Chapter 2: Girls' Night OutNSFW

Across campus from where Phoebe is disposing of their would-be new member, Melissa is eating a bowl of cereal when her phone vibrates with a new message. She quickly picks up the device and unlocks the screen to see what it says.

It's a text from a number she doesn't recognize:

Unknown Contact

Unknown Contact

Hi Melissa, I hope I have the right number! (I mistyped the number last time and got some creep who asked me to send naked pictures of me with someone in my gut... 😣) I'm texting about your Empty Bellies club! My name is Mora and I'm a freshman, and I keep accidentally digesting my friends, so your club sounds really good for me, haha.

uhhhhhhhh I'm maybe getting kicked out of the endo club because I keep forgetting to let people out? Seriously tho it's so hard to remember. And sometimes I accidentally trip and fall and HOMP you know how it is 😉 it really is an accident though. I'm not really good at eating people on purpose so. Mostly I just want to make some new friends. Also I have a question. Will I get in trouble with your club if I have another accident? Because I'm trying my best but they do keep happening...

Sorry if this text is too long!!! 💛💛💛 Please let me know!!!

Melissa looks over the perplexing text, hovering her spoon above the milk in her bowl. Her first thought is that this is a prank of some kind, but accidental digestions are certainly not unheard of. Setting down her utensil, Melissa gets to typing.

Mora

Melissa

Greetings. I am the Melissa you're trying to reach, yes. We are in need of some new members, so you are welcome to join. We have regular meetings at the cafeteria at around 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with weekends excluded. Reya does most of the planning...

If these "accidents" happen around you frequently then I recommend you keep a minimum 6ft. distance away from the other club members, as a safety precaution. I also recommend that you not show up to meetings if you are particularly overweight, as that would surely get you eaten by the lamia in our group.

P.S. The length is fine, but your formatting could be more professional.

She hits the send button, shooting the text out and closing her phone screen as she returns to eating her breakfast. "This had better not be a mistake..." she mutters with a frown. The cold and calculated girl has an uneasy feeling about this Mora character...

Mora's response is quick and simple.

Mora

Mora

Dear Melissa,

Thank you for your consideration. I will be looking forward to meeting you and the other club members when the time comes.

Regards,
Mora

P.S. Thank you for the feedback!

And come the time does, the following Monday...

Mora is not one of the first to arrive at the club that day. As usual, Melissa (who is always on time, albeit always a bit bloated on Mondays...) and Reya (who has nothing better to do before the club on Mondays) are present when Phoebe arrives. It's only a minute or so later that Britney shows up, her bag slung over her shoulder. The catgirl settles in, looking totally serene, her tail leisurely flicking about behind her as she settles into place.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so still," Reya says to her fellow demi-cat, raising her eyebrows. She slurps noisily on her soda before setting it down.

"I'm practicing meditation," Britney says, giving a peaceful smile to her fellow club members. She bends over, reaching down to pull books out of her backpack. "If I'm going to court Valerie, I need to be able to recognize and stifle my urges, and—"

SPLASH. Britney's elbow pulls back and knocks into Reya's soda cup—which topples over, dumping melted ice and the last dregs of soda into Reya's lap and making the dark-furred catgirl jump.

Britney's calm air dissolves almost instantly, and she hastily grabs some napkins from the dispenser on the table. "Ooops. Ah, dang. I was hoping that would help me with being more aware of my body, but I'm still working on that... Melissa, Phoebs, any news from you?"

Phoebe stifles a chuckle, "Oh, you know, same old same old! Except now I'm practicing for my role as Lissa. Recite my lines in the shower a lot," she replies, handing Britney a few extra napkins.

Melissa adjusts her glasses. "As for me, I ran into that freshman that got away from me on Friday again." She proudly pats her bloated gut, which by now only contains a small amount of melted sludge from her morning meal. "I took care of that troublemaker, though. I should also mention, I already informed Reya of this, but we're getting a new club member today. Her name is Mora."

"It's fine, it's fine!" Reya protests, her ears pointing straight back as Britney haphazardly pats down her lap with fistfuls of napkins. The clumsy demi-cat gratefully accepts Phoebe's offer of napkins, throwing them, too, at the problem. "It's just cold, I was mostly finishe— No, no! I'm fine. Don't worry about it!"

"That's gotta be tough," Britney says sympathetically, sitting up straight again and dropping the sodden napkins in a small pile next to her textbooks. She pulls a pack of index cards out of her jacket pocket. "I feel you, I'm doing a lot of memorization too..."

Reya brushes herself off, huffing. Her ears are still back. "Mel, I'm always happy when you're in a good mood. And honestly, that freshman had some nerve getting away from you in the first place." She spaces out for a moment, trying to remember the other thing she was going to say. "Oh, right! Mora. Speaking of clumsy people who cause trouble for others. Uh, Mel says, and I also found out myself, that Mora's got kind of a reputation for accidental ingestion and digestion? So just... keep your distance from her, maybe? And, uh, I also extended an invitation to someone else, but I don't know if she's going to come? She was kind of like... wishy-washy on the whole thing. But she also said she might be down, so..."

Not far away, Mora is living up to her reputation...

"Excuse me! Coming through!" Mora cries as she pushes her way through a crowd of people emerging from a class. "Sorry, sorry!" She elbows her way through the group, finally getting out to open space. She dashes down the hallway. She still has time! There's still a few minutes before the club meeting starts proper—Reya told her that they often start late because they're getting food and stuff! And she really wants to make a good impression...

She rounds a corner, slamming into a girl checking her phone near the hallway intersection and knocking the other girl to the ground. With terrible timing, too... as she's not the only one coming up on that girl quickly.

NOMPH~

Mora finds herself wedged in between the jaws of a hungry predator, her head plunged into slippery wet darkness that is now steadily dragging her deeper down the esophagus. The girl whose grasp she, unfortunately, ran into keeps her squirms under lockdown with a vise grip. Mora can feel herself being consumed inch by inch, all while the girl devouring her hums happily at the remarkable flavor she offers. Lips slide up and over her chest, down her along her spine...and soon enough, she's being tipped and drawn in by gravity! She's done for...!

Glp...glp...slrrrrrrrp~

Nicole knocks her head back, swallowing her impromptu meal, clothes, shoes, socks, and all. She traces the final bulge her prey makes with her finger as it descends down her neck before vanishing past her chest. Her stomach is fully outstretched with a live meal trapped inside now, causing her black "Twelfth Indulgence" t-shirt to ride up, thankfully not stretching the band merchandise too much.

