Crawling along the sides of the road with clockwork grace, multitudes of mantises move purposefully as the day approaches its end. Modified from their ancient, miniature morphology, the now sentient bipedal insects stand tall, cooperating in the countless small gestures of civilization. At crosswalks they wait for vehicles to pass, pedestrians and road traffic both following the indications of lighted signs. Bare chitin and sexual organs alike are modestly covered with clothing, currency exchanged in the shops and stores along the sidewalks. Those walking keep mostly to the ground, only occasionally detouring onto walls to pass by an obstruction. Despite the many varied destinations of all these respectable, law-abiding mantises, there is one spot on the street that most seem to actively avoid. Standing out from the utilitarian design of neighboring buildings, the glass construction is filled with the blurred green shapes of vegetation, lightly frosted panes protecting the privacy of those within from prying eyes without. Unlike the fairly fashionable patrons of other establishments, the mantises that enter wear minimal, almost unappealing clothing. More and more of these ilk arrive as the night grows later, commerce dying down across the rest of the street. Immediately inside, these mantises turn down a sharply turning hall that doubles back on itself, providing privacy from those walking by outside. The short entryway leads into a small foyer where two larger mantises stand guard, supervising while newcomers strip off and discard the clothing they'd worn in. Chitinous green exoskeleton is laid bare beneath the dim lights, more modest mantises briefly covering their breasts and reproductive organs from the watching bouncers. Despite this respect paid to the rules of civilization even these most reserved of mantises are undeniably deviants, here to engage in sexual rebellion against the taboos of their society. The purpose of the building was akin to a kind of nightclub, a place for single mantises to meet and find mates. More specifically it catered to satisfying an ancient urge that most modern mantises had resigned themselves to resisting, giving its patrons a place to privately and consensually engage in fatal coitus. Unanimously hermaphroditic, mantises had struggled to attain civilization in large part due to the death toll their methods of intercourse engendered. An adult might chance to survive their first mating only at the cost of their partners life, albeit a life given up quite willingly. The resulting eggs would eventually make up for this, as mantises matured quickly enough that in prehistoric societies losing half their adult population every so often was not a problematic cost. Had they been dual gendered as their ancient ancestors were, a matriarchy might've developed, knowledge and culture passing on through a ruling class of long lived females. Instead, as hermaphrodites each adult's chance to live past coitus was only 50% each mating. The incidence of sexual activity for the average mantis thus made it rare for any to live long enough to pass on complex knowledge of the sort crucial towards civilization. Workarounds to this had been as crucial to the creation of mantis society as the development of agriculture, and such practices were still in use today. Placing a meal of fresh meat at the head of the bed was a tried and tested tradition, giving whoever ended up penetrated something to satiate their hunger besides their mate's head. Despite its undeniable efficacy in continuing their civilization and prolonging their lives, some mantises still resented this method; this was not entirely unreasonable, given that there were quite a few legitimate drawbacks. Along with being far less effective at ensuring fertilization, deathless mating was viscerally unsatisfying, the frustration of basic instincts punishing the civilized creatures with less pleasure, orgasms that barely qualified as climax. Thus such small, shameful establishments as this one still existed, unable to be outlawed due to a quiet but definite demand. Here, those willing to risk and quite often lose their lives would congregate, their deaths able to be borne by the greater number of more restrained adults. The prospect of true climax enticed them, or else the guarantee of successful insemination if they survived. Potential decapitation both frightened and enticed the insects, the mortal loss made erotic by deep-seated instincts that steered their sex drive. Movements jerky and antennae wiggling with excitement, the newly naked mantises were allowed into the main atrium one by one, ready to kill or be killed in lustful release by someone they would meet tonight. Among the dense foliage that filled most of the frosted greenhouse, a central lit clearing directly before the doors gave the mantises a place to mingle. Built around a particularly large tree trunk, a bar provided the anxious individuals a facade of normalcy, the familiar sight helping to them relax in ways not wholly related to the intoxicants it offered. Beyond the clearing shadowy shapes of mating mantises were partially obscured by vegetation, heady