So Long, and Thanks for All the Nekos

The ancient, gnarled tree rose up like a twisted spire from the soggy forest floor, towering over the thick trees and undergrowth around it.  This tree would appear a mere sprout compared to the iconic Giant Tree which dominated much of central Felarya, but was nonetheless dozens of times larger than most of the trees in the Bulvon Wood.  And among it's massive, twisting roots, in a hollow of considerable size, there lived a giant predator.

Perched still and silent among the branches of a far smaller tree, a single female neko watched the entrance to that hollow through a pair of binoculars, from a safe distance.  The early morning light was dimmed by the thick, omnipresent foliage, but her eyes were keen.  She checked the entrance and surrounding area every few minutes, as she had done for the past week.  It might be weeks more until events lined up perfectly, but unlike her employers, Raelm was a native, and could survive in the jungle indefinitely.  And most importantly, she was being paid by the hour.

A flicker of movement caught her attention, and she saw the creature slithering out from her home, stretching slim arms over her head and yawning visibly.  Utterly oblivious to the surveillance.  Raelm had to admit, she was an attractive thing, at least from the waist-up.

The skin on her humanoid half was an unusual light ash color, while her long hair was a very dark red: almost black.  The elongated slug-half was black with numerous dark red spots in various sizes.  Her coloration was not actually a good match with the natural colors of the Bulvon Wood, implying she had perhaps been born elsewhere.  Her figure was tough to make out from so far, but she did seem noticeably well-endowed in the chest region.

The slug-girl set into her routine (which was very familiar to  Raelm by this point), checking the nearby slime-traps she had laid the previous evening, consuming a few trapped, neko-sized animals of little note.  Then she just stopped.  Almost dead still, except her head slowly turning to look in one direction, and then the other.  Raelm felt a chill despite the temperature . . . but there was no way the slug-girl could move fast enough the threaten her from such a distance.

After a few more unnerving moments, the predator set off purposefully, directly away from her lair, slithering across the boggy terrain at a steady pace.  Raelm's heart sped up as she began following along from the trees, still well away: this might be what they were waiting for!

Minutes passed, and the predator did not slow or change course, and Raelm paused a moment to take out her communicator, hitting the button to link her up to her employer.  

"I'm sure you saw her leave, this time doesn't look like she's foraging anymore.  Get ready, this may be it."  Raelm shut the device off before anyone could reply, raising the binoculars to her eyes a moment to reaffirm the position of her quarry.  She had to stifle a little giggle at the irony; it wasn't often a neko had occasion to think of a giant slug-girl as her 'quarry'

Raelm stalked and shadowed the giant predator for tense hours, but the slug-girl continued without deviation, slithering along the forest floor with slow but determined motion.

At six hours out, Raelm decided she was far enough.  It was late afternoon now, and the air had grown even hotter and more humid than usual.  With a flick, she opened her communicator:  "I think we're good.  Even if she turns around right now, at full tilt, there's no way she'll get back in less than four or five hours."

"That'll be enough,"  the brisk voice on the other end said.  "You can head back now, and collect your payment.  Don't dally."

Raelm didn't bother to reply, flicking the device off with a grin.  This was going to be a good day.

====================

The late afternoon air was muggy and oppressive, despite the dense vegetation above shielding her from the sun's rays, the sheer humidity of the Bulvon Wood was enough to drive anyone half-mad.

Caramel crouched silently in her hiding spot, perfectly still aside from the occasional twitch of her large cat-like ears.  Little beads of sweat built up around her neck, to eventually drip down into her considerable valley of her cleavage.  Given the environment, she was glad to be wearing only a tight, midriff-baring top, and some simple sturdy shorts.

Crouched in a sizable tree, Caramel watched the flurry of activity below, as the other nekos gathered around another even larger tree, a huge dark hollow at the base their target.  They brought in a couple of light all-terrain-vehicles, carefully avoiding the sticky slime-trail of the slug-girl, and set about the task of forging a walkable path.

Caramel had a very different job.  In her slim hands she clutched a bulky weapon capable of firing a very powerful explosive – not enough to kill a full-sized giant, but a very adequate deterrent nonetheless.  While they knew the slug-girl herself was too far away to be a threat, Felarya was not to be taken lightly, and so if something else deadly showed up, Caramel and three similarly armed others were perched in key vantage points to drive it away.  If it came to that.

Her ear twitched, and the catgirl tensed, as something not-quite-definable alerted her to be on guard.  She remained stone-still, inhaling a deep breath to test the air for any unusual scent.  There was nothing obvious, but still, something was off.  An additional flavor to the air that didn't quite belong . . . an oddly grassy, chlorophyll scent, but-

Before she could ponder further, something huge filled Caramel's field of vision, warm, smooth flesh surrounding her body utterly.  She screamed and writhed, but her cries were muffled by the giant hand, while her struggles produced even less results.

The weapon was pulled from her grip by an irresistible force, and still blinded by the giant digits, she could only wriggle in vain and make muffled mewling sounds.

The trapping digits opened after a few more seconds, but what Caramel saw was easily the least reassuring sight of her life.  A massive female mouth, uncanny in its likeness to that of smaller creatures, yawned open before her.  Saliva glistened on a huge tongue quivering with anticipation, and rows of perfect white teeth lined the entrance to the red organic chasm.  

"Nnnmgmmmph!!"  Denied even a single cry for aid, Caramel was promptly squished headfirst, facedown onto the slimy tongue.  She gasped in frantic distress, but the mouth just closed down around her, her toned body suddenly surrounded by hot, slimy, squishy tissue.

Resistance was utterly futile, yet the hapless catgirl squirmed and struggled with all her inadequate might.  Unimpressed, the huge tongue pushed her firmly forward until the living flesh entrapping her narrowed down horribly, squeezing her tight from all sides.  The throat contracted violently, and a powerful swallow dragged her headfirst down the predator's slick esophagus with terrible celerity.

