You turn to the undead mage, tears pooling in your eyes, and a mighty shout brewing in your lungs, and you begin with all of your might.
Help me! Save me!
Um, I know, I know. Calm yourself. I won't let her do anything to harm you.
Oh? Why are you so frightened? Have I done something wrong?
Listen, Miss, I do appreciate you coming in and demonstrating that the portal functions, but our dimension is not accepting visitors at this time. I need to ask you to return home.
Hmm, ah, did I misunderstand? I believed that your repeated attempts at establishing a crossing were an invitation. Am I to understand that he is already yours?
I would never attempt to usurp the claim of another.
I, um, yes, that is correct. He is my research assistant.
Ah, my apologies. Then I shall leave you be, Spellweaver.
Open a crossing again if you wish. You are not the first. You will not be the last.
Farewell. We will meet again in your future.
Giving a polite courtesy, the shoggoth inclines her head to the both of you before stepping back into the rift of her own volition, giggling one last time. She steps through, flicking her wrists and vanishing back into her own dimension.
The rift crackles and whines before hissing and collapsing, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Finally, the pressure in your brain is eased, and you can breathe again. You collapse into the table breathing hard.
It seems that I was a little overzealous. My apologies. I should have taken the appropriate precautions. But it seems that your psyche is still intact, if a little rattled. We're fortunate that she was so cooperative, whatever she was.
I will admit, I'm more than a little curious. I want nothing more than to prepare another experiment, to delve back into this mystery and learn all I can. But I can tell that you are in no condition for that.
You have held up your end of the bargain, so I will hold up mine.
Although, perhaps I can offer you another choice. Know that even if you decline, I will still fulfill our original terms and transport you to safety. But perhaps you might wish to stay... here, with me.
Um, I told our interdimensional friend that you were my... research assistant. For a lich such as myself, such a term is interchangeable with that of an intimate partner.
In other words, I was essentially telling her that we were married. Somehow, I felt she would understand that.
Despite the difference in dimensions, it seems that the monstrous interest in monogamy still holds true.
Um, I'm not especially skilled in these types of conversations, but I would not complain if you chose to stay with me. I can offer you shelter, sexual pleasure, and all the reading material you could wish for, so long as you would continue to assist me with my research.
Does such an arrangement interest you?