scents of sex and meat in the air. Courtship was straightforward for those using the primitive method. Of the few dozen single mantises scattered about one would approach another, coming into close contact. One or the other of their phalluses would then inflate, a pale, tapering tentacle that telescoped outward from a small sheath located above their egg slit. Soft compared to their chitin, lubricant was expelled out of a small hole at the pointed tip, a thick bulge of sensitive nerves running along the underside of the shaft. If both mantises grew erect soon after meeting, the pair would head off into the foliage to mate. After a few minutes, only one member of each couple would return. Newcomers passed these departing survivors on their way in, the expressions of contentment they saw on their faces only further bolstering their resolve in the choice they'd made. In the more likely circumstance that one or both mantises failed to get an erection, the suitor would soon leave to try their luck with someone else, if necessary waiting for their phallus to retract before approaching a new potential mate. It was a somewhat well known quirk of mantis social dynamics that this method would eventually result in a match, no matter how small or large the group. Experiencing this straightforward form of proposition for the first time in her life, a particularly busty mantis by the name of Marie found herself approached by two others in quick succession. Each of the other hermaphrodites had grown erect almost as soon as they laid eyes on her large breasts, beelining towards her with mandibles working in hopeful, hungry expressions of lust. Marie's own phallus stayed stubbornly retracted, each of those that had approached soon leaving to look for someone more receptive. Trying her luck on the other side of the clearing, another mantis named Jenna was plagued by a tingle of anxiousness in her lower belly as she approached the first solitary person she'd seen, phallus inflating instantly. Lust buzzed through her, sharpening as the other mantis showed interest, making Jenna briefly think that this was going to be the one. Coming close, she even went so far as to press herself up against the other herm, their mandibles interplaying and antennae touching in a casual kiss. Yet despite both their willingness, at the end of the encounter only Jenna's cock had showed. Seeming slightly disappointed, the other mantis left Jenna alone. Erection deflating, Jenna collected herself with enthusiasm only mildly dampened. Having spurned several more suitors that had come to her, Marie had now taken it upon herself to try and meet others, getting close to another herm at the bar with no effect from either of their cocks. On her way away from this encounter an older mantis happened to catch her eye, the lone insect hanging back at the edge of the clearing. Curiously, she wore a severed cock from a strap around her neck, stroking it and appearing to talk to it while the disembodied phallus wiggled weakly. Approaching this strange customer, Marie's antennae briefly twitched upward in greeting, the other herm reciprocating the gesture. Once she was in speaking range Marie covertly pointed at the cock, not sure how impolite she was being. "That's an interesting keepsake. Did you just get it?" Partially she suspected this woman had already mated, though her egg slit was still open and body unstained by the leakings and scents of primitive sex. It didn't seem to make sense for her to have a severed cock otherwise, although holding such a macabre trophy was abnormal in any regard. "No." The older mantis smiled, petting the shaft where it squirmed along her cleavage. "Though it was from my previous partner, they're a month long gone. I keep this little piece of her alive out of sentiment... it was a quite enjoyable mating. Easy enough to do, if you know the right nutrients to mix." Marie's eyes fixated on the popped tip of the phallus, the pinprick hole that it had once been having violently blown open into a much wider orifice. Looking up along the base of the cock, she also noticed a small flat container affixed to where it had once been attached to its owner, half-filled with a colored liquid that she assumed was the nutrient mixture. Despite the distaste she felt for what this woman had done, Marie was faintly shocked to realize her own cock was starting to extend, dribbling juices onto the grass between the two women. "Why is it still wiggling?" she asked stupidly, flustered by her response. Remembering the answer even as the other woman laughed, it was nonetheless too late to spare herself from the their gentle teasing. "The nerve bundle is still there, isn't it?" Turning the shaft slightly, she showed Marie the bulging line along the underside. "It controls your cock pretty much completely, you know. Just in case you thought all that wiggling was purely random." Glancing at Marie's own waving phallus, she affectionately rubbed along her past lover's nerve bundle, the shaft responding by straightening and going still. "It's what takes over if your head gets bit off. Not as smart as a whole brain, but... well, I like