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2022-10-29
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2025-12-16
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Maternal Slime

Summary:

What happens when an ancient slime is summoned by truth-seekers who are way in over their heads? You might find the slime stumbling into your precious mother's grave and coming to life with new maternal purpose in your closet. In Daniel Hart's case, you might also find yourself embroiled in a gooey mythology that could end up threatening the world.

Chapter 1: Beginning of the End

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The end is nigh.

"Haman Baboa Wan, Haman Baboa Wan!"

Fire illuminates various robed figures within the darkness; its orange column possibly wavering to the strange chants of the members surrounding it. Although not all know what they're reciting, it is undoubtedly filled with deep, mysterious meaning.

"Booba Ya! Booba Ya!"

Profound meaning.

Despite the strange language, everyone keeps their expectations low regardless of how they feel about this silly act. After all, this is the first time they're performing a ritual detailed in the Stonehenge book, an ancient text uncovered from the famous monolith stones six years ago.

However, some can't help but feel some expectation because it's been six years, time lost to research that may as well not exist given the secrecy required. Just the thought of this not producing a peep of result, even as a matter of failure, makes many sweat on the possibility they've been duped.

With that fear, cracks in their synchronization inevitably form. especially having been standing around for an hour and reciting without pause. Their voices waver like the flames in front of them with dry throats causing a few to cough, further dampening the hearts of their colleagues around.

'Has this been all for-'

The expansion of flames and loud pop interrupts the group leader's thoughts, her voice the most stable among the members. Reflecting in her near doubtful eyes, the flames recedes with an unnatural suction force, pulling it back into the fire pit until nothing is left but a sizzle.

The recitation ends with utter disbelief. The abrupt snuffing of the flames happened too fast to process for anyone to process. Was this a sign that they failed? Even so, it's more than anyone could wish for. However, just before anyone can breathe out in relief or disappointment...

A new flame bursts from the pit! With a blinding green hue, it snakes to the ceiling with a crackling roar! In response, the robed members scream and shield themselves from the fierce flames that expand outward.

Only the leader, coming down from the cusp of doubt, looks on in awe. Her hood slides down from the burst of wind that carries the flame upward, revealing her short dark-brown hair with some natural grey, tan complexion, and olive eyes that quiver.

"It's...real."

"Lecia, get back!"

With a sharp inhale, the group leader regains her senses. Following the others' actions, she steps away, pulling her hood back up to protect herself from the hot particles fluttering about. This is just as the green fire howls and more embers spew out, causing those around to recede further into the darkness.

Luckily, its torrent doesn't last long. It crackles weakly for a few seconds before all its flames and heat are pulled into the pit in one swoop, once again snuffed out as if time reversed. What then remains are the tiny cries of the group. Their uneven breathing helps to prevent the silence from overwhelming them as the green ambiance fades.

Many continue to hold their breath past the end, not daring to turn back if another fire rises again. It's only after a majority of the green embers settle on the ground that a few members relax enough to look back up.

"I-is it over? H-holy shit."

Footsteps tap about frantically, then light returns to everyone's eyes with an electric hum from above. While the members groan as their vision adjusts to the brightness, Lecia's contracting eyes returns to the fire pit, full of ash, dying embers, and smoke.

She shuts her eyes, trying to refocus on herself and her fellow members.

"Is everyone alright?" she then asks, scanning the surroundings.

"Yes, all good here."

"That was...incredible!"

"C-copper sulfate! We need to be sure there wasn't anything like that around! That's the only reason it could've otherwise turned green."

"No way, did you see how the flame was sucked back down and then came back up? That's completely unnatural!"

"This...was good, right? Six years of secret work to come to this."

"We're not even completely sure of the correct wording for this ritual! How can we be sure this isn't a coincidence?"

"Enough!"

The chattering members, full of skepticism, disbelief, and hope, all quieted to Lecia's call. Uncovering her hood again, she stares at the fire pit again, trying to collect her thoughts and calm her beating heart. Then, she takes a deep breath before addressing them all.

"Let me be clear —everything was checked beforehand. I can assure you that there were no anomalies within the pit or as part of the air."

She pauses to ensure everyone recognizes the importance of this matter now.

"So take to heart that what we witnessed! We won't have the answers yet as to what happened, but we can proudly claim that we are not just some crazy group hanging on to speculations. The Stonehenge book's contents are real!"

She takes out a copy of said book from her pouch, then spreads her arms out, holding the ancient delivering in one of her hands. "Our time to build this group, to learn — all of it has been worth it! While there's still more work to be done and we'll have to be even more careful about our actions, we'll eventually understand! When the time comes, we will eventually be able to share with the world our knowledge, prove its teachings, and make known of its implications; that is, the proof of an advanced history that existed before even the earliest civilizations!"

A few whispers followed. Growing smiles can be seen on their shadowed faces as their leader's words uplift their hearts.

"Lecia's right..."

"This is just the beginning!"

"Can we assume it's a failure though?"

"Well, even though it was intense, the flames didn't last very long."

"That doesn't mean it's a failure or success though. How vexing."

"This is why I was against performing this. For all we know, we could've died! Do we even have a small clue what this was supposed to do?"

"Our linguist says it may have to do with rain or water based on some words that hold similarity to Latin."

"So we might get rain...or we might have just unleashed a natural disaster."

Lecia claps her hands once more, grabbing their attention. "This is not the time for speculation! We must be patient and observe. Yes, we did take a risk, but someone wrote this book for another to find. It was meant to be used!"

She takes a breath before continuing. "Now as some of you are scientists, you know that you must experiment. Historians without evidence have to start off with a guess based on what they know about a specific time. Business men and women sometimes have to take risks to achieve successful profit. Our attempt here is nothing but a similar stride towards progress. Remember though, this is not for our gain! It is for the betterment of the world!"

The members remain and stare proudly now towards their leader as she, once again, reminds them of their purpose . The green flame has aptly rekindled their collective hearts after years of doubt.

After hearing no more qualms, Lecia grins. "So, on that note, why don't we celebrate that we're still here and what we've gained out of our little attempt? Drinks will all be on me!"

For some, that's an even better reward after the tiresome chanting. Cheers erupt and although some still worry about the ritual's effect, they keep it to themselves, hoping nothing happens due to their ignorance.

The warehouse grows more reposed as the members slowly exit the building while removing their robes. The last one to leave places a fire-retardant blanket over the ritual pit before turning the lights off.

Soon, nothing but the occasional rattling from the wind outside and rumbling of the steel resounds inside. Cold stillness fills the warehouse, until...

Buyo...buyo...

A round blue gelatinous slime the size of a baseball rustles the blanket as it slithers out from the fire pit. It makes strange buoyant noises as it shakes off the ash and disintegrates some floaties. After cleaning itself, it doesn't waste any time and bounces off, moving into a new world.

A force of unknown nature has been released.

Chapter 2: Amy Hart.

Chapter Text

The bouncing slime released into the world has no name nor sense of self. All it has is an instinct to evolve. How does it evolve?

It starts with food, of course.

Specifically, dead or inorganic matter. An instinct spurs it to find the best source. Depending on the quality, the slime can evolve quickly or slowly. While it doesn't eat live matter, there are exceptions depending on how small the matter is.

Surrounding the bouncing slime is Keystone City, a growing downtown area located in North Dakota. As expected of a major city, there is a lot of inorganic and dead matter with restaurants, garbage, and sewers. However, it seems to draw towards a large cemetery a few miles away from its current location.

It hops within grasses, along sidewalks, and even gets squished by a car on the road, yet it recovers and never stops moving. Of course, it helps that it's a small creature and it's nighttime in the city, so it avoids notice of pedestrians.

Eventually, the cemetery comes into view, and the slime quickens its hops, sensing high-quality dead organic matter.

After entering the graveyard by sliding underneath the fence, it makes its way to the first grave it travels over. The stone reads, "June 11, 1989 Amy Hart. Loving mother whose shine is the brightest among stars."

To the slime, it doesn't know anything about this woman, nor does it have capacity to care. It simply happened upon this grave first. With so many corpses around that can assist it in evolving, it's not picky. That said, the slime can sense the woman died not too long ago since the corpse hasn't decomposed completely. Compared to bones, this is preferable if it wants to evolve fast.

With its target in mind, it seeps cleanly into the ground like water and quickly finds the casket. It disperses, trying to find a suitable crack or gap to squeeze. Once it does, the slime meets the decomposing corpse of Amy. It doesn't waste time and begins to attach itself to the carcass. As it does, it slowly begins to accumulate information as it digests the corpse and expands itself around.

'Mom...please, don't die! Please!'

'Daniel, have you finished your homework?'

'I don't care if he's our son! I didn't sign up for this shit! You're on your own!'

'Mommy, are constellations really a coincidence?'

'You're my only son, Daniel! I'm sorry if I've been harsh on you, but it's because I want you to be the best you can be! It can't be that it ends with just painting?'

'Mom, stop placing your standards on me, I'm not you! I can't study the stars, I'd rather paint them!'

'Mom, thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better mother.'

'Amy, there's something unusual about this planet, A-323. Can you take a look at it in the coming rotation?'

'What do you mean I'm in stage 3?! How can the cancer spread so fast despite me following everything you've done! I can't worry my son, he's about to enter college!'

'Daniel, please don't cry. You're my star, baby. My favorite, shining star.'

There's so much information. Yet, the slime presses on, absorbing every last detail about this woman with her life, regrets, and knowledge.

...

..

.

After some time, the early rise of the sun shines through, casting shadows of each grave that bends to its will. With it, the surrounding city grows a bit livelier with walking commuters exiting their homes and impatient drivers honking in the distance.

Passing alone amongst the graves, a young man in his mid-twenties enters with his feet padding softly against the grass. Reaching Amy's grave, he stares fondly at the astronomer's resting place with a set of roses in his hands. Nothing seems off on the plot as he takes some time to reminisce of her life. With renewed calm, he leans forward to add his roses to the pot embedded into the ground, then reaches out to touch the gravestone.

"Hey, my star-loving mom," Daniel Hart finally greets with warm, gracious eyes.

With a breath out into the cool morning air, the dark and jagged-haired artist slumps down to the grass with one knee bent upwards. "It's been what now...five or six years? Time flies, but I can't really complain. There's this whole uhm...NFT craze going about. It's kind of stupid, if I'm being honest, but I've used the opportunity to basically sell my paintings more."

He hums, taking a look at the sky. "Other than that, not much has changed. I've been on a few dates this past month, but like usual, I haven't really found anyone that I could click with. A lot of them can't understand how I can live as an artist. I mean, even you were worried about whether I could support myself, but now I'm able to afford a larger apartment with my own studio space along with a backlog of work I can't keep up with."

Grateful for his situation and yet, feeling pressured, he chuckles nervously before relaxing. "I really miss you, mom. There weren't many people I could talk to. Even though you had your stars and I had my paintings, there's nobody I know that's more inspiring to me than you."

A beeping from his phone causes him to flinch. He takes out the device from his pocket, then comes to stare at a meeting reminder against the current time. Curling his lips, he stands from the ground and pats away his jeans of any loose grass. "Time really flies too quickly, doesn't it? Anyways, I'm sorry for the short visit this time, but I have a client who I need to meet at my apartment soon. It's someone who's come to pick up the painting of his mother which I've completed final touches on."

He pauses, then lowers his gaze. "I really wish I'd done the same for you before you left. Anyways...I'll visit again next week, like usual."

The artist turns away. As he does, the grass quietly rustles as the blue slime seeps out of the dirt. Its mass is much larger now thanks to the mother's corpse fully consumed, and with it, it's gained a sense of awareness.

The memories and knowledge it accumulated from the corpse are still jumbled, but despite that, it sees the artist leaving the grave. While still processing the man's words while it was under, a strange warmth envelops its gelatinous body as it jiggles.

Without much to question, it slides along the grass, too thin and hidden for anyone to notice in these early hours. It's able to trail Daniel who enters his car that's parked near the edge of the cemetery section. While his car starts, the slime slips into the gaps of the trunk.

Daniel doesn't notice anything wrong as he drives out of the cemetery into the bustling city, unaware of the impending changes to his life.

 

Chapter 3: Maternal Responsibility

Chapter Text

It's not long before Daniel arrives at his apartment complex. Still unaware of his otherworldly passenger, the slime patiently waits for the car to stop as the artist enters the parking garage. During the drive, it's had time to sort itself out more.

It now recognizes that the young man driving is Daniel, who hasn't changed much since Amy died. It's not sure why it wants to follow the son of the woman it consumed, but regardless, it understands it needs to be more careful moving around. While shuffling through Amy's memories, it discovered there weren't any creatures like it before. As such, its caution rises over being found.

Once parked, it waits for the artist to leave, shuffles out, and keeps a reasonable distance while tailing him. At one point, it pretended to be a puddle as a stranger passed by. Somehow, it avoids attention as it slithers around corners and up stairs until it sees Daniel open the door to his apartment.

Waiting for him to enter, it easily slides underneath the door after it shuts, then comes to a hallway leading to a large work area. A few doors to the kitchen, bedroom, and living room exist along the hallway. Passing those to the edge where Daniel's studio area exists, it sees the artist interact with a crossed-arm man in a suit who examines a painting on a stand.

"How is it?" Daniel asks, smiling hopefully.

The man in a suit grins like he's received candy. "It's...amazing! It feels like my mother is staring at me proudly and yet, so delicately. You made her somehow look younger too."

"Part of that thanks to how I lit the area around her when taking the reference photos. That said, for a fifty year old woman, she doesn't look bad."

The man chuckles, rubbing his head. "I appreciate it. I seriously have no complaints. You're an amazing artist! I'd like to add something on top of the agreed payment, if you don't mind."

Daniel widens his eyes and raises his hands. "Mr. Yun, I understand you're a wealthy individual, but I price the work according to my ability and value I believe I provide. I can assure you that I'm not underselling myself so there's no need for any additional payment."

The client seems to disagree. "Nonsense, let's not think of it as additional payment for the painting and more...as a tip."

There's back and forth between the two men. Unfortunately, the slime doesn't understand much about what they are discussing, so it decides to look around. Without creating too much noise, it stealthily surveys the studio and eventually slides into a large closet. From there, it sees a bunch of personal and client works stacked. Most are portraits with a mix of landscapes and abstract artwork.

It stops scanning when it comes to a dark painting, one pretty simple with shades of black and blue, but spread out are white specks representing stars. For the slime with Amy's memories, this triggers something new: A thought.

'...stars...!'

The slime's gelatinous body shivers, recognizing a voice of its own. Although its tone mirrors Amy's as that's the only amount of detail it has, it jiggles in delight to be developing so fast.

'Talk...want...to...talk!'

The slime continues to grow mentally, learning to assemble Amy's knowledge and memories to its advantage. But, to achieve its desire, it needs to approach the artist. Seeing how humans mostly only talk with other humans, it concludes it must be human too.

Well, human-like, but how does one become human?

The slime searches its chaotic knowledge bank but finds that the best information was learned on its own - a human's basic structure. While Amy deteriorated in the coffin, much remained intact, so absorbing her would give the slime info on how it needed to form itself.

Naturally, the slime leans towards becoming female. Part of this is due to Amy's influence as a woman, but it also feels an instinctive direction that it should only grow into a female form. Somehow, the idea of taking on a male form feels...wrong.

Coming to that conclusion, it shapes itself inside the closet, spreading out and defining features as it relocates mass. While it uses Amy in her twenties as a reference, it's also influenced by the drawings of females around. For the slime, the form must be to Daniel's liking.

"E-euah...em..."

Eventually, it manages to create a sound as it pulls in air and shapes its own vocal cord. It continues making sounds, trying to match Amy's voice while molding itself upward. It starts with all the limbs of a human, grows a generous butt and chest, then a round head. With the base established, it shapes facial features out, opening up a pair of eyes, nose, and luscious lips. Although the eyes she takes from Amy, she uses the surrounding portraits as inspiration for other features.

Once settled, the slime performs the final touches, growing out long, wavy hair and receding any residual slime. Soon, the slime has more or less considered itself ready to live as a slime girl. Even though she has no mirror, she knows precisely how she looks based on recording the changes in her molecular memory.

She smiles for the first time, satisfied with her quick work. There's still the fact that she looks like a blue jelly woman, but she's not sure how she can change that.

"O...oh..."

Carefully, she tries to use her new legs to walk.

Daniel thanks his client for the payment as the man takes his leave. After shutting the door, he leans against a wall and sighs. "Talking to clients is exhausting."

That said, the day is only starting, and there are some paintings he needs to finish for other people. His backlog is truly terrifying.

He straightens up and walks to his kitchen for a much-needed cup of coffee to get working, but flinches when he hears something crashing in his closet room. His heart nearly beats out of his chest, and paranoid, he grabs a nearby rolling pin on the counter.

"Who's there?!" he shouts, edging closer to his painter's closet.

"Ugh...ah..."

Daniel's eyes widen as he hears a female voice groaning within. He's unsure how the woman entered as his door was locked, but worrying about that now is useless. Should he just go and call the police or...?

No, since important paintings are stored there, he can't ignore them and risk potential damage. Gritting his teeth, he pushes himself forward for the sake of his backlog and opens the door to confront the intruder.

"Hey asshole, what do you-"

Daniel's words are caught up in his throat as he sees a blue gelatinous creature jiggling on the ground with a paint bucket fallen over and embedded into its blue gelatinous mass. The creature seems to struggle to get back up, partially merging its legs into a puddle after falling. It makes a few annoyed grunts before it notices a shadow and looks up at the young artist.

Despite not being of this world, Daniel can clearly see the creature to have a female form, but this doesn't make him feel any better as the slime girl stares into his shaky eyes and smiles widely.

"Da...niel~"

The lovingly-called artist pales and stumbles back, dropping the rolling pin as he does. Despite the slime girl's pure intentions, he doesn't feel it except for a need to run. He manages to take another step back, but soon his vision spins around him as his foot catches the rolling pin.

"Daniel!"

The slime girl addresses him more clearly, seeing his eyes rolling up from the shock of everything. Before he hits the wooden flooring, she quickly slides across to catch him, cushioning him from behind with her mass.

"Daniel!" the slime girl calls out again, worried while feeling unknown fear filling her.

The artist groans weakly, able to catch her voice for a little bit. It feels strangely familiar, like a mother calling out to her hurt child in panic. In fact, it sounds a lot like when he fell off his bike when he was young and sprained his ankle before his mother. As the memories of his astronomer mother flash in his mind, he slowly loses consciousness.

The slime girl shapes herself up more until she can hold the limp artist in her arms. Her new eyes quiver, but she relaxes as soon as she sees him breathing. 'He...fainted?'

Did he faint because of her? Regardless, she's relieved. While some concern remains, warm emotions flood her as more of Amy's memories click into place like the final pieces of a puzzle. She holds him tightly to stare at his face, then slides her new gel hands across his face, brushing through the sides of his hair.

'He's...grown...much...son...'

Son?

She pauses, then slowly widens her eyes. Although much of Amy's memories remain jumbled, the most prized pieces finish assembling within her and erupt with tons of love and heart. Now, she's come to embody those feelings.

" ...Son!"

Yes, this must be her purpose. It has to be! With such resolve, she hugs him closer, squeaking with astonishment. Although she can't spill tears, her voice turns hoarse from finally returning to her sweet artist. "He's...my...son!"

Chapter 4: New Mama

Chapter Text

Daniel's eyes open with the sound of ringing in his ears. As he groans, the familiar smell of garlic and herbs hits his nose. Although, his vision is cloudy and his head aches, he can feel the cushion behind him which tells him he's on his couch. It leaves him wondering if he had fallen asleep or if someone had moved him while he was unconscious.

He wants to believe the former because he lives alone and if there was someone, it could only be one of his clients; however, the events in his head don't match up. He's certain he just finished talking with a client who left. After that, he saw...something that could only exist in a nightmare. Did he really crash on the couch without remembering?

Things become clearer as the high pitch noise in his ears disappear. From then on, the sound of boiling water in a pot fades in. Worried that he might have accidentally left the stove on, he quickly tries to get up despite his vision, but a sudden hand pushes him back down. "Daniel-sweetie, don't get...up."

The artist's heart beats with alarm. He doesn't remember inviting anyone over! Yet, somehow...

'M-mom?'

He should be more concerned about this intruder in his home, but his ears perk to find the concerned voice sounds exactly like Amy. He quickly backtracks this thought, reminded that the astronomer is dead; however, the cooking he smells...it can't be?

"Open...mouth, please?"

Warmth emanates from the motherly voice even though it sounds a little broken. Daniel knows he should be getting a grip on himself, but he can't help comply as he opens wide.

A spoon follows, entering his mouth with warm flavor. Then his eyes widen in shock towards the ceiling. Unmistakably, he's tasting his mother's garlic potato soup! It's a home meal he can never get right on his own. Memories of the past when his mother would feed him this soup floods him with nostalgia. Whenever he felt unwell, regardless of whether he was sick or not, Amy would cook this quick meal.

His vision finally clears up as if the soup had healed him. Even though he knows his mother is dead, his emotions get the best of him as he turns his head towards this person, only to recede in shock. There, the same slime girl he fainted to is standing before him, holding a spoon out in his face.

"Hehe, Daniel~" the bluish slime girl sings, relieved to see his eyes wide open. Regardless of how lovely her call is to him, the artist isn't able to ignore that there's a unknown creature in his studio. Sure, he can see that the girl has a humanoid female form, but that doesn't extinguish his shock over her unnatural translucent jelly form.

"Holy shit!"

Slime girl widens her eyes and quickly places her slimy hands on his mouth, hushing him before he can make any further noises. "No, not...bad! Mama...here!"

He struggles to remove himself off the couch as the slime girl stretches more of her mass to restrain him. As he lets out muffled screams, the slime girl's face crunches up as she tries to figure out how best to calm her son. Then, she recalls his passion.

"S...Stars! Painting...closet!"

Daniel stops struggling as the slime's words reach him. Although he's frightened, especially as her goo is strong enough to bind him, he can't ignore what the girl is trying to say. Seeing how the she finally catches his attention in a better way, the slime slowly lifts away her mass from his mouth.

"W-what...did you say? W-who are you?" Daniel manages to ask, still shivering but mustering some courage to converse.

The slime girl smiles brightly. "Painted stars...bright. Son...brighter. Also, I am..."

She pauses, eyes wide open and lost. While she feels like Daniel's mother, she also recognizes Amy as a separate existence. It's not clear to her why this is the case, but no matter, she closes her eyes proudly with hands on her hips.

"New mama!"

...

Daniel blinks, more lost than the creature in front of him. Despite his heart beating so fast, he's starting to understand that this gooey being doesn't mean him any harm...or at least, not yet, anyway. The fact that she expresses herself quite well also helps him to keep his composure. If she had been any other type of monster that didn't appear human-like, he might've crashed out.

"You're..." he starts, then gulps to help with his drying throat, "...my mom?"

The slime girl's eyes widen in celebration and she nods furiously. "Yes, yes!"

Daniel obviously can't believe that, and yet, she told him that he's brighter than the stars — something his mother always told him. Of course, there's also the soup she made herself, mirroring how his mother would make it.

What does this mean?

"Daniel...scared?" she asks, cocking her head.

The young man lets out a shaky laugh."Y-yeah, I'm scared shitless. This feels like a bad dream."

"Mama is...real though?"

Unfortunately.

Taking another breath, Daniel refocuses.

"Okay, I'm willing to listen. Can you let go of me?" he requests, unable to sit upright due to all the mass the girl extended onto him.

The slime girl pursues her lips, then shakes her head. "No! Daniel...run!"

"I won't run," he reassures.

Actually, he might.

The slime girl frowns. "Mama will hide...if run. Then, Daniel become...crazy person. Clients plummet."

The artist opens his mouth silently, realizing that this creature raises a valid point. What would he even do? Would anyone believe him if he ran and asked for help? What if things escalate with this creature and people get hurt? Worse, what about his reputation he took years to grow?

Staring at the slime girl carefully, he groans. "Okay, you've made your point! I...I won't run, I promise!"

Huffing with a satisfied smirk, the slime girl removes herself. Giving the man no time to recover, she pushes a spoon of soup into his face again.

"Eat."

Wiggling his lips, Daniel hesitates, but against better judgment, he opens his mouth. As he slurps the creamy mix, he finds nothing tastes off. His body relaxes as the warmth travels through him.

The slime girl cocks her head, a hopeful rise to her lips. "Good?"

He smiles dryly. "Yeah, it's uhm...good."

'What the hell am I doing?', he asks himself.

The slime girl giggles. "Mama will be here...from now on."

It may be him, but this gel girl seems to be speaking a little better. That said, he doesn't take her words with much weight. Sitting up straight, he slightly wices as a headache emerges from his previous fall. Ignoring it as best as he can, he holds out his hands for the bowl.

"I can eat on my own," Daniel insists.

The creature frowns, but hands over the bowl and spoon as requested. Without being forced to eat, Daniel sets it aside and reexamines the slime girl more closely. The more he takes in her humanoid details, the more he feels able to think rationally about this situation.

Ignoring her blue semi-transparent body, she does a little like his mother in her younger years, but not entirely. From her nose and mouth, they resemble features from some of the portraits he's drawn. Although he can't determine much from her complexion as she's a human-shaped blue gelatin figure, she does look attractive. Not only that, but her chest is huge.

'Just focus, man,' Daniel shuts himself down with a pinch of his nose bridge.

Sighing, his brows furrow toward the slime. "Alright, now answer me. What are you?"

The slime girl cocks her head, then smiles dumbly. "Mama?"

"No," Daniel rejects firmly, causing the slime girl to flinch, "I don't know why you would say that, but you can't be my mom. Even if you sound like her, know about her fascination with stars, and somehow make this soup better than I can, my actual mom is dead, and two, you're not even human! I..."

Getting too far ahead, he raises a hand to stop himself before pointing at her. "Again, what are you? Do you...come from outer space or something?"

Realizing the intent of the question, the slime widens her eyes and opens her mouth for a moment before closing. She thinks about how she should explain this. "What mama is...?"

She hums deeply, closing her eyes as she searches for the closest in Amy's memories that might explain what she is. As soon as a bulb within her lights up, she gasps and taps her hands together.

"Mama is jello!"

...

Daniel stares blankly. After a few seconds of silence among the drones of the cars of downtown, he leans back into the couch and rubs his face.

"I have a sentient creature in my apartment, it's intelligent, but it doesn't know what it is. Is this just my luck?"

"Daniel...lucky!"

Despite the slime's encouragement, Daniel's hands slide down, unable to remove the despair from his face. Only when his face snaps back into place does he shrug, laughing despondently.

"Whatever. Moving, where did you come from?"

"Old mama!"

Daniel jerks. "What do you mean by that?"

The slime leans forward, pressing a hand to her chest. Her blue eyes soften as she thinks of the astronomer who has given her a life and a purpose to continue.

"Mama...comes from old mama. Old mama is part of new Mama!"

"My mom is...part of you? Ha..."

He laughs rigidly, shaking his head. Deep down, his stomach churns.

"How is my mom part of you exactly?"

Clueless to the wavering air around the artist, the slime girl smiles innocently.

"Mama ate old mama at graveyard!"

Chapter 5: Anne

Chapter Text

"...What?"

Hoping to have misheard, Daniel's lips turn crooked as he stares at the gelatinous blue girl in disbelief. "S-say that again?"

The slime girl cocks her head, smiling dumbly and confused by the quiver in his voice. "Mama...ate...old mama?"

"You mean...you ate my mother' corpse from the graveyard and followed me?"

The slime claps her hands together over the understanding. "Yes!"

Daniel's face pales while his pupils' contract.

How could this be? He was just at his mother's grave! Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet this creature claims to have desecrated his mother's resting place as if it were nothing! Taking a step backward and breathing unevenly, he feels like he's just received a slap to the face. Even if the slime girl is ignorant, there's no way he could forgive something like that.

"Y-you..."

The slime girl blinks, sensing she said something wrong. As the artist's arms shake and hands curl up into a fist, she quickly reassures him, thinking he'll be afraid of her again. "Ah! But mama won't eat...living...prom-"

"You ate her! W-why would you touch her!?"

Surprised by the outburst, the slime girl recedes in shock. "It...bad?"

Daniel breathes in sharply while tears fill his eyes. His heart pounds with frustration. "Of course it's bad! Do you think I should be happy you ate what's left of my mother? Am I supposed to visit an empty grave now?!"

"But mama-"

"Enough!" he orders, narrowing his eyes in pain. "Just...leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you! You're clearly trouble!"

Cold. Seeing Daniel glare at her unlike anything Amy had seen before, the slime shrinks. There's an urge to run, seeing how she's hurt her son, and yet, she knows well that his mother isn't gone.

Although she might not be exactly the same, the slime can feel Amy, her memories, and her love for her only son. Right now, she carries that love for Daniel, so she can't leave. She needs to be here for him.

"P-please..." she croaks, slowly stepping forward with her hands up, "O-old mama...not gone. Mama is-"

"Stop calling yourself that!" he cuts her off, shutting his eyes. "You can't be my mother! If you're not going to leave me alone, you might as well eat me because I will never...!"

Before the tearful artist can say any more, the slime girl tackles him into a hug, pressing her large chest against him and wrapping her arms tightly around his back. In response, Daniel struggles and slams a fist against the slime girl's back membrane. It does no harm to her gel structure but mentally pains her.

"S-stop! Let go of me, you-"

"I'm sorry, Daniel! I'm sorry I left you so soon!" the slime screams without pause, burying her chin into his shoulder. Her molecular memory begins working in overdrive to piece Amy's regrets quicker. It's the most prominent and complete information she obtained. While there is still plenty of missing information due to Amy's deterioration, these feelings seemed to hold on as if they were intentional.

Immersing herself into those feelings, this gelatinous girl knows that even if she's pushed away, passing on Amy's heart is the least she could do for him.

Breath taken, the artist's pupils quiver by the creature's shift in tone.

'No...She isn't mom. She couldn't...'

His thoughts are disrupted as the slime girl continues, goo increasingly dripping down her form. "The cancer I had, Daniel. I was honestly so scared! I wanted to see more of your paintings, your work! I didn't want to die, unable to watch you take off!"

Tears brim in Daniel's eyes as he shakes his head, desperate to deny what's in front of him. Although this creature has been using Amy's voice, it was broken, too weak for him to believe it to be true. Now, it's as if his mother is actually talking to him.

"M-mom..." he calls, his voice cracking. Logically, he knows this slime can't be his mother, but he hears direct feelings in a way that could only come from the former astronomer.

The slime girl pulls back, but not before cupping his cheeks. Wiping his stunned tears with her melting hands, she issues her final words, struggling to hold on.

Anne-Sorry-embedded.png

"I wanted to see you go to college and be successful! I wanted to be there for your hosted first art piece at your first museum when I was stuck in bed! I'm so proud to see that you're successful now, but I missed that all of that...and I'm so sorry, Daniel. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed most! There were so many stories of new planets and stars I wanted to..."

The slime's words slow down as she reaches her limit. Her molecules can only process Amy's memories and regrets so fast without burning out. With nowhere to go, Daniel watches the slime mother accelerate in her descent. Desperately wanting to hear more, he leans forward and grabs the slime's shoulders. "Mom!?"

"...tell...you...about."

Finishing with a low rasp, she slides through Daniel's hands, melting to a puddle around his feet. Too weak to maintain its form and voice, it lies silent and spreads across his wooden floor.

Staring into his hands, Daniel's heart stops as the remaining slime residue slips through his digits.

"No..."

He always saw his mother putting on a brave smile, but knew just how fearful she was underneath that mask. It was so frustrating to see, but more painful to not be able to do anything.

She was the kind of person who hid their sadness so that they might encourage instead. Even so, he knew how she truly felt, even if she never admitted it.

Now, hearing her regrets so plainly, the artist's mind collapses into a mess. The slime girl below him is an even bigger one. He couldn't place faith enough in an unknown creature's words, and who would blame him? Consequently, he might've lost the last semblance of his mother for good.

He drops to his knees and lets his tears loose upon that realization. Frantically, he tries dipping his hands into the squishy puddle to pull the slime together, not caring what the unknown fluid might do to him. His voice goes on, hoarse.

"No...no, no...Mom...? I'm, I'm sorry! You're right...please come back! Please, don't...don't leave me again! I-"

As Daniel's tears drop onto the slime, it immediately becomes nutrients for its starved molecules. It bubbles a little, causing him to gasp and back up. The puddle manages to create a mouth weakly to utter a single word...

"F-food."

...

..

.

Daniel didn't hold back. With frantic steps, he brought out anything he could find. Each meal dissolved by her became a lighter step in his heart. Before long, this gooey existence that had declared itself to be his new mother was back on her feet.

At his round table within the kitchen, he settles the last leftover wings in front of her before slumping, staring at his ceiling with a heavy breath. Closing his eyes, he tries to cool his wrecked brain from the events so far. When his eyes return to watch the slime mother, he dryly lifts his lips. Even though she has a human form, she doesn't bother eating like a normal person would. Rather, she just happily shoves the food into the center of her body, letting divide until there's nothing left.

Finishing the last of the wings and meat overall, she squirms in delight. "Ah! Much...better."

Daniel studies the creature with relief. Huffing, he leans on the table with his chin resting on his hand. So far, the slime girl seems so childish and seemingly innocent, but he won't ever be able to forget hearing his mother's true voice during her plea to him.

He lowers his head, digging his fingers into his scalp while trying to make sense of it. This whole situation is crazy, but at the very least, he acknowledges she means no harm.

At least, not deliberately.

With another breath, Daniel lowers his gaze and places his hands back down. "Okay...look, I'm sorry for stressing you out there. It's clear to me that somehow my mom — Amy, exists as part of you now. Is that how I should take it?"

The slime girl blinks, then frowns, puffing her cheeks. "That's what...Mama said before!"

Daniel snorts and crosses his arms. "Yeah, well, you can't blame me for not believing you."

"So Daniel believes Mama now?" she asks with wide, hopeful eyes.

Hesitating, the artist clears his throat and sits up straight. He grips his knees as he recalls his time with Amy. "I mean...I don't know, I guess? I have no choice to believe. I...always knew how much pain my mom was in, and yet, I couldn't do anything for her. She always told me to do my best and pretended that she was fine...when she wasn't."

The slime girl's brows crease with guilt. She leans forward to grasp his hands. "Mama...didn't want...to make you worried."

Daniel's pupils quiver before glancing away. Since this creature represents his mother, he grits his teeth and decides to voice his complaints directly. "That's obvious, mom. It was so...selfish! You didn't even let me know of your diagnosis until a month later!"

Silence.

Eventually, the slime girl lowers her gaze, biting her lips. "Mama...sorry. Mama...tried to-"

"Stop, I...know. It's in the past. I was just...anyway, what's your plan now?"

The slime girl hums meekly. "Mama...still sorting out old mama. So much...missing. Mama needs to...learn more about world too..."

She pauses, then brightens a little. "Especially learn more...about new stars...and new paintings!"

Daniel's eyes soften, and he's unable to suppress a smile. "One thing at a time. Do you have a name?"

"Mama-"

"No," Daniel cuts through, "An actual name."

The slime girl opens her mouth wide in shock as the thought never occurred to her. Of course, it would be easy to assume 'Amy', but the slime recognizes Amy as an individual she's inherited.

"Mama...not sure. Mama doesn't want...Amy though."

Furrowing her shaped brows, she places a hand on the top of her chest and leans forward. "Mama-no, I am...new mama...for Daniel, so new name...must!"

Daniel blinks, recognizing that the slime girl likes to refer to herself as 'mama'. She might have picked up on that from Amy's memories when he was young. It doesn't bother him, considering there are more stranger things about her.

"How about Anne?" he suggests, studying her reaction carefully. The name should be familiar if enough of his mother is in this slime girl.

Indeed, the slime girl is surprised. As she searches her knowledge bank, she quickly finds out why she feels a sense of familiarity with the name.

"S...sister? No...mama's...twin! Dead!"

Seeing the slime girl shaken, Daniel feels even more convinced that this creature is a form of his mother. Yes, his mother and would-be aunt were actually twins, but the sister died due to complications at birth.

"Mama...killed?"

Daniel widens his eyes. It seems the slime girl doesn't have enough information on the whole picture. He quickly shakes his hands. "That's not your-I mean, her fault. In any case, it's a fitting name since you're her, but not exactly, right? Just like a twin!"

Somehow, that convinces the slime. "Anne...Anne...Anne!"

Repeating her name with increasing delight, Anne moves past the shock of the information and stands up proudly. "Mama is Anne!"

Daniel chuckles easily, but suddenly, Anne's smile fades as she stares at him intensely, causing him to lean back. "Uhm...w-what's wrong?"

Anne huffs. "Mama is Anne...but Daniel must call me mama!"

Daniel grows flustered. "I...maybe at least mom, but I can't call you something so embarrassing!"

Anne shuts her eyes tightly. "No! You used...to say mama!"

Of course he did, but that was when he was a child! The artist clears his throat and tries to change the subject. "L-look, putting that aside, I have to figure out what to do with you from now on. Obviously, you have to keep yourself hidden in front of others and if you're going to live with me...uh shit, how is this going to work?"

In terms of his living space, it's pretty minimal in order to maximize his storage and work area. It's fine because he's single and usually spends his time in the studio. Now though, his mother is going to be living with him.

"All...good!" Anne chirps. "Mama...share room with son!"

Daniel's mouth opens. "You're...not serious are you? Even my mom wouldn't make such a suggestion!"

"Mama...not same! Daniel is...mama's son. Mama wants to...spend close...to son! No...excuses!"

Just as he is to protest, his phone buzzes in his pocket. With an annoyed grumble, he stiffens when he sees he has an appointment with a prospective client in an hour for a custom piece. He's supposed to meet them at a museum soon. It's probably for them to best describe what they want through an existing work.

Daniel stands up from the table, twisting his lips. "Shit...look, we'll talk about this later! For now, just uh...stay put. Don't go out and lie low, okay?"

Anne slumps. "Work?"

Daniel hums. Admittedly, it's probably not the best to leave Anne alone so soon. However , the client he's going to meet is rather big and it took some time for her secretary to set up a meeting. While there's no guarantee he'll accept the commission, he's not about to let go of an opportunity that might break his normal portrait flow.

He sighs. 'It can't be helped.'

"Mama...lie low! No...attention!" Anne reassures, then raises her arms. "Hug?"

The artist flinches and chuckles nervously. "Um...that's..."

His excuse trails off as he catches Anne's sparkling eyes. Of course, he hugged his mother plenty of times, but definitely not a slime girl. Upon staring between her arms, his face flushes at her voluptuous figure which jiggles slight as she waits for him to come close.

"L-look, Anne, I-"

The slime mother's face immediately drops at the addressing and her arms quiver. Quickly, Daniel stiffens and corrects himself.

"I mean, mom, sorry! Aha ha...Anyways, I'm going to meet a potential client so I can't afford get wet or sticky."

Anne perks back up, accepting the addressing. She hums easily and motions with her hands. "No...problem! Mama...leaves...no residue!"

Come to think of it, Daniel recalls he never got wet or sticky when Anne first grabbed him. It was only when she melted into a puddle did he feel a little wet on his shoes, but when she reformed, it's like anything left on his feet returned to her.

So then, his only real concern is her figure. Technically speaking, she's naked but also more or less an outline. For example, she barely has formed nipples on her chest! Despite that, Daniel remains aware how attractive this slime girl has shaped herself. But with such high expectations in the slime mother's eyes and unable to hurt her again as he did before, he pushes through his concerns as a man and hopes for the best. "J-just a quick one, okay?"

Anne cheers as her son hesitantly enters her arms. With a giggle, she wraps them around his back and presses herself firmly against his front with a slow hum. In response, Daniel shivers as he feels her breasts wobble against his own chest. He shuts his eyes, trying hard not to think about it. For her sake, he hugs her back.

"Hehe, mama's...baby~" Anne whispers into his ear as she closes her eyes and swings.

Daniel's face turns beet as he sway with her motions, her curves compressing in and out against him. Swallowing, he pulls away after a few seconds and clears his throat. Is he feeling hot because Anne is oddly attractive or because she's embarrassingly touchy?

Both?

'What are you thinking, asshole!' he slams himself. 'She might not be exactly like mom, but she's now the closest to one you have!'

Coughing, he presses his hands on her shoulders and stares at her firmly. "O-okay, I've really got to go now! Remember, stay hidden!"

Anne nods, her smile wide with satisfaction. She brings her arms together. "Good...luck!"

Daniel smiles easily at one last time. Although he hesitates again on leaving her, his phone buzzing with the second reminder pushes him off.

Once he leaves, Anne's eyes twinkle. She takes the opportunity to explore her son's apartment more. Since she's still not used to walking with legs, she lets her feet melt into a puddle and glides leisurely around the place.

Coming from Amy's death, she takes in everything that was missed in her son's life: His art, new techniques, and photos of places he visited. Most amusingly, she found some recipe books in kitchen drawers he gathered in his attempt to cook for himself, but there was one place that interested her the most.

In his personal room, she sees a small desk with a computer. Recalling Amy's experience with even bigger, advanced computers, she knows that much of the world and missing information can be obtained through the magic of the internet. Excitedly, she moves to sit in his chair and wakes the computer from standby.

Immediately she's greeted with a login prompt. At first, Anne frowns and figures she'll have to wait for her son to return, but then she recalls a combined phrase that her molecules assigned to a shared Netflix account.

'herryPapperIs@Hagwert934'

Surely Daniel uses a different password for access, but since it comes to mind, the slime decides to enter it. Unfortunately for her son, this is indeed the password. Further, he left his browser open since nobody else uses the computer.

Anne would soon become enlightened, to say the least.

Chapter 6: A Stony Commission

Chapter Text

Most of the requests Daniel receives are for portraits. Considering how often he paints them, it's a straightforward process as long as he has some time from the person he's drawing to sit still. Barring that, he can also take photos for reference and use them to complete a work. Overall, it's not boring per say, but it's not very exciting either

However, what is exciting is when Daniel gets a request to do an art based on an idea rather than a person. Usually, this is if they like his prior artwork and wants his vision on canvas. If he likes the client's concept, he might accept the commission; however, if the client greatly limits his creative freedom, it's not worth the headache to pursue.

Payment factors as well whether he takes on a project, which is why he's meeting a new potential client named Lecia Bowden, who wanted to meet at the Fornweather Art Museum. He knows she's a former archeologist and now the president of a technology imaging company: Sights Open, LCC. Her history and down payment offer is mostly why Daniel agreed to meet her at a museum.

Standing in a hallway, he sees a short brown-haired woman with tanned complexion matching Lecia's public image. Behind her round-rimmed glasses, she seems to be staring at a painting of some artist's representation of Stonehenge. Slipping behind to take a closer look, he raises one eyebrow as he sees strange carvings on the stones, multiple types of animals sitting atop them, and people standing around looking bored instead of paying attention.

Not to get distracted by the strange art, he clears his throat.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Bowden?"

Lecia flinches before turning to face the artist. Recovering herself, she nods slightly and smiles while removing her glasses.

"Ah, you must be...Daniel?"

"That's correct."

"Well, thank you so much for taking your time out of your busy day to come here," Lecia begins, shaking his hand before turning back towards the painting of the stone circle. "I don't know what I expected from a modern art museum, but this is amazing! I also saw this museum hosts one of your artworks — the one of the stars with the backdrop of trees and hills?"

"That's also correct," Daniel confirms with a smile, "...this is one of the museums that bought my piece for display and it helped to get my name out there."

"They chose well. I actually first heard about you when I was at the Journey Museum in South Dakota. I was impressed with the concept art they commissioned from you showing the Black Hills for their geology exhibit."

Daniel blinks, surprised someone would take note of an artist's drawing that's not even the main feature. He recalls the museum wanted just a landscape drawing to supplement how they believed the area to be millions of years ago. So, using sketch references that geologists created, he just had to make a drawing that brought an imagined land area to life while considering what's known about the terrain.

Considering she's a former archeologist, perhaps it's not surprising she was visiting such a museum. Speaking of which...

"I'm guessing you did some work around the Black Hills when you were an archeologist?"

Lecia chuckles a little and waves her hand. "No, not at all. I was simply visiting a year ago past my archeology days. Still, even though I don't work on the field anymore, my fondness for history beneath our rocks still holds."

She decides to get on with business. "Since I don't want to waste your time, let me tell you of my request. As a reminder of my days working in Europe, I'd like to have a painting of Stonehenge."

Daniel furrows his eyebrows and reexamines the painting she's looking at. "There are countless paintings of the famous circle, though. Why would you want to add another?"

Lecia grins. "Most paintings show Stonehenge in a realistic fashion, but I'm looking at something more...mystical; although, admittedly less chaotic than the one you see here."

"I would have thought an archeologist would want something that depicts the Stonehenge realistically?"

The former archeologist hums, leaning forward. "Is that what you think? Isn't mystery the thing that draws people to the circle every year? So many people over the centuries used it for different purposes, and yet, its original purpose and why it was built remain unclear. For that reason, I want you to build your vision of a complete Stonehenge in the past. I'm fond of how you draw your skies and the stars, so it would be great if you could incorporate that into the background."

Although Daniel doesn't understand why this wealthy individual wants such artwork, he can't deny that it sounds interesting. "Is that all?"

"Just one requirement: I'd like it to have a fire somewhere with a green hue."

"G-green fire? Like in the center of the circle for some kind of ritual?"

Lecia suppresses a smile. "Looks like your mind is already envisioning it, but I'll leave the placement of such fire to you."

That's odd, but Daniel hardly uses lighter green in his artworks, so he isn't against the idea of experimenting. Honestly though, he never expected a well-known archeologist to have such an imagination, given her interest in uncovering truth.

"Why green though?" he can't help but ask.

Just before Lecia can answer, her phone rings. With a annoyed sigh, she pulls it up and accepts the call. She remains silent for a while, only listening, then slowly widens her eyes.

"Wait, you mean...Alright, I'm on my way."

Ending the call, she answers the artist vaguely. "Let's just say the green fire is a whim and I think it'll look pretty under a night sky, don't you think?"

The artist can't disagree, although it feels like it's more than just a whim. However, he's doesn't question it further seeing how the lady has an urgent business. He gives his answer to the request. "Alright, I'll agree to this job."

Lecia claps her hands. "Great! My secretary will contact you and hammer out a written contract. As soon as that's signed, you can expect the down payment and the rest after completion. Knowing your works, I trust you'll know when you're satisfied with the artwork."

The artist lift his lips appreciatively, then follows through to shake her hand once more. "Thank you for the opportunity, Ms. Bowden."

"No, thank you!" she says with eyes happily closed, "Now if you excuse me."

Daniel remains still for a moment after she passes and stares at the Stonehenge drawing more. For some reason, he recalls a bit of folklore he learned in school.

'Wasn't Merlin, the wizard from King Arthur, said to have built the monument?'

Going based on that, the green fire is something he can imagine coming from a wizard. Still, Lecia hasn't mentioned using that folklore as an influence. Either way, he's excited at the prospect of creating a more magical piece than he's used to.

'Ah!'

Daniel quickly shakes his head of such excitement, nearly forgetting that he has something much bigger than his work in his apartment. 'I better get back to Anne. Hopefully all is good over there.'

Chapter 7: Bonding

Chapter Text

Daniel is unable to quell some anxiety as he comes home. It's natural, considering he's now hiding a sentient slime creature. But having accepted that Anne is version of his mother, he hopes she hasn't done anything to catch attention this early.

Knocking on the side of his entrance hallway as he enters his apartment, he calls out. "Anne-I mean, mom?"

He doesn't get an immediate response, making him fear the worst.

'Shit, was it bad to leave this soon?'

He's about to call out again but a particular noise stops.

"Yes...there...ah! Haa...haa..."

Daniel's brows rise. Taking a step closer through his entrance hallway, he hears the gasps coming from his room at the end. Slightly concerned by the sounds, he creeps closer and takes a peek into his room where his door is ajar. His body relaxes at the sight of the Anne's back who is sitting on his computer chair.

Opening the door fully, he breathes out. "Oh good, you're still he-"

"Aaaah! Fuck me, baby! Yes, drill my ass!"

Daniel flinches, his pupils shrinking in horror to see the slime mother watching the porn he left last night. More importantly, when did she get access to his computer?

Anne blinks, then turns her head. Seeing her son by the door, she stands up from the chair and squeals. "Daniel! Welcome...back!"

Unperturbed over being caught, she slides to him with her feet merged into a puddle, then presses up against him in a hug. He stiffens further when he feels her large gelatinous chest wobble against him again while her soft cheek nestles across his shoulder.

"Hehe, Daniel~"

The sweetly-called artist shivers. He tries to recover, but that's difficult with the moaning and slaps happening in the video. Quickly, he coughs and pulls away from the slime, holding her by the shoulder.

"M-mom, what are you doing?"

She beams. "Watching...sex!"

"I...can see that. How did you even get access to my computer?"

"Hehe, Netflix password!"

Daniel shuts his eyes tightly. 'Fuck, that's right! Of all the things she could remember. I'm such an idiot!'

To be fair, he had no way of knowing Anne, through Amy, would remember the shared password. Even so, it's his fault for using the same password for computer access.

"Mama...learning. Need...son's interests!"

"N-no, no, no!" Daniel chatters, snapping his eyes open, "Y-you don't need to know about those interests! You should be aware that I'm a guy and um...I have to de-stress sometimes. It's natural!"

Anne hums, then close her eyes happily. "Mama...knows! Want to-"

"Ugh, fuck! I'm going to cum!"

Daniel winces. Unable to remain in the presence of this distraction, he pushes past his slime mother to close the browser window. Anne gasps in response. "No! Mama...watching!"

"Mom, j-just stop!" Daniel pleads, twisting hastily to meet her again. "Forget about all of this, okay? It's my fault for leaving this stuff on."

Anne pauses, then cocks her head. "It...bad?"

The complete innocence catches him off guard. "Bad? Well, some of it is kinda...hold on, why are you acting like this is new? Shouldn't you know some of this stuff?"

The slime girl growls in frustration and taps her head. "Mama...should! Sex memories...missing! Father...dummy!"

Daniel's eyes widen, then he snorts with a wry smile. "Wow...well, I guess that might make sense. Amy refused to talk about him, so maybe any past experience was forgotten."

Seeing an opportunity to better change the subject, he sits on the edge of his bed and clears his throat. "Speaking of which, maybe you'd be willing to tell me about-"

"No!" Anne huffs, hopping down on the bed with him, "No father! Only mama!"

The artist drops his head. Even if Anne may behave differently, her distaste for his father remains. Seeing that channel remains closed as ever, he sighs. "Alright, fine. From now on though, let me know if you need my computer...and no porn!"

Unexpectedly, Anne narrows her eyes and frowns, leaning forward. "Same, no...porn!"

Daniel flushes and pulls back. Now that he'll have the slime living with him, he can't continue what he's been doing during the nights alone anyways. Raising his hands, he nods. "A-alright, yes! I won't touch that kind of stuff either."

"No! Daniel...need...de-stress! No porn...just mama!"

Daniel stares blankly at his slime mother before his face wrinkles. "I'm...not sure what you're trying to say."

Anne's shoulders slump, frustrated over her limited speaking. She thinks for a bit before straightening up, then shakes her closed hands in an up-and-down motion. "Mama...help...de-stress."

Even if Daniel wants to feign ignorance, he can't hide his shock as her intentions are made clear. He shuffles away and waves his hands. "W-what are you saying?! T-that's wrong! A-anne, you're my mother...right?"

He internally curses, wondering if he's misunderstanding something. Anne may be different, with her being a slime and having a different personality. But still, he's only met her! Yet now, she wants to "help" him? No, this must be a result of her limited knowledge. As he excuses her behavior in his mind...

"No worries!" Anne reassures with shining eyes, "Not...incest!"

Despite Daniel's thoughts, her understanding of his concerns catches him off guard. Already, he feels the foundation for his reasoning crumbling.

"W-what do you mean?" he asks, growing increasingly sweaty.

Anne places a hand on her chest with a big smirk. "Mama...different. Mama is...Anne! Mama...jello while Amy...human!"

Daniel can almost see what his slime mother is trying to say. "E-even so, we can't! I've...I've already accepted that Amy is part of you! She wouldn't want this!"

Surprisingly, the slime nods, not disagreeing. "Mama knows! Mama wants...be better...than Amy! Closer...to Daniel~"

The sweet tinge in her voice causes the young artist to look away, his face as red as a tomato. If he's frank, he doesn't feel the normal inhibitions regarding family for her. How could he? She's acting way different from his normally strict but loving astronomer-mother.

Plus, she's cute!

'Nooo, stooop!' Daniel wails into his easy mind.

He shakes his head quickly knowing her identity is besides the point. What is more important is that this is happening way too suddenly!

Although he claims that, Anne causes more problems amid his chaotic thoughts as she places her cool, gel hand on his own. "Daniel...please? Mama...loves you."

Daniel shivers. 'Oh dear god, how am I feeling swayed by this!?'

He pushes back. "A-again, w-we can't! You just came back into my life and you're also a slime!"

Anne pouts. "But...missing...son. Feels...long time."

"I...I wasn't gone that long."

"No!" Anne cries as her eyes fill with pain, "Mama...death. Son...alive. Long time...grown...without."

'Ah...'

Anne continues, her voice shaking. "M-mama...wants to...reconnect."

Daniel bites his lips, then buries his reservations to hug her. In turn, Anne gasps silently and embraces her son back, compressing her mass and burying her face into his shoulder.

"D-daniel..."

The artist's face tightens. "Mom, just having you here again, in whatever shape, is enough for me. You don't need to push yourself, okay?"

Anne hums slowly. She keeps him close and nuzzling her gel head against his neck. It's a strange feeling, but not unpleasant. Eventually, he lifts his hand to gently stroke her soft membrane. Like this, their embrace continues for a while in silence, but as her chest wiggles against him, he finally grows erect. It was bound to happen, but he mentally slams himself for reacting in such an impure manner. Playing cool like his slime mother's body, he tries to let go, but she holds firmly.

"Um...Mom? You're okay now, right?" he asks.

Anne drones again, squeezing him a few more seconds before breaking partially away. For a moment, Daniel relaxes...

...until he feels a pair of lips against his own.

"Hrm!?"

His hands shake as the slime mother's arms melt across his neck. Otherwise paralyzed by Anne's action, his cock pulses more as the tip of her tongue flicks into his mouth.

The surprise deep-dish, gel-kiss lasts a few seconds. Upon parting her lips, Anne beams brightly. "Hehe, mama...not pushing. Mama knows!"

As Anne releases her stunned son, who remains held in position, she slides her hand across the bulge in his hands and purrs.

"Mama...knows," she repeats.

Recovering from the shock, Daniel stutters. "W-wait! T-t-this is...um-"

Anne stares warmly and silences him with a finger on his lips. "Daniel...react. Mama...more than...mother. Mama...wants...to be...more!"

Daniel's face strains at this declaration. As soon as she removes her finger, he feels his heart weakening. "I'm not...sure about this, though."

"Can...mama...try?"

...

Is it really okay?

This is Anne, not Amy, and although she's declaring herself to be his new mother, she maintains no qualms about getting more involved with him sexually. It seems somewhat wrong, but if she doesn't feel any restrictions, is there really any harm to see where this goes?

He bites his lips, still unsure, but moves past the potential taboo of it all. "So, y-you won't dissolve me or anything like that, right?"

Anne gasps. "No! Mama...won't! Mama...good!"

Daniel smiles crookedly. "I see. Then, um....we...can try?"

'What the hell am I doing?' he asks himself, his eyes swirling with disbelief.

As Anne wiggles in victory, she breathes out happily. "Daniel...pants...off?"

"Um..."

The artist hesitates, but forcing himself to follow through, he unbuckles his belt and slides his pants down. Again, he questions himself.

'What the hell am I actually doing!?'

Why is he risking himself to get on with an actual slime girl? Is he that desperate? Even if she says nothing wrong will happen, what if her slime affects him in some way?

"Oh! Daniel...big!"

Daniel hasn't even pulled down his boxers, but Anne's comment on his less restrained bulge puts his face in the red further.

"Er, it's pretty average. Please don't make embarrassing comments like that."

"Mama...still proud!"

Anne then drops to the floor, allowing herself to melt halfway into a larger puddle. She sneaks between his legs and gently slides the tip of her fingers across his tent.

The artist gulps, trying to calm himself as his cock twitches. Seeing this, Anne grins.

"Daniel...excited~"

"Th-that's obvious, right?"

"Mama...glad! Daniel...relax!"

It'd be nice if he could, but this is uncharted territory for him...or anyone, for that matter. He keeps wondering if he should put a stop to this questionable act. As he goes back and forth in his mind though, Anne has already slid off his underwear, pulling it down to his ankles. Now with her son's cock springing forth, she blinks curiously at it before glancing up at her flustered son with a gentle smile.

"Mama...suck. Okay?"

Before he can say anything, she opens her mouth and bends over the bed, sliding his cock into her gel mouth with such ease. As she envelops him, her hands slide over his thighs for support and rub them soothingly.

Daniel exhales, quivering as he feels her gel mass dynamically compress against his member and her tongue licking around the tip in her mouth.

Anne's cheeks pull up with glee hearing her son's evident pleasure. Without moving too much, she simply sucks, twirling her tongue around his member more.

Slup...schlup...schlup!

The artist groans, looking up as his slime mother creates consistent motions against him. He can feel her cavity walls move independently from her lips, sliding against his skin like waves against a shore. This is more than just a blowjob; Anne has complete control to shape any hole she creates to be as loose or tight as she wants!

Breathing hard, Daniel looks down to see Anne's focused gaze and the faint outline of his cock through her head. Considering she's doing this for the first time with no direct knowledge from Amy, her technique is literally out of this world.

Does she even need to breathe? It doesn't seem to be the case as she slides closer to his base with a hum, deepthroating his cock like nothing.

"W-wait, s-slow...ngh!"

However, Anne continues carefree, opening her mouth wider to envelop his balls. He now feels her gel face compress completely his crotch, milking him.

"Nnrgh! Haaa...!"

Daniel struggles to hold on, but her envelopment of him is too strong. With walls closing in on him, he gives up on holding out and places his hands on her head, digging himself in. Her face compresses further as a result and he can hear squealing noises of love.

"Moooom!"

Crying out, he releases out into the slime — his dear embodied mother.

Anne wriggles with delight as he does, but Daniel mistakes that for pushing too hard. He lets go, but instead of pulling out, she wraps her arms around his waist and melts her face against his crotch, continuing to suck even more.

"Aaah! M-mom, w-wait!"

Slup...schlup...schlup!

Daniel's head lurches back as he twitches, groaning deeply as his cock is cleaned with the remaining sperm being sucked out. She massages his entire genitals with more pressure until his cock is unable to maintain its peak form.

Sensing such softening, Anne releases her son's limp member with a pop, then stares at his face with a giggle as her face reforms.

"Mama...full...happy!"

The artist's legs quiver. He doesn't respond as he lets himself collapse entirely on his bed with a sharp breath.

'Holy...fuck!'

Anne pulls up, reforming her legs more, then joins him. She rubs her hands across his side and brushes her cool gel cheeks against his chest. He can see the strings of white in her head slowly disappears.

"Daniel...good?"

