of Waylon's leg into her throat. He commented, "Whoa dear! Eager now, are you?" She didn't even try to say anything, but he could feel her tongue tasting all over his leg. He swallowed out of rising arousal this time. "U-Um, let me just get my other leg in there…" Holding onto the bed's headboard, he gingerly stretched his fiancée's mouth to try and accommodate his other leg. Her mouth stretched without resistance and almost immediately her throat had a grip on it.

Helena moaned from pleasure, just from the delicious taste doubling in her mouth. She kept on swallowing steadily and could even start to feel his first foot entering her stomach. Drool dripped from all corners of her mouth in anticipation of just how wonderful it would feel once she was really full. She looked up at Waylon, who was clearly still enjoying himself as much as her. His dick was rock-solid and his face a rather bright red to accompany it. Smiling a bit, she reached a hand up to try and help him out. He moaned himself as she gently stroked his member, being careful to save that release. She was sure he was feeling extra sensitive under the circumstances.

Soon enough she had swallowed enough of him to be up to the end of his legs. He was barely hanging onto the headrest at this point, with just about a third of him being inside her. Craning around, he trembled as he watched his feet shift inside her. He was so close, in more ways than one. As teeth scraped against his rear he gasped, and again sharper as her tongue felt him up. She let go of his shaft as he descended further, each hard gulp jerking him deeper. His free hand crammed itself into her maw to help finish himself, though it quickly turned out unnecessary.

His hand was unexpectedly snagged by her throat before he could get to business, but by then his own cock was being massaged by her throat. He couldn't help but moan much more audibly, much to Helena's amusement, as he came heavily against the top of her mouth. He panted, "You're doing g-great, Helena." She moved slightly to make a half-curtsy gesture, while simultaneously swallowing up past his own tummy. Indeed, she was making fast progress, even seeming to speed up over time. Not that he minded, it was still all so pleasurable.

All the smooth flesh very tightly compressing his chest. All the wonderful warmth his lower half felt. All the ways his fiancée seemed to love his flavor. He caressed her head with his remaining hand and bent over as much as he could to give her a peck on the forehead. Her mouth stretched up over his shoulders shortly after, allowing it to revert to a more normal-looking size, but also giving Waylon a sense of finality. He was really about to be sealed inside his fiancée. Only for a little while, but still-- it was something he'd long dreamed and fantasized. Her tongue playfully licked at the back of his neck and he started to feel her hot breath all around his head. Barely making eye contact with her, he said, "I love you," and then was pulled under with yet another gulp.

At this point there wasn't much left. The biggest, even mildly difficult of him was past and his head was relatively nothing in comparison. Still, she herself felt immensely satisfied as she watched her belly grow with each swallow, reshaping itself to fit the man being taken within. Her stomach growled too, clearly in delight at his presence. With a final, hard glurk she felt him finally exit her throat, causing her to release a very heavy sigh. She breathed in fresh air for what felt like the first time in a while, then moved to focus on her belly. Her suit was only barely managing to contain him, but she was lucky it hadn't-- RRRRrrrip. Without any real fanfare, rather than unbuttoning itself nicely, her shirt tore itself apart to make room for her distension. It seemed that last bit of him proved too much for her clothing, a shame given its somewhat pricey nature.

But now it revealed a wonderful dome of flesh, very alive with the slight movements of Waylon inside it. She rubbed over it, taking pleasure in being able to feel his shifting body… "Mmm, Waylon," burping slightly, "Oh excuse me, but you tasted soooo good." His voice made it through the layers of flesh, but she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Probably something retaliatory, given that he didn't seem to be putting up much of a fuss. She could feel his hands pressing gently into the walls of her stomach, massaging her from the inside-out.

Normally, Waylon's whole fantasy thing didn't really tickle her fancy. Sure, it was nice to get a larger meal than usual and to be treated like an empress for the night or so, but never as much as he would love it. Until now, anyways. Something about the situation-- maybe it was the closeness, how incredibly full she felt, the lively 'meal', or even the charm under her back-- made her incredibly aroused, maybe matching her fiancé's own. It didn't help that she could tell he was going at it again already. Undoing her pants (which was more difficult than she expected), she decided to help herself as well.

What her occupant was trying to say earlier was simply that he was glad he tasted so good. He also made a remark about the bits of slop around him, undoubtedly remnants of her breakfast. The cozy warmth of stomach, despite how cramped it was, was irresistibly arousing. It gurgled around him, pushing its walls against him even as he got himself off. Now firmly enveloped in her gut, he came even faster than earlier and leaving him more tired than earlier. He smiled as he felt her own movements somewhere below him. He was glad she seemed to be enjoying herself too. Yawning, he told her he was going to rest for a bit, in the afterglow. He wouldn't want to get out so soon. It would be a waste of all that time and effort to get inside. Helena would agree. He stretched out a bit, then leaned into the folds of the stomach, and nodded off.