"BRaaARRP~ Oof...not the meal I was going for, but I guess this works out," Nicole mutters to herself, drumming her fingers across her belly. She turns to look at the student who got knocked out of the way. The student is frozen in place and looking up at the girl who almost just ate her, blushing despite the terrified look on her face. Nicole grins smugly. "Looks like you got lucky. You really shouldn't be staring down at your phone so much. Makes you an easy target."

Panic flares up at the initial grab and gulp, and Mora puts on a harsh struggle. But she's no stranger to ending up in this situation, and so once she ends up in Nicole's belly, she heaves a deep sigh of resignation.

"Aw, not this again, not now..." Mora whimpers, sounding more disappointed and frustrated than surprised or upset. "And I was just about to get to the club in time! Come on, I wasn't who you were going for. she probably really wanted to end up in you. We can make this work out properly, right? I really don't want to be late for this, I'm trying to make a good first impression for once!"

"Yes ma'am," the demifox student on the floor says, groping around for said phone without tmaybe youaking her eyes off Nicole. Her shirt has a big logo reading Vorehammer Fantasty on it. "Uh, n-nice T-shirt... Thanks for letting me go..." Once her hand closes around her phone, she hastily gets to her feet, speed walking down the hallway to the exit into the cold air of the campus.

Nicole watches the foxgirl scurry away, but quickly loses interest now that her stomach is nice and full. Mora can feel the churning stomach bob up and down a bit as Nicole strides forward, on the way to the Empty Bellies club...such an ironic name. Of course, Mora has no idea that they're in the same club and neither does Nicole. "Sorry, you just kinda ran into me right as I was swallowing. Maybe watch where you're going next time. Not that there will be a next time, food." Nicole punctuates her statement with a firm slap to the side of her belly, jostling and disorienting her prey.

"Ow, that's rude!" Mora pouts. She reaches into the muck surrounding her and pulls her phone out of her small bag, the acid leaving tingling residue all over her skin. "I did watch where I was going, I just didn't have time to see who was also there..."

Wiping her fingers off on her shirt, she starts composing a text to Melissa and Reya.

Empty Bellies Recruitment!

You, Melissa, Reya

Mora

7:. I got caught on The way by the main lecture haha ;( I'm going to call the trip but hmm I'm be late, and if I Don't Bundle it, thanks for inviting my

The wet phone screen is struggling to respond through all of Nicole's stomach juices, so the message is only barely understandable. But through determination, she manages to pull up Olivia's contact too...

Olivia

Mora

Q hate baking JVM another favor even you also do so much for me zv but some girl have me by the main let's half... So you think your can help me:(; it's okay i

... Good enough.

"Maybe you shouldn't be eating people in the halls," Mora insists once she sends off her texts. "You should come to the endosoma club. I'll introduce you. It'll be a good time."

Nicole laughs and rolls her eyes. "Oh, you're in the endo club, huh? No wonder you seem so used to being in stomachs," she teases. "Now if you don't mind, I'm meeting up with some friends soon, so if you could pipe down, that would be— Oh, well look who it is!" She suddenly turns her attention away from her prey, spotting someone else who's far more interesting. "Hey, Valerie, right?"

The bunny-eared girl looks surprised, casting a wary glance at Nicole. She's wearing a light brown sweater and skinny jeans that hug her legs tight. She freezes in the middle of grabbing a plastic fork and placing it on her tray. "Um...yeah, that's me. Do I know you?"

"I saw you in physical education a couple of weeks ago! Coach Tia ate you and then dismissed everyone. Then you stopped showing up! We all assumed she digested you!"

Valerie's ears droop a little as she frowns uncomfortably. "Oh...that. Y-yeah, she let me out...but only because she said I struggled well enough to satisfy her," she says with a shiver. The memory of her time inside the wolf coach is clear still haunting her. "After that, I just...quit, I guess."

Nicole gives a sympathetic smile. "Aw, that must've been tough. Be I'm glad to see you're still around. It would've been a shame for someone as cute as you to wind up as a protein boost."

"Um...thanks?" Valeries mutters, both confused and embarrassed at the same time. Nicole isn't really much of a comfort when she's got an obviously prey-filled stomach.

"Ah, my name's Nicole by the way. Nice to finally meet youURRRRRRRP! Pardon me..."

Mora is straining her ears to listen to the conversation going on outside, barely paying attention to her phone's vibrations. It's usually through listening to what her predator is up to that she can manage to worm her way out of bellies like this one... on the rare occasion where she can't rely on Olivia to help her out.

She glances down at her phone. Like this one, apparently...

Olivia

Olivia

Omg, sorry! I'm off campus right now. Who ate you girl?

Mora

Hey name is

Nicole I think? Thanks for accepting antsy

The text from Melissa comes in while she's typing, and she quickly sends it off and switches over. Her phone gets stuck in the app switcher for a while and keeps trying to bring her back to a video she was watching about techniques for keeping track of prey you don't want to digest.

She hastily composes a text once she's able to see what Melissa said.

The belch makes Mora's head ring with loss of air and the sheer concussive force of it. Oof... She's not seeing any good ways in here... She adds a follow-up text.

Empty Bellies Recruitment!

You, Melissa, Reya

Melissa

That is unfortunate. Have you tried the heartbeat maneuver?

Mora

What is the heart bear maneuver? Be invent never seen that.

I don't know if I'll be able to get it because my usual rescue is of clouds 😭

Valerie winces, nervously stepping away from the crass belch. "Yeah, thanks for saying hi," she says politely, turning to walk away with her food tray. The carrot soup will get cold if she lingers. "I'll see you later maybe. Nice talking to you."

Nicole mentally takes note of her gloomy and dismissive behavior, then says, "Yeah, no problem!" before getting back on track. She's on the move again, as acids steadily trickle in and fill the interior of her stomach...

Mora gets a reply text from Olivia about ten seconds after she's done sending the last.

Olivia

Olivia

Sorry, I don't know a Nicole. Shit, I'm gonna really really miss ya! Make sure to pad out her ass good at least, kay? 👋 😘 🍑

Back at the table, everyone is huddles close, looking over Melissa's texts. "Looks like she's having a hard time typing. Should we try to rescue her?" Melissa asks the group, looking to the others to see if Mora is worth the trouble. The future of the club could depend on this! "If my estimation is correct, she can't be far from here. Whoever ate her is probably still in the building."

Mora replies with an animated sticker of a girl shaking her well-endowed rump from side to side. She's not even going to try to respond with the keyboard... It's just been one disaster after another.

Reya points into the air adventurously. "Let's go and find her, quick! With the four of us, we can outmatch any foe! We will save her, and with her, our chances at becoming an official club!"

She adds a quick message to Nicole.

Empty Bellies Recruitment!

You, Melissa, Nicole

Reya

If you're still coming, no rush on getting to the table— we're going on a rescue mission! We'll be back before you know it, though, so whenever you get here, sit down and I'll introduce you to everyone.