The artist takes a moment for himself, then places his hand on her head. "I'm good...I think. Are you okay?"

"Mama...great!"

Daniel chuckles dryly, continuing to stare at his ceiling. "Is that right?"

'She's...out of this world.'

That's an obvious statement, but it's more pronounced now that Daniel has experienced just a taste of what she can do.

Anne seems oblivious to her son's astonishment as she pulls up and pecks his cheek. "No...porn, okay? Only... mama!"

Daniel gulps. At this point, he worries less about the moral aspect of letting his slime mother suck him off.

'Can I even keep up with her?'

Chapter 8: Disconcerting Discovery

Chapter Text

Lecia arrives at the warehouse where they had performed the first Stonehenge ritual last night. When she heard from her college friend and fellow archeologist, Mike Sanders, that something appeared to have happened after they finished, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. She had to end her meeting with Daniel quickly after that, although she wasn't too worried about his effort to capture the magic.

Stepping out of the car, she lifts her sunglasses to spot Mike near the steel entrance. He's nearly the same as she remembered from college with his barely combed hair and goatee, except with some added grey. His eyes gleam appreciatively towards his friend as she approaches.

"I'm surprised. I thought you were planning on leaving today to head back to Washington," Lecia begins before twisting her lips. "You couldn't even bother sharing a drink with a dear friend last night, you heartless asshole."

Mike rests his hands on his hips as he snorts. "Yeah, well...apologies. I only go dancing with those who enjoy digging."

Lecia hums, raising an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

With a chuckle, she leans closer to her friend and presses her hand on his chest. Her friend stiffens at her close contact as she brings her lips closer to his ear. "I'm digging right now, aren't I?"

The archeologist clears his throat, gently pushing her away. "As much as I'd like to banter with you, Lecia, We really do have a potential problem."

Lecia curls her lips before letting him go for now. "Alright, business it is. Secret business, of course."

"It might not be secret for long," Mike corrects, his voice turning grim as he proceeds inside. That seems to shake his friend, who stops briefly and widens her eyes at his back before following.

"Seriously, no need to create suspense. What happened?"

As they walk into the center of the building and stop in front of the snuffed fire pit, Mike pulls out his phone and hands it to her.

"It's better if you see it for yourself."

Lecia shuts her eyes and sighs before taking the phone. Before hitting play on his prepared recording, she glances up at him. "Did we fuck up?"

"Possibly."

The former archeologist curses under her breath. With no time to delay, she taps the screen. A camera stationed in the corner replays the moments after the last person in their group laid a fire blanket down over the pit. When the lights shut off, causing the camera to switch to night mode, nothing appeared out of the ordinary for a minute until...a rustle.

Lecia pulls her face closer to the screen as she stares hard at the pit, finding that something has slipped out. Unfortunately, she couldn't make it out, even though the pit and blanket were visible. Was it some sort of critter? If that were the case, there should've been some movement before...or even a scream during the fire.

"You see it too, right?"

Lecia looks up from his phone. "Yes, but...how can we know it's not something like a rat?"

Mike nods. "Swipe left. I also downloaded from the IR camera we set up."

Seeing how her friend already anticipated her question, Lecia grows more anxious and follows, moving on to the next video. Hitting play, she sees the same rustling of the blanket but now colored yellow-orange thanks to the heat; however, when the creature exits, her mouth hangs to see a round, undefined creature completely black — devoid of any warmth that should've been impossible for any mammal, especially one coming out of a burning pit!

Slowly, Lecia hands the phone back to her friend and stares blankly at the fire pit with him. "Holy...shit."

"Yep, that was my reaction."

"N-no, no...we need to keep this quiet from the others!"

Mike raises his eyebrows. "Are you sure? We have others that might be able to give more possibilities or insights."

Lecia quickly presses her fingers to her nose bridge and breathes in deeply. "I'm not saying we won't eventually disclose, but...whatever came out of the pit has clearly left. We need to find more evidence to be sure so we're not mistaken. The last thing I want is to scare our group members that we might've unleashed something."

Knowing of some individuals who felt worried about the effects once it became clear the teachings of the Stonehenge book showed some phenomena, Mike nods and rubs his forehead.

"It's really insane how quickly everything is unfolding."

"Overwhelming, isn't it?" Lecia laughs dryly. "Don't get me wrong, though. I want this to turn out to be nothing. We know far too little about the book, plus having something living to deal with at this point is...too much; dangerous even."

She group leader lets out a depressed chuckle, biting her lips. "Look at us — a bunch of fools who might be in and over their head."

Mike quickly straightens and stares firmly at her. "Lecia, don't ever regret what we've accomplished. The fact that the ritual had some effect means we're getting closer to correctly understanding the language!"

The president nods but can't shake off her concern. She takes a deep breath, then clears her throat. "You're right. I know we've done a lot so far. First, we'll need to check other cameras, starting with the ones nearby this area. For that, of course, we will have to reveal this information to a few people around who can help."

"I'll organize a couple seniors who will understand."

"What about you?"

Mike blinks, then realizes Lecia is referring to his plans. Unlike her, he still works for a university up in Washington state. With conferences and a family to get back to, he knows his visit can't be for long.

"Although I was planning on leaving today, I'll have to delay my trip till the end of this week to help where I can."

Lecia's heart beats to hear this. Right now, she needs his presence more than ever. With a heavy breath, she leans forward with Mike allowing her to rest her head against his chest.

"Thank you."

Mike smiles bitterly and wraps his arms around her shoulders to calm his friend. It might be better to say she's a little more than a friend, but...it's complicated. While things haven't worked out how he wished, he can't sweat the details for his old love.

 

Chapter 9: The Artist’s Workflow

Chapter Text

A couple days have passed since Anne arrived in Daniel's life as his declared new mother. In such a short time, she's developed quickly.

Schlick slick!

In more ways than one too.

"Hehe, does it feel good?"

So quickly, in fact, that she's already speaking clearly. Further, her assimilation of Amy's life and memories appears to be more or less complete. That became the most evident when Daniel saw her choke up yesterday as she looked up the first image of the black hole, Sagittarius A* — an advancement that Amy would've never seen otherwise.

Except Anne isn't completely Amy. She is undoubtedly influenced by the astronomer's passion for science, the universe, and cooking; however, her personality and love for her son are beyond what a mother should have.

This much is clear to Daniel as he groans, feeling her entire chest and core ripple across his submerged cock. Even though he's enjoying this, he's troubled by how easily he's slid into her rhythm since he gave into her feelings. With each act, he feels less remorseful every day.

Speaking of which...

"H-how did we get here again?" he asks, exhaling sharply.

Anne narrows her eyes and harrumphs, shaking her chest faster. "You're really asking that? Honestly, how can you start working when you're hard like this? Mama is here for you, so there's no need to hide it!"

"S-sorry."

Truthfully, he doesn't want to make a habit of expecting anything from the slime. Trying to explain that would make his slime mother more upset, so he doesn't say anymore.

With a huff, Anne pushes forward, burying his cock deeper and enveloping his balls. "Mama will make it a little tighter, okay?"

Daniel grunts in response. Despite mentally preparing himself, it's all lost as he feels her mass squeeze and wiggle below his sack.

"O-oh fuck...nngh!"

Anne breathes out lovingly, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling her gel head against his stomach.

"That's it, my baby. Just let it all out for mama."

"Fuck! Mooom!" Daniel groans, panting as he releases white streams into her body. As he does, the attached slime coos.

"Good boy! My sweet baby~"

Like a potter molding clay, Daniel feels his cock massaged to ensure all of his cum is out of his system. By the end of this process, he wobbles in his seat, but luckily Anne keeps him steady. Once his cock is limp, she slowly removes herself, then stands up. All of his ejaculations are nowhere to be found in her body, having already dissolved.

With a giggle, Anne leans forward and locks lips with her sweet artist, humming into his mouth before breaking apart with a warm gaze. "Was that good, sweetie?"

Daniel exhales, lightly blushing at her soft voice before clearing his throat and trying to calm his beating heart. "U-um...y-yeah. T-thanks."

"Of course!" Anne chirps, hopping to the seat beside him. She clasps her hands together while her eyes sparkle, ready to move forward. "So, are you going to start painting?"

The artist slumps exasperatedly, pulling up his pants before readjusting himself on his chair. It's odd to continue immediately after her envelopment, but when she's this excited to see him working, he can't decline.

As such, he stares at the canvas in front of him meant to celebrate a client's twin daughters. Right now, it's an underpainting of two girls pressing hands and heads together with their eyes closed. A rather unique picture than his usual portraits meant to portray their sisterly bond.

Taking his time to see if there's any adjustments needed for the underpainting, he then picks up his brush. "Even though you're not the same as Amy, I didn't think you'd be interested in this."

When it comes to his paintings, Amy didn't have the time nor patience to watch through his process, but ultimately, she would always see the finished product with a proud smile. She wasn't afraid to be critical either, giving her opinion on anything that looked off to her.

"Ah, well..." Anne begins, fidgeting. "Amy regretted not trying to understand your passion enough, so I want to be better."

The artist raises his brows for a moment before snorting. "I don't think that's something to regret. She has her passion and I have mine. Having her support until she died was enough."

Anne frowns. "But that's no good! Mama wants to understand you better! , I refuse to become a workaholic like Amy was!"

Daniel chuckles, finding it funny that she's criticizing part of herself.

"Huh? W-why are you laughing!?"

The artist stops himself, coughing. "Mom, of course it's easy to say that when you don't have a job...or rather, I'm not sure if that'll be possible."

The slime stares blankly before gasping, grabbing her head. "Aaah! T-that's right! W-why haven't I thought about that!? Oh no, w-will mama become a shut-in at your home?"

Daniel finds her worry cute. Of course, he doesn't want that, but he has no clue how or if his slime mother could ever integrate into society, or at least not without world-breaking news and panic.

"L-let's not think about that now," he suggests, sweating over the thought. "I'm sure we'll figure something out...er, maybe?"

Anne wails silently at her son's doubt. She can change her shape but can't change her gelatinous, translucent form. How troubling.

After a few seconds of sulking, she lifts her head toward the canvas and raises her fist. "Well, whatever! Challenges are meant to be overcome!"

Daniel blinks, then lowers his gaze and smiles as he recalls his mother's words: 'Challenges are meant to be overcome, Daniel. If you want your art to be known to the world, I have no doubt you'll succeed!'

'It's times like these that she really does resemble her,' he thinks with warm eyes.

"Daniel?" Anne calls, cocking her head.

The artist snaps back to work at hand. "Ah, yes! Right..."

On his palette, he reveals various thick skin-toned pastes and dark oils. Dipping a brush the size of a thumb into a cup of dilution liquid on his tray, he dabs it into some dark bluish paste, creating a less thick variant that would dry faster.

"First, I'm going to start with the background and then set up basic tones for the girls. That'll be the first layer."

"Layer?"

To Anne's knowledge, a painting is nearly flat in the end.

Daniel nods. "Yes, especially with oil paintings, it's important to split painting into layers of details going from thin application of oils to thicker oil. Since oil paints take a long time to dry, it's better to dilute my oils for the first few layers so I don't risk painting over details that haven't fully dried. What you see now is the underpainting — a sketch, basically. I'll be painting over it with just a slightly less diluted paste, then wait for it to dry in about six hours. After that, I'll start adding details for the second layer like shadows, highlights, and fixing anything that looks off."

Anne blinks, never imagining such a process for just a painting. Deeply intrigued, she leans forward with stars in her eyes. "Can mama try later?"

Daniel widens his eyes. "R-really?"

"Of course!" Anne giggles, closing her eyes happily. "Since mama can't do anything else right now, why not paint?"

Such enthusiasm is welcoming, but he's not sure how Anne will fare, even after watching. Still, her openness is more than he expected. "Alright then, um, I'll get you set up with an easel and canvas after dinner, okay?"

The slime girl delightedly claps her hands. Of course, she knows that getting back into astronomy and research would be difficult as she is. So, the least she can do is try her hand out at what her son has built his career on.

Two hours later, Daniel finishes the second layer which truly makes the two girls in the painting come to life. There's already depth to the image. To an untrained viewer, it might look finished, but he hardly ever settles on the second layer. At a minimum, there's always a third or fourth layer before he's satisfied.

With the sun going down, he decides to end early. He usually works a little faster, but since Anne asked him all sorts of questions throughout, the painting ended up being built up slower. He doesn't mind though, and welcomes her curiosity. The fact she stayed through the whole first layer without growing bored is actually impressive.

Later on, as Anne prepares dinner, he receives a call from Lecia's secretary to reestablish expectations for the Stonehenge painting before a written contract is sent. Thankfully, nothing was different from his conversation with the Sights Open president. He had other clients that would suddenly add restrictions at the last minute.

When dinner is ready, Anne digs into the pasta she made with proper utensils. It seems unnecessary, given she digests everything all the same, but she insists now as part of standard etiquette. That said, she looks pretty bitter.

Daniel takes a bite of his shell. "What's wrong?

Anne shuts her eyes, then groans. "Actually, I never really thought too much about it, but....I can't really taste or feel anything."

Daniel raises an eyebrow, curious why he's only learning this now. "Wait, really? At all?"

The slime hums, taking another fork. "Now that I can recall how things are supposed to taste from Amy, it really is sad."

"And you can't...feel, like physically?"

"Mama isn't numb exactly, but...there's a dullness to whatever is held or enters me. It's so far been the same."

Daniel blushes. "Then..."

Anne quickly reassures her son. "Don't worry about it! Mama just thought to let you know. I'm still happy to be able to do things with you!"

Even if she says so, Daniel will be aware of it the next time she tries to help him sexually. It seemed unfair for it to be so one-sided. Before he can address it further, Anne changes the subject with a grin.

"So, mama was thinking...If I can't get a job publicly, how about becoming your assistant?"

Daniel stares blankly, suppressing his amusement. He gives a lighthearted laugh. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, mom. I'd rather you just take it easy. Money is not a problem either. For me, having you around is enough."

Anne's lips curl. "But...that's not right! Mama should do her part so we can spend more time together!"

"Well...maybe I'll consider it depending on your painting skills. How about that?"

Of course, he's not being for real about it and hopes Anne gives up on the idea. After all, painting isn't something that can be accomplished quickly without practice.

Anne narrows her eyes and smirks, lifting her chin. "Hu hu, challenge accepted!"

Or at least, that's what he thinks.

Chapter 10: Layers

Chapter Text

Daniel has no words.

It's been twenty minutes after instructing Anne on how to mix colors and dilute pastes. She hummed and nodded throughout his explanation, but he didn't expect her to understand the first time, much less draw a good sketch. Yet, that's precisely what happened. Further, she did this without a photo reference, somehow knowing exactly how to draw her face and body. As a result, the number of details in her underpainting simply didn't match one of a beginner.

"This is so fun, Daniel!"

"Um..."

Daniel struggles to come up with a response. He knows she learns fast, given how much she could catch up with current events, but having the coordination to draw so accurately as if she had been practicing for years? There's no way this ability comes from Amy, who never held a brush in her life.

He coughs. "W-well done! How er...did you get your draft to look so good on the first try?"

Anne giggles. "I just took in how your first layer of those ladies were drawn, then figured I could stroke my brush similarly with the knowledge of how I shaped myself!"

'Seriously?'

That seems too far stretched, but considering Anne created her current human-like form by mixing what she saw in his paintings and Amy, perhaps there's a level of intuition. He's still not sure how she can easily translate that to a flat surface though.

'Maybe this is what they call an "intelligent life-form".'

"So, how long do I wait for the paint to dry?" she asks, her eyes shining to continue.

Her questions break Daniel away from his thoughts. Composing himself, he explains, "It'll be a couple hours. You should start on your next layer tomorrow since it's getting late."

"Then...do I get to be your assistant?"

The artist's breath nearly leaves him. "H-hold on, y-you've only done the underpainting!"

Anne pouts but accepts that she can't be impatient. Still, she feels pretty happy with her result so far. The more difficult part comes when she has to refine and add appropriate tones to her sketch.

"Colors...what color should I be?" she questions, narrowing her eyes at her sketch.

"How about...blue, like you are?"

The slime girl scoffs at her son's cheekiness. "No way! Mama is no blueberry!"

Huffing, she slides her hand around the edges of the canvas, taking in her ideal reflection. Considering the underpainting is only of one color and barebones, just like herself, she resonates with it. But, if a painting can be refined with layers, couldn't she add layers to herself for real? Doesn't being human also involve layers to their bodies and personality?

Her eyes close while her lips flatten. "Hmm...deep."

"Um...what?"

Anne giggles, opening her eyes. "It's nothing~ Anyways, it's obvious mama has to be the same skin and hair color as you! I know that Amy was a bit lighter, but I can take some creative liberties, right?"

Daniel snorts, placing a hand on her shoulders. "Of course, it comes with being an artist. That's why I think you should definitely paint yourself blue!"

"S-stop it!"

The artist suppresses his chuckles as his hand moves from her shoulder to head. "Regardless of how you decide to press forward, the painting should be a reflection of yourself. I don't mean that literally, but if your feelings and desires come through a piece of art, people will draw to it."

Anne lowers her gaze. "My feelings and desires, huh?"

Her troubles aren't quite visible to Daniel, who decides to check out. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to think on it. I'm off to bed, okay?"

Anne gasps. Before her son can leave, she snaps her hand back and attaches it to his wrist. "Wait! You won't try to sneak out of bed again, will you, young man?"

Daniel flinches at her needy eyes and glances away. "Well, last time, you did um...wet the bed."

The slime mother removes her hand and nearly sputters. "W-why do you have to say it like that?! It wasn't 'last time' either! Mama only melted once into the bed on the first night, remember? Since then, I've been fine holding myself together, so don't use that excuse!"

Daniel curls his lips in response but can't deny there haven't been any issues of late. That said, his bed isn't made for two, but seeing how his slime mother isn't budging on the sleeping arrangement, he acquiesces. "Alright, fine. I...I won't sneak out, okay?"

The slime girl beams and tilts her head approvingly. "Good! Mama needs Daniel close to snuggle, after all."

Her sweetness turns the artist a little pink. This part of Anne definitely does not come from his astronomer-mother. Perhaps it's just a developing trait of her own? Either way, he doesn't say anything since he secretly looks forward to it. Some of his worries are about suffocating, but he's found her cool membrane rather relaxing so far.

However, he can't admit that to her yet.

"Don't overdo it, please," Daniel warns with a clearing of his throat. He quickly takes his leave before his face becomes thoroughly flushed. As he does, Anne smirks and shivers with delight.

'He's so cute!'

Before joining him, she turns to his easel, which contains the two sisters touching foreheads. Considering that his client's painting should be mostly dry, she cannot help but check it out again. As she stares, her son's words carry through her figurative heart. What sort of feelings and desires comes from him while painting this?

In pursuit of answers, she gently traces the sisters' new skin granted as part of the second layer. She's hoping that by examining closer, she can receive inspiration on what it means to have a second defining layer for her portrait and understand her son simultaneously. As she does, tiny oil particles rub off on her, but not enough to damage the work.

"His strokes are so delicate."

It's as if the two girls in the paintings are Daniel's respected sisters or daughters rather than strangers. Such care fills Anne with jealousy, but otherwise, she can somewhat understand what he meant by feelings and desire.

'Then, I'll paint my layer as if it were really mine!' she thinks, lifting her arms together with determination. Unknowingly, her body processes the tiny oils on her hand differently than any food she had digested before.

Later during the night, Daniel breathes in deeply, finding himself spooned around  Anne and buried in her chest while his legs are intertwined with her slippery half. There's an apparent assertiveness from his slime mother for him to be in this position, as she wouldn't allow many gaps between them.

She hums softly, caressing his hair. "My baby~"

The artist gulps as he tries to accept the love of this creature. He closes his eyes, taking in the coolness of her breasts against his cheeks. However, his sleep plans are blocked as his lower half grows erect to his slime-mother's soft body. He curses this fact as his member pokes her legs.

"Oh, what is this?" Anne asks with a knowing hum. "Hard again? Mama will help you there."

Daniel lets out a shaky breath, wondering if he should stop her. Ultimately, he remains silent as she moves her hand from his back down to the waistline of his pajamas. Once in, she slides his pants down, and with his "little trouble" free, she presses her thigh forward.

Daniel inhales sharply as he feels his member line against her membrane, then submerge with some push. Her cool gel surrounds him, easing some of the tension around. With the slime's control, her insides begin massaging it.

There are no strokes as he feels the slime's inner mass kneading his meat in place, going from his base to the tip of the mushroom. He twitches to her control while building up.

"Unf..."

After a few minutes of silent pressure below, he can't hold out longer. With a muffled groan into Anne's cleavage, he slowly ejaculates once more. In turn, she shivers but doesn't expose her delight in absorbing her son's cum again.

Very quickly, Daniel relaxes as his cock softens inside her. His eyes flutter as his libido comes crashing down. At the same time, Anne extends herself a little to kiss him on the forehead. She keeps his cock nestled inside and secures her arms around his back again, locking him in place.

Eventually, the artist's breathing becomes steady, falling asleep in the comfort of Anne. Her eyes shine warmly in response, rubbing his back. While taking in her baby's breathing, she closes her eyes. While she's unable to fall asleep like he can, her mind floats back to the painting and how she can be more of herself in ideal form.

'I need to be more for him.'

She doesn't notice, but some of her body ripple slightly, turning a tad lighter. Only focused on the feeling of her son in her arms and thinking of her plans for her painting, she unknowingly undergoes a slight transformation with a layer of her own manifesting.

Chapter 11: Human Disguise

Chapter Text

Daniel expects to see himself still wrapped around Anne when he wakes up. Instead, his dear slime-mother had already left the bed before him. Although it hasn't been long together, this feels unusual as she'd take any amount of time to cuddle him.

He sits up and groans, massaging his face before calling out to her. "Mom?"

"I'm in the studio!" he hears from outside the hallway.

Snorting, Daniel lifts his lips, proud that slime mother is eager to complete her first piece of art. Not wanting to miss out, he makes his way to change and freshen up before entering his work area.

However, he doesn't see the blue slime girl. Instead, sitting in front of his mother's canvas, he faces the back of a nude woman with dark wavy hair and light skin. As she fills in some dark corners of the canvas with his brush, his eyes wander from her curves down to her pronounced butt before quickly rising up in haste.

He lifts his hand to his mouth and clears his throat. "Excuse me, who are you? How did you get in here?"

The girl flinches, nearly dropping the brush. After hesitating, she slowly twists in her seat to meet his gaze, carrying an anxious yet hopeful smile. Upon seeing her face, which nearly matches Anne's humanized self-portrait, Daniel's eyes widen.

"Mom?!"

The person staring back is certainly his slime mother, but like her portrait, she's also become "human" with defined tones and features that didn't exist before. Her eyes now reflect the same olive gaze that his astronomer-mother would have. Along with that comes dark wavy hair with locks that dangle across her chest and sweet lips that pop with a red tint.

Standing up from her seat, Anne's large breasts sway, carrying proper nipples that push close as her hands collapse together. She fidgets, looking downward with embarrassment at her son's intense stare.

"Um...what do you think?"

Daniel flushes red, unsure where to look, before forcing himself to step closer. "You...look gorgeous! No, that aside, how did you become like this?!"

"G-gorgeous? H...hehe!"

She titters briefly before clamping down on her joy and clearing her throat. "Well, to be honest, mama's not sure how it happened. While you were asleep, I thought about how I wanted to proceed with my self-portrait. Not long after, some parts of my body turned tan as I imagined how I wanted to look!"

"S-seriously?"

Anne hums, her eyes sparkling with the same excitement Amy would have when discovering new changes in the stars. "After that, I had to experiment! While I could color any part of myself, I was still pretty gooey, like usual. Then I thought about what you said and...well, it's better to show."

She lifts her arm, and before her son's eyes, the skin on her arm dissolves evenly to reveal her normally expected blue gelatinous mass. After waiting a few seconds for her son to take this in, a thin layer extrudes from her arm like paper. The coating starts off semi-transparent before turning opaque, wrapping over her less firm base and fusing back with the rest of her new "skin".

Daniel holds his breath for a moment. "Layering!"

The slime mother nods with a flash of her teeth, her chest jiggling more with her movement. "Exactly! Before this, I've tried to keep my entire body as firm as possible, but I realize I've been doing it all wrong! I only need to create a layer to reinforce myself, so now, it takes me less work to hold myself together since I only have to maintain this new outer lining of mine."

Daniel swallows as his eyes draw to her breasts again. He shakes his head while spreading his lips thin. "But um, what about the coloring?"

To this, Anne sours. The researcher in her would also like to know; however, she has an idea. Returning to her canvas, she places a finger on an unpainted portion and slides it down a little. Much to her son's shock, grey oils escape and stain the area.

"I can only guess that I absorbed the properties of your pastes. The only time this was possible was when I brushed against the twins painting. I've tried to reproduce other things I've consumed, but nothing. Yet, I can generate oil paints as I think of it? It's quite strange."

Daniel blinks a few times before lifting his lips slightly. His slime mother may have become a bigger mystery, but this is still good fortune! She might be able to go out now! With that, he wraps his hands on her arms with a small hearty laugh. "Mom, this is still great! If it's like this, you should be able to..."

The artist's voice trails off before his brows gradually furrow. Remaining in silence, his hands start rubbing down more of her arms.

Squeak, squeak...

Anne bites her lips, her joy slowly diminishing. "W-what's wrong?"

Daniel hums and strokes around her shoulders and neck. Coming up to her cheek, his eyes narrow, then he pinches her left side.

"Ah!?"

Squish, squeak, squish, squeak!

"I-it dowen't hurr, but wha aaa yuu doin?" Anne manages to ask with shut eyes.

Daniel inhales sharply and pulls his hands away, smiling half-apologetically. "Sorry! It's um...well, now that I can see you up close, you're as smooth as a doll. It's like...I don't know, a mix between rubber and plastic?"

Anne widens her eyes in disbelief as her cheek snaps back into place. With quivering lips, her shoulders slump. "W-what? But...mama was certain-"

"Hold on!" Daniel interrupts before clearing his throat. "I think the problem is that you're basing how you look from your self-portrait, right?"

Anne shakes. She figures, based on his question, she made a mistake in her approach to coating herself. "Is it...no good?"

Her son drones, glancing at her painting before explaining. "The thing about a portrait is that there are always tiny details that are hard to capture. I'm not talking about moles, creases, or anything you can see from looking at a person a meter away. There is an even tinier level of texture to everyone's skins which you're missing."

"Oh..."

"Aside from that..."

Daniel concentrates more on her face. "Your eyes look incredibly natural. You even created some veins! This makes a big difference in convincing people you look human. As for your hair..."

Because Anne's hair is wavy, many strands are bundled together, probably making it easier for her to build. Even so, he can't see anything unreal about it. As he brushes through her hair, the slime girl hums pleasantly.

"It feels...almost real?" Daniel questions with surprise, letting some strands split before coming back together to bend. It's not entirely natural but acceptable to the degree of hair being kept together with spray. More importantly, the consistency of hair fibers is there.

"Why is your hair different from how you generate your skin?" he asks.

Anne is a little lifted by something she mostly got right. "Well, while brushing through your hair on the bed, I knew I had to generate them differently. Since I don't have to maintain all my mass at once, I could focus on building out small strands, although it's not as fine as normal hair."

Daniel raises his eyebrows. "It's actually not bad! If you have that much control available, can't you adjust your skin with a similar level of detail to create those tiny imperfections like pores and grains? That might be enough to make a difference to fool someone up close."

The slime mother breathes in silently, then quickly presses herself against her son. Daniel flails in response as her chest compresses against him, but he can't do much as she holds his head with her hands.

"Um...m-mom?"

"Just a second. I need to examine you closely to understand. Maybe you're right!"

Daniel shuts up and gulps. As her body wiggles against him, he can feel how firmer she is compared to before, but her boneless structure is still apparent as she remains squishy and malleable. With such curves against him, he can't prevent his cock from naturally hardening inside his pants.

Eventually, Anne slides her hands down Daniel's face and grins. She pinches his reddening cheeks as payback before stepping back.

"Alright, take a look!"

Pushing for the finish line, Anne's new skin ripples with tiny waves. Daniel stares in wonder as he starts to notice minimal roughness in her skin. This slight adjustment to how she builds her second layer makes all the difference as she fades into someone looking more natural.

Her face inherently darkens a little since she's no longer smooth like glass, but she comes into existence as a genuine beauty as the morning sunlight correctly diffuses against her body.

"Holy shit," Daniel breathes before raising his hand. "Can I feel?"

Anne cups her mouth in delight before smirking. "Oh sweetie, you didn't ask me before, you know?"

Daniel coughs, rubbing the back of his head in shame. "Uh, well...sorry."

"Still, you don't need mama's permission! Come here~"

Daniel stiffens as she takes his hand to her chest. He can already feel the natural grains of her skin, but more than that, his forehead sweats to the pleasant weight and squishiness of her assets.

He pulls away. "I-it's convincing! Okay, I think we'll need to shop for clothes! For now, let me see if I have...!"

Just as he's about to step back, Anne stops him with a tug on his shirt. She squints her eyes at him with a sly curl of the mouth. "Now, where do you think you're going, mister? Mama needs a proper reward for getting to this point!"

The artist sweats more. "R-reward?"

"Yep! Mama wants a kiss!" she demands with a cute huff.

Not waiting any longer as her son hesitates, Anne leans forward and presses her new lips against his. Daniel has no choice but to accept the incoming love. Instead of her lips being slippery, it has the right amount of firmness. She seems to know how dense each part of her body should be. With such a lure, he can't help but kiss back while the member in his pants throbs harder.

Chu...smack...chu!

Many seconds go by while the sweet, wet noises fill the studio. When Daniel has to inhale from his nostrils, he wraps one arm around her waist and cups her left breast, fondling it as their tongues intertwine with increasing fervor. His breath scatters unevenly into her mouth while Anne takes in his desire with gentle calm. By the end, a bridge of saliva falls between them and Daniel's bulge thoroughly pokes at her body.

The slime mother giggles, her hand sliding onto his pants to remove them. At the same time, her other hand drags back to his face with much love. "Should we continue back in bed?"

Chapter 12: Expensive

Notes:

For the purpose of the story, I chose happy vanilla sex; however, if you want a more specific kink, I wrote an alternate chapter on CHYOA with "nipple fucking": Click Here

Chapter Text

A trail of clothes leads to Daniel's bedroom, where sweet hums, heavy breaths, and creaks spill out. Within, the artist lies on top of his firmer slime mother, immersing himself between her legs with growing fervor.

"Hmm...Daniel~"

Anne takes her son's thrusts easily, lovingly calling his name between the presses of their lips. This spurs the artist forward, sliding his member along her slimy walls until his hips slap against her new skin. However, with each thrust, her gel walls tug his member, making it difficult to hold out and maintain momentum.

Daniel is also concerned about seeing her body literally compress and expand underneath him. The fact that she feels nothing and has no skeletal structure makes it easy to think he's being too aggressive.

"A-are you, hah, sure you're okay?" Daniel asks between breaths, pulling away a little from her face.

Anne harrumphs, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I already told you: Mama is fine! Rather than that, you need to relax more. Here, let mama take care of you~"

After all, it's hardly appropriate for her sweet baby to exert himself.

Daniel gasps, having no say in the matter, as her legs wrap around his hips, drawing him deeper into her. With no room to thrust, he can only resign himself to his mother's hold and groan as his cock is massaged by her being. Hearing such pleasure, Anne hums contently and kisses him on the cheek, urging him to release. It wouldn't take long, given how her mass was milking him.

"Oh fuck, mom!"

As he pulses into her body, Anne rubs his shivering back and coos, "That's it, sweetie. Mama loves you so much~"

Proceeding to brush and scratch the back of his head, Daniel's eyes flutter as he comes down from his sexual high. No matter how he sees it, this is pretty one-sided. He understands that Anne is limited in how she feels, but is there nothing he can do but let her take the reins?

"So you really feel nothing, huh?" he questions, sliding off to her side.

Stopping her play against his hair, Anne sits up a little and sighs. "Sadly, but it's okay! I may not feel physically, but holding you still makes me happy!"

Daniel snorts. "That seems unfair though, plus I can't allow myself to be spoiled by you all the time."

Anne leans forward and narrows her eyes. "Why not? Amy spoiled you a lot when you were little, plus mama still has a lot to catch up to with you!"

The artist straightens, unwavering. "Exactly, when I was little. Rather than that, it's my turn to spoil you, don't you think?"

Unexpectedly, his slime mother lifts her chin. "Well, mama doesn't mind! In fact, you did mention we're going out for shopping, right?"

As her eyes shine, Daniel drops his head and chuckles. "Wow, what a way to twist it into your favor, but yes, we definitely have to go shopping for you. Before that, I'll have to find some clothes for you to wear. Luckily, I think I have some of Amy's clothes in a box which hasn't been donated yet, so maybe there's something you can wear temporarily, but..."

He scans his mother's curvy form and twists his lips. "You'll probably have to downsize yourself a bit."

Anne blinks a few times before looking at herself. "Ah? You're right. Speaking of, do you like my current size?"

Daniel coughs. "Well, as an artist, I appreciate all forms, but as a guy..."

His slime mother hums slyly, leaning into him. "Oh sweetie, you don't need to say anymore! Mama understands~"

"R-right," Daniel begins, a little flushed, before widening her eyes. "Wait! Can't you make clothes for yourself?"

At this, Anne flinches and slowly draws back, looking away. "Er, that's..."

Daniel blinks, raising his brows. "Mom...what's wrong?"

His slime mother fidgets before glancing down, ashamed. "So...um, I've been wondering when to tell you this, but...we may have to do additional shopping for food."

"Huh? I thought I stocked some stuff yesterday?"

Anne starts shivering. "B-because, mama...ate everything in your fridge and pantry after creating my new skin."

"What?!"

The slime mother shuts her eyes tightly. "M-mama didn't mean to hide it! Even though it's easy to maintain this form now and make small changes, building out my entire layer and coloring took a lot out of me! I ended up being so hungry and...I couldn't control myself!"

Daniel groans, placing his hand over his face. "And then you continued painting without telling me, huh?"

"Aah! Mama was going to tell you! I just...I'm sorry!"

The artist breathes out slowly. With closed eyes and a snort, he removes his hand from his face and places on top of her head, stroking. "So, I'm guessing that means you can't just transform drastically as you want, huh?"

Anne lowers her head with her lips quivering. At times, it feels like she's the child, which makes it all worse. "No, again...m-mama is-"

"It's alright," Daniel interrupts, his tone firm. "The worst thing that could've happened is if I saw you as a puddle and I don't want to ever see that again."

"But...I'm expensive, aren't I?"

Daniel breathes out. "Mom, you're priceless! What's done is done. We'll head to the grocery store after getting you clothes, okay?"

With a guilty smile, Anne nods, moving to hug her son. As she does, Daniel wraps his arms around her and internally sweats. Although she really is priceless, he starts doubting whether he can maintain his bank balance.

The remainder of the morning continues. After finding an old red buttoned blouse and a pair of jeans in an box in his closet, he feels relieved that his slime mother will no longer be naked. He could have given her clothes before, but she never appeared dry enough compared to now.

Obviously, there was no breakfast to make, but thankfully, Anne had left his coffee alone. Still, he was shocked that everything in his pantry, cabinets, and fridge was nearly cleaned out, as she claimed. That includes raw items like flour, eggs, and whatever meat was left uncooked in his fridge.

Anne apologized again but refused to elaborate on how she acted, only saying it was a shameful display.

Regardless, the matter is left alone, but given how much of the day will be cut short on shopping, Daniel opts to do as much work on the twins' painting before he'd depart outside with Anne for lunch. Although a small part of him worries someone would notice something off about her, he trusts his own judgment. After all, he's painted many people with various details, and his new mother before him has plenty of details that most would overlook.

"Oh, by the way, how is Rachel?" Anne asks suddenly as she works in the base colors of her self-portrait.

Daniel blinks, surprised, before turning his head away from his canvas towards her. "You remember her?"

Anne places her brush down for the moment and huffs. "How could I not remember her?! She's my..."

Pausing, the slime mother lowers her gaze before correcting herself. "Well, she's Amy's best friend and colleague, but more importantly, she should be like an aunt to you! After all, she was the one who was by Amy's side when you were born and..."

As more memories are recalled, Anne bites her lips bitterly. "...her death. Even though I know I'm only a carrier, the sight of you and Rachel crying for her really tore her apart...and it tears me apart when I think about it."

Daniel breathes in slowly, putting down his brush as well. He smiles reassuringly. "Then you can rest easy, mom. She's doing well. After you died, she cared for me: letting me stay at her place for a while so I wouldn't be alone, bringing me food, and supporting me like I was her own child. However, I couldn't continue taking advantage of her kindness, so in a way, she helped push me to move on and support myself quickly."

Anne relaxes, her eyes softening. "That's a relief. Where is she now? Is she still part of the institute?"

Daniel nods. "Last I recall, she is, but she's been busy, so I'm not sure where she is currently. But, if you look her up now, she's grown quite popular in science circles! It feels like she's being invited to talks and conferences about her work constantly. I'll be honest though, we haven't been talking as much as we used to, but she still checks up on me occasionally. I think mostly she's moved on as well."

"You think?"

"Well, I've never asked her explicitly, but we carry Amy differently in our hearts. At some point, she stopped crying much earlier than me when she visited the grave."

"I see..."

Although Daniel doesn't mistake the sadness that flickers across Rachel's face whenever they talk about his mother. Moving on doesn't mean one forgets, but that should be expected. Regardless, Daniel doesn't want Anne to worry too much.

 

Chapter 13: Going Out

Chapter Text

Around noon, Daniel waits by the door as Anne finishes the first layer of her portrait. Scooting her chair away, she rushes to her son's side and hooks his arm, squealing. "Yes, we're finally going out! Fresh air! Mama is so happy!"

The artist's lips lift for a moment before clearing his throat. "Just don't get too carried away, okay? Even if you look human, you're also undocumented in this city, so let's not attract attention. Also, that speech..."

Anne cocks her head. "Huh?"

"You can't refer to yourself as 'mama' in public or around others."

Gasping, Anne takes a step back before lowering her gaze. "Oh...Is it embarrassing?"

"Partly," Daniel admits. "But that's not the main reason. First, you don't look old enough to be my mother. Second, I also have a few friends who knows that she died, so it would also be suspicious for you to call yourself that."

"Urgh..."

Despite knowing her son is right, she struggles. Being his mother is something she's proud of! How could she even pretend to-

"Anne, do you understand?"

Daniel's firm voice, along with his close, darkened face, scares the slime mother out of her thoughts. Sulking for a bit before straightening up, she sighs. "Yes, I understand...pumpkin."

...

Daniel does a double-take. "P-pumpkin?"

Anne huffs, not backing down this time. "That's right! I heard lovers call each other different names and pumpkin sounds cute!"

She pauses before leaning forward and furrowing her brows. "Wait, we are considered lovers, right? Mama won't take anything less, you hear!"

Daniel sweats and rubs his neck, more embarrassed about the new endearing term. "I mean, yes...but, pumpkin sounds..."

"Then, sweetie-pie?" she sings, smirking.

Daniel does a quick turn-around as he nudges the slime mother forward. "Actually, pumpkin is fine! Let's go!"

As Daniel drives within Keystone, Anne immerses herself in the city changes that differ from Amy's memories. Businesses come and go naturally, but the slime is relieved to see that not too much has changed since Amy's death. Throughout the drive, Daniel answers his slime mother's curiosity over the various interesting events within the area since Amy departed.

Eventually, they stop for lunch at an Italian restaurant which the artist goes to often when he's not in the mood for cooking. After being seated without suspicion from the staff, the artist looks around. He figures everything would be fine, but seeing how nobody catches anything unusual with his slime mother, the small worry in the back of his mind disappears. He takes a deep breath, then glances at the menu to see if there's anything new. On the other hand, Anne explores the items with greater scrutiny.

Seeing such concentration, Daniel smiles and drops the menu, leaning forward with a hand supporting his chin. "Does it really matter what you eat if you can't taste anything?"

The slime girl lifts her head from the menu and growls, her eyes flaring with determination. "Even so, I still need to find something that might spark something in me!"

Daniel raises one brow. "Really? You think it'll work like that?"

"Maybe? What's something you recommend that's spicy?"

"Well, I wouldn't say Italian dishes are known for their spiciness. You could try the 'Bucatini all'Amatriciana'."

Pointing to it on her menu, Anne slumps when she reads the description, then clicks her tongue.  "Oh, who am I kidding! Ma-I mean, I know it won't do anything for me. After all, I'm sure I ate all your peppers! If those doesn't ignite me, nothing will!"

"You can't know for sure. What if you just need something sweet?"

"I'm pretty sure I ate your bag of sugar too. It can't get any sweeter than that, right?"

Daniel rubs a finger across his chin, whistling. "That's right. Wow, what a glutton."

"S-stop!" Anne wails weakly, crumbling onto the table. "Don't tease me! Besides, it...it won't happen again, I swear!"

Daniel chuckles, closing his eyes reassuringly. "Sorry, my bad. Although, why are you more upset on losing taste than touch?"

"Because I want to cook new stuff for you, plus relive some of Amy's favorite dishes! Seriously, do you know why this is agonizing for me, pumpkin?"

Daniel's smile falters. "Again, there's really no need to call me-"

"It's knowing how things are supposed to taste and being unable to taste them!" she cuts him off with evident frustration, "It feels like I'm being suffocating! I'd rather get my sense of taste back first before touch."

At that moment, a server comes up to the table to ask what they want. Daniel changes his prior dish in mind to the Bucatini, given their conversation, while Anne requests the same.  Just as they're about to continue their conversation about her limitations, the artist's ears perk up.

"Oh? Hey there, love!"

In an unmistakable British accent with a habitual term of endearment, Daniel turns his head to see his ex-girlfriend, Mary Lin. She's a thin, brown, twenty-six-year-old girl with straight hair cut to her shoulder and neatly layered around her head until it splits apart as part of her bangs. She stares at him with her usual brown eyes and smiles as she approaches their table.

'Oh, great...' Daniel thinks with an internal sigh before forcing his own smile, "Hey there, Mary!"

"It's been a bit, love," she says, "We haven't spoken in a while since I referred that client to you."

Clearly raised in the U.K., Mary's mellow English accent naturally has curious patrons turning their heads as they hear British folk within the vicinity. She eventually moved to the U.S., where the two met in the art college in their fourth year.

Daniel's eye twitches. "Ah, you mean that client that wanted a painting of his hand?"

It was an...odd client, for sure.

"That's the one," Mary answers, lifting her hand up to cover up her smirk, "It's very...handy of me to refer you some interesting projects every now and then, isn't it?"

"Ha. Ha. Yes, you were just waiting for that one, weren't you?" Daniel replies monotonously while his ex struggles to keep in her laughter.

Seeing that Mary is as weird as ever, he can't be too annoyed at his friend as he relaxes and shakes his head. Not to become too distracted by her antics, he motions to Anne, who stares blankly at the woman.

"By the way, this is Anne, my girlfriend," he casually introduces, then back to the slime girl, "Anne, this is my ex, Mary."

"A-ah, nice to meet you!" Anne greets hastily, breaking away from her stupor. Between it all, she fidgets with glee. Somehow hearing her son introduce her as his girlfriend makes her feel incredibly warm.

Mary whistles.

"Nice to meet you! What a cutie!" she praises before facing her fellow artist. "Look, I won't intrude any longer as I was just on my way out. I'll give you a call later to catch up. I might have another client that would better suit you for a commission."

"Again? No weird clients, please."

Mary winks. "No promises~"

As she takes her leave, Anne quickly snaps her head to her son. "Who was that?!"

"I already told you, she's my ex."

"No, more details please! I thought I heard you say you had no luck finding anyone!"

Daniel's forehead creases. "When did you hear me say that?"

It's hazy, but Anne recalls hearing Daniel speaking to Amy's grave while she was underground. When realizing she has to reveal this point, she lowers her head.

"Um...around before I tailed you at the cemetery. It's still muddy for me then, but I can still remember you talking about your luck with dates."

Daniel smiles reassuringly when the slime girl displays guilt about her source of existence. "Anne, it's okay. You don't have to feel bad about that anymore. As for what I said, that's basically since I broke up with Mary, which was a year after graduating with my art degree."

"Oh...why did you break up?"

"Mainly because we wanted to run our own individual business instead of sharing one, The second being...well, we saw our passion for art weaken when we were together."

"Weaken?"

Daniel hums, trying to come up with a proper explanation. "You see, we have our own preferences. She enjoys doing more abstract and conceptual drawings while I enjoy more realistic, grounded paintings. On top of that, we each wanted to impress the other, but...I couldn't fully appreciate the higher imagination she had. That said, she's an amazing person! If it wasn't for our interest in our art...well, anyways."

"So...you were more boring?" Anne questions cheekily.

Daniel snorts sadly. "Probably, yeah."

Anne reclines back a little and taps the table. "But...you still liked her, right?"

"Of course, but I sometimes wonder if it was more admiration than anything. Further, she wanted to...explore herself more, and I was not game to follow her on that path."

"Artistically?"

Daniel coughs. "No, sexually."

"Ah."

The artist leans back, closing his arms together and shrugging. "Point being, we were chaining ourselves together and we decided it was affecting our creativity. I suggested to stop our relationship there before it soured and she agreed."

Anne hums, unsure how to feel. "Well, I guess it's good that you and her at least came to that conclusion and broke it off before really getting into your careers. I'm proud of you."

Daniel grins and takes her hand, causing her to flinch. "Speaking of exploration, I think it's time that I start to branch off more. With such a backlog though, it helps that I have an assistant, right?"

It takes a moment for the slime girl to register her son's words before her eyes widen. With a breath, she leans forward, nearly shaking the table in her excitement. "Do you mean that? I passed?!"

The artist nods, unable to deny it now that he's seen her color most of her self-portrait without any issues. "I mean, you offered, didn't you? After seeing your self-portrait and how you paint, I'd be a fool not to accept your help."

"Yes! I want to paint more with you!" Anne hurriedly agrees and wiggles in delight.

'She's adorable...' Daniel can't help but think with a pleasant smile.

"Plus, that'll give us time to explore other things together, right?" she adds, her lips drawing with ideas.

'...and possibly dangerous,' the artist appends in his mind.

Twenty miles away from the restaurant, a limousine passes through the gates of the Keystone Cemetery. Lecia and Mike step out of the car after the driver parks in the main lot. The Sights Open's president lifts her sunglasses to her forehead as she scans the area.

"Luckily, this isn't very far from our warehouse," she notes, taking her first step in a random section for a start.

Mike sighs as he walks alongside her. "Didn't expect my trip here would involve the dead."

She chuckles. "Right, you have enough of that with your study of human bones. Remind me, you were studying just recently...?"

"Yet another victim of Vesuvius. It'll be detailed in a journal soon."

"Ah yes, thermal shock or suffocation?"

"Actually neither. We believe it was a man who got kicked by a horse going into shock."

"Oof."

Mike curls his lips a little, then watches the various people visiting their loved ones. They aren't here to do the same, though. Instead, they find themselves here thanks to the mysterious creature that came out of the fire pit. Although it took a while to gather data from various camera networks, any leads disappeared at this location.

"Are we sure that nothing came out from this place?" Lecia asks.

The archeologist sighs. "Yes, I had a few try to access cameras in this location, but it was harder to track the creature thanks to the grass."

Lecia hums and narrows her eyes while staring at her feet, annoyed. "Honestly, I doubt we'll be able to learn much just looking around. If something happened, there should be a report, but it's been quiet. Nothing has been amiss as far as normal crime and city activity."

"So then, what are we doing here? Surely, we can find something given what we only know."

The woman laughs dryly. "And what's that? It's a small creature that can be mistaken for a rat in the dark. We may know better, but that's about it. What I can do is at least talk with the management. There's a possibility that my company might have a way for us to discover why it came here."

"How so?"

Lecia remains silent for a moment. "First, have you read about the article on burial pits found at Stonehenge last year?"

"You think...there's a relation?"

"It's more possible now than before. The creature, a likely product of our ritual, kept going straight until it reached the closest burial land we have in this city. That says a lot, don't you think?"

Mike frowns. "Yet, there hasn't been any noticeable change."

"Exactly, noticeable. I'm willing to bet that, even if nothing seems tampered with, there's still information we can gain through the dead around here. Seeing how we're at a literal dead end, it only make sense for us to search said dead for clues."

"That...seems risky though."

Lecia giggles. "That's why I was talking about my company. We're currently designing new technologies to help detect what's below the earth. It just so happens we're building a form of X-Ray that can scan across the soil in large areas."

The archeologist widens his eyes. "Like a mass CT scan? Is that possible? How deep?"

The president shakes her head sadly. "Not too deep, but it can probably scan most of this area and through the coffins. The issue is that it's still in development and that we would need permission from the cemetery for testing. Shouldn't be too invasive, but the technology requires drilling a hole around a perimeter."

Mike curls his lips, unsure of the effort. "Are you certain this is worth it?"

Lecia shrugs. "It'll be a good test excuse for the product. In any case, we don't have any other choice. If something strange occurs, we'll be the first to know, but so far, this is the closest thing I can do without it being suspicious."

The archeologist rubs his head, then sighs. "Well, since there's clearly no more tracks to follow, I'll have to trust you on that."

"What, you haven't trusted me before?" Lecia hums playfully.

The archeologist shakes his head silly, not going to even respond to that. Instead, he pulls up his watch, frowning.

"Well, I've already delayed my trip back as long as I can. My flight is set for tomorrow morning, so I'm afraid I won't be able to-"

He stops himself as he feels Lecia tug his collared shirt. The corner of her lips rises a little. "You know, you really don't have an excuse anymore to share a drink with me. Before you leave, I've at least earned that as a friend, no?"

Mike knows what she's going for, and he's not sure if he can resist. "Lecia, I'm...married-"

She pushes a finger to his lips. "Is there really nothing, Mike?"

As her firm pupils reflect his wavering gaze, Mike shuts his eyes for a moment and sighs, pulling back and pressing his hand to his face. "You really are...trouble for me."

 

Chapter 14: Changing Room Challenges

Chapter Text

After eating, Anne and Daniel arrive at the Fairview Outdoor Mall, a shopping center located on Keystone's outskirts. Many pedestrians can be seen enjoying the warm weather, some eating ice cream along benches while others carrying multiple bags from various stores. A typical environment.

Anne blinks as she steps out of the car and looks around. "Is it me or has this place gotten busier?"

"Well, it did expand after Amy died. There's even a new movie theater that was built."

"Oh!"

Daniel's lips lift as Anne claps her hands together in delight. He wonders whether his astronomer-mother would react similarly?

He shakes his head, stopping such thoughts. It seems pointless and unfair to guess when Anne is in front of him, someone who blends with Amy but not always. Not wasting further time, they head into a larger department store that has been around since the founding of the mall. As the entrance's sliding doors open, Anne's eyes widen to see the large area filled with clothes, various stands, and plenty of people shuffling through hangers of fabric.

"Oh, I know this store!" Anne starts, her eyes softening. "When you were little, you got lost here while Amy was looking for a pair of pants for you. After realizing you weren't around her, she panicked as she tried to search for you until some employees finally found you hiding and crying in the Men's coats section."

She chuckles. "She spanked you so hard after that! Since then, you behaved better for her, didn't you?"

Daniel's eyes glance away, feeling a little embarrassed by those memories, even though he was just a dumb kid like anyone else.

"I mean, it was bound to happen. I know I wasn't the most easy kid to raise."

As they walk in further, Anne grabs the artist's hand and huffs. "Well, now I must keep you close to ensure you don't run off again!"

Daniel snorts and squeezes his hand back at her. "That should be my line. Since you're still learning and rediscovering things, I'm worried you'll go off on your own."

Anne pouts. "That's not-"

She halts as she sees the lingerie and bra section. Her thoughts travel to all the sexy articles worn by models in photos and videos she saw on her son's browser history. Her figurative heart beats over the prospect of having some to wear herself and please her son.

"Waah! Let's go, Daniel!"

Pulling him along with eager footing, the artist yelps. "H-hey, slow down!"

At the edge of the section, Daniel retreats away forcefully. As a result, Anne fumbles and then turns her head back to her son, frowning. "What's wrong, pumpkin?"

Daniel curses quietly while a few women stare at the couple before returning to their business, "First, please don't call me that! Also, you need to calm down, okay? I know you're excited, but there's no reason to rush!"

Anne lowers her head a little with her lips flattened into a straight line. "A-ah...you're right, sorry."

Daniel sighs, then crosses his arms. "I'll just stand nearby. You can pick what you'd like and go into the fitting room to make sure it fits."

The slime girl lifts her head, then furrows her brows. "What? But...I'm going to pick things that I want to make sure you like! I need you to be with me!"

The artist blushes before gulping. "That's...um..."

"Oh, come on. It's not as if you haven't already seen me nak-"

Daniel quickly places his hand on her mouth. "L-lower your voice! I get it, okay? But most men and women aren't allowed to go into fitting rooms!"

"Ah...well, hmm..."

Daniel breathes out in relief, but before he can be certain Anne would give up on the idea, he sees a couple entering the fitting room without concern. Stunned, he squints and sees the fitting room has signs allowing for mixed genders.

Unfortunately, Anne also notices this and brightens. "Oh, look at that! See, it's fine!"

Daniel blinks a few times, wondering if he missed something. Honestly, he usually orders online, so he hasn't been to a clothing store in a long while. Still, for there to be such a change...

'Why though?! You're just asking for inappropriate stuff to happen!' Daniel cries in his head. Perhaps this is some sort of progressive change happening to stores...or just this one.

Regardless, he stands his ground. "I still don't think doing this is a good idea. Do you really need me to check you out?"

"I do! Besides, aren't you my boyfriend right now? I need your opinion! What if I pick something that would make me stand out?"

Under her hopeful eyes, Daniel's lips wriggle. He hoped his slime mother would have the judgment to know, but then again...

'Shit.'

To no avail, the artist ultimately finds himself in the fitting room as his slime mother requested. Seated on a chair in the closed stall with his legs closed and his hands locked to his thighs, he stiffens a little as Anne comes in, humming to herself. In her arms are a variety of lingerie, panties, and bras.

With a pleased smile, she sets aside the articles and slowly removes her buttoned blouse. The anticipation causes her son to wriggle in his seat and look away. Noticing her son's discomfort, her eyes lower.

"Daniel? I'm sorry for pushing, but truly, there's nobody else. I'm still figuring out my final body type, after all."

"Um...yeah."

The slime girl giggles at her son's weak acknowledgment. As she does, Daniel sees her breasts, currently in the C-cup range, jiggle a tiny bit. Even though she reduced them to fit Amy's blouse, they're plenty full compared to her size.

The bust-appreciator naturally cannot stop his member from growing a little hard watching this. He's accepted that it will happen, and since this is from the slime girl's insistence, what else can he do? He can only hope Anne finds a good size soon.

Sadly, time in this stall seems to draw out.

Anne tries on various tops, most of which are at least two cup-size larger than her current. As she straps on a DD-cup bra, her chest inflates to fit snugly while keeping the same band measurement. She pats her chest, causing her upper mass to ripple.

"Does this look fine? I can't exactly determine if it's uncomfortable or not since I don't feel anything, but I don't want it to snap either," she asks, twirling a little.

Her son inhales for a moment. Though she acts casual about it, the sight of her breasts expanding before his eyes really riles his member below. Still, he doesn't show his discomfort as he leans forward. Although this should be a job for another girl to inspect, that's obviously impossible with Anne adjusting her mass as she pleases. Understanding his role to examine, he slips his finger beneath the strap on her back and pulls. It feels firm but not overly tight.

"Doesn't seem too tense," he concludes. "Are all the bras you bought of this size?"

"I have some bigger ones too."

Daniel swallows, then crookedly smiles. "H-honestly, this is already big compared to your body and height. Any further and you're going to really attract attention."

She'll likely still get ogles at her current size, but as a man who appreciates large busts, Daniel can't tell her to downgrade her chest either. Of course, her level of attracting eyes to her curves will ultimately depend on what she wears over.

Anne hums, then turn to take his hands, placing them on her chest. "I don't care about others. Tell me, is this good enough for you or do you want to see me bigger?"

The artist screams in his mind, feeling the firm yet pleasant mass in his hands. His cock throbs more, tightening against the fabric of his jeans. Would he like to see them bigger, like she had them at home?

Fuck yes!

Is it realistic? No.

Pulling away, he coughs a little."Yes, it's fine for me...or at least for when we go out in public."

Seeing her son's reaction, Anne wiggles. She'd like to try bigger bras, but if her breasts look too big in her current form, she would need to grow out proportionately. Obviously, a tall woman in the streets would turn even more heads.

"I guess this is my limit then," Anne says, accepting the balance for now. Like Daniel suggests, she can always enlarge her breasts back at home.

With a DD-cup size, she checks other bras with similar sizing.

Time in the stall continues, and Daniel soon taps his feet, forced to watch her switch on and switch off various tops. The way her arms squeeze her chest as she unstraps, then jiggles left free, puts an increasing strain on him. Unfortunately, it worsens when Anne moves to her bottom underwear, pulling Amy's jeans down while singing to herself.

Catching Daniel's intense stare at her butt, Anne smirks and wiggles. "Hehe, it's kind of embarrassing to stare so hard."

'Hard...hard...hard...'

While Daniel's head is filled with his own problems, he manages to force a smile. "I am...just checking to see if you'd...stand out."

"Oh."

That's just an excuse as he sweats more. His pants are being stained with pre-cum with all this teasing!

It would only worsen if he witnesses Anne's lower cheeks wobbling as she resizes her mass while pulling on various underwear.

'Oh dear god!' Daniel cries in his mind.

By the end of it, she finds a size for her waist. Humming contently, she twirls once more. "This should be good, right?"

"Y-yes," Daniel croaks, his forehead sweating. Unable to bear it any longer, he shuts his eyes while keeping his voice low. "I'm...sorry, Anne. I can't take this anymore. Since you've gotten your sizes down, you can just continue without me."

Anne gasps. "W-wait, can I try a few lingerie for you?"

For a moment, Daniel almost forgot they were in a public changing room as everyone minded their own business; however, a few whistles and giggles erupt, overhearing Anne.

The artist curls his lips, flushing red and averts his gaze.

"Anne, please," he pleads. "You can...ahem, surprise me later."

The slime girl blinks, finding the idea better. Closing her eyes with glee, she nods. "Well, okay!"

Daniel breathes a sigh of relief and stands up. When he does, the slime finally notices his bulge below. Placing a hand on her mouth, her eyes sadden.

'Did...I do that?'

Feeling guilty, she leans closer to his ear while stopping him on the chest. "Sweetie, I could...help clean away those stains real quick? It'll be quiet, I promise."

Daniel sips some air and holds his breath for a moment. His cock reacts eagerly over the idea, but knowing how risky it might be with mostly ladies or couples around, he shakes his head.

"W-we can't!"

Anne's eyes shine, undeterred. "It'll be quick! Won't you be uncomfortable like that? I'll just...let my slime seep through your fabric and dry it out, okay?"

'Is that really possible?'