Disoriented and constricted on all sides by the squishy tissue, Caramel's breathless, claustrophobic journey seemed to last forever, sliding deeper and deeper towards her fate.  At last it was over, and she dropped a few feet into the stomach, landing face-down and panting on the gooey, undulating turf.  Her survival instincts ware strong, and the sticky, terrified neko soon picked herself up, and fumbled for her radio device.  If she could get a message out to the others, there was a chance – however slim – that they might be able to kill whatever had eaten her, and cut her out before . . . it was too late

Her radio was gone.  

Cursing and trembling in the sweltering dark, Caramel had no clue where she'd lost it, and with no method of communication, she could now only pray that the three other lookouts fared better than her.

As though echoing her thoughts, the slippery tissue under her contracted, and within a moment the humid air of the stomach filled with a thin cry of distress.  A thrashing, soaked form fell directly on top of Caramel, the pair of nekos scrambling and kicking in the dark for a few seconds before they could separate.

"Get your radio, we can call for help!  At least warn the others that-"

"She took it!"  the other neko said, voice high and shrill with panic.

Before Caramel could formulate a reply through the mounting panic, a loud, resonating gurgle seemed to issue from everywhere at once, a grim, unnecessary reminder of where they.

"No!  No, let me out!" the other shrieked, her discipline clearly breaking, and from the ensuing sounds, she began futilely attempting to claw and kick her way out of the stomach.

It was going to be an awful day.

===========================

Pipril let a small sigh of pleasure escape her soft lips as the second tasty little neko settled in to squirming and wriggling about in her belly.  Delicious though it had been, she couldn't quite relax yet, since there were still two more nekos nearby armed with potentially painful weapons.

Belonging to a race known by most as a 'slug-girl', Pipril rather appropriately possessed the torso and upper body a humanoid female, while below the waist her body transitioned into a wide, smooth slug-foot.  Her upper half was pale and slim, long feathery blonde and green hair framing her youthful, delicate face.  Her lower half by contrast was far more unusual, all mottled, earthy greens and browns, with a great abundance of actual, living grass, moss and shrubs growing on her slug body.  It had always seemed quite normal and natural to her, but most others thought it very unique.

Thoughts turning to the task at hand, Pipril had noted that the nekos were both numerous and organized, a combination which put a thoughtful frown upon her pretty lips . . . but she had already removed half the lookouts without alerting them, and if she could just get the other two as quietly . . . she might have a very satisfying meal in her very near future.

With her sharp eyes and keen sense of smell, Pipril was able to quickly determine that both remaining lookouts were close together, perched in the very same large tree.

Moving at a slow, steady, careful pace (in truth, lacking the ability to move any other way) Pipril approached the tree where the two nekos waited, still oblivious to their encroaching destiny of filling her tummy.  She had always been quite apt at stealth, and keeping herself blended as she moved in through the thick vegetation was easy enough.  Her prey showed no hint they suspected, as she sidled right up to the tree . . . close enough to reach out and touch them.  

Both nekos were female as the last two had been, in an odd coincidence, and they looked rather alike as well, with dark reddish hair and toned, healthy bodies covered in minimal wrapping.  They also carried large (for their size) projectile weapons on their backs, which she knew could be harmful if used against her.  Wasting no time, she grabbed with both hands at once, each closing around warm, wriggling neko with satisfying firmness.

Both succulent little creatures made muffled squeaky noises, as Pipril efficiently transferred them to one hand, and removed their weapons, snapping the wicked little contraptions straight-away.  Next she delicately separated them from anything else that might prove troublesome, flicking the tiny devices away with one hand.  

Once nothing but smooth, warm, squirming nekos remaining in her hand, Pipril pushed them both into her salivating mouth without preamble. They went in headfirst to ensure their complaining didn't alert the others, squeals suddenly muffled even as their succulent little legs kicked and floundered outside her mouth.

The marvelous, zesty neko flavor spread to fill Pipril's senses, making her hum happily as she sucked the two pairs of legs in with deliberate slowness.  With the final two lookouts safely secured inside her pleased mouth, the slug-girl felt more free to savor her treat for a minute or two, rolling her tongue up and down the silky, delightful forms of the writhing, struggling morsels, both the texture and flavor immensely pleasing.  Once satisfied, Pipril finished with a firm swallow, sending the wonderfully squirmy little things sliding down her throat at once, before settling into her stomach to wiggle along with the others.

The four she had eaten were a light, pleasing snack, but Pipril was not so easily satiated, her hungry tummy eager for more such flavorful treats.

=================================

Things were going perfectly according to plan, as far as Loanya was concerned.  A female neko, she was quite proud of her looks, with long, vivid red hair, and a toned athletic figure.  Her ears and tail matched her hair nicely, and she wore an airy, unencumbering outfit of a snug top and sturdy shorts.

The area around the entrance was alive with activity, a couple of small vehicles laden with wrapped packages idling nearby.  Big rolls of tarp were being laid down to allow safe passage over the sticky slime trailed over the whole area.  The crew itself was more than 25 strong, comprised entirely of female nekos.  Apparently the boss was both racist against humans in particular, and sexist against men in general, refusing to work with either.

Loanya took a roll of tarp from one of the vehicles, gathering the heavy, unwieldy thing into her arms, picking a careful rout across the already established 'tarp path'.  She soon reached the front of the extending incursion into the slug-girl's lair, close enough to peer up into the yawning hollow at the base of the tree.