*/^\*

She had indeed followed in his footsteps by falling asleep. Out like a light, she likely would have slept the rest of the day away if not for sudden, loud knocking at their door. She gasped awake, rubbing her eyes and trying to shake out images of whales. Her stomach growled rather wetly, which reminded her what had been happening earlier. Before she could check up on her gut, the door knocked again. "Delivery!" A man shouted from the other side.

Her stomach came to life as her fiancé tried to stretch and indistinct speech came from it. Leaning an ear against it, she asked, "What was that?"

Finally, she could somewhat clearly hear Waylon's voice again. "That must be the Fugue Feast, my dear." She could tell he was probably smiling from the tone of his voice.

Looking around at herself, Helena was a bit of a mess. The bed was wet from her own earlier fun, her pants were apart, and of course a distended and misshapen gut hung from her body. The delivery at the door clearly wasn't going anywhere so she decided to get up. She readjusted and redid her pants, put on a coat, and stood at the side of the bed. Almost immediately, she noticed something was different. The world seemed quieter and a degree cooler. Her belly was quite the adjustment feat from lying on the bed and now she even felt a little queasy. She told Waylon to stay as still as possible while she walked to the door, as much for their stealth as her comfort.

As she swung the door open, she was greeted with a large cart full of all sorts of food, from all over the Isles it seemed. She gasped and hiccupped at once. The man next to it was wearing a mask but seemed otherwise not in a festive mood. "Your food, ma'am. From Waylon, with love," he said, gesturing towards her gift. Her belly wiggled ever so slightly as if he was elbowing her.

She burped very slightly from nausea, then nodded towards the waiter. "Thank you." She pulled the cart in to the room, which gave the waiter quite the view of how large her belly truly was. He raised an eyebrow, but ultimately disregarded it. He bowed politely as she closed the door and left to tend to other patrons. As soon as the door was shut, Helena groaned. She leaned back against the door and said, "Waylon, you are too much, you know? I don't think I feel like eating anything after you."

His voice was somewhat clear for once as he responded, "I'm sure you'll feel hungrier once I'm out of here. I'm quite the filling meal, after all!" Despite being stuck in such a stuffy environment for so long, he still very much enjoyed being in there. The noisy, fleshy walls seemed to enjoy him as well. Still though, the bit of liquid pooling around his feet served as something of a warning that he needed to get out. "Spit me out whenever you're ready, Helena."

"Just a minute." Breathing a bit heavily, she moved past the cart and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Unconsciously, she placed a hand on the charm and was once again captivated by its music. The warmth rocked through her and then a much more confident growl from her stomach did too. She realized… she could still fit in some more. Maybe a plate. Or two. Or ten. Licking her lips, she took off her coat and pants, propped herself back on the bed, and pulled up the feast.

There was no real way to tell what was going on outside. Waylon simply waited patiently for some sign of movement. He worried a bit that he had pushed his fiancée too far, that she would be sick after this even with the bone charm. Fortunately, his doubts were quelled shortly, when some chewed up food matter fell onto his head. For a moment he thought it was a particularly large glob of slime, but those thoughts were disproved when another chunk of bread landed on him. "Helena?" He asked aloud.

On the outside, Helena was chowing down on some of the finest bread ever baked. She was barely tasting it however. When she had taken the first bite, she realized she was ravenously hungry. It was as if there was nothing inside her and she even wondered if this cart would be enough. Through with the bread, she stopped for a moment to take a swig of the wine. Brewed in Karnaca. It tasted wonderful, but it was mostly just something to help her between the main courses. Next up was what looked to be a wonderfully well-cooked slab of whale meat. Her belly mumbled something as she took a bite.

Food was starting to show up quicker by the minute, frightening Waylon a bit. It mostly slid around him to lie under his back, but it made him realize how sensitive his skin was too. Poking and pushing outwards he said, with a touch of anxiety in his voice, "Alright Helena, you're such a charmer! Let me out of here so I can have some of that food in a more… appetizing form." She didn't seem to hear or at least didn't answer. A resounding gulp signaled the upcoming deposit of more food. He groaned. Though the little bit of mush earlier helped sell the environment, this was a bit much. The smells of the stomach were being overridden by all sorts of clashing smells from her food and he really did not appreciate the different textures of chewed up food. "Helena! Please." Wine poured over his head.