to think it remembers me, and still wants more." Lifting the cock to her lips, she kissed it with an outer pair of mandibles, cooing to it as if it were a pet. "Isn't that right, little one? Knocking me up once wasn't enough for you, greedy thing." Faintly disgusted now, Marie felt even more embarrassed by how her own cock was reacting, nerve bulge throbbing and shaft craning towards the woman. Noticing, the other mantis laughed, lowering her pet cock and teasingly waving her hips towards Marie's member. "Maybe your own little thing is feeling jealous! You know, it's often the cocks that decide who'll end up on top when it's time for someone to lose their head. Not to mention how they pick out our mate in the first place." Looking down at her own crotch and noting her lack of response, the older mantis shrugged, looking sympathetic. "Unfortunately it looks like a nice rack isn't enough for me... My cock must not be looking to end up with me as the one chowing down. Sorry." Sounding truly lustful at the prospect her own cock might sentence her to death, the other woman gave Marie a consoling wave of her antennae as the younger mantis turned away. Though a little flustered, Marie mostly felt relieved, unsure how she liked the idea of her cock being ripped off her corpse. Jenna had taken a break from trying to find a match, stopping at the bar to order a drink and relax before heading back on the prowl. Already intimately aware of the limited intelligence contained in her phallus, the tickle of anxiousness she still felt didn't derive from worries about not being able to find a mate. Instead she worried about losing her nerve, a recursive problem which she fully understood the irony of. Hoping a drink would soothe away the last of her misgivings, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that the bar didn't charge. As they made up her drink, the bartender was more than happy to explain how the business worked. By providing a safe place for deviants to mate and die the building's owners got access to a plentiful source of mantis meat, selling the corpses at high price to local restaurants to serve as a delicacy. The profit more than allowed for a few free drinks for their patrons, helping to retain their livestock and encourage more meat production. At the end of the chat the bartender passed Jenna a drink so huge that her antennae went stiff with surprise, the glass obscured from her view until the final moment. Once her shock had worn off the nude mantis perched herself upon her barstool, holding her drink in both hands as she sipped and looked out among the crowd. More and more mantises were slipping away together, she noticed, the scents in the air growing strong and fresh. Going to order her own drink after her ordeal, Marie leaned up against the bar beside Jenna, starting to try and attract the bartender's attention. Several others were already waiting, and she had little luck after a minute's time. Thoughts still rolling around the idea of her shaft getting torn off, she had barely even registered Jenna until the other mantis gently prodded at her shoulder, turning to see the woman's friendly expression. "Wanna share?" Holding up her huge cup, Jenna explained, "They gave me way too much. I've only drunk a little so far." "Oh, thanks. I'd love to." Taking the drink carefully, Marie dipped her mandibles into it and swallowed. Mixed in with the flavorings and intoxicants was the taste of Jenna's pheromones, oddly complementary to the overall mixture. Peering over either side of the glass, Marie watched as Jenna looked her over, appreciating her large bust and overall figure. After letting the other mantis get an eyeful she lowered the cup and passed it back. "So, what's your name?" Marie asked. Sipping briefly, Jenna wiggled her antennae in a pacifying gesture while she swallowed. "Jenna. You?" "Marie." Leaning back against a tree beside the bar, Marie gave Jenna her own admiring glance, appreciating the size of her cock sheath and the shapely aperture of her egg slit. Thinking of the strange older mantis, she asked, "Have you ever been here before?" "No, this is my first time, though I've mated regularly before. Both ways." Taking another long draft, Jenna passed the drink back to Marie. "It didn't feel right. I could tell that... that it could've been better." Sipping, Marie commiserated as she handed the cup back once more, watching Jenna drink. "When you're the one penetrating, you feel like you barely came... and when you're getting penetrated, you feel like you barely ate." Jenna's antennae twitched in emphatic agreement as she tried to offer Marie the last few gulps of their drink. Declining, Marie spoke again as Jenna drank down the rest. "It's a lot more uncertain when you're in the moment, I hear. When you really let go, you don't know what you'll end up doing. Biting... or getting bitten." Swallowing, Jenna shuddered briefly, phallus starting to show signs of life. Extending out leisurely, a dribble of juice trickled from it onto her chitinous thigh, slowly getting fully erect while she stared into Marie's eyes. Setting the drink back down onto the bar, she spoke