Surprisingly, the giant-sized dwelling was neither dark nor dank and dirty, the walls carved into the living wood and roots of the huge tree, and seemingly polished to a deep gloss.  It was lit not by torches or even lamps, but crystal which hung like wind chimes or chandeliers from the roof, emanating a steady, clear white light.  Gigantic bookshelves lined one wall, stacked with tomes that would likely be many times Loanya's body weight.  There was a table, also scaled for giant-sized beings, and a huge trunk tucked in one corner, unknown treasures hidden within.  Given it was the dwelling of a slug-girl, the foor was of course also covered in a carpet of sticky slime.

"Are you gonna help, or just stand there gaping like a fool?"  someone said, elbowing Loanya in the ribs as she passed with a roll of tarp in her arms as well.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming,"  Loanya muttered, striding up and getting to work.

Progress went surprisingly fast, and soon the troupe of nekos were working fully inside the eerie lair of the slug-girl, the ambient conversation taking on a more hushed tone.  This was definitely not a typical giant predator's lair.  It was all much too sophisticated and well-kept.  Not the dwelling of some wild, half-sentient savage she had expected.

Nell, the neko woman who had financed the whole thing was at the forefront of the operation, and though she wasn't doing any of the actual labor, she gazed about the environs with a wicked smile and a hungry gleam in her eyes.  She was from off-world, like most of them, as her manner and attire made quite obvious.  She was crisply dressed in a stylish navy business suit, rich brown hair tied up in a tidy bun.  She had a very attractive, voluptuous figure, which even the modest suit couldn't quite hide.  She also had to be hot as hell, Loanya was certain, dressed like that in a sweltering Bulvon Wood.

"Alright, I think that'll do,"  Nell said at last, her tones clipped and formal.  Indeed, the tarps had been laid over almost the whole floor, creating walkable ground.  "Now who's up for a bit of . . . acquisition?"

There was a muted chorus of cheers in response, and the troupe of feline females spread out to explore and hunt for anything valuable.  A couple of teams started scaling the bookshelves, while a large group (Nell included among them) headed over to the rather obvious target of the massive chest, and the considerable obstacle of getting it open.  Picking mostly at random, Loanya began climbing up the legs of the table, since there was no telling what was actually on it until they got up there.

Two others followed her on the sheer but relatively easy climb, and within a few minutes they clambered up to the wide flat area of the table.  Like the other wooden surfaces, it wasn't rough, untreated wood, but smooth, dark and polished.  Upon the table was a closed book, a quill pen and an inkwell, along with a few scraps of paper, and a glass jar.  All giant-sized, of course.

Curious, Loanya padded over to the jar.  It was truly gigantic, easily four times her height and close to ten feet in diameter.  The lid was made from some kind of leather or fiber, dotted with small holes . . . and three figures could be seen inside, distorted by the curved glass.  

The figures seemed to see her now as well, one pressing up against the side of the jar and banging with her fist, shouting something, but the effort produced only a very faint, distorted noise through the thick barrier.  Loanya tilted her head, ears twitching.  The figure was female and quite nude, long feathery green hair flowing down her back, with distinctive, delicately pointed ears.  An elf.  The other two soon crowded up to the side, both similarly female, naked and elven.  And rather understandably distressed, under the circumstances.

"What are they doing in there?"  Chia said nervously at her left.  Loanya had met Chia only a few days after the group had assembled, a rather slim, petite, nervous catgirl, with thick, dark blue hair and pale complexion.  The pair had gotten on reasonably well in the weeks of working together, though Loanya secretly thought she wasn't quite cut out for this sort of work.

"I think this is where she keeps her leftovers . . ." Loanya said with a little grimace.  She tried not to imagine just how many had probably spent time in that glass prison, only to end up digesting in the slug-girl's belly.

"That's awful!  Shouldn't we help them out or something?"

"Are you kidding?"  Tatchi broke in.  Tall,  tan of skin and dark of hair, Tatchi had a tendency to be rather aggressively playful.  "Never mind how much time and effort we'd waste, there's no telling if these three are dangerous or not.  No way Nell will agree to toting them all the way back to safety."  She sauntered over to the trapped elves, and stuck out her tongue at them.  "Besides, elves are such snobs.  They probably deserve an extended stay in the slug-girl's belly."

"Still, we'd better at least go and ask Nell what she thinks.  She wouldn't be happy with us deciding something like this for her,"  Loanya said reasonably.  She felt a small pang of sympathy for the doomed elves, given the chances of Nell OKing a rescue.

"Even if we don't take them back with us, it seems like we could at least help them out of there . . ."  Chia murmured, circling the impenetrable glass edifice slowly.  She stopped, and crouched suddenly, looking curious.

After long enough for Loanya to wonder what she'd found, Chia stood up abruptly, looking visibly alarmed.  "Uh . . . umm, there's . . . there's a note under the jar.  Come here and . . . come here please!"

Loanya didn't hesitate, though Tatchi rolled her eyes and followed reluctantly.

"Th-the lettering is kinda hard to read, it's so big and partly covered by the j-jar, but . . ."

Staring down at the oversized parchment, Loanya at first couldn't decipher the flowing, cursive script.  Taking a step back, the words began to form:  "-anks again for house-sitting . . . left this treat for you . . . make yourself at home . . ."  Loanya stopped reading at that point and gulped, feeling suddenly cold.

"I think the slug-girl has a friend.  We need to inform the sentries outside and ask Nell what-"  Loanya didn't finish, as she heard a yell of fear from below, and turning, witnessed the very last thing in the world she wanted:  a giant silhouette standing at the entrance to the lair, peering in at them with overt interest.

The new arrival slithered into the dwelling on a wide, flat slug-foot, confirming Loanya's worst fears.  The giantess approached in a lazy zig-zag pattern, purposefully covering the carefully placed tarp-path with a fresh layer of adhesive slime.  Sealing off any escape.

