"EEP!" I squeak out with as much dignity as I can muster.

  Suddenly seeing my perspective shift as a comfortable warmth flushes through my body, I'm suddenly a lot smaller and staring up, and the person who scared me shitless.

  Long, silver hair that cascaded over her shoulders, pointed ears peeking out of it. Eyes like two sapphires set against a bck velvet, glowing with an ethereal light, radiating intensity and drawing you in. Her ash gray skin only serves to enhance her sharp, almost regal features, which are set in a snarl. Complete with fangs. Much longer fangs than I'd expect to see. Wow, does she look hot? And angry, very angry. But oh my god, steponme.

  Her attire is practically screaming elegant Gothic vampire. An ensemble of raven-bck with silver accents that seem to glow with a life of their own. Tightly fitted bodice ced with golden threads, accentuating a mature figure, while the intricate patterns on her dress seem to hint at something eldritch.

  Frozen as I am looking up at the giant of a woman, although that might just be my new vertically challenged body, her face shifts to one of confusion, with one eyebrow quirked.

  "That... is certainly a new trick."

  I mean, yeah. Duh. New body. No idea what happened here.

  Looking around, I see a chance and dart towards what looks like a mousehole under a bookshelf.

  At least, I try. Turns out being in a new body that then turned into an even newer body means when you try to run on two legs and you have four, you sort of, uhm, spt and just kick at air.

  "Pffft!"

  Looking back at my hostess, I see her smile for a split second before her face goes back to cool indifference.

  "Succubus. What are you doing in my vessel, and how did you get here? You will tell me."

  Succubus? What? Nonono Strax is a tiefling I've never made them a succubus! I've never even thought to really give them a gender and just had them be a non-binary chaos gremlin who steals shit and sets things on fire!

  Okay. Think Co--Coooooooorr... Strax. Later. Fuck. Show her you're not a threat.

  I roll over on my back and raise my... paws? and wiggle them cutely.

  I'm not ashamed. I'm clearly a small animal. I'm cute. No one is gonna hurt some sort of small animal. Okay, a little ashamed. Mostly flustered and more than a bit scaroused.

  She's just staring. I wiggle a bit more. Maybe I can make it to the mousehole if I keep wiggling and pretending to be defenseless. Who am I kidding? I am defenseless. Look at those teeth. Hells, they scream predator. Shessohotomg. NO! DOWN GIRL!

  "Am I meant to be amused by this? Change back before I break your neck, succubus."

  Faster than I can blink, she's picked me up by the scruff and is holding me in front of her face.

  Her eyes are GORGEOUS. The bck sclera set around her gem like blue eyes give off the feeling of ice. Maybe a frozen ocean pnet against the backdrop of space. If I wasn't terrified and transformed into some weird animal, I'd sigh over how pretty they are.

  "Alright, you had your chance."

  She takes my head by the other hand and twists.

  NO NO NO NO

  I don't hear a snap even as I close my eyes; instead, there's another fsh of warmth and a sudden tightness against my shoulders.

  Risking it I open my eyes and look down, and I'm apparently back to normal.

  "What in the Divines are you?"

  Snapping my attention back to her face, I gulp audibly.

  "Strax? I'm... uh... Just a little guy?"

  She drops me, and I nd with a wince on my tail and ass.

  "Owowow."

  "What is a strax, and how did you get on my vessel?"

  I just sort of grab my knees and avoid looking at her. Eye contact has never been my greatest talent. I'm sure as shit not gonna try it on the hot dommy mommy vampire.

  "Uh, yeah. Uhm, I don't know, and I'm sorry? Also, I'm Strax. Not a succubus. Not a race. My name?"

  I hold out my left arm, angled so she can see the name that's basically tattooed into my skin.

  "Sorry about what?"

  "Showing up in your bed? And for petting your... bat?"

  Sighing, she traces her fingers through the air, and there's a... sort of thrum?

  "Let's try this again. Through what method did you come aboard?"

  "I really don't know!"

  "What is your name?"

  "Strax!"

  Her brows knit together in what I think is frustration? Maybe confusion.

  "Where did you come from?""... Uhm... Would you believe me if I said I don't remember? My bed?"

  "Alright. What is your race?"

  "Yes? I'm not a succubus!"

  "What gender are you?"

  "Uhm. That's sort of complex, but male? I guess?"

  Another shifting of her eyebrows. What's so confusing, and why the need to know my gender? Oh god, please tell me this isn't a ship of Amazonian vampires that are going to eat me. Although not the worst way to go. Tall, gorgeous vampires? Fuck.

  "Were you in a mana rich environment or building?"

  "I don't think so? It's not really a thing where I was from."

  "And yet you're here. Where are you from?"

  I open my mouth to say something, but I can't think of the word. I feel my own face scrunching up as I try to think and come up with a lot of nothing. The best I can do is my apartment.

  "I-I d-don't know."

  I can feel myself getting upset. My eyes watering up slightly.

  There's a beat of silence as the tall vampiric goddess squats down in front of me.

  "Strax. Is this your body?"

  I tense up and feel my tail coiling around me.

  "I-I don't think so."

  A firm, cold, calloused hand grabs me by the chin and tilts my face towards her.

  "Strax, do you have any pns to hurt me or anyone on board?"

  "No!"

  "Even if we're not demons? Vampires and the like?"

  "I LIKE VAMPIRES!"

  Oh. I said that with a bit too much enthusiasm, didn't I?

  "Okay Strax. Stay here for a bit. I'll be back in a few minutes."

  I watch as she gets up and, before leaving the room, looks over her shoulder with a soft, albeit perplexed, expression.

  Picking up my tail, I sort of start stroking it before noticing the spade like tail. Ah. That's why she thought I was a succubus, I guess.

  I crawl onto the armchair and sort of curl up as best I can before letting out a sigh.

  At least she didn't eat me yet.