without a trace of lingering anxiety. "Luckily I'm game for either. How about you?" Breathing out slowly, Marie stared at Jenna's magnificent cock, antennae quivering while she admired it. So thick it swelled slightly around the opening it had pushed out of, it pointed towards Marie's slit like a compass, flawless skin gleaming pale and shiny beneath the bar's lights. Marie shuddered in happiness as she felt her own cock inflate, unable to tear her eyes away from Jenna's body. "I'm hoping for one end over the other," she admitted. "But... I'll keep it a secret which." Laughing softly, Jenna stood up from her bar stool and approached Marie's tree. Looking down at the other mantis's cock, she felt her excitement build as she considered how it'd feel going into her, or how her own might feel going into Marie. Coming close enough that their shafts could touch, she let out a soft sound of pleasure as the two phalluses intertwined. "So... ready to risk it all?" Jenna asked. Seeming hypnotized by the movement of their cocks against each other, Marie jerked briefly before responding. "Yeah... I think I am. Especially if I'm risking it with you." Jenna's nerve bundle pulsed, tightening around Marie's cock and spurting lubricant across her belly. Taking hold of Marie's forearm, she lead the two of them away from the bar, into the seclusion and privacy of the dark forest. Both mantis's heartvalves were pounding in excitement as they traversed the dimness, the low light heightening their other senses. Inside their abdomens each could feel their gonads springing to life, starting to produce sperm and ready eggs for fertilization. It filled them with a sensation of warmth as they passed by headless corpses and still mating pairs, some of the latter with two heads between them, some having only one. Soon the pair secluded themselves behind a short barrier of bushes, several other shadowy couples mating only a few feet away, one figure even pausing to watch the pair of them. Giving little care to privacy, the two pressed intimately together, mandibles playing in a deep insectile kiss. Clawing at each others' breasts, they began to stroke their cocks against each other's thighs and crotches, slowly homing in on one another's shafts until the two intertwined. Antennae waving against each other, the two started to lose themselves to passion, reason and civilization erased from their minds as instinct took over. Particularly excited, Marie shuddered against Jenna's body as the two thrust their cocks together, nerve bulges throbbing, lubricant sticking to their chitin and skin. Lost in the kiss of their mashed together mandibles, her antennae began to vibrate in anticipation, utterly certain about what was going to happen next. The two would kiss until they couldn't take it anymore, their cocks vying to see who would end up where, Marie ending up with her cock inside Jenna's hole. They'd fuck without thought, Marie herself barely beginning to blow her load before Jenna ate her head. The thought of being decapitated made Marie's cock throb all the harder, her thoughts continuing past the point of her own death. Once she was headless her body would begin truly inseminating Jenna, the tip of her cock bursting to let out more cum faster, her hips going haywire. A few liters of the thick seed she was producing right now in her gonads would fill up her mate to the point that conception was all but guaranteed, her nerve bundle making sure she delivered her final load before her headless body stopped moving. Overwhelmed with arousal as she vividly envisioned her own encroaching demise, Marie shuddered in a final powerful convulsion, cock still wrapped around Jenna's as the two kissed. A wave of sudden ecstasy hit, the busty mantis crying out in surprise and bliss, unsure what was happening at first. All she knew was it was something wonderful, a pure and potent pleasure coursing through her nervous system with her pulsing phallus at the center of it. Looking down, she realized her shaft was swelling up rapidly, the tip especially engorged as high pressure squirts of white fluid sprayed from the pinhole opening. Understanding hit right as her cock popped, the end exploding into a wide, torn hole that disgorged more semen in a thick, almost gelatinous flow. Jenna stumbled back, her own cock and abdomen suddenly coated by Marie's premature cumshot. Antennae flicking back in disgust, the other mantis watched Marie continue to unload, her ejaculation dragging on as she shot her seed straight onto the dirt between them. "No... no..." The initial ecstasy of her orgasm fading, Marie felt panic and shame begin to set in, staring in mute horror at her own phallus. Though the feeling had been heavenly, this was a far cry from what she'd truly wanted. With her head still attached to her shoulders her orgasm felt stunted, dissatisfying. Triggered by the act of ejaculation, she experienced an itching instinct to offer Jenna her head, forcing her to bow towards the other woman. Combined with her fetish, this desire only grew more and more acute with each passing second. Shuffling forward on her knees through a puddle of her own