Her features rapidly became clear as she approached – a slim, somewhat petite (for her scale) human half, with a slender waist.  She was naked, round perky breasts bared to the world without a shred of shame or modestly, smooth pale skin on full display.  Her face was delicate and very feminine, soft pink lips currently shaped into a wide smile.  Her hair was blonde, long and fine, oddly streaked with darker green, and a pair of distinctive antenna sprouted from the top of her head.  Her lower half was even more bizarre, a mottled brown and green in color, it seemed to have moss, shrubs, and even small trees growing all along its top, making her appear almost like a living, moving hill, aside from her human half.

"Well well well.  Looks like Uoonna has some unexpected visitors!"  The giant creature chirped happily, slithering further in, and to Loanya's horror, seemed to focus her attention on the table.  They could try scrambling back down to ground level . . . but with the exit once again slathered in sticky slime, there was nowhere to go.

"W-wait!  Don't eat us!"  Loanya blurted, the slug-girl raising an eyebrow in response as she sidled up to the table.  Brain working in overdrive, Loanya plunged ahead with a frantic, half-formed plan.  "We're servants of Uoonna!  Sh-she left us here to keep the place tidy while she was away!  She'll be very upset if you eat us!"

The giantess paused, and frowned for the first time.  "She didn't say anything about this to me last time we talked . . ."

"We're new!  She k-kinda adopted us!"

"Hmmm . . . that's so weird.  We spoke just this morning, and she didn't mention you at all!"  The giant creature tittered a little uncomfortably, but didn't move to try and grab Loanya or the others on the table, which seemed a good sign.  Distantly, Loanya was aware the slug-girl's story didn't quite add up either, since they had been keeping 'Uoonna' under watch for weeks, and she had made no contact with other predators.

"Ummm, I also might have already eaten a few outside . . ."  The giantess rubbed the side of her face sheepishly, cheeks reddening.  Loanya eyes settled for the first time on that smooth stomach, and indeed there did seem to be faint cries emanating from within.  It certainly explained why the lookouts hadn't raised an alarm.  Ambushed by a slug-girl was a pretty pathetic way to go, though.

"That's fine!"  Tatchi spoke up suddenly,  "We'll just tell Uoonna they disappeared!  The Bulvon Wood is dangerous, it happens all the time!  It was an honest mistake, and we wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

The giantess smiled, looking relieved.  Her huge, pretty green eyes flicked between Loanya, Chia and Tatchi, and she licked her lips slightly with the tip of her soft pink tongue.  Then they settled behind the trio of very nervous catgirls, upon the jar of elves.

"The elves are for you to eat though!"  Tatchi spoke again, gesturing to the unlucky occupants of the jar wildly.  "Uoonna left them just for you!"

"Ohh!"  the giantess cooed with pleasure, reaching out and taking the massive container in one hand.  "Ah, and she left a note too!"  She held the paper up in her other hand, reading aloud softly as though she had only recently learned how:

"Dear Pipril:

Thank you again for house-sitting, I thought you might be hungry so I left this little treat for you!  I hope you enjoy them! (And if you ate them before reading this you're a naughty girl!)

I'll be gone for at least a couple of weeks, so absolutely make yourself at home.  There's some dried mushrooms in a bag in the chest you can help yourself to, if hunting is scarce.  I'll reach my destination in a few days or so, and I'll be able to summon up another Communication Rift then, so I'll call you up and check in when I get there.

Your friend,
~Uoonna"

"Mmmm, she's so nice to me . . ."  Pipril said happily  "Oh, and there's more!

PS, I forgot to mention this morning: there's been this bunch of nekos skulking about my territory recently, but they've been too careful to catch so far.  I've no idea what they're up to, but if you do manage to catch any, please eat them up.  They've really been starting to annoy me, spying on me all hours of the day and night!"

Loanya felt her blood freeze as Pipril turned her focus to them slowly.  Everything was a sudden blur, there was a scream, and Chia collided with Loanya suddenly, and then something smooth, warm and supple was surrounding them, squeezing them together tightly.  Tatchi was pressed in as well, all three of them struggling futilely against the giant hand that held them.

"Hmph.  I can't believe you sneaky little things were making me feel guilty about eating the ones outside,"  Pipril chided, but didn't look all that upset, given she was holding a jar of elves in one hand, and three squirming nekos in the other.  With both her hands full, for a moment Pipril seemed uncertain how to proceed, but this quickly passed and she broke a sunny grin.

The slug-girl first turned her deadly attention on the hapless elven women, removing the cloth lid with her mouth.  Then with a quick, precise motion dropped Loanya and the other two into the enormous bottle right on top of the trapped elves.

Despite the six individuals inside, the jar was still roomy enough, and Loanya was able to scramble out of the disconcerted pile of elves and nekos.  That seemed likely to be the last bit of good fortune she would see though, as the walls were smooth, sheer and far too tall to jump, not to mention the jar was still resting in the slug-girl's hand.

Pipril herself, now that she had them secured in the jar, had turned her attention to the rest of the room, her image distorted by the curved glass as she assessed the area curiously.

At last, the predator's eyes returned to the container in hand, and she peered in through the top with a bright grin on her face.  "It doesn't look like they're going anywhere soon, so I might as well start with you!"  she chirped happily, looking utterly delighted.  Then, she raised the jar up, and began to tilt it.

Everyone screamed at once, as Pipril's huge mouth yawned wide, perfectly scaled yet alien in it's enormity, pink tongue extending and glistening wetly just below them.  The darker red of her throat tapered off into total blackness, but it was clear as day what fate awaited any who crossed that threshold.

The giant predator tilted the glass prison further, everyone trying to scrabble backwards as the slope grew ever sharper.  With a thin wail the green-haired elf woman slipped and tumbled head over heels into the organic chasm.