"Oh, I think this is fun! It's kind of like our first club activity together," Britney says, pleased. "Ah, if only Valerie could see me now. Not only not eating my friends, but going with them to save someone I don't even know yet... She'd be like, totally impressed."

"Hey, what's this about a rescue mission?"

Everyone turns to see Nicole, phone in hand, backpack slung over her shoulder, with a large belly that shows the still well-defined outlines of the prey in her stomach. She curiously looks at everyone, recognizing Reya, but glancing up and down at the excited individuals who seem up in arms and ready to go on a mission. Nicole waves at them all, stepping close to Reya so they all know who she's associated with.

"Uhhh... Hey, Nicole. We— We were just going to find someone," Reya says, flustered by Nicole's sudden appearance. You know that feeling you get when you have two different groups of friends, and they suddenly intersect and you have to figure out what kind of mask you're going to wear for this new, combined group? It's like that, but with the added complication of one of those friends having a big stuffed gut while the others are looking for someone with a big stuffed gut. "She's— she's also joining our club, and we want to save her so that we have enough people to be an official club."

Britney inclines her head toward Nicole, barely paying any attention to her wriggling stomach. "Hey! Nicole, right? I'm Britney. It's nice to meet you." She gives a little wave, somewhat disappointed to have this distraction from her chance to prove to herself how different she is... "You can come along if you want. I'm sure we'd do better at finding Mora with five instead of four."

"Mora? Mora, that's me!" Mora calls from inside Nicole's stomach, her struggles suddenly revitalized now that there's fresh hope. The humidity and heat were starting to get to her before, and her body is starting to feel pretty lethargic... but this gives her enough energy to counter that, and then some! "I'm Mora! I was trying to get to the Empty Bellies club and this random girl ate me by accident and she won't let me out! Is that Reya or Melissa out there?"

"Wait, what?" Nicole raises her brow and glances down at her full gut, immediately doubtful that this is the case.

Phoebe's tail shifts as she nervously glances at Reya then Britney, but Melissa is the one who steps in to settle things. "I see. Well, she named both Reya and me, so that basically confirms it. Er, Nicole, would you kindly spit Mora out for us? We need the appropriate number of club members to make us official."

"Oh, so...well, she did say she was on her way to a club meeting. Um, nice to meet you, Britney, and everyone else." Nicole waves despite the awkwardness, then points at her stomach. "So, Reya, are we sure we need her? Because I hate having to spit people up."

Reya scratches her cheek. "Well... I mean... I guess we could try to find another member, but... We're almost out of time before the meeting to add another official club, so we need her now. And we can always find you a replacement meal after the meeting. We sometimes go hunting together... But you can keep her if you can think of someone else we can put on our roster. Right, Melissa?"

"Wait, what are you talking about? You can't replace me when I got all the way here somehow!" Mora pouts, sinking back into the pool of acid in surprise. "Please, I can do a lot of favors for you, and I have a lot of friends who can help you too... Nicole, I promise you won't regret this!"

"Melissa knows all the rules of the clubs," Reya adds to Nicole in a low voice, grinning sheepishly. She doesn't pay Mora much mind, instead just waiting for Melissa to answer before changing Mora's role away from 'food.' "I'm just the idea girl."

"Oooh, I wouldn't mind prowling the school a little bit," Britney says excitedly before remembering Valerie. She just has to remember to be on her best behavior, and things with Valerie will work out again... "Er, but of course, I wouldn't need to. Like, I feed my stomach, it doesn't control me, and stuff."

"Hunting sounds good. It could be like a fun group activity!" Nicole says, perking up at the idea. A second later, she senses a rising pressure in the back of her throat. "HwOOOUUUURRRP~ Ugh..." She covers her mouth. "Okay, I should probably let her out now, huh. God, this is gonna suck..." Nicole can't believe her own twisted luck, but she resigns herself to upchucking Mora since she can't actually name anyone else who would be interested in joining. She steps far away from everyone, picks a spot that's at least close to a garbage bin, then uses her hands to squeeze her stomach in an upward motion. She gags a few times, holding and squeezing until finally her stomach muscles get the idea and start undulating in reverse. Mora's head bulges up her throat, wetly surfacing and tumbling out of Nicole's maw right onto the floor.

Hhrrpp...bleeuh!

Nasty slime and acid coats Mora all over as she drops out, free at last from the sweltering depths. Nicole is left coughing and gagging, doing her very best to shake it off. "Guh, that stings...so nasty..." she whines, more concerned with herself than her freed prisoner. "Can someone get me something to drink?"

"Thanks, Nicole," Reya says, relieved. "For coming to the club and, you know. This."

Mora groans as she tumbles out onto the floor of the dining hall, her body aching and exhausted from even the relatively brief time she spent inside Nicole's stomach. The cool, fresh air is a relief, though, and Mora spends several long moments gasping it in before she speaks. "Ugghhhn... Nicole... Your stomach is brutal..."

Britney presents Mora with the remaining wet napkins from earlier and heads off to the drink fountain to get a drink for Nicole.

"Err... Thank you?" Mora asks, bewildered. Well, gross used napkins are better than continuing to be coated in Nicole's stomach gunk. She begins wiping herself down to the best of her ability, tossing the napkins into the trash can when they're unable to take any more sludge. Her clothes are ruined for sure, but better that her clothes be ruined than she be forced to end her college life early.

She's only half done when Britney returns, carrying a cup of soda for Nicole. "Here, this is supposed to be good for helping, like, calm your stomach down after throwing up. I guess it's not as big a deal if you did it on purpose, but... it's all an old wives' tale anyway."

Reya gingerly pats Mora's shoulder once it's reasonably clean. "Sorry, this isn't the best introduction to our club. I swear we're a lot friendlier normally."

"Oh, it's okay. It's not you, it's me. I spend so much time dealing with swallowing and being swallowed by mistake..." Mora finishes wiping herself down and straightens. "So, I think we were talking about going hunting?"

Nicole takes the cup of soda and knocks it back, only half paying attention to what Britney is saying. It certainly helps, and Nicole finds herself feeling much more relieved after washing the drink down. "Ah~ Thanks Britney..." She pats her new friend's shoulder. Taking what Mora said as a compliment, she takes a moment to relax at the table. On the bright side, this whole ordeal could serve as an excellent topic for an episode of her podcast.

"Are you sure you want to go hunting in that state?" Phoebe asks out of concern. The lamia points at Mora, whose clothes have numerous gaping holes in them, the fabric still wetly clinging to her even after scrubbing off a lot of the stomach gunk.

"Heh, yeah," Reya says, giggling. "I mean, at least this way no one's going to want to eat you, because you look like pred's remorse..."