wasted sperm, Marie held her arms out to Jenna, pleading as she craned her head forward for her mate to take. "Please! I... I can still do it. Let me mate Jenna, please... I'll do whatever you want, it was an accident... please..." Marie whimpered, antennae hanging dejected and limp as her mouthparts moved. Between her legs her cock shot more and more cum in a heavy flow, gonads still churning out fresh seed, ignorant of the circumstance of her orgasm. Overcoming her initial jolt of disgust, Jenna felt faint pity at the sight of her potential mate. Glancing over at the mantis that had been watching, she felt slight surprise to notice they were still present, clearly pumping away at their own cock. Gauging herself, Jenna realized she still felt a burning desire to mate, too turned on by their foreplay to let this opportunity slip due to Marie's mistake. Stepping back towards the busty mantis, she knelt before her and grabbed her unloading dick, feeling it pulse as it pumped out every drop of cum it could. "Well... I'll have to penetrate, I suppose. This won't be good for much now." Jenna shook Marie's shaft as its ejaculation finally subsided, the two of them kneeling in the huge puddle made by the few liters of cum it had released. It was softening now, still everted but unable to stand straight. The blown out tip leaked leftover seed, the phallus as a whole resembling a burst balloon. By contrast Jenna's cock still looked perfect and proudly erect, ready to fill up an egg slit with its girth. Though Jenna seemed equally content with the prospect she'd proposed, Marie frantically reacted against it. "No!" Grabbing at Jenna's thighs, she begged with her mate, face coming ever closer as she continued to feel an overwhelming desire to be decapitated. "I wanted to be... I want you..." Looking down desperately, she scooped a handful of her cum off of the dirt, shoving it up into Jenna's egg slit. Repeating this, she tried to cram as much of the mistimed orgasm as she could into her mate, blown out cock flopping back and forth while she moved with jerky urgency. "You can still get fertilized from this, I just... I need to do it, I need to fuck you. I want it so bad, Jenna..." Staring pleadingly up at the other mantis, her huge compound eyes shone in the dim light. Somewhat skeptical, Jenna sighed and sat back. Too turned on to deny her, she at first felt like she was only humoring Marie as she allowed the other mantis to cram more and more sticky seed into her slit. After a while though, a slight tingling from her internal gonads hinted to her that the ploy might actually be working. Hunger started to kindle in her stomach, saliva dripping from her mandibles as Marie's more delicious qualities seemed to stand out to her. "C'mon, that's enough." Jenna stopped Marie, stroking her breasts as she pulled the woman towards her, mouthparts working as she felt the delicious weight and give of the flesh. Forcing herself to stop groping her dessert, she put her attention on the task at hand. "Let's see if you can do it. It's ok, come here." Grabbing Marie by the hips and pulling her mate's crotch against her own, she watched as her mate started trying to push her soft cock into her. Their antennae touched, Jenna's flexing slightly in pleasure while Marie finally got her shaft inside. "That's it... this might work." Overwhelmed with relief, Marie began to thrust, the desire to have her head bitten off so prominent that it felt almost like madness. Compounded by the frustrated instincts from her orgasm, what had once been a fetish was now an all-consuming obsession, her only goal in what remained of her life. Thrusting her limp phallus in and out of Jenna's slit, Marie practically pressed her forehead against her mate's mandibles. Looking up with crossed eyes at the mandibles that would soon bite into her, she shuddered in anticipation as she felt saliva drip across her face. Despite the decreased size from the damage it had sustained, Marie's thrusting cock still served to trigger Jenna's instincts, hunger building up slowly as she continued to quiver in mating bliss. Withholding with what was left of her conscious mind, she let her desire to devour her mate build until it was undeniable, waiting so the moment she bit down could be all the more satisfying. Embarrassment and shame completely forgotten, Marie's whole body shuddered with increasing excitement. Pleasure built along her nerve bundle, cum slopping and squishing between them while she fucked Jenna with everything she had. Part of her realized the mating was dragging on, her body taking a long time to reach another orgasm. She didn't care, nor did she pay any mind to the way her cock barely seemed to fill Jenna in its deflated state. Nothing could bother her now so close to the fulfillment of her ultimate wish, the end every instinct was urging her towards. Finally groaning out in orgasm, Marie's cock gave a twitch. The climax was weak, utterly dry after her gonads had completely depleted themselves. Only the throbbing of her nerve bundle served to signal to Jenna's body that she had even cum at all, the motion of her limp cock otherwise no