Pipril closed her mouth around the live morsel immediately, a single, long, bare leg protruding from between those giant, pleased lips, kicking in wild, futile resistance.  A playful little push of her finger saw the limb vanish with a moist sound, which was followed a few seconds later by a powerful swallow, the visible bulge rippling down her throat and then vanishing to deeper, even less hospitable places.

She opened up again almost at once, blatantly eager for more, her soft tongue quivering wetly as she jostled the jar and tilted it further.

Following that graphic demonstration of the fate lined up for them all, the levels of panic redoubled, Loanya desperately struggling against the others to remain as far from that gaping maw as possible, however inevitable her impending entry into the food chain seemed.

The smooth glass provided no traction, the three nekos and two remaining elves slipping inexorably towards the sticky tongue beckoning them in.  That tongue then proceeded to take a much more proactive role in the process, extending fully into the jar until the tip squished against Tatchi, the adhesive saliva gluing her utterly.

"Nyagghh!  No!!"  The writhing catgirl shrieked as the sticky organ withdrew, carrying her with it, flailing and clutching in blind panic.  By chance she caught hold of one of the elves by the ankle – this one somewhat short but visibly athletic, with trimmed brown hair – dragging her into the salivating mouth as well.  With a jerk and a pair of panicked cries, both ended up tumbling right onto the giant tongue with a wet splat, clearly visible for a brief moment, writhing in vain against the sticky saliva . . . and then they vanished, sealed in by the soft, smiling lips of the giant predator.

Pipril hummed softly to herself in obvious pleasure, eyes half-lidded, face relaxed and blissful.  The cries of distress – now quite muffled – continued from inside her mouth as she gently sucked on the unfortunate pair, savoring them thoroughly for long, drawn out seconds.  At last she swallowed, the contraction even more powerful than the previous, and Loanya cringed at the sight of the bulge sliding smoothly down the slug-girl's throat, before vanishing en-route to her digestive system.  Loanya's eyes lingered on the predator's stomach, which was now visibly rounded and full-looking from the mass of those she'd already eaten.

"Ahhh!  I had no idea nekos and elves go together so perfectly!"  Pipril cooed, tracing the tip of her pink tongue over her lips in appreciation.  She turned her huge, beautiful eyes to Loanya and the others, inciting a series of little gasps and whimpers.  "I feel like I should save some of you for Uoonna, but she'll be gone much to long.  You'd never keep."

"Y-yes we will!  You j-just need to feed and water us!" Chia stuttered out.  "There's no reason to e-eat us all now!"

"Too much trouble!"  Pipril replied cheerfully.  "Plus you'd be trying to escape the whole time – it'll be easier to just catch some more when she comes back."  The giantess grinned and patted her stomach, which groaned loudly in reply.  "But my tummy will be happy to take care of you in the meantime!"  

The two nekos and single remaining elf – this one sporting long blue hair and very pale skin with a distinctly feminine, voluptuous build – were understandably not at all reassured by her statement.  Loanya felt her heart spike into overdrive at the sight of Pipril's horribly perfect mouth opening again, the jar tipping once more to send them sliding down to darkness and digestion.

"Try to jump at the last second!"  Loanya whispered harshly, as the smooth glass 'ground' grew more and more angled.  "If we can miss her mouth, we might be able to climb down and get away!"

It wasn't much of a plan, but it surely beat 'scream and squirm', which had not worked out so well for any of the others.  

Chia lost her balance first, slipping down feet-first with a sharp cry.  The theory and practice of eluding that giant mouth were apparently quite separate, and upon hitting the lip of the jar the slender catgirl tripped and instead of jumping managed an awkward half-somersault which ended with her plunging headfirst into the sticky recesses of Pipril's maw.  She truck the sticky tongue face-first with a wet smack, helpless to extricate herself from the adhesive saliva.

Pipril's pretty lips sealed around her, and the slug-girl swallowed almost at once, granting Loanya no time to capitalize on the momentarily closed mouth.

"Mmmh, last two!"  the giantess chirped pleasantly, her mouth widening out again, Loanya staring into that gooey chasm of flesh and teeth for what seemed likely to be the last time, one way or another.  The catgirl took a deep breath and braced herself for the jump that would determine if she spend the rest of the day in freedom . . . or being digested.

Pipril tipped the jar . . . and then pressed the rim against her lips, her giant tongue squishing partway into the glass prison towards them.  Suddenly there was nowhere to jump to that didn't lead directly down the slug-girl's throat.

"Wh-what do we . . . there's nowhere to go!!"  the blue-haired elf quavered as the angle grew steeper and steeper, but Loanya had no answer, just a growing certainty that the rest of her day was going to really, really suck.

The naked elf-woman clung to the only hand-hold available, Loanya, as the pair slid rapidly down, shrieking in near-unison as feet and legs at last made horrible contact with the sticky tongue.  The saliva was utterly intractable, adhering fast wherever it met flesh or cloth.  The tongue pulled back in a fluid motion, blanketing them in shadow and warm, humid air as they were pulled halfway into Pipril's mouth.

"Nooo!  Mmph!  Th-this can't be happening!!  Th-mmmph!!"  the blue-haired elf wailed, as those huge, soft lips closed around their midsections, trapping everything below the waist in sweltering oblivion.

"Nooo!  Nyaggh!"  Loanya protested in nearly blind panic, squirming as she shoved and clawed at the lips pinning her against the wriggling elf-woman.  Despite their apparent softness, her nails had no visible effect, and then an utterly irresistible suction gripped her body, drawing them both slowly in.  

Pipril hummed in blissful pleasure as gooey warmth enveloped Loanya and her hapless 'companion'.  Huge, pliant lips slid over chests and shoulders, and then at last squeezed her head into the sweltering darkness.

The adhesive effect of the saliva quickly melted in the heat and wet of the mouth, but no improvement, as Loanya found herself squished face-down against the giant tongue as it rolled and slid across her and the sputtering elf in a series of slow, languid licks.

