Ch.2 Marianne the Succubus [FE3H CYOA]

[Ch.1 poll winner: option B - recruit Hilda]

Marianne slid out of bed and shuffled over to her desk. Gazing back at her from her mirror was a weary woman with dark bags under her eyes, frizzled hair, and a face as red as a radish. For the first time in years, she saw her inner self reflected back at her - a scared, lonely, unkempt girl rather than her facade of an orderly, composed lady.

The lilac glow was barely noticeable, but still present nonetheless. It only took a moment longer for it to fade away completely.

‘Is this why the Goddess never answers me? Am I… her enemy?’ Gritting her teeth, Marianne got lost in thoughts as she began to dress herself. ‘Is it because I refuse to marry a nobleman and pass on my crest to another generation? Was my adoptive father right all along? Was that what the Goddess ordained?’ “Ow, my horn!”

Having bonked her left horn on her dresser drawer, she backed away and instinctually went to rub the impact location.

…Except no such horn was attached to her body.

“Wh-what was that? I… That wasn’t my head, was it?”

Returning to the mirror, she confirmed that she did not, in fact, have horns. However, Marianne still felt a lingering ache that was disconnected from her human shape: it was as if her mild pain was floating slightly above and to the left of her head. Before she could process what she was experiencing, the sensation vanished.

“Why did I say ‘my horn’? I don’t have horns… Not outside my dream, at least. Am I still dreaming?”

To answer her question, Marianne pinched her arm. After an uneventful moment, Marianne decided to believe that she was no longer asleep. With that determined, all that was left to do was take a deep breath and step out the door.

She turned right and climbed up the handful of steps in the corridor to see if anyone else was stirring, but all was quiet. The late sleepers were, predictably, taking advantage of their day off.

Thinking of the more relaxed soldiers, her eyes began to linger on the door to Hilda’s former bedroom. Her heart sank. Marianne had tried to forget that she was away from her girlfriend, but to no avail. Their forbidden romance spanned opposing sides of a continental war, but refused to fade away and die. Both women sent love letters to the other whenever they could, though they knew the odds of them arriving at their destination were always slim.

Marianne outstretched a trembling hand to the door handle, but froze. Curling her fingers into a fist, she let out a prolonged sigh. It was at that moment she decided to reunite with the love of her life instead of lingering on the past.

—

“It’s alright, Dorte. I promise to be gentle, unlike those inconsiderate lancers.”

The kind woman lightly stroked the bridge of her horse friend’s nose, then saddled up.

“Marianne.” Byleth called from behind her.

“Oh, Professor…”

“Good morning, Marianne. Are you busy today?”

“Oh, um, y-yes… I was actually… um…”

Byleth stood by patiently as Marianne fumbled her words.

“I’m going to recruit Hilda.” Marianne sighed, unable to bring herself to lie to her dear professor.

“That’s dangerous. I’ll come with you.” Byleth said in her characteristically curt manner.

“Oh, um… Thank you, professor, but it should just be me. I, um… I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“...” Deep in thought, Byleth gazed into the distance.

Marianne felt compelled to justify herself: she truly didn’t wish for anyone to worry.

“I love Hilda. She and I are dating, even now. We write to each other, praying that the war will end and we can be with each other again. But it’s not enough! I want to protect her! I don’t want to leave it all in the hands of the Goddess anymore, I want to keep her safe! I… I want to hold her again…” Marianne trailed off.

“...”

“Oh, but, um… M-my point is that, um, H-House Goneril knows me. They won’t attack me if I get caught. But I need to go alone for that to be the case.”

“...Alright.”

“Alright?”

Byleth nodded. “This is important to you. Go. And be safe.”

“Thank you, professor! I’ll be back as soon as I can!”

—

It was late in the evening by the time Marianne arrived at her destination. Since she knew her way around the Goneril estate, she cut through the empty pastures and snuck into the stables.

“Thank you, Dorte… You were wonderful! You stay here and get some well deserved rest.”

Marianne patted Dorte’s neck as she dismounted, then left him with the other horses. It wasn’t difficult for her to sneak around the familiar property under the cover of darkness, soon arriving under the window to Hilda’s bedroom.

To Marianne’s relief, candlelight was flickering from within. She took a tiny pebble in hand and tossed it at the window.

*Tink*

It wasn’t long before a familiar pink head of hair appeared behind the foggy panes of glass. When the window was lifted open, Marianne saw Hilda’s beautiful face for the first time in ages.

Hilda’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“Marianne!?” She whispered loudly.

“Hello Hilda!”

“One second!”

Hilda disappeared from sight momentarily, but soon returned with a long battleaxe. She lowered the bladed end out the window to her girlfriend.

“Grab on!”

Marianne leapt and grabbed the axehead. With Hilda’s almost superhuman strength, she was able to lift both the axe and the woman in through her window with ease.

“Mari!”

“Hilda!”

Hilda flung her arms around her partner and squeezed with a bit too much strength.

“Urk-!! Hilda! Too- Tight-!!”

“Sorry honey, I’m just really excited!” Hilda loosened her grip.

Marianne gently cupped Hilda’s blushing cheeks in her palms and pulled her in for a long, loving kiss. Their tongues made themselves at home in each other’s mouth, becoming a needy makeout session between the two love-starved partners.

*Pant, pant* “I love you so much,” Marianne gasped.

“I…” *Pant* “...love you too!” *Pant*

Marianne repositioned herself so she could wrap her arms over Hilda’s shoulders and hug her closer. Only then did she notice the tears dripping from her chin.

“Never leave me…” *Pant* “Please…” Marianne begged weakly.

“Never ever.”

Hilda buried her face in the side of Marianne’s neck to hide her own tears. Beginning to tremble, she struggled to keep her balance.