Daniel hesitates. Indeed, he'd rather leave this changing room dry and not risk others noticing his arousal, although most might not catch it. Knowing that Anne has been able to absorb liquids easily though, particularly from him, he accedes. "T-then, if you can..."

"Right."

Anne takes the matter seriously and gently pushes him to sit back down. Doing so, Daniel watches one of her hands revert to its blue jelly form. Before he can question what she plans to do, she snaps it forward, attaching it to his crotch.

The slight pressure causes him to inhale, but he quickly suppresses his grunt as he feels the slime girl's hand become less defined, seeping through the fabric of his jeans. She hushes him gently as cool gel flows inside his boxers with care not to squeeze.

Keeping his breathing leveled, Daniel tries to remain calm. There are no noises from the slime's movement except the low sounds of rustling and fabric folding around them. Some women hum as they look at themselves, while others comment about the store's clothes. In any case, the mood is like a library, and even one slip of a moan might hint at naughty customer behavior.

Daniel feels the vibration of Anne sucking away all of his juices just like a sponge. True to her word, she's avoiding touching his cock directly; unfortunately, the artist is already on edge. No matter how delicate, her movements on the surface are enough for his cock to pump away without his consent.

And it does.

'Fuck!'

Daniel shuts his eyes tightly, then holds his breath more, much to his detriment. He doesn't feel he has other options to prevent an immediate groan from rising in his throat.

Anne is alarmed as she senses his pants growing wetter, then hurries to suck up all his cum with a bite from her lips.

Unfortunately, Daniel can't hold his breath and voice for very long. Seeing his struggle, his mother's eyes swirl with panic, then desperately move to seal his lips with hers.

The artist stiffens, only staving off suspicion by groaning into her mouth. The sounds are mostly kept under as she places her free hand on his head, locking him to her.

His body then tries to pull away for the much-needed air his fast-beating heart requires; however, Anne refuses, keeping him close. He nearly chokes, expecting to struggle more until an unexpected lifeline enters him.

His eyes widen, staring at Anne's glinting eyes as his lungs are filled by unmistakable air from her being. Although he recalls her saying she doesn't need to breathe except as necessary to talk, he hadn't accounted for her to be able to pull in air for him. How was she redirecting it from the outside?

He doesn't understand, but seeing how she's giving him time to adjust while drying his crotch below, he closes his eyes and relaxes against her cool lips.

By the end of it, Anne releases him from both ends, and Daniel manages to breathe out easily as one normally would. While adapting back to the standard air, he stares incredulously, only to see his slime mother pull a thumbs up, clearly proud of her quick thinking.

He's completely dumbfounded over what just occurred. Somehow or other, they exit the fitting room without garnering much awareness from other customers. Once in the clear, the artist groans. "Sorry Anne, but I'm not joining you again for the rest of your picks."

Anne curls her lips as she places her various underwear into a cart parked outside the changing room. "Um...You're not mad, are you?"

Daniel snorts, twisting his lips to his side. "No, it's my fault. I should've just bear with it."

"Sorry, I should've been more delicate."

Daniel's not too sure if it would've mattered. In any case, he shrugs. "Somehow, it worked out, but I'll admit that was...thrilling."

The slime girl raises her brows. "R-really?"

The artist hums, looking away and coughing. "Anyways, how were you able to pull in air for me like that?"

"Ah, well...I've always been able to draw in air to help make noises, but as I've told, I don't really need it. So I thought in my haste that if I sealed our heads together, I could give you some more breathing time to calm down without others noticing."

Daniel shakes his head in disbelief. "That's absolutely ridiculous."

"Hehe! You know what though? This means ma-I can give you plenty of long kisses!"

The possibility sends shivers down Daniel, wondering how he'd last constantly being refilled by his slime mother. He fastens his pace to the next section as his lower member reacts to the idea.

Chapter 15: To be Anne or to be Amy?

Chapter Text

After getting all the clothes for Anne, she and Daniel stop at the grocery store to refill his kitchen. Although Daniel reassured the slime mother that she needn't worry about the cost too much, he can't deny that buying clothes and food would push a pretty hole in his account. That said, with all the commissions he has lined up, he knows he'll be fine overall.

Especially since Anne would be helping him with his backlog!

'That's right...it's like an investment. She'll be helping me out from now on, so it's important to make sure she lives comfortably.'

Amidst such thoughts, Anne lowers her head, once again reminded how much trouble she's causing. After all, grocery shopping was not part of Daniel's original plan.

"Daniel, I-"

"Nope! You've already apologized. Besides..."

Looking at the slime girl's downcast face, Daniel leans forward to kiss her head, causing her to perk up and gasp. He grins. "I have to make sure my assistant is well fed, right?"

Anne stares at her son for a moment before squinting. "I should be glad you're so forgiving, but...why does it feel so demeaning?"

Daniel coughs. "Nonsense! Anyways, don't worry so much."

The slime girl hums suspiciously before helping to grab items to put into the cart. Her mood slowly improves, but at one point, the artist is about to grab his favorite guacamole chips when she stops his hand, looking at him sternly. "Hold up, mister, what are you doing?"

Daniel is momentarily confused before remembering Amy disapproves of him eating unhealthy stuff. Undoubtedly, his astronomer-mother's influence on Anne causes her to disapprove similarly; however, this time, he isn't a child who can be barred anymore. Knowing this, he smirks.

"Getting chips of course."

"No, you can't!" she rejects, leaning closer to him, "Haven't I told you? They're just going to rot your brain!"

The artist snorts and shakes his head silly. "Well to be exact, it wasn't you who told me. Anyways, that's the kind of exaggeration that you'd make to a kid. Some chips every now and then is still okay."

"It may be, but you can easily do without! You should grab stuff that will help you focus! Eating this is a trap that causes you to want to eat more!"

"It's true," Daniel agrees with a light-hearted hum. "That's what the salt does for you."

"Then, if you know-"

"Still adding it to the cart."

Nonchalantly, he breaks away from her hold and places the bag of chips into the cart. At this outright refusal, the slime mother pouts and tilts away. "Fine, see if I care!"

"Clearly, you do, but I'm glad that girlfriend is so health-conscious."

Anne shivers, trying to hide her delight. "G-girlf-No! I see what you're trying to do! Is this how you treat your own moth-I mean, me?"

Despite saying that, Anne can't help to tug closer to her son, bumping her head across his shoulder. Daniel chuckles lightly in response while wrapping his arm around her. "I don't know, it's kind of fun to be honest."

Although she knows he's teasing her, Anne recognizes that Daniel doesn't really treat her as a mother. She understands it well since she's not Amy, nor does she want to be his mother in a biological sense either. After all, she wouldn't be able to love him as much as she has thus far.

But she does wonder, would he be happier if he got Amy instead of her?

Once at home, Anne helps bring in and organize all the groceries. As she does, Daniel begins talking about a new ground rule.

"Alright, Anne," he addresses, forgetting they're alone. "Just another reminder: If you become really hungry, like in the morning, let me know first...well, if you can."

While placing a cereal box into his pantry, he flinches as he hears the slime girl hold back a sad cry. "I-It's mama! W-we're alone, aren't we?!"

Daniel clears his throat. "Ah, that's right. Sorry mom. Still, do you understand my concerns?"

"Yes, I'll be careful about food," the slime girl answers in resignation, then sighs. "Honestly though, am I really not mom enough for you to forget?"

Daniel flattens his lips, feeling a little guilty.

'I probably shouldn't have teased her so much,' Daniel thinks before answering.

"I mean, think of it this way. It's hard for anyone who gains a new mother to suddenly have to be forced to call them mom, even if they're on good terms."

"That's..."

Anne struggles to find an excuse as she places a carton of milk into the fridge. Since she's a lot more mature regarding knowledge and society now, she can't deny that it's awkward for many children, especially step-children. Realizing this, she feels guilty herself because she's been so insistent.

"I get your point, Daniel but I thought...well, I'd be somewhat like Amy to you, even if a little."

Daniel hums. "You are, but the same time, you're a person of your own. Isn't that what you told me? So, there's no need for you to compare with Amy!"

As Anne closes the fridge door, she tugs her blouse with one hand. Honestly, she's not sure whether to feel good about that or not, but it further makes her question whether Daniel would be happier with his actual mother's presence.

"Then, why have you been okay calling me mom when we're alone?"

Daniel shuffles some cans on the shelves. "Because I recognize that my mom is a part of you, even if you two aren't the same."

The slime mother's eyes widen a little.

"In any case," Daniel continues. "I'm not so hung up on that as long as it's between us. I promise I'll try to address you more consistently."

"Ah...I see."

Anne smiles a little but remains confused about how to feel. Maybe this relationship just needs more time to mend? Alternatively, perhaps it's harder for him to see her as his mother since she doesn't look and act like Amy.

She's not exactly sure why she developed differently from Amy despite having nearly all the same memories, but there's enough information assembled to fix that. She could easily shift her appearance to look exactly like the researcher and mimic her personality if she wanted. Even if she wouldn't be his real mother, it should make him happier, right?

She nods to herself. 'Maybe, I should transform into Amy...and not only that, I transform into a version before the stress of work and cancer treatments took a toll on her. Would that...be alright?'

As she questions further, Daniel exits the pantry and watches his dear slime mother deep in thought. He breathes easily, wondering what she could be thinking about.

Although it's only been less than a week, he's come to enjoy her lovable personality and cheer. If it weren't for the connection to his real mother, he might've rejected her out of fear. But now, he wants to see where his life with Anne takes him, for better or worse.

He's about to continue grabbing more items to fill the pantry before his phone starts ringing. Picking it up, he sees Mary as the caller ID. Of course, she did say she'd call.

Sighing, he moves away from the kitchen and answers his phone, leaving Anne alone as she decides, pulling her arms up with determination.

After some emails Daniel had to send out, there wasn't much to do but go to sleep. Speaking of, he looks at his current bed and frowns, reminded once more that he needs to figure out how to rearrange his space to better support his slime mother.

Stretching from his computer chair, he stands up to prepare for bed. Before that, he takes a peek into his work area, where Anne is doing some final touches on her self-portrait. Seeing her so focused, he can't help but smile.

He clears his throat to grab her attention. "Mom, don't forget to turn off the lights when you're done."

Anne looks back and beams. "Alright! Mama is almost finished and she'll join you!"

Daniel hums, proud to see that she's so focused. Although he questions how she's gotten scarily good with oil paints, he's pleased she's so interested. This is just one aspect showing Anne being an individual and not just a copy of his star-loving mother. He can't even imagine Amy trying to paint like Anne has done.

Washing up and changed, he eventually settles into his bed. It isn't long before Anne finishes and enters as well. She takes her fresh shopping bag of clothes with her and excitedly enters his bathroom.

Hearing the shuffling of clothes, the artist gulps, figuring his slime mother will change into potentially exciting wear. He did tell her to make it a surprise, but perhaps he's setting himself up for a long night.

'Shit, this is no good. If it's like this, I'll keep expecting things from her,' he admonishes himself, ashamed. It's presumptuous to think his slime mother would always keep him close so intimately every night. Plus, she shouldn't need to feel like she should please him daily.

As he corrects his line of thinking, he turns the other way and closes his eyes. He doesn't want to give Anne the wrong idea or set unfair expectations. In fact, he wants her to enjoy herself more rather than what might please him. The painting was a start, but it all began because Anne felt she needed to understand his passion.

However, this is naive thinking of a son who underestimates the slime mother's dedication, despite witnessing how far she's been willing to go for him. This becomes evident when the bathroom door opens, and Anne speaks softly to him.

"Daniel?"

His face flushes as he wonders what sort of sexy wear she has decided to pick; however, as soon as he faces his slime mother, his heart stops, and his pupils' contract.

Long brown hair, neatly trimmed bangs that split off to the side, olive eyes that stare lovingly into his own, and a welcoming button nose that wiggles as she smiles. This star-loving mother before him looks exactly as he remembers in his youth before her health began to decline in her thirties.

"M-mom...?"

Daniel doesn't know what is happening, but for the moment, he nearly forgets this is Anne. However, his mind is reset once he catches her red and black lingerie set that enhances her curves. Seeing his mother in such an alluring manner has never crossed his mind, yet, here she is. Her nightwear comes with a black bra that covers half her chest, a pair of black panties with red floral sewing around the edges, and a red lace screen fluttering down from her bra and surrounding her smooth belly.

Anne sits by his bedside with a serene smile. "Is there something wrong with my face? It looks like you're seeing a ghost."

Daniel swallows as his throat turns dry. He blinks a few times before snapping out of his stupor. "W-what are you doing, mom?"

Mom as Anne or Mom as Amy? Daniel's not sure if there's supposed to be a difference now.

His mother chuckles smoothly, walking over to the light switch. "I just wanted to relive some old days with my favorite star, that's all. Come on, you don't have to stare at me so needlessly."

She turns off the lights, leaving only the lamp near the bed on. Her body becomes an outline in the dark until she reaches the lamp's vicinity, creating a warm glow across her face.

The subsequent shuffling into his sheets causes his heart to race faster with anxiety and confusion. He's unsure what to feel about this sudden transformation, but it's raising troubling emotions that he isn't prepared for.

He's about to open his mouth, but nothing comes out as his mother caresses his cheek. "My god, how many years has it been since we slept together? Not since you were scared at night of the thunderstorms, I think. You used to hug me so closely, but when I talked about the movements of our galaxy, some of the planets we discovered in the observatory I work at, and the many suns, you would become so intrigued that you'd forget about the storms of the night."

Daniel exhales shakily, tears building in his eyes as her words rattle the years he spent to move on. "Mom, please...this isn't..."

He can't find the words to finish, still unsure whether he's speaking to Anne or Amy. It's totally different from when Amy came through Anne, appealing to him as if she were possessed. Now, it feels like his mother has actually come back to life.

The mother brushes through his hair and softly hushes him. "Daniel, it's okay. I know this is sudden, but just know that I'm always here for you. Come here, my star."

She pulls her son closer, pulling his face into the depths of her soft chest. As she does this, tears flow from Daniel's eyes. He shivers, suppressing a quiet sob.

'Stop, this...isn't right!'

"I love you, Daniel."

'You're dead! You can't be here!'

As if reading his mind, the slime mother closes in to kiss his head and rubs his back soothingly. "I'm here now...it's okay. Since much time has passed, you'll have to be the one to tell me tales of new stars, isn't that right? I'm sure it'll be fun."

Daniel shakily wraps his arms around his mother's waist, pushing away his doubts. He holds her tightly so that she may never leave again. Maybe...this is okay. Amy is a part of Anne, so what difference does it make if she decides to become the mother he was born to?

As he questions, various memories of his time with Anne floods him.

'Mama...not same! Daniel is...mama's son. Mama wants to...spend close...to son! No...excuses!'

'Hu hu! See? Mama can now properly walk! ...Wait, don't test me!'

'Mama wants to understand you better! So, I refuse to become a workaholic like Amy was!'

'You mean they didn't build a giant satellite for the black hole? Phooey!' 

'This is so fun, Daniel!'

'G-gorgeous? H...hehe!'

...

Is this really okay?

Chapter 16: Hiding

Chapter Text

It is not.

Daniel takes a deep breath, reminding himself that this beautiful woman is dead.

Anne plays his mother, tone and general presence that he remembered when he was young to perfection. At the end of the day, though, it's a play. Amy is dead, but Anne...

Anne is alive: so unique, loving, and adorably curious. In a short time, he's grown attached to the slime girl. So it can be said that thanks to his star-loving mother, she enabled a new life. As such, Daniel cannot let Anne hide away for his sake. He never asked for this.

With that said, he pushes away from this dead persona, causing the slime mother to flinch.

"Stop it, Anne. Change back," he orders, his voice still hoarse. Tears spill from his eyes, although his eyes are now firm against the image of his previous mother.

At this, Anne pulls up a little, her eyes softening. "Sweetie? What's wrong? I just thought, as your mother, you'd be happier if I came back to you like this."

Daniel shivers, her warm voice opening up wounds in his heart. He grits his teeth, planting a hand across his eyes. "Anne, please...this is so fucked up. I never asked for this!"

Anne lowers her gaze, biting her lips. "I..."

Seeing her confusion and desperate need to understand, Daniel takes another breath to calm his wrecked mind. He swallows slowly before sliding his hand down. With pained eyes, he moves his hand to caress her cheek and smiles bitterly. "I don't need my old mother, Anne. I want you. Please...come back."

Anne's widen and lips curl as she shakes, wrapping her hand over his. She closes her eyes as her forehead strains. If she could spill tears like her son, she would.

She's hurt her son.

Solemnly, Anne reverts back without further question. As she does, Daniel feels her facial features shift ever so slightly from his hand, returning to the friendly form that bears the beauty of his paintings. Her hair ripples until it turns wavy, dangling across her guilt-laden face.

Already, Daniel's heart feels lighter. Breathing easier, he reaches out with his remaining hand to cup both of her cheeks. She accepts it, shivering with shame.

"Daniel, m-mama is sorry! I really did think that things would be better, but it seems I..."

She stumbles without another word, but it doesn't matter what she says to the artist. With the adorable girl back to her usual self, Daniel shuffles in to hold her close, burying his face into her chest. His tears dry up as he feels the coolness of the slime girl's skin layer.

He's still shaken by her transformation, which fills him with so many memories of his mother, but ultimately leaves sorrow when he remembers that she's gone.

Perhaps, things would've been different if Anne had approached him as Amy from the start. If that were the case though, he probably wouldn't have been able to accept the amount of love Anne expresses for him.

With a deep sigh, he holds her tightly. "Anne, I've spent more than six years moving on. As much as I love my mother, nobody should replicate her. It's just too much for me to see her suddenly like that. You played her scarily well too, but I know it's not real. Didn't I say you don't need to compare to her?"

Anne wrinkles with further shame.

"Y-yes," she squeaks. "I'm sorry for hurting you. M-mama will remain Mama, I promise!"

Daniel snorts, then lifts his head to meet her eyes. "It's alright now. You look great by the way."

In the artist's attempt to lighten the mood, Anne breaks into a crooked smile. Despite hurting him, he's forgiving her again.

She doesn't deserve him as a mother or a lover.

Yet, he wants her by his side. She also wants to selfishly experience more with him. Feeling so, her lips edge closer to him. "Oh...my Daniel."

Her soft voice sends shivers down the artist's spine as he accepts her lips, drawing closer and sliding one of his hands down her back. Their kiss starts gentle and sweet, although the moment he breaks away from her, she bites her lips, wanting more.

While she doesn't have physical sensation, her mind desires more of her son's affection. She takes a deep breath before locking herself to him.

He blushes happily and returns her kisses. It becomes longer and more drawn out as his slime mother uses her new trick to push oxygen inside his lungs from the surroundings. As a result, more heat builds between with each passing second until they break apart.

Daniel's cock is raging hard by this time, and Anne knows it too, as her hand slowly moves beneath the sheets to slide his pajamas down. He lets out a hot breath as his slime mother giggles. She feels the boy's thick member rub against her palm, throbbing with warmth and oozing sticky fluid from his tip. It would seem her son is already warmed up.

As for her, she's always ready whenever Daniel decides he wants more of her body. So with that in mind, she slides her panties off and shuffles her crotch closer to her son's sopping erection, which twitches as it pokes against her skin.

With a giggle, she pulls his throbbing member between her legs and guides it into her welcoming pussy while they remain sideways. Of course, this maneuver would be hard without prior positioning from the artist, but as a slime, it doesn't take much effort to open up her folds at an angle. Soon, she engulfs her son in her warm, slippery slit with some flex. Her slimy walls quickly wrap around him as his cock plunges deep inside her.

Daniel groans, sliding his hands down her curves until they grab hold of her ass. He pulls her lower half closer and thrusts himself inside her with powerful motions.

The bed creaks once more.

Shlip! Shlip!

While the familiar wet noises fill the room, Daniel closes his eyes as he enjoys Anne's controlled tightness. The moment he pushes back into her depths, her whole body shakes from the force of his hips. If she were in her base gooey form, she'd have waves all over her body.

Anne moans, not because she can feel her son's thrusts but due to the psychological satisfaction that drowns her as she holds her precious baby close. Her lips part before she takes his face in both hands and passionately kisses him, her tongue slipping past his teeth and intertwining with his.

Daniel feels as if new life is being breathed into him. Just thinking how long he could go without breaking away is enticing and scary.

Shlap! Shlap!

Soon, the artist is panting like a wild animal as he reaches his peak. He pushes her onto her back, and in response, Anne opens her legs more as they transition to a missionary position. She coos at him with love in her eyes as he snuggles against her confined breasts, jiggling in place.

The slime girl wraps her arms around her son's neck and closes her eyes, keeping him locked against her.

"You're so beautiful, mom," he whispers with a hard breath, looking up at her face as he squeezes her soft breasts in his palms.

Anne lets out a gleeful hum before her hands glide down to his back. "Mama is happy. Please, cum for Mama, baby."

She seems to know precisely the right time to say it. Indeed, the artist has reached his limit of holding out. Groaning, his cock pulses inside the slime internals, causing her to squirm in delight.

"Oh yes! Oh, my baby!" she moans, hugging him tightly. She can feel the difference in temperature between his cum and herself, driving her excitement further.

Daniel grunts, keeping his cock fully submerged in her jelly internals until she absorbs all the cum he has left. Once that is done, he comes down from his high and accepts Anne's kiss as she leans forward.

"Mama...loves you," she whispers between kisses, wrapping her hand into his.

The artist squeezes her hand in response while controlling his breath. With a proud smile, he eventually breaks away to rest his head on her chest. They enjoy their afterglow, and no other words need to be said as the lamp nearby shuts off.

Chapter 17: New Morning

Chapter Text

It must've been ten years ago, just before she visited Stonehenge as part of an excavation effort.

Lecia watched Mike among a crowd of family and friends seated outside a flower garden venue. He stood on a platform in his best suit with his hands in front of him, clasped together.

As he awaited his fiance, his eyes caught his friend's own for a moment. Then, a bitter smile formed on his lips just as it did on Lecia's face. The two looked at each other, filled with many things they wanted to say. Her mind went back to when she offered to progress their relationship after meeting him again, just a year of working in their respective universities, but...

'I'm sorry. I wish...I could follow through.'

'Why...?'

The reason is the event and the new love he discovered while they focused on their careers. It pained her, so she looked away but wouldn't complain.

So, in the end, it was because she didn't act fast enough when she had plenty of time to announce her feelings to him since college.

Despite that, she felt betrayed.

Because the man she loves wishes it could be different. He could've still changed his mind, but he also loved the bride that would come. So it was simply a choice where, even though they had known each other for longer, he still chose her.

Lecia clenched her teeth and looked down. As everyone around her gasped in awe as the bride revealed herself, she couldn't bear to join in the celebration. Instead, she needed to compose herself, bury her feelings, and witness as everyone had done.

Witness as the man she loves turned and smiled at the bride in a way he never did with her. Coming through with her white gown and flowers in her hand, Mike's blonde-haired, fair, and beautiful fiance joined the platform with her two sons throwing petals on the ground.

They kissed, of course. Nobody objected to the two when the priest asked of the audience, as if anyone would attempt a stupid act. Lecia could only hold herself in and clap as everyone did.

The two sons were happy to have a new dad, hugging him joyfully. As Lecia watched the new family laugh joyfully, she could only think...

Those two boys could've been similar to their possible children.

This event and gathering could've been for their union...A union that would be made for like-minded archeologists.

This is but a dream though.

One that Lecia wishes she had as she wakes up alone in her bed. She stares at the ceiling with a bitter smile before rubbing her eyes. After grounding herself, she turns her head to the empty space on the bed. As expected, Mike is gone having left for his plane and then to be with the family she wished had been hers.

"Fuck."

Lecia rises up while tugging the sheets to her naked body, then places a hand on her head. She asked him if he still loved his wife during their heated moment.

A selfish question — one she wished she hadn't asked being under the influence of alcohol.

That said, he still does, and yet, he hasn't truly rejected her advances whenever they meet. Is it out of pity?

She sighs, bringing up her knees and burying her face into them. "I'm really the worse."

She can't give him up. The former archeologist grips her bed sheets tightly before exhaling slowly. Forcing herself to relax, she glances at her phone on the side. There's a reminder of a board meeting that requires her presence in a few hours.

With a groan, she reluctantly slips out of bed and stares out a window, taking in the light that bends across her face.

Soon.

Soon there will be a time when their secrets will be revealed to the world. At that time, will Mike be by her side for real...or would he hang on to the love that wouldn't meet his passion?

Lecia bites her lips, shamelessly hoping that he will come to realize who is more important.

"Aah~ Daniel is dirty!"

Anne's laugh echoes in the shower along with the slaps against her rear. Daniel snorts unashamedly as he thrusts, holding his slime mother from behind and caressing her chest and thighs while kissing her neck.

His slime mother's comment refers to the fact that he's plugged into her "asshole". He intended to slip into the shower quietly, but before he knew it, Anne was a step behind him, mischievous smile and all. Wanting to do more before work began, Daniel gave in and pressed into his new assistant while water sprayed over them both.

That said, there's nothing different from doing "anal" with her compared to other times she's enveloped his member. That's because she can tighten her mass and create new holes however she wants. Adding to the fact that she can't feel no matter how hard he presses, thrusting into her unneeded hole is just a play.

However, what is new is how Anne expands her butt as he thrusts. As a result, his slaps have different pitches as his slime mother varies her mass. The feeling of her cheeks jiggling against him and increasing bounce really pushes him over the edge.

"I'm...cumming!"

As the artist does, Anne hums pleasantly, taking in her morning appetizer of the day. Giggling as his sperm dissolves in her body, she pops away and turns to kiss her sweet artist, wrapping her arms around his neck as the shower sprays them evenly overhead.

After exchanging lips, Daniel glances at his bar holder, only to see it empty. "Whoops. I'm going to have to step out."

Anne places a hand on his chest, tilting her chin proudly. "Wait, no need! Where do you store the bars?"

Daniel raises a brow. "In the cabinet under the sink, but-"

Before he can finish, Anne smirks, extending her arm above the glass walls of the shower like a noodle. In response, the artist blinks a few times, stunned. He shuts his mouth quickly as she opens the cabinet outside. Of course, being a slime, it makes sense she can stretch herself!

Finding a new box from some packaging, Anne's arm snaps back into place, revealing her find. Snickering, she proceeds to open it. "Mama will scrub you, okay? Turn around, please."

Daniel closes his eyes and snorts. "How convenient."

"Hehe, right?"

She begins rubbing the soap across his back and continues. "So, what are your plans? Are you going to finish the twins' painting?"

Daniel hums. "That's nearly done. Actually, I want to start working on a more unique piece that I was commissioned for recently and then afterwards, I was thinking of painting you."

"Me? But I'm already doing my self-portrait."

"Well, not exactly you. I figured it might be cool to paint someone and since you seem to be able to change your appearance..."

"Ah!"

Anne nearly drops the soap. Catching it, her eyelids lower as she frowns. "M-mama's not going to transform again! It'll just make you sad!"

Daniel smiles reassuringly, glancing behind him. "Mom, as long as you don't hide yourself like you did, I won't be. While I don't think I can face Amy right now, I'd like to explore your ability to change into other people. Can you do that?"

Anne's face softens with guilt over what she did, but she nods, knowing her son doesn't like her to apologize too much. "Mama can. What do you have in mind?"

Daniel tilts his head to the ceiling. "I'm not sure right now, but I'll let you know. In any case, it's more of a creative break, but I might not get to it if I want to do client work."

"Well, okay. What about me? I'm almost done with my self-portrait."

Daniel nods. "I'll see what I have in the backlog to get you started."

Anne cheers, excited to be able to pull her weight for the sake of her son's business. She starts humming to herself while continuing to wash her son. As she does, Daniel quickly faces forward and holds his hand to his mouth, shutting his eyes tightly.

'She's too cute!'

Chapter 18: Vision

Chapter Text

Daniel raises his brows at Anne's canvas.

After finishing her self-portrait, he starts her with a more forgiving project: A client wanted an oil paint replica of a scene in a California national forest where he proposed to his wife. The provided photograph shows the sun perfectly rising between two valleys filled with evergreen trees. Having symmetry and mainly consisting of blues and greens, it's a perfect starting piece for his new motherly assistant.

Being a nature painting, there are more opportunities to hide mistakes than a close-up of a person. One might recall the famous quote by Bob Ross: 'We don't make mistakes. We just have happy accidents.'

While that might be easy to say with nature paintings, such "happy accidents" on people with important details have caused him to throw away hours of work. So really, it's only happy until one has a client commission for a few-thousand-dollar art piece.

In any case, the first client piece he's entrusting to his mother might be considered forgiving, but it shouldn't be straightforward. Thus, the reason behind his surprise is that within an hour, she's already put a decent underpainting that pretty much resembles the major details of the photo the client provided.

'Is mom...a photocopier?'

That's an exaggeration since there's still a roughness to the outline, as expected. Still, Daniel thought that maybe she was able to create her self-portrait with ease due to her understanding of how she formed herself, but not necessarily anything new. Although the details aren't known to him, Anne's molecules process information far differently than humans. As a result, his slime mother can learn and mimic as needed, although she remains unaware of this factor as well.

"Has mama done good?" she asks, awaiting praise from her son.

Daniel twists his lips crookedly before swallowing his astonishment. "Yeah...something like that and more."

"More?"

"Don't worry about it. I think...yeah, this is a good stopping point for you."

The slime girl blinks. "Huh? But...I know I have to wait for first layer to dry, so mama should work on another painting!"

"N-no, no!" Daniel insists, sweating a little. "There's no need to rush things, okay? Just, um give yourself time to think about the drawing more and ensure everything is how you want it."

'Otherwise, what work will be left for me?' he adds in his mind, silently crying.

Anne cocks her head, then hums, looking back at her progress. While squinting her eyes and comparing it against the reference photo pinned to the side, she has difficulty finding anything that's particularly off that would matter in the finished result. Obviously, she has to figure out how to create a bunch of tiny trees in the distance without making them look like dots, but she believes that would come to her after working on the base colors that generally blend and remain prevalent.

Returning to his side of the studio, Daniel sighs and rubs his shoulder before refocusing on his new piece. It would seem he'll have to take a break soon too.

Without much to do, Anne makes her way behind her son, leaning forward to catch his progress just as he did with hers. What she sees is an outline of stones in a circular fashion on his canvas with some basic valleys in the background. Anyone would recognize this famous circle, and Anne is no different.

"Stonehenge?"

Daniel nods, suppressing some excitement as he draws a few more thin lines to capture the background. "Yep. This is for the client I visited after you first revealed yourself to me. She's a big CEO of a geological imaging company and was also an archeologist who had done excavations at Stonehenge before. She wanted a more magical vision of the site. It's not too often I get landscape requests with a fantasy element to it, so I've been itching to get this started."

He pauses and leans back in his chair, humming. "The only odd request is...she wanted green fire to be a part of the painting. She didn't specify how it should be placed and I'm glad for the creative control, but...I have no clue. Would it be in the center of the circle? What's the meaning of a green fire? Is it just a level of atmosphere?"

Daniel scratches his head for a bit. "She didn't even say if she wanted people in the background. I might have to call her secretary for more details, but...what do you think?"

...

Daniel furrows his eyebrows at the silence and glances back, calling her. "Mom?"

She's still behind him, but he sees her totally absorbed in the outline, staring blankly. While spacing out is fine, Daniel can't see any expression on her face...and that worries him.

"Hey, Anne! Are you okay?"

He calls her out more formally, hoping she'd react negatively, but his voice isn't getting to her. In the slime's mind, she's seeing something...

Fire burning in pits just outside the ring with embers funneling through each stone entrance towards the center. Drawing near, there's a hooded figure standing within the formation. The figure seems...male? His back is hunched as he stares inward into an uncertain direction on the ground.

Then, he turns his head slightly. A whisper...

'Viviane.'

"Anne!"

The slime girl snaps out of her stupor as she is shaken, then looks around. "Huh...wha?"

The artist relaxes and breathes easily, resting his arms down. "God, you scared me there. I thought that something was wrong with you!"

"The fire..."

Daniel raises one brow, then returns to his painting. "Yes, and?"

"Mama thinks it should be outside of the circle. Maybe wind blowing embers into the center somehow?"

The artist's eyes widen before he places a hand on his chin. "Oh, that...actually sounds interesting! Like multiple fires around concentrating itself into a bigger flame at center of the monument?"

He pauses, then narrows his eyes back at Anne. "Still, why did you freeze like that? Was that idea such an enlightening moment for you or something?"

Anne twists her lips and lowers her gaze, confused. "Mama is...not sure."

Daniel blinks, slightly concerned but decides not to press any further. He lifts off his chair and stretches his arms forward before facing his slime mother. "Well, I think for now, we should both take a break and eat something. After that..."

The artist grins. "Do you want to try being a model for me?"

"Ah, you mean transform?"

Daniel nods but pauses for a bit, finding himself having second thoughts. "Actually...will you be okay? Doesn't transforming take a lot of energy?"

He doesn't want her to eat his whole kitchen up again.

Anne tilts her head proudly. "Nope! I found I can make shifts in my layer without taking much energy!"

'Come to think of it, she didn't seem as hungry this morning after transforming into Amy,' Daniel notes. It makes sense, given she's shifting her outer appearance while maintaining the same structure.

"So that means that it's easier for you to turn into something human-like as you are now, but anything else would be costly?"

The slime girl nods, slumping. "Guess mama can't become a vase for you."

Daniel stifles a chuckle. "Ha, what? Why a vase? Look, in any case, there's so much that can be done! How about..."

He pauses as a person comes to mind. Slowly, his expression turns solemn. With a sad snort, he shakes his head to himself while Anne grows confused by the change in demeanor.

"S-sweetie?"

"Ah, sorry," Daniel begins, rubbing his neck and smiling bitterly. "There is one person I definitely should start capturing."

Chapter 19: Mentor

Summary:

This has chapter has an alternates where Anne transforms into other people. You can find at the bottom choices of previous chapter on CHYOA, if you're interested.

Chapter Text

Daniel's path to becoming an artist didn't start out of the blue. It began in his first year of high school, spurred by his participation in his art elective, but most of all, by Miss Lizzie — his art teacher.

Lizzie was a brunette favorite among students. Compared to her colleagues, she was a young woman in her twenties with a bright and upbeat personality. Her presence offered solace from the drudging studies of the school. As such, many added her class as an elective just to be around her rather than an interest in art.

Daniel was one of them initially, but Lizzie found his attempts on the projects assigned interesting.

"Oh!" Anne gasps, clapping her hands together as she recalls Amy's memories. "That's right, she encouraged you to submit to the city's art contest!"

"Yeah," the now older artist replies, his eyes softening as he stares into his coffee mug. "I didn't expect anything out of it, but somehow, I was listed in honorable mentions. To be even noted was highly motivating. After that, I joined the art club and found what I wanted to do, but really, I..."

"Hehe, mama knows! You also had a crush on her~" Anne finishes playfully.

Daniel flinches. "H-how did you-"

Anne grins. "Oh please! Even if you never told Amy about it, she could see it all over your face! Be glad she took it to her grave instead of teasing you about it!"

The artist slumps in his chair and laughs dryly. "And yet, here you are. I don't know whether to be happy or sad."

"Well, I think it's cute, and natural too! You're obviously not the only one with a crush on her considering how popular she is. So, where is she now?"

"She's dead."

Anne's smile stiffens. Although Amy had only spoken to her a few times, she recognized the teacher's love for guiding people into the world of art. It really matched her passion for the stars. From past meetings, she can remember words spoken about her son's future with such confidence.

'Miss Hart, I know you're concerned about your son's future, but let me be clear. He's going to do well as an artist - I can guarantee that.'

She was right.

Recognizing her shock, Daniel continues on with a bitter smile. "It happened from car accident a year after Amy passed away. When I went to her funeral to speak a few words, it became a depressing reunion of sorts. So many of my classmates were there. It's as you say — she was loved by many."

Anne lowers her head. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Daniel."

Daniel takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "I got over her as a crush after high school, but I appreciated her so much. I'm not sure if I would be standing here today without her guidance. It's just that...for her death to occur a year after my mother died, I...I couldn't paint for months after that."

His slime mother curls her lips for a moment before she lifts off her chair to move to his side, pressing him to her chest. Without another word, she lowers her lips to his head and kisses him.

Daniel closes his eyes and shivers, relaxing against her soft body. "Thank you, mom...but I'm fine."

"I know you are. What's important is that you've picked yourself back up! I'm certain Lizzie would never liked to see you fall or lose your passion because of her death...and I don't think I need to say anything regarding me or Amy."

The artist smiles wryly before clearing his throat. "In any case, the reason I bring her up is because she's the one like you to transform into, if possible."

Anne widens her eyes before she takes a few steps back. "T-that's..."

"You can't?" Daniel questions.

"No, I can! I mean, I remember her clearly enough since she and Amy have talked a few times during the various art fairs, but I don't want to transform into someone that'll make you sad!"

She pauses, then lowers her head. "...Like I did with Amy."

Daniel smiles reassuringly and brushes her cheek with his hand. "Mom, it's alright. I can't promise I won't be sad, but this is different. I need to take this opportunity to paint her! She has a sister that's actually going to move away from Keystone soon. Before that happens, I'd like to gift her a painting before she leaves."

Seeing her son resolute on this matter, Anne wiggles her lips for a few seconds before sighing. "Okay, I'll try, but..."

She clears her throat before huffing at him. "If you become down after this, I won't transform for you anymore! Understand?"

Daniel chuckles at her stern attitude. "Well, I definitely can't disappoint my cute mother now, can I?"

"C-cute?! I...ahem, yes, that's right! Since you understand, I'll start transforming now."

The artist snorts at how she tries to recover from the compliment, even though her happy crooked smile says it all. Honestly, he'd rather wait a little while and mentally prepare himself, but he's not able to tell her so as Anne's face changes before he can open his mouth.

In a matter of a few breaths, Lizzie's face comes through from subtle shifts in features. Despite being an imitation, the slime girl soon carries the same blue-colored eyes that speak to reinforcement and imagination that his art teacher would have when looking at him.

Finishing with her dark wavy hair receding to a short, jagged brown cut, he is shocked by how "Lizzie" has come before him. Placing her hands on her hips, she grins.

"Hu hu, how about that? Look who's the art master now!"

Daniel blinks, taking in Anne's chipper tone from his former teacher's grape voice. It somehow fits, but he also never expected his slime mother to change her voice. So far, she has only spoken with Amy's voice, although it hits differently, thanks to her personality.

"So...you can change your voice as well?"

Anne's smile fades a little. "What? Of course I can! Why is that surprising?"

"Er...well, I mean, I've only heard you with Amy's voice."

"Hmm...well, now you know! Although Amy feels right to me, I can do any voice if I can remember clearly...or learn, even."

"Okay, but how?"

"I..."

The impostor teacher lowers her brows, then slowly widens her eyes while placing her hands on her head. "Wait, how can I do that? Mama knows it's related to vibrations, but...I don't know, I just think it and my body adapts...maybe?"

"Pfft!"

Daniel thought he'd be filled with emotions seeing his teacher again; instead, he feels more at ease than he thought. Perhaps it's because Anne clearly shows through her appearance rather than Lizzie herself.

It makes sense, though: Amy is a part of Anne, but Lizzie is not. She wouldn't know the teacher as personally as he did.

It's for the best.

"W-what's so funny?! Is my appearance alright? This is how she looked when Amy last talked with her."

The artist recovers and stops himself. "No mom, you're perfect."

Anne smiles crookedly, then looks down. "You're okay, right? I mean...I've transformed into your dead mentor."

"Surprisingly, I feel lot calmer than I thought I'd be. I think it helps that I know you're still you."

Anne hums, pleased. "Well, I'm glad! You've clearly moved on!"

Daniel wonders if that's really the case. Staring at his mother-transformed teacher, he can't deny feeling a little heartbroken, but knowing his adorable slime mother shines through, her presence heals him more than anything.

'That's right. How can I be too sad when my mother has at least returned to me? Well...in a way.'

"So, how will you draw me?" Anne asks, bringing her arms together in anticipation.

"Just with you sitting on a chair with a smile. Standard pose, basically."

"Eh...that's all?"

Despite Anne's slight disappointment, she maintains a pleasant expression and sitting posture for an hour. There were moments when she would see a flick of sadness cross Daniel's face as he painted; there were also moments when he would smile. Seeing various emotions and stages of his silent reminiscing makes the slime wish she could comfort him in a way that Lizzie could, but...

'No, that wouldn't be right. If I'm able to truly impersonate Lizzie like I did with Amy, it'd make things difficult for him. I just need to comfort him in a way that I can.'

She sighs, then straightens to attention as she hears her son settle down his brush.

"...and, that's it! Thank you, mom. I've got a good enough frame that I can work on later with the photos I took of you."

Anne smiles weakly. She remains silent momentarily, thinking through how Lizzie would be to see her son like this. If anything, she can appreciate his art more having painted alongside him.

"Daniel," she calls softly with eyes full of warmth. "If she were alive, I'm sure Lizzie would be so proud of you...I'm proud of you."

With those words, Daniel holds his breath and tries to match his slime mother's lips. While there was never a need to say it out loud since it's obvious, hearing it from "Lizzie" with such love hits differently than he thought it would.

"Daniel, I'm proud to have been your teacher. Don't ever let your passion go, do you hear me! Paint for yourself and if you do that, people will naturally draw to you to draw for them."

Tears well inside Daniel's eyes, and he quickly turns away. However, Anne can't ignore such tears, jumping in alarm from her seat.

"Daniel!?"

Not waiting for him, she moves to his side and wraps her arms around his shoulders, nuzzling her head on top of his head.

"Oh, my sweet Daniel! It's okay! It's okay to miss-mmph!?"

Her son can't hold back anymore, raising his head to lock lips with his mother. Without needing any feeling or taste, Anne can sense her son's need and regret. Her figurative heart beats for him as she kisses him back, lowering herself to brush her fingers across his cheek.

Soon, sweetness fills the studio, fabric rustles off, then the sounds of footsteps dabble around.

"Ah~"

With a sweet moan, Anne's back pushes against a wall, her lips still mashed firmly by her son. She wraps her arms around his neck, securing him closer as his erect member pokes against her crotch.

Who was he in need of more? Lizzie or Amy?

The slime mother decides that it makes no difference. He lost two critical people in his growth. While she might not be able to fully bring out Lizzie's unique perspective, being there for him and supporting him through this old love is the least she can do.

Breaking apart, Anne watches her son breathe heavily. With a wince, he backs away and presses one hand to his forehead.

"S-sorry, I...I shouldn't...be doing this."

Anne harrumphs and leans into him, pulling his hand down before hugging him tightly. "Daniel, it's okay! Just let it all out for me...and for her."

Daniel shakes, but as he sees "Lizzie" and her resolute gaze, he shuts up and pushes himself back to her.

Anne then moans for him, leaning away as he buries into her neck. "Oh, that's right! I'm here for you! You've done so well...so, so well."

Her words of support spur him to close the distance, pressing his cock into the slime's awaiting pussy. Anne then wraps her arms around her son's back, rubbing it soothingly as her inner blue walls compress to fit his member snugly.

"There we go, my favorite artist~"

Tears flow down said artist's cheek as his mind is flooded with memories of his mentor. While Lizzie's smile and aura weren't just for him, he imagined them to be. Diving into this imagination, he thrusts faster upon this imposter, lifting her a little as she remains pinned to the wall. To make it easier, Anne wraps her legs around him as she jiggles to his pound.

"Haa...M-mom...haa..."

Splick Splack!

While the lewd noises echo in the studio, the slime mother closes her eyes happily with just a tinge of sadness for her boy. She presses her lips against him again as she bounces, humming smoothly into his mouth.

This goes on until Daniel can remember all that he can of his teacher. Now, before his eyes, he breaks away from her lips to stare at "Lizzie", who gazes back at him calmly with such pride and love.

Yes, Lizzie would always be welcoming, but he doesn't forget that this pride and love comes from Anne, not his mentor.

"Mama loves you, Daniel," Anne whispers, cupping his cheek as she bounces.

And her love is worth far more than what he held for his teacher. Since there's no question about it, he buries his face into her shoulder and lets go of the past, releasing himself into the love that's present.

The slime giggles as she feels her son filling her once more. Rubbing his back and encouraging him to empty as much as he can, Daniel eventually stops his hips and just relaxes against his soft mother.

After catching his breath, he lifts his head, only to see that Anne has transformed back. He wouldn't have it any other way and chuckles, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you, mom."

Anne's eyes glisten, pecking his cheek back as she feels his cock growing soft inside her. "Of course. Mama will always be here for you."

Chapter 20: Milky Desires

Chapter Text

It's been over two weeks since Anne entered Daniel's life as his self-declared slime mother. It may not seem like a long time, but the artist feels his days have become longer as he spends time with her.

As he spends time in her.

Worryingly, there isn't been a day where he hasn't done it with her. Although he's tried to maintain some level of moderation, Anne is simply too squishy and loving for his own good. The good news is that he seems to be lasting longer before filling her up; the bad news is...well, there's no real bad news yet. Daniel simply fears he will turn rotten while being spoiled so much.

Of course, Anne sees no problem enveloping her sweet artist. Although she doesn't receive any physical pleasure from connecting with him, she still takes great joy in holding her baby close. Such non-platonic, motherly love makes it difficult for Daniel to reject her snuggles and encouraging, cool touches.

The troubled painter exhales before glancing at Anne a few meters away from him, brushing on her canvas for another client portrait. He can't help but smile a bit at her concentration.

Ever since she transformed for him, Anne had already finished a few works in the backlog, including the nature painting he assigned. Daniel can still remember her anxiety when he introduced her as his assistant and credited the work to her. Although he wasn't worried about a negative assessment, Anne feared her work wasn't good enough. However, the client was delighted, causing his slime mother to glow from his praise.

Suffice to say, she's motivated to do more work.

While Daniel is proud, her growth confounds him. Anne cannot be considered a beginner anymore. Occasionally, she'll struggle with finding the right color or shade, but she's grasping concepts at an abnormal pace compared to a true beginner.

He can only attribute it to her being biologically different; thus, her learning rate is also different. Although he's proud of her artistic development, it hurts his pride to see her at the level he was in college so easily. That said, he can't be so insecure about it since she's helping him and enjoying it too! In the end, that's all that matters.

'If only I was like this with Mary,' Daniel thinks bitterly before dropping his head, ashamed. 'I really wasn't as mature as I should've been.'

He shakes his head, burying his regrets. At the very least, his ex still maintains contact with him for advice, shares interesting projects, and to...give him weird referrals. Perhaps, that is her revenge in a way.

His thoughts are interrupted by a vibration in his pocket. Pulling up his phone, he sees: 'Caller ID: Rachel.'

Daniel blinks, knowing she was last out of state a month ago and hasn't talked to her since. With a smile, he answers, "Hey there, Rachel."

Anne perks up, her head turning towards her son. Her mouth wriggles as Amy's appreciation and love for her friend fills her, but she quickly pivots away, knowing it can't be her business anymore. Unless something goes wrong, she tries hard to not let it distract her from her task on hand.

"You're coming back? When?" Daniel asks after an exchange of greetings.

...

"I see. Well, hopefully when you're not too busy, we can-"

...

"Ah, well, we'll play it by ear then. It's good that your presentation went well."

...

"Ha ha, yes, I'm doing well. You don't need to worry."

...

Daniel coughs. "Oh come on, you don't have to pry into my love life."

...

"To be clear, Mary was the exception. She's doing fine as well."

...

Daniel rolls his eyes and snorts. "Yes, I'm eating well."

...

"Ha ha, of course. Have a safe flight."

With that, Daniel hangs up. He's about to turn to grab a glass of water before he stumbles back to Anne leaning behind him. Nearly pushing his chair off balance, he catches it with one hand and breathes out in relief.

"W-whoa, mom! You scared me!"

Anne smirks with a hand across her mouth. Although she tried, she really couldn't help listening in. "You know, it sounds like you two are closer than you made it seem when I asked. I'm feeling a bit jealous!"

Daniel clears his throat. "O-obviously! She helped support me when she didn't need to. It's just that she's been busier this year."

Anne drops her hand and hums approvingly." Well, Mama is glad! But don't forget, you have me now to lean on!"

"How can I forget?" Daniel questions before planting a hand on her shoulder, his eyes glinting. "After all, you're helping me with my backlog! Thank you!"

The slime girl frowns and puffs her cheeks. "Not like that! I'm saying as your mother, you should rely on me more!"

Daniel gasps, tapping a fist on his hand. "That's right! You can teach me how to cook better!"

"W-wha!? No, not like that either! If I do that, you'll rely on me less!"

The artist shakes his head silly. He proceeds to the hallways towards the kitchen to grab a glass while Anne follows, somewhat defeated.

"You really grew too fast," she mutters.

"I don't know what you'd expect. I think Amy would be proud to see me on my two feet."

"She would and I am!" Anne adds before sulking. "But mama wants to experience raising you; not just remembering it through her."

"Mom, I think you're overthinking it. Plus, you've been spoiling me more than enough," Daniel counters before sipping his glass.

Anne hums, undeterred, before gasping. "Wait, that's it! Why don't you let mama breastfeed you again?"

"Pffft!"

As water sprays out of Daniel's mouth, Anne claps her hands and hops. "Yes, that's perfect! I've read adult breastfeeding is a thing. It would also deepen our bond together!"

Daniel manages to recover, coughing a bit before he vacates his throat. "M-mom, that's uh..."

"Ah! Sorry," Anne sheepishly laughs. "Was that too much?"

The flustered artist rubs the back of his head. "Well, putting aside the fact you can't lactate, that's pretty unnecessary now."

"U-unnecessary?"

Anne looks like she's been hit with a brick as she stumbles back. She looks to the ground and squeezes the bottom of her blouse with pained eyes. "W-why would you say that? Can I not even try to relive some of Amy's memories with you?"

Daniel's heart softens at the sight of her mother's disappointment, and he reaches out to give her an embrace. Compared to having sex with her, allowing him to suckle at her chest isn't the craziest idea in the world.

He sighs. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that. Look, if you really want to try it, I guess we can. But let's be real here, 'nursing' me now isn't going to be anything like my mom experienced when I was a baby."

Anne squeezes her sweet artist tightly and harrumphs. "Mama knows that, but I still want to try!"

Daniel chuckles nervously as he feels her large chest squish against him. With a gulp, he finds himself looking forward to it, despite being buried in her chest most nights.

'Fuck, I'm not going to be able to focus today, am I?'

Despite that, he gently breaks away from his slime mother and hides behind a loving smile. "A-after dinner, okay?"

Anne hums, letting him go. She giggles as he swiftly returns to his station, remembering the times Amy nursed him as a baby. Of course, it won't be like that, but if possible, she'd like to make it special.

Before she can also return to her canvas, she notices Daniel left his water behind. Upon grabbing his glass to take back to him, her eyes widened.

'Wait, maybe...!'

"Daniel, I have an idea!" Anne announces, holding a carton of milk in her hand.

It's nighttime after they finish dinner. As promised, the artistic son sits on his couch before his excited slime assistant. Although he agreed to participate in her wish to "nurse" him, her eagerness makes him feel weird.

"Well?" Daniel urges carefully, then stares at the milk carton she's holding and shakes his head. "Don't tell me that you're going to spill milk over your chest to make it seem like you're lactating. I'd rather not have to deal with the mess."

Anne tilts her chin proudly. "Hu hu, of course not! Watch and learn! I can't believe I only thought of this now!"

Daniel raises an eyebrow as his slime mother sets aside the carton and removes her top clothes, displaying her large chest that jiggles nicely in her bra. Already, his member grows hard in his pants, causing him to silently curse himself for being so simple.

Still, he acts as if Anne's pleasant form is standard for him; at least until she removes her bra and allows the "skin" on her chest to dissolve, revealing her base blue jelly internals.

Seeing her son's confusion, Anne smiles wide and grabs the milk carton. Then, opening the lid, she holds it close to her mouth. At that point, the artist's eyes slowly pop out as he discovers her intention.

"No way...A-are you...?"

Anne grins. "Hehe!"

With that, she tilts her head and starts chugging the carton down. Daniel watches with his slumped shoulder as the milk travels in a line down his mother's fake esophagus, eventually splitting into two reservoirs within her breasts.

Soon, his slime mother's blue chest turns a few shades lighter. Nearly filled, Anne lets out a satisfied gasp and focuses on her son, whose mouth loosens over the display. Pleased by his reaction, she shakes her tits in front of him.

Slush! Swish!

Daniel watches the tits jiggle while sloshing milk around inside of her. It seems almost like he's witnessing a cartoon act, yet it's plain before his eyes.

After a few seconds, Anne stops. Any further, she might be making butter out of the milk!

Her skin comes out and wraps around her chest again, recreating her large tits with a proper nipple. However, this time, her nipples provide access to her milk reservoirs, causing her breasts to drip slightly.

"See? Mama can lactate now!"

Daniel breaks out of his shock, lurching forward from his seat. "The hell you are! Holy crap, what even is this?!"

Anne only smirks. While she cannot produce milk, seeing Daniel's glass of water sparked the idea that she could also hold anything inside. After all, she can control when to digest, and creating internal pockets is simple too!

With a finger to her lips, Anne winks. "No need to think too hard, sweetie. Mama has milk to provide, even if it's not of my own. With this, we can have a proper nursing session. Won't that be better?"

Daniel's face crumbles briefly before taking a deep breath. Give it to a slime girl to find new creative ways to do things. However, he had to admit...

'This is kind of hot.'

It's clear, given how his cock throbs at the sight of his slime mother's leaking chest. In any case, Daniel figures the milk might go to waste or be digested if he doesn't drink it.

No, that's totally just an excuse in his head.

Anne sits beside him, ready for him to lay across her lap. With her arms stretched out, she coos. "Now, let Mama have you! My baby must be so hungry!"

"Actually, we just ate, so I'm fine," Daniel flatly replies.

Anne pouts. "Don't try to be a smartass! Come, come!"

The artist relents and lies across his slime mother's lap. As he does, she wraps one arm around his back while the other supports his head.

Witnessing her nipples dripping slowly, he gulps and feels his member strain further against his fabric. Even though he's prepared for this, seeing her "lactating" breasts, the situation hits him as he shivers.

'I'm...actually about to be breastfed!'

He shuffles his eyes away to her stomach less the heat reaches his face, but then...

Drip...drip.

Daniel pauses as wet droplets spill onto his face. He figures it might be the milk but turning his head upward, his breath comes to a stop as he sees Anne actually brimming with tears!

"Y-you're...actually..." he starts, his voice broken with astonishment. Unable to help himself, he lifts his hand to gently wipe her face,which she accepts with a happy cry, rubbing her cheeks against his palm.

'She's beautiful like this...no, wait.'

Before Daniel could come back to his senses, Anne stifles an embarrassed giggle and sticks her tongue out. "Actually, Mama filled her head with water earlier."

...

How resourceful.

Chapter 21: The First Nursing

Chapter Text

While Anne shatters Daniel's perception over her "tears" of joy, she lets go of his backside and holds her left breast. With a happy hum, she guides his head close, leaving the artist no choice but to latch on her nipple.

Although she wishes she could feel his lips, the slime mother still shivers in delight over the sight of her son burying his mouth into her soft gel-based flesh. At this point, her only regret is that the milk is not hers. Still, the psychological effect is powerful as she recalls Amy's memories of nursing him as a baby.

"Oh...oh Daniel."

Tears stream down Anne's face as she cradles him close, gently cupping his head to keep him steady and secure. She begins to sway soothingly while tenderly running her fingers through his hair as he suckles.

Daniel closes his eyes and tries to keep this moment pure, moving his lips softly around her nipple. Although he's unsure of the proper way to nurse, milk dribbles into his mouth with his attempts, so he keeps at it. That said, no matter the technique, his heart and cock throb for her. It doesn't help that the milk tastes better for some reason. Not sweet per se, as it's still regular milk, but much like how water can be refreshing when thirsty. It spurs him to not waste a drop.

The artist's movements slowly increase as a result. He wraps an arm around her waist to keep himself pressed in, then licks with the tip of his tongue and circles around her nipple.

"Is it good, baby?" Anne asks. "I know it's just regular milk but... it's coming out of mama."

Daniel's spine tingles at her words as he nods, his mouth parting with a loud pop as he slides his tongue along her nipple. He catches the trailing drops before returning to latch, feeling the milk spray into his mouth as he squeezes her breast more firmly with his lips. Shameful pleasure surges through him, yet he can feel nothing but increasing desire for this experience.

Inevitably, the living room fills with vigorous suckling and slurping noises as Daniel increases his draw against his mother's breast. His cock similarly stretches out against his pants, causing him to shuffle his legs.

Anne isn't blind, noticing her son's discomfort and coos. How could she allow her baby to remain uncomfortable?

"Mama's got you," she reassures softly as her hand glides across his stomach. She doesn't bother leaning across and simply utilizes her flexible body to stretch her arm toward his crotch.

The artist flinches to her touch and unlatches a moment to breathe through his mouth while his slime mother strokes the front of his crotch. He looks up at her, slightly ashamed by her notice, yet her watery eyes reflect back at him without blame. Fake or not, he feels the need to repeat his initial thought out loud this time. "Mom, you're...absolutely beautiful."

Anne holds back a sob and leans her head, bumping her head against his. "Oh Daniel...no, you're beautiful! Mama is so happy to nurse you again!"

Daniel smiles weakly at such praise before burying his face back into her breast, lest she sees his reddening face. Anne chuckles as he does and wipes away lingering droplets of water and milk on his cheek. "Take your time with Mama's milk, my sweet, and I..."

Her hand, now at his crotch, unbuckles his belt and slithers inside. "...will handle yours."

The artist breathes in sharply as his slime mother takes more of him. With desire built up for her touch, his needy groans vibrate into her gel mass, causing milk to release more into his wanting throat.

Anne hums smoothly, finding his eagerness to drown in her tits amusing, especially considering he was dubious before.

'It seem the baby has come through,' she thinks, her face warming as she begins rubbing the stiff member to the side.

Daniel's fly unzips, allowing his member to come out of its confinement. His mother starts tracing circles on the tip of his head with her fingertips, in sync with her gentle movements cradling his real head. Her warm gaze is fixed upon him, her eyes filled with pleasure as she sways from side to side. Her hand follows suit, going up and down in a hypnotic rhythm.

While being pumped, the artist lifts his remaining free hand to fondle her other breast, letting his hand sink into her depths. Anne responds by squeezing his cock more. She purrs as he compresses further against her. Along with his mouth noises, the beating of his cock is now loud enough to add to the mix of love and thirst that echos about.

Such love shows as her hand goes up...

Schlick!

...and down, all the way to the base.

Schlap!

It continues like this in quick succession until Anne can see her sweet baby twitching as his pre-cum oozes out more consistently, covering the rest of his groin.

"You're almost there, aren't you? That's okay, sweetie. Let it out for mama," Anne encourages, leaning forward to kiss his head again.

Daniel grunts, resisting. He doesn't want to let her hand depart from him so soon. Witnessing such tension, she decides to give him a special kind of finish. It's an idea she's had for a while, but there's no perfect moment than now to execute.

Her rubbing of his shaft stops before she reduces the density of her skin, flattening her palm against the tip of his member. As she presses down, Daniel has to latch off and gasp as he feels his length slipping into her hand and through her arm.