Mora shrugs, subtly adjusting her clothing to keep the holes from exposing anything too... personal. Her shoulders sag a little bit, though she does her best to hide her disappointment with a big grin. "I don't want to hold you all back. If it's really that bad, I can just go to my room and change and then we can hang out after you're all done?"

"You should probably take a shower, too," Britney says authoritatively. "Being in a stomach is, like, really bad for your skin. You know? Like, I don't mean just because it causes irritation and inflammation and chemical burns, it also dries you out and removes your protective layers. So it's good to wash it off and get your skin security back up."

"Yeah...I feel kinda bad," Nicole mutters as she scratches her neck. "How about we all crash at Mora's place, she takes a quick shower, then we all go out for some food?"

"That seems like a fine suggestion." Melissa nods. "I won't be having any prey tonight, as that would break my strict diet. However, I can help someone out in a pinch. Phoebe, are you coming? We could use your serpentine physique to intimidate the competition."

The lamia snorts out a laugh. "Oh come on, I'm not that scary! But sure, I'll come along. I wouldn't want to miss out on a club activity! If I see anyone that appeals to my um...specific tastes, then I'm going to call dibs."

"Let's do it!! To Mora's place! ... Oh, Mora, are you okay with it?" Reya adds belatedly.

Mora laughs, brightening up immediately. "Oh, yeah! My roommate kind of... disappeared in an accident earlier this year, so you can hang out in her bed." She clears her throat, flushing. "She used to be one of the other members of the Endo club, and she got me into it, and uh... she suggested we could spend a night together if I remembered to let her out... A-Anyway, I'm talking too much. Let's go and do that!"

Britney tosses an arm around Phoebe's shoulder companionably, snorting. "I'll be sure to keep a lookout for them for you. It's really nice to have a friend who's so easy to shop for!"

Phoebe smiles, slithering along as everyone follows Mora to her dorm room. As she walks, Melissa occasionally types on her phone, formulating an email to the club organizer. Now that they have enough members, she plans to apply to become an official club as soon as possible. Britney, distracted, doesn't notice Valerie wistfully gazing at her from the other side of the dining hall...

Britney feels a small shiver on her spine, but thinking she's imagining it, she lets it go.

Mora's dorm room is incredibly tidy, a small double with two platform beds with desks and chairs underneath. Two beanbags are tucked out of the way beside the desks. "If I don't keep it clean, I'm gonna kill myself bashing my head on something," Mora says sheepishly. She grabs a fresh change of clothes and enters the bathroom. "Get comfortable—I'll try to make it quick. Thanks so much for waiting!"

Reya is already on top of one of the beds (the one with the blank desk under it, in her assumption that's Mora's roommate's) by the time Mora finishes talking. "I can't believe we already have six people! Melissa, we're basically official already, right?"

Britney pulls out one of the beanbags and drops down onto it, arms splayed. "This is cozy. I kinda wish my roommate was better about keeping things clean!"

"Hehe, just eat her if she's being a bother!" Nicole adds, following Britney's lead and flopping her roommate padded ass down into the comfy bean bag chair. Phoebe is her own chair, coiling up into a swirly pile of her own soft tail.

Melissa, always guarded, as usual, stands as far apart from everyone else as possible. The young mathematician musters a friendly smile at least. "To answer your question, Reya, we just need to have the club organization committee approve our request, and then she will officially be...well, official." She smirks, surprised to find herself this excited. This feels like it's been a long time coming. "We'll be able to reserve our own room and time for meetings, and we'll also receive a small budget to spend on whatever we like. So long as it's legal. We should thank Nicole and Mora for joining us today."

"Yeah, thanks for joining us, Nicole!" Reya says, stretching out on the bed and letting her head hang off the edge, looking down at the others. "I know you're busy and stuff, but you're an expert on the whole eating people thing. You can tell us all about it!"

Britney scratches her head, her ears flicking. "Oh, you're the friend with that podcast Reya was talking about, right?"

"Yeah," Reya says, now letting her head dangle upside down. "That's her!"

From the bathroom, the others can hear the rush of the shower running.

"Oh, it's no biggie! Reya is cool, so I assume you're all pretty chill as well..." Nicole says with a soft chuckle as she trails off a little. "...even if this is the uh...well never mind." She glances off into space, apparently deciding whatever she was thinking about isn't worth mentioning. "But yeah, I run a little podcast called Down the Hatch. There were like, no good podcasts that talked about vore and stuff. Like, really in-depth stuff about how to survive the day-to-day struggle. So I made one myself. It's a small production, nothing too crazy." Nicole rolls her eyes and smiles as she shrugs "So what do you all like to do?"

"Huh? The what?" Britney asks. She looks up at Reya in her perch on the bed, her ears flicking as she notices Reya's tail dangling down near her head. "I'm a beach girl. This winter weather sucks so much, I wish I could like... become a migratory bird and fly south for the winter. But I'm stuck here... memorizing the names of bones and muscles..." She slips the others a glimpse of her flash cards.

"Sit down, Mels," Reya calls, gesturing to one of the chairs at the desk. "You're part of this club too, you know!"

Mels curtly crosses her arms, simply sitting down on the carpet. "I'm Melissa Burns. I'm studying to become a mathematician. My social life was...non-existent before I met you all."

"She's one of the leaders of this whole club because she's amazing at organization! We're just trying to coax her out of her shell because I'm sure there's a real sweetheart inside..." Reya blows a kiss and a wink at Melissa. "She's so thoughtful!"

"We love you too, Melissa~" Phoebe says sweetly—perhaps a little too teasingly, because a subtle blush appears on Melissa's face. The lamia straightens up, hands clasped together at her lap. "I'm Phoebe, and I'm training to be an actress! It's been my dream ever since I was little."

"Ah, so you're the drama nerd," Nicole surmises.

"Pretty much! I can talk for hours about theater, but aside from that, I also like traveling and road trips. Plus the occasional romance novel, plus the occasional dating game!"

Nicole leans forward in her chair. "Oooh~ Have you played Succubus Quest?"

"Yes! Yes, I love that game so much!" Phoebe exclaims, clapping her hands together. "Oh my, you have amazing taste!"

While Nicole and Phoebe are talking, Britney reaches up, flicking Reya in the tail. The other demicat squeals, pulling her tail up and taking a half-hearted swipe at Britney. The freshman nurse-to-be easily dodges, sticking her tongue out.

"Succubus Quest? Did I play that one, or did you just tell me about it?" Reya scratches her ear.

"I think you played Cupid Quest," Phoebe corrects Reya. "Succubus Quest is the sequel, but it's like, way better! It adds a brand new jealousy system, where if you pursue the heart of one character, another will get jealous and try to eat either you or your lover! Weren't you there when we talked about it?"