"Mari, I need to be under the covers with you, like, right now!" Hilda withdrew from their hug and began to disrobe herself.

"Hilda, wait. I need to talk to you first." Marianne sat on her girlfriend's bed.

"Okaaay…? What's up?"

"Something very strange has been happening to me lately… And I'm scared."

Hilda sat next to her partner once she was stark naked. Marianne pressed her thighs together and squeezed a clump of her dress. Her cheeks warmed up as she felt a damp spot appear in her panties. A new wave of arousal washed over her at the sight of her beloved getting naked for her.

"I… W-well, um…"

"Mhmm?" Hilda smiled warmly.

"Oh Goddess, it's happening again…"

"Marianne, what's happening again?"

"I just get so h-horny now! My libido is out of control! And my crest… my crest activates when I pleasure myself!"

"Huh… I've never heard of that happening before. But I think I know how to solve your libido problem~" Hilda bit her tongue playfully.

"That's not all, though… My crest, it, um… it changes. It turns purple and changes shape, and it lingers over me for ages - sometimes hours! And I get this weird feeling around other people. It's as if I c-can, um… s-see right into them."

Hilda placed her left hand over Marianne's. Her other hand cupped Marianne's cheek so she could wipe a tear away with her thumb.

"I love you, Mari. We'll get through this together, alright?"

"R-really?"

"Of course, silly! I'm here for you."

“Thank you!” Marianne smiled, stood up, hastily stripped naked, then lay back on her lover’s bed. “Oh Hilda, I’ve missed you so much! I need you…”

At that, her body again began to glow yellow, accompanied by the Crest of the Beast’s ethereal appearance.

“H-Hilda! Please! Touch me! Touch me anywhere, everywhere! I need you honey,” Marianne pleaded.

“Anything for you, Mari~”

Crawling over Marianne, Hilda wrapped one arm around her back while the other lightly grazed her sensitive labia lips. She nuzzled Marianne’s soft neck and began giving gentle love bites, then started to thumb her clitty.

“AH! Nnng, y-yes! Oh Hilda, yes! I love you! A-ahhh!”

Unreserved joy enveloped Marianne’s soul, swirling within her like never before. Reuniting with her cherished girlfriend for the first time after so long ignited her spirit in ways she could never have imagined.

After less than a minute, Marianne’s gentle yellow glow turned a fiery orange, then a pinkish red, and finally the same shade of lilac as before. The Crest of the Beast pulsed in dim bursts of light before being completely washed out in a cool ball of light.

“W-wait! This has never happened before!”

Hilda slid off her bed to give Marianne some space. The glimmering light radiating from her beloved flickered in her wide eyes and warmed her heart. Though she thought she should be scared, Hilda couldn’t have been further from fear: in fact, all she felt was a magnified attraction pulling at her heart.

Getting to her feet, Marianne stood before Hilda’s floor mirror. The glowing orb sparked away, revealing a new, completed crest. A large heart was the crux of the design, filled by an abstract representation of a deer’s head and antlers. Above its head was a smaller heart, still within the larger one. Above the main heart was what Marianne could only see as a representation of the braid of hair she used to style her hair. Under the main heart were two chevrons stacked on top of each other, the lower of which being the smallest. Finally, flanking the main heart were twin horns, each reaching a point at the top before doubling back downwards and finally ending in another point. To anyone else, the horns would have surely seemed like arbitrary shapes added on, but to Marianne, some small part of herself buried deep within recognised them not just as horns, but as her own horns.

[Reference picture]

Then, it was her body’s turn to take the spotlight. Marianne’s hands took on a lavender tint as her fingernails became sharp, black talons. The discolouration spread up her arms and into her torso as her feet also changed hue. A firm, painless pressure formed at her tailbone which spread outwards as a brand new appendage was formed. Tipping off her new tail was a blue heart that matched her hair. Finally, as the last of her body turned lavender, her horns sprouted and shaped themselves to precisely match how they appeared on her new crest. Though neither Hilda or Marianne thought anything of it, considering everything else, Marianne had a clear absence of wings.

“Wh… What…?” Marianne mouthed. “What’s happening to me!? Oh Goddess, what is this!?”

She delicately placed a hand on her horn. Marianne could feel sensation through her horns, which made her mind spin and her knees weaken. Her tail quivered as her mind adjusted to its new nervous system, occasionally flicking back and forth of its own volition.

“Mari, it’s okay,” Hilda tried to reassure. “Mari, it’s okay, alright?”

The human woman approached her now-demonic counterpart and hugged her close.

“Marianne, I’m here for you, okay?”

“H-Hilda! Oh Hilda…”

As Marianne returned the hug, the glow around her disappeared and her body seemingly melted back to its human form in an instant. Her succubus crest lingered for a moment, but was fading away as well. As it did, her libido returned to the front of her mind.

“I… Mmm, I’m still…” Marianne began to rub ner needy clitty.

Hilda hopped back into bed and beckoned Marianne with a pat on her lap.

“I’m always here for you~” Hilda winked.

Marianne was nothing but pleased to return to bed with her wonderful girlfriend.

[What would you like to happen when Marianne and Hilda wake up next morning?]

Option A: Marianne immediately tries to control and use her succubus powers, with potentially disastrous results.

Option B: Marianne and Hilda return to Garreg Mach, then seek the help of Byleth [who has a surprising insight to the situation].

Option C: Marianne and Hilda return to Garreg Mach, whereupon she discovers she has a dire craving to find herself some sexy succubus attire.

Option D: Marianne and Hilda return to Garreg Mach, then go people-watching for Marianne to explore her ability to see into people’s souls.

Option E: A needy cow [that may or may not truly be a cow] from Goneril territory follows Marianne and Hilda around like a lost puppy, all the way back to the monastery.