Breathless, flushed and gasping in the suffocating heat and thick saliva, Loanya wriggled in fruitless, instinctual resistance to the ignoble fate impending.  All too soon she felt gravity shift as Pipril tilted her head back, and then she was slipping down and down, the surrounding tissue tightening around her, the unfortunate elf suddenly once more pressed against her in a unwelcome mock-embrace.

The constricting tissue grew tighter by the moment, and then squeezed them suddenly when the throat muscles finally took over.  Loanya and the naked elf both wailed in equally fruitless protest as the esophagus pressed down on them mercilessly, slick, tight tissue drawing them deeper and deeper into the slug-girl's body.  

With one more especially harsh gulp, Loanya felt herself pushed past a tight sphincter.  There was no fall upon entering the stomach – it was already so full of shifting, struggling bodies that they were just squeezed right into the slippery tangle of panicked, still-living females.  It was so tight Loanya could hardly move, breathless little cries and aimless wriggling the full extent of her resistance.  The stomach gurgled, the sound terribly loud even over the babble of desperate voices all around her, the organic walls contracting and relaxing rhythmically, mercilessly churning and shifting them about in preparation for the digestion soon to begin.

Not at all the payoff Loanya had hoped for.

===========================

Despite the fact being digested was probably a pretty common fate on Felarya, Nell was certain this had become the worst operation of all time.

Hiding behind the massive chest with a few others, Nell peered around the corner as her heart hammered away in mindless panic.  Pipril was slowly returning to the table following her initial sweep of the area, with a cheery grin and two hands full of wiggling, yelping catgirls.

"No escaping!"  the slug-girl chided happily, deposing one handful of nekos into the clear, empty jar on the table.  She popped one into her mouth, slurping the wailing female up with a pleased shift of her pink tongue.  The giantess sucked absently on her live treat and hummed tunelessly to herself, as she dropped the rest into the jar to join the first four.  With what looked like close to ten now crowded into the clear container, Nell couldn't suppress a shudder as Pipril swallowed once again, licking her lips in pleased satisfaction, oblivious or uncaring to the fate her stomach would soon be visiting upon those languishing inside.

"Mmmhh, I can't believe there are so many of you here . . ." Pipril  murmured to herself, slithering over to one of the bookshelves where several catgirls were currently trying to hide amongst the books.  For a species infamous for being slow, Pipril had very quick hands, plucking one from the bookcase with sure, agile fingers.  She ignored the inarticulate screams, pressing her between pursed lips with unmistakable relish, a very audible slurp marking yet another neko fated to her stomach.  The giantess hummed yet again, cooing softly to herself in pleasure, before returning her attention to the bookshelf.

A series of deft motions saw Pipril collecting the remaining three with little trouble, though these she carried over to the jar, dropping them in casually on top of those already inside.  With a very pleased, somewhat lazy expression on her face, the massive slug-girl slithered gradually over to where Nell and several others hid, her bare stomach in full view, visibly rounded from the sheer volume of nekos she had already consumed.  

With no escape plan or means of fighting the giantess – all their heavy weapons had been stationed outside to fend off possible incoming predators – Nell's frazzled mind scrambled in vain for some means of eluding the fate slowly slithering up to them.

"Alright you naughty, yummy little kitties.  Come on out and we can finish this up, I'm feeling kind of loggy, and I'd like to get to sleep soon,"  the predator called happily as she approached.  No one complied, but it didn't seem likely to matter, as she approached their hiding place with perfect confidence.  Before Nell could formulate any remotely viable plan of action, Pipril was looming over them like a cheery, hungry thundercloud, leaning over the chest to look down at them.

"Found you!"  Pipril chirped, her huge hand swooping down to gather them up.  Desperate screams filled the air, but everyone somehow managed to dodge the initial grab, scattering and fleeing from the useless shelter in a flurry of activity.  Nell was a few steps behind the three others as they ran, but in the end it mattered little, as all of them soon stumbled headlong into Pipril's adhesive slime-trail with a chorus of wails.  Arms pinwheeling, Nell landed with a sticky splat on the intractable goo, only just turning her face away in time to avoid smothering herself.  The others fared only marginally better, stumbling to hands-and-knees, or trapped in a sitting positions.

"When I said 'no escaping' I meant it," Pipril giggled sweetly, coming up to them with unhurried leisure.  The slug-girl's striking, beautiful face loomed down upon the trapped nekos cheerily, until her huge, pursed lips were mere feet from where Nell lay stuck.  They parted slowly, the wet, pink tongue extending slightly, as the dark, organic void poised over them in apparent consideration.  

"Nom!"  The cute, cheeky little exclamation was so discordant with what was going on it was hard to think straight.  Unimpeded by the contradiction, Pipril's mouth descended upon a neko stuck on her hands-and-knees less than two feet from Nell, enveloping her from the waist up instantly.  Muffled screams issued as Pipril's tongue gently coaxed her legs free from the slime with a couple of slow licks.  Once 'freed' those unlucky legs and the unlucky catgirl they belonged to were pulled in with a slow motion of tongue and lips.  The slug-girl made a low, pleased purring noise, followed by a very audible swallow, Nell herself only a few feet from Pipril's throat . . . and the visible bulge that rippled down it.

The giantess withdrew a little – much to Nell's relief – eyes half lidded, a dreamy, deeply satisfied expression on her soft features.  "Ahhh . . . mmh, I can't remember the last time I was this full . . ."  she cooed to herself.  Despite her statement, she reached down in an unhurried manner, huge, warm fingers gripping Nell's body, slowly peeling her off with patient, even force.  Nell gasped and squirmed in place as most of her clothes tore off with an unpleasant rip when she came free, her slimy imprisonment instantly replaced by the giantess's inescapable hand.  