She was enjoying herself very much. Her gut had some complaints-- well, to be more accurate, her food had some complaints. Her gut was enjoying itself thoroughly, being stuffed to the brim and still having room for the rest of the cart. When her meal pressed outwards, it caused a quakingly long belch that could probably be heard by all the rooms around her. She simply wiped her lips and kept on eating. Oh, this apricot tartlet is to die for, she barely thought as she shoved it down her gullet.

Waylon didn't share the sentiment. Between the belches, churning, and unending output of food, he was losing track of his environment. Everything was turning to a mushy, soupy mess and it was impossible to determine his bearings. Food and drink were about up to his chest, as far as he could tell anyway. Her belly and appetite didn't seem to end as the stomach just kept expanding with every swallow of her meals. Moving around didn't seem to work anymore, it just caused her to occasionally burp.

He clapped his hands together and started to chant to himself. "Restrict the Wandering Gaze that looks hither and yonder for some flashing thing that easily catches a man's fancy in one moment, but brings calamity in the next."

Helena unwrapped an ornately covered Serkonan chocolate and swallowed it down.

"Restrict the Lying Tongue that is like a spark in a man's mouth."

His memory of convincing the armory guard for the music box flickered through his mind.

"Restrict the Restless Hands, which quickly become the workmates of the Outsider."

She dug through dish after dish, getting close to emptying the cart.

"Restrict Roving Feet that love to trespass," he said, spitting some food out of his mouth.

Taking the bone charm from behind everyone's back was where this all began.

"R-Restrict the Rampant Hunger or the intemperate will rise up among you like a virulent swarm, devouring everything wherever they go, even filth."

The stomach burbled around him, matching the hum of the bone charm beneath Helena's back.

"Restrict the Wanton Flesh," he said, as a belch rang out above him. "Truly... " He paused, realizing that as horrible as this situation was, he still felt… aroused.

Attempting to shake off the feeling, he spoke the last stricture. "Restrict an Errant Mind before it becomes fractious and divided." He sighed, wondering how much of this was Helena and how much was the bone charm's influence. Then he thought about how much of this was his own doing… And the fact that part of him still enjoyed it. Outside, Helena had finally reached the end of her meals. The whole cart had emptied, and she finally felt sated… enough. For now. She sighed as well, though out of pleasure. Licking her lips, she rubbed over her gut, which at this point spilled over her legs and down to the end of her bed. It gently rocked back forth of its own accord, sloshing with the movements of her first meal.

She relaxed into the bed, way more satisfied than before her earlier nap. Fortunately for her, there shouldn't be any more disturbances. As she laid down more, the bone charm started to feel a little uncomfortable against her spine. Reaching under her back, she pulled it out and simply rested it under her hand. If there was any time for a food coma, it would be now. Her smooth belly agreed with her, gurgling gently to lull her to sleep along with the warm tune of her charm.

*/^\*

Helena dreamt of black eyes and a distant voice, this time. A nearby thud knocked her out of it. When she woke up, she felt queasy, heavy, and hungover. She had gone to bed before sundown, she thought, and now it seemed to be the early hours of the morning. Trying to recall anything about last night, the first thing she saw was the massive piece of machinery on a table across from her bed. She could barely think about what that was. Looking down the bed, she was a mess. Her shirt was torn, and, by the Outsider, her belly was massive. It rested doughily between her legs, going as far as her knees. As she gingerly placed a hand over it, she could sink into it softly but realized it was still digesting away at some contents. She rested her head back and tried to ask herself what she even ate last night. It's probably the Fugue Feast, so… She looked around and noticed no sign of Waylon except what was probably his pants, boots, and mask.

Having enough of lying in bed, she decided to try and explore a bit. It wasn't without massive effort on her part as her gut sloshed uncomfortably and made her head pound alongside. As she stepped onto the floor, her foot landed on something odd and uncomfortable. Yet a familiar comfort washed over her, one that eased her queasiness and headache. Her stomach even growled a bit out of hunger. Taking her foot off the odd object, she looked past her belly and saw an engraved bone with some metal in it. She gasped as the realization hit her and she looked down at her distended middle.

In a hurry, she stood up and stepped over to the music box on the table. She put a hand on its crank and belched slightly out of nausea. A single, painful note was pushed out of the machine before she stopped. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the bone charm on the ground. What would a music box do for her now? Waylon was already well and digested. And even if he wasn't… Well, he wanted to be food after all. Really, it was the greatest Fugue Feast he could have ever given her. She thought of the gifts he left behind as she picked up the bone charm and again as she clutched a flab on her side. Even as her stomach digested away the rest of yesterday, she already felt hungry for her next meal. Perhaps one of the hotel staff when they come to get their cart. Her belly gurgled happily again, reunited with the soft music of the charm.