different. Immediately feeling her hunger surge past the point of resistance, Jenna bit down at once as instinct demanded she strike. Saliva and brain squished together as she chewed through Marie's head in a deeply satisfied glut. Dying, her mate let out a final soft gurgle, Marie's nerve bundle seizing control of her body and taking over her thrusts. Jenna swallowed the mouthfuls she'd taken, mandibles messy while she continued to feast. In short order she devoured every last piece of her lover's head, the body reduced to a decapitated rutting machine, the still living corpse continuing to pump its hips and try to make use of its flopping phallus. Swallowing hard, Jenna gasped softly as her own minor climax hit. Nowhere near intense as Marie's premature orgasm, Jenna's instead only served as the neurological trigger that released the cum she herself had produced. Built up prior to her penetration in the event she had ended up in Marie's role, the unneeded semen spurted out blisslessly, Jenna watching while her cock shot thin strings of sticky white across the humping corpse's chest. Squeezed through the pinhole opening at the tip of her shaft, it took longer for her to ejaculate than it had for Marie, though overall she produced far less seed than her late lover. Still ravenous, cannibalistic instinct directed Jenna to press forward and continue her meal. Soft, nutrient rich meat produced exclusively for this purpose tore into tender chunks as her mandibles mauled Marie's chest, Jenna reclaiming what resources her body had spent on producing her own sperm as she swallowed her cumshot down too. The sticky liquid made a salty glaze atop Marie's delectable breasts, Jenna making short work of the delicacy, stomach grown more and more pleasantly full with each passing bite. At last, there was nothing left to eat. Gone still, Marie's body had given up every last drop of life to the purpose of procreation. Her head and breasts would nourish the eggs she had inseminated, almost all the sperm she had misfired now sealed within Jenna's egg slit. Touching her slightly bulging belly, Jenna felt sure the effort hadn't been for nothing. A telltale glow of heat within her gave evidence to growing eggs, her stomach working overtime to digest all of Marie she'd eaten. Despite the pleasureless orgasm and Marie's premature ejaculation Jenna felt deep satisfaction, for once in her life utterly satiated. Even just the pleasure and excitement she'd gotten from Marie's limp cock had made this far, far more enjoyable than any previous mating she'd had, scratching an itch that had nagged her since she'd reached sexual maturity. Looking down at Marie's corpse, she felt sure that once her egg was laid she would be back here to try her odds again. Nearby, the shadowed mantis that had been watching their mating cried out softly in climax. Ghostly white strings of seed started to coat the bush they stood near, the fresh scent of ejaculate filling the air. Paying no mind to this, Jenna knelt down one last time over Marie's body, placing their crotches near together. Directing her attention at the still weakly squirming shaft, she reached down, intertwining the phallus with her own one last time as she spoke softly. "I hope you got what you wanted, Marie. Sorry it wasn't perfect." Her nerve bulge throbbed slightly in tandem with Marie's, their two soft shafts squeezing one another. Holding on more weakly, Marie's cock was forced to let go as Jenna's shaft retracted back into her body, the surviving mantis standing up after sharing a final farewell. Once upright Jenna realized that the mantis that had been watching them had begun to approach. Curious, she observed the unfamiliar woman as they came close, noting the severed cock worn around their neck, cradled between a pair of breasts even larger than Marie's had been. A mantis's chest continued to grow as they aged, signifying to Jenna that this woman was a decade older than her at least. "Hi there. That was a lovely mating, if I might say so." The older mantis's antennae spread in earnestness, her body painted with thin strands of her own cum. It appeared she'd pointed her phallus back at herself, intentionally covering herself as she ejaculated. Though she hardly needed any additional evidence beyond the severed cock, Jenna felt sure this was a woman even more deviant than most of the mantises here. "Well... it had its rough patches, but I'm sure it was successful." Placing her hand over her stomach, she felt a pang of satisfaction, even more certain now that the fertilization was going swimmingly. "Oh, it was even more beautiful for the rough patches, dear. In fact, I came over with an offer for you." Taking Jenna by the arm, the older mantis used one clawed digit to score Jenna's chitin, scratching out a string of numbers. Jenna recognized it as a phone number, glancing up at the woman inquisitively. "Once you've laid that egg, call me." Starting to finger her own unfilled egg slit, the older mantis made herself into a picture of perversion, spattered in her own seed and masturbating uselessly. "I've been looking for a mate that can put up with a few... complications."