The other two still stuck in the slime below were treated similarly, peeled loose one after the other and then collected in one hand, squeezed together in uncomfortable intimacy as the warm, smooth digits surrounded them.

"Ahh.  And that's all of you, I think,"  Pipril said with a contented sigh, as she pressed the third nearly-nude neko in against Nell and the other.  In stark contrast to the lazily satiated predator, Nell's wide, fearful eyes wandered to the slug-girl's tight, rounded belly, visibly distended by the sheer volume of live catgirls currently struggling inside.  She could even hear the faint, muffled babble of despairing cries issuing from within, between the frequent gurgling groaning noises produced by the stomach itself.

Pipril slithered with placid calm over to the table where the jar of catgirls sat, but made a little alarmed noise when she got close.  Those trapped within were at that moment trying to stand on each other's shoulders three-high, and getting pretty close to reaching the lip of the jar.  "Quit that!"  the slug-girl said with annoyance, to which the catgirls redoubled their efforts.

"Mmph, darn it!  Hold on a second,"  the giantess said distractedly to Nell and the other two, before suddenly placing a giant, very sticky lick upon them all at once.  She then proceeded to lower them down even with her stuffed belly, and squish them firmly against the smooth, warm flesh.

"Nngmph!!"  Nell made a very undignified mewling noise at the sudden change of scenery, but the adhesive saliva securely fixed her face-down to the slug-girl's tightly packed belly, though thankfully at least her head remained free.  The disturbing noises from inside were now vividly acute, and she could almost feel the subtle, regular motions caused by them squirming inside

"I said no escaping, darnit!"  Pipril huffed with surreal cuteness, and Nell craned her neck to see the giantess pushing the hapless nekos back into the jar, this time replacing the cover and tightening the string firmly.  "There,"  she sighed, looking pleased with herself.  "That should keep you."  The slug-girl yawned hugely, her mouth rather frighteningly wide for a moment, before she sighed again.  "I think I'm pretty much stuffed though, so be good in there for now."

"Y-you're full?"  Nell managed, barely daring to hope.

"Weeelll . . . definitely too full for the rest in the jar . . ."  Pipril murmured with a mischievous little smile, reaching down and taking hold of Nell with two fingers, peeling her free with a gentle motion.  "But I'm sure I can squeeze a couple more in before bed."

"Noo!  You-you can't do this to me!  I'm wealthy!  I have powerful friends! I'm-"

"Delicious,"  Pipril interrupted brightly, before opening her mouth and dangling the stricken neko over the sticky pink chasm of doom.  Ignoring Nell's increasingly incoherent protests, the slug-girl lowered her gradually down, until the warmth and moisture of her breath washed over her.  Giant lips slowly came together, until their soft grip seized her about the waist, the fingers letting go now that the mouth had her.

Nell gasped as the hot slick tongue slathered over her legs, tasting her naked flesh in slow, sumptuous motions.  She pushed and clawed at the pliant lips now halfway enveloping her, the soft flesh somehow impervious to her attacks, squirming in place and struggling blindly.  She soon saw Pipril's index finger bearing down on her, and with nothing else to grab but the lips themselves, she gripped the finger with both hands as it closed in, trying to use the leverage pull herself out.  She actually managed a few inches of progress before the huge digit settled firmly on top of her head, applying even pressure to slowly force her back in.

"Naaah!  N-noo!"  Nell flailed against her fate wildly, the finger gradually squishing her in, the warm, moist lips traveling up her waist and over her breasts to engulf her.  All too soon, only her head and arms – still clutching futilely at the finger – remained outside, while the rest of her nude body was bathed in heat and saliva.  The tongue shifted and the finger pushed at once, and Nell was surrounded by darkness, shifting and mewling and clutching atop the slippery tongue of the slug-girl.  The environment was stifling, and she gasped anew as the mouth mercilessly worked her over, shifting her to and fro as the tongue slithered over every inch of her healthy, naked flesh.  After far to short a time, the tongue pushed her back firmly, and she screamed with fresh panic as the throat grabbed her legs and hips with irresistible force, dragging her down, down, down.

The slick, hot esophagus gripped Nell's hapless body tight, delivering her inexorably to her fate.  The breathless, surreal journey soon reached its inevitable conclusion, her legs squeezing past a sphincter, the stomach so full she immediately felt shifting, slimy bodies wriggling against her.  The decent slowed as her hips pressed against the opening, the tangle of live catgirls below resisting her entry.  Another forceful swallow put an end to any impedance, squishing her fully into the cramped, churning stomach.

The interior was utterly packed with writhing nekos, so tight Nell could barely do more than whimper and squirm in despair.  The hot, humid air was a mix of thin, plaintive cries and deep, groaning gurgling sounds from the stomach.

Moments passed, and an unusually sharp contraction from above heralded another unlucky neko joining their fate.  Nell couldn't see the newcomer in the dark, but rather felt her being squeezed into the already unbearably tight conditions, everyone forced to shift and wriggle about to make room.

With yet another unfortunate neko secured, the stomach churned and kneaded them in slow, regular motions, priming the tangle of hapless nekos for the inescapable digestion to come.

The worst operation of all time, easily.

========================================

Pipril murmured softly to herself in perfect contentment, as the little neko wriggled down her throat and then squeezed its way into her packed belly.  Her stomach was pleasingly tight with warm, nutritious food, which at that moment was squirming and shifting about ceaselessly in a deeply gratifying manner.

Uoonna's home had an inviting little hollowed-out place at the back for rest, Pipril had discovered, and was currently snuggled down very comfortably into the warm, safe, secure place with much pleasure.  There was just one more thing . . .

