Chapter Text
The Touden party had previously been one of the most successful in delving into the dungeon; out of any other group on the island they made it the furthest. However overextending themselves proved to be their greatest flaw. The most recent excursion ended in tragedy; one encounter with a red dragon left their bond shattered. Falin was missing, Shuro and Namari both abandoned them. Laios, Chillchuck, and Marcille were left to pick up the pieces. None of them were about to abandon their faithful healer even if it meant going back down level by level. Tight on money, low on supplies and at half strength it was a fool's errand. They would have to press on subsisting on whatever they could find. Luckily for them a dwarf named Senshi shared Laios's passion for monsters and had the knowledge on how to consume them safely.
Marcille was less than enthusiastic about eating monsters and whatever other mysterious ingredients they found. She didn't have much of a choice however. Finding Falin meant more to her than creature comforts. She was used to struggling; dragging herself through the dungeon on an empty stomach; this was different though. It took lots of getting used to, eating what they found. She struggled at first, before every meal really, but hunger always won out. Senshi was an amazing cook; his meals were of the utmost quality no matter the ingredients he had on hand.
Marcille could clearly remember the first few meals they shared with Senshi. The thought of eating what they found down here made her skin crawl. Just watching him cook knowing what the ingredients were; she couldn't bring herself to look too closely. The smells though; the smells were what always brought her around. They couldn't be ignored and they always made her stomach convulse with need. Ignoring a meal when Senshi was around was impossible. Eating in his eyes was the most important part of living. Something that took some getting used to for Marcille.
Marcille did love to eat; food though, normal actual food. Still meal after meal she was slowly convinced to expand her limited palate. Eating used to be the part of traveling Marcille dreaded the most. Now she found herself looking forward to settling down for a meal. After months of subsisting on just a meal or even less some days this was a drastic change.
One thing that didn't change was that Marcille was always the first of the party to announce her hunger. Never verbally, her stomach did plenty of talking when it was close to mealtimes. She could recall previous adventures going days without food; only really being aware of it a few times. Now after a few hours she was peckish, double that time and her stomach would be growling like clockwork.
Marcille clasped a hand over her midriff as another wave of hunger rumbled through it. The elf grimaced as the ache was partially subdued by the insistent vibrations. She let her hand linger a moment longer, not out of discomfort but curiosity. The slightest bit of pressure was all it took for her to feel the excess flesh forming around her hand. Not so hidden beneath her robes was the effects of three dwarf sized meals a day. Her hunger didn't go unnoticed, she felt the knowing glances of her party members especially Chillchuck; his sensitive ears were always picking up on the sounds of her vocal midriff.
Marcille felt different, more clumsy almost. Her footing was sure and she had energy…still her momentum felt…off. As she traversed the dungeon her legs felt…sturdier. After weeks of eating three meals a day the effects were getting hard to ignore. Her robes felt tighter. Not restrictive, just flush against her skin, especially around her midsection and legs. The thin belt she wore quickly became a fashion accessory rather than a practical piece of her outfit.
As their campsite came together for the evening Marcille felt her interest in the fire and Senshi’s cooking pot growing. Once her bedroll was laid out and her pack set aside her mind was consumed with what their meal would be. It was distracting just how much her body expected food. The smells of vegetables frying and a sauce developing was making her mouth water. Marcille found herself re-reading the same few pages of her spell book over and over. The steady churning of her hollow stomach was as distracting as ever.
As Marcille sat down eager for a meal she couldn't help but marvel at how even sitting on the dungeon floor was comfortable now. The stones weren't pressing directly on her tailbone anymore. She'd developed a bit of cushion for the first time in her life. “Is this what it's like for Fallin?” The elf thought to herself as she recalled her friend's uncanny ability to lounge and get comfortable most anywhere. Not to mention all the times they were close and Fallin was always fine with Marcille holding or laying on her.
As Marcille received her portion of food she pushed thoughts of Fallin aside for the time being. Her stomach emitted one final pleading rumble of impatience before she eagerly spooned the food into her mouth. She didn't even ask what it was before eating anymore. Her willpower when it came to food had significantly diminished.