'Holy fuck!' Daniel screams in his mind, his body quivering.

Schlop! Schlop! Schlop!

With her hand now acting like a tight pussy, Daniel can no longer focus on Anne's breasts as his hips lurch forward, meeting the downward thrust of her palm. His hand on her right breast digs into her more as he struggles to hold it in. Such force isn't meant to be resisted, and Anne's grip on him is determined to take him through the journey of an unforgettable climax.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

His warm spunk flows through Anne's arm, all hidden behind her skin. She keeps her hand fully flushed to his base, massaging his testicles until they soften in size and there's little to give.

When her son stops twitching, she raises his head closer to her face and kisses his sweaty forehead, pulling his head to settle on top of her chest.

"There, there. Is mama's baby good?" she asks, removing her hand from his now limp member. She glides it to his stomach to rub him soothingly before dabbing away some of the beads that have built up on his forehead.

Daniel is unable to speak, trying to get his breathing in control before he nuzzles into her chest with a heavy sigh.

"I…love you."

The slime girl proudly tilts her head. "Hehe, Mama loves you too. You know, I still have more milk to give, so why don't we head to bed to continue, hm?"

The artist can't reject such a sweet offer as his slime mother tucks his cock back into his pants, patting it down. It leaves him only slightly embarrassed yet cozy at the same time.

The rest of the night continues in his bedroom, with Anne humming, stroking her son's hair as he suckles her breast. Her thigh rests between his legs, ready to consume his crotch and milk him whenever his manly desires flare up.

For now, Daniel falls asleep with his slime mother's breast in his mouth, suckling more tenderly as a baby might.

While they could always do this again, Anne knows it's not ideal to fill her breasts with store-bought milk. Not only would it be an added expense, but she also wants to be able to freely nurse him whenever.

For now, she puts such wishes behind her as she brushes through her son's hair, completely oblivious as a slight ripple travels within her.

Chapter 22: Natural Milk

Chapter Text

As the morning sun hits Daniel's face, his expression tightens for a moment before relaxing. He opens his eyes to Anne's soft breast in his mouth and her slender digits sliding through his rustled hair.

Milk trickles onto his tongue and he hums, appreciating its comforting flavor. It makes him want to drift off to sleep again, but then he realizes he's laying on top of his slime mother, pajamas askew and his manhood buried inside her chilled depths.

With his cock hard and her comfy mass ready to bounce on, Daniel takes advantage of his state and moves his hips slowly. As he does, he suckles more and rubs his nose into her soft pillows, moaning.

Anne momentarily pauses her brushing of his hair before giggling. "Ah, you're awake? Good morning, my baby~"

Daniel grunts in acknowledgment, raising her eyes to meet the slime girl's motherly gaze. He wonders how anything could remain in her "milk tanks", but nonetheless, he gladly slurps it down. While doing so, he hears her chest sloshing loudly with fullness as he grinds into her.

He stops his thrusts and unlatches, raising his brows. "Did you fill your breasts with more milk? I swear I must've drank more than half last time."

Anne furrows. "Huh? No, mama didn't do anything like that! In fact, you should've finished it all in your sleep. You were suckling so much like a baby."

Daniel blushes, then clears his throat. "In any case, why does it seem full?"

His mother twists her lips before letting the skin on her chest recede. Both of them widen their eyes in disbelief as the full milkiness of her chest reveals itself. It isn't just her own reservoir; her torso is white!

"Mom...what is this?"

The slime girl panics and raises her hands. "N-no! I promise I didn't drink anymore! It was just that one carton!"

"Then, why is it-"

"Wait!" Anne cuts, inhaling sharply. Before Daniel can question, she clears her throat and resets, smiling sweetly at him.

"Daniel, can you give mama a kiss?"

Not suspicious at all.

Although Daniel knows she must have an idea, he's hesitant to follow through if she'll hide it. Wriggling his lips that would be captured, he finally pushes his concerns away, leaning forward while thrusting forward. Meeting the slime girl's face, she hums smoothly into him as they lock to each other. As he wonders what she's planning, he enjoys her cool lips for a few seconds until…

"Hmpfh!?"

Daniel shakes as he tastes milk secreting from her tongue!

He wants to pull away to process this unexpected change, but Anne refuses to let him go, groaning in his mouth.

'I…I can't believe it! Yes, it's real! I can produce freely!' she cheers, holding him tightly as she nurses him unconventionally.

Milk splatters between their lips as the artist cannot drink appropriately at the angle above, but his cock throbs with renewed fever. Although extremely confused, he continues his thrusts into his mother while making out with her.

Slowly, the bed sheets dampen with the fresh milk of the slime splattering between them.

After an intense bout with Anne and placing some milky sheets into the washer, the artist and the slime sit at the kitchen table to formerly understand what's going on. Once more, she demonstrates her new ability by pointing her finger at his coffee and adding a shot of milk from the tip.

Daniel watches, completely stupefied.

He buries his disbelief with a wry smile. "So, you're saying that you can produce milk just like you've done with my pastes?"

Anne nods a few times, her eyes shimmering.

Daniel sighs and rubs his head. "Then, can you try crying tears as well?"

Anne hums. Her eyes soften as she thinks of their beautiful moment last night. While all the water is already gone from her head, she's certain she can produce it again with such personal memories.

But nothing happens. Confused, Anne unnecessarily pushes herself by grunting and shutting her eyes tightly.

Daniel snorts, shaking his head. "Give it up, mom. It's clear that you can't."

Anne opens her eyes and growls. "Mama doesn't understand! Why can I produce milk and pastes, but not water? I held plenty of each liquid in me."

She pauses, then grins. The white liquid starts flowing from the edges of her eyes without any push. "Well, I can do this at least."

Daniel shudders. "Please stop. That's actually alarming."

Anne giggles, wiping her milky tears with a nearby towel. "Well, I guess mama will be 'crying over spilled milk' everyday, huh?"

"Very funny," Daniel replies flatly before humming. After thinking in silence, he widens his eyes and leans forward.

"Wait, when you developed color, it's because you're sure your body absorbed the oil paints from my painting, right?"

"Yes, although there's been plenty of other things that I can't reproduce."

Daniel nods. "There's something common here. Obviously you can't produce anything you want, but it seems to me that you were able to produce those items because of what you were doing."

Anne squints and looks down before widening with a realization. "Huh… you're right! The first time, it was painting and now, it's from nursing you! Maybe mama has to have some stimulation?"

"But didn't you do that with water as tears? It sounds also like a matter of resolve."

"Resolve? Ah…maybe. I didn't think too much about wanting to cry for real. It was just a little extra that I thought would be fun."

Daniel snorts. "Well, there you go. What else do you wish you could do?"

"Taste and Feel? But certainly taste if I can only choose one!"

Daniel chuckles, remembering her rant at the restaurant. There's no doubt about her resolve to taste again. "Well, we also know that you have to experience it somehow."

"What a paradox!" Anne scoffs, then growls. "How can I even experience taste when I can't taste!? Obviously, mama remembers how things are supposed to taste and feel and yet, my body hasn't produced anything!"

"That…might be harder to create. I mean, you're talking about a whole nervous system, not just any liquid."

Anne slumps. If she had any water in her head, she might be crying. "Why is mama like this? I don't even remember anything before absorbing Amy."

The artist smiles sadly. "I know, but we'll just have to give it time. I'm sure with your ingenuity, you'll eventually figure it out."

Anne pouts. "Are you mocking me?"

Daniel gasps. "Of course not! What you did before was pretty clever, mom."

He stands to grab more coffee and kisses her on the forehead as he passes. "Come on, let's work on some paintings and then..."

He pauses as his phone buzzes once in his pants. With a raised brow, he picks it up to see a message has come through from Mary: 'Hey love, I'm returning from a frustrating client situation. Since I'm nearby, can I come to visit and talk? I'll explain the details and show you the artwork I'm taking back. If you're busy, we can talk later.'

Artwork that's being taken back? That's not good. Although Mary has her own business and does pretty well, there's been a few times when she needed advice on troublesome clients or opinions about her artwork. Since their current relationship is still amicable without bothering, he can't decline, especially if it's related to her work.

"What's wrong?" Anne asks, cocking her head.

The artist sighs. "Mary — my ex, if you remember, wants to stop by. Seems like she has client troubles."

"Oh! So…are we back to being a normal couple when she's here?"

Daniel nods. He'd be lying if he's not worried about his ex visiting with Anne around, but Mary is still a friend. He's never turned her away, especially when it comes to art.

Knowing it'll be fine overall, he texts her the go-ahead, curious about her issue.

Chapter 23: Mosaic Bullshit

Chapter Text

"Hey love, sorry to bother," Mary greets at the front door in a deflated voice. Her English accent laces her sorrowful words with a bittersweet charm that still manages to elicit pleasant chills down Daniel's spine. Hiding such a reaction, he smiles reassuringly and motions her in.

"No worries, come in. Let me guess: Client didn't like the painting?"

The ex-girlfriend steps into his apartment and then lets out a heavy sigh as her fellow artist nails it on the head, although it's a bit too simplistic. "You have no fucking idea. Should we get straight to it?"

"Sure, although if it's legal advice..."

"I know, I know," Mary grumbles as she enters the hallway.

Looking around, she hums. "Anything changed around here? I haven't visited in a few months."

"Not much," Daniel lies. Although disregarding the slime girl, it's the truth as far as his apartment is concerned.

Mary stops when she hears the sound of brushing. Daniel didn't bother closing the door to his studio since he figured the artist would take the chance to see what he was working on. However, the dark-skinned girl is surprised by the sight of Anne's painting.

Sensing eyes upon her, the slime girl turns her head and smiles. She waves a little. Seeing this, Mary blinks before waving back, feeling a little warm.

"Your girlfriend is cute~ Are you teaching her how to paint or...?"

"Well, she um...happens to do oil painting for a hobby, so I've allowed her to use my studio," Daniel explains, clearing his throat.

Mary raises an eyebrow before entering the living room across the work area. "Well, it must be nice. I hope things are going well for you since, well, none of us had any luck with dating our own kind."

There's an unmistakable sadness in her voice, but Daniel knows why. They might've stayed together if it weren't for their passion for art. Although he hasn't pried into her personal life too much, she did reveal on their last phone call that she's been single for the past three months.

Simply, it's tough finding someone willing to accept and appreciate the time of a working artist.

Setting that aside, Mary places her piece flat on a kitchen table. "First off, tell me what you see."

Daniel leans in and stares at her painting with a hand to his chin. It's a lovely mosaic of a pink rose flower. While the palette seems basic, there's an intricate motion of space around the flower, making it seem like the different mosaic pieces are swirling around and feeding into the plant.

"A pink rose absorbing space around it. It's kind of hypnotizing."

Mary nods, pleased with the impression as it was her intention. "The rose is pink though, right?"

The artist's forehead creases. "I mean, it's obvious."

The dark-skinned artist sighs as she crosses her arms. "So let me explain further; this was a commission for a girl. The parents wanted to surprise their daughter for her birthday with her favorite flower - a rose."

"And she didn't like the painting?"

"Well, she couldn't see the rose."

...

"What?" Daniel questions, staring at the painting closely.

"The parents were able to see the rose too, but they forgot to tell me one tiny detail...ha...ha..."

Daniel has to take a slow step away as Mary shakes while chuckling in a dead tone. Sure enough, his ex explodes, slamming her fist down on the table, jittering the framed piece.

"Their daughter is fucking color blind!"

"Oh…shit."

A mosaic depends on the viewer to disseminate the difference in colors, so having a color-blind daughter is a huge omission from the parents. However, Mary isn't done with her rant.

"Even though they told me that they loved the mosaic style, they thought that somehow the daughter would still be able to tell what the painting is. Knowing that information would have let me known to use different colors though! How the hell can parents not think to tell an artist that their colors may not show up for their intended child?! Fuck!"

Daniel sighs, understanding her frustration now. "Did you get paid for your work?"

Mary forces herself to calm down and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Yes, they did and honestly, I would be more pissed if they didn't. Still, they wouldn't keep the painting! It...hurts. It hurts because I spent a lot of time on this. I don't often get the chance to do mosaics either."

The male artist hums. "Well, on the plus side, you can try selling it."

Mary scoffs, taking a shaky breath. "Yes, there's that. Sorry, I know this is not worth bothering your time about, but it's certainly a first for me to deal with a sudden color-blind client. I just needed to vent and make sure I'm not going crazy by myself."

"H-hello? Is everything alright in here?"

Anne walks in carefully, unable to help herself after hearing Mary's frustration from the studio. Seeing this, the female artist blushes and clears her throat.

"Sorry for the noise, love. I know we met before briefly at the restaurant, but let me reintroduce myself again: I'm Mary," she greets, extending her hand.

The slime girl blinks before smiling warmly and receiving her hand. "Hello! I'm Anne! Thank you for taking care of Daniel previously!"

The female artist laughs a little. "What a strange thing to say. Really, I think he took care of me more when we were together. Would you like to see the painting?"

Anne nods fervently and steps closer to the table. Her eyes widen. "A rose!"

"Yes, it's lovely, isn't it? I'm not sure how much you heard, but to put it simply, my client rejected the painting due to their daughter."

Anne nods, roughly hearing something about her being color-blind. She stares at the flower sadly. "That's unfortunate. You got paid though, right?"

Mary raises an eyebrow and fails to stifle a grin. She turns towards Daniel, who rubs his head, embarrassed. "Wow, Daniel. It looks like you've found someone who actually thinks like you!"

Feeling accused, he coughs. "Hey, while money is important, it's not like I don't get why you're upset. Even I would be but these things happen. I'd be more pissed if they tried to renege on the contract."

The dark-skinned woman exhales and shakes her head. "I know very well. Still, I don't like how you make it sound like I'm the one overly-impassioned."

'You generally are,' Daniel thinks with a deadpanned expression.

"I'd love to try out painting in this style one day!" Anne remarks, taking in how the painting looks like broken glass pieces.

Mary hums, her lips slowly rising. She's actually curious to get to know Daniel's new girlfriend, especially seeing how well she can paint.

With that, she turns towards her ex. "Actually, I do have some time. Why don't you let me sit down with your girlfriend and-wait, why do I even need your permission?"

Mary turns back to the slime girl before Daniel can respond and grabs her hands with sparkling eyes. "Anne, if you want, do you want to try a painting together? Maybe we can teach each other some things!"

Daniel's stomach curls. "H-hold up-"

"Really?" Anne gasps, her eyes sparkling back at the artist. "Yes, that would be great! Daniel also told me that he admires you as an artist and seeing your work, I completely agree!"

Mary snickers and glances at the male artist's reddening face. "Admire, huh? How flattering."

Her eyes travel back to Anne. "Well since I do need a distraction from what happened today, I don't mind staying longer. Do you want to try painting something together?"

Anne gasps in delight while Daniel sweats. So far, Anne hasn't had to interact too much with people; however, Mary would absolutely try prying into the slime's life, which could be a problem!

Trying to calm himself down, he coughs. "Anne, are you sure? What about your current project? Wouldn't it be better to find time later with Mary?"

He hopes that the slime girl picks up on his tone. Unfortunately, the "hobby artist" is too excited about working with his ex.

"Actually, I already finished the second layer! It's not detailed, but I'm doing it differently from my last nature painting by making the first applied colors lighter so I can work in darker portions in the next layer," Anne explains proudly with a tilt of her head.

Mary raises her brows. "Huh. I noticed that you were working on a landscape painting. That's good foresight since landscapes tend to have more color, and by starting light, you're giving yourself room and time to work in the details."

Daniel gulps, amazed yet frightened. Her learning speed and execution of the process are too fast! Being the case, Mary will definitely think something is up if she witnesses her painting skills.

He changes direction and tries to push his ex-girlfriend instead.

"M-mary, are you sure? Surely painting is the last thing you'd want to do right now-"

The dark-skinned artist cuts in with a huff. "No, painting is exactly what I need to do! I won't let this bad taste of mosaic bullshit linger on my tongue!"

Like a switch, she calms down and stares pleadingly into her friend. "Look, I won't bother you too much, Daniel. Besides, didn't you tell me you're working on that Stonehenge fantasy piece? I'm super interested to see what you have so far!"

Daniel flattens his lips. "I'm not sure if I'd call it a fant-"

He stops and puts his hand to his forehead as he sees the conversation going off-topic. It's no use. Dissuading his ex is ineffective when she's taken a liking to Anne, and he doesn't have the heart to kick her out!

The female artist even sweetens the deal. "Since I'm intruding, I'll even cater lunch for us, all on me!"

Daniel cries in his mind while nodding with a forced smile. Although he's worried about having his ex spend too much time around Anne, he's done all her can without being too aggressive. Ultimately, he looks at Anne, whose eagerness to learn how to be a better artist shines through.

With a sigh, the male artist smiles dryly. 'Well, she's bound to have to interact with others soon. But why did it have to be my ex?'

 

Chapter 24: Oops

Notes:

Sorry, this is not a new chapter! I'm splitting some chapters up to sync up edits and partial rewrites done at ScribbleHub. For those subscribed, you'll probably get two notifications.

Chapter Text

Mary is stunned.

The first thing the artist had to explain to Anne is that not every painting has to align with an outline. Especially when working with abstract or non-realistic artwork, an outline might introduce boundaries that can hamper the visual experience of an image.

In particular, a mosaic involves irregular pieces that, up close, don't reveal any information and instead reveal the artist's intentions from afar. As such, Anne quickly understands that her son's method of preparing a portrait wouldn't work for this type of painting. While she can still create a sketch to help guide her, her strokes on top would have to diverge.

Grasping the chaotic nature of Mary's rose as an inspiration, she starts a painting of a cat. It's a simple focus with various colors crossed and specked, but with contrast that would allow one to tell the difference between the background and multiple features of the pet.

The painting itself is simple. A beginner might draw a similar work in a few hours with some trial and error; however, Anne seemed to know where to paint. Her strokes start off random, but shortly with other brushes and specific coloring, a cat becomes evident in a half-hour. Everything else after that is a background that hides away the feline.

"A-are you sure you haven't done this before?" Mary asks, watching the slime girl tap a few areas with her brush.

Anne blinks, breaking away from the canvas, then smiles brightly. "Yes, but this is really fun!"

Mary has to look away and shut her eyes tightly. She can't dwell too much on the slime girl's efficiency with the brush, but rather...

'How can someone be so cute!?' she squeals in her mind, shivering with delight.

Nearby, Daniel has a hard time focusing on the Stonehenge painting. With Mary's disbelief on display, he's worried about any growing suspicions his former girlfriend may have. Although, he fails to see how enamored his artistic friend is with his assistant's cheerful personality.

He flinches when his ex opens her eyes and directs a glare at him. He gulps, wondering if she has caught on to something.

"Daniel," she begins firmly.

The said painter gulps. "Y-yes?"

"This girl is too good for a boring guy like you. Give her to me."

Daniel pauses for a moment before relaxing, breathing out easily. He then stares back at his ex with a tiny smirk. "And here I thought we were past feelings of jealousy."

"Fuck you. Give. her. to. me."

Sometime later, a delivery service brings sub sandwiches Mary ordered to Daniel's apartment. At the table, the female artist starts asking questions about the couple's relationship. But before that, she sips a can of soda at the kitchen table and slams it down. She can no longer deny her jealousy that Daniel found someone nice, one who is not only open about painting but a genius too!

Why can't she have her own Anne?

Groaning with displeasure, Mary leans forward and rests her chin on her palm. "Well, care to give me a story? When did you meet and how long has it been?"

It amuses Daniel that Mary sounds so down again. He's about to tell a story he's prepared in his mind, but Anne beats him to the punch.

"We first met on Tinder about two months ago, was it? Like most people, we hooked up, and...well, we simply discovered we liked each other. That's about it."

Daniel blinks with surprise before smiling to himself. 'Nice!'

It's a very bland, generic story, but Daniel is proud that the slime girl can make it sound normal. But of course, Mary isn't about to accept that. Instead, she points her finger at him and narrows her eyes.

"That's not all, is it? Didn't you tell me once that you're going to avoid other artists since it seems to be a clashing trait that never works out?"

Daniel flinches, sweating a little. "Er, well...Anne never disclosed she painted as a side! She..."

"I wasn't very confident in my skills, you see," Anne jumps in, looking embarrassed.

Mary now stares at Anne in disbelief. "So, you're saying in two months, you improved yourself using your boyfriend's studio? I highly doubt it's that. You probably set up low expectations of yourself."

Anne fidgets her hands underneath the table. "I...guess."

The female artist shakes her head and clicks her tongue. "Well honestly, you'd be better off in my studio. I could use an assistant-"

Daniel coughs. "Actually, she's already helping me with my backlog."

Mary growls. "So? If she wants, she can still help me out and broaden her skills. Are you even paying her?!"

"Of course I am!" Daniel quickly lies while feeling guilty. Granted, it's only been a week since he accepted her as his assistant. He thought of giving her a fair share of the cash for the paintings she completed, but it would be unwieldy without a bank account, which can't be opened without proper identification.

Mary seems convinced but crosses her arms. "Well, it'd be good for her to do more than just portraits-"

"Did you not see the landscape painting she's doing?!" Daniel cuts in, offended.

Mary waves her hands. "It's all run-of-the-mill art! Now the Stonehenge painting of yours must be the most exciting thing I've seen you take on!"

"Oh, come on! This run-of-the-mill stuff you claim is quite in demand! Not everything has to be spicy as you like to take!"

Anne laughs nervously as she starts to understand why Mary and Daniel split. It really is as her son says. Even as artists, their specific interests simply clash.

Mary huffs and backs off. "Look, fine! Sorry, I didn't mean to argue. Just...your girlfriend seems to really pick up different styles easily. It's a good idea to try exotic, unique paintings every now and then."

The slime girl heeds that and beams. "Yes, and I think I'm feeling more confident thanks to you, Mary."

The female artist blushes a little, then rubs her neck. After some silence, she stares at her ex-boyfriend. "Like I said, can I have her?"

"Find your own."

"Inflexible as always," Mary grumbles, clicking her tongue. "Anyways, do you have a kitchen knife I can use? I swear these sub sandwiches are larger than I remember."

Anne quickly stands up. "Oh! Don't worry, I'll grab one for you!"

Mary's eyes smile. "Appreciated, love."

The slime girl moves to a drawer that contains all knives, but as she tries to open it, it only comes out a quarter of the way. It seems like something is hitting the top and preventing full access.

'Ah, I must've placed the stirring spoon in here,' Anne thinks, embarrassed.

Since she's flexible and facing away from Mary, she takes the chance to slip her hand into the opening and stretch her fingers to the top. She detects the handle of the large spoon that prevents the drawer from opening. While gripping the face of the drawer, she pulls down the spoon and causes the drawer to come out with force.

Hearing the clanging of steel knives, Daniel raises an eyebrow. "Anne?"

"I got it!" she reassures. "I accidentally put a large spoon in the drawer with the knives, so it was stopping the drawer from opening."

Daniel blinks, realizing he never really told her where to put things. "Ah, there's a bigger drawer for the stirring spoons in the drawer to your left. All the knives are in a smaller drawer."

"I'll remember that!"

Humming happily, Anne returns to the table with a bread knife, but before she can hand it over to Mary, the female artist's eyes gaze lowers, then contracts in horror.

"Oh my god, Anne!"

The slime girl flinches at the outburst, then shifts her eyes at her equally stunned son, who is frozen and staring towards her abdomen.

With a nervous gulp, the slime mother tilts her head down to the source of shock.

Simply, one of the smaller knives seems to have bounced out of the drawer and impaled itself into her stomach.

"Oh."

Chapter 25: Reveal

Notes:

Sorry, this is not a new chapter! I'm splitting some chapters up to sync up edits and partial rewrites done at ScribbleHub. For those subscribed, you'll probably get two notifications.

Chapter Text

"I mean-Ugh!"

It takes a second for Anne to react appropriately, dropping to her knees and shaking. Although the delayed reaction to her stabbing is strange, Mary puts it all behind in the face of Anne being "wounded."

She rushes to the slime girl's side and holds her shoulders, gently resting her on the ground. "Anne! Love, just try to breathe! Daniel, call 911!"

The slime girl breathes fast, but mainly because she's panicking. 'W-what do I do!? She's going to find out I'm not human! There's no way Daniel can call for an ambulance either!'

Lying on her back, Mary has some knowledge of what to do in case of a stab wound. The first is not to remove the knife, as doing that would allow more blood to flow out. Secondly, apply pressure on the flat sides of the blade to reduce bleeding. After lifting the slime's ripped shirt a little, she does precisely that.

Except… there's no blood at all. With the knife clearly lodged in, this is strange. "It looks like the bleeding is already limited by the knife...maybe?"

Regardless, Mary is a little relieved; however, Anne takes her confusion the wrong way. Her eyes swirl as she tries to devise a way to bleed as an average human would to delay suspicion.

'Aah! B-but how do I bleed?! Wait…Can I can produce color and milk at the same time?'

Anne has no idea, but she tries anyways. Sure enough, "blood" starts leaking out of the cut and quickly drips down Mary's hand.

The female artist screams and pushes more inward, trying to apply more pressure on both sides of her stomach. She turns her head towards her ex. "Oh god, she's actually bleeding! Daniel, is someone on the way?!"

Daniel is currently faking himself on the phone, trying to devise a solution to this debacle. But hearing Mary's claim of bleeding, his eyes lock back to his disabled mother.

He nearly drops his phone in horror. 'She can bleed!?'

Even Daniel is fooled, wondering if he really does need to call the ambulance. However, while Mary's horrified eyes return back to the slime's abdomen, Anne takes a chance to look at her son, quickly shifting her eyes between him and Mary.

Seeing her behavior, he relaxes a bit. 'So, she's not not really bleeding, huh. Still, is there anything that can be done?'

…

There isn't.

Although he'd have to ask Anne how she's generating "blood", this facade only delays the inevitable. After all, his ex is pressing for an ambulance, and there's no good way to convince her that Anne doesn't need it. Not with a literal knife in the stomach, anyways.

He sighs, lowering the phone to his side. "Anne, let's stop this act. It's no use, we have to tell her."

At this, Anne widens her eyes with concern but stops her shaking and bleeding. Mary listens to her ex-boyfriend's words incredulously.

"Tell me what? Have you called the fucking ambulance or not?!"

To the female artist's surprise, Anne lifts her hand and places it over her darker, stained hand. "Mary, I'm sorry. Please look at my stomach. Don't be alarmed."

Mary is shocked that Anne can speak comfortably all of a sudden. "L-love? What are y-"

Words halt in her throat as she catches the knife being pushed out and the wound resealing. The blade eventually falls away from Anne's skin like nothing and clatters to her side.

Mary stares blankly, jaw unhinged. Eventually, her knees collapse as she drops further to the floor, still locked onto Anne's healed abdomen.

The slime mother's eyes narrow with guilt as Mary's quivering eyes reflect back; however, she knows this is not the time to be scared. She stands up, brushing herself like nothing happened. More blood should've been spilled with such movement, yet only the remaining red milk drips down her legs. 

As the female artist watches with disbelief, Anne leans forward, offering a hand. "Mary…please."

No matter how warm of a voice, Mary shrinks back, her breath uneven. Quickly, Daniel joins his distraught ex-girlfriend's side and kneels down with an arm around her shoulders. "Mary, it's okay! Let's talk on the couch about all of this, okay?"

After getting settled, Mary manages to suppress her disbelief long enough as she listens to Daniel's story. Her eyes look between her ex and the slime before she finally speaks.

"A slime girl? For real?"

Daniel and Anne look at each other. They did float the prospect of continuing a lie to Mary. After all, the creative artist witnessed the slime girl's wound sealing itself. This could've been explained by Anne being super-human; however, trying to come up with an origin story would be unnecessarily complicated and hard to prove. Speaking of, they also avoided any mention of Anne being his new mother after absorbing his astronomer-mother's corpse. Reasons of which shouldn't need to be said.

"Yes, although we're not sure what she's made out of," Daniel confirms.

Mary swallows before laughing dryly. "Wh-what is this joke? Daniel, have you been watching too much hentai or some shit?"

Daniel smiles bitterly, expecting her skepticism, given how Anne looks human. That said...

"Anne, show her please."

The slime girl nods and lifts her hand. Before Mary's eyes, she lets the skin on her arm dissolve in seconds, revealing her blue gel innards. After leaving it out for Mary to process in a daze, she regrows her skin easily before any of her mass can loosen.

"Does...that prove it?" she asks hesitantly.

Mary stays frozen, her eyes wide as she stares at the slime girl's arm. It looks like the artist will break any second...that is until she suddenly leans in closer to his slime mother with no warning. The slime can't react in time, and before she knows it, the dark artist has her cheeks firmly pinched between her fingers.

"Uwa?!"

"Holy shit..." Mary breathes, trying to stretch Anne's cheeks.

"P-pwease stob!"

"You feel so firm though! Are you really a slime?!"

"I can contwol my denswity!"

Mary lets go, allowing the slime girl's face to snap into place. With a sharp inhale, she leans back on the couch and stares at the ceiling. "So…my ex-boyfriend got in contact with a slime girl, huh?"

It seems Mary can't entirely dispel her disbelief over the situation. That aside, she's taking Anne's true nature much better than he ever did. Although to be fair, the slime girl looked much more outlandish when she first appeared to him in his closet.

After giving Mary more time to process Anne's nature, she straightens and glares at the couple. "Well, that was a shitty play from before. I actually thought Anne was going to die!"

Seeing the female artist more acknowledging, Anne looks down, relieved and ashamed. "I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't know what else to do."

Mary's eyes soften towards the human-like girl. Shutting her eyes for a moment, she takes another breath. "Look, I get it. You wanted to keep this a secret. That aside, are you two actually in a relationship?"

At this, Daniel coughs. "As weird as it seems, yeah."

"Why?" Mary invites, frowning. "You decide to take in a slime girl and think it's good to be chummy with her?!"

Daniel sidesteps the question. "Look,you don't need to know everything. Just believe me when I say she doesn't mean any harm and I'm just trying not to attract bad attention to her."

The dark-skinned artist's eyes unexpectedly fill with hurt, causing Daniel to flinch. "How...how can you even say that? Love, I'm more worried about you! How do you know that nothing bad will ever happen to you?!"

Daniel blinks before rubbing his neck. "I'm not sure how I can even answer that. Is there uncertainty? Probably."

"What do you mean probably? Have you not considered that you might've stepped into some dangerous shit? Like, how do you know that Anne will remain good or if there aren't already people who are looking out for her and whom might get you killed!?"

"Mary, please!" Anne pleads. "If this is about me, I won't ever harm him, I swear!"

Mary sucks in and shakes her head, her eyes watering. "N-no, how can I believe that? Like, you seem really nice, but how can I trust you with him? You, who happens to appear out of nowhere? Daniel and I might've split, but I still-"

"Because I'm his mother!" Anne cuts, unable to withstand such doubts about herself.

Mary flinches again, her eyes wide. As she enters another round of shock, Daniel groans and places his face in his hands.

However, Anne no longer cares, grabbing Mary's frozen hands pleadingly. "And how could a mother hurt her own son, Mary? How could I not protect…!"

'I couldn't protect him.'

A voice not of her own echoes in her head. It forces her to halt everything as she stares past the female artist.

This abrupt pause juggles Mary. Even more confused than before, she snaps her head at Daniel, who slides his hands down his face with growing wear.

Daniel is about to question Anne first, but his slime mother stands up from the couch, turning away. Coming back to reality, sadness fills her that she can't explain.

"I... I'm sorry, I need to think."

With no further explanation, Anne swiftly leaves the room, leaving the two artists alone.

Daniel sweats as Mary throws her arms up, only growing more perplexed by the second. "Okay, what the hell is going on!?"

Daniel has no idea, but he's forced to put Anne's problems aside. More importantly, he owes his friend a full explanation now.

He closes his eyes and sighs. "I'm sorry, Mary. There's…something else too."

After a lengthy discussion, Mary and Daniel end up near the front door. While gripping her mosaic artwork, the female artist takes a deep breath.

"Love, I...had no idea you'd be one slimy motherfucker."

Daniel groans, wincing. "You just couldn't resist leading into that, could you?"

Mary snorts and lowers her gaze. She's still disturbed learning that Anne somehow represented his ex's mother after absorbing a corpse. It took a while for her to trust Daniel that she meant no further harm.

"As strange as this is though, she's not exactly your real mother, right? Otherwise, that would be..."

Daniel hurriedly nods. "Y-yes, of course! Please understand, Mary. She's way different despite having my mom's memories! How should I say, it's like she's an incarnation of sorts."

Mary hums. "So she's possibly your mother in a spiritual sense...and you're fucking her."

There's no judging in her eyes, but Daniel sweats a little as he feels pressure to devise an excuse. Ultimately though, he has to be straight with his feelings about his relationship with Anne.

"I did try to resist her advances in the beginning with the same thought, but...yes."

Mary sighs. "Adding to the fact that you haven't been together that long, this all validates my concern! Look, I won't judge your trust in her but do rely on me more. If it were any normal relationship, I'd never butt in, except...this is not normal! I'm not talking about whether or not she's your mother, I'm talking about her existence as a real slime girl!"

Daniel raises his hands. "I get it. I know it's crazy especially since it's all happened so fast, and I know I'm being a irrational here, but...I want believe in her and I want to see where we can go together."

"Then, let me help where I can," Mary urges, forcing a smile.

Daniel's eyes tighten. "The only thing is that you're right about the risk. She's a different creature and I can't predict if things will go wrong. It doesn't make sense for you to be involved if something bad happens."

Mary harrumphs. "Well, that is my choice, love. If the accident today didn't happen, I'd be happily ignorant, but it didn't. So now, I can only sleep knowing the person I spent three years with is safe."

Daniel is a little sheepish by his ex's words. He coughs. "Thank you, Mary."

The female artist smiles warmly, then similarly clears her throat. "On a different note, you mentioned how troubling it is that Anne is basically unregistered, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"I might know someone who can create some sort of identification for her."

Daniel furrows his brows slowly.

"Mary..." he speaks slowly, "Are you saying you have some shady connections?"

This time, it's Mary's turn to raise her hands up. "Hold on there, love. First, I immigrated into the U.S. legally and through the same long process as anyone else. That said, I had a particularly...interesting client. That client may also turn out useful for giving Anne some clearer identity going out."

"I don't want anyone to know about her."

"Yes, I understand that, but if you'll trust me and send me some plain photos, I can come up with a cover story. Worst case, Anne might have to change her standard appearance."

Daniel sighs. "I'll think about it."

That's good enough for Mary as she opens the front door, turning slightly. "Let me know if anything happens. If possible, I need to get to know her more. I probably hurt her in my frantic worry, so please tell her I'm sorry. Maybe we can do some more painting together."

Daniel rolls his eyes. "Is that really it? Honestly Mary, you saw her. She can probably learn whatever she wants just by seeing an example!"

Mary bites her lips, then shuts her eyes tightly. "Okay, fine! I actually want to see her transform! What you told me sounds amazing!"

Daniel's shoulder slumps. With a snort, he reluctantly nods. He pretty much told her everything except her recent ability to produce milk. If revealed, he might die of embarrassment if she learned that his slime mother also started nursing him.

The female artist giggles. "Then, I'll hold you to that promise. That is if Anne is willing, of course! Keep me updated, okay?"

Daniel smiles wryly. "Yes. Have a good night, Mary."

"You too, love."

Daniel closes the door behind her as she exits and leans against it with a heavy breath.

'What a fucking blunder.'

"Daniel?"

The artist jerks and sees Anne peaking from the corner of the hallway. He inhales again and smiles reassuringly. "Mom, are you okay?"

Anne nods, a little ashamed. "I'm sorry that I left so suddenly. I..."

As she hesitates, Daniel closes in and wraps his arms around her. "It's alright, I've told Mary nearly everything. Somehow, she understood and this will be kept a secret."

The slime girl hums, her gaze lowering as she nestles into her shoulders and hand grip at his back. "But what if Mary's concerns are right? I mean, we still don't know much about how I came into this world! What if...mama causes more trouble to you than it's worth?"

'What if I hurt you?'

Daniel snorts. "Mom, we can't predict anything. Who is to say I won't die of a heart attack or get robbed one day? Rather than speculate and worry, let's learn as much as we can."

Anne smiles weakly, then pulls away but holds onto her son's hands. "There's another thing. I'm not sure, but...I think I'm remembering bits outside of Amy?"

The artist widens his eyes. "You mean before you absorbed my mother?"

The slime girl hums. "That's what I'm thinking. Actually, when I froze after you started your Stonehenge drawing, I thought it was just my imagination but I heard a voice and an image of a…cloaked man surrounded by green fire within the ring. He spoke a name: Viviane, I think."

Daniel breathes in. "W-why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it was just my imagination! Then with Mary, I heard a different voice."

"Which is?"

Anne bites her lips.

'I couldn't protect him.'

"I'm…not so sure."

Chapter 26: "Pregnancy"

Chapter Text

It's been a few days since Mike left. Since then, Lecia has received permission from the Keystone Cemetery's management to dig holes by the perimeter to test their scanning technology. Unfortunately, more time is needed before the engineering team finishes the prototype, but the Stonehenge leader knows she cannot rush. It's not just to avoid insufficient data when they perform the scan but also to avoid suspicions from employees unrelated to her secret group. Luckily, all of her product team believe that testing at a nearby cemetery makes sense considering the use case is to aid archeological excavations in finding bones and abnormal structures.

With the engineering efforts out of her hands, Lecia has to carry on with her duties as the company's president, mostly inapplicable to anything related to the Stonehenge book. If she could, she would love to spend more time investigating the aftermath of the ritual and checking for more leads on the mysterious creature, but there didn't seem much to gain. Any additional activity would garner unwanted eyes in her position, so she could only trust her various members spread across the world who had the time.

Sighing, Lecia finishes signing some small contracts on her desk before her second phone buzzes. A call from there can only be related to the Stonehenge organization. No contacts are stored, plus every phone number is rotated. As a result, she has no idea who might be calling, but it'll either be someone trustworthy...or a spam caller.

Picking up her phone and hoping it's the former, she remains silent while waiting for a secret to be spoken.

...

Slowly Lecia smiles, nodding as she hears a word from the Stonehenge text. With a slight chuckle, she greets another prominent member of their group. "Yes, it's nice to hear you again!"

...

"I did meet the artist. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction by the way! I was surprised you happened to know who did that Black Hills painting. He's the...son of your friend, right?"

...

"Of course, my condolences. Don't worry, I never mentioned you. I understand you're not calling to chat though, right?"

"Mom..."

Daniel's stern voice in the kitchen causes Anne to blink, lifting her head from the table.

Currently, she's eating a bowl of oatmeal, content as usual. Her son would do the same, except... there's suddenly a lack of milk in the fridge despite knowing some was bought just yesterday.

"Yes, sweetie?" Anne asks, putting on innocent airs.

"Did you drink all of the milk?"

Anne tilts her chin. "Why yes, I did."

Daniel is taken aback by the honesty, and he hesitates to ask. "...Why?"

Anticipating the topic, Anne puts her spoon down into the oatmeal and then leans forward with her chin on her hands. Her eyes glint firmly toward her son, causing him to sweat slightly.

"Tell me sweetie, it's been a few days and so far, Mama has been nursing you consistently. So, why would you bother buying milk?"

Daniel flushes red and stammers, unable to believe her logic. "W-why?! M-mom, I can't rely on you to-"

"But you can," she cuts, closing her eyes sweetly. "Producing milk costs mama nearly nothing and although I wish it were sweeter, it's no different from the milk you buy from the store."

"T-that's um...but to ask you all the time is..."

"Embarrassing?" the slime mother finishes before opening her eyes and huffing. "Nonsense, there's nothing embarrassing about Mama feeding her baby! Besides, you've been quite eager during our sessions too."

Daniel can't deny that but refuses to let Anne take control that easily. It feels like she's becoming bolder recently. Emptying his throat, his face returns partially to its normal color.

"Then, how about this. Since you can produce at will, at least store some in a jug in the fridge, and I'll stop buying it from now on."

Anne narrows her eyes. "Deal, but you must let Mama keep nursing you directly, alright?"

"S-sure."

Despite his reservations, he can't find it in him to reject such loving care. Before he lets his nights with Anne get to him and make him erect again, he quickly changes the topic. "By the way, have you had any more visions or voices?"

Anne hums, taking a bite of her oatmeal before shaking her head. "No, and even as I continued to watch you work on your Stonehenge drawing, I haven't received anything new. Your painting is coming along though; It looks really cool!"

Daniel snorts, unable to suppress a smile at the praise; however, he's concerned for Anne. There's more to her than just Amy, but it seems it won't come as easily.

"Oh, since it's the weekend, are you planning on doing any work today?" Anne asks, hopeful.

The artist raises an eyebrow. "Not today. If I'm behind, I might work but we're making pretty good pace for my clients, so I think we can relax today."

The slime's eyes twinkle as she claps her hands. "Then, mama wants to try something with you!"

"Oh, do you want to go out? I did hear it might rain today though."

"No, but mama wants to hold her baby close in bed."

Daniel stares flatly. "But...you already do that. Plus, we just got out of bed and did a round. Don't tell me you want to do more?"

"Hu hu, it'll be different! I won't say anymore, okay? It's a surprise!"

Daniel clears his throat and stands up from his seat. "On second thought, I do believe there is some work that should be done. I'll just-"

A firm hand grasps his arm. He sees that Anne has stretched her arm to prevent him from leaving. On top of that, she stares at him with puppy-dog eyes. "Daniel, please! Is Mama that uninteresting?"

Uninteresting? No, far from it!

"Listen, mom," Daniel begins, laughing nervously. "Why don't we just take it easy today? Even if the weather is cloudy, we can still go somewhere...like a movie?"

Anne inhales sharply. They haven't been to a theater yet, but she quickly shakes her head, unwilling to let her plan be pushed aside. "Urgh...yes, mama would love that, b-but...please?"

Daniel slumps in his seat and breathes out. "Alright, fine."

His slime mother perks up and cheers, then quickly gobble down her oatmeal faster before he can question her further. He watches bewilderingly as she stands up and sets aside her bowl by the sink. Readying for him, she exits the kitchen first but not before winking.

"Then, mama will see you in bed~"

Gone without giving her son a chance to speak, the artist slumps further and stares at his oatmeal. He forgot to ask her to add some milk for him.

Daniel takes his time with breakfast, unwilling to allow his slime mother's excitement to rush him. Although, he's admittedly curious to see what his slime mother has in store.

By the time he enters his bedroom, Anne is already waiting on his bed naked. More specifically, she has dissolved the bottom half skin, revealing her glistening blue gelatinous legs and smooth vulva.

He blinks, instantly growing hard to see parts of her true self again. In fact, it's been quite a while. Was this her surprise? A change in pace?

"Do you like what you see, sweetie?"

Her purr spurs him forward, so he strips naked to meet her offer. "Well, um...I can't say no to my mother."

Anne giggles and spreads her legs wider. "Good boy~ Will you kiss mama down there, please?"

Daniel exhales slowly and nods. Kneeling by the bedside with his throbbing cock, he pushes his face in. His hands slide across her cool, slippery blue thighs while leveraging himself closer. Slowly, he starts by licking her folds.

"Oh, Daniel~"

His cock throbs as he hears her sweet voice and uses his fingers to spread them out. He can almost see the blue tunnel Anne had created to best fit his cock. Pushing his face in, his tongue dashes in with greed.

"Yes, right there!"

Anne's moans, even if they're just a play, spur Daniel further into ravishing her pussy. As a reward, he tastes the milk he was missing earlier as the slime girl secrets the white liquid within her vulva. It surprises him a little, but he welcomes the 'nectar of the gods', now nursing against her formed clitoris.

A few minutes in, her crotch unleashes more milk which he struggles to take in as it splashes across his face. Despite the mess, he's never felt more thirsty as the cool liquid enters his throat.

"Is it, unf, good baby?"

Daniel hums, closing his eyes and gripping the slime mother's thighs tighter as milk drips down his chin. Simultaneously, Anne's fingers slide through her son's hair in place, then smiles warmly as she begins the real plan now that her son is distracted.

While her son continues to suck her milk away, she allows a new layer of slime to flow from her waistline. A blue veil creeps out and hovers over Daniel without making too much noise. For a while, the artist doesn't notice any change, even has his view turned a tint bluer.

That is until Anne's hands leave his head while her pussy suddenly seals up, becoming smooth. Shocked, Daniel pulls away, but his back hits the new slime layer that had sneaked behind him, swiftly encasing him around.

"M-mom?!"

Anne hushes reassuringly. "Easy Daniel, please trust me, okay? Like I said, Mama is going to finally have her baby closer to her than ever before!"

"W-wait, you mean-mmph!?"

Daniel can't finish as the slime behind contracts, pulling his face closer to Anne's crotch. By now, he's sealed within a slime sack between her legs. Panicked, the artist tries to push out, but the slime's layer is malleable to his stretches while maintaining a firm grip over him.

"Sweetie, don't try to resist. Come to Mama!"

The artist grunts as his body is forced to curl while the sack shrinks and thickens around him. It makes a churning sound as the slimy chamber is pulled deeper into Anne's core.

Swelch! Swoon!

Eventually, the sack becomes more embedded into Anne's body, becoming a belly with her full-grown son in a womb-like chamber. It takes a few seconds for Daniel to regain awareness of his wobbly surroundings. He looks around, confused, trying to peer through his slime mother's walls, only to see warped shadows amongst dispersed light.

On the outside, Anne stares at the now massive stretched belly that encases her wriggling son. It takes a moment before realizing her accomplishment as her eyes widen. She draws a hand to her face while caressing Daniel's head that bulges out between her breasts, then shivers with delight.

https://i.postimg.cc/fLD0VBmg/annecontain-bw-resized.png

"M-mama...actually did it! Daniel is inside me...hehehe!"

Daniel flattens his lips and sweats, hearing his slime mother's slightly muffled yet unnerving giggle.

While allowing his slime mother time to celebrate, he calms down enough to understand the situation. It's good that he's not claustrophobic; otherwise, this would be another person's nightmare.

"Okay, mom, I see now - you're pregnant with me. So this was your plan all along?"

Hearing her son's rather tame response, she frowns while rubbing her newfound belly. "Yes! Oh come on, why aren't you more excited?! Mama only thought of this a couple days ago! You have no idea how patient I've been. I even thought of pulling you into me when you were suckling on my breasts like a baby!"

Daniel blushes and turns his head. "Am I supposed to feel better about that? Although I was curious to see what you had in mind, some more information would've been nice."

"If I told you, you might've ran, so I had to lure you!"

"What am I, a fish?!"

Anne grins. "You were and now you're my baby. Still, I'll let you out if you're uncomfortable. I just wanted to experience this at least once."

The artist sighs and moves around a little. Something must be wrong with him because he's not as perturbed.

"Well, I'm fine with seeing how this goes, but my back is bent a little-ooh."

Anne is already on it as her son feels his back straightening with more mass added behind him. It also becomes softer around his neck and shoulders, allowing some comfortable lean.

On the outside, Anne's belly droops but grows bigger, now rounder with fewer bulges. Although she already misses having her son snug to her, she doesn't want to have him uncomfortable. "How's that? Comfy?"

Daniel remains silent as he wobbles, then responds, "Yeah, it's better."

"How about air?"

"Pretty good actually."

Anne huffs with pride. "Then my baby is all settled! Now, let's see if I can actually stand up straight."

Daniel worries for Anne and himself as his surroundings shift. He's seen evidence of Anne being able to hold his weight, but being as large as he is, it should throw off her balance.

Sure enough...

"W-whoa...!"

Anne is pulled forward when she pushes off the bed but quickly catches herself against a wall. This causes her new belly to jiggle, as does her baby within.

"Urp...E-easy, mom!"

Hearing Daniel's slow breathing, she gasps. "Are you okay in there, sweetie?"

"Y-yeah, a reminder though - we just ate breakfast."

Anne chuckles nervously. "Right, sorry. Mama just needs to reinforce back and legs more."

The artist's eyebrows raise as he hears a sort of churning sound. Some of the mass surrounding him shifts to her back and legs to help her offset her new forward weight.

Somehow, she can put enough, making her legs and back more toned. Then, with a breath, she lifts away from the wall and stands carefully. To her delight, she's distributed her center of gravity to finally support Daniel's weight in her pseudo-pregnancy.

"Daniel~ Mama can carry you now! Next time, the process should be faster."

Daniel coughs. "If there's a next time. That said, be careful of yourself and your surroundings, please."

Anne frowns. "Mama knows! Are you still not comfortable, Daniel?"

"Er, I am. I'm just not sure how to feel about this situation."

Anne smiles bitterly. "At least...give this a chance for mama, please?"

Daniel sighs resignedly and lies his head back. Between his legs, his cock remains rock hard.

"Alright, I will. But...now what? Am I supposed to jerk off?"

Anne gasps at the thought. "No! How can my baby be so dirty! This is supposed to be a calming experience!"

"Calm my ass! You cockblocked me!"

His slime mother returns with a sheepish smile. "Oh! Er...alright. Mama has a way to help you."

A small gelatinous tube grows within Daniel's new chamber and causes him to lean back. He can only come to one conclusion as he covers his belly button. "H-hold up! Mom, you're not thinking of-"

Contrary to his expectations, the tube opens and swallows his shaft instead. He stifles a grunt as he feels his mother's mass squeezing his cock and sucking like she does on the outside.

Slurp! Swlop! Slurp! Swlop!

"M-mom! H-holy...shit!"

Anne rubs her belly as her son's groans leak out. If not for her enormous belly and the workings within, this would've been otherwise an ideal image of motherly love.

"Now we are finally connected, my baby. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the ride," she coos.

"This is...urgh...kinda...messed up!"

Anne giggles. Then with heavy footsteps, she enters the bathroom to check on herself. If she were more solid, she'd definitely wouldn't be capable of slipping through the door, but thanks to her nature, she's as fluid as a cat.

After squeezing herself and her son through, her eyes sparkle in awe as she rotates herself in front of the mirror. Finally, she nods to herself while sliding her hand across her body. Her son's muffled pleasures continue to bellow within.

"Don't we look good together, Daniel?"

"Mom, I'm cumming!"

Unfocused, the artist pulses within her, his cum absorbed by her makeshift tube. Her gelatinous legs ripple with joy as she feels his nutrients again fill her. With a shameful uplifting of her lips, the slime mother holds back most of the psychological pleasure. Only leaving a husky moan, she hugs her belly with both arms.

"Oh my~ Who knew my baby would be the one feeding me!"

Daniel groans as her extension remains on his limp cock. While taking time to recover himself, he lifts his head and sees Anne's murky form looking down at him. Even though he can't see her through her blue mass, he can already imagine her warm smile.

Coming down from his libido, his eyes droop a little. It might be him, but Anne's mass surrounding him seems to be getting softer. "So...uh...how long are you going to keep me in...here?"

"Well, however long you want. Though you did mention going to the theater, so..."

A low rumbling in the sky causes her to trail off. She glances towards the ceiling and blinks. "Oh... it's already starting it seems."

With a curious hum, she moves out of the bathroom to the nearest window catching the grey clouds already covering most of the city.

"Well, it's good to have some rain. So, Daniel, what do you want to do?"

Asking her belly, she gets an unexpected sleepy response. "I guess I'll...stay in...longer...just for...a bit."

Anne blinks, surprised. With a warm smile, she hums softly. "Take all the time you need, my baby."

Closing the curtains, so to speak, the slime girl regrows her lower skin and blocks any remaining light to her son's new chamber. Soon after, she hears her son's breathing even as he falls asleep.

'Now what do I do?' Anne thinks, rubbing her belly while pursing her lips.

She flinches as she hears the front door buzzer. Not wanting to disturb her son's rest, she firms up the outer layer of her belly so it doesn't wobble as much and creeps closer to the door. Being naked, she won't open it, but she can't ignore it if it's important for Daniel.

"Um, who is it?"

"Is that Anne? It's me love - Mary. Sorry for the unannounced visit, but I've got something important for you!"

Anne gasps. "Oh! Um...let me change! Daniel is asleep!"

Mary's snickers. "No problem. I see that you two have been having fun, am I right?"

Anne titters. "Something like that~"

Even though Mary knows about her abilities, Anne wonders if it's a good idea to show up in front of her like this. It's conflicting since she doesn't want to dump him so soon.

'It'll be fine! We're still experimenting after all. She should understand,' Anne reasons.

The slime girl looks into the now-shared closet for anything she could wear. Given her impossible belly, there's hardly anything she can wear except a silk robe which would at least partially cover her and drape some around her belly.

It's not ideal, but she takes it and covers herself. Then, with some careful steps, she returns to the front door. At ease, she opens the door with a wide smile.

"Hi Mary!"

"Hey there love, I-"

Rightly so, Mary's words halt in her throat, her eyes popping out at Anne's impossible belly that's barely covered. Without another second to spare, she hurriedly invites herself in, shutting the door frantically before anyone in other apartments might see.

Taking a long breath, the female artist grabs the slime mother's shoulder. Knowing people might still hear her so close to the door, she keeps her voice low despite her astonishment. "Holy shit, love! H-how are you pregnant already?! N-no wait, you're a slime...c-can you even get pregnant? It's only been a few days since I last visited - what happened?!"

Mary's freakout is amusing, but Anne holds herself back from giggling and disturbing her baby within. She places a finger to her lips. "It's alright. I'm not really pregnant! We need to be quiet though since Daniel is sleeping inside of me."

The female artist blinks a few times. She takes a moment to process Anne's words before her gaze lowers.

"Oh, I see."

Her simple response hides the shock she's feeling. Although she wants to laugh crazily, she leans against a wall instead and inhales slowly before recomposing.

'Anne is a slime. Anne is a slime. She can hold things in her. It makes sense.'

"He's...okay, right?"

"Yep! Go ahead and listen against my belly. You'll hear him breathing."

Mary gulps, still freaked out by this situation but following through as she bends down. While placing an ear against the slime mother, she can hear some slight mumbling.

She's somewhat relieved and clears her throat. "Well, this is plenty bizarre. He seems quite...comfortable, I guess. I'm assuming you've done this before or...?"

"Nope! I just pulled him in before you arrived! Since I'm his Mama, I feel silly that this didn't occur to me since I know that I can make breathable spaces inside me."

"Right..."

Mary's not sure whether to press further, so she decides to move on topic. "Well anyways, I have something for you..."

Digging into her purse, she hands Anne a card.

The slime girl takes it with knitted brows before widening her eyes. "Wait, this is...a license!? So that's why Daniel wanted to take a photo of me against a wall that one day!"

Mary smiles. "I had some connections. I'm not sure what this client did, but he claims you're also registered in state databases. Whether that's good or not, I would still keep a low profile. However, this should help you to open your own bank account and move around a little."

Anne quivers before hugging the female artist, much to her surprise. "Mary, thank you!"

Mary blushes as she feels some of her ex's legs poking her as the slime girl's belly compresses against her. As strange as it is, she feels somewhat jealous of him.

"I...better get going before the rain starts."

Anne gasps and holds Mary's hands before she can pull back. "Wait, hold on! Are you busy? Daniel told me how you wanted to see me transform."

The female artist thins her lips. "Yes, but I don't want to bother you guys."

"It's no problem!" Anne insists before lowering her gaze and smiling, "Besides, I enjoyed painting with you and since you're the only female who knows what I am, I'd like to get to know you more!"

"Are you sure, love? To be honest, I'm not sure if Daniel would be pleased."

"Well I'm his mother, so I have first say!" she says with a huff, causing Mary to giggle.

More relaxed, the female artist nods. "Well, alright then. Let's leave transforming for another day. How about I do a quick drawing as you are?"

Anne clasps her hands. "Oh, that would be wonderful! Daniel had mentioned how he wanted to do a couples painting."

"Love, I doubt this is what he meant."

Chapter 27: "Dream"

Chapter Text

Lecia sits near a window in an empty cafe close to the heart of downtown. Outside, rain pours on the streets, making everything look muggy and grey. She watches various hooded and umbrella-protected pedestrians pass by, eager to get to their dry homes after a long work day.

Personally, hearing rain calms her while the rumblings above serve as a reminder of Earth's forces, humbling her. Of course, hearing is one thing; she can only hope that the weather lets up before she leaves for home.

'You'd think we'd be having more rain after our ritual. Instead, we got a special fire and an unknown creature on the loose.'

She sighs, taking a sip of her coffee. Then, the front door opens with a bell ring, and soon enough, wet steps come her way. Settling down her mug, she smiles as she looks up to a friend who slides down her raincoat hood, revealing a gently-aged woman sporting grey pixie-cut hair that remains mostly dry from the rain.

rachel-cafe.png

"It's good to see you, Rachel. Can I buy you a coffee?" Lecia asks as her more striking pupils meet the kind gaze of the busy researcher.

Rachel shakes her head, raising her hands. "No, I'm good. I can't drink as much caffeine as I used to. Anyways, I'm sorry for requesting to talk in person when it's getting late."

"Oh, it's not at a problem! Getting a chance to come to this cafe has helped to clear my head a bit. You've been away quite a while, so allow me to welcome you back to Keystone."

Rachel giggles, taking her seat. "Thank you. I wish I was there to see the ritual, but I heard good things about the results. A green fire from nothing certainly seems magical, doesn't it?"

"I...suppose so," Lecia rigidly responds before coughing. "There's a lot to follow up on, you see."

"On top of your company duties, I'm sure," Rachel adds.

Lecia smiles bitterly before she waves such concerns. "Don't worry, I'm taking care of myself. More importantly, what about you?"

"Things have picked up lately with the number of conferences and observatories I visited, but it's helped to keep my mind busy. Speaking of, I thought I should show something interesting."

"Ha ha, straight to business, huh?"

"I'm quite excited to show you this, after all!"

Lecia raises an eyebrow as Rachel pulls out two photos from her bag showing various stars in a clear sky. They're nearly identical, except several of the stars appear dimmer in one of the images.

Taking a pen, Rachel draws lines on the images, marking the same constellation on both pieces. It turns out the dimmer stars are all part of the constellation's border.

"This is known as Aquarius. On the night of the ritual, one of our remote telescopes I had set up captured a change in luminosity for an hour before they all reverted back to their normal state."

"All at the same time?"

Rachel nods, her eyes shining with excitement. "Now, stars dimming do occur and it can be for various reasons like dust or orbiting companions; however, having synchronized dimming at the same time has never happened before!"

Lecia holds her breath as she stares at the photos, her mind trying but failing to gather what this could mean.

"Why haven't I heard of this in the news? Surely others would've noticed?"

"Since the constellation isn't particularly bright in the first place compared to other constellations, anyone could miss it. I only actively monitored because of my suspicion that it was being referenced."

"Referenced?"

Rachel pulled out another paper, a copy of one of the Stonehenge book's pages. The page shows the unfamiliar language and a drawing of twelve figures standing around a lake.

It takes a moment as Lecia switches between the constellation and shape of the figures before widening her eyes. They never found any record of an actual lake with this shape, so it was assumed that the lake had long been lost due to changing geography.

But now, Lecia can see that the lake actually resembles the closed shape of Aquarius!