"Hmm...this game sounds interesting," Melissa mutters quietly. "But I've never played a dating game before. Is it realistic?"

"Classic Reya, always so forgetful," Nicole chimes in. "She doesn't even remember who and what she eats half the time."

"I definitely remember that discussion, I just... didn't remember which game was which," Reya admits, tentatively letting her tail dangle down again. "Mels, you should try it. It's not at all realistic, but that's half the fun!"

Britney laughs at Nicole's ribbing of Reya and lightly swats at her tail. "It's true. She showed up to club one day complaining about how hard her meal was fighting, and we were all asking her like, 'who was it?' She kept saying like, 'it's not important, it's not important, who cares what food's name is,' and then we pried at her until she admitted she didn't remember."

"Yeah, well, I--" Reya's head whips around toward the bathroom. There's a loud thud that interrupts Reya mid-protest, some muffled cursing...

The shower stops. A brief silence is followed by a shouted, "I'm okay! I slipped and the shampoo fell on my leg and hit the floor!"

"Oh man... Brit, you and Mora are going to get along so well." Reya's face stretches in a mischievous grin.

Britney snorts, swatting Reya's tail harder. "That, or we're both going to like... destroy the school being disasters around each other."

The bathroom door opens, revealing Mora with her hair wrapped up in a towel, wearing a fresh pair of jeans, a fresh pair of socks, and—most importantly—a shirt that doesn't expose half her chest. "Ah... That's better..."

"You clean up nicely," Phoebe compliments Mora. She slowly stretches, uncoiling her long and scaly body. "I think we're all set then. Any place, in particular, we want to go looking for prey?"

"It's a little ways out, but I vote we go to the mall!" Nicole suggests. "It's definitely still open."

"Oh, good idea! Let's remember the buddy system, okay? I don't want any of you getting lost!" Phoebe says, her eyes looking at Reya in particular.

Reya launches herself off the bed, landing spryly on her feet. She scoffs at Phoebe. "Fine, fine... At least I don't come back with a pissed-off couple on my heels. Britney."

"Oh, come on, whatever," Britney says, laughing. She makes for the door, holding it open for the group to pass through. "That was one time, and how was I supposed to know that her girlfriend was coming out of the store at that exact moment?"

"I like the mall," Mora says in a small voice. She falls in line at the back of the group, mostly just watching them in action for the moment.

The gaggle of women exits the dorm room, some already licking their lips at the prospect of a live, squirmy meal. With the six of them all working together, what could go wrong...?

"Attention shoppers. The store will be closing in thirty minutes. Thank you for shopping at the Nexus City Mall, and have a wonderful night."

OOOOUUURRRRRRP~

"Ahh~ So stuffed..." Nicole sighs contentedly, lazily rubbing her exposed and distended belly as she basks in its fullness. Her soft and rounded bulge gurgles noisily in the food court where she sits across from Phoebe, who's also sporting a gut of her own after a successful hunt.

"Tell me about it," Phoebe concurs, shaking her stomach a bit to slosh up the dinner she so affectionately ate. Unlike Vixie, this meal was digested in Phoebe's upper stomach, allowing her to be intimately close with the less than solid remains of her meal. "I can eat a lot, but...this was especially ssssssatisfying." She looks quite comfy resting there in her mass of coils with her bulky sweater half-covering her stomach.

"Hopefully Melissa and Mora get back soon. Sucks that you got all wet, though, Reya. I really did try to grab you before you fell into the fountain!" Nicole says, casting a concerned glance at her catgirl companion, who is uncomfortably soggy at the moment.

Reya is resting her head on the table, groaning softly. Her meal has finally—finally—gone quiet, even though Reya went straight for this one only minutes after the pairs split up. Her ears and tail are still flattened by wetness, and her hair clings to her face and neck. Her skin is mostly dry now, thanks to copious application of paper towels, but even with the ibuprofen she picked up from the mall pharmacy in desperation, the stomachache is still intense. At Nicole mentioning her, she turns her head, resting her cheek on the table. "I know... thanks. I can't believe she gave me such a test, even though I caught her off guard..."

She's not the only demi-cat to have had a tough night. Britney may be better off (if only barely), but it's saliva that makes her hair stick out in random directions. She's hiding her face in her phone, not out of pain, but out of shame. "Um, and, thank you, Phoebe, for, um... saving me," she says in a small voice. "I can't believe I made such a dumb mistake... I'm really lucky you were there to coil her before she got me all the way down..." She heaves a sigh, trying to make her hair lay flat again. "Ugh... This is like, the worst hunt I've ever been on..."

A few moments pass, and finally—there's Melissa. The girl she's walking with has a huge stomach, though... notably, it's not Mora. That is, the girl isn't Mora... the stomach is.

The girl who ate Mora is talking to Melissa casually, a purse-sized container of antacids in hand with the lid off. "It is hard. I feel like if my eating schedule gets thrown off by even one day, I'll lose my inhibitions, and next thing you know, I've stuffed myself and that's it for my diet. I'm never going to get back to my old figure... You're sure you don't mind me holding your friend for a bit longer? I normally wouldn't, it's just that this is a tough day for me and I'm really hungry, and she just feels nice in there, even if I can't allow myself to digest her..."

Mora's response is a quiet, "It's fine, I'm in the endo club at school," only barely audible to Melissa and not at all audible to the others.

"I'm sure it's the least she can do. She did try to eat you, after all," Melissa replies, "It was a rather pathetic attempt, but it was an attempt nonetheless." She awkwardly reaches out and gives Mora a pat on the head through the stomach walls, as if to say sorry, or perhaps to congratulate the predator on a meal well earned. "My own diet is partially due to weight issues I've had in the past, but I also enjoy having a specific time for eating, you know? I could write an essay on the many benefits of keeping a schedule. If I just go willy nilly with when and what I eat, then I'm just handing myself over to the tides of chaos. Plus, I hate going to the gym."

The girl is unable to hold back a chuckle and Melissa smiles back bashfully. The pair (or trio) approach the table the rest of the Empty Bellies club is huddled around. She gestures to the woman carrying Mora beside her. "Everyone, this is Isabelle. Isabelle, these are my associates."

Nicole tilts her head, eyeing the obviously stuffed stomach that Isabelle is lugging around.