It felt like she was losing control of her own body, like she was at the mercy of its demands. At times she debated forgoing a meal just to try and wrestle back the control she used to have. Maybe calm the insatiable beast she'd become. The smell of food always brought her back to eating though. Which was for the best. Senshi wouldn't let anyone go hungry, not in his presence. Especially not Marcille who had previously been the skinniest.
The meal was delicious, it always was. Marcille was still dignified in her table manners. All the subtle movements and sounds she made while eating showed just how much she enjoyed the food. Everytime a new flavor or texture hit her tongue her eyes would widen and she'd chew with renewed vigor. Sometimes even swaying side to side and complimenting Senshi.
It was a sight that the others had grown accustomed to seeing. Marcille had definitely gotten better at coping with the current situation. Even if it was with eating, there were much worse ways given the circumstances. Afterall it was better to have a well fed mage then a half starved one. After all being underfed and under prepared was what put them in this situation to begin with.
Marcille cleaned her bowl as per usual. She wasn't the fastest eater of the group, but she was through; Not a scrap or drop of sauce was left. She could already feel herself getting tired now that she was full. Regular meals had done wonders for her circadian rhythm. No more insomnia or tossing and turning. When Marcille excused herself to her bedroll no one was surprised. To them her nightly routine was long, complex and uninteresting.
Once Marcille was in her own corner she began to strip off her outer clothes. The now useless belt was first. It was hugging her midsection before dinner; now she could feel it digging in with the slightest bit of discomfort. The contents of her stomach had further expanded her midriff making all her clothes feel restrictive. Once the belt came off the elf suppressed a hiccup as her stomach churned audibly. “Was this really how much she was supposed to be eating?” She thought to herself as she felt her midriff pressing against the fabric of her clothes.
As Marcille stripped her robes off and folded them neatly each movement seemed to call attention to her new shape. Whenever she would bend or squat she could feel the excess flesh on her frame pressing and squishing against her. After spending a majority of her life thin as a rail this was something she didn't think was possible, for her anyway.
Suddenly Marcille was becoming aware of her body for the first time in weeks. Her breasts were bigger. Nothing distracting but to her an actual handful now. Not that they'd been handled by anyone but her. Her underclothes were still quite loose, but she felt much more aware of the fabric. The way it cascaded down her body. What used to just hang from her shoulders now tented over the rounded mounds of fat she was developing. Her undershorts were actually getting very noticeably tight. What was once a breezy pair of shorts now felt constructive. Her thighs rubbed together and looked more like stuffed sausages rather than slender elvish legs.
As shameful as it was to admit. This was….exciting. Marcille had always been enraptured by Fallin’s body. The Tall woman had a very particular shape and curvature. One that Marcille had inadvertently started to replicate. “I wonder if she'll like it.” Marcille thought to herself as she gripped a handful of her plush thigh. Fallin would rarely comment on the elf's body. Mostly just casual observations about her hair or how clean her nails were; but never anything objectifying. The thought of Fallin seeing her in that way. Was stirring up another hunger much lower in her stomach.
Laying on her bed roll Marcille couldn't help but pinch and squeeze every inch of herself. Her weight gain was steady and it crept up on her. She was suddenly quite thankful for just how much her robes concealed. Not that she had to worry about wandering eyes with her current group. Maybe once they found Fallin this could grab her attention. The idea of embracing the tall woman again with this new build continued to stir odd feelings deep within Marcille.
Marcille ran her hand along her midsection, feeling the rolling mounds of flesh. They built up from rich meals and sleeping on a full stomach. Her midriff gurgled busily as her body processed its latest batch of calories. The process felt so much more obnoxious since eating more. All the activity seemed to sap energy from all her other limbs. Even keeping her eyes open felt the massive effort when she was full.
Marcille turned on her side, getting comfortable. All the contents in her stomach shifted with her and her guts emitted a plethora of new noises. A satisfied groan slipped through her lips as she caressed her bloated middle in her hands. The renewed vigor of its churning was intoxicating. It felt so satisfying to be audibly full. This sensation was the perfect sleep aid that made her eyes incredibly heavy. Despite her hefty dinner there was no doubt she'd wake up hungry. Her newfound metabolism was quick and unforgiving when it came to mealtimes. That however was a problem for tomorrow, for now she was content and prepared to sleep off a day of dungeon crawling.