Rachel smiles, ashamed. "I'm sorry, dear. I never disclosed this because it only started as a guess. The shape of the lake isn't perfectly aligned either, but to my eyes, the positions of the members around the lake seemed to resemble this constellation."

She then leans back and curls her lips. "The only thing is that this arrangement isn't related to the one performed, but the timing is too good of a coincidence for me to dismiss it."

Lecia's throat dries. "Right, this one...there are words that our members say resemble the Latin word, sigillum."

"Seal, was it? We weren't sure though."

The president nods slowly, her eyes remaining on the paper and the stars laid out. After some silence, she closes her eyes. "...It makes sense though."

Rachel knits her brows together and cocks her head. "In what way?"

Lecia lifts her head to stare into the astronomer's worried gaze before sighing. "There was an...aftermath to the ritual we haven't yet disclosed to everyone."

Daniel's eyes slowly open.

Instead of being encased within Anne, a vast lake reflecting the night's stars spreads before him as he stands at the shore. The water spills over his feet and recedes consistently while a slight wind brushes through his hair.

He looks down at himself and notices he's naked. Although confused, the artist doesn't feel shame. Instead, he feels unusually calm as the coolness of the water and wind slides past him.

'Still, why am I naked?'

An appropriate first question. Yet, Daniel can only set it aside to expand his awareness. Turning around, he sees green plains behind him with no end in sight except a few mountains in the distance, but otherwise, the land remains sparse.

"Is this alright, Mary?"

Daniel flinches as he hears Anne's voice echo around him, then surprisingly, his ex mixing in.

"Yes, love. Keep one arm around your chest and the other on your belly."

"Hehe, this is so exciting! Didn't know I'd be posing nude!"

"Love, you can't say that when there's barely any clothes in the first place to fit you right now."

An embarrassed cough follows.

"Mary? Anne?" Daniel finally calls out, unable to find where their conversation is coming from. They seem pretty loud, yet, they aren't standing near his vicinity.

"Either way, you're gorgeous, Anne. I never asked Daniel, but are you imitating someone's appearance?"

"Not a specific person...at least I think. When I was building myself, I encountered many portraits in his closet from which I picked features from."

"Hello?!" Daniel shouts. "Where are you guys?"

It's apparent to the artist that they can't hear him. Unsure what to do, he wades around the shore momentarily before coming to a halt.

Something is odd about the water.

Tilting his head with an increasing furrow, the water bends with another image beside the stars' reflection. It's not widespread but rather concentrated into a meter-wide blob that seems to follow wherever his gaze lands on the water.

To make sure he's not crazy, he looks up but finds nothing out of the ordinary. What could show within the water that can follow his eyes?

Puzzled, he stares longer at the colorful blob. This focus seems to be key as the colors in the lump begin to separate, creating a more of clear picture.

Daniel's breath holds as he stares in awe, unable to believe the magic before him. Soon, he sees a moving picture of Mary beside a canvas in his studio. While blinking a few times to ascertain his sanity, the perspective shifts to see a pair of breasts with an arm compressing them. More importantly, there's a huge belly with a hand rubbing on top.

'What the fuck?! But, if I'm in there, then this has to be some sort of dream, right?'

Daniel can't be sure since he can feel the sand and wind winding past him. Further, he could never stay in a dream after becoming aware of it.

The artist can only assume this is some strange side effect of being in Anne's makeshift womb. Although he's unsure about the meaning behind an empty land and lake, perhaps it means something to Anne.

"Mary, you're quite beautiful too! Although Daniel said it was a conflict of interest, I still find it hard that you split just because of that!"

Daniel's ears perk, returning his attention to the image within the water. He sees Anne refocusing on Mary by the canvas, who smiles bitterly while running a brush to capture the slime girl's pose.

"I appreciate that, but it's really that simple. It didn't work out because we wanted too much validation of each other's work. Honestly, the issue was that we were still early in our careers and we needed more time to grow confident in our craft."

"...and now?"

Mary looks up from the canvas and raises an eyebrow. "Now?"

Anne hesitates but clarifies. "What would stop you from getting back together? Aren't you both established now?"

Mary furrows her eyebrows. "I..."

She holds herself back and snorts while shaking her head. "Love, too much time has passed, and we moved on. Besides, asking that hypothetical question is pointless when he's 'literally' taken by you. "

"But you...still care for him, don't you?"

The female artist sighs. "How could I not? Daniel is still my friend, and it's not like I can forget all the fun we had together."

Opening her eyes and working a few strokes, she continues with a smile. "Besides, it's important for fellow artists to look out for each other. We each have our strengths and weaknesses, so it helps to provide support once in a while."

There's some silence before Anne hums sadly.

"I...see. I'm sorry for being too nosy. I just...I'm still his mother in a way and I feel strongly that Amy would've been sad to see you break up if she knew the kind of person you are."

"It's perfectly fine, Anne. Like I said, he has you now."

Anne's view wiggles a little, but she otherwise remains silent.

Daniel would like to see Anne's expression at this point, but that doesn't seem possible, with her perspective being the only view available. Regardless, he's troubled by Mary's words and hesitation. Could it be there was a chance they could have gotten back together? How could he know?

The artist rubs his face, groaning, wishing he hadn't eavesdropped on their conversation.

Regardless, Anne shouldn't need to dig further into their former relationship. Everything Mary has said is essentially what he's told her, but now that he's heard directly from his ex, it's hard not to think about it.

Daniel shuts his eyes and shakes his head. "It doesn't matter now. I need to wake up and-"

"Daniel..."

The called artist opens his eyes and lifts his head at the whisper. At first, he thinks it's just Anne lovingly whispering to her belly.

"My child..."

But this voice sounds different, thanks to the overlapping pitches that belong to neither Mary nor Anne. Plus, the two girls in the water don't appear to react on the outside, so why would they call him?

Growing concerned, his eyes wander around again until he freezes, noticing a small reflecting figure in the distance of the lake. Although he can't make out any features, he assumes it might be a woman based on her voice. Oddly, she stands on the water's surface without sinking.

"H-hello?"

"You're finally here. Come to me, my sweet."

Her arm raises for him.

"Uhh..."

Not eager to comply, Daniel swallows and tries to step back, but something prevents him from exiting the lake. Staring down, he wishes he hadn't as several metallic hands have risen from the water to pin him down.

Perhaps Anne has trained his mind to tolerate strange phenomena, but even then, his heart is about to burst from his chest.

"Aha...ha...L-listen, I...I didn't sign up for a nightmare...huh?"

Lifting back his head, he sees the female gone from the waters. This only makes him feel worse as he thins his lips and sweats. He can still feel the damn metallic hands holding him down. Seeing how things are not going well for him, his breathing grows uneven. Shaking, he clasps his hands on his head and screams out.

"Wake up, damn it! I said, wake up!!"

Yet, with the sounds of wind and shore following, he's still not in the comfort of Anne or reality. The only tiny relief is that he feels the hands loosen and sink below. Free, he's about to book it, but before he can take the next breath, a silent arm stretches past his shoulder.

The artist freezes again, sweating buckets as the arm gently reaches over to caress his chest. Two soft mounds push past his neck as he comes within her hold.

Daniel doesn't dare look behind him, but he can tell about new features of this strange being: tall, composed of some liquid silver material, and busty.

"Don't be afraid."

That's impossible for Daniel right now.

The female's hand strokes his chest, and another hand travels below, reaching for his crotch from around his hips. He shakes as he feels the woman's fingers slowly rubbing out against the front of his member.

"She's had you for long enough."

He feels the woman's breath tingle his neck. Despite his alarm, this only adds to his lower reaction as he feels his cock rise in response to this woman's smooth touch.

"Oh!"

Anne's voice rings out from the lake. He wants to call out to her but finds his voice failing as the figure behind him wraps more of her fingers around his cock, pulling him closer. He can feel his back nearly sinking into this soft being that has captured him.

"Something wrong?" Mary asks.

"Hehe, it's just a kick from my naughty baby."

Chapter 28: Happy Birthday

Chapter Text

Squelch!

Daniel feels his legs enveloped by his silvery captor's gooey body.

Bubbles pour out of his mouth as he groans, his mind hazy. At some point, this dangerous silver-haired woman pulled him under. Fortunately, he can somehow breathe, but that hardly makes him feel better as he struggles to break free from her hold.

Just how long has it been?

The artist can't tell as his captor momentarily releases his cock that is part-ways submerged in her body. With her other hand on his chest, she absorbs more of him and lets her silver goo extend across his cock from the mass that envelops his legs.

He breathes in sharply, unable to resist as the reflective mass forms fingers that slide across his shaft.

"Ungh!"

Swish! Swish!

The goo quickens against his member, causing more bubbles to escape out of him as he groans. At this point, he loses any control left as he floats within her and around.

Thump thump!

Sinking in deeper to the water's depths, he starts hearing a heartbeat. He can't tell if it's his, but regardless, it forces him to calm down. He notices how warmer his captor is compared to the coolness of the lake that surrounds. It's a feeling that makes him want to curl up and sink deeper into her.

"That's it, Daniel. Let me take care of you as well."

Her voice rings so clearly in his head that he wonders if she's speaking telepathically to him.

Gritting teeth and trying hard to not lose himself to her comfort, he forces his voice out into the waters, "Wh-who?"

While his voice is dampened by the water, but his captor understands him well.

She hums, moving her hand from his chest to the top of his head, brushing along his hair. "Someone who loves you. Someone who should've been with you...instead of her."

Her strokes from her silver cover increases, causing the artist to grunt.

"It's very annoying."

"I don't...ungh...?"

"It's okay, Daniel. No need to think. I'll find a way to be with you for real. For now, I want you to enjoy me...enjoy us."

Daniel feels the pressure rising in his cock as the woman muses.

"It's strange. I get the feeling that the world has changed so much. There is so much I am missing too, but...I'll have it soon, I'm sure."

The artist doesn't have a clue what the woman is on about as he lets out on final grunt. He ejaculates, and as he does, his vision grows blurry. He sees everything darkening.

"It looks like our time is up, my child."

Her body envelops him more, blurring the lines between the depths of the lake and the sinking embrace of silver love.

...

..

.

"Daniel..."

Without knowing how much time had passed, a more familiar voice whispers into his ears as he feels a cool hand graze his chest; yet, its temperature is opposite to the actual comfort it brings. Humming to such care, the sweetly called artist slowly opens his eyes to Anne's serene smile and shimmering eyes.

Immediately, his breath is taken away as he stares at how her wavy locks flow effortlessly down her joyous contours — a blend of his paintings with hints of his star-loving mother within. It's only after blinks does he catch himself, yet still wondering if he's in a dream to have such a beauty laying in his bed.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," she coos, moving her hand from his chest to touch his cheek. The coolness helps add to his waking moment as he widens his eyes.

"Wait, you mean..."

Anne giggles. "I carried you in me, then let you out. Now you can't tell me that I'm not your 'Mama'!"

Holding his breath, Anne's luring of him into her squishy blue slime plays into his mind. Although he didn't intend to, he must've fallen asleep.

"So, did you sleep well, my baby?" she asks, grinning.

Daniel is at a loss for words. There's so much racing through his mind, particularly about the "dream" he had inside her; however, the fact that Anne just held him in like a baby...

Actually, that's wrong. No sane person would call his surprise containment any sort of womb.

"Well, surprisingly," Daniel answers, before clearing his throat. "I guess I've been reborn, huh?"

For the sake of his slime mother, he plays along with the idea, even though there's really nothing different. He's not so insensitive to the symbolic meaning, knowing how much she was looking forward to this moment.

However, Anne squints. "That's weird. Why would you feel like you're reborn?"

Like that, Daniel's face falls. He snorts softly with a bitter smile before his eyes close resignedly. "Well, thanks for making me feel stupid."

Anne chuckles and crawls on top of him to comfort. Taking it as payment, Daniel wraps his arms around her waist as he holds her. He can feel his limp cock squeezing between her thighs.

They kiss for a few moments before the slime mother lifts her hands to slide across both of her son's cheeks. "You've always been my baby, but I'm not saying holding you inside and carrying you didn't feel special! It's probably the closest I'll ever come to having you in me like Amy had. Please tell me, sweetie, do you...feel the same about it?"

Daniel relaxes against her hopeful gaze. Before answering, he leans forward to kiss her again while rubbing her hips. When he parts to take a one-sided breath, he squeezes her tightly against him. "Of course, mom. I hope you understand though, real or not, you're the best thing since coming to my life."

Anne hums, closing her eyes in delight. "Then I take it was overall comfy stay in Mama?"

"No doubt since I fell asleep too easily, but that said, I had a very strange dream."

"Hu hu...Did you dream of Mama?"

Daniel smiles weakly as he lowers his gaze. "Sort of. There was this...lake. I could hear you and Mary talking about our former relationship, then discovered I could see her in the water like I was watching through you. I think you were also posing for a painting by Mary?"

He stops there, not to overly complicate what he thinks he remembers, but when he returns to look at his slime mother, he sees her lips flattened and eyes glancing away.

Suspicious.

Breathing out slowly, he chuckles in disbelief. "Wait...no way. Did...that actually happen?"

Anne's eyes fall as she wriggles her lips in shame.

Daniel rubs her back, smiling more. "Hey, if you're worried about me being upset, it's okay!"

Anne closes her eyes and sighs before huffing. "Okay, yes, that's right! I only wanted to understand you and Mary's history more. Also, that painting was supposed to be a surprise! Are you sure you weren't half-asleep while we were talking?"

"Maybe, but...everything felt disconnected, yet somehow real. Around the lake was just a vast plain with a few mountains in the distance. I could feel the wind and the flow of water. It was like I was actually transported there. Hell, I couldn't even wake from it despite knowing thinking it was a dream! That never happened, assuming I even get to dream."

The slime girl widens her eyes, then hums, growing concerned. "That's...really strange. It doesn't sound bad either, or was it?"

"It was..."

Daniel pauses as his forehead furrows. "I'm not sure. This is where it gets fuzzy, but I think there was this...silver-haired woman? I'm not sure how it happened, but she caught me and after that, it's...all blank for me now."

Anne hesitates before sitting upright at the bedside. "Is...mama at fault?"

Daniel joins her while shaking her head. "I wouldn't fault you, but whatever I dreamed of, it might be related to you...well, I'm not so sure."

Silence reigns. He sees his slime mother becoming increasingly worried despite his reassurances. Sighing, he stands up and performs a much-needed stretch before patting his slime mother's head.

"Look, don't worry about it. I think next time you carry me, I'll be able to confirm better. Who knows, maybe that was just all me."

Flinching, Anne's eyes widen slowly, then looks up at her son. "Next...time?"

Seeing her son simply grin, an excitement overcomes her face like a child. She was initially worried this would be the last time, but since her son is okay with it, many new ideas begin to fill her head.

"Anyway, you may have kept me clean inside of you, mom, but I'm going to take a shower to clear my head-wah!"

Anne snaps out of her delight to grab his wrist before he can leave her. "Wait a minute! Aren't you forgetting something? Babies just 'born' need to be breastfed first!"

Daniel gulps as the slime mother cups her left breast, which is already leaking milk for him. Further, the sight of her adorably firm expression results in his cock rising. This, of course, doesn't go unnoticed by the slime girl.

She grins. "Hehe, I thought so."

Chapter 29: Baby's Hunger

Chapter Text

The sky thunders above.

Lecia doesn't flinch as her eyes scan through a marked copy of the Stonehenge book. It contains further annotations by fellow members who worked hard to decipher the unknown language.

She sighs, thinking of the amount of uncovered knowledge achieved after the ritual. It naturally motivated and re-energized their organization, but was it worth it?

'There's always risks. We knew that, but...were we too hasty?'

Putting down the book, she leans back in her chair and lets her eyes gravitate to the ceiling of her home. She lives in a modern home amongst many, and it's not because she can't afford a larger one; rather, it's important for her to keep a low profile and not draw attention.

Some days, that's not possible given press releases her company makes, but overall, not many people pay attention to a geological imaging business. Interest would follow the actual excavations that use their equipment.

That said, she and her secret group ironically might've unleashed something that would garner the most attention.

While nothing has happened yet, Rachel's discovery of a related sealing ritual adds credence to the idea that the ritual they performed is meant to release something.

While this requires further confirmation with other members, Lecia is confident in the intent. This puts her more in unease given what she and Mike have seen so far.

But then, why would a formation be documented to release something after sealing and what does it have to do with the stars?

"Nothing has happened and yet, I'm already getting this anxious when we still don't have enough details," Lecia groans, placing a hand across her eyes.

Sighing, she pulls out her phone and dials her secretary. She understands it's getting late; however, this can't wait anymore.

"Cindy? We're going to move the schedule up. I want to start testing the scanning prototype at the cemetery tomorrow."

...

"Yes, I know the ground will be wet and the initial enclosure isn't finished. They only need to try. Besides, it'll be easier to dig the holes and this should kickstart the fine-tuning process early as well. There's no need to wait."

...

"Thank you. Have a-"

...

"The artist? Honestly, just reschedule that meeting. I doubt I'll have time to stop by his studio to check on his work in person. I saw the photo though - it's nice."

...

"Yes, alright. Good night."

Hanging up, Lecia shakes her head silly. She knows she hired Rachel's referred artist to commemorate the personal success of the ritual, but looking back, it feels so premature and naive.

Just what kind of horror was released?

"Hehe, Daniel~ My baby..."

As she softly whispers to her son, Anne feels so much joy seeing him suckle and frequently burying his face into her soft bosom.

She has nursed him many times over the week. Honestly, there's nothing different about this situation, even after giving "birth" to him.

It doesn't have to be.

The moment she assimilated Amy's corpse, she inherited her will and love for her son, whom she raised with all her heart.

Anne feels she is only continuing the trend, wanting to be there for him...providing for him in every way she can.

However, her figurative heart wasn't entirely pure. She was jealous and couldn't help but compare herself to Daniel's prior mother.

After all, Amy got to raise Daniel from natural birth.

Those jealous feelings have been completely erased though. Not only has Daniel been firm about wanting her and not Amy, but she now has the advantage of becoming one with him many times over. It would only improve as she learns more about her body and adapts.

Turning her head, she sees Daniel's cock has risen. Of course, she gave him a nice handjob ten minutes ago.

"Baby, do you want mama to stroke you some more?"

Daniel unlatches, taking a deep breath.

'God, I love her.'

He clears his throat. "Actually, let's continue in the shower."

Anne's eyes close happily. "Yes!"

They get up and head towards the bathroom while holding hands. As they do, tiny droplets of milk drip down onto the carpet from the slime. Seeing this, Daniel feels his cock pulsing with excitement.

He tries to stay calm, but upon reaching the shower, he leans forward into his slime mother and latches back onto her breast without another word.

The slime girl giggles again.

"Still thirsty? Mama will grow taller so you can drink easily."

She stretches smoothly. In response, Daniel feels his cock, pressing against her skin, pull up. He unlatches for a moment to gaze up at her, now a head higher than average.

"Huh. You can grow taller though, right?"

"Hu hu, of course! However, this is a perfect size for you."

She then lifts a leg across his waist without warning. Daniel has to quickly adjust to hold onto her as she leans forward, her nipple pressing right back into his mouth. He grunts but doesn't complain about the sudden position.

"Mama knows that her baby is still a man. Can't be holding you all the time, can I?"

Daniel groans lightly in response, slurping and licking around her nipple as milk spills into his mouth. He takes up his role gladly, sliding his hand across her other leg and lifting her up across his waistline.

With his cock eager to plunge into her, Anne reaches down with one arm and positions his cock neatly, then, like a see-saw, she lowers her hips down onto his member.

Splish! Splish!

Initially, Daniel can support her movements, gripping her ass tightly while burying his face deeper into her breast.

"Ah~ We haven't even turned on the shower yet!"

Across from him, Anne stretches her arm out to grab the shower knob behind him, then turns it on.

In no time, steam rises as the water crashes onto the tiles below and slips between them.

With water ready to wash their lewd motions, she begins bouncing on his cock while keeping his upper body closer to her chest. Her elastic nature enables such rigorous movement in what would otherwise be a demanding position to maintain.

Splack! Splack!

He presses his face into her chest for as long as possible until he has to breathe. When he does, breathing out, milk sprays across his face thanks to her bouncing.

"Easy baby! Mama's milk is precious! You wouldn't want to waste it, now would you?"

Smack! Smack!

Daniel can't hardly reply to her snark as her bounces grow more pronounced. At this point, his arms are barely doing any work as her legs wrap tightly around him, now taking the lead in her swinging.

SMACK! ... SMACK!

"Oh god! S-slow down, mom!"

Anne does so, then pulls his head back to her chest. She kisses his forehead as he emits a muffled groan. Milk leaks from his lips, mixing in with the water surrounding them.

"My sweet, sweet baby."

This goes on for a while until Daniel reaches his limit. With his belly full of milk, he latches off and then presses Anne against the closest wall.

The slime girl stops bouncing and hugs him tightly, closing her eyes as her son groans aloud.

"Oh fuck..."

Splurt...splurt...splurt...

Once more, her son fills her with his milk. She sighs, feeling it adding to her daily nutrition.

"It's a lot this time..." she whispers, humming suggestively.

Daniel pants, his forehead resting against her chest. "Give me credit...for holding back...this much."

Anne kisses his head once again and rubs his back. "Of course, baby. You did well."

Thunder rumbles around them, a reminder that the dark skies still haven't let up.

Anne hums, feeling strange about it, but can't pinpoint why. Regardless, she doesn't ponder too much and slides off her son. Then taking a bar of soap off to the side, she raises it.

"Shall mama scrub your back again?"

After the shower, Daniel left to check his emails. While most of the day is gone, thanks to Anne, he's not too upset. However, he has to ensure some client emails are responded to.

Meanwhile, Anne is in the kitchen preparing dinner. With her mood higher than it's ever been, she can't help but sing to herself as she cuts some onions. The sounds of the rain clattering against the windows actually soothe her.

This is strange though, because Amy never liked the rain. Of course, her reasoning is that it would hinder the sky's visibility during observations. Despite feeling some annoyance through her, the slime feels like she can shrug it off.

'Well...maybe it's because I'm a slime? I mean, I am somewhat water-based...right?'

She pauses, then her eyes squint as she tilts her head.

'Actually, I shouldn't really assume that. What am I made of exactly?'

Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind. Anne has been waiting to hear something or have another vision, but the latest disturbance only affected her son, proclaiming a world inside her. She's still determining how much to believe.

Her thoughts are cut short when she hears a buzzing. Looking at the table, she sees that her son has left his phone behind.

Perhaps thinking it could be from Mary, she pauses her cutting and looks at it. Her eyes widen.

'Caller ID: Rachel'

"Oh! Um..."

It would be better to hand the phone to her son, but she has an urge to answer it instead.

'N-no, she's only calling Daniel! It has nothing to do with me...but it's also Rachel...and...well, Daniel is busy right now, so maybe...'

Unable to resist the urge, she shuts her eyes tightly and decides to pick it up.

"H-hello?"

...

"No, you got the right number! Um...Daniel is busy right now. I'm his...girlfriend."

...

"Yep, that's right — his girlfriend! I'll let him know to call you back. I don't think it'll be long."

...

"Oh, me? I um...we've been together for a few months."

...

"Ahaha...well, don't be so harsh with him for not telling you about me. It's fine!"

...

"O-oh...I...sound like his mother? I um, should I take it as a compliment?"

...

"You try not to bother him? Why?"

...!

"That's not true! Um...I might not be the best person to say this, but you and him were there for his mother, right? I think supporting each other with such a mutual loss is natural while still moving forward. That might just be my naive thinking though."

...

"Hehe, no problem! This might seem a bit on the nose, but even the brightest stars fade and leave some form of remnant behind. To me, that's our memories of them and the people who connect us to them."

...

"Rachel? Hello? Hello?"

Anne pulls away the phone and sees it suddenly disconnected. It's possible there may be interference from the rain. Plus, she could've sworn she heard something like a splash before the line was cut.

Sighing, her lips then wriggle with both delight and shame. Daniel could always call her again later, but hearing Rachel's voice again has ignited feelings within her.

'This isn't good. I really want to reconnect with her now, but...no! It's too risky. I'm not completely the same person as Amy. I need to remain aware of that.'

With that in mind, Anne goes back to preparing the meal. She forces herself to be satisfied to hear the astronomer friend again.

However, several miles away towards the other side of the phone call, Rachel stares into the distance, frozen with bewildered eyes. She had dropped her umbrella during the call. Even so, not even the droplets could shake her from shock.

It had to be a coincidence.

Yet, the girlfriend's words spoken to her amplified the strangeness in her stomach over hearing a voice similar to her dead friend.

The final nail in the coffin was the girlfriends quote which rang eerily similar to her friend's final words: "Rachel, please be there for my son if he needs it...and don't remain sad for me. Even the brightest stars fade and leave some form of remnant behind. Daniel is my remnant and I know he'll grow brighter than anyone."

Rachel's face tightens as her eyes narrow with pain. Pulling the phone slowly down from her ear and lets out a heavy breath, water dripping from her eyes and mixing with the rain.

She looks up to the dark skies. "Oh Amy..."

Chapter 30: Mary-ly Transformation

Chapter Text

"Wow..."

It's morning and with coffee in hand, Daniel takes a sip as he stares at Mary's underpainting which presents a more realistically pregnant Anne.

He never had time to fully appreciate his fellow artist's drawing last night with more emails from clients than expected, but he can now see special care given to capturing his slime mother.

"Don't we look nice together?" Anne asks as she pops behind him, smiling sweetly as ever.

"Er, that's one way to put it, but yes, it's really well drawn. I know Mary doesn't usually do these kinds of paintings, but it's clear she hasn't lost any touch. How long did it take her to complete this?"

"Around three hours, I think. It felt shorter though because we were talking so much!"

"And the smaller belly?"

The slime girl hums expectantly. "Yes, I asked Mary to draw me correctly since it would otherwise look ridiculous."

Daniel raises his eyebrows, surprised. "Why?"

She huffs at his disbelief over her common sense. "Mama's aware having a belly filled with an adult is unnatural! At the very least, I wanted something that represented my relationship with you..."

With that, she hugs him from behind and rubs her head against his back with a giggle. "That is, Daniel will always be mama's baby!"

The artist blushes but accepts the role as he places his free hand around hers. However, after feeling her breasts pushing against his back, he cannot help but escalate this small embrace.

He places his coffee on the stool near the easel and unravels his mother's hold. Before she can question, he turns around to kiss her.

Anne lets loose a muffled grunt before melting in delight. Wet noises fill the room before a trail of saliva falls between them as they break apart.

"Daniel~" the slime mother sings with joy.

Daniel takes a deep breath and tries not to go totally hard in his pants. He smiles back at her. "I'm not going to let you spoil me so one-sidedly, mom."

Unexpectedly, Anne's eyes twinkle in response. "Agreed! Mama deserves to be spoiled too! So on that note, are we doing anything fun?"

Daniel snorts and drops his head resignedly at how she manages to twist the topic.

"Well, Mary did text me last night and wanted to see if you'd like to visit her studio."

"Oh! I'd love that! We were talking about that yesterday, but I wasn't sure of your plans."

"Then, I'll let her know and drop you off. I know she's been dying to see your transformation ability."

"Huh, only me? What about you?"

"I'm going shopping to find a bigger bed for us. It's long overdue and I think I've found something that might fit my room with some rearrangements."

Anne sulks. "Do we really need one, though? Mama can be your new bed!"

"Yes, we do. Let's not even talk about me sticking to you. Having more room to shuffle is a must."

Even though she's aware, the slime feigns a sigh. "And here mama was willing to give you so many birthdays..."

"That shtick is going to grow old, mom."

Anne pouts. "Fine, get your boring bed. Is that all?"

"I'll be looking for a phone for you as well."

Anne lets in a sharp breath, much more excited about that prospect.

"You'll be getting mama a Blackberry?!"

The assumption catches Daniel off guard and suppresses him from spitting out. Although it appeared Anne had caught up on most stuff since Amy's last memories and knowledge, she still needed to catch up on the unfortunate fate of the phone.

"Mom, how to say this...that phone is dead."

"Huh? No, it's not! Mama knows it was declining in popularity when Amy was in the hospital, but surely they-"

Daniel shakes his head, stopping her right there. "No, the company doesn't make phones anymore. Gone is the era of small keyboards."

Some light fades in Anne's eyes as she shakes. "H-how will mama adapt then?"

Her concern is amusing yet baffling, considering he hasn't seen anyone as terrifyingly adaptable as she is.

"I think you'll do fine."

Anne droops. "Oh, alright. If it can't be helped."

Speaking of a phone, she remembers her call with Rachel. Her eyes shuffle away a bit.

"By the way, did you call back Rachel?

"Ah, yes...I did. She arrived into the city yesterday. At some point, she's going to visit. Did you...say anything strange?"

"Strange? I don't think so? I just introduced myself as your girlfriend."

Daniel flattens his lips and hums. He recalls her words to him later on during the night:

Send my apologies to your girlfriend for breaking up so suddenly. I...tripped a little on my way back home. In any case, I'm glad you found someone. She reminds me a lot of your mother, although I'm sure that's just me.

Daniel still sweats when he thinks about it. Rachel would know Amy better than he does in many ways. For that reason, he was hesitant on introducing her to Anne, but the cat's out of the bag, it seems.

Swallowing for a bit, he smiles nervously. "Just remember, you need to be more careful around her. You might know her well, but you can't act like it, understand?"

Anne huffs, curling her arms together resolutely. "I...I understand. I've already exposed myself to Mary, but it won't happen with her, I promise!"

Daniel smiles bitterly. He should trust his slime mother more, but the small pain in her voice makes him worried.

"Anne-love, welcome! I see you've lost your baby bump!"

At Mary's front entrance to her workshop, Daniel coughs as his ex smirks at him before she focusing her attention on the slime girl.

"Mary!" Anne wails, her eyes downcast. "It's so sad, isn't it? Aside from that, I'm so excited to see your place!"

Mary closes her eyes happily. "Of course! Now come in, both of you."

The slime girl beams as they enter the leased building. Unlike Daniel, who has combined his living space and work area, Mary opts to keep her work area separate from where she lives. While it's more expensive, she feels it essential that anyone can drop in and check out her gallery, even if they aren't interested in buying or commissioning from her.

This is the case as they enter her lobby, a physical showing of her portfolio. Daniel notices many new artworks and familiar ones she was working on before they split.

Speaking of...

"By the way Mary, your underpainting of Anne is beautiful. I owe you something since you gave your time to start it."

Mary shakes her hands quickly. "N-no, you don't have to owe me anything, love. I did it for her. Besides, I never did a portrait of a pregnant woman, so it was a good experience...although I know hers is not what you'd call natural."

That's an understatement.

Nonetheless, Daniel smiles appreciatively and wants to pay her back somehow. It's not just in the painting, but Mary has greatly supported him and Anne in such a short time.

His mind drifts back to her and Anne's conversation about him when he was in the dream world. Although it was only a tiny part of their talk, he can remember her complex expression when talking about their relationship. It's causing him to feel a little awkward.

He shakes his head. 'Just focus on the present, idiot. She's clearly happy where she is now and the same goes for me.'

"Would you two like some tea?" Mary asks.

Clearing his throat, Daniel stops moving further in. "Actually, Mary, I can't stay. I've got to start some errands of my own."

"Ah, yes. You mentioned that. Well, whenever you're done, call me. I'll probably take Anne out for lunch, so we might be gone depending on when you're done."

Daniel nods and is about to take his leave before Mary stops him. "Wait, one more thing."

Turning towards the slime mother, she smiles. "Anne, you can go further in and take a look. I'll be right with you!"

"Okay!"

While Anne walks in further, Mary leans closer to her ex with an uneasy stare.

"Love, I know we already discussed this, but I have to ask again: Are you okay?"

Daniel raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's all good. I know that seeing Anne in that state with me was a shocker...and I'm sorry for that."

"I'm just glad that you were able to breathe well inside of her. I...do want to ask something though."

"Hm?"

"Er, how did it feel? H-honestly speaking! I'm not teasing you this time, I swear!"

The male artist blinks before rubbing his neck, a little self-conscious. "Well, um...cozy. Anne can make parts of herself as soft or firm as she wants, so she was able to easily adjust to make it feel comfortable."

"Huh...interesting. Is there anything else?"

Daniel hesitates, unsure whether to tell her about the strange dream.

"No, that's all."

He decides that, until he's sure, he wouldn't make his ex worry unnecessarily. Clearing his throat to move on, he backs away.

"Don't go crazy with Anne, okay?"

Mary giggles. "No promises, love. Thanks for lending her to me."

Daniel snorts and looks down. "No, thank you for being a friend to her."

"I...no problem, love."

Mary waves back awkwardly as her ex leaves. She can't help but taste a trace of bitterness in her mouth before slowly breathing out and joining Anne.

The slime girl is examining a few easels holding some in-progress paintings. They're all abstract in some sense.

"Wow Mary! I'm curious, do you have any portraits like Daniel does?"

The artist tilts her head. "A few in a traditional sense, but nowadays, if anyone asks for a simple painting that you could just have a photo of, I'd just refer them to your son."

"Yes, I remember - you give him anything that you feel is boring!"

Mary snickers. "That's right!"

The two girls start chatting, continuing their conversation from yesterday. Although Anne avoids prodding over Mary and Daniel's former relationship any further, they talk about family, why Mary came to the United States, and exciting events the artist had with clients, dates, or anyone for that matter.

When the electric kettle beeps in the background and makes hissing noises, Mary stands up to prepare some tea for them. Even though she's aware the slime can't taste, she insists on making one for her.

"So your uncle inspired you to be an artist?" Anne asks by a small table as she waits for her cup.

"Well, he was a factor..."

Mary pauses as she looks into the mini fridge, then sees no more creamer.

"Drat. Out of heavy cream."

"Oh, let me help!"

"How can you-ah? That's right!"

Mary learned of Anne's odd ability only yesterday after recalling the slime girl's "bleeding". Curious about how she did it, Anne had little choice but to reveal details while Mary drew her.

Although the female artist was peeved that Daniel didn't disclose the ability from the get-go, she promised Anne not to bring it up with him. This is mainly out of Anne's fear that Daniel would withdraw from their intimate nursing routine out of embarrassment.

Anne giggles as she ejects a milk shot from the tip of her finger. "Actually, Daniel drank quite a lot from me yesterday. I was so happy!"

Mary gulps, smiling crookedly. "That's...quite hot, I'd imagine."

"The tea? Do you want me to add more?"

"That's not what I...nevermind."

Mary takes a sip, finding it doesn't taste any different. "So, you can replicate anything?"

"No, only of those that feel impactful. So color because I wanted to look human and milk because I wanted to nurse Daniel."

"Does that mean you can get pregnant after carrying him? I would figure that must've been impactful on you."

Anne flinches, nearly dropping her cup. "Er, that's..."

Mary remains silent, but after seeing the slime's face grow stiffer and suddenly panic at the idea, she hurriedly speaks up to reassure her.

"A-actually love! Th-that would be quite difficult, wouldn't it? I mean, only a human can birth a human!"

Anne giggles nervously. "R-right, right! Also, I must really want it. Carrying Daniel was just something I wanted to do for him, but having another child never crossed my mind!"

The main reason Anne is terrified by the proposition is thanks to the influence of Amy. That being, raising a child is hard. Sure, she might have experience thanks to Amy's memories of raising Daniel, but she also worries how he might feel and the consequences.

Would he abandon her just like his father did to Amy?

Anne shuts her eyes and shakes her head, deciding to quickly change the subject. "W-what were you going to say about your uncle?"

Mary hums as they move back to the table. "Right, my uncle, Marlin is...interesting. When I was young, he showed me all these various inscriptions on the wall and cool occult-like drawings. It was only later my parents forbid me from interacting with him, but seeing his strange hobby pushed me to want to draw peculiar things and concepts."

"Huh. So do you think magic is real?"

"No, but...well, you're existence is changing a lot on what I think."

"Yeah, I'm still wondering how I work or where I came from."

"Well, give it time, I suppose."

"Daniel said the same thing..."

Anne takes a sip of her tea, the liquid evaporating as soon as it hits her molecules. No taste, of course. Hiding her bitter disappointment, she fakes a cough before continuing. "So, you still haven't told me who you want me to transform into."

Mary rubs her head. "Well, I haven't thought of it that much. Daniel told me to avoid anything that would be a drastic change. Honestly, I just wanted to see what you could do in general, then come up with something interesting. Well, I suppose for starters you could just change into me?

"Really? That should be easy!"

Although the artist hadn't meant for her to transform immediately, she holds her breath as Anne's skin tone turns darker before her eyes. Her wavy hair straightens while becoming shorter, and her facial features adjust to perfectly match the stunned artist.

"Love, that's...incredible."

Both girls stand up and move closer to each other.

Anne giggles rather eerily. "It is, isn't it?"

"Y-you're even matching my voice!"

"Of course, love. I am you...and ready to replace you."

"R-replace?"

Mary shivers. Even though she recognizes that Anne is simply messing with her, she can't help consider the idea that the slime could really replace her. With her rate of learning, she'd be able to produce paintings with ease and nobody would be able to tell the difference. Further, she could also be with Daniel, coexisting with him better than she could.

She can be so many things.

'Shit, why am I suddenly thinking these insecure thoughts now?! Get a fucking grip!'

Anne relaxes, then returns to her normal voice with a titter. "Sorry, I couldn't resist! How do I look?"

Mary swallows, still feeling an unease in her stomach despite the slime's good intentions. Not wanting to let it drag her down, she tries to bury it swiftly and clears her throat.

"Accurate, but I never thought it would feel so...creepy!"

"Hehe, sorry! I'm only doing as you requested though!"

Mary takes some more time to calm her heart before moving around and examining her apparent twin. "I'm even more impressed how fast it took for you to change."

"Well, it helps that we spent a lot of time together. I can't just change into anyone off the bat. I have to study them and burn their appearance into my mind with enough clarity."

"Interesting."

The female artist's gaze lowers a bit. With Anne like this, an inevitable question comes to mind.

 "Has...Daniel asked you to transform into me?"

"Actually, this is the first time!"

Mary gapes. "You mean, he's not even interested?"

Anne cocks her head. "Should...he?"

...

"Ahem, ignoring that jerk, this is perfect! Since I have my very twin, let's take start with a photo of us together. We can turn it up with more shots afterwards!"

 

"Ooh, yes! Um...but, 'turn it up'?"

Chapter 31: Mary-Anne

Chapter Text

Thanks to her push to move up the schedule for the scanning prototype, Lecia is back at the cemetery fidgeting as she stands behind the operator and his laptop. Beside her are the rest of the engineering team, who just finished digging eight-inch holes around the cemetery's perimeter. Each hole contains a thin metal tube with intricate devices and wires leading to a controller the operator is hooked to.

It's been about two hours since they started, and some initial images are already flowing in.

For the team who isn't associated with the Stonehenge group, they just wanted to see the results of their efforts which would help future excavations. Of course, Lecia was also hopeful for the future of the product, but above all, she wanted to see anomalies; anything that might explain why the creature she and Mike followed disappeared at this place.

Sure enough, the engineering team explodes with cheers and clapping as the images load to show x-rays of bones and corpses appearing neatly in rows, proving that their scanning technology can cut through dirt, rock, and wood over a wide area. While the president shares their glee, she's too focused to cheer with them. Her pupils remain on the operator's screen, shifting back and forth between the various plots, wondering if anything might show something different.

And then...

"Wait, zoom in on this location!" she directs, pointing to an area on the screen.

The operator follows; an outline of the casket shows close to the perimeter but with nothing inside it.

"That's probably a metal casket that would block our instruments' waves. There are a few of them I noticed," the operator notes.

"Yes, but we can clearly see the inner space of the casket, right?"

The operator blinks. "Huh."

"Do a re-scan on this section, just in case," Lecia orders, although that's just an excuse as she heads over to the grave to check. Given the consistency of the scan and how all the other bodies can be seen so far, she doubts there's something wrong with the data. Even if a grave is empty, it still may not mean anything. For example, a family could have buried an empty casket as part of a proceeding when a body is missing.

But with much time waiting, there's also no harm in checking it out.

With the gravestone's letters coming into view, Lecia's eyes widen.

Amy Hart.

'That name...wait!'

Recalling the commissioned artist's last name, she wonders if it might be a coincidence. Although Rachel hasn't mentioned the name of her deceased friend's name, she decides to call the astronomer to confirm.

Flash!

"This is a wonderful setup, Mary!" Anne chirps as their connected hands push back against each other.

Referring to the small staging area surrounding them, Mary's small photo area has the basics with lamps, a clean backdrop, and a decent camera that can be triggered remotely.

The artist tilts her chin proudly. "You see why having a dedicated space for work is better?"

"Yes, but...isn't this a bit much if you're an artist?"

"Well, there's a reason for that, love," Mary begins, coughing shamefully. "You see, I actually tried to get into photography."

"Oh, tried? You don't do it anymore?"

Mary sighs. "Sadly, I foolishly invested into it thinking it would be easy; however, I ended up spending less time painting and more time performing digital editing, color corrections, and...well, let's just say I just didn't enjoy it that much. So now, while it's overkill, I mainly use my setup to capture references and play with ideas."

Anne hums. "Well, it's good to try new things! I know a lot about the universe through Amy, but I can't get a job in an observatory that easily. So being able to get into painting has been a fresh experience!"

"I remember Daniel talking a lot about his mother - he's very proud of her work. If you could get a job, re-assuming Amy's dream, would you?"

"Nope!"

Mary blinks. "Really? I would have thought-"

"Don't misunderstand, I love catching up on the latest findings, but Amy was very frustrated with the bureaucracy of it all. Plus, she regretted not being able to understand Daniel's passion until very late. As such, I want to help him with his work without regret!"

Mary's eyes warm. "I swear, love, you're too good for him. Still, don't feel like you need to help him all the time. It's okay to find new stuff that interests you, even if it doesn't interest your son."

"Hehe, I know! For now, I'm you and we're both artists! So, are we going to start painting?"

"No, no...that will be done on my own time. Besides, I want to spend time with you! The fact that Daniel gets to hog you is unfair!"

"Well, I am his mother."

"Well, as of right now, you're the sister I never had."

"Aw, Mary!"

The artist chuckles as she receives Anne's hug and bumps heads with her. Not wanting to waste too much time, she composes herself. "So, with that being said, let's take weirder photos!"

"Oh?"

"I was thinking, since we're twins, it'd be fun to pose as conjoined twins!"

"You mean like...my head on your shoulder?"

Mary nods, holding herself to avoid swaying out of embarrassment from her stupid idea. "Y-yes, or we could have our heads partially stuck together? Well, that would be an awful pose to hold. Anyways, what do you think?"

"Conjoined..." Anne repeats, then inhales. "Wait! I like it, but we can go further!"

"W-what?"

The slime giggles, placing a hand on her chest. "As you know, I know that I can make spaces within myself. That's how I was able to carry Daniel, after all. But I wonder if I can hollow myself out even more...like a suit!"

Mary silently gasps, seeing where her twin is going with this. A pleasant shiver travels down her spine at the thought of "wearing" Anne. However, she quickly tempers herself.

"L-love, that won't be necessary. I don't want to stress you out. You could just keep close behind me with your head on my shoulder."

"No, this is way better! Besides, I don't think I'll have any trouble making spaces inside me."

Mary gulps. "Y-yes, but...I'm going to draw us later anyways! E-even if it's an accurate reference, it would be a waste!"

"It's not a waste!" Anne assures, leaning forward to collapse their hands together. "It could be fun experience! Didn't you say we're sisters? Sisters should be closer!"

Mary shuts her eyes tightly while gripping back the slime's hands. She's extremely tempted, especially after seeing Anne carry her ex. That said, it's not something she could blatantly ask for.

"Please, Mary?"

At least, Anne is the one offering.

Mary hides her giddiness through a cough. "Well...if you insist."

"Yay! Let's see if I can do this."

Letting the artist go, Anne focuses on creating a space within as she had done before but allows that chamber to grow out. The goal is not to bloat but to compress her inner mass evenly against her outer layer so she can retain her shape. While the nature of her composition remains a mystery, even the slime expects to hit some physical limit to how far her body can stretch and compress. With such a chance to explore her limits, she slowly expands the space and visualizes her mass thinning to an inner layer.

One foot...

Six inches...

One inch?

One Centi-

'S-seriously?!'

The Amy in her screams at this blasphemy. To create such a dense layer with ease seems impossible without stretching out! Even a sponge cannot endlessly compress without growing outward!

Where is the law of conservation of mass?!

Without answers, Anne huffs in frustration, compressing her mass into a four-millimeter lining. She doesn't try any further out of fear. Fortunately, she feels comforted by a sense of resistance moving past one centimeter, meaning her body can't compress endlessly.

Still, it's baffling to become this thin.

"Love, are you okay? Is it not possible?"

Anne realizes she's shaking and closes her eyes, breathing out. "Mary, I'm...very strange, but anyways, I somehow did it!"

The artist raises a brow. "But you don't look any different?"

Anne grins. "Heh heh, I'll have to show you! This damn body of mine is ludicrous!"

"You sound like a mad scientist."

Despite Mary's unease, she can't deny a curiosity towards seeing her friend's changes and naked form...well, technically her naked form. Soon enough, fabric rustles to the ground until Anne is nude, her backside showing to the artist and her skin nicely shining from the lamps around.

Mary thins her lips. "Anne, you've made me...quite lean."

"Well, I don't know your body type, but I'll know it soon enough when you hop in. "

Just as Mary is about to question...

Splick!

Like a zipper, Anne's skin starts splitting from the shoulder down to her tailbone. Aside from residue slime that hasn't decided which side to let go of, the opening mainly reveals a dark, bluish space.

It's just as the slime mother claimed; she's hollowed out.

While the artist processes this sight, she reminds herself constantly about Anne's true nature to keep herself sane about this situation.

"Well, Mary? Let's become one!"

The artist gasps, shaken out of her stupor, before waving her hands. "W-wait! L-let me mentally prepare or something."

The slime giggles. "It's not scary! You should change out of your clothes first."

Mary wriggles with an increasingly crooked smile. She's primarily concerned for her well-being, but...there's something else. After all, She's about to be inside Anne: arm in arm, hand in hand, legs filling the slime's own. They'd be closer beyond any intimate experience she's done before!

'Aaah! Don't think about it! Stay calm!'

Despite her reminder, the artist can't prevent an anticipating twitch within as she takes off her clothes.

Anne snickers, seeing her face flushed and guilty pleasure written all over her friend's face. "Oh, Mary! I'm glad you're taking this so well. Daniel would be so much more reluctant than you!"

'I think he's right to be...'

Nonetheless, Mary takes it as a compliment.

Soon, with her clothes on the floor, the artist shivers and steps closer to Anne's back opening. She tests the waters first by pushing in her hand and feeling inside.

To her surprise, it's not gooey but firm like a gel pad. It's plenty cool as well.

"Don't worry about it getting warm. I'll absorb any sweat you make!" Anne reassures with a twinkle.

"Uh, that's...something to be proud of, I guess."

Feeling nothing that puts her off as a liberating artist, Mary takes a breather and plunges her left arm into the same component.

"Ooh!" Anne sounds. "I can't feel you, but I tell that my body is getting heavier! Here, let me help you!"

Her body splits further before a tentacle shoots out from within, sending Mary's mind into a panic.

"H-holy fuck! S-stop! D-don't...Ah!"

Contrary to the naked artist's expectations, the appendage gently laces over her back and uses her as leverage to pull more slime over her. With it, the splits along Anne's legs open up and wrap neatly over the artist while pulling everything except the other arm.

The tentacle recedes back, and Anne jiggles around her, eagerness overflowing.

"You're nearly in now! Just put your other arm in so I can close up!"

Mary feels the exit for her legs and feet is already gone, so there's no path left but to continue. Still, she needs a moment after that surprise.

"F-fuck! D-don't just pop a tentacle out like that, love!"

Anne curls her lips. "Ah...sorry, I got too impatient!"

The artist huffs, allowing her heart to calm before sliding her other arm and the rest of her torso. Now completely fitted beside her head, Anne's back lining closes around Mary, sealing her within.

Requiring some adjustments, the inner gel wiggles around Mary, helping to get her fingers into the correct matching spots.

Mary stifles a grunt in response, feeling Anne's compressed mass jiggle around and shift against her nether regions. To much shame, she can't stop herself from growing a little wet over the slime's movements.

"Ugh...A-anne, d-don't move around so much!"

"Sorry, just adapting to fit you snug...and there!"

Mary feels the slime mother pull up her neck, diminishing in grade so that her skin blends nicely. However, there's one problem...

"Erk, my neck!"

Unfortunately, Mary cannot fully appreciate their combined form as she has to share the same shoulder space with Anne. As it stands, her head is pushed sideways.

"Oh no, Mary! I was trying to keep us symmetrical, but it looks like I have to expand our shoulder. Sadly, this means you'll have to abandon my left arm."

"I-it's fine, just do it! Urgh..."

Anne slowly expands the torso, causing Mary's arm to slip out. It then sinks back into the main body and becomes clipped to her real side. While no longer even, Mary breathes out with relief as her neck straightens. Although she's still touching heads with Anne, she can finally look down to appreciate their combined form.

"H-holy shit..."

From the neck down, Anne blends in perfectly with Mary, making it unapparent for anyone to tell that the slime girl is just wrapped around the artist. They look like conjoined twins that might only exist in a million.

"How does it feel, Mary? Comfy?"

"It's...unreal. We're really joined together, aren't we?"

Anne giggles. "Of course! Now we're conjoined twins! Try moving!"

Mary hesitates before taking a step forward. Surprisingly, she can carry the slime's added weight as she walks and moves her right arm.

"Good! Now let's see if I can move as well!"

Mary halts, and not because she wants to. Her eyes widen, struggling a little as Anne turns in a different direction and takes a few steps away from the photo area.

After that test, the artist exhales while relaxing. "So you have final say over our movements, huh?"

Anne hums. "It seems so. When you were walking, I tried not to resist and that seems to be key. Was it difficult to move?"

"Not really. It's strange - you were light before and then you suddenly became heavy and stiff."

"Hehe, we're learning so much about me, Mary!"

'Myself as well,' Mary adds silently with a blush, finding it particularly soothing how Anne is wrapped around. At the same time, the idea of Anne being able to control her movements at any time, altogether leaving her defenseless, causes her heart to thump and her groin to twitch.

"Mary, is something wrong?" Anne asks, noticing her shivers.

The artist quickly straightens. "N-no, not at all, love! A-anyways, we should wear one of our clothes."

Anne frowns, looking at the fallen clothes. "Except, we don't have anything to wear since our shoulders are wider now."

"Ah..."

Mary knows she has shoulder-less dresses to wear back in her apartment but understands the issue is that they would have to leave the studio, undoing their current state.

Not wanting to waste time, she waves her right hand dismissively. "We'll just take a nude photo and I'll draw in some clothes for the painting when the time comes."

"Okay!"

Anne takes back control and moves back to the stage. While Mary gets slowly used to Anne's cover, they discuss dynamics that would be interesting to capture.

Later, a tingling sensation runs through Anne' while walking around and measuring each other's flexibility.

The slime girl doesn't think much of it, assuming it's the usual dull feedback she gets when shifting her mass; however...something is changing.

Chapter 32: Marianne

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Mary and Anne take a few shots in their new form as they play around with different poses and emotions ranging from annoyance to sisterly love. After a half-hour of directing, Mary comes up with the next concept to fully utilize Anne's flexibility.

"Struggling to split apart?" the slime questions, cocking her head.

Mary tries to restrain her giddiness, but her eyes can't hide the creative high she is on. With a raised finger, she explains.

"This is a perfect opportunity to portray internal conflict! Let's visualize that by trying to split apart in separate directions!"

Anne opens her mouth, somehow understanding the idea. "Oh! So we'll stretch, but won't truly be able to escape from each other?"

"Exactly! I think honestly, that might be the base for an cool painting! It could represent a person's inner struggles with themselves or two people trying to break away in a relationship!"

Anne's eyes sparkle similarly. With that agreement, they get into position. The slime makes sure to loosen her grip on the artist. It can't be a symmetrical split since that would harm Mary's legs, so Anne consigns only to pull away from the hips.

"Ready?" Mary starts. "One...two...three!"

"Urgh!"

Anne and Mary pull in a sideways manner. Shutting her eyes tightly, Mary presses the camera trigger a few times as she feels the slime's gel stretch against her skin.

After a few blind shots, they relax and come together. As they do, Mary feels her right arm pinned to her side again as the slime reconnects.

"Hoo...let's see how that turned out!"

They walk to the back of the camera to check the preview and...

"Pfft!"

Among Mary's spit-take, Anne's mouth quivers as she sees their first shot with her head already out of frame.

"Gah! I stretched too much!"

The artist manages to recover and avoid entering a giggle fit. "Look, it's fine, love. Actually, I'll zoom out a little to help. Still, seeing your skin stretch like that is more horrifying than I thought."

"It's no good?"

"No, rather, I like it! Splits aren't always the cleanest, but they make things more interesting."

Anne hums. "So, would you prefer a messier split? I could make our skin look like it's breaking?"

"L-let's not make it grotesque. Remember, this is just a reference. I can make my own decision when I paint. Anyways, let's try again!"

Getting back into position, Anne adjusts her grip on Mary. As it is, the slime is almost like a rubber band. However, the challenge is finding the right mix of solidity and elasticity. It turns out that's harder to apply, especially since they have to be in an active position and there's no live screen to look at.

As a result, the following shots aren't quite there as they continue stretching apart in various manners. After ten or so minutes, Anne growls.

"I thought I had better control than this!"

Mary giggles. "I'm having fun though. I think the issue is that you're still not sticking to me enough. Every time you've pull, I always feel a good gap appear."

Anne huffs. "You're right, I've got to be more than just a suit! Let's do it again!"

Mary clears her throat. "Alright, but this will be our last attempt. After this, we split cleanly, then go for lunch. I can still use one of the photos as reference, so it's no big deal."

Despite the lack of expectations, Anne feels more pressured to get it right. She understands there's no reason to put so much effort into perfecting it, but for her own sake, she wants the reference to look good. It's a matter of pride and having proof to show what she can do!

'It's for science!' Anne decides in her mind, humming with enthusiasm.

Unaware of Anne's determination, Mary takes control this time and gets into position. Anne ensures her gel line sticks as close to the artist's skin as possible.

Then, a light shock travels up Mary's spine as she feels the slime pressing into her more. She stifles a grunt and is about to call on Anne to loosen, but before she can open her mouth, the vibration leaves her as if she had imagined it.

She blinks a few times.

"Mary?" Anne calls.

The artist shakes her head, shrugging it off. "It's nothing. Ready? One, two, three! Hurgh!"

"Hnng!!"

The sensation is now different than all the other tries as Mary feels her skin being pulled! It's a little painful but not unbearable. Not only does this prevent her from moving away as much, but Anne can't stretch as far.

'Whoa...It feels like she's actually part of my skin! This might be it!' Mary realizes, excitedly pressing the camera trigger several more times than usual.

Consequently, Anne's effort to stick to her like glue while pulling proves to expend more energy than expected. She grows dizzy from the bright lights and relaxes too quickly.

Suddenly all the weight shifts to her partner, who stumbles forward with a yelp. Unable to catch herself, Anne is pulled along with a weak mumble. The result is the slime's mass snapping swiftly back to the artist with a resounding...

Smack!

With it, their bodies return again with a crash to the floor.

Only Mary emits a groan with both of their faces to the ground. Beside her, Anne hurriedly recovers with an odd tingle below her face, but she hardly thinks about that as she pulls them upright with a gasp.

"A-ahh! M-mary, are you okay!?"

The artist blinks a few times with her head slumped. Although she did impact the ground, she feels more dazed than hurt. She might get a mark later but reassures her slimy friend for now.

"I-I'm okay, I think. Anyways, let's check the preview!"

The slime stares at her in disbelief. "Mary, we're in no rush! Just take it easy, okay?"

Mary chuckles lightly and nods. "It was certainly a surprise, but I'm terrific love, really. Whatever you did this time, it felt like we were actually connected! I'm just eager to see if that's reflected in the shot!"

Anne smiles weakly, finding Mary's excitement silly despite their fall. Nonetheless, she's also excited to see if their last take is the one. Taking control, Anne walks behind the camera. It takes a moment, but a strange feeling fills her again as she takes each step with their legs on the wooden floor.

'Huh? The ground feels different somehow. Has it always been this cold?'

Anne pauses before the camera's LED screen, looking down at her feet quizzically. Meanwhile, Mary gasps, eyes widening at the last preview shot.

"Holy shit! It really does look like you're part of my skin! And our expressions! This is perfect! I can't wait to use this as-"

Scritch...

Mary's smile freezes as she feels her arm being lightly drawn. Looking down, she sees Anne bringing their fully controlled arm to rub against their combined side.

"Anne, what are you doing?"

The slime girl gulps, her eyes slowly widening. "No...way!"

Mary's heart drops. "Love, tell me what's wrong?"

"I...I can feel."

The artist furrows her brows. "What do you mean? Didn't you say you can't feel anything?"

"That's what I thought, but...did you feel feel my scratch as well?"

"Of course I did! Why would that matt-"

Mary's voice halts. Eventually, her expression matches the slime's face. With the gel layering over her, she really shouldn't be able to feel anything on the outside. Upon realizing this, she takes control with her single arm and rubs down her left side.

Anne opens her mouth, shuddering. "N-no way. I...I felt that! Why can I can feel all of a sudden?"

It's not sudden. Mary's mind races as she recalls the jolt she felt in their last take. Whatever Anne did, her layer had actually fused with her skin!

"W-what about the other arm?" Mary asks, now rubbing Anne's side.

Strangely, the artist doesn't feel anything. Why would she? Her actual arm is tied to her real side.

"Can't feel anything," Mary concludes.

"Me neither," Anne adds.

Silence fills the studio as they both take in their state and circumstance.

Despite Anne's desire to feel around her, this development can't excite her. It's all because she has to rely on Mary. Who knows what sort of problems this could bring if they were to remain together.

As such, she jitters. "M-mary, we should split already. This is dangerous!"

The artist doesn't respond, still taking in this new finding, but as she feels Anne pulling away, she returns to the present with a gasp.

"No stop, Anne!"

The slime flinches and glances at her twin. "W-what's wrong?"

Mary feels their now-shared skin shivering, but it's not initiated by her. No, this feeling is coming from her fellow neighbor. Somehow, she can tell that Anne is scared, and clearly, this is not how the slime mother expected to gain her desired sense of touch.

On the other hand, the darker artist feels something returning past her shock...

Thrill.

While she's been able to suppress most of her excitement so far by focusing on the photos, it's impossible for her not to feel warm with this change. They've connected further, and as such, she feels the way Anne would've felt if she were genuinely human.

Yes...she can give a more human experience to Anne!

With a shaky breath, Mary tries to level her voice. "Love, there's...nothing wrong with this. Let's take in this sensation for a little while longer, hm?"

She slides her hand along their side again and feels Anne shiver. Before the slime could question, Mary cups their left breast, giving a slight squeeze.

"A-ah! M-mary? Nngh..."

The artist giggles. "Wow...I can even feel your larger chest as if it were mine. Amazing!"