Wetting her lips, Pipril reached down and gripped the final neko currently adhered to her taut belly, peeling it free and holding the luscious little thing up to her face in anticipation.  The neko's coverings had come off at some point, her smooth, bare form wriggling between Pipril's fingers.  It was a pretty, colorful creature, long reddish hair contrasted against pale pink skin, dotted delicately with countless tiny freckles.  

"Nooh!  Haa, y-you . . ."  The little creature seemed to take a long look at Pipril's stuffed belly.  "Y-you're f-full now though, right?  Surely you can't possibly want any more?!"

"Hmmm . . ."  Pipril paused a moment, honestly considering.  She was quite full at the moment, more full than she had been in recent memory even, her tummy packed with satisfyingly wriggly, feisty nekos . . . yet she was feeling so warm and lazy and satisfied, that she really didn't want to get back up and put this one in the jar for later.  "I think I have room for just one more!"  she confirmed brightly, though the neko seemed less than pleased with the news.

"Nooo!  You'll make yourself sick!  You'll throw up!!"  

"I disagree," Pipril cooed playfull, "I think you'll fit perfectly . . . I'll show you."

"Nonononooh!  Stop!  Don't!!"  The tempting little thing squeaked and struggled against Pipril's fingers, but she paid its babbling no further heed, gripping it by the feet and lowering it headfirst into her salivating mouth.  The squeaky noises became muffled as her lips closed about the creature's middle, the flavor of rich, zesty neko blossoming on her tongue once more.  This one was especially feisty, writhing about on her tongue and spreading that lovely taste throughout.  She savored this final treat with much relish, letting it shift about pleasantly on her tongue for several lazy, blissful minutes before she was satisfied.  A firm, gratifying swallow finished the treat, its smooth, supple bulge sliding down her throat easily.  Despite its stretchiness, her stomach was so full now it required a second, more assertive swallow to squeeze into her packed belly, but the pleasant ripples of renewed activity in reply to the new addition were more than worth a little extra effort.

"Mmmmh . . . see?  A perfect fit,"  Pipril sighed to herself, placing a hand on the noticeable bulge of her satiated stomach, as it churned away contentedly on the filling meal of nekos inside.  The catgirls within predictably made no answer, instead continuing their constant squirming and muffled squeaky sounds.

Pipril yawned, nestling her somewhat squishy body further down into the lovely hollow, her stomach setting into its diligent work, while she just basked in the rare satisfaction of a very filling, relatively easy meal.  The plight of the hapless nekos, in the rather less enviable position of being on the receiving end of that stomach's work, she was utterly oblivious to, their struggles and writhing only producing a pleasant, soothing sensation from her perspective.

Feeling a profound, unfocused sense of thankfulness for the pleasures of life, Pipril's eyes fluttered closed naturally, and she gradually drifted off into a deep, contented sleep.

=====================================

Upon returning to the supposedly empty slug-girl lair, Raelm had found the area totally deserted, all the equipment, vehicles and weapons either gone or crushed and covered in that oh so distinctive slime-trail.  No visible signs of movement, and zero radio contact.  With some effort, she could have gotten some of the tarps out from under the slime, and ventured in to possibly see what had happened.  But she was neither stupid nor suicidal, and so kept her distance.

Still, she lingered in the area overnight on the slim chance she might at least learn something . . . and so she did, when she caught sight of a giant figure slithering out of the cave the following morning.  Clearly not the slug-girl Raelm had followed before, this one was distinct from the other in coloration, size and figure.  And was holding . . . something in one hand as she yawned and looked out at the world.

Suddenly alarmed it might be something dangerous even at such a distance, Raelm peered through her binoculars, her stomach tightening as she realized what it was.  A clear glass jar.  Full of live nekos, more than a dozen flailing and beating helplessly at the sides.

Without an apparent care in the world, the giant predator slithered over to a relatively sunny spot, where the canopy thinned and pretty threads of morning sunlight dappled the otherwise swampy ground.  Seemingly satisfied with the spot, the slug-girl lifted the container to her lips, extending her pink, sticky tongue towards the tangle of scrabbling, very unhappy-looking nekos.

Raelm did not particularly want to watch the predator eat, but if by chance anyone managed to get away, she needed to know about it.  The other nekos were not natives like her, and would surely die in the jungle if she didn't at least guide them back to Nekomura.  If they managed to get away from the slug-girl first, which didn't seem all the hopeful at the moment

The predator's tongue was neither much longer or more agile than that of a similarly sized neko or human, but it was extremely sticky, and in the crowded, tilted glass jar, the catgirls had little room to avoid it.  The tip soon squished against the first and most unlucky of the crowd, sticking firmly to her squirming body.  Pulling back at once, the wailing neko in tow, the pink organ and passenger vanished.  The giantess swallowed after a moment, the first catgirl of the day rippling down towards inevitable digestion.  With barely a moment's delay, she opened wide again, sending her tongue out once again towards the panicking nekos.

With a combination of horror and fascination, Raelm watched as over and over that adhesive tongue pressed into the tangle of wailing nekos, one or more writhing forms glued to the sticky organ each time it withdrew.  Her throat rippled again and again, bulges sliding helplessly down one after another, to ultimately join the growing numbers in her ever more filled belly.  

Within a few minutes at the most, the giant predator was happily savoring the last one, slowing slurping her in with blissful relish.  No last-minute miracle or happenstance swooped in to rescue the final neko, who instead ended up sliding down that pitiless throat like all the others before, ultimately squeezed into the slug-girl's tightly-packed tummy.  The deceptively beautiful creature stretched her arms and sighed visibly, looking as blissfully content as anyone could be.

With a dejected sigh, Raelm put her binoculars away, and braced herself for the long trek back to Nekomura.  If even one had gotten away she might have been able to work something out . . . but with all her former employers either digested or currently digesting, her odds of getting paid were pretty much nil.  Next time she would definitely insist on getting paid in advance.