"Oh! Your friend is perfectly safe!" Isabelle replies in a chipper tone, reassuring the rest of the group. She's a tall girl, definitely over six feet, with blonde hair tied back in a messy bun. A few acne scars dot her cheeks, there's an ice cream icon on the center of her speckled pink and white t-shirt, and her eyes are a dazzling shade of blue. "I'm not gonna turn your buddy into chubby, you know? Hehehe~"

"Oh, how'd you find this one?" Reya asks, sitting up and looking over the newcomer with a curious and roaming eye. It's as if she never got soaked and subject to stomach aches in the first place—new, pretty girls are a good way to get her out of a funk. "She's super cute! Isabelle, right? I'm Reya!"

Isabelle waves enthusiastically, moving closer to the table and beckoning Melissa to follow. "Yeah, I'm Isabelle! Melissa's friend knocked over my green juice while trying to sneak up on me, so I ate her to teach her a lesson."

"I'm grateful you won't digest me, but wow," Mora says miserably from her stomach. "This has been the worst day in a series of bad days... I think your bad luck is contagious, Britney..."

"Don't mind Britney, she's all shy because she got outwitted today." Reya reaches over and slaps Britney (who is currently ducking away from the newcomer) on the shoulder, triggering a squeal of protest from the other catgirl. "Come on, sit down! We're just relaxing and digesting until closing time comes. The human is Nicole and the lamia is Phoebe, and your temporary snack is Mora. We're the Empty Bellies Club at NCC—soon to be official!"

"NCC, huh? Nice! I used to go there before I dropped out. Uurrp~ Cool place, though!" Isabelle says with a shrug and a tiny burp. "But anyway, I really don't mean to intrude, but it was super nice chatting with you, Melissa."

"Uh...anytime!" Melissa replies, happy to have met someone new, but a little intimidated by how friendly she's being.

"If any of you ever need a stomach to relax in, just give me a call, I'll accept anyone!" Isabelle lightly pats her full gut, still really enjoying the feeling of having Mora inside there. "Is it alright if I chill here for a bit? I'm just waiting for my ride."

"It's okay. Britt was mostly just busy moping and Nicole and Phoebe were just showing off and rubbing it in anyway," Reya says brightly, scooting in closer to Isabelle. Her ears flick, and her tail bobs back and forth curiously. "You should totally stick around until your ride gets here. What're you doing now after dropping out, if you don't mind me asking?"

Britney is starting to warm back up, Isabelle and Reya's enthusiasm now rubbing off on her. "So... Mora got eaten, like... all the way, on her hunt? Wow. I guess mine wasn't the worst hunt..."

"I don't feel any better with you saying that," Mora complains from Isabelle's stomach. She shifts, finding herself a more comfortable spot inside Isabelle's belly. "... My phone is too gunked up for me to unlock it. Can one of you get her number for me? Melissa, maybe? You two probably want to talk anyway..."

At this, Britney leans over toward Phoebe, whispering. A sudden spark has caught in her eye. "... You think Melly's gonna make a new friend or nah? We can make her our new club project!"

The lamia smirks and leans in a little closer to Britney. "They have connected fast, haven't they~?" she whispers back. "I can see it happening."

Isabelle, meanwhile, sits in the seat that had been saved for Mora. "Well, after dropping out I actually got a really good gig at a local yoga studio called Fitness Plus. My aunt works there, so I've been learning the ropes. In fact..." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her wallet, brandishing a fancy business card that depicts the silhouette of a woman in the middle of a yoga pose. "Here, have a business card. I'll write my number on it too. You know, in case Mora ever wants to have a rematch~"

"Ah, that would be convenient, yes," Melissa states, leaning in to get a closer view of the card.

"Does this yoga studio cater to lamia?" Phoebe suddenly asks.

"We do indeed! Lamia are totally welcome!" Isabelle reassures her.

"Oh, fitness..." Reya's face drops as she loses interest suddenly. There's a reason the demi-cat has such soft, pudgy cheeks and arms, such squishy thighs, and it's not (just) because her diet is so filling. "I get enough of that when I go hunting."

Britney is definitely more interested, however. She rolls up a sleeve, revealing more of her tanned skin, and looks over her arm, pinching the tiniest bit of fat. "Fitness Plus... I'm starting to gain some weight, so maybe I should sign up there. Phoebs, you want to go together?"

"I don't understand y'all and your gym obsessions," Reya whines. "Isn't it nice to be a little chubby? More to love! Soft hugs! All that stuff! Nicole, back me up here!"

There's a silence from Isabelle's belly for a little while, and then Mora timidly admits, "I'm... not sorry that this happened. You do have a nice stomach... I wouldn't mind riding with you more often."

Phoebe blushes, softly muttering, "I-I wouldn't mind if you got a little chubbier, Reya. Oh, but yes, Britney, we should definitely try out this yoga thing."

Melissa casts a suspicious glance at the lamia, before adjusting her glasses once more. "I dislike the gym as well, but I suppose since I've never tried yoga before I should give it a shot."

"Exactly! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" Isabelle quotes brightly. Her gaze then falls upon the heavy bulge Mora is making in her stomach. "Don't think I didn't hear that~" She adds in more of a whispering tone, "We should definitely do this again sometime, cutie."

Mora blushes intensely, curling up tighter as if to hide from Isabelle's attention. She's so not used to getting this kind of attention! The other endo club members just sort of go about their day with their meal inside...

Nicole smirks, scooting closer to Reya. "You see, Reya, everyone should visit the gym every now and then, just like everyone should get haircuts from time to time. Lest you become slow and sluggish, like a plump, juicy peach that's ripe for the taking~" She swiftly leans in and teasingly drags her tongue across Reya's cheek, getting a really good taste of her natural flavor.

Britney squeals, grabbing Phoebe's and Melissa's arms and bouncing up and down in her seat. "This is going to be so fun! Girls' night out!! I've never had a yoga buddy other than, you know... um... Valerie, so I'm new to this!"

Reya groans at hearing all this, first eyeing Nicole suspiciously as she gets close, then squawking indignantly and pushing Nicole away playfully as she's licked. She pouts and reaches up to rub her cheek—now damp once again. "Hey! I get my exercise on hunts! I'm not slow or sluggish! But fine, I'll come to yoga with you all, and then I'll show you the true flexibility of a catgirl."

"Assuming Nicole and Phoebe don't like, eat you before then," Britney adds, prodding Reya in the arm. "Seems like you have some new fans."

"Don't," Reya says, pointing at Nicole and Phoebe sternly. "Don't do it. I'll eat you both at the same time if I have to."

Nicole giggles at Reya's cute reaction, slinging her arm around the catgirl's shoulders so their gurgling bellies are side by side. "Oh please, like you could even get me down~" she taunts right back.

Meanwhile, Isabelle is affectionately rubbing her gut now, feeling all along the outline her prey is making on her taut belly when her phone starts ringing. "Oh, that's probably my ride. Hello?" She answers the call and holds the device up to her ear. "Yeah, I'm in the food court. I can be out in just a moment... K, see you there!"