For the first time, Anne lets out a legitimate audible reaction that isn't faked for theatrics. She's hypersensitive, having not had any sense of touch for a long time. Even though her mind knows how it should feel, Mary's nerves are like arcs of electricity to her molecules.

Extremely worried by her friend's behavior, she quickly pulls their hands away to their side.

"M-mary, stop! Why are you acting so calm? Th-this could be bad for...a-aah!"

Anne's head lurches as Mary mischievously sneaks a pinch to their ass, using fingers that she can still move.

"Love, just relax," Mary urges with a grin. "It seems that even though we share senses, we don't have the same response. You're pretty sensitive, huh? I'm sure it'll normalize after getting used to it."

"N-no...I-I shouldn't...get used to anything! This is your body, not mine!"

Mary closes her eyes and hums. "Well right now, it's our body. I don't mind sharing, love. Especially if it means that you'll be able to develop your own senses. Didn't you say you were able to evolve through experience? If so, this is a chance! Maybe your body will learn to create its own sensory system through mine!"

Anne gulps but quickly shuts down the train of thought, even if it's a tempting growth.

"N-no, even if that's true, it's not worth it if I mess you up! Y-you're sharing your actual nervous system with me! This is far beyond me wrapping around you!"

Mary cocks her head, feeling a little more optimistic. "I might not be the person to judge, but I think it'll be fine! Here, if it helps: split away from my arm first, then reconnect. Try to do whatever you did in our last shot to see if anything changes."

Anne curls her mouth, hesitating whether it's wise to experiment so nonchalantly. Ultimately, she gives in a little since they do have to split. "F-finger first."

They lift their hand, then Anne focuses on pulling out. A light vibration shakes their combined hand before Mary feels Anne ripping her layer off.

To Mary, it feels like a band-aid being pulled off after being attached for a while. It leaves a tingling sensation on her finger that quickly fades.

She moves her finger, then rubs them against another one, humming. "No problems here. I haven't lost mobility or sense."

Anne also wiggles her finger above Mary's but finds she can't feel the tiny body part anymore. "Uwaa...this is so strange."

"Was it harder to pull out?"

The slime shakes her head. "A little, but not really difficult."

"Well, try the rest of the arm."

Anne hesitates for a little bit but follows through similarly. Once more, the feeling is like a band-aid being pulled off, except with more adhesive resistance than before. The residue slime takes a while to disconnect from Mary's skin as if it didn't want to let go.

Under Mary's pressure, Anne reconnects back, sliding her gel layer around her twin's arm. The slime finds she can reattach deeper into her friend's skin without significant harm, regaining the same sense of touch. The only thing indicating a successful connection is an initial tingling or sometimes a slight jolt, but it happens very quickly and isn't as painful as it is flinching.

They perform this multiple times with different limbs; slowly, Anne feels more comfortable. There appears to be no loss of her control to split and no harm to Mary's side between fusing and departing.

Anne fakes a cough. "Alright, it seems okay, but...still, we should split completely for now. We can't go out like this anyways."

"Well, not as it is. How about we combine fully?"

...

Anne doesn't want to believe what Mary is suggesting. "Y-you mean...o-our heads?"

Mary smiles, her legs tightening in anticipation. "Yes, exactly that. You've told me how you missed tasting food. Well...we could go to lunch together and you might be able to taste again."

Anne laughs nervously. "Th-that type of together is a bit...much. We should go out normally. Besides, I want to eat with you, not as you. Even if I can't taste, that's fine with me!"

Mary sighs, starting to feel slightly annoyed by her lack of adventure. "Love, come on. I already told you I'm fine with it."

This time, Anne wouldn't budge. It's less about sharing taste and more about joining heads...possibly minds!

"No! Mary, we're done experimenting," the slime mother orders firmly. From the neck up, she transforms into her usual lighter skin tone and wavy hair. "We've already risked enough and who knows what will happen if our heads combine. I'm pulling...eh?"

As Anne tries to split away as they had tested, her pupils shrink as she feels unable to rip out. It's like her molecules were hitting a wall. Fear grips her as she wonders if she can't separate anymore.

"W-why can't I-"

"Oh? That actually worked?"

Anne's head snaps back to the artist, bewildered. "Mary?! You're doing this?!"

The artist's mouth curls up with guilt. She didn't want Anne to leave so soon, so she tightened her muscles in reaction. That appears more than enough to keep Anne from going, surprisingly.

Or perhaps there's more to it, like having a feeling of not wanting to let go?

Regardless, she tries to keep the exploration going. "Sorry love, but something else has been bothering me. Let me try another thing."

Anne grunts, trying to stretch away. "No, let's not prolong this! I get that you find this interesting, but...w-wha!?"

Slowly, the slime feels her fully controlled arm shake, then awkwardly raise outward. Her mouth hangs as she realizes that Mary is doing this, and she's not even connected to that limb!

"Interesting. Could this be what it feels like if I had a third arm? It's almost like...having a ghost sensation."

Snapping out of her stupor, Anne takes back control of her arm and tightens her hands into a fist.

"Cut it out! I get it. We share and can control things together! Please, let's stop fooling around and-hnng!"

Mary's face stiffens with a bitter smile as she slides her fingers across their shared folds below. On the other hand, Anne completely loses it as all her molecules seem to shriek simultaneously.

As the artist hopes, she feels Anne's control significantly loosened. With it, Mary can't hold back anymore. Although she feels bad for taking advantage of the slime mother, she can't let this opportunity go by. After all, Anne might never attempt this again!

"M-mary, s-sto...gu-gah!"

Mary increases her rubbing against their folds, controlling her breath as much as possible while Anne's twitches add to her own. Their body grows wet within seconds, a record speed as far as Mary can remember when she masturbated.

"I'm sorry, Anne, but..." Mary pauses, grunting with one eye shut before continuing, "I want this. I want to be even closer to you than Daniel is."

Anne twitches and moans, unable to muster control to pull Mary's hand away from their nether regions.

Then, outside her control, Anne gasps as she feels what remains of her molecules drawing closer to Mary's main body. While the spacing between their necks decreases, Mary feels her pinned arm released back outside. She immediately wraps it around Anne's arm and feels it sinking.

Anne isn't sure why her cells are complying. 'Am...I doing...this? Or...is she? Ah, It feels...too good.'

"Oh, love," the artist calls warmly, now fully panting as her fingers slip between their folds, "Yes, that's it...just relax."

"Ah...aaah!"

Anne shakes, unsure of what to believe anymore. Her entire molecules are constantly jolted, preventing her from thinking, much less caring for the consequences.

With no resistance, Mary steps backward to the nearest wall and leans against it for support as she fastens her finger thrusts. At this point, their necks are mere centimeters apart.

It's incredibly uncomfortable for Mary, but she bears with it, especially as she feels Anne's head softening. Getting close, the artist decides she has to tell Anne the truth, not wishing their friendship to grow strained after this.

She rubs her cheek with Anne apologetically.

"L-love, don't hate me f-for this...ungh. Th-the truth is, I...envy you."

"M-m-mary..."

Anne's head opens up on their side and begins to wrap around. As they do, Mary continues, tears forming in her eyes. It's hard to reveal honest feelings, but she wants the slime to trust her more.

"Y-you asked me if I could, whether I would want to get back t-together with D-daniel. The truth is, I do."

Mary feels her other arm now wholly joined with Anne's arm. With that under shared control, she squeezes their left breast, adding to their pleasure.

"Oh! I regret it so much. Unf...the issues we had with each other were so...ungh...trivial! Even though we have different ideas about art...ah, nobody I've dated...was ever like him. We just...needed time to ourselves, that was all!"

Anne isn't able to respond much, groaning. She understands Mary's words and figured there was always more to why she kept in contact with her son. Honestly, hearing Mary admit this makes her feel happy.

She wants them to get back together but doesn't want to give up her son.

The sounds of juices dripping eagerly on the wooden floor sharpen below their feet. Anne can't help but aid in their masturbating movements with her limited strength, wanting more.

Mary chuckles sadly. "H-haa...When I first saw you, I thought...you and him, unf, would break up just like the others. A-after that, I'd...get the courage to ask him if he wanted...to get back together. Of course, now I know that would never happen. Y-you're more than just a mother to him, y-you're an ideal lover...that I could never compete with!"

Tears stream fully from Mary's eyes, one of which is already covered by Anne's layer.

"S-so, Anne...p-please, let me see how it feels to become you...just for a bit."

Mary struggles to stand as their shared fingering keeps going fast and rhythmically.

"M-mary..." Anne manages to call back, with reassuring love, "Oh~"

Anne's pupils roll up as they collectively tighten their legs and grip themselves. Peak within reach, Mary screams out.

"Now, let's come together, Anne! Cum together!"

Anne and Mary wail out as creamy, white fluid escapes out below, covering their hand and staining the wooden flooring of the studio.

SQUELCH! SLURSH!

As they ejaculate, Mary no longer has to do anything as Anne's layering finishes covering their faces together. The slime's facial features recede, becoming nearly smooth to wrap tightly around Mary and grip her natural complexion.

Their legs give in, falling onto their knees with a heavy thud and shaking the growing puddle below them. Nothing but Mary's muffled groans are heard, but even that soon fades.

The two, now one, twitch and shake; their fingers slowly stop pushing in and out of their vagina until finally, a mouth opens.

"Uwaooooo~"

They cry out in perfect sync like a newborn waking. While they process one another, Mary's cell phone buzzes from the coffee table.

In whatever state they may exist at the moment, their minds still collectively knows it could be one person calling. Thus, in a broken combined voice full of love, they call out.

"Da...niel..."

Notes:

I want to point out that this chapter's images are drawn from scratch! (Except for the wooden background in the above image - that's generated.)

Pretty proud of the results overall, even if the hands, feet, and poses could be drawn better. I don't know if every image from here will be fully or majorly drawn, but for sure, AI has been motivating me to learn and get better. Unless I mention in the comments or chapter notes, you can otherwise assume most of the images to be AI-generated (Regardless of the heavy editing involved).

Chapter 33: Fusion of Love

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Bzzz!

'Why am I like this? His portrait is beautiful! Why did I say boring?'

Bzzz!

'Hi there, love! You're up early!'

Bzzz!

'Mary, I really do love you, but...sometimes, your insistence on me 'expanding my horizons' drives me insane. Is it so wrong that I like to paint more grounded stuff?'

Bzzz!

'Uncle Marlin! Can I draw like you do?'

'Ha ha, I don't think your parents would approve, Mary.'

Bzzz!

'Am I wrong? Shouldn't an artist strive to try new things?'

Bzzz!

'Mama loves you so much, Daniel. Thank you for accepting me.'

Bzzz!

'Daniel, are you sure this is the path you want to take? I may be harsh sometimes, but I want to make sure you live happily without regrets. No matter what, I'll always support you.'

Bzzz!

'You...want to break up? I...yes, that...may be for the best.'

Bzzz...click!

"Haah...D-daniel?"

...

"Lunch? No, we were just about to leave. We thought it might be fun to cook together instead of eating out."

...

"I sound off? Well, we...did a lot. In any case, since you're done, why don't you come over?"

...

"Hehe, I'm so glad~ Yes, we'll see you there!"

The call ends, and while literally oozing excitement across the planks of the studio, the new woman shivers, barely able to remain standing. There's so much memories filling her head: a star-loving mother raising her child, a slime girl continuing said mother's love with increased passion and curiosity, and a British artist full of imagination and heart.

"Daniel..." she breathes out before nodding to herself. "Yes, I'm his mother and more. So...so much more."

Her role is clear, but...who is she?

Ignoring Amy who is already apart of Anne, that leaves the loving slime girl and ex-girlfriend. Both of them care for the male artist and want to be by his side. It's clear as she is now, she can fulfill that role.

"Marianne...yes, it's quite the fitting name. I should smooth out my appearance though."

On that note, the fusion's skin ripples and turns a tad lighter than Mary's skin. Along with facial changes, her lips twist delightfully as she extends her hair longer, slowly transforming into the best of the two that compose her.

It's all for her baby...her love.

"Rachel, you didn't need to come out here."

The astronomer's chest tightens as she stands next to Lecia, staring at the gravestone of her dear friend.

She bites her lips. "How could I not come after hearing what your test revealed! I just...I don't understand. Why is this happening?"

Lecia's face scrunches. "I'm...sorry. Even the rescan cofnrims that the casket completely empty. Are you sure that-"

"Yes," Rachel cuts through sharply, her shoulders shaking. "Like I said, I was with Daniel when Amy was put into the casket and then lowered into the ground. It doesn't make any sense that this casket is empty among everyone laid to rest! Even older bodies around have skeletons, so why...why is my friend just gone?"

Lecia's gaze lowers. "You'd think that what we...no, what I released would've left its mark on ground, but I can't even find that."

Rachel closes her hands. "I'm not blaming you, Lecia."

"The decision to perform the ritual fell on me, so-"

"Even so," Rachel interrupts again, placing her face into her hands. "There's no evidence that her disappearance was related to the creature. I wonder, did the casket get switched out at some point? Sure, Amy and I knew stuff from our research that were under wraps, but would a government need to remove a body related to our findings? No, it still doesn't make any sense."

Lecia sighs, wishing she had answers.

"Does the cemetery owners know?" Rachel asks, removing her hands.

"Not yet, but we're obligated to share our results to them in return for using their grounds for testing. That said, we don't need to point out anything specific for them. It's likely they won't notice much out of hundreds of graves from the images we'll give them."

The astronomer scoffs. "It's not like anything will be done. They'll be reluctant on digging up a grave that's already in a dense section like this."

"That's true. Then, Rachel, if I'm frank, this is the only major mystery to go on. Do you think Daniel is aware?"

"How could he? D-don't try to involve him in this!"

The president raises her hands in defense, carefully picking her words. "I'm not saying to, but outside of our secrets, he ought to know about the grave, right?"

Rachel remains silent, but knows Lecia is right. But how could she explain such a disappearance? For some reason, the words of Daniel's girlfriends repeats in her mind.

'...even the brightest stars fade and leave some form of remnant behind.'

Lecia raises an eyebrow at her friend's silence, but before questioning, the astronomer comes out of her thoughts with a sigh. "I'm due to visit him anyways, so I'll figure out how to address it. In any case, you don't need to mention anything about this. You're just his client."

Lecia closes her eyes and nods. "I won't say anything about this matter since it's personal, but...please let me know if anything does come up, okay?"

Rachel hums in response, staring at what should've been her astronomer friend's final resting place.

Not having enough to comfort her better, Lecia smiles bitterly and presses her hand on her colleague's shoulder before taking her leave to check on the rest of her engineering team's progress,

Now alone, the grey-haired woman bends over and touches the stone. "Oh Amy, just what kind of coincidence is this for you to just be...gone? That's not how great stars disappear. What am I supposed to tell your son?"

Her eyes draw down to the pot in the ground, where she can see Daniel's wilted flowers. This seems unusual to her.

'Has he not visited recently? Even if he gets busy, he usually...'

Rachel stops her line of thought, not wanting to draw any conclusions. Especially since it's been too long thanks to her work life, she decides that being there for him is the least she must do.

Daniel shuffles awkwardly as he approaches Mary's apartment, not far from her studio building. In his hand is a gift bag for Anne containing her new phone. He also decided to pick something up for Mary as thanks for her support so far.

Besides the small items, he expected finding a bed to take the most time, but surprisingly, he found a decent-sized one that would fit into his bedroom with some rearrangement. All in all, he's happy to be finished in time to join them for lunch, but he's a bit worried.

'Mary sounded strange on the phone.'

His stomach churns, not because he's hungry but because his gut is telling him something must have happened while he was away. He may be overthinking it, but considering Anne would've been transforming for Mary, he's concerned about what sort of antics might be at play.

He shakes his head, his thoughts pushing him into unnecessary anxiety. Now standing at her front door, he empties his throat and knocks.

"Mary? Anne?"

"Door's unlocked, love! Come in!"

With permission, Daniel grabs the handle and enters. A compact space with a joined living room plus a kitchen is revealed to him. It only has two doors that seem to lead into a bedroom and bathroom; otherwise, it's a small living space.

It makes sense considering she spends most of her time in her studio.

That said, this is the first time he's visiting her apartment. With interest, he drops his shopping bag at a nearby corner table, then scans around.

Anne or Mary don't appear to be anywhere in the main body, but he figures they're in one of the rooms. In any case, he checks around.

'Pretty modern. Lots of shaped decoration. That's very much like her.'

He smiles, reminiscing about the days when he and Mary would shop together to decorate their once-shared apartment. Planning a homely presentation alone is never exciting, but it was fun with Mary. She's the kind of person who just could imagine how things might mesh so effortlessly.

Turning towards the kitchen, he sees something cooking in a pot at a simmer. Who was leading the lunch: Mary or Anne?

He creeps closer and takes a peek. His brows rise as he sees a stew cooking with potatoes, zucchini, and peas. The scent of various herbs and a little garlic fills his nostrils, making him actually hungry.

'Yeah, it has to be mom. Knowing her, she probably insisted.'

"Does it look good? I'm trying something new."

Hearing the British artist's voice from behind him, he recognizes a lighter tone than she usually has. Not thinking much about it at first, he turns around.

"Oh, so you made...this...?"

As his words slow down to confusion, the new girl smiles sweetly.

"Hey there, love~"

Despite hearing his ex's usual addressing habit, the girl in front of him can't be her. A cousin, perhaps? Daniel knows Mary has no other siblings, but it may be someone more distant.

"Erm, are you a relative?"

As he asks, his eyes lower, then snap open. He stumbles back, seeing this stranger is only wearing an apron with nothing underneath. At any moment, it looks like her chest might slip out from the sides!

She giggles. "Surprised? I've been cooking for us, so I had to dress appropriately, don't you think?"

"T-this is...appropriate? Um...er, wh-who are you again?"

"If I tell you, that wouldn't be fun! Come on Daniel, am I not the least recognizable?"

"I..."

The artist stammers, trying to knock his brain while trying hard not to stare at her curves.

Could he have met a weird relative or maybe a friend of hers?

Gulping, he stares into her eyes, then noticing her olive-colored pupils are the same as Anne's. Further, she shares exact features such as nose and lips like...his mother!

"W-wait, mom?!"

Of course, only Anne would pull something off like this with her ability to transform. He feels silly for not assuming earlier the moment she approached him near-naked.

The fusion's eyes close happily. "Hehe, yes! I am indeed your mama, well...a newer mama! But you seem to be forgetting someone, despite me inviting you for lunch in my home."

"Your home? This isn't..."

Daniel speech falters as he stares at the fusion more, then gets an almost complete picture.

He relaxes for a moment and chuckles nervously. "I get it, so you've transformed into a hybrid between you and Mary, huh? No, but seriously, where is Mary?"

The hybrid mother shakes her head and sighs. "Oh love, it really is that simple."

Without warning, she pulls her hand up to cup her son's cheeks, then her eyes soften. "What's important is that now, I can...finally feel you! We can feel you!"

As her words rest in Daniel's mind, he finds his supposed mother's touch more shocking than anything.

Warmth.

Anne is always cool to the touch, unable to emit any heat of her own. Upon recognizing this change, Daniel's throat dries, not wanting to believe it.

"A-anne..." he addresses more gravely, "What...happened?"

The fusion leans closer, sliding her hand down his neck. "We merged, Daniel. I'm the result of two...no, three women who have always loved you."

Daniel inhales and tries to back away, but finds himself hitting the counter near the stove. "W-wait, this is too sudden! A-anne...or Mary? J-just hold up! What do you-ugh!"

The fusion giggles, pressing her body against him and wrapping her arms around his back. As much as it would do good to explain more, she's held herself back long enough. She needs to touch him; to reconnect with him in a meaningful way.

"It's Marianne, love."

Daniel isn't given time to understand the new mother's identity as she presses her lips, sealing herself against him. While receiving this kiss, bubbles rise faster from the pot behind him...and so does a particular tent below.

 

Notes:

Once more, all images in this chapter are fully drawn. Chapter 7 and 9 have also been rewritten with non-AI drawings as well, if you're interested.

Chapter 34: Confession

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Oh, Daniel~"

Dripping with adoration in her voice, Marianne's kiss and curves causes said artist's mind to go blank. For a few seconds, his hands react, traveling down her side and squeezing the exposed cheeks.

She hums smoothly into his mouth in response.

There's seemingly no difference between what Daniel feels from a normal human girl as opposed to this fusion. That said, how she presses against him, holding her kisses with long, deliberate intervals reminds him of Mary when they were together. Even now, he can still hear her moans as if reliving the days of the past.

But this is the present. If Mary and Anne had truly fused into this woman, what does that imply about his ex?

For the sake of his artist friend, he can't let himself be led into Marianne's pace without knowing for sure. He grunts, steeling his mind and pushing her back while gripping her shoulders.

The fusion gasps while her son pants, his cock pulsing painfully within his pants.

"L-love, what's wrong?" Marianne asks, a little hurt.

Still gathering his breath, Daniel stares at the fusion who reflects worry and need. Where does this love come from? Anne is obvious, but Mary...

Where is Mary in all of this?

"Please," Daniel begins, his face creasing with difficulty. "I need to understand. What happened to you?"

Marianne's lips curl. Of course, he'd be worried about the circumstances, but before she can explain, the boiling of the pot alerts her.

"Oh no!"

Pulling away from Daniel, Marianne steps to the stove. Like the mood, she dials the burner to low heat and takes a large spoon to stir for a bit. Upon finding that the vegetables still need some time to cook, she relaxes a bit and takes a whiff of the smell that rises with the steam. As a result, tears brim in her eyes.

Daniel panics. "W-what's wrong?!"

The fusion sniffs. "It...smells so good! To be able to taste my own cooking after all this time! Oh, I can't wait!"

The artist's shoulders slump in response before shaking his head. 'Anne's definitely in there alright.'

"Now then," Marianne begins, wiping her tears and clapping her hands. "Sorry. I got a little ahead of myself, but you don't need to worry!"

She places a hand on her chest with a tilt of her chin. "To put it simply, Anne and Mary have joined, thus I exist! I share their feelings and memories."

'That's not simple at all!' Daniel cries in his mind as his face stiffens.

"C-could you elaborate?"

Marianne hums, twisting her lips to the side. "Well, it's easier to show."

She lifts her hand for the artist, who watches as it shakes. Then, with a jerk, he sees her "skin" rip from the backside! Except, what lies underneath is just the darker-tone skin that can only belong to Mary.

The detached slime skin returns to Anne's tone, but upon wrapping back, it changes to a lightly brown mix.

Marianne shivers, finding the feeling of splitting, even a part of her, unpleasant. Despite that, she clears her throat. "S-see? We're fine...I'm fine. With this, you don't have to pick between us!"

Daniel stumbles back, somehow understanding, but he's more stunned by how his slime mother discovered something new again. He wants to cry out, wondering why surprises always have to await him regarding her. Although he has other questions, Marianne's words make him pause.

"What do you mean by 'pick'?"

Marianne blushes. With a light smile, her gaze lowers. "Mary still loves you, Daniel. She's regretted breaking up for some time now."

Daniel feels the air in his lung pulled away. He places a hand on his head, trying to collect his thoughts on this revelation.

Seeing her son's reaction, the fusion bite her lips. "I know this is sudden! Do you...feel the same? Even a little bit after all this time?"

"Wait, hold on!" Daniel urges, holding his other hand out. "S-she still loves me?"

Marianne nods, finding her son's disbelief amusing. She'd rather have this than see possible disdain. "Yes, she wanted the best for you. It's natural for Anne as well, and so, I do too. Is that okay?"

Okay? Daniel's not sure. He's had a suspicion and only started thinking about his and Mary's relationship — especially how things have changed for them. Before letting such thoughts get to him, he shakes himself. Even if Marianne might represent Mary's feelings, he can't just take her word so easily.

"This is no good. I need to talk with Mary and Anne...separately"

Marianne widens her eyes. With a rushed gasp, she leans forward, placing her hands on his chest. "W-wait! Do you not trust me, love?"

"I just want to confirm from them directly and to see that they're okay. Please, for my own sanity."

The fusion backs away, then crosses her arms tightly. This causes her breasts to slip out from the side of the apron.

In response, Daniel gulps, trying not to stare so much. His attention thankfully reverts back to the fusion's face as he sees tears collecting again.

He gasps. "W-whoa, whoa! Why are you crying this time?"

Marianne tries to remain strong as she maintains her voice. "I'm sorry, love. I understand your concern, I really do, but...I'm scared."

"W-what?"

Her tears flow down her cheek, causing Daniel guilt as she continues, "I'm afraid you'll reject Mary...and therefore, me. I really did think that I could maybe be in your life like we had been before. Is that wrong? Ha...Or maybe that's just the influence of Anne on me. Am I...delusional?"

"Wait!" Daniel steps forward, placing his hands back on her shoulders. "I'm...not sure what to think. It's all so sudden but...I can't just accept this without knowing Mary's feelings."

"So...there's a chance?"

Daniel frowns. "I'm...not sure. We've been separated for five years now. I thought we...were done, especially since I was the one to..."

He stops himself, then removes his hands. "Listen, if Anne is a part of you, then you should remember how I didn't want to hide yourself for me. I wouldn't want this for Mary either! Isn't that what you're doing?"

That reminder seems to have struck the fusion. Pulling away from her son's comfort, she gasps and grabs her head. Her pupils' contract, shaking wildly.

"Y-you're right! But I...Oh, I knew this wouldn't work out! Y-you have Anne...me? I...We...Nggh!"

Splick!

The artist stumbles back as the separation commences without warning. Although Daniel should be relieved, the sight is a little unnerving as he watches their two heads pull away with a synchronized groan. He can see Anne changing her head back to her usual appearance while Mary is revealed underneath, grunting with tears streaming down her cheek.

Their torso expands as they continue to shake off each other. It doesn't take long for both heads to part completely, becoming conjoined from shoulders down. As they do, both inhale in as if waking from a dream.

"Holy shit," Daniel whispers.

When the split seems finished, his shock diminishes and in-place, he tries to hide his amusement. It's strange to see the two as conjoined girls but it's impressive how Anne can look so seamless against Mary, even though she's just a layer over the artist.

Breaking out of his stupor, he steadies them, returning to their shoulders as they wobble. "Mary, Anne? Are you two okay?"

Mary lifts her eyelids slowly, then opens them up more as she sees her former boyfriend. She holds her breath, riled by emotions that make her want to sob. Not willing to do that in front of her him, her head darts away.

On the other hand, Anne groans and opens her sight to Daniel. Immediately, her lips quiver with guilt.

"Daniel...mama is sorry. I just...I'm not sure what came over us. We thought you'd be happy!"

Hearing her voice sends him great relief. He breathes out. "I...don't know if I should be happy or not. I'm just glad that you two can separate."

Now focusing on his fellow artist, he calls out to her softly, "Mary."

The female artist stares up at the ceiling for a moment, then clears her throat. She pulls her arm closest to her side to wipe away her tears before facing him.

She chuckles weakly. "Love, I'm...sorry you had to experience that. It must've been awkward. Look, this was um...an experiment that went way, way too far! You can just forget about Marianne, okay? It won't happen again."

Anne's pupils shrink, glancing at her friend. "Mary...w-why are you saying-"

"Anne, it's okay!" Mary cuts with a firmer voice. Despite that, tears flow from her ducts again. In a shaky voice, she nods her head to herself. "Yes, we...both have our lives to live and...I just haven't found the right person, that's all."

Daniel's heart aches seeing Mary confirm her remaining feelings. The front she's putting out is so bad, but he can't blame her for trying.

He remains silent for a moment before lifting his lips. "Mary, do you remember when we met?"

The artist shivers and looks away again. "Oh god, don't bring that up...please."

"We met in one of our classes and you were sitting beside me. We had a male model posing and everyone was supposed to draw a full figure on their canvas."

"S-stop."

"What did you draw?"

"N-no, I was just-"

"Abs. Just his toned abs. While everyone was drawing the full figure, I stared in shock at how focused you were drawing abs."

Mary cups her mouth, trying hard not to spit out.

"I suddenly thought: Did I hear the instructor wrong? I started again, also drawing his abs. Soon after, we talked for the first time, sharing our observations about the depth. Then, only you asked the model to flex more. Everyone was so confused!"

"Pffft!"

Daniel's gaze softens. "By the end of it, the teacher was impressed, but we both failed that project. Why? Because the guy's name was mentioned to be Abe and you weren't paying attention and thought the teacher wanted us to draw abs."

Mary finally breaks down in laughter, her head dropping while Anne cups her mouth, giggling.

Daniel lowers his gaze but quickly raises it once he sees their combined chest jiggling around. Coughing, he continues, "So we hit it off after that. I was so mad at myself for following you, but also found it hilarious. When I think back, I should've checked what other people were doing, but I was focused on my canvas and you."

Mary recovers, wiping her tears again. "Love, for the record, you were invested in his abs just as I was."

Daniel hums. "Well, I'll admit he had a pretty decent set compared to the other models. Of course, that's coming from a guy who doesn't work out."

"Hehe, really now?"

"Mary, the point is, I was only focused on you, back in college and after. We agreed that was the problem for our art journey, especially when our artistic interests don't align. However, outside of our profession, I've never met anyone so strange, interesting, and beautiful to be with."

Mary's heart beats at the praise, but the light in her eyes slowly fades. "Did our work have to get in the way of our relationship? I've asked myself that many times."

Daniel rubs his neck, also bitter as he looks back. "I've been questioning that too. Art is my life, so I'm not sure how it can't get in the way. Yet now, I've been painting for so many clients and I've gotten my artwork to be seen by thousands of people. It's the same for you to an even greater degree! We're not the post-college kids struggling to be recognized anymore."

"Then, is it possible things would be different for us now? Obviously, you have Anne, so...it's really pointless to ask, but-"

"No, it's not!" Anne shouts, furrowing her brows at Mary, who flinches. "I really like you, Mary! As his mother, it pains me to see that you split up, despite how happy you were back then. Why can't we share him?"

The suggestion throws the female artist off. "S-share!? A-anne, th-that wouldn't work out!"

"Why wouldn't it?" Anne narrows her eyes. "I felt it. You were perfectly content to remain as Marianne. There's no difference in that regard!"

Mary's face shuts tightly as she grunts. "Look, neither of us were in the right state of mind. I just..."

She glances at Daniel, who seems just as conflicted as she is. Sighing, she rubs Anne's arm. "I still care for you, Daniel, but I've always hesitated because I wasn't sure how you'd feel. I also worried we'd end up in the same cycle of our work being impacted."

Daniel's face creases. "I can see that. The issue was that we were trying to build our business together. We wanted to actively paint alongside each other."

"I still want to paint with you! Compared to before, desiring acknowledgement by another isn't as strong as it used to be. I may complain sometimes, but...well, I guess dealing with many clients can make you numb. However, I don't know if it'll be the same for us because, I'd naturally want you to look at my paintings."

'Who wouldn't?' Daniel thinks, feeling the same. He admires Mary for her talent that he simply can't compete with. That naturally left him feeling...frustrated.

Yet, Mary has shown her work to him even after they split, either for feedback or for fun. In time, there was no comparison to be made. Instead, he only felt reminiscent of their time together and continued admiration.

So, the question is: Would it work out a second time as they've matured?

He already has Anne, yet his slime mother seemingly has no qualms over adding a third. Except, such wide relationship would be impossible...right?

"Daniel."

Anne's firm voice disrupts his thoughts as she abruptly glares at him. "Do you know what mama wants?"

The artist gulps. "M-mary?"

"Yes, but more specifically," she begins, then growls with her eyes shut, "I want to see my son marry! I want a daughter-in-law! How sad is it that my son only wants to be with his dear mother?"

Daniel flushes red. "W-what do you mean?! Y-you pushed this relationship to where it is!"

Anne harrumphs. "Naturally because mama wants you to be happy! But mama can't keep you to herself!"

Mary looks away, equally flushed. "O-okay, I think that's enough, Anne. Let's separate for real this time."

The slime hesitates before resignedly lowering her gaze. "If that's what you want, but even if you two don't get back together, can we still combine for a little while longer so I can taste our stew?"

Mary drops her head and chuckles dryly. "Yes, we can. It'd be a waste of our effort otherwise."

Composing herself, she returns her aim at Daniel with a small bitter smile. "Daniel, thank you. Being able to at least talk about this has helped. I want to...continue being friends, just as we've been."

However, Daniel's face strains, unable to easily conclude like Mary. It's still apparent that his friend is struggling to keep herself together; however, he can't dismiss her words and regrets.

'I must be insane to be considering this, but...'

But his life is already crazy with a slime girl as his mother. So if there's a second chance to start again, it may as well be now when there's not much normal in his life to be had.

With that in mind, he breathes in. "Mary, do you want to try again?"

Notes:

All images in this chapter are fully drawn.

Chapter 35: Getting Back Together

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Huh?"

With the bomb dropped, Mary's eyes widen and reflects Daniel's firm gaze. She swallows and slowly shakes her head, unable to believe what she's hearing. "L-love, w-what are you saying?! You have Anne! How could I-mmph!"

"No, this is great!" Anne squeals, covering her neighbor's mouth. She nods approvingly while her captive slumps forward with a muffled groan. "Mama is really proud of you, Daniel!"

Daniel can't help but smirk, shaking his head. "Of course you'd be okay with it, but this is Mary's decision, mom."

Anne pouts, then narrows her eyes sneakily at her neighborly head. "Mary, if you don't want to be with us, then I'll just transform into you and be with Daniel in your stead!"

"Mom, seriously."

Although Anne is joking, Mary pupils shrink in horror, sweating at the idea. As soon as the slime releases her mouth, she stares at her ex, breathing in slowly to keep calm.

"Love, why are you doing this? Are you pitying me? Is that-"

"No!" Daniel hurriedly answers, raising his hands. "Mary, I realize how shameless it is of me to ask when I have Anne, plus I can't exactly break up with her either. I just think that if I'd been just more aware, I would've had the courage to ask you before!"

Mary shakes, lowering her gaze. "W-what do you want me to say then? Yes? Suddenly enter into a polyamorous relationship? Daniel, you know how ridiculous this sounds. You don't need to force yourself for my sake either. After all, it's my fault for not confessing to you sooner."

Daniel frowns. He glances at Anne but she remains silent. Her eyes says everything though. It's a gaze that can only belong to his astronomer mother - one who helped to support him.

With those expectations, Daniel recharges with a long breath. "When Marianne kissed me, all I could remember is the time we were together. For my sake, I want to experience your paintings again, but most importantly, I want to experience you. I know this is a selfish offer, but...my life has already become weird enough with Anne. So, knowing how much you like oddities, will you try again with me?"

Mary looks up, her lips quivering. She sways for a bit, struggling with her own feelings, desires, and regrets.

Finally, tears pour from her eyes and she leans forward, bumping her head against his shoulder. "God...damn it! Yes, okay! I want to be with you and Anne! I'm terrified though that...it'll be for nothing. What if it doesn't work out? What if..."

Daniel feels immense relief by her agreement. He wraps his arms around the two while Anne bumps her head against Mary.

"I can't guarantee it will," the artist admits, squeezing them tightly, then smiles. "But I've got a feeling things will be different. I mean, we've got our own clients and separate studios, so that removes most of the conflict we had."

"Secondly, I'll just disown him if he ever hurts you, Mary," Anne adds, her tone light and sweet.

"What?!"

Mary giggles and lifts her head. "There's no need for that, Anne, but I appreciate it. In any case..."

Her eyes focuses warmly towards her fellow artist. With tear-struck cheeks, she leans forward.

"Thank you, love."

She locks her lips against her friend, humming pleasantly into his mouth. She doesn't let go and Daniel reciprocates, filling the kitchen renewed sounds of love.

"Ha...Daniel..."

After taking her fill, Mary lets go and both of them breathe out, staring into each other's eyes. To Daniel, this situation feels like a dream.

"Mama wants a kiss too!"

Turning his head slightly towards his cute slime mother, he chuckles. "Didn't you say you'd disown me?"

"I-it was a joke! Mama would never!"

She fakes a cough.

"Alright, alright."

He does the same for Anne and holds them both tightly. As they have their moment, Mary leans forward and kisses his neck, causing Daniel to jerk away from Anne early and shiver.

The dark artist giggles. "Oh, don't mind me, love. Since we have to share you, I figure it's best to start doing what I can."

Anne gapes at Mary's boldness. "Mama should've thought of that! You know, for someone who was reluctant, you sure seem to be adapting too quickly!"

The artist hums, planting another kiss closer to his cheek. "Well, I've got no reason to hold back. We've lost...so much time."

Daniel exhales shakily and maintains his attention to Anne, not wanting her to feel left out. He holds her to his lips while Mary continue pressing her own against her now-boyfriend's skin.

However, while Anne would normally benefit from such loving affection in her mind, she slowly dulls to her son's kisses until finally, she pulls away with grunt of frustration.

"M-mom?"

"Urgh, it's no good! Mama wants to feel and taste again! I still don't get any of that with our heads separated."

Daniel blinks. "Wait, so you can feel?"

"Only through being attached to me," Mary adds. "But maybe if she experiences enough, she'll be able to develop her own?"

Anne's eyes shine. "Remember Daniel, it's like we've discussed! That means, we have to do all sorts of things as Marianne!"

Daniel leans back, sweating. "That can't be a guarantee, right? We just were speculating!"

Anne frowns. "Why do you have to be a damper! Anyways..."

She slowly lifts her hands, placing them on her and Mary's head. In turn, the female artist widens her eyes as she feels her side starting to sink into the slime. "W-wait, we're going back already?"

Anne giggles. "Of course! After all, I can't miss out feeling Daniel and eating my cooking."

In one push, Anne's head mass becomes less firm and spreads back onto Mary, overlaying around her head and gripping to her face. They both groan together as Anne ripples, turning to the same tone before as Mary's nerves connect with Anne's cells.

Daniel watches, wide-eyed and slightly terrified by the transformation. Luckily, it's quick as Anne has already registered their newfound fusion form, thus she can mold herself precisely where she needs to be over her host.

With new eyes forming, Marianne breathes in and immediately focuses, staring at her slightly disturbed son and boyfriend. Then, water forms underneath her eyes and she shakes.

"Oh, love!" the fusion calls out warmly, her voice back to a lighter tone of Mary. She hugs the artist tightly, burying her face into his shoulder.

Daniel gulps and smiles uneasily, wrapping his arms around them. At least he no longer finds her existence concerning with the underlying feelings that Mary and Anne have for him.

The hug goes on for quite a bit as Marianne keeps a hold of him in silence, prompting the artist to clear his throat."Sh-shouldn't we eat first?"

Marianne lifts her head up and gasps, nearly forgetting again. With tears still left on her cheeks, she turns her head slightly back at her pot and hums.  "Taste the stew first or taste my love? What a difficult choice."

Daniel blushes before swallowing and glancing away. "W-well, I'm actually getting hungry, so how about we eat first before...um, doing anything else."

The fusion smirks. "You're so cute~ Fine, a real quick one then. Call it an appetizer!"

She leans forward and kisses the artist before he can prepare. It's hardly speedy though as he feels her moving her lips around. Once more, his cock, which had time to cool, hardens as if it were raring to go.

Before he can really get into it, Marianne breaks away and winks knowingly. "Since you made the decision, we'll have to deal with that later."

Daniel opens his mouth in disbelief, then frowns. "I see you've retained Mary's cheekiness."

"Hehe, mama will make it all worth it, I promise~"

"So good! It's perfect and I can feel how the vegetables melt in my mouth!"

Daniel can't stop his lips from turning up, watching Marianne eat her stew for the first time. He takes some sour cream that meshes well with the thickened brown sauce. "Is really is! I've got to ask, how did you make this? I don't recall Amy making stew, so this can't be from Anne and Mary...well..."

Marianne huffs, offended on behalf of Mary. "What? You don't think I can make something new?"

"N-no, I didn't say that! I guess I'm just curious how you think since you're combined."

The fusion hums a few times, taking another spoon into her mouth. "It's hard to explain. This recipe actually came from Mary's mother and she hasn't really had luck making it taste the same; however, I have a good understanding of ingredients and measurements based on what I remember it tasting like. With Anne's experience, I think I'm able to replicate it well!"

"So, how do you sort yourself? Do you hear two difference voices?"

The fusion shakes her head. "Nope. I only hear my voice and my thoughts feel natural, although it's not immediately clear whether it leans towards Amy, Anne, or Mary."

Daniel blinks, surprised by the addition of his astronomer mother, though it makes sense considering Anne. "Speaking of, should I call you mom or Marianne?"

"Whatever makes you comfortable, love."

"That's totally a Mary response."

"I do feel comfortable calling myself mama though, so I hope you don't mind if that continues."

Daniel shrugs. He figures that would be the case, knowing Anne's influence. That being said...

"Is that because you really see me as your son?"

Marianne holds her hands together. "Well, yes...but there's a bit more reason to it."

Daniel cocks his head. "Yeah?"

The fusion hesitates then smiles meekly. "To be honest, I find it kinda hot."

The artist raises an eyebrow and thins his lips. "Er..."

Marianne blushes, now looking down. "Th-that's um...maybe I shouldn't have said that!"

"N-no, I...appreciate the honesty, I guess."

"It's weird, isn't it? Being your mother and girlfriend at the same time."

Daniel stares blankly at her increasingly crooked smile. "Marianne, there really isn't much of a difference when compared to Anne."

The fusion looks up and gasps. "Wh-what?! D-don't you feel the least shame? E-even if Anne isn't Amy, she's still a form of your mother! I too am your mother...and yet, here I am being your girlfriend as well. It's so delight-I mean, wrong...right?"

"Your expression doesn't match your concern at all."

Daniel doesn't want to believe it, but somehow this newer version of his mother is more corrupt than before.

Notes:

Alt pic without the apron and table:

Going to start moving to using simple shading rather than the airbrush method. It's just a little less work overall. Aside from that, I am so fucking proud of those hands, especially the one holding the spoon.

Chapter 36: Pound & Cake

Chapter Text

Having finished the meal, Marianne claps her hands together. "Now, let's have dessert!"

Daniel raises an eyebrow. "Let me guess — you?"

"Hu hu...Oh dear, is mama that enticing?" the fusion questions back, placing a hand on her face and pretending to blush.

"I won't deny it."

Marianne hums for a moment before getting up from her seat. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but I have cake!"

As she leaves to grab it from the fridge, Daniel grins and leans forward, resting his chin against his hand. "Color me surprise, you've subverted my expectation!"

Marianne giggles. "Love, you just have a dirty mind for mama."

The artist snorts lightly in response. "I'm not sure if I want to hear that from you."

Marianne is unperturbed as she brings in a medium-sized vanilla cake with strawberries on top. "Naturally, I bought this cake to celebrate your birthday!"

Daniel shakes his head resignedly. He thought he wouldn't have to deal with the celebration of his so-called "rebirth", but that seemed to be naive thinking. "Did Mary get this?"

"Not exactly. I, or should I say we, bought this just before you came! There's a nice bakery down the street that I had to go to. I'm sure you remember Mary telling you about that."

"Right, it seems she still has a taste for sweets."

Marianne flinches, then coughs. "N-not at all, I don't eat that much sweets, and I definitely didn't buy this just because I wanted to taste something sweet for the first time!"

Daniel widens his eyes and stifles himself from laughing. "Wow, I think I actually heard both Mary and Anne in those statements."

"Y-you don't have to analyze mama so hard!"

With a huff, she places the cake in front of him, then sits on his lap. "As punishment, mama will feed you! How embarrassing is that?"

Daniel grins and gladly holds Marianne, sliding his hand across her exposed thighs. "This is the worst punishment ever. I'm so ashamed."

Marianne rolls her eyes. "Your acting needs work, love."

She takes a fork, scraps the cake's top edge, then holds it in front of her son's face. "Say ah~"

"Ah..." Daniel sounds monotonous as he accepts the small piece of cake. Chewing, he nods approvingly.

"It's good. Surprisingly fluffy too!"

"Hehe, right? I love this bakery!"

Daniel takes the fork and cuts a piece, holding out for the fusion. "Pretty sure you've been waiting for this more than me. Say: 'I love sweets'."

Marianne squints, annoyed. With a harrumph, she leans forward and takes the bite before her son can react. She closes her eyes and wiggles in delight as she savors the taste and icing for the first time. Daniel watches with amusement.

Coming down from the sugary high, the fusion widens her smile. "Alright, fine. I admit, I do love sweets, but..."

Delaying, she leans forward and locks lips with him for a second, then pulls away with a cool breath before Daniel can blink. "...I definitely love you more."

Daniel turns red and clears his throat, lifting his chin. "Is that so? Well, I'm not so convinced."

Marianne raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? I guess I have to do better."

The fork in Daniel's hands subsequently drops as Marianne reconnects, kissing him for much longer. As they do, both of them breathe hard into each other.

The chair they share shakes, scooting back from their increasing movements as Marianne grinds herself against Daniel's crotch. She can feel his bulge quickly returning.

They both groan in each other's mouths, and without any indication of an ending, Daniel has to forcefully pull away to get his breath under control.

"I thought, hah...we were going to have dessert?"

Marianne giggles, lifting a bit so he can shuffle his pants off. "Love, this is also dessert. Aren't we being sweet?"

Daniel can't argue with that; rather, he finds no reason to. He's ready to move ahead as he lets his pants slide down to his feet. Marianne helps out before settling back down on his lap, leaving enough room where his upright cock can be seen between her thighs.

With a smooth hum, the fusion mother locks lips with her son again, but this time, her hand travels to his cock while her other arm rests across his shoulder to secure him closer. For a good minute, they groan into each other's mouths with greater tongue exchange. All the while, the fusion's hand plays with the hard meat below, scratching lightly along the shaft.

Daniel grunts towards the end, trying hard not to cum so early. Feeling this, Marianne pulls back. A line of saliva draws and sinks between them as they pause.

"So, is that proof enough?" the fusion asks, grinning.

Daniel pants, holding her close. "Yes, you've...haa...made your love very clear."

Marianne clicks her tongue, shaking her head sadly. "Now I can't be sure that you're being truthful. It seems I have more to show!"

With that excuse, she pulls away and stands up from his lap. A turn reveals her nicely shaped behind that she swipes over, plus eyes that scan sensually over her boy.

She lift her lips slyly. "Why don't I show more in my bedroom?"

Without waiting for his answer, the fusion walks ahead, thus Daniel has to hurriedly brush aside the rest of his clothes and follow, unable to resist such opportunity.

As they enter Mary's bedroom, Marianne drops her apron close to the doorway and turns to face her son. Despite her leading attitude, her quivering legs reveal all the anticipation of bonding with him.

"Marianne?"

Seeing how she's failing to hide her excitement, the fusion titters embarrassingly. "Oh dear, guess I can't hide it anymore, can I? Mama is just excited to feel you inside me, that's all."

Daniel also feels similar excitement as his cock throbs between his legs. That said, he can't dive in so quickly.

"I guess first, do you have any condoms?"

After all, it's underlying Mary that he'd be reconnecting with.

The fusion brows raise. "Actually love, there's no need. I've been pretty wet so far, but the only reason you don't see anything is that I've coated my insides. I'll be able to catch anything you give me, just like Anne!"

Daniel shivers, finding that safety net too convenient. "L-let's not go too crazy here."

"Oh, love," Marianne begins, licking her lips. She leans in closer, her eyes fluttering with desire. "I'm already crazy for you."

Leaning in, Daniel feels a few more connecting lips before she backs away, drawing him closer to the bed by her grip.

"Come love...take me from behind!"

The artist breathes shakily and joins her, positioning his cock and edging close to her cheeks as she shuffles onto her knees. Just a moment, he rubs his hands over her pear-butt and waist, admiring the view. Not wanting to hold himself or the fusion any longer, he slowly pushes into her awaiting vulva.

"O-oh...ooh!!"

Trying not to let her sweet moans get to him, he fits himself and then...

Squish!

Grunting, Daniel feels her entire walls contract, molding to his member and giving him no time to prepare. Such an immediate response would easily occur from Anne, but it seems Marianne has just as much control being a hybrid slime girl!

"Yes, finally!" the fusion cries, breathing out sharply. " I can feel you! I can finally feel my baby inside me!"

Her voice drips with honey as she shakes with joy. Much of it can only come from Anne, who hasn't been able to truly feel her son's cock for weeks. Of course, Mary is also happy to reconnect with her now-boyfriend after so long. With such a combined expectation, Daniel feels literal pressure to live up to this fusion beauty.

So, he holds himself carefully as he grips her hips.

Schlick...Slip!

Slowly, he thrusts, inching in and out as much as possible with the tightness surrounding him. It doesn't help that their little foreplay from the beginning had riled his cock up to near pressure.

"Marianne, c-can you ease up a little?"

"My...baby...ah..."

Hearing only moans and mutterings, Daniel clenches his teeth. 'She's already completely out of it.'

Not wanting to pull out completely, he decides he'll just have to go hard, even if it means he'll ejaculate sooner. With that in mind, he retreats a little, then slams his hips forward with a loud grunt.

Smack!

"Oooh! Oh god, yes looove!" Marianne screams as her body bounces for the first time.

Daniel tries to keep the momentum going, his movements causing small waves to spread across this beautiful woman's ass. Memories of the past with Mary flood him as she reacted similarly during heated moments. He didn't think he'd experience such a moment so soon after getting back together, but of course, this is as much of Anne's reaction as it is his artistic friend.

The reminiscing helps him to prolong his pounding of his mother-girlfriend for a few minutes. Eventually, he hears her voice cracking as she regains some sense.

"L-love, w-wait! I'm going to-"

Splick!

Her warning comes too late as their heads separate, their voices splitting back to two as they finish together, "-cum!"

The artist isn't able to react in time to the sudden partial-departure of the fusion as he continues to ram into the girls' combined bottom that remains. If they really had an orgasm, he definitely couldn't tell, assuming Anne's inner lining might be soaking up the various juices.

Anne's adaptable cells barely hang onto Mary's hair as her head flops to the bed first in pleasure. Despite loosening, she desperately holds herself with the rest of the female artist's body, not wanting to leave without feeling her son's climax.

Inhaling sharply, Daniel realizes he doesn't have much time as he hears Anne's frantic whimpers. He can't dwell too much on their circumstances as he fastens his hips.

"I'm going to cum soon! Mary...Anne!"

"Ungh...love...c-cum..."

"Daniel...hurry~"

With their half-acknowledgments, dazed from their split but still enjoying the artist's thrusts, Daniel does one last slam and holds himself against their ass.

Splurt! Splurt!

"A-aah! I...feel it! My baby's cum! It's so hot!"

"Love, it's...been too long!"

Feeling their shared boyfriend's release, they both take a shaky breath. With a cry, Mary collapses beside Anne's head, giving the slime an easier time to remain connected as they come down from pleasure.

Equally exhausted, Daniel follows them, wrapping his arms around their waist and resting on their back as his cock grows limp in their still-tight entrance.

While catching their breath, Anne naturally recovers first as she is no longer bound to breathe through Mary. Mentally though, she's just as drained as she turns her head to look at her compatible host. The two stare at each other without another word, then draw their lips together in warm celebration.

Their union, however short, was well worth it.

"So, you guys lost your form from the release?"

After recovering from their quick, but intense bout, Daniel is lying on his back with Anne and Mary completely separated and hugging him on each side.

"I wasn't prepared," Anne grumbles with annoyance. "Having an orgasm felt like a jolt to my body that made it hard for me to stick to Mary."

"At least it felt good, right?" the mentioned artist asks.

Anne hums and leans over to kiss her son on the cheek. "Yes! Mama wished it lasted longer, but we'll have more chances...right, Mary?"

"Of course!" Mary answers, joining in on kissing him on the other side.

Daniel turns beet red as he's sandwiched by the two's love. Not to let himself remain the one-sided subject, he turns his head to both of them and pecks them on the lips.

Hugging them closer as they squirm with joy, he exhales with his eyes closed. "That chance will have to come later. It's going to get late soon and Mary has some clients coming over tomorrow. Not to mention, I have to finish the Stonehenge painting."

The female artist sighs. "Sadly, it seems we're both busy. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind staying as Marianne."

"Well not too much. I'd like to see you as you."

Mary smiles as she snuggles her head across her friend's shoulder. "That's sweet, love. Of course, I want to also spend some time with you alone, but I already miss the feeling of becoming your mother."

Daniel coughs. "That's um...I'd prefer if you didn't get too used to it. I'd like someone who's more normal in my life."

At this, Mary raises one eyebrow and smirks.

"Okay, somewhat normal," Daniel corrects.

"Being normal is overrated! World is already crazier than when Amy was alive." Anne objects with a huff.

"Don't worry, we're of the same mind, love," Mary agrees, winking.

Anne pauses, then grins. "There's no need to layer it on, Mary."

Daniel suppresses a groan and pulls up, deciding it's time to head out before the word exchange goes deeper.

"Let's get going, mom."

Anne's lips purse for a bit before she nods reluctantly. "Well, here's to another day with no taste or feeling."

As Daniel leaves the bed, the female artist rests her hand on the slime mother's shoulder. "Don't worry and be patient. I'll try to come by tomorrow evening."

"R-really?"

"No promises, but I'll work it out with Daniel if I'm free. Actually, he bought you a phone, right?"

"I'll send you her number once I get it set up," Daniel promises while grabbing his pants in the kitchen across.

"Thank you, love!" she calls back through the doorway before returning her attention to the slime girl. "Once that's done, you can call me anytime, okay?"

Anne smiles appreciatively. They lean close and kiss before the slime grabs the clothes they, as Marianne, brought with them from the studio.

Quickly changed, Daniel pops back into the bedroom with a medium box in his hand. Settling near Mary, he hands it to her. "By the way, I got this for you. It's just a little something as thanks for supporting me and Anne."

The female artist's eyes soften. "Love, you didn't need to. In fact, just being able to try again with you is enough."

"Come on, let's not go back and forth on this. I actually think it'll match your modern, whitish decor you have here!"

Mary tilts her head, then opens it. Neatly packaged is a small white vase that's shaped in the form of a snow owl. It seemed like it could easily fit on her few shelves as a holder for flowers or simply on its own.

She hums, nodding to herself. "Huh, interesting. Well, I'll gladly take it then!"

Daniel chuckles at her quick acceptance and leans forward, kissing her one last time before breaking apart.

"Also, just checking again but...you're okay, right?"

Mary nods firmly. "Yes, I'm fine, love. You don't need to ask again. I'm all good mentally too! Although I can recall stuff from Anne, it's pretty fuzzy...almost like a dream."

With some reassurance, Daniel lifts up from the bed. "Just let me know if anything changes, okay?"

"Will do, love. I'll talk to you tomorrow...and don't forget the cake!"

"I'll leave half for you."

"Don't...ugh, fine!"

With their goodbyes, Anne and Daniel depart, leaving the dark artist alone. Despite the party being gone and feeling tired, she feels happier than she's ever been. Knowing she can't laze around in bed, she shuffles out of her bedsheets, but...

"Huh?"

She feels a dampness sliding across her chest from the part that she's clinging to her chest. Lifting the fabric, her eyes widen to see two wet spots that can only have been sourced from her chest. Sure enough, she sees her nipples slowly dribbling with sweetness.

"W-why am I..."

'Daniel? Is the thunder too loud? It's okay, my star. You can come to bed with mama-"

Mary grabs her head, grunting and shutting down some memories that hit her with rock-smashing clarity. It's unknown why she's recalling memories from Amy, especially when she's already separated from Anne.

She gulps and laughs dryly to herself. "I think I've...spoke too soon."

Chapter 37: A Sinking Embrace

Chapter Text

Arriving home, Daniel flops onto his bed. With errands, a surprise fusion, and now finding himself in a dual relationship with two girls that make up said fusion, his exhaustion over the events is an understatement.

Anne peeks into the room and blinks a few times. "Are you...upset?"

He sighs and lifts his head towards the guilt-ridden slime. "Not upset, just...tired."

Anne lowers her eyes. "Mama has been causing you much trouble, hasn't she?"

"Yep."

"N-no hesitation at all! F-fine then! I...I'll just go live with Mary and then-"

Daniel erupts with a chuckle as he sits up. "Mom, I kid. Obviously I can't tell you to stop discovering yourself. That's probably harder when Mary's around as she's...well, less reserved than I am."

At that, Anne relaxes and stifles a giggle. "I somehow understand why you weren't able to keep up with her."

"Exactly, she loves to try new things. Still, time away and you have made me realize how much I missed those ideas of her."

"Me?"

"Well, yeah. You're pretty wild too."

Anne lifts her chin. "Mama will take that as a compliment!"

The artist smiles lightly before contemplating. "I guess I just need more time to process how fast things are moving. Like, I've never thought I'd get back with Mary again, much less with any artist under these circumstances, yet here I am."

"Well, mama will do her best to support you and her!" Anne declares, bringing her hands to her chest. "Also, no need to worry about me if you want to go out on dates. After all, it's important to maintain a healthy relationship!"

Daniel stares blankly, then his lips curl, amused. "This is healthy? Having a relationship with you and Mary at the same time?"

Anne freezes and fakes a cough. "I-it's all...perspective, okay?"

"Really? So what would my mom think?"

"You mean Amy? Er..."

Anne fidgets before dropping her head and speaking honestly, "She'd think you're crazy."

"Yeah, I figured," Daniel says with a snort. "But obviously you don't, right?"

"Mama has no high ground given our relationship."

"Apt conclusion."

Standing up, Daniel breathes out and stretches. "Alright, I'll stop worrying then! Let's get your phone set up and then, I'm going to try to get some work done!"

Anne widens her eyes. "Wait, really? Are you sure you want to work?"

"I'll feel better if I'm a little productive, even if the day is nearly gone."

The slime claps her hands. "Then, as your assistant, mama will help!"

With that enthusiasm, the rest of the evening continues with a little more focus. Somehow, Daniel manages to get a few hours of painting done. He thought his slime mother would spend time exploring her new phone after activation, but she left it be to join him in painting.

With nothing but the sound of brush strokes filling the studio, the artist feels more relaxed already, making him glad to give himself time to pretend everything is normal.

It's also been surprisingly productive as he stares at the Stonehenge painting. With the third layer completed, he feels pleased. Beyond some likely touch-ups that will occur after giving his mind a break, it's more or less ready for review by the client to see if his vision can be enjoyed.

Speaking of, he received a text earlier from Lecia's secretary that the president will be busy. With no rush in mind, he replies to her secretary.

The painting is pretty much near completion. Let Ms. Bowden know whenever she has time that she can come in person to see it.

He takes a snapshot of the canvas, then hits send. With that, he turns his head towards the motherly assistant. She's already completed a portrait in his closet that he had waiting to be touched on and now leisurely starting another painting of her own.

Daniel shakes his head to himself. 'Her speed is insane.'

While her learning and mental capacity might be like that of a machine, she's definitely biological in nature. That may seem like an obvious statement, but it hits home for Daniel to see how she could fuse with Mary, sharing her mind and body so effortlessly.

Disregarding why that is, less he worries, he looks at what she's painting with black and dark blue pastes. It seems like some kind of medallion or fancy floor arrangement.

She seems pretty zoned in, so he feels terrible disrupting her as he steps behind. "I'm sorry, mom, but...what is that?"

"Huh? Oh! This is...something that struck me from Mary's memories."