She happily stands up and beams at her chance new acquaintances. "It's been a real treat meeting all you hungry ladies, but I gotta go. See ya!" Everyone waves as she turns around, walking a few steps toward the exit before she remembers, "Oh! Right, I still need to...one moment!" She hugs the base of her gut, causing it to gurgle oddly. Repeated pushes and squeezes eventually do their job, resulting in Mora being spat out in a wet tide of diluted stomach juices that will no doubt lead to a "Wet Floor" sign being placed there.

Reya returns the favor, wrapping her arm around Nicole and leaning her head against Nicole's. A gwouuuurp from her massive belly is met with a grRRRRrggl from Nicole's, as if the meals are talking to each other. "Yeah, probably not... It'd be too easy to be fun." She cackles, patting Nicole on the back and straightening. "Besides, I'd miss having you around. Having a thick ass isn't worth the cost!"

"Oh, you're going already?" Mora asks, somehow... disappointed? She's never been disappointed by being let out before. But the way Isabelle was touching her was... Is the endo club really getting this far into her head...?

"Nice meeting you, Isabelle," Britney says, waving farewell to the tall predator. "See you at your next, like... class or whatever!"

After bidding Isabelle farewell, Reya leans in toward Britney, elbowing her and muttering, "You know, that could be you and Valerie. A comfortable, trustworthy stomach wrapped around your sweet little bunny girlfriend..."

Britney elbows back. "After everything we've been through, Val would never, ever, in a million years trust me with that. And she's right, I would absolutely abuse my power. Having her helpless in me... I don't think I could resist..."

"Damn. Stone cold, no remorse. Remind me not to date you." Reya sits back up, brow furrowed.

The smirk creeping across Britney's face is only slightly dampened by the raspberry she blows Reya. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it. And wait, does that mean you like your romantic partners to 'hold' you? Haha! Now we know which end of the food chain you're on."

Reya tackles Britney down. "Shut up! I'm a really good predator! Just, you know... if you know you know! It feels really safe with someone you trust! Mora knows now!"

Even after being spit up, Mora is still too flustered to even react to her name being called. She just had a transcendental experience. Endo that she actually enjoyed instead of waiting for it to be over? College really is broadening her horizons...

As the two feline girls wrestle in their seats, full bellies softly glugging with their melting prey, Melissa grabs the business card that Isabelle had left them and begins fiddling with her phone.

"Valerie...bunny girl..." Nicole ponders aloud. "I think I know her actually. Your girlfriend was in my P.E. class, and I ran into her at the cafeteria earlier today. Why isn't she in this club?" she asks, but then adds, "...Is this a touchy subject? Sorry for asking, I was just curious."

Britney immediately sits up at the sound of Valerie's name, the wrestling stopping. "Wait, what? You saw her?"

Reya pokes her head up to add another dorky comment, but Britney shoves her back down. The force of it makes a delightful squelch as Reya's gut presses against the table. The chatter among the Empty Bellies club members dies down as the serious subject gets brought up, all eyes on Britney.

"Um, we used to be dating. She's my—" Britney pauses, a loud gurgle rumbling through her stomach from the gas disturbed by the wrestling. "Shush down there. She's my ex. We broke up because I couldn't control my appetite and I tried to eat her, and she, like... stopped talking to me for a while," Britney explains, keeping Reya's head down with one hand and brushing her hair aside with the other. She tries her absolute best not to look too eager. "... Did she say anything about me, maybe? Like she wants to get back together?"

Mora sluggishly rejoins the group, her head still in the stomach she just left.

"Ahh, I see," Nicole says, giving a nod of understanding and sympathy. "Well, no, but we only talked for a bit. I was like, 'oh you're still alive' because the last time I saw her she got nommed by Coach Tia after she lost a race or something. In fact, most people in that class weren't even sure if Coach Tia had let her out the same way she came in afterward. But short story short, she was looking pretty glum. I don't know, that's just the vibe I was getting. Mora can back me up on this. She was there too, technically speaking."

"Nicole's right," Mora says, finally shaking her head and coming out of her trance. She's still damp with Isabelle's stomach fluids. "I couldn't see her face, but I could hear her voice, a little bit. She sounded pretty bummed out, but she didn't say anything about why."

"Oh," Britney says, drooping. "I see."

There's silence for a few seconds...

GWOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooouuuuurp

...broken by a massive burp from Reya, half bent across the table. A pair of panties discolored and eaten away by acid splats onto the table, carried up by the force of the escaping belch. A final victory over the unlucky shopper, despite her valiant fight today. Reya doesn't know her name, and her friends don't even know she's gone... Her sister, who had come shopping with her, finding only her abandoned shopping bags by the time she emerged from making her holiday returns.

"Sorry," Reya says sheepishly, grabbing the discarded panties and tucking them away in her pocket. This final indignity to her meal is merely a distraction from the more important discussion of love lives. "Keep going."

Britney presses on, recovering her hope with all the speed of a young, idealistic romantic. "Do you think she'd still talk to you? Maybe... we can arrange me 'bumping into you' in front of her?"

"Oh, she might! I'm not exactly the social butterfly most people think I am, but I like where this is going. Besides, I think a timid girl like her could use someone like you to watch her back," Nicole says.

"What? Bullshit!" Melissa suddenly growls.

Nicole tilts her head to the side, confused. "Huh?"

Melissa snaps back to attention and looks up from her phone, "Oh, sorry. I wasn't talking to you. I was just reading a response to an email." She holds up her phone and points at the screen.

"I've never heard you curse before, Melissa," Phoebe says in a worried tone. She inches closer, trying to make out the text. "What's it say?"

"It's...nothing. Well, it is something. It's regarding the club..." Melissa is a little reluctant to speak on the matter, but she knows she'll have to deliver the bad news eventually.

Britney nods eagerly. "Please! I really miss her and stuff..."

"Is everything all right?" Mora asks. She seems genuinely concerned—despite the bad luck around this group of people, she still feels quite lucky to have met them, and she's worried... "Is the club all right?"

Reya scratches her cheek, remembering Melissa's earlier comments. "Response to an email? You get an answer to our club application or something?"

"Yes," Melissa replies. "It seems that our spot as an official club was taken by the Wargaming Club. Since they got their six members before we did, I guess that means they get the rights it."

Phoebe shakes her head. "Wait wait wait...wasn't this supposed to be decided in a meeting?"

"Yes and no," Melissa explains. "Yes, there is going to be a meeting, but it's pointless for us because it's first come first serve. That's just how it is."

The lamia emits a saddened hiss. "Are we sure they're not just playing favorites over there or...?"

Nicole makes a shrugging gesture. "Who cares if we're not an official club. We can still hang out, and I had a super fun time tonight!"

Melissa frowns and stows away her phone. She's not the most expressive or emotional member of the group by any means, but it's pretty obvious from her earlier loss of temper that this comes as a real disappointment. "It's so we can plan events that are backed up by the school. Sorry, Reya."

Reya chews on her lip. Melissa is apologizing to her, but it seems like she's the one who needs an apology, for all she's invested into this...

"There's... loopholes, right?" Reya asks, idly running her hands down her stomach in thought. "Ways to... open up a spot in the list, right?"

Britney tips her head, a memory bubbling in her head. Down in her gut, the flirty girl bubbles, too, and Britney suppresses a burp. "Melissa, you did say something about—urpf—that earlier, right? That, if they don't have six members anymore, they like... lose their spot at the front?"

Melissa rubs her chin, giving it some thought. "If they stopped having enough club members then yes, in theory, the club committee would have no choice but to take away their club privileges." She sighs, casting a wary look at Britney. "I know where you're going with this, and I'm not sure I like it."

Nicole perks up yet again. "Ooh! Are we gonna get involved in a club war? Sounds fun!"

"It sounds dangerous," Melissa quickly retorts.

"Well duh! Of course it's dangerous, but so is hunting for prey in a mall! My friend told me about club wars a while back. It's a totally legal and legit way of becoming an official club!"

"I can confirm that hunting for prey in a mall is dangerous," Mora says with a sheepish laugh. "We're lucky we all made it this far..."

Reya slaps her hand on the table, making Mora jump. "We're not lucky. We're dangerous, too. And we can totally win a club war!"

"... We'll probably... need to keep Mora somewhere safe, unless..." Britney says thoughtfully. She glances over at Nicole, the predatory podcaster's earlier comment sticking in her head. "Unless Valerie joins! Then we don't have to worry about like, dropping below six!"

Mora squawks, shooting a frown in Britney's direction. "What do you mean, unless Valerie joins?! I'm not expendable!"

"I mean, you kind of are," Nicole whispers, thinking nobody would hear her.

"How would we even go about this?" Melissa says, gesturing around for some answers and input. She certainly won't be going in without a plan.

Phoebe is the first to speak up. "So how about—uuurp—we send someone in to scout out a meeting. We pick out who's an easy target, and then we eat them! Simple enough!" she proposes, giving her belly a soft and gentle rub.

Britney tilts her head toward Mora, shakes her head and throws her hands up in Nicole's direction. As if to say the gall of this girl, claiming that we shouldn't just treat her like just another name on the roster!

Mora doesn't notice, focusing on Melissa. "I don't know, easy targets can sometimes surprise you... And I say that as someone who's usually considered an easy target, and who's still here."

"Phoebe knows what's up," Reya says, leaning in. "Come on, it's the wargaming club. If they ever had any friends other than each other they probably don't anymore. It shouldn't be too hard to pick one of them off."

"Hmmm..." Melissa closes her eyes, considering the options. All of them are pretty capable, save for Mora. Even Britney, who's just a freshman, has predator skills that are nothing to scoff at.

"We can do it, but we should expect retaliation. Ideally, we cripple them so much that they can't possibly think to attack one of us as revenge. They might have a senior in their group, though, which worries me..." She takes in a breath and throws on a confident smile. "So, who's gonna be our scout?"

"I can do it," Nicole offers. "I'm new here, so they probably won't tie me to the Empty Bellies Club. I can go in, say I'm interested, get a read on all the members and tap out. When I don't show up for the next meeting they'll probably just assume I got gurgled."

"Nicole's got a good thought," Reya says, tapping her cheek. "Our flyer was up right next to theirs for a long time. They probably know my and Melissa's names pretty well. There's no official roster for Britney and Phoebe to be on other than the one Melissa sent... but they might have seen those two at the dining hall with us. And Mora..."

Mora laughs politely, rubbing her forehead. "Look, I know I'm clumsy, but I've lasted this long!"

"Just, I think Nicole's right, she's the best choice," Reya finishes. "And once we h—"

A security guard in mall cop uniform approaches them, noticing half of them are wet and drawing the worst conclusion. "More college kids playing pranks, huh?" She puts her hands on her hips. "Only thing inside the mall in the next three minutes is gonna be mall employees and dinner. And if y'all think I'm bluffing, ask y'all's friends from yesterday." She slaps her ass with a resounding SMACK. "Unless y'all want to see how they ended up, y'all best be off."

"Er...right away, ma'am." Melissa quickly gets up from her seat, expecting the others to follow suit.

Nicole stands up, prompting a deep slosh from her engorged belly. "Looks like it's time to head out. I think I'll be taking this as a souvenir, though~" She waves around a photo strip she had in her pocket. The first frame shows a group of three college-age girls posing in a photo booth. The second shows their surprised reactions to something off-screen. The rest capture the process of Nicole barging in and swallowing one of them whole while the other two run away in fear.

As Phoebe uncoils, she puts her hands on her belly, giving it a slight push. "Thanks again for the meal, sweetie~" she whispers lovingly. The massive bulge on her abdomen gurgles noisily, then smoothly shifts downward into her tail.

Glluuuushh~ glug glug glug~ glorp....

A thick rushing of chyme drains down into her tailgut, returning her distended belly to normal size as the melted mass moves into her second stomach. Phoebe shakes her hips as she casually slithers toward the exit, making sure every last trace has been worked into her tail.

BwrAAAAAAAAAUUUURP~ "E-excuse me..."

The mall cop watches with her hands still on her hips and a stern expression on her face... though when she sees how many of these "pranksters" have full, sloshing bellies, she feels a brief chill run down her spine. ... How close was I to joining whoever was in that lamia...? She definitely doesn't get paid enough to mess with gangs of predators... Eating shoplifters, fine, but this?!

Britney takes the photo strip from Nicole, peering at it closely. "Oooh, this is a good souvenir. That must have been quite the catch! Pity two of them got away... but I doubt you'd have been able to fit all three of them."

As Phoebe shakes her hips from side to side, Mora and Reya fall silent, just watching the snake show with mouths partly agape. Utterly hypnotized.

"Damn," Mora says finally, shaken from her trance by the belch.

"What she said," Reya agrees, her voice faint.

The gang of predators leave the mall and ride back to their dorms, laughing and joking as they get in some last remarks and friendly banter. Reya, Britney, Nicole, and Phoebe expect to see some added weight to their figures by tomorrow morning. While Mora and Melissa didn't partake in any feast, they did at least meet an interesting individual that they may revisit in the future. The club has one final obstacle to overcome before they can claim their prize, but they now have a plan. All that's left to do now is wait and see what Nicole can find...