"Something she painted?"

Anne shakes her head. "No, from her uncle."

Daniel lifts his brows as he remembers. "Oh yeah! Mary had mentioned him to me early on in college. Never met him personally, but I heard he's into occult drawings and myths. Weird but funny guy, according to her."

"Maybe. Out of all the memories we shared, most of which are fuzzy now, somehow a memory of Mary watching her uncle's various art is the most clear to me. Maybe it's because it's one of the stranger memories or..."

"Or...?" Daniel urges, intrigued.

Anne places her brush down and shrugs. "...or it's nothing!"

Daniel slumps, desiring a better conclusion than that. Sighing, he places his hands on her shoulders.

"Come on, mom. If it strikes you, then maybe it's important. We can't discount myths or weird occult phenomena anymore with your existence."

Anne leans her head against his arm. "I'm sorry. Mama wishes she had more to say, but right now, it's just a feeling, and not particularly strong one either unlike the times before. I just thought it would be interesting to draw it while it's clear in my head."

Daniel snorts and bends down to kiss the said head. "Well, maybe we'll ask Mary about it later. I'm ready for bed. How about you?"

The slime's eyes brighten, and she tilts her body more to meet her son's eyes. "Ooh! Do you want to sleep inside mama?"

The artist blinks a few times before grinning. "Actually, I do."

Anne pauses at his willingness, then narrows her eyes. "This is about that dream you had, isn't it?"

"Well, I did say it might be related to you."

Anne sighs and stands up. Before Daniel can react, she hugs him tightly.

"Maybe we should sleep together normally then."

"Mom..."

"I'm a little worried, Daniel," Anne admits, frowning. "I love you so much and I say that not just as your mother! I..."

She lowers her head before continuing, "I want to know more about myself as well, but at the same time, I don't want to lose myself. Amy is apart of me and now a little of Mary is too. I cherish these emotions and memories that connect me to you. So, the last thing I want is something that is irrelevant to us to...break us apart."

Daniel's eyes tighten, hearing his slime mother's fear. Wrapping his arms around her frame, he holds her tightly.

"Mom-no, Anne, my mother may have brought you to me, but I don't need her or Mary to connect with you, so you don't need to be afraid. I enjoy you for who you are, not because of outside connections."

The slime sighs and pulls away, smiling weakly. "I figured you would say that. Still..."

She shakes off her worry and harrumphs. "Don't you disregard my motherly side, mister!"

Daniel chuckles and squeezes her closer, appreciating the coolness of her body more. "Of course, mom."

"Is my baby ready?"

"Er...yes," Daniel replies from his bed, naked and curled up with his mother holding him from behind. As embarrassing as this feels to him, it's the better position if he's going back into her.

He shivers as she leans forward to kiss his neck. With her soft chest pushing against his back, he grows erect.

"Hehe, excited are we?"

"H-how can I not be?"

Anne sighs sadly. "If only I could feel you. Suddenly having my sensations taken away makes it more unbearable, you know? If I knew it'd end up like this, I wouldn't have merged with Mary."

"Well, give it time."

"You said that before!" Anne grumbles before widening her eyes with a gasp. "Or maybe...I can fuse with you! Do you want to try becoming one with mama?"

Daniel's heart skips a beat. "T-that's um..."

"We can take it slow," Anne suggests softly and rubs his chest, pulling him closer. "I'm not saying to mentally combine or anything, but...perhaps maybe we can experience a pleasure together?"

Her son gulps. "I..."

He's tempted but also afraid. Seeing that, Anne guides him slowly. "Here, give me your hand. You're going inside me anyways, right? Let me show you how I connected with Mary...if I can, that is."

Daniel nods, allowing her to slide her hand over his. Stretching it out, he watches as her skin opens up and, like paper, wraps over his fingers, one by one.

At first, it feels like wearing a gel-lined glove, but then, to his shock, the sensation disappears without warning.

"Easy, sweetie," Anne coos, "It doesn't hurt, right?"

Daniel flexes his hands, feeling nothing odd besides that her arm is connected to him at the wrist.

"Now relax for mama, okay?"

Daniel does so as Anne brings their combined hand to his face. Feeling his fingers move on their own is strange. As soon as his palm hits his cheek, he feels it as nothing more than rubbing his face.

For Anne, it makes all the difference as she gasps with a sudden choke. "My...star! I can finally feel...!"

Daniel's eyes open more as he hears his astronomer mother's favorite term. "Mom?"

Anne blinks a few times. "Ah! Sorry, that slipped! I...I know that's something only Amy would-"

"It's alright. Hearing that surprised me, that's all."

Anne grumbles. "No, mama prefers calling you my baby. I guess maybe...the Amy in me is excited as well to finally feel you."

Daniel reddens further at her words, but he's happy to see that Amy's influence is there. Not to let him dwell too much, he clears his throat. "While this is nice for you, it's odd for me since it feels like I'm only touching my face."

"Oh! I might've connected too deeply then. Here, let me...there!"

Daniel feels the sensation of her gel-lining structure returning. He would've thought there would be slight pain or "bubbling" from his skin, but it seems she can interact seamlessly with others. The only difference, as Anne caresses his face, is that he can still feel his face from her lining!

"This is...kinda weird. It feels like I've grown a second skin."

"Hehe, you have! Well, this is how it was with Mary in the beginning. I was just a second skin for her so we could pretend we were convincingly conjoined twins."

"Huh."

"That was her idea, by the way...well, I kind of took it to the next level, but still."

"Can't say I'm surprised."

"So, may I continue?" she prompts sweetly.

With a taste of his mother's ability, Daniel nods slowly.

With his consent, the slime mother tries to hold in her excitement as she slowly envelops him. Starting with their combined hand, her arm hollows and opens up, sliding over his.

The sensation is pretty comfortable as Daniel feels her cells cushioning his body more thoroughly than being surrounded in her "womb".

Shlip...Slick...

Her slime makes tiny, wet noises as she works him inside. Before long, his legs become covered, and with it...

Shlick!

...Daniel's manhood with his erect sensation is shared with Anne. In response, she squeaks with surprise. She wasn't sure what to expect connecting with a male, much less her son; that said, his lower desire sent a jolt to her cells that wasn't unwelcomed.

"U-ugh...ha...haa..."

Daniel becomes worried as she hears his slime mother breathing hard, despite not being fully attached to his lungs. He shuts an eye and stifles a grunt, feeling her lining wriggling around his member.

"M-mom? A-are you okay?"

"It's...so strange, yet...lovely! Ha...what if I...?"

As she draws to silence, her lining's grip on his shaft tightens, causing both of them to groan. Anne lurches back, moaning.

"M-mom!? Ungh!"

"A-aah! My poor baby! Is this how you've always felt?"

"N-not always! L-loosen up!"

Anne shuts her eyes tightly and grunts. "No, I don't want to! It feels...so good! Mama needs to...relieve us!"

Daniel groans as his cock twitches uncontrollably to Anne's rippling lining. With it, he curls in more, trying to hold back.

"I-it's alright, Daniel," she tries to reassure with an unsteady voice. "L-let mama...handle it."

Her son swallows as his throat tries, then relaxes, allowing the slime mother to take control of their hand, then wrap fingers around their cock.

"M-mom..."

"Oh sweetie," Anne whispers into his ears, pressing his lips against his neck. "Yes, you're...nearly mine! Mama must take care of you more from now on!"

Their hands begin stroking. Daniel pants with it while Anne keeps her sweet kisses on him from behind. The double attack makes it hard for the artist to focus.

"Oh, that's it, Daniel! Mama can feel you building up!"

"S-slow down, I'm going to cu-unf!"

His warning ends just as he feels his balls tightening. Anne groans behind him to her own action, her eyes slightly rolling back. She tries to refocus, pressing him closer and causing his back to sink further into her core.

"N-not yet! M-mama won't let you cum so soon!"

"Mooom..."

Shlick! Shlick!

Anne's strokes fasten as her son's remaining upper body descends into her. Before long, her son is a head hanging just above her chest. With complete control of his body, she falls to her backside to face the ceiling.

Her free hand lovingly caresses her groaning son's head as she pushes her hips upward.

"Yes! Cum for mama! Make mama cum!"

"Fuuuck!"

Splurt! Splurt!

White strings fly into the air, falling onto their leg and parts of the bed. Their peak moans and breathing are joined in perfect sync for a few seconds before each break into a different pace.

For a minute, they lay together to glow from their shared pleasure before Daniel has difficulty keeping his eyes open, surrounded by her soft body and tiring from his ejaculation.

Seeing this, Anne giggles softly and brushes through his hair. She leans forward to kiss his forehead.

"My sweet, artistic boy! Yes, mama will tuck you in, okay? Hopefully, we can dream together one day."

Daniel closes his eyes and lets out a comforting sigh as he slowly sinks into her depths...

Depths far greater than he can imagine.

Chapter 38: The Silver Slime

Chapter Text

"Puah!"

Daniel lets out a sharp gasp as he reaches the shore of the lake, the same one he had been dragged down into before. Diving into Anne had been peaceful, but his transition into the lake was unexpected.

He coughs for a bit, more of a psychological response than anything since no water enters him. The sensation is strange, reminding him just how equally strange this place is.

After recovering, he lifts his head straight to find the same plain grasslands surrounding him. Although his memory is vague, he does recall it's been a largely empty yet calm environment.

Well, up until he met that silver being.

"So, this really is a thing," Daniel murmurs, having wished that this place, or whatever it is, wasn't related to Anne. Sadly, it seems his dear slime mother has grown more complicated than he thought.

Sighing, he stands up and shakes himself off the water. The wind that blows helps to dry him off while sending his bare body slight chills.

'Why do I have to be naked here anyways?'

Obviously, imagining himself with clothes doesn't work. As far as he knows, there's barely anything he can control here while his real body remains in Anne.

Speaking of which, he turns back to the waters behind him, reminded that he could see Anne's perspective if he focused for a little bit.

Indeed, a wavy image fades in according to his line of sight. It shows his slime mother in the dark, rubbing her now greatly enlarged belly that takes up most of his bed.

"Hehe...he's already asleep! My baby~"

Normally, he'd be embarrassed by her words, but he finds himself smiling and shaking his head instead. Perhaps he's getting used to his slime mother's usual, warm behavior.

Breaking away from the lake's image, he scans the area with more scrutiny. His first goal is to confirm whether this "dream" is related to his slime mother. That answer is yes, but it's still unclear why. The other is to find out more about that mysterious silver-haired woman that pulled him under and how, if any, she relates to Anne.

He's a little afraid, given how the woman captured him with an unsettling hold...well, multiple holds, but he doesn't remember her harming him...at least in a painful way.

Pausing, he curls his lips to the side. 'This is a bad idea, isn't it?'

Not knowing how to let Anne know to wake him, he regrets not setting a time limit inside of her. For now, he just has to hope for the best. With that in mind, he takes a deep breath and shouts into the distance.

"Hello?! Miss silver lady?"

'This is really a bad idea.'

Despite the reinforcement, his voice carries through the distance. Part of him half-expect hands from the lake to come out and pull him under again. Afraid of the prospect, he distances himself from the shore.

Without a response or reaction, he calls out again, "Can we talk? Hello?"

Once again, nothing. After repeating his call for a few minutes, Daniel is about to give up and maybe risk going back into the lake but then sees something in the distance.

'Hold on, is that...another lake?'

About a mile away, there is another body of water. Daniel isn't sure whether it was there before or he forgot about it, but with nothing happening around him, he makes his way toward it, hoping to find answers.

After fifteen minutes, or so Daniel thinks since he's not sure how the flow of time works here, he reaches the lake. As he moves in close enough to hear the tiny water ripples, various voices mix in.

'Oh love, you're hitting the right spot...ah...ah!'

'What a wonderful piece! I can't wait to add this to my collection!'

'Darling, are you sure you want to study overseas? What's wrong with the art colleges here?'

'Daniel, I know this is forward, but...can we...try getting back together? No, no...I can't say it like that to him. Ugh! Why is this so difficult?'

'Oh dear, you just add a pinch of salt and spread a little pepp-'

'Mom, I need specifics! What do you mean by these vague measurements!'

The voices continue, all in no specific order and at random. It's difficult to focus with the noise, but Daniel recognizes they all seem related to Mary. He can even hear himself in some of them.

As he steps closer, the overlapping conversations become louder and unbearable in his mind, so he tries to close his ears but to no avail. Regardless of how these records spill from this lake, it's certainly not passing through him by sound.

With no other recourse to prevent a splitting headache, the artist is about to leave the area but freezes upon catching sight of a pale nude female on top of a boulder. A wind brushes through the stranger's silver hair as she remains fixed on the receding waters, seemingly unperturbed by the voices within.

'That's...her!'

Or at least, Daniel thinks so. He only remembers that his former captor had silver hair and a gooey body, similar to Anne. That said, if she's anything like his slime mother, she could have changed herself to look more human.

So, as annoying as the voices are, he has no choice but to come closer. With a gulp, he edges near, wondering how this woman is faring under such an environment. His face flushes at one point, hearing Mary's moans when they made love together during college.

He clears his throat, trying his best to ignore the racket. "E-excuse me? Are you-"

The girl flinches, then gasps before he can finish. Suddenly, all the noises of the lake cease. The abrupt reversion causes Daniel to pause and hold his breath. Before he can recover, the lady is about to turn to him but slips further down. She waves her arms in panic.

"Uwah!!"

Failing to keep her sitting, she finally slips off the edge of the rock. The soft thud of her body hitting the sand below adds to the light ripples of the lake.

The artist has to blink a few times, wondering already if this is the same ethereal being that creepily subdued him the first time. In any case, he shakes out of his stupor and quickly runs to assist.

"Hey! Are you alright...?"

Coming around the rock, his voice quickly changes to surprise as he sees the silver-haired girl's face for the first time. Instead of looking hurt, she's already glaring at him while partially melted in some areas. Her underlying shiny and metallic nature is revealed, which adds to the belief she's the same person from before.

'Oh no, she's cute!' Daniel thinks with sweat, taking in her silver eyes and jagged bangs with curl mixes. Then, his eyes follow her ample chest and thin waistline before he retreats back to make eye contact. Before he can open his mouth, though, the girl sucks in.

"Hmph!"

With a pout, she smooths out, further emphasizing his thoughts. The various metallic goo that spilled disappears into her hair and skin, returning her to look more human.

Daniel stares at her in wonder before shaking himself awake, then rubs his neck. "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to-"

He stops himself, then furrows his brows and growls. "No, wait! You're the one who attacked me before, aren't you?!"

There's no reason to be apologetic for disrupting her dubiously peaceful stage, considering she did far worse, assaulting him when he least expected.

Still, her silver eyes bore into him for a moment as she maintained her firm expression before relaxing. She looks away shamefully.

"I...was wrong, child. I was excited then to meet you for the first time since I'm all alone here. I'm more upset that I displayed such an embarrassing fumble."

Daniel blinks a few times, taking in her soothing, motherly voice. Like the last time he remembers her speaking, there's an odd overlapping tone reverberating into his mind. He finds it a little strange, considering she's talking with her mouth.

Unable to remain upset, he sighs and offers his hand. "Well, um...I didn't see anything."

"Really?" she asks, narrowing her eyes as she accepts his assistance.

"Yes, really. It's nice to properly meet you, miss...um...?"

As the girl pulls herself up, using the artist as leverage, she hums pleasantly and shakes away some sand. There should be more, especially in her hair, but it seems to have vanished...

...or dissolved, if she's anything like Anne.

"You can call me Viviane, child."

Daniel widens his eyes, recalling that name mentioned by Anne before: 'One was a name - Viviane, I think, by some hooded person at Stonehenge.'

Before he could question further, Viviane giggles.

"But, I'd prefer if you would call me mommy~" she adds with a wink.

Chapter 39: A Lost Mother

Chapter Text

For Viviane, it was always the same hell, over and over again.

She would stare into a basket washed onto her shores. These were grey waters that she could not escape from, but worse, she could not escape the cries of a long-lost child in the misty air.

She was lost as well.

The cries haunted her, but their meaning had deteriorated ages ago. Her dead eyes could only watch the basket row slightly as it tried to reach land, only to be pulled back by the small recedes of the lake's shore.

No matter where she looked, the child she desperately wanted to save never came. Only its cries for its mother echoed through — one she may have failed to be.

Regardless of her effort, nothing changed. She'd always end up at the same lake. The emptied basket of an abandoned child would always be there by the shore even after taking it. It would disappear from her hand when she wasn't looking and then return to its place on the water.

Was it a child she failed to protect? She didn't know anymore, but that didn't stop its cries for her ignorance. No matter what, it always caused her grief.

But something changed one day. The cries ceased, and the basket was gone. After living in a repeated cycle of maternal torment, this silence was arguably worse. At least somewhere out there, her child was alive. Now, the calm just fermented her failure as a mother.

But she could not wallow in suffering over this loss because a green fire burned on the surface in the lake's center. Defying any odds of dying, Viviane allowed the flame to reflect in her eyes and return some light to them.

As she watched the flame crackle, whispers full of heart but unknown words drove her near. She could hardly pay heed to them as her feet grazed the water's surface like a feather, unwilling to sink into its depths.

Her cold body absorbed the warmth she had long forgotten as the green fire flared higher to her approach. After basking in its heat, she reached out to touch the surface of its energy.

To her surprise, the flame was cool to the touch. How could a fire provide heat and seem alive yet remain cold?

If she could remember the past, there might've been an explanation, but she lost such knowledge; however, knowing that this punishing prison had taken a turn, she had to make the most of it.

Lifting her arm, she reverted to her silver malleable nature and allowed some of her mass to drip down along her arm, building a silver ball into her hand. Once enough was accumulated, she let it separate from herself and threw it into the fire. Given the cool temperature, she expected nothing to happen with her little test, but only a moment later, the fire grew brighter. She could not believe her eyes as the piece of herself changed colors within. There's no mistake to its freedom as she felt that mass severed from her psyche and a slight sting to her body.

"Wha-"

Before she could fully express herself, the flame shot upward and roared into the sky while the water beneath began to boil, causing her to step back in haste. She returned her gaze to the fire, only to see that the mass she had thrown in was gone. Did it burn away?

She hesitated in throwing herself in, but the flame stretched outward in her direction before she could decide. Unable to react fast enough, she gasped as the fire engulfed her and sucked her to its center with unnatural wind force. She had no time to digest the flame's intent as her world shook. Everything then crumbled as the energy snuffed itself into the depths of the waters and her along with it.

"...after that, I thought I was reborn as your mother. I did my best to raise you, but all of that ended up being a beautiful lie. However...everything's fine now! I'm finally able talk to you and hold you like this."

"Mmh..."

"Hehe, were you even listening? Mommy's milk is good, isn't it?"

'It's so...wait.'

Daniel snap-opens his eyes to see soft, pale valleys while sweet milk flows into his mouth, unlike anything he had tasted before. With his upper body gently held against the silver-haired beauty as she nurses him, he eventually comes to his senses and unlatches, tilting his head at the wanting mother's warm gaze.

'How did I end up here?!'

As his mind reels from the sudden change, Viviane giggles once more, then draws her thumb to the corner of his lips to wipe some lingering sweetness. "Is something the matter, child?"

Daniel breathes in, flushing red. "N-no, wait just a minute!"

Recovering his voice after her milk finishes traveling down his throat, Daniel hastily retreats from the silver beauty, much to her chagrin. He manages to realign himself back against the fine grains of the sand until he's sitting on his knees, facing his unexpected nurturer.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand for good measure in case there's any milk left. The sweetness of Viviane's breastmilk still lingers on his tongue, maintaining his temperature at the thought of having suckled her ample chest. "U-um...w-why were you nursing me?"

Viviane blinks, cocking her head. "Why, you say? Isn't it a mother's responsibility to feed her child? Besides, you're the one who drew to me while you were resting on my lap."

Daniel holds his breath and covers his mouth. He last recalls her playful 'mommy' suggestion. Of course, he didn't think she was serious and dismissed it, but then...

"Well, I understand that it may seem sudden to you. Then, in return to telling you what I remember, will you lie on my lap?"

It was a strange request, but he complied. If he really did subconsciously latch on during the silver slime's story, he might have allowed Anne's nursing routine to affect him more than he thought...or was it something due to this woman's maternal aura?

"Hehe, child, you are too cute! It's no big deal, you know?"

Daniel remains flushed for a little longer before he tries to put it past. "A-anyways, I heard your story. Are you saying you were...summoned?"

Viviane's grin fades. She twists her lips to the side before humming. "It does sound like it since this place differs from my prison before, but it's hard to know. After all, I'm here within Anne instead of out there where I should be with you."

Daniel blinks a few times, then lowers his gaze, unsure how to feel about her affection. From what it sounds like, she endured the same assimilation of Amy's memories as Anne. Further, the piece of herself that she sent into the green flames must be...

"And that piece of yourself...became Anne?"

Viviane lowers her gaze with a bitter smile. "Yes, it seems that way, doesn't it? Anne and I are connected. I don't even need to observe from her lake to know what's happening. Everything she feels and sees gets relayed to me all the time."

Her hands grip her knees as she struggles to keep her lips up. "Her love for you, the fun you two have experienced thus far, and her development is truly wonderful. I...I'm happy to see that a part of me is there for my child, even when I'm not able to be there myself."

Daniel breathes slightly, seeing the growing pain in her eyes. "Viviane..."

She could've stopped there, but cracks within the silver beauty appear as her smile falters, unable to reign in her emotions. She covers her face, trying to hold out as she had before for ages, but she can't hold back with her child finally in front of her.

"...But isn't this...unfair? When I died as Amy, I thought I had abandoned you, just as I had abandoned myself and a child I no longer remember. Even though a part of me was there for you, why...can't I be with you too? Why am I always trapped? Maybe Anne exists because I've done something-"

"Viviane, stop!"

Daniel reaches over to grab her shoulders, unwilling to listen anymore. His shake loosens her hands from her face as she stares at her son with wide-contracted eyes. Such expression mirrors the only time he can remember Amy broke down in front of him, having to confess that her cancer was terminal.

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I've...failed you, sweetie. I didn't want to worry you! I was certain that I could fight the spread. Please, I..."

He could never forget that helpless expression from his usually strong mother, and worse, he couldn't suppress his anger at her for trying so damn hard alone. Now, this silver girl is showing the same, but she never had anyone for ages to help her, unlike Amy. Regardless of her past and how she is connected to Anne and Amy, he can't allow such a sight to continue in front of him.

"Viviane, aren't you here with me now?"

"I..."

Daniel shuts his eyes and forces himself to pull her closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as her head presses against his chest. He can feel her shaking slowly diminishing.

Although there's much to know and this girl is new to him, he can't ignore that Viviane has been with him through Anne this whole time. She carries the same burdens and memories of his astronomer mother as his blue slime mother does.

"Viviane, even if it was an accident, you changed my life with Anne! As I understand now, you're also my mother. It'd be wrong to say otherwise."

The silver beauty breathes in and slowly wraps her arms around his waist, squeezing him. Daniel looks up to the sky with a crooked smile as she recovers.

'How am I going to even explain this to Anne?'

After some time, Viviane loosens her grip, and Daniel does the same. She looks away, ashamed.

"Child, I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I didn't mean to show you such an ugly side."

Daniel snorts. "It's alright, but I'm not calling you 'mommy', understand?"

Viviane's face brightens with a tiny smirk. "I expected as such, but I still find the term endearing. If Anne can call herself mama, I'll certainly be your mommy~"

"That's um...well, I can't stop you if that's how you want to go about it."

The silver girl raises her brow and drags her finger across his chest with a smooth hum. "Such a flexible child! Now, you'll let me hold you again, won't you? We have much to catch up."

Later, Daniel finds himself returning to suckle Viviane's breasts. More aware, he indulges himself into her soft membrane, sliding his tongue across her dripping nipple while his cock grows erect. There's no reaction from his second mother, making him wonder if she lacks the same senses as Anne. That's less important, remembering another mystery near them.

"What are these lakes, by the way?" he asks, unlatching to look up at her for a moment.

Viviane's warm gaze moves away to face the lake she had been listening to. With a hum, she takes her time to explain.

"Pools...of knowledge, I suppose."

"Huh?"

Returning her attention, Viviane brushes through his hair and presses his face back into her chest to feed before continuing. "This whole realm can be thought of as Anne's inner space. While it's unknown why I ended up here as part of my lesser half, I've learned these waters represent memories and knowledge that she has consumed."

Daniel widens his eyes. He wants to say something, but the silver mother already knows his thoughts. "Hehe, as you might have heard, this new lake appeared after Anne merged with Mary. It's chaotic right now compared to Anne's lake which extends from Amy, but with enough time, Mary's lake should calm. I'm eager to submerge myself into your girlfriend to learn more about her."

'That's uh...'

The artist has no idea how to respond. Taking her word, he wonders why Anne mentioned Mary's memories are fuzzy to her? Shouldn't it be as transparent as Amy's memories?

His line of thinking breaks when he feels a hand brush over his member. He's not entirely surprised by the progress, but when his eyes travel down his body, he nearly chokes on the silver mother's tit.

Instead of Viviane's hand, he sees a clone of her staring at him mischievously. The clone speaks as his hair is brushed through by the original. "Don't be alarmed, child. Since you're here, I may as well show you something special~"

"Mmgh?!"

He blinks a few times to ensure he's not crazy, but the clone is still there, enjoying his reaction. He then snaps his sight back to the mother above, who closes her eyes with a teeter. "It's okay, child. I've told you I can separate myself, haven't I?"

'Not like this!' Daniel screams in his head.

"But," the clone continues, "Splitting once and maintaining two separated forms is my limit. Since this is a special occasion and we're currently limited in seeing each other, I have to do my best to bring our own unique set of memories together."

Too stunned to keep suckling, milk leaks from the corner of Daniel's lips. Only when he feels the silver mother's hand urge him on, he resumes nursing with a large gulp while Viviane's clone lowers herself on to his crotch. His body twitches as she slides her tongue from his tightened balls up to the tip of his member.

While holding out against this envelopment, the Viviane above him hums a tune into his ears — a comforting song he can remember from Amy when he was young. Such warm love clashes against the lewd, slurping noise of the clone as she engulfs his shaft, letting her face melt into his crotch to suck his member as deeply as she can.

"Vi...I...ungh...!?"

Daniel's mind melts like the clone on his crotch, failing to tell Viviane to slow down against the wave of pleasure overcoming him. His mouth eventually pops off her nipple, unable to keep suckling with the intense charge of his member sending shocks to his system.

Shlurp! Shlurp!

While in his daze, Viviane lifts his head closer to her face and hums, gliding her hand across his cheek. "I love you so much, child. You've given me so much hope...mmm~"

The silver slime locks her mouth against his, twirling her tongue around his lips to absorb any leftover milk around. Meanwhile, the artist can only focus on breathing as he fails to muster strength to defend from being eaten up. His pupils eventually lift up as he quivers to the double engagement to his body. Such stimulation proves impossible for him to hold out against as he ejaculates into the clone's face, who jiggles with delight.

Slurp, Slurp!

The clone continues to clean up, and after sensing little cum to receive, she reforms her face, snapping off from her son's crotch. With a low chuckle, her body melts before Daniel's eyes, receding into a metallic puddle that sneaks back around. Although her son couldn't see, the mass that sucked him off returned to the original, easily slipping into her back and returning to its pale skin color.

"That was delicious, child," she says, breaking away with a draw of saliva between them.

Daniel can hardly respond, breathing hard. With his libido falling, his eyes close. A cool breeze brushes through his hair as Viviane lightly massages the back of his head.

A few more kisses are exchanged before Daniel falls into a deep slumber. His body grows faded as he leaves the realm to return to his first mother. As much as it pains her to see him go, Viviane feels better now, knowing their time together will return.

"Sweet awakenings, my child," she whispers into his ear before his presence completely empties off her lap.

His leaving is still bitter, but Viviane feels lighter than ever before. Standing up, she faces the lake and raises her hand out. Now, she feels more determined than ever to continue her examination of her son's girlfriend.

The memories of Mary start to echo out of the lake, but within, she knows there's something more to the female artist's engagements.

'Uncle Marlin, what's this strange language near your drawings?'

'Just aesthetics. They hold very little meaning but to draw you in.'

"Lies."

She recalls a book, something she avoided telling her sweet artist. It's all because she didn't want him to become too involved. Although many things are vague, what's clear to her is that Mary's interactions with her uncle reveal much about a language of forbidden power.

One of which may have sealed her. One of which may have betrayed her.

Chapter 40: A Comfy Awakening

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With a groan, Daniel's ears perk to the sounds of sizzling. Along with it comes an air of smoke-flavored sausage and eggs that draws to his nose, urging his mouth to water. He snap-opens his eyes to see himself standing tall before his stove.

The bewildered artist blinks a few times to confirm he's not imagining things before lifting his gaze, catching two soft globes impeding his vision. They also push against his cheeks, jiggling while keeping his head straight.
Holding his breath to prevent the delicious smell below from impeding his thoughts, he grasps his situation. It's validated when he lowers his gaze again to catch a pair of arms flipping sausages and eggs in the pan…except these arms are definitely not his. In fact, he can feel his real arms pinned to his side!

"Oh, you're awake? Hehe, good morning, my baby~"

As Anne sings from above, she lands a kiss on top of his head causing Daniel to release some air in shock. After confirming he can't move at all, surrounded by his mother's squishy cool gel, he thins his lips and closes his eyes concededly.

"Well, um…good morning, mom," he finally greets.

It would seem that instead of being curled up in her belly, his slime mother grew taller to carry him upright. Specifically, he can feel his legs snug inside her own while the rest of his body is fitted into her expanded torso.

"Sorry! You were sleeping so well inside of me that I couldn't bear departing from you! Still, is mama comfy?"

Daniel wiggles a little and hums flatly. "Yep, pretty comfy. Your jelly fat is truly amazing."

"Hey, why do you have to say it like that?! Hmph, you're less shocked than I hoped."

"How can I be surprised anymore? It's clear you can shapeshift any way you want…and around people."

"Well then, I'll need to find new things I can do! It's all for science, you understand?"

Daniel snorts. "Suuure."

Anne giggles, causing the contained artist to smile more. He watches his mother turn off the stove and slide the breakfast to a plate before sitting at the table. As she does, Daniel can feel the bending of his legs match hers.

"I'll admit," Anne begins. "Being this tall is a bit annoying. I had to be careful not to hit any fans and being too high isn't good for my vision. Still, this is worth it! It feels like you've returned to being a child! So cute~"

'Child, huh?' Daniel repeats in his head, reminded of the "dream". Everything remains quite clear from his meeting with Viviane, so he wonders whether telling his slime mother is appropriate now.

"Mama is going to feed you, okay?"

'Eh, I'll explain it later.'

With that decision, he opens up as Anne takes a slice of the scrambled eggs and slides it into his mouth. Being fed like this is a bit embarrassing but…fluffy, just like the eggs she made. However, for his own pride, he can't allow her to take complete control.

"Um, actually, let me eat on my own from here."

Anne halts her readying of another fork and quivers. "Y-you want to leave mama already?"

"That's not going work on me this time, mom. Just give me back my arms, at least."

The slime mother clicks her tongue and accepts the compromise, releasing her son's arms from his sides and allowing them to escape her. Once free, the underlying slime and skin close back up around his shoulders.

While taking his fork from Anne's hand, the slime mother stretches her other arm over to a kitchen drawer to grab a fork for herself. They share the plate in front of them.

Daniel's lips rise slightly as he imagines what they look like now.

"We're pretty horrifying, aren't we?"

"Nonsense!" Anne rejects, taking a bite of her sausage. "A mother's love truly knows no bounds!"

"You mean your love knows no bounds."

"Well, maybe the world would be a better place if all mothers loved their children like I do!"

"Sounds suffocating."

"Don't say that! I'm not saying to be overly-possessive! That's no good."

"Mom, you're literally trapping me."

"This and that are different! Besides…"

Her hand lowers to their shared crotch. Daniel gasps, dropping his fork. Although his member had been encased so far, it now extrudes with her coating, replacing her crotch.

"We enjoy this too," Anne finishes with a purr.

"W-wait," Daniel forces, gulping as his cock swells from her touch. "L-let's finish eating first."

"But we've gotten so hard! I'm already feeling aroused thanks to you, sweetie."

"W-who's fault is that?"

"Hehe~"

After eating, Daniel lets his slime mother have her way as she rests herself on the couch and continues their shared masturbation experience.

Anne moans above him, caressing her cheek with one hand as her other hand strokes his cock…no, their cock, just as she'd done last night.

With her slime cells connected to everything except his arms and head, she savors his build-up, heart, and panted breaths as she carries him close to her.

Very close.

"Haa…Mama…loves you…so much! Unf!"

Anne's sweet moans are genuine this time as she receives her son's pleasures. It's truly music to his ears, spurring the artist's cock further as he joins in. For her sake, he tries to hold on as long as possible.

Shlip! Shlick!

Yet, that remains difficult as her fingers press against his skin exquisitely, rubbing against his shaft like a massage. Further, she secrets a little milk from her hands to act as lube, making it easier for his cock to mold to her desires.

Daniel's eyes roll up, unable to hold on. "M-mom, I'm…"

"C-cum, sweetie! Cum for mama!"

Pumping out, Daniel groans while his mother kisses his head again, stifling her grunts. She tightens herself to enjoy the pressure as long as possible until there's nothing left, all dispersing into her coat that lines across the contours of her son's shaft. Only when her son's semen is dissolved do they breathe out in sync.

"Oh dear. Mama…hah…might become addicted to your body now."

"D-don' t say something so scary."

"Hehe! Mama will take Mary's body then. She won't mind."

Daniel snorts. "The sad part is that I can see that."

They recover for a few minutes in silence afterward. When Daniel's cock is fully limp again, it submerges back into its motherly containment, subsequently returning Anne to looking more female.

"Now, are you thirsty?" Anne asks, sliding her fingers through his hair.

After being fed by Viviane, the thought of drinking more milk makes him sick to the stomach. Even if his interactions with the mysterious mother might be considered "out-of-body", the taste of her sweet milk seems to linger on his tongue.

It wasn't regular cow milk that Anne could reproduce, oddly. That may have been actual "human" breast milk; however, he can't be for sure, considering he hasn't tasted it before. Regardless, it only emphasizes some apparent differences between Viviane and Anne.

Daniel coughs. "Actually, I think we need to discuss my… let's call it 'dream'."

"Oh!"

Anne sits up properly, her eyes twinkling. "Mama is ready! Did you find something stranger about me?"

"Yep."

"Ugh…I was actually hoping otherwise. Okay, how weirder did I get?"

The artist sighs, looking at his shared form with his mother. "Before that, can you let me go? I can't explain this seriously when I'm mashed between your chest."

Anne raises her brows and grins. "Hu hu, I thought you said mama is comfy?"

She squishes her large tits together with a giggle, muffling Daniel's retort. In the end, it takes some time before they separate.

A mother's love is quite hard to unravel sometimes.

 

Notes:

A\N: X-Ray version of the rest of Daniel inside Anne.

Colored Version (X-Ray)
Colored Version (Hidden)

Also, some more art conversions from previous chapters! Rather than revisiting the chapters, I've compiled the drawings here on the My Mom is a Maternal Slime Art CHYOA Thread

Chapter 41: An Account of Resurrection

Chapter Text

"Ah…aah!"

Back in Washington State, Mike's wife, Jessica, shakes on top of her husband as he meets his hips against her swiveling stirs. He first met this wonderful hazel-haired woman as a colleague during their research trip to Mexico to participate in Mayan excavations.

"Oh, Mike!"

She's a beautiful, intelligent woman, and yet…

"Yes! Oh, you're so good, honey!"

...The thrusting archaeologist knows he's done her wrong as he releases into her, his face straining with shame.

Despite trying to wash his colleague-turned-wife with love, Lecia remains in his mind. Regardless of their college feelings, he and his friend had to push past that, and yet, the former archeologist still hung to him. Worse, he accepted her advances again just before leaving for his conference.

Initially, he supported Lecia in her Stonehenge book endeavor with interest in uncovering history, but maybe that was an excuse to keep in contact with her. He thought of leaving the group as doubts over the book's authenticity grew, but now, that has all quieted with the fire and existence of an unknown creature that escaped the pit.

Amidst his troubled thoughts, Jessica drops down with a sigh and relaxes onto his chest, humming contently. With it, Mike forces himself to concentrate back on her, wrapping his arms around her as he kisses her head. In his heart, there's no question that he loves this historian — a natural compliment to the field he enjoys; however, he can't break away from the six years of work done with Lecia either.

He's sure that if he and Lecia had gotten together in college, she would be in his arms instead of Jessica. Even if he agrees only the present matters, the natural search for history always calls them to the past.

As he exhales, Jessica tilts her head up to look at him, her eyes worried.

"Has it been stressful lately?"

Mike puts up a wry smile, rubbing her head. "A little, but you're a wonder in relieving it."

"I'm happy to hear that," Jessica says, melting further into his chest before raising her hand to slide against his stubble. "You should take time off though. I see you locked in your office more than before. Has the university been giving you more research?"

'If only it were the university,' Mike thinks.

Sadly, there's no time off in a volunteer organization where one might've released something otherworldly. He can still remember Lecia's last update:

"You know that cemetery we were at? It turns out one of those graves turned empty. Not even bones and completely clean from the scans we performed. There's not any sign of digging either. We know there was a body buried six years ago, but how can it disappear? It's still too early to jump to conclusions, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

"Mike?"

The archeologist clears his throat, and sliding his hand downward, he rubs her back reassuringly. "No, nothing like that. I…”

As he trails off, he recalls Jessica's previous studies surrounding ancient Egyptian religion before they met. A lot of her focus was covering the funeral rites and burials of kings and queens of Egypt. Although he'd rather not get her involved with the matter of the Stonehenge book, he's curious if she might be aware of similar cases.

"Let me ask you something. This is not really related to anything, but…what can you say of a body disappearing after death?"

Jessica blinks, then hums. "Well, anything dealing with bodies disappearing in history usually involves resurrection. Jesus is a popular example, of course."

"Are you saying there's other examples?"

"Well…There is an interesting conflicting record discovered relating to Cleopatra. It's largely dismissed."

Seeing her eyes shine, eager for her husband to press, Mike snorts and closes his eyes. "I'll bite, go ahead."

"Hehe, since you're asking for it! As you know, most sources say that Cleopatra, the last ruler of Egypt, was buried in a tomb with her lover Mark Antony. We've yet to find it, but most Roman sources point it to existing and that the egyptian queen committed suicide in her tomb before Augustus could prevent it."

"So you're saying there's a record that says otherwise?"

"Well, it sort of extends the records, really. According to a poet that encountered one of Cleopatra's servants, they claim that Cleopatra tricked Augustus, not only by making him think she died of suicide, but also escaping her self-entombment. The poet recorded that, thanks to a deal with the Goddess Isis, she was brought back to life in return to becoming a vessel."

"It sounds like this poet got executed."

Jessica smirks. "You are right on point. The idea of losing his trophy for the war wasn't enough, but recorded as being fooled? One might say that poet was seeking a death wish for willing to write such words in the face of the first emperor. If there's anything that isn't dismissed, it's the author's cause of death."

Mike remains silent for a moment before shaking his head. "How long before this version makes it into a Hollywood movie?"

"I'd give it five years. People like watching beefed up history."

"Like Abe Lincoln as a vampire hunter."

"Hehe, exactly!"

A buzzing of Jessica's phone cuts through their shared chuckle. Reaching the bedstand while keeping close to her husband, she picks it up and swipes. Not long, her lips twist, then part with a sigh as she lifts herself up.

"What's wrong?" Mike asks.

Jessica grabs her bra nearby and starts hooking it back on. "James got a flat on the way back from his friend's house."

James is the eldest of Jessica's sons, whom he treats as his own. At eighteen, the young man is almost ready to leave home for college after the summer.

"Doesn't he know how to change to a spare?"

"Dear, that was the spare. He didn't have time yesterday to go into a shop and now, he can't drive that car safely."

"Seriously?"

Jessica shakes her head. "Honestly, that boy has the worst luck. I'll pick him up. You just relax for now, okay? You're the one who needs more rest now."

Mike wants to protest, but seeing his wife's firm gaze, he backs off and exhales. "Fine."

"Won't be long, okay?"

As she leaves fully changed, Mike stares up at the ceiling.

'The Goddess Isis, huh?'

A maternal goddess originally from Egypt who spread throughout Europe. One who raises and protects kings and queens, even guiding them into the afterlife. Although it seems even more ludicrous than some modern religions in his mind, he's no longer sure of anything. It feels like any myths or legends are fair possibilities now.

And it's all because of a stupid green fire and a creature they have yet to see.

Mike sighs and shuts his eyes. 'Sometimes, I wonder if we're overreacting.'

Chapter 42: Terrifying Anne

Chapter Text

Doom!

As Anne's darkened eyes pour through Daniel unlike anything he's experienced before, the freed artist shrinks in his seat. "Um...m-mom, please calm down."

"You...nursed...from her?"

The slime mother's broken voice sends shivers down the poor artist's spine. Nevertheless, he shakily raises his hands, bearing through an incredible pressure that makes it hard to breathe. "Y-yes, but you must understand! S-she's like, I don't know, a sister-of-sorts to you, I guess? Anyways, I didn't initially plan on letting her nurse me, but it just kind of..."

"Kind of what? Happened? Are you saying mama's milk is not good enough for you?"

Daniel's cheeks sink in a little. "N-no, your milk is the best! Ahaha..."

Anne cocks her head, unblinking. "Really? Then why did you nurse from her?"

"M-mom, please!" Daniel begs, shutting his eyes tightly. "I'm sorry, but there's a reason for it! D-don't be angry yet!"

…

The silence that arrives after his plea is arguably worse, but thankfully, the overbearing pressure fades. Taking that as a good sign, Daniel slowly opens one of his eyes.

He sees that the light has returned to his slime mother's eyes, but now her cheeks are puffed out with quivering lips. How she can go from terrifying to cute so abruptly is a mystery, but no matter, Daniel understands that he needs to reassure her.

"Mom, I-"

Anne stands up from her seat before her son can resume. With a huff, she stomps behind the kitchen counter, lowers her head into the sink, and turns the knob on.

Glug, glug, glug!

With a squeak from the knob, the running water ends. Then, still holding her pout, Anne returns to her seat at the table leaving Daniel stupefied.

Magically, tears trail down from his mother's eyes as she narrows with pain. "How could you do this to mama? You cheater!"

Daniel blinks a few times before slumping in his seat. He breathes out defeatedly with a strained smile. "Mom, I beg you...hear me out."

It takes a bit, but Anne finally settles down to listen further as Daniel relays his time with Viviane. Although upset hearing the fun her son had with this grand mysterious entity within, Anne recognizes her current fortune.

"So...if she hadn't thrown part of herself into that mysterious fire, I might not have existed?"

"To her, it appeared that way, but it's still hard to say for sure without knowing what happened. After all, she was engulfed by the flames too, so why would she be stuck in a different place?"

Anne wriggles her lips, uncertain how to feel if she were truly an accident. Part of her now wishes she hadn't held her baby so close so they might remain ignorant.

No...how could she not keep Daniel close? Unable to resolve such a conundrum, she grits her teeth.

"Even so, she dares to call herself 'mommy'?"

Daniel sweats again before swallowing. "F-for the record, I'm not calling her that."

Light returns once more to Anne's eyes as she harrumphs. "So what now? Is mama not enough for you to need two mothers?"

The artist widens his eyes and leans forward. "Hold on, that's not it at all! In fact, with you and Mary now, I'm not sure how much more I can handle! I just..."

As he trails off, Daniel furrows his brows. He takes a long breath to sort his thoughts out. Once done, he grabs his worried slime mother's hands and gazes firmly into her eyes.

"Mom, believe me, I wish it wasn't like this. You're definitely more than enough! However, you need to meet her to understand why I can't reject her. Just like you, she's assimilated Amy's life and memories. There's obviously more to her than that, but I can't dismiss her connection to you and Amy. If I did, what does that mean for us?"

Anne bites her lips. Even if unexpected, this Viviane is another extension of Amy. If their positions were reversed, she could've been trapped instead, forced to watch her son from afar. The slime mother doesn't want to imagine how it feels to be forever trapped, unable to be with her baby.

Daniel sighs as he takes her silence as understanding. Rubbing his forehead, he continues, "As awkward as it was, it's very clear that she wanted to be there for me like you are now."

"But couldn't," Anne adds, smiling bitterly. "Because I got to you first, right?"

Daniel hums, crossing his arms. "Obviously, I still have reservations on having another mother all of a sudden, but I can't ignore her feelings either."

"Urgh...alright, I get it. I may not like it, but what can we do to help her?"

"That I'm not sure of. For now, let's be mindful and go with the assumption that you're really part of her."

Anne recedes with a frown. "In other words, mama just got more complicated."

Daniel snorts, unable to help but smile a little as he squeezes her hands once more before letting go. "Yes, but I still love you."

Anne's lips curl crookedly to such reassuring words before closing her eyes and coughing. "V-very well, mama will accept your sweet manipulation."

"Ha, you've been far more manipulative."

"In any case!" Anne dismisses as she straightens up in her seat. "I'll reserve further judgment until I can also enter this dream land to meet her. Until then..."

She looks up at the ceiling and huffs. "Do you hear that, Viviane? Even if we're similar, Daniel is still my son! I won't let you have him that easily!"

The artist flinches at the unexpected declaration. He figures that the silver slime is listening somewhere but doesn't dare to imagine how she'd respond.

"Y-you don't have to look anywhere in particular. Just know she's aware of everything you see, hear, and speak."

"Oh...and my thoughts too?"

"Probably."

Anne gasps. "W-what a complete invasion of privacy! I hope not!"

Daniel chuckles. "We'll know for sure once I visit her next time."

"Still, this is quite frustrating," Anne grumbles. "Even if I keep you to myself, you'll end up drifting off to her. Maybe to meet with her, I have to fall asleep as well?"

"Maybe, but you haven't been able to sleep, right?"

"Sadly," Anne answers before shrugging. "But honestly, it isn't bad since I haven't felt tired."

"I am well aware."

The slime mother titters to her son's flat exasperation. "Then, what about Mary? Are you going to tell her about this?"

The artist leans back in his chair, curling his lips. "I planned on doing so after confirming this whole dream wasn't just me, but I'm still worried about getting her in too deep."

Not that she isn't already, especially within Anne.

"You shouldn't worry about that!" Anne growls. "She's not your ex anymore. You two need to start being more honest and open to each other!"

Daniel weakly nods. "You're right, I'm just worried for her. Speaking of, are her memories still fuzzy for you?"

Anne blinks before lifting her chin. "Actually, some memories are becoming clearer to me. This is related to those pools you mentioned?"

"Maybe. When I met her, Viviane was scouring through Mary's memories, but I'm not sure why. She said the lake was chaotic but it would calm down."

"In a way, that makes some sense. It took me a while to organize and process Amy's memories even after assimilating her. Hehe! Soon, you won't be able to hide your past relationship from me!"

"I'm sure you'll know more than that. Talk about an invasion of privacy."

"Hey!" Anne furrows at her son's smirk. "It's not like I knew I'd come away with a copy of her life. Besides, you mustn't hide from your dear mother~"

Daniel shakes his head. "Now that we're on the same page, let's try to focus today and work through more of our backlog, okay?"

Anne narrows her eyes, unwilling to start the day. "You know...I feel like you're not telling me something. What did I just say?"

Daniel sweats a little. "W-what do you mean?"

"Are you sure all she did was nurse you? You did cum inside me last night."

'Oh, shit.'

Daniel didn't mention Viviane's ability to split and the resulting act. God forbid his mother gets ideas and tries similarly. He's not ready to deal with two Annes.

"I-it did get a little murkier towards the end, but...I can't remember."

Anne hums suspiciously before raising her hands. "Fine, I'll give you pass for now, mister. As I said, you mustn't hide from me!"

"R-right."

"Less serious note, why am I the blue slime?" Anne grumbles, lightly tapping the table. "Being a silver slime sounds cool! It's almost like that liquid terminator in that movie you pleaded Amy to rent for you."

Daniel raises his brows. He's surprised he didn't remember to make the comparison. "Huh...you're right. I'm sure that fire was some sort of magic that could've...wait."

That reminds him of an important detail while Viviane held him. Didn't she mention the fire to be green from what she remembered?

Naturally, his mind wanders to the Stonehenge painting and Lecia's only specific constraint.

'No way...that's just a coincidence, right?'

"Daniel?"

The artist swallows slowly as Anne shakes him from his thoughts, then pivots. "Mom, when I started that Stonehenge painting, that's around when you heard Viviane being mentioned, right?"

"Yes, but by a hooded man specifically. Did you ask if she knew who he is?"

Daniel groans, slapping his head "I forgot about that detail too!"

"Hehe, no worries! With so much more to know, I guess that means mama will have to tuck you in again for an extra long night!"

The artist nods to the side. "We'll see. Actually, there should be a delivery company arriving with our new bed."

"Oh! Do you think I can grow to my previous size and hold you inside?"

"Not a chance. It's not that big."

"Lame. Mama told you didn't need to get one. When exactly are they coming?"

Daniel checks his phone. "Well, they're supposed to-"

Bzzt!

"Oh, speak of the devil, that must be them!" Anne hops, standing up from the seat excitedly. "I'll go get the door!"

Daniel shuts his mouth as he lets her go. Strangely, he thought the movers said they'd text him before arrival. He keeps checking his texts to see if that's the case, but his eyes widen.

"Wait, Anne! That's-"

Daniel's warning comes too late as his slime mother opens the door. In an instant, her smile stiffens as her eyes reflect an old friend from memories deeply rooted within.

Sporting the same short hair but with more white and creases along her face, how could Anne not recognize her predecessor's partner in work and life?

"Rachel…"

As the slime mother breathes out the friend's name — one hard to disassociate with such fond memories and feelings, the said researcher blinks before smiling warmly.

"Oh! You must be...Anne, right?"

Chapter 43: An Old Friend

Chapter Text

It was the second day after Daniel's birth as Amy held her bundle of joy, nursing him according to the guidance of the hospital staff. As she watched him suckle, Rachel slowly peeked into the room with a slight curl of the lips.

"Well now, you're looking much more colorful today!"

Amy exhales with glimmering relief. "Hey there. A lot of things blurred in my mind yesterday. Did I happen to swear at you? I'm sorry if I did."

"Not me specifically, but nobody should fault any woman from swearing like a sailor during the raging seas of a storm."

Amy laughed. "I love that comparison, but I guess it's true."

Seeing how the baby mainly had fallen asleep and wouldn't keep latched onto her breast, she covered herself and held him up.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

Rachel hesitated as she drew closer to the two. "A-are you sure?"

"Rachel, please," Amy assured with warmth in her voice. "You've been by my side for so many years. I trust you."

The short-haired astronomer glowed from her friend's words. Carefully, she picked up the sleeping Daniel from the mother and held him in the crook of her arm.

Her eyes softened as she traced his clear head. "He's beautiful, Amy."

"You're right. Daniel is the only thing I'll ever be grateful from that man."

Rachel clicked her tongue, keeping her eyes steady on the baby. "You don't need to speak of him. Right now, only you and your baby should matter."

"Don't say that. You matter too! How does auntie Rachel sound?"

At such a thought, Rachel stifled a chuckle to not disturb the baby. After rocking him briefly, she passed him back to his mother and shook her head.

"No thank you. Besides, he needs his mother. Not a father, not a friend, and most certainly not me."

She paused, lowering her gaze as she smiled bitterly. "Definitely not me."

"Rachel..."

The astronomer shuts her eyes tightly before leaning forward, gripping her friend's hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Look Amy, forget about my problems. Of course I'll be here to support you both however I can."

Amy giggled. "Rachel, it's not like I plan on asking you to babysit in the future, but...I just want him to be close to you as you are to me."

Rachel's eyes melt before shaking her head. "I have no idea why you'd want that."

"Why, you say?" Amy repeated before gripping her friend's hand back. "Because other than this baby, you're my only other family."

...

..

.

Family.

That's how Amy saw Rachel — a fellow researcher and friend. Although the astronomer retained doubts about herself due to her failure to grow a family of her own, Amy felt nobody was more trustworthy than her.

Nothing is more evident than with Rachel supporting Daniel after Amy's death. Thus, to Anne, immense gratitude fills her, knowing how much the astronomer had done for her sweet artist before she came to exist.

But Anne holds herself, shaking. Slowly, she manages to find her voice.

"Y-yes, I'm Anne. Welcome! I know-"

"Wait, are you okay, dear?" Rachel interrupts, concern drizzling in her voice.

Okay?

Drip...drip...

Anne blinks before noticing water trailing down her cheeks and pattering onto the wood below. Eyes widening, she turns away and wipes herself frantically.

'I forgot to empty my head!'

Thankfully, Daniel comes to the rescue, wrapping his arms around his slime mother and pulling her to the side. He chuckles nervously.

"H-hey there, Rachel! Sorry, I only just saw your text that you'd be coming. Anne was...cutting onions earlier. You know how it is."

Rachel relaxes and stifles herself. "Ah yes, those pesky onions. Sorry for arriving without calling first. Is this a bad time?"

"N-no, not at all! Come in!"

As Daniel takes Rachel's coat, Anne quickly flees to the bathroom to empty her head, figuratively and literally. With so much to process from the conversation about Viviane, meeting the warm astronomer friend was the last thing she expected.

That makes this all the more dangerous. Compared to the slime's exposure to Mary, Anne knows she can't make the same mistake twice. With such pressure, she looks at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'm meeting her for the first time. I don't know her. I can't know her. I'm... I'm not Amy."

But she is. How can she deny that part of herself as incredible memories with such a friend grip her?

Unconvinced of herself, Anne sighs and exits the bathroom. She catches the aged researcher and her son on the couch, then hides behind a smile.

"I'll make some tea for us," Anne declares, mostly to delay any conversation with the researcher.

Worry dresses Daniel's eyes over Anne's state, but he can only hope for the best while forcing his own smile. "Thank you, Anne!"

Rachel grins towards the artist as the slime mother departs for the kitchen area. "Anne seems quite the cutie. Somehow, she's just how I imagined her to be when she answered your phone that day."

Daniel clears his throat. "I won't lie, she is cuter than I expected her to be."

Rachel beams with her eyes close. "Haha, well, I'm happy you've found someone. I hope it works out for you better this time."

"I hope so too. We're pretty compatible and more than I thought after I met her on Tinder."

The cover story enables the older woman's eyes to open sneakily. "Hoho, do I hear a marriage soon?"

Daniel reddens, but such pressing questions are almost traditional around Rachel's age group, so he doesn't react too much. "Right, you're obligated to tease, huh?"

"Well, I'm not going to be disappointed if you don't," Rachel dismisses with a shrug. "Besides, marriage comes with its own problems. If it doesn't work out now, at least you can easily separate and maybe remain single like I am."

"Join the singles club, huh?" Daniel snorts.

Rachel coughs. "Well maybe I'm not the best example. After all, I have no time for such relationships! I travel too much and get buried too deeply in my work. You should know; your mother and I would stay up very late in the observatory, passing papers and exchanging captures from satellites and telescopes."

"I think that's more of a choice than an excuse."

"I won't deny that," Rachel hums. "In any case, take your time. I really thought that you and Mary meshed well, but even that didn't last despite being the longest."

Daniel shifts uncomfortably, knowing he'd have to keep his renewed relationship with Mary a secret less the astronomer finds out about him dating two women.

"By the way, are you two still talking?" Rachel asks.

"Um...yes," Daniel begins carefully. "Last she had to vent to me about a color-blind client."

"Oh dear, that sounds frustrating."

Daniel hums. "She's doing well though, so I wouldn't worry."

"That's good to know. I very much like that drive of hers."

"That aside, how long will you be staying here?"

Rachel breathes out more exhaustedly. "For quite a while, I hope. I'm not as fit to travel so much, plus I'm often repeating my explanations to fellow researchers at conferences. It'll be good just to be back in my home city and usual observatory."

"Dare I ask what's up?"

The astronomer's lips widen. "Up indeed. The latest finding my colleagues and I were presenting is of a galaxy, NGM-4242. Overall, there's nothing special about this just by looking at it. It's mostly gas, but it's..."

Rachel stops, noticing Anne towering behind Daniel and staring intently with sparkling eyes. She was so focused on the artist that she didn't see the cute girl rejoining them with a tea tray in hand.

"Do you need help with that, dear?" she asks, relaxing with a small smile. Her shift alerts Daniel to the presence behind him, equally surprised to not have noticed his slime mother.

Anne subsequently gasps, breaking from her dog-like anticipation. She hurriedly turns around to place the tray on the coffee table before them.

"Ah, sorry! I'm uh...sort of interested in this kind of stuff."

Daniel fidgets, unsure whether it's a good idea for Anne to admit that. With it already out of the bag, he grabs a cup from the tray and takes a small sip to calm his nerves.

As the crooked-smiled Anne sits next to her son, Rachel grins. "Ah, so I was correct about my feeling when we last talked on the phone! I'm sure Daniel has mentioned his mother, right?"

"O-oh yes, of course! He even shared some of the discoveries you and Amy made years ago like with the larger water content on Pasiphae!"

Rachel blinks, stunned. She glances at Daniel suspiciously. "How the hell were you able to convey those? I thought all the research Amy shared would've passed over your head."

On the spot, Daniel gulps. Rachel is correct since it's difficult for him to understand the motions of matter. While he still enjoyed listening to his mother, he couldn't follow every theory or discovery.

"Um...I just shared some notes I had in storage, that's all."

Rachel nods. "Yes, now that makes more sense."

Hurt, Anne can't help but frown at her son. "Y-you don't remember anything that I-I mean, your mother shared?"

Daniel hides behind a chuckle as he pleads to her in his mind, 'Mom, please!'

"To be fair, there's a lot," he defends. "I guess I do remember some specific things like how Europa gets a lot of direct radiation from Jupiter."

Rachel sips her tea before sighing. "That's public knowledge and not anything Amy and I discovered. Look Daniel, you don't have to force yourself to be interested in your mother's work. Having appreciation in our big universe is enough, I guess."

Daniel jerks as if stung and glances over to Anne apologetically, but his slime mother tilts her head away and harrumphs, mentally stabbing him.

While the artist slumps, broken and guilt-ridden, Anne leans forward with bright eyes on Rachel. "Anyways, please continue! You were saying about NGM-4242? If it's mostly gas, are you referring to some kind of irregular dwarf galaxy?"

Rachel raises an eyebrow. "Actually, yes! It's all relative, but compared to most galaxies, this one contains roughly five billion stars."

"Oh? That's pretty small, but if you say there's a lot of gas, then that implies it might be much older, right?"

The researcher doesn't answer immediately, unable to help but grin. "I'm surprised, Anne. You're quite the insightful one, aren't you?"

"Ah..."

Anne lowers her gaze, embarrassed. Although she admitted to being into space, she wonders if she's being too much now. Surely there's nothing wrong with being curious?

Unaware of the hidden friend's concern, Rachel continues with growing excitement. "As for your question, yes! We can say there's been a lot of supernova and shocks, but what's interesting is our theory that it was a major galaxy at one point based on the spread of gas. In fact, our models say it could've been broken up by three galaxies!"

The reveal seems to finally break Anne, who inhales sharply. She lurches forward with wide eyes. "W-wait! You're saying it might've been chipped away by nearby galaxies rather than being taken over?"

Rachel's eyes shine similarly. "That's what's unique about this galaxy! At least so far to our models, it's possible existence is of probability we haven't seen so far!"

Daniel weakly smiles as he can hear Anne's inner squeal. As much as he's worried about Anne going in too deep, he's forced to recognize a lacking aspect in himself that only Rachel can provide: the enthusiasm to explore every part of the universe and its massive history.

As such, the conversation goes on with Daniel essentially relegated to the background with no way to join in or comprehend. All he can do is observe how both of them glow, mirroring times he had seen Amy and Rachel together.

For the two universe lovers, time passes like lightspeed as they discuss various findings and theories. It's only when Rachel's phone buzzes does the astronomer snap from her engaging discussion with Anne. Taking it out, her eyes widen.

"Oh dear, it's already been an hour!"

Anne holds her breath for a moment and pulls back. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to ramble on!"

The older researcher snaps forward and clasps Anne's hand in need. "No, don't apologize! This was wonderful! I haven't had this much fun talking since...since..."

Rachel's brightness slowly fades and is replaced with a lonely, bitter smile. Her eyes glance back to Daniel, who straightens up to attention as their conversation finishes. He already knows what the researcher is thinking.

"Since mom died, I know," Daniel finishes with an equally sad smile.

Anne thins her lips as she averts her gaze. She wants to say many things to Rachel, but feeling Daniel's hand rest on her thighs, she crushingly holds back.

The hidden Amy can only comfortably squeeze Rachel's hand before departing. The conversation she achieved is far more than she could ever hope for.

Rachel leans back and takes a deep breath, rubbing her eyes. "Yes, sorry. I didn't mean to get so emotional all of a sudden. Daniel, your girlfriend is brilliant!"

"She's far more brilliant than I deserve."

"Don't say that," Anne says softly, tugging closer to her son. "You're bright in your own way."

Hearing such familiar words of comfort, Rachel stares at Anne with a heavy heart. Although she may be a woman of science, the girl in front of her makes it seem like reincarnation might be real.

"Anne, you really remind me a lot of his mother. Perhaps that's why Daniel is so comfortable around you."

The artist shuffles nervously at such spot-on observation. Not allowing it to be dwelled upon, he quickly changes the topic. "I-is there something you have to leave for?"

Rachel hums but knows she can't avoid the real reason she came to visit. Like her heart, the air grows heavier around her. "Yes, but first, there's...something I have to tell you."

She glances at Anne, unsure whether to be discussing the findings at the cemetery with someone unrelated. Seeing this, Daniel waves his hands. "It's alright. She can listen too."

Rachel nods, then narrows her eyes.

Where does she even begin?

She sighs. "Something happened to Amy's grave."

Anne and Daniel freeze. Before the artist can break out of his shock to question further, Rachel reaches into the bag she brought. Solemnly, she takes a copy of Lecia's scan and lays it on the table before the couple.

The images laid out shows a bunch of rectangles on a dark background, but most of the shapes reveal black masses inside and bones. Anyone can immediately tell they're graves.

"I have a friend who works at Sights Open. They were doing prototype testing on their new product to help archeologists examine a site with minimal disruption. The Keystone cemetery permitted them to test, and I was invited to witness."

The artist's nervous eyes follow Rachel's finger as she slides across a row on the paper.

"The coffins that are completely white are mostly metal. They can't be penetrated, but majority of the coffins are made of wood. As such, you can easily see outline of the interior and bodies, except..."

Her finger stops at a slightly grey rectangle which shows an outline of the interior...but no body.

"...this one," she finishes, furrowing her brows. "And of all things, it happens to be Amy's grave."

'Fuck.'

After cursing to himself, Daniel swallows. Although he thought everything would be okay since Anne left no traces trailing him, he never could've expected high-tech scanning to be performed.

From his Stonehenge client's company too!

He smiles crookedly and pretends to be shocked. "T-that has to be an error, right?"

Rachel lifts her eyes to meet Daniel's disbelief, then glances away with difficulty. "I didn't want to believe it either, but they ran a few more scans and there wasn't any change. Both you and I know Amy's coffin is mostly wood, so the fact that you can see an outline of the interior and nothing else means that Amy's body somehow...disappeared."

Daniel leans back a little. He glances carefully at Anne, who is more shaken. It's understandable, given she's the cause of it all. As much as he wants to trust the slime to be calm, he can't afford a misstep right now.

"Actually, Anne," he begins softly, squeezing her hand and smiling. "Sorry, but can you give me and Rachel some time?"

The slime mother flinches. Without looking at her son, she bites her lips. It doesn't feel right to hide at such a junction over her actions, and yet, how can she continue to face Rachel knowing the truth?

"Of...of course," she murmurs.

Not daring to look back at Rachel, Anne swiftly takes her leave before the emotions get the best of her. Upon the door to Daniel's bedroom shutting, the artist relaxes and focuses back on Rachel.

"Do all the coffins have something in them?"

"As far as the ones that can be seen through. After five years, at minimum bones should be expected, but the thing is, Amy went through chemotherapy. People who go through that should be even slower to decompose."

Daniel scoffs. "Then how does this make sense? We saw her placed inside. You and I carried her to the plot!"

Rachel's face wrinkles further with tears brimming in her eyes. As she quivers, her fingers dig into her knees. "I know, and I also don't understand how. I'm...sorry, Daniel. This also baffles me, so I debated whether I should even show you this."

Daniel's heart aches as the researcher holds back a sob. Rachel is someone who knows his mother better in some ways than he does, so he feels shitty for feigning ignorance.

But he has to protect Anne. Even if Rachel is a close friend, the artist can't be sure she'll be as accepting, especially if she knew what happened to his mother's body.

Sighing, Daniel pushes back the papers. "Can we check the coffin?"

Rachel shakes her head. "It would be difficult. Not only would it have to be court-approved, but the scans would have to be verified against records by the funeral home and cemetery. I've already visited the funeral home to see their records and nothing is out of place."

"Even if a grave robbery occurred?"

"There'd be some signs to the plot if that were true. Not saying it's not possible, but you've been visiting every month, right?"

Daniel nods, then rubs his neck. "Rachel, I'm sorry, but I can't take this seriously."

Rachel breathes in shakily and wipes her tears. After taking some time to recover herself, she looks firmly into his eyes. "Daniel, I know a lot doesn't make sense right now, but I promise I'll find more information. For now, please continue visiting her grave, okay?"

The artist curls, wishing to tell her she doesn't need to search, but that wouldn't sound appropriate this early on without seeming insensitive. Thus, he can only apologize to her in his mind as he smiles sadly. "Thank you, Rachel."

The astronomer stands up and huffs out in hopes to shake off her gripping worry. "Well, I have to go now, but please keep those copies for your reference. I'll make sure to keep you posted, okay?"

"R-right. I really hope it's nothing."

Rachel forces a smile. "Me too. On a lighter note, I'd love to invite Anne to the observatory at some point."

Daniel obviously has reservations about that but plays it off with a snort. "Just her?"

The astronomer shakes her head silly. "Haven't you visited enough? Anyways, give her my regards-"

"W-wait!"

Anne pops out of the bedroom room in time, unable to let the astronomer go without her knowing. She has her phone ready in her hand with an anxious smile. Thankfully, she's taken the time to mask herself.

"Can we exchange contacts?" she asks, leaning in close.

Rachel blinks before closing her eyes happily. "Hoho, of course, dear. It would be foolish of me not to!"

Daniel's mouth opens in shock, but he can't prevent the exchange. His eyes stare at Anne wildly, wondering what is going through his slime mother's mind.

"I have you saved now. Well Anne, it was pleasure to meet-Oh!"

With wriggled lips, the slime girl presses forward, hugging the researcher in a forced push. It lasts only a second before she hastily pulls away, ready with an excuse and her hands up.

"S-sorry, I just...I tend to get a little attached!"

Rachel's eyes flutter a few times from the unexpected hug before her face breaks with a giggle. Without saying anything to the adorable genius, she turns her head towards the stiff Daniel.

"May I keep her?"

The artist smiles jaggedly as he tries to rein in his apprehension. "Y-you're not the first to ask."

"Oh, how unfortunate. Well, that said..."

Rachel returns her attention back to the wavy-haired girl and extends her hand. "I hope you're okay with spending some time with an old lady like me."

Anne gasps, readily accepting her hand. "Of course! But don't say you're old. You've grown so graceful!"

"Oh dear, have I?" Rachel questions, pulling her hand away to press against her cheek playfully. "Careful, flattery is still effective on me."

The two share a small laugh before the astronomer faces the uncertain artist one last time, patting his shoulder.

"No matter what happens, your mother remains in our hearts. Let's not forget that."

Daniel clears his throat. "Um, right. Take care, Rachel."

The astronomer smiles lightly and takes her leave with a wave. As soon as she disappears through the front door and her footsteps can no longer be heard, the artist relaxes and breathes out.

He plants his hand on his forehead. "Dear god, Anne! Why would you-"

Before he can finish, Anne steps forward and buries her face into his shoulder, wailing. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't leave it like that! Mama is done for!"

"Wait, c-calm down!"

Daniel pulls his slime mother away at arm's length and sees her eyes swirling with panic and shame.

He sighs.

"Mom, listen to me. While nothing realistic can come out of this, you still need to be extra cautious. I get that you're close to Rachel because of Amy, but we can't let anyone get the wrong idea that you're something more than my girlfriend."

The slime mother bites her lips and narrows her eyes. "What if she might...understand? You know, like Mary?"

"Either she does or faults you for eating what's left of Amy. It's honestly shocking. I would have never expected her to be the one to get this close to the truth."

Anne shuts her eyes, shivering. She knows Daniel is right, but...

Amidst her doubts, Daniel wraps his arms around her, holding her tight. "So please, mom. I don't want a situation to happen where you might be taken away from me."

Daniel's words shake Anne, knowing how far and strange she exists to come back to him. Nodding slowly, she squeezes her son back and again holds her face into his shoulders. "Mama...will be careful."

Although not entirely relieved by her words, he has no choice but to accept them as he strokes the back of her head. After a few moments in silence, he lets go but not before connecting his lips against hers.

"Ngh."

Anne sweetly takes her son's love, closing her eyes. As they try to forget their worries, Daniel is shaken by his phone buzzing this time.

It continues buzzing, indicating a call. Pulling away, much to Anne's disappointment, Daniel sees Mary on his screen.

Swiping to accept, he clears his throat. "Hey, Mary. How are you feeling?"

...

"Coming over? Sure, but...are you okay? You sound exhausted."

...

"Huh...well, alright. I have a few things to catch you up on anyways so we can talk more when you're here."

...

Daniel suddenly widens his eyes and reddens. "L-love you too. Bye."

As the call ends, Anne looks on worryingly. "Mary is coming over? Is she okay?"

Daniel cools down and flattens his lips. "Yes, but...she sounds like she's fed up."

"Well, I hope we can help her," Anne concludes before smirking. "Look at my baby blushing though! It looks like you need to get back into expressing your affection for her after a long time!"

Daniel gulps, finding it odd already. He knows Mary enough that she prefers to share her affection in physical ways than words. While it's not unusual to say it from time to time, it would end up being casual and light. However, her endings words, 'Love you, Daniel', were filled with unexpected desire and warmth that would be more typical of...

He slowly stares at Anne, who blinks and cocks her head at his silence. "What is it?"

Chapter 44: Milky Mary

Chapter Text

"Oh, this is wonderful, Mary! You've really captured Mister Fwuff's elegance!" a middle-aged blonde praise as her adoration fixates on the commissioned painting. It shows a Norwegian Forest cat looking into the distance with vibrant, smudgy tones.

"Of course, but it can't compare to the real royal himself, right?" Mary questions, grinning.

The blonde giggles. "True, but let's not downplay your art. I knew I chose right after seeing your work!"

"Appreciate it, love," Mary beams. "Since our business is settled, you're free to take the piece home. I hope your cat enjoys it."

"I'm sure he will! Also, um...I wasn't sure when to tell you this, but you seem to be leaking a little."

Mary stiffens, lowering her gaze to confirm her client's observations. Much to her horror, her chest is acting up again, lining the underside of the bra with breastmilk.

"Ah!" Mary squeaks, turning slightly away. "Th-this is...um..."

As the artist struggles to explain herself, her client hums reassuringly. "It's okay! New mother, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, I'm...no wait, that's not...well, I...I guess you can say that."

It's appropriate to say Mary's mind is in a bit of a mess. Unable to explain her predicament, she has no choice but to allow the misunderstanding.

What she thought was a minor side-effect after merging with Anne turned out to be more significant. Despite being separated from Anne, the past experiences of the slime and Amy have become more evident to her as if she were there. It's like everything shared when she was Marianne had to take time to find a permanent spot in her head.

That said, she can deal with new memories and knowledge. What she can't work with is her chest refusing to dry out!

And for this all to happen in front of a client, she can only tremble with shame. Luckily, the client is an actual mother, so she empathizes with the artist.

"Hey, it's alright! Even after pregnancy, it can still be volatile for us. I'd recommend buying nursing pads along with your usual nursing bra if you produce a lot."

Mary cringes internally while forcing a smile. "T-thanks for the advice! Here, let me first get you a bag to protect the painting."

Grabbing a protective film and bag from a drawer, Mary slides the framed painting and hands it off. She hides behind a professional smile, following the client out of the studio; however, as soon as the blonde is gone, the artist quickly locks the front and flips around the business sign to "Closed".

With a heavy breath, she slaps her forehead and groans, "Fuck."

The physical effects from the merge don't appear to be slowing anytime soon. Since Mary can't work leaking like this, she has to cancel her remaining schedule and visit Anne and Daniel to understand together.

On the bright side, she's learning many things about Daniel, especially in his younger days which he would never want her to know.

A mischievous smile grows on Mary's lips for a moment until she snorts, shaking her head.

'Ah, but I can't tease him too much. I have to be easier on him now that I'm his...girlfriend?'

That should be correct, but it also feels too early. In some ways, getting back together with Daniel should be considered a trial, especially when she has to share him with Anne.

On the other hand, she can't help but feel close to her artistic half thanks to Amy's perspective of raising him. Not to mention experiencing Anne's love for him, Mary feels overall happier.

'I mean...this will just end up helping our relationship, right?' she asks herself in an attempt to remain optimistic. After all, she wants this second chance with her fellow artist to work out more than ever.

The dark artist clings to that hope as she pulls out her phone and dials Daniel, her heart thumping faster than usual.

She clears her throat. "Hey there, love!"

...

"I'm...good. Listen, I've finished some work early, so I'd like to come over."

...

"Ahaha...well, maybe I am a little tired."

...

"Sounds exciting! Haa...Love you, Daniel. I'll be over in a bit, okay?"

...

As the call ends, Mary shivers and slides her hand across her cheek. She squeals. 'Aah! Is this what Anne feels like every day? I want to hold him and nurse-'

She gasps and grasps her head. "G-get it together, Mary!"

Her shirt grows wetter as her chest dribbles to her heart beating. With a bite of her lips, she tugs her shirt below.

Perhaps the sharing of knowledge and memories is a problem too.

Rachel breathes a sigh of relief as she enters her familiar abode. She wants to do nothing but take a nap, but unfortunately, her phone buzzes. With an annoyed grunt, she pulls it from her bag.

Seeing the caller 'Lecia', she closes her eyes and exhales. She knows precisely what the Stonehenge organization leader is calling for.

Click!

"Hi Lecia."

...

"Yes, I talked with Daniel. He was...unconvinced. I don't blame him though."

...

Rachel frowns. "I'm sorry, but again, there was nothing...strange."

The astronomer hesitates, her mind clearer now that she's alone to think.

If she remembered correctly, didn't Amy say she would've had a sister called Anne at birth?

That can easily be a coincidence, so she doesn't think much of it; however, Anne did mention something notable in their back-and-forth discussion over the concept of reduced galaxies:

"I might be mistaken, but wasn't NMT-5101 modeled similarly?"
"NMT-what?"
"Ah...I misspoke. Anyways..."

With so much to discuss, Rachel didn't think much of it then. Plus, she can't remember every designation. That said...

'Strange, was that ever published?' Rachel wonders, furrowing her brows. Surely she'd remember related galaxies that satisfy the hypothesis and mention them in her paper.

Lecia's voice returns her to the present, so the astronomer clears her throat. "No, like I said, there's nothing strange. He has a brilliant girlfriend, which was a surprise, but that's it."

...

"I understand why you're pressing, but please refrain from diving deep, okay? This is a personal matter."

...

"Thank you. I really hope something can be explained. Alright, bye."

As Rachel pulls down her phone, she stares at the living room in front of her and reminisces of the times she and Amy would talk similarly to tea.

She sighs, rubbing her temples. 'I feel like I'm going crazy.'

"Mary, I missed you!"

Arriving at Daniel's studio, Anne glomps said female artist with glee. Mary takes it with ease, giggling with one eye shut as the slime rubs her cheek against her.

"Hehe! Calm down, love. It's only been a day!"

"It feels longer though since we shared so much together. Let me have this, damn it!"

Mary resigns and allows the slime mother to nuzzle against her shoulder. Her eyes lift to Daniel, and once more, her heart beats.

She shuffles a bit, meekly smiling. "Hey there, love. How are you?"

The care in her voice with her smooth British accent causes Daniel to blush. Quickly, he recovers and hides behind a grin. "G-good. It looks like you'll be stealing my mother away from me soon."

"Jealous, are we?" Mary forces a smile. She can feel Anne's hug causing her chest to leak a little, slowly dampening the pads she bought before coming.

'Shit, I just tried to drain them earlier too!'

She has to disclose her problem at some point, but she's too embarrassed to do so immediately, especially in front of Daniel.

Luckily, Anne lets go and huffs. "Speaking of, he cheated on us, Mary!"

Daniel sputters. "Hey, d-don't bring it up like that! I thought you understood!"

Anne harrumphs, feigning upset, but she can't hide some slight smirk. "Just because mama understands doesn't mean mama likes! You can explain it to Mary during our date tonight!"

Daniel and Mary go silent for a bit before their eyes widen. For the female artist, a million questions race in her mind.

First, she figures there's more to the situation as she knows Daniel isn't like that.

Second, date?! They're going out?

She stares at Daniel, but based on his expression, he isn't aware of such plans either. This is all decided by his slime mother just now!

"You heard me!" Anne reaffirms as she grins at their shock. "Since Mary has finished early, it's important that you two take the opportunity to rekindle your relationship on a high note."

Daniel swallows slowly and rubs his neck. "Mom, not that I disagree, but I don't think it's appropriate to go on a date out of the blue. Besides, you two merging was a pretty high note."

"E-exactly!" Mary nods, smiling crookedly. "I'm also not dressed for such an occasion!"

That's actually not Mary's real reason...

'I can't go out a date when I'm leaking like this!' Mary screams internally.

"Who says you have to dress up?" Anne frowns. "I'm not saying to go on some fine dining location. Besides..."

She turns to her son and narrows her eyes. "You haven't taken your dear mother on a date!"

'Oh, um...'

With no excuse other than too much happening with work, not to mention Anne herself, Daniel relents with raised hands. "Alright, I got it! Let's go on a date then. How's this going to work though?"

Mary widens her eyes incredulously. "Love, you can't be serious? Didn't you say there was important stuff to talk about?"

"And there is, but...well, if you're free, then we might as well take this chance to enjoy. I want to take my relationship with you and mom seriously, Mary."

Mary wriggles her lips, happy and yet worried. Shutting her eyes tightly for a bit, she grabs Anne's hand. "Um, Anne? Can we talk privately?"

The slime mother blinks before smiling warmly. "Of course!"

She turns to Daniel. "Give me and Mary a few minutes, sweetie. In the meantime, plan our date, okay? Mama will be judging you hard!"

Daniel already feels the pressure but remains confident. "Don't worry; it's not like I haven't done this before. I still need to know, are we going out as three...or two?"

"Hehe, I have some different ideas on that as far as me and Mary goes," Anne teases with a wink.

The female artist shivers as Anne squeezes her hand. Although she should be a little more reserved, Anne's words naturally pique her interest.

'N-no, don't get distracted!' she reminds herself.

Lest she allows her mind to wander into the gutter, Mary hurriedly pulls Anne into the bedroom. Once the door is shut, she turns to face the slime mother.

"Listen Anne, there's some issues!"

The slime girl cocks her head, humming. "Are you talking about your attire? Don't worry! If we merge, it won't matter anyways since we're about the same size. I can just wear something nice from my closet if you're concerned about-"

"I-I'm not talking about any sort of dress. I figure we'll combine again, which I'm excited to do, but...I should mention there have been some complications since last time."

Anne's eyes soften with concern. "How so?"

The female artist's gaze lowers as she reddens. "I'm...lactating."

The slime mother blinks a few times before her eyes widen. "Oh!"

The artist continues, keeping her voice low. "I can't be sure, but I think it might be my body reacting to the memories of pregnant Amy and nursing Daniel as a baby. Speaking of, the rest of your knowledge and memories have become clearer in my head. In the beginning, they were fuzzy after we separated, so I thought they'd just go away, but it doesn't seem that's the case."

Anne gasps and clasps her hands with the artist. "It's the same for me as well! It's like the memories takes time to settle, right?"

The artist hums. "It seems that way, but now I'm having weirder thoughts than I would normally have...not that I dislike it."

Anne remains silent before smiling sadly. "Do you regret us merging?"

"No, not at all, love!" Mary hurriedly replies, returning to stare Anne in the eyes. "I'm in awe of the beauty of the stars and galaxies Amy got to see! I want to paint them now! I also feel so much love for your son with the joy Amy had raising him; not to mention your own care for him."

Anne would be beating to hear such validation of her feelings if she had a heart. She has to hold back from wanting to hug the female artist like a sister.

So instead, she clears her throat. "Then, your only issue is just your chest, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Well...for now, there's no problem!" Anne chirps. "I'll wrap around you like before and keep you dry!"

"T-that's...I guess, but it won't solve-"

"Then maybe later, you can nurse Daniel! I won't mind if it's you."

Mary inhales sharply, her eyes swirling. With a slow swallow, her lips curl with temptation. "I...I don't think..."

"Hehe! You want to, don't you?"

Mary shuts her eyes. "H-how could I not? Y-you know me, don't you?"

"I do know you! You're usually more confident and daring. There's no reason to temper yourself for Daniel."

"I just...I want this to work out, that's all."

"From your memories of Daniel before you broke up compared to now, you should see from me that your boyfriend has changed a lot. He's a lot more open now."

"I think that's mostly because he has to deal with you."

Anne tilts her chin. "No need to thank me! But really, time away from you has also changed him. You both are more mature than before, so you can act your usual self!"

Mary slowly breathes out, then she closes her eyes and snorts. "Seriously, what have I gotten myself into?"

"Me."

"Yeah, that's my fault."

Anne's eyes narrow slyly. "Then with that said, let's not keep our boyfriend and son waiting, hm?"

Splish!

Mary gasps as she feels Anne's hand on one side, sliding around the top of her hand and sinking in. A rush fills her as she feels the slime mother's tiny envelopment once more.

"W-wait Anne, we should exit our clothes first. Also, we're not aligned at all."

The slime mother blinks before disconnecting with an embarrassed smile. "How silly of me! Alright, how do you want to do this?"

Chapter 45: Covered Mary

Chapter Text

Shlurp!

"Ooh! Oh god, Anne!"

"Hehe! That's it, Mary. Just relax and let me in~"

Schlick! Schlip!

As Mary's moans and wet noises grow louder from the bedroom, Daniel gulps with increasing heat across his face. Initially worried by the sounds, he couldn't help but draw close and now stands by the door, unsure if exposing his simpler mind to the lewd happenings within is wise.

'I-it can't be that different when mom enveloped me...right?' he wonders, figuring Anne is merging with Mary like before.

Clearing his throat, Daniel only knocks and feigns ignorance. By this point, the moans quiet down, and only some pants can be heard.

"Hello? Are you two okay?" 

"H-hold on, love! We're good!" Mary calls from within.

"Hehe, wait till you see us, Daniel!" Anne adds.

The slime mother's sweet excitement does not so easily transfer to her son, who pales.

'Oh fuck. Just what are they planning this time?'

For now, he can only wait patiently as the sounds of fabric rustle within. After some heavy anticipation, the door creaks open, revealing a bashful Mary who sports a semi-formal attire borrowed from Anne. Her mouth quivers with a mix of shame and delight as she leans against the doorway.

"Um...we're ready. Since I don't know what the plan is, I took Anne's offer to borrow something, just in case."

It may be him, but to Daniel, Mary also seems to be a little more...curvy? That might be just the layers of the blouse that makes her seem that way.

Regardless, the male artist relaxes with a smile. "You look great! I actually was thinking a dinner and movie. Just as Anne suggested, it's nothing too fancy."

The artist closes her mouth and wriggles her lips happily for a moment. "Thank you, love. Are you planning on changing too?"

Daniel hums. "I might as well, but is Anne still in there? I actually thought you two were going to merge."

Mary's eyes widen. "Wait, you can't tell?"

"Tell what?"

The female artist cups her mouth in awe. "Wow...Anne, you were right!"

Before Daniel can question further, his gaze is pulled towards Mary's cleavage, jiggling as if possessed. The female artist subsequently stifles herself and lurches back a little as a bump rises between her mounds, turning lighter in color.

"A-ah?! Love, that tickles!"

As Mary giggles, Daniel's eyes pop open to see Anne's head partially reforming from the chesty mass. With a pair of sly lips and narrowed eyes, his slime mother is no doubt pleased by her son's reaction.

"Hi~ Don't be so shocked, sweetie. I told you I had some different ideas, didn't I?"

Taking a moment to process the sight of the slime girl stretching the confines of Mary's top, Daniel somehow manages to keep himself grounded.

"I should've known better," he sighs, rubbing his hands across his face. "Why are you hiding inside Mary?"

"Hu hu, let's not call it hiding!" Anne tilts her chin, rustling within. "I'm just overlaying and enhancing your girlfriend's natural beauty, that's all. Unlike before, I'll be taking the backseat to watch you two during your dinner. Afterwards, Mary and I can swap!"

"S-swap?"

The slime mother grins, having now a reason to demonstrate. Her head loses form and sinks back into the squishy round depths. The British girl gasps in response, shivering with pleasure as her whole body ripples to Anne's lighter tone in an instant.

Biting her lips, she stares apologetically at her stunned boyfriend. "S-sorry for the surprise, love, but you can admit this might be...exciting! Ah!"

Mary lets out one last gasp before her facial features smooth out. Taking over, Anne reforms her features on top with a sharp breath while extending the artist's short hair to her typical wavy finish.

Overall, the changes occur in a matter of seconds thanks to Anne pre-layered over the contours of her host. After getting her bearings, she huffs proudly.

"See? Now, Mama is here in full! The only real difference from before is that I'm avoiding connecting to Mary's upper brain."

She taps the top of her head in emphasis before continuing, "But otherwise, I can still taste, smell, and feel thanks to Mary. All the necessary functions to make love-I mean for us to enjoy our outing!"

Daniel stares blankly while his slime mother shifts her eyes a little from the little flub. Although worried, the young artist can't be bothered to protest anymore. He lets out a resigned sigh. "Alright, fine. But when you do swap, you'll do it privately, I hope?"

Anne scoffs, meeting her son's eyes in disbelief. "Of course! Who do you take me for?"

Daniel only raises an eyebrow.

Feeling pressured, Anne glances away while pouting. "Okay, I get your concern! Still, give a trust pass to your dear mother, won't you?"

The forgiving artist snorts and steps forward to wrap his hands around his slime mother's waist. "I've given you many passes, mom."

Anne giggles shamelessly and raises her chin, eager to meet her son's lips with the borrowed sensations of her host. Her hand slides across his chest as she purrs, "And you'll keep giving Mama more, right?"

"What a greedy mother I have."

Daniel kisses her, once more feeling warmth that is unnatural to Anne alone. As he holds her tightly, his slime mother moans sweetly, savoring the physical contact that makes her feel human.

He can faintly hear Mary's suppressed utterances from within as their body shivers. She may be trying to let Anne have her moment even though she's enjoying the kiss as well.

Thinking of nothing but the two, Daniel closes his eyes. He slides his hands down their curves, desiring to hear more of his slime mother's real reactions.

At some point, Anne shifts back to Mary before Daniel notices. The now dark beauty and her hands reciprocate, reaching around the male artist and allowing more of her body to press against him.

"O-oh, love~"

As Mary breathes heavenly into his mouth, Daniel opens his eyes with only slight surprise to see her already in Anne's place. It's not enough for him to stop making out with his college love, twirling his tongue into her depths.

Before things could escalate with no actual outing, Daniel forces himself to pull away. He gasps for air while a string of saliva breaks down between them.

Mary frowns, staring into his eyes with need; however, she's able to calm down, understanding that their embrace can continue later into the night. For now, she holds back and clears her throat.

"I-I'll wait for you near the front door, okay?"

"Right."

As the bold beauty takes her leave, Daniel quickly enters his bedroom and shuts the door, slowly breathing. So soon are his pants tight with desire for the two.

He shifts his thinking to more of Mary, then bites his lips and covers his face in shame.

'Did we really break up over creative differences? I'm such an idiot!'

Moving past his regret, Daniel can only try to make amends with Mary and catch up as much as possible from their missed time.

It starts with staying around Fairview Outdoor Mall — the same one he and Anne went to for clothes shopping. With a brand-new theater and various dine-in restaurants, it's an easy pick for a short-notice outing.

Settling into their seats at a local restaurant that Daniel had been to once, he glances around, finding the place pleasingly uncrowded.

"We kinda jumped the gun, haven't we? Before a relationship starts, dates are usually the first things planned." Mary notes, lips drawing as a waiter hands the menus to them.

Upon asking for their drink, the two answer for water before Daniel raises a brow, waiting until they're alone again. "Kinda?"

Mary's face breaks a little as she titters. "Okay, we royally jumped the gun. All thanks to a sweet mother that glues us together, hm?"

Daniel shakes his head. "Don't give her ideas, please."

"It's too late to be saying that. She's on a path to self-discovery, you know?" 

"Oh, I know," Daniel agrees, dropping his head. "I just can't help but feel that she's overdoing it."

He pauses, then smiles bitterly. "I guess I felt the same way with you and the grand pieces you wanted to make. In the end, it was my own insecurities that were holding you back."

Mary softens with her own guilt. Clearing her throat, she begins scanning the menu while replying, "I was at fault for trying to push you to be different with me. It's obvious now that you're better to explore at your own pace."

"Well, it helps to have your referrals that breaks the norm."

Looking up from the menu, Mary gasps. "Actually, the fact that you accepted most of the clients I sent your way surprises me!"

Daniel shrugs, glancing partly away. "I mean, if they like my works even after seeing yours and want my hand in their story, how can I say no?"

Mary narrows her eyes. "What a straightforward, professional response."

"They paid very well too."

"Ah ha! There's the honesty!"

The two chuckle for a bit before moving past art, seeing how they share enough on that.

"How's your parents?" Daniel asks.

"They're good, but same as ever," Mary answers before groaning. "Dad keeps forgetting his passwords and can't be bothered with navigating with the websites himself to reset."

"Oof."

"Mom is still annoying, always asking when I'll get married. In fact, she keeps referencing you!"

Daniel grins. "I'm flattered."

Mary rolls her eyes. Before they can resume, the waiter comes with glasses of water, ready to take their order. After choosing their dishes and waiting for the staff to leave, Mary slumps forward and groans.

"What should I even say? Do I tell my parents that we've gotten back together?"

Daniel twists his lips. "It's difficult. Actually, before you came, Rachel visited."

The female artist straightens up and widens her eyes. "Oh! Did everything go alright with Anne?"

"Somehow, it worked out."

In an instant, Mary frowns. "What do you mean 'somehow'? It went well!"

The abrupt shift in tone takes Daniel by surprise. Before he can question, Mary cups her mouth, then cough.

"Uh...sorry, love. That was Anne just now. Seriously...even mimicing my own voice."

Daniel raises his eyebrows. "That's interesting. So on the surface, I'm technically looking at Anne and not you?"

"Well, she is overlaying me," Mary reminds.

"So then, how can I tell if you're actually Mary?"

At this, the artist narrows her eyes and grins. "Are we ever who we say we are?"

"Yep, you're definitely Mary right now."

"I might not be~"

"Picasso is perfect."

Mary's sly expression breaks. "The hell he is! I...god damn it, you got me. At least put some more effort into your baits!"

"You reacted."

"I know, but that's cheating! You know how the ego of the man and his works irk me sometimes!"

Daniel chuckles. "Anyways, what I want to say is that I couldn't let Rachel know we're back together, especially since Anne had already introduced herself earlier."

With thin lips, Mary lowers her gaze. Up to the point where she and the slime mother merged, she has memories of Anne picking up the phone and speaking with the researcher.

She sighs and shuts her eyes. "I figure as much. Honestly, if we have to hide our relationship, is this really going to work out?"

"I'm determined, Mary," Daniel answers firmly before clearing his throat. "Besides, there are...more complications than just us now."

Mary cocks her head. "Is this related to you 'cheating' on us?"

"I-It's not like that! Um..."

Daniel looks around to make sure nobody has seated nearby to them. Seeing they're not in within any hearing, he starts with a deep breath.

If Mary ever wants to back out of this early relationship, he wouldn't want to hold back her understanding of the developments with his slime mother.

"I guess I might as well explain now. Let's say there's a dream..."

Chapter 46: "Mummy” Mary

Chapter Text

"So...you've gained a mommy, huh?"

"L-let's not call her that specifically, but yes."

"And it's because she's connected to Anne and similarly extending Amy?"

"Obviously, there's more to her, but emotionally, I can't disregard her if she's the same as...um...why are you smiling?"

Walking out into the parking lot, Mary only giggles in response as she links arms with her boyfriend. Since being caught up over dinner, she can't help but feel a growing excitement. Despite learning of another slimy lover, she oddly doesn't feel disturbed.

Instead, the idea of a metaphysical realm that exists when one sleeps within Anne simply agitates her creative mind. On top of that, Daniel's acknowledgment of Viviane gives her an opportunity.

A very fun, kinky one.

"Seriously, what's going on with you?" Daniel presses, disrupting her gleeful thoughts as they reach the car. "I would've thought you'd be more upset."

Mary scoffs as she tempers herself. "Upset? Love, I'm literally coated by a cute alien slime who represents your mother! You add another layer of strangeness and think that's my breaking point? This is so exciting!"

"C-cute?! Aw, Mary~"

Daniel slumps in exasperation as Anne takes over momentarily, unlinking with her son to twirl and hug the artist...or rather, hugging herself. Luckily nobody is out in the lot to see them, but one might think a damaged girl with a split personality.

Of course, the male artist knows better as he shakes his head silly. "I swear, I'm always underestimating you. Well, ready to head to the theater?"

Mary regains control of herself and clears her throat. "Yes, but Anne and I should swap. Before that..."

She leans closer to Daniel with warm eyes. "I want to thank you for such a lovely dinner."

The artist blushes a little as Mary takes the initiative to wrap herself around him. With a snort, he regains his calm and hugs back. "I should be the one thanking you, Mary. I know there are still doubts, but...having you and Anne is pure fortune. I just wish we had-"

Mary hushes, pressing a finger to her lips. "Let's not apologize anymore, okay? I'm here with you, now closer than ever before."

Removing her hand and closing her eyes, she connects her lips to his, humming contently. Daniel tries to take it easy, but her curves squish against his body purposefully, eliciting his member to harden.

After a few long seconds, Mary breaks away with a single breath. Aware of her effect, her hand lowers to press against his bulge. Naturally, Daniel inhales sharply but doesn't pull away from the creative girl's touch.

"A-are we really doing this now?"

Mary giggles. "That depends. If we have time before the showing, I'd like to show my appreciation; in the car, of course."

Daniel wriggles his lips. "I uh, haven't picked anything. Actually, I don't even know what's playing, but there's something every hour, so..."

"That's perfect! We have plenty of time then. You don't mind, Anne?"

"Not at all!" the slime mother replies in Mary's voice, taking small control as their eyes soften towards the boyfriend and son.

Receiving control again, Mary's fingers slide down to intermingle with Daniel's hand before pulling him to the car's rear side. Even though they're in public, the male artist finds it odd he's not so worried. Perhaps it's the fact not many people are out on a weekday, or the idea of connecting with Mary is simply irresistible.

Regardless, he slides into the back, meeting Mary's lips again as she rests on him.

"Umph...love~"

Their feet are still dangling out from the car door, yet to be closed. None of that matters as the two savor each other.

Mary can feel Anne's lining shivering as they kiss at slow intervals, clearly enjoying the pleasures that relay through. Eventually, the female artist pulls away to breathe and slides her hand through his hair.

Daniel's heart beats, finding her touch refreshing. Swallowing, he can't stop his hands from brushing down to squeeze her ass.

"Is it me or have you grown...bigger?" he asks.

"You can thank Anne for padding me! Hehe~"

The last giggle feels like it belongs to said mother, but Daniel can't keep questioning who is who anymore. Instead, he takes a tall breath as Mary pulls up and unbuckles his pants.

When his cock is free, the ebony beauty closes the rear door and shuffles down on her knees from the seat. She moves in on the twitching meat, so eager to be enveloped.

"I'll take care of you, love."

The reassurance in her voice sends tingles down Daniel's spine as she wiggles in between his legs. With her breath hot on his skin, she kisses the tip of his leaking mushroom.

"Mmm...muah!"

Sliding her hair around her ear, she eventually pulls back, drawing a bridge of pre-cum from her lips.

The sight absolutely riles Daniel, who has to clench a little so as to not splurt on his girlfriend's face right there. "Haa...Mary..."

She's always been great with foreplay and teasing, but he's forgotten just how much. That said, he's certain how she looks at him now is new.

It feels a bit...maternal.

"Love, you can tell, right?" she begins, fluttering her fingers along his cock and making it throb harder for her.

Daniel flinches as he leans against the back of his seat. He gulps slowly. "W-what do you mean?"

"Despite being separated mentally from Anne, I've found I'm retaining most of her experiences...including much of Amy. I know it's the same for Anne regarding my memories."

Widening his eyes, Daniel can see how the sharing of memories works both ways, but he didn't want to presume so given Anne stores information differently. In any case, his fellow artist's lack of concern worries him.

"Mary," he breathes out as she presses her lips against the edge of his cock. "A-are you okay?"

The female artist pulls her lips away for a moment before tittering. "Oh love, I've never felt better! Especially now that you mention another mother, it got me thinking..."

Daniel sweats as her eyes twinkle into his own before she continues, "Since I also connected with Anne and was shared Amy's love for you, wouldn't that give me the right to be your mummy too?"

Daniel holds his breath in disbelief. 'Mummy?!'

For a moment, he just stares blankly at Mary before he comes back to his senses. "W-wait, that's-ungh!"

Mary kisses the bottom of his shaft and sucks, eyes lock gleefully at confirming a weak point. Then, with a smooth hum, she runs her tongue up until she reaches the tip.

"It's been...ngh, making me weirder, but not in a bad way," she admits before her eyes soften. "I feel closer to you, and that has to be good, right? Maybe this Viviane feels the same way."

"M-mary..."

Daniel doesn't know how to feel about her development, but Mary is at ease as she kisses the tip of his penis once more before exhaling lovingly. "It's like I was there, holding you during the nights of thunderstorms, explaining stars like I'm an actual genius, and seeing you run around."

She smirks. "You were such a cute troublemaker, love. In fact, you understated to me just how much of a Harry Potter fan you were, going as far as jumping into your middle-school classroom with a wand and proclaiming everyone was muggles! Why would you ever keep that from me?"

Daniel's eyes swirl as his heart beats faster. He can only imagine the other knowledge she has on him; some of which Anne might be keeping from him. Of course, she just had to reveal her state of mind while playing with his cock.

"Anyways, I hope you don't mind me extending myself a bit," Mary concludes, sending more kisses down to his balls. "Now, relax for mummy."

Daniel shudders, unsure whether to dissuade his girlfriend from the play or go with the flow. He ends up going with the latter, unable to dwell further on the matter as Mary finally swallows his cock into her mouth. To his surprise, Anne has coated the insides of Mary's mouth as well, which promptly squeezes him.

"M-mary!? Oh, fuck!"

Shlurp! Splop!

The artist-slime hybrid angles herself, barely taking the tip of his cock into her throat as she pushes in, then pulls out. Each deliberate movement brings Daniel to a pant, weakly digging his fingers into the seat as his cock is warmed and unnaturally squeezed.

"Oomph...Mmoah~"

Her muffled moans of love only stretch Daniel's sanity. Thankfully, Mary gives her boyfriend a slight reprieve after a minute of sucking, transitioning into stroking his saliva-covered cock with her hand.

"You're holding out well, love! Anne, why don't we finish him off separately before I hand him off to you?"

"Oh! Good idea!"

Anne returns to her normal voice using Mary's lips before the sentient goo layer pulls away.

With sticky strands stretching from Mary's face, Anne reforms her head while sharing shoulder space with the artist again. This time, she extends her neck so as not to cause her host discomfort.

Once her remaining goo fully retracts, the slime mother's face closes up as she grins, taking in with delight over her son's momentary shock of seeing them conjoined again. "Well aren't you lucky, sweetie! Now, relax for Mama and mummy, okay?"

Daniel gulps as the two heads perform double-time on his cock, sandwiching the pole by their lips.

One cool and the other hot.

Their eyes are full of warmth for him as they climb their way up his tower, tongues sliding up and down in alternating motions. Such stimulation proves to be the end game for Daniel.

"Haah!"

A bit of cum ejects from the tip despite trying to hold back. Of course, there's little warning Daniel can give with his mind in a mess, all thanks to everything happening so quickly.

"That's it, Daniel. Don't resist! Release the rest for Mama!"

"Cum for mummy, love~"

'Fuck!'

As Daniel curses to their encouragement, his cock starts pumping. Quick on the uptake, Mary opens her mouth wide to draw in while Anne continues her sweet kisses down to his tightened scrotum.

Splort....splurt!

As Mary drinks in the welcoming thickness of her lover, Anne loosens her head and slides back over Mary to participate in the taste. As they recombine, Daniel slumps, his eyes rolling up in pure ecstasy.

"Omph...ungh...aoogh!"

Mary and Anne's tones interchange as they squeeze their boyfriend-son's member, causing him to gasp and twitch as they suck him dry. By the end, a fully in-control Anne pulls away with a slight pop from the limp cock and a satisfied sigh.

"Ooh! Was that good, sweetie?" she asks her slouched son, licking her lips as any residual ejaculation on her layer dissolves.

Daniel's chest heaves as he blows out, raising a hand to his head. "You two are too intense."

Anne cheerfully closes her eyes, then sits up to kiss him on the cheek. "You did so well though! Mummy and Mama are proud of you!"

'Dear god...mummy, huh? That's too dangerous,' the artist thinks, gulping.

Yet, he knows well he won't be able to dissuade his artistic half if she wants to participate. It was always naive to think his relationship with the artist would be even semi-normal among slime girls.

"So, what movie are we going to watch? Mama hasn't watched...oh, I mean Amy hasn't watched anything in theaters since you were in middle school!"

Pushed out of his thoughts, Daniel drops his head and sighs resignedly. He's already spent, but hearing his slime mother's anticipation, he can only pull his pants up and peck her lovingly on the lips. "Let's go and find out what's playing then."

"Hehe~"

Chapter 47: Feeding Time with Mary

Chapter Text

"What the...?"

Daniel stares at the digital marquee above the entrance at Fairview Theater which shows the latest movies. Notably, it includes special replays of older movies called "Rerolls". While he doesn't mind watching an older film, the reroll selection is quite...specific.

Now Playing!
Reroll: The Thing (1982)
Reroll: Venom
Reroll: The Blob (1988)
Reroll: Body Snatchers (1993)
Reroll: Terminator 2
...

Anne hums, not as perturbed as she squints her eyes. "I've heard or saw most of these, but I don't remember Venom. Is that old?"

"No, not really. That only came out a couple years ago."

"Isn't that the gooey Spiderman villain?"

"Yes, but in this movie, he's sort of an anti-hero."

Anne twists her lips for a moment before gasping. "Wait! Aren't me and Mary right now similar to Venom?"

Daniel nearly spits out and stares at his slime mother in disbelief. "You just realized that?!"

The slime mother cups her mouth, but from the tone of the stifled giggle, Daniel can tell Mary is the one pulling some control to keep herself literally contained.

Eventually, the host relaxes and allows Anne to cough, deeply embarrassed by the inner artist's amusement. "W-well, I'm not interested! Besides, why watch something fictional when you have me every day?"

Anne tilts her chin confidently, causing Daniel to chuckle lightly in response. The loving son squeezes his slime mother's hand in his.

"Of course! You're naturally the best, mom."

The slime mother blinks before smiling wide. "Hu hu, is this a mother-son outing now?"

Daniel is momentarily confused before widening his eyes, reminded that they're still in public. Luckily, it's a slow night, but he can't be too careful when passerbyers might overhear him calling a girl that looks about the same age as him "mom".

He clears his throat. "Slip of the tongue. Anyways, how about..."

The artist slows his words as he rescans the marquee, taking in the rotating list of newer movies and their timings. Just going based on titles, he eventually finds one that catches his eye.

"...The Star Crossing Lover?"

Anne raises a brow. "Are you really noting that one to me because it mentions a star? Oh please, we don't have to watch anything necessarily to do with space; plus, doesn't star-crossed imply tragedy?"

"Maybe?"

As he questions, Daniel pulls out his phone to confirm. He learns it's a romantic story about a humanoid alien female literally traveling the stars until she has an accident and crashes into Earth. There, she's sheltered by a human male, and love is born.

"The premise seems simple, but it has a lot of decent reviews. Shall we try it?"

Anne hums, moving in close to read on her son's phone. After a bit, she grins.

"It sounds nice. What do you think, Mary?"

The host within shrugs, keeping her voice low since she can't change her voice to match Anne. "I'm down, but also don't worry about me, love. This is supposed to be yours and Daniel's time."

While she says that, she can't help but wriggle Anne's lips. "J-just no horrors, please."

Daniel snorts. "You say that, but I remember a few of your paintings being pretty nightmarish."

The female artist straightens and huffs, looking nearly the same as Anne when she does it. "Yeah, but those are my horrors."

With her reservations made, Anne retakes control and giggles. "Then, I guess that's settled. Let's go buy the tickets, Daniel!"

The slime mother leans against Daniel, capturing his arm close to her chest. Whether intentional or not, the artist wonders if he'll be able to focus on the movie at all.

...

..

.

And surprisingly, he did.

There was no secret escalation with Anne nor any background couples making unwanted noises around them to spur such ideas. Instead, the movie was engaging enough with a good mix of comedy, romance, and...

"How did that movie have so many good reviews?! My first movie and I'm deceived!"

...tragedy. With such similar wording in the title to the "star-crossed lovers" concept, it's not entirely unexpected.

As Anne growls, stomping into their apartment complex, Daniel follows with a guilty smile. He can't help but find his slime mother's frustration cute, especially seeing how glued to the screen she was. It was so much so that Mary had to take control during the movie just to pop the popcorn into their mouth, seeing Anne was too enrapt.

Speaking of, the underlying female artist takes control with her amusement overriding Anne's upset expression.

"Relax, love! This was a great movie! We need more unpredictability in stories nowadays."

The actual Anne promptly frowns. "But...Ja'na being a planet destroyer was out of left field! Even then, why would she destroy Earth after she remembered her purpose? Didn't Drake mean anything to her?"

"Apparently only enough to try to keep him and destroy everything else."

"Also, what were those hooded men standing in a circle around that bound lady? There was no lead up to that scene!"

"H-hooded men? I didn't see-"

Daniel claps his hands, grabbing their attention. "As funny as this is, you two should split if you're going to converse like this."

Anne returns her focus back to her son and harrumphs. "No, not yet! I'll admit the movie was good, but it's so sad! So...you must comfort us! Right, Mary?"

The inner artist coughs. "I mean, yes. Mummy is very sad as well."

It's an obvious excuse, but shivers travel up Daniel's spine to hear such familial addressing again from Mary. Now reminded of her mental changes and reveal, he can't delay confirming such enhanced feelings.

"Er, Mary, about that...I get you have my mom's memories, but you don't actually think of me as your son...right?"

Anne smirks as her layer over Mary ripples, turning darker. "Looks like our baby is still confused. I'll let you be in front, okay?"

Daniel gulps as Anne matches Mary's features, giving the artist majority control. Once she comes through and exhales, the ebony beauty closes her eyes and clears her throat.

"Well obviously not, love. Anne is more of your mother than I could be, but even then, nobody can truly replace your genius mother."

She then opens her eyes and smiles warmly. "That said, I remember Amy's experience of birthing...actually, that was painful. I felt her relief and joy holding you in her arms as a baby as if I were the mother. I know these feelings are foreign, but since you're already accepting of two mothers from unknown origins, why not have a human one who already knows you better in some ways?"

Daniel exhales slowly, unable to shake away from her loving gaze. Uncertain how to feel, he rubs his forehead and sighs. "You've really got me cornered, Mary."

The artist raises a brow and leans forward with a sweetened voice. "Oh? Then is that a yes for Mummy?"

"I-it's not a no."

"You should be more honest, love! You know...I think you need more comforting. Come with me!"

With her hand towing Daniel to the living room area down the hall, the male artist can only follow along. His heart beats while being unable to reject his fellow artist's ideas.

'I can't escape her or Anne...nor do I want to. Still, I can't keep heeding every-'

"Here we are! Just a sec."

With Daniel's thoughts disrupted, he stiffens as Mary lets go of him and settles down on the couch. Once more, he's unable to avert his gaze as she unbuttons her blouse, taking it off ever so casually.

To his shock, they haven't been wearing a bra this whole time.

She pats the seat next to her with her enhanced ebony chest jiggling nicely in front of him. "Lie across mummy's lap, love."

Daniel raises an eyebrow. 'Sh-she wants to breastfeed me? Wait! She would know now, wouldn't she!?'

Given the exchange of memories, any learning of him suckling like a baby makes him want to crawl away in embarrassment; however, he instead finds his cock hardening in his pants to the idea of nestling into his girlfriend's bosom.

While her boyfriend stares dumbly, Mary's gaze lowers to the bulge and giggles. "Wow, you rose up quickly, huh?"

The male artist blushes and swallows slowly, trying to recompose himself. "O-of course, how could I not to your figure?"

Mary hums, shuffling her legs. "I appreciate it, but I know it's more than that..."

Specks of white drops soon appear on the artist's nipples, glimmering with sweetness.

"Come. I want to nurse you, love," Mary urges, patting the seat again with a hopeful smile.

Daniel inhales sharply. "T-that's um...that would be Anne's milk, right?"

Spoken of, a lump grows from behind the ebony beauty, shaping into a grinning Anne. "Hehe~ Daniel, don't be shy! This milk is different from mine, as you'll see.

'D-different? Then...'

The male artist widens his eyes while his cock hardens further at the implication. A dryness in his throat and curiosity pushes him forward.

Ultimately, the maternal love emanating from the two is simply too strong of a pull to resist.

Chapter 48: Togetherness

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chu!

"Oh love, that...feels so nice."

Full of relief, Mary's soft voice presses Daniel to suckle more. With such sweet temptation in his mouth, he allows "Mummy" Mary to care for him, nursing him just as Anne has done.

When he first drew Mary's nipple into his mouth, he was surprised by the sweetness and creaminess of the milk. As Anne implied, this is not the covering slime's reproduction of cow's milk; rather, his girlfriend is actually lactating!

'So, is this what it would taste like when mom nursed me as a baby?'

He can't help but ponder now as Mary gazes down at him with the relaxed eyes of a mother to such baby. Yet, mindful of such a baby being a man, her hand brushes through the back of his head while her other rubs the front of his bulge.

"I love you, Daniel," the female artist whispers.

Her words, sweet as her milk, send his body shivering and heart skipping. It doesn't help that her accent impacts him harder than it should. Perhaps it's because he's witnessing a softer side to Mary than he would've imagined. It worries him a little, wondering how much of the love from his mothers, Amy and Anne, is affecting his fellow artist's mind.

And yet, he can't deny the allure of this new Mary.

"Come on, love, don't just stare cutely! Say, 'I love you, mummy'."

Daniel almost chokes on her breast milk. Somehow, he manages to recovery quickly by clearing his throat a single time before closing his eyes helplessly. 'What am I even worrying about? This girl is still the same as ever.'

Inhaling more freely, he stares up at the bold artist defiantly.

"I love you, Mary."

Mary squints her eyes. "Mummy."

"I love you, Mury."

"Who are you calling Mury? It's mummy!"

The artist lightly sighs while failing to keep a straight face. "Fine. I love you...mum."

"...Whatever. Sheesh, what a stubborn baby we have."

"He is!" Anne adds, harrumphing. Her head still extruding behind Mary, but from the angle and Mary's breasts, Daniel can barely see her.

Nonetheless, the artist responds. "Stubborn? I just think Mary is much a more lovely name."

"Ha! Flattery won't get you points here, love."

Before the artist can object, Mary stuffs her nipple back into her boyfriend's mouth and moves to unzip his fly. "Enough of the snark, love. Just put up and relax for mummy, okay?"

With such a firm voice, Daniel resigns easily as his cock is freed. He maintains his sucking force as Mary begins to rub his shaft gently.

"So...how does it taste, baby?" Anne asks before lowering her gaze. "It's probably better than Mama's milk, right? Be honest."

Daniel unlatches from the breast momentarily, causing it to drip on his chin. "Not necessarily better. It's sweet and creamy, while yours is cool and smooth. Having both is nice. I'll admit, though, I wouldn't be able to have cereal every day with Mary's milk."

Said artist scoffs. "Lay off the sugar in cereals and it'll balance it out."

"Even so, your milk is delicious, mum," Daniel praises before latching back on.

Hearing such addressing, Mary wriggles her lips happily before clearing her throat. "F-five points."

Anne giggles. "He may be stubborn at times, but he can be considerate too. Oh! Let me help lubricate your hand, Mary."

The slime mother's milk secrets a little from their hand, allowing Mary to smoothly squeeze her boyfriend's cock. Feeling him twitch, the ebony artist grins.

"Much better. Thank you, Anne!"

Daniel emits a muffled groan as he tries to keep himself attached. That's not hard at all as Mary holds him tightly to her. Feeling him twitch in her hands, she leans her head down and kisses the top of his head.

"Good boy~"

"Hngh."

Shlip! Shlip!

Chu, chu!

Like this, time passes. The noises grow louder with increasing breaths from Mary. Having suckled Anne's breasts many times, Daniel's expert mouth and tongue movements naturally turn the female artist on, indicated by how she's squeezing her thighs together.

Eventually, the male artist ejaculates, groaning hard and mixing with the milky lubrication. As he does, some of the sperm flies upward, catching Mary's cheek. She lets out a light giggle and continues stroking her boyfriend's hard cock.

"Hah...that was a lot, love...and you're still so hard!"

Halfway between the sentence, a change in breathing and tone pushes Daniel to reopen his eyes. In place of the dark breasts full of sweetness, the slime mother's lighter chest now pads his face. Above, he can see the sweet, heated smile of the wavy-haired girl looking down at him.

With the swap, the breast milk from Mary turns just a tad less sweet but cooler as Anne mixes her milk in. It's a refreshing change that makes Daniel more rejuvenated to continue.

"You've got a lot of energy, huh? Now it's mama's turn to feed," Anne declares lovingly.

Daniel only grunts in acknowledgment, continuing to suckle the welcoming mounds like nothing changed. With another round commencing, the slime mother continues Mary's efforts while urging her son to nurse away.

Time blurs further as Mary and Anne begin swapping every few minutes: Nursing him, stroking him, kissing him, sliding their hands along his body as they keep him close. It's so much, he's unable to predict who is who anymore.

The only thing that remains consistent is the love and comfort, but even then, no amount of love can prepare his stomach as it reaches its limit. When he can't afford to drink anymore, he unlatches with a pop and gasps out.

"Haa! Mary..er, Anne. Look, I'm...finished, I..."

His tired words slow further as neither Mary nor Anne gaze down at him anymore. Instead, the two had converged to a singular conclusion after swapping many times.

Marianne.

"Full of Mama's milk, baby?" the fusion asks, her voice lightly accented of Mary but with the familiar adoring tone from Anne.

With his mind reset by the change in caretaker, he can only blink dumbly. "Um, yeah..."

Recovering from the fusion's returned presence, Daniel sits upright, and somehow, so does his cock. With the combined beauty in front of him, how could he possibly end the night so soon?

'Ah, whatever.'

Resolving himself more, Daniel slides a hand across the fusion's cheek. In response, Marianne takes it, cocking her head against the palm and humming contently.

"It's my turn to spoil you, mom," the boyfriend-son declares.

He intentionally addresses her with such a familial term, owning to the fact that Mary has joined the unofficial mothers' club. While he never asked for such a group, it's hard to ignore such a role now.

The fusion gasps in response, her eyes quivering with delight. Before getting ahead of herself, she clears her throat.

"W-well, it's about time. Mama is totally wet thanks to your suck-aah!"

With a squeak, Daniel surprises his fusion mother by lifting her up. It was a risky bet, not knowing how heavy the two were together; however, Anne doesn't seem to follow any physical laws as the two remain nearly as light as Mary alone.

Thus, he carries the blushing fusion in his arms. Adjusting herself, the carried mother wraps her arms around her son's neck as they travel to the bedroom. She let's out a slow, loving sigh.

"Daniel~"

The artist's cock throbs to Marianne's light voice, more eager to make love to her a second time. Thus at the bed, he lays her down. His hands glide gently down her waist to tug on her soaked skirt, wet from the crotch and spots of spilt milk. When it comes off, another detail is revealed: They haven't worn any panties!

"Hehe, surprised?"

Daniel stares blankly at her wet crotch before shaking his head. "You're too daring."

"That was Anne's idea, for the record."

The artist snorts. "It sounds more like Mary is becoming a bad influence on my mom."

"Not at all~ Sometimes mommies have to be bad, you know?"

"Of course you would say that!"

Huffing, Daniel leans forward to lie on top, kissing her with more fervor. In response, Marianne takes it happily and moans into his mouth. With some shuffling, their hands connect and intermingle.

Both horny and ready, Daniel decides against teasing the fusion despite wanting to pay Mary back for the mummy enforcement. In the end, Mary gets off easy thanks to her merge with his slime mother.

"I'm putting it in, okay?" he says after a break apart and a saliva bridge between their lips.

Marianne bites her lips and spreads her legs, her pussy twitching for her son's cock. "Mama will always be ready for you."

The artist doesn't wish to take advantage of his mother and girlfriend, so he avoids reading too much into her words. With a squeeze of her hands, he slides himself between her folds.

"Ungh...ah!"

As soon as he's snug within, Marianne breathes out shakily and wraps her legs around the artist's hips. Her warm walls squeeze tightly along her baby's length, especially with the enhancement of Anne's lining.

"Oh...oh, love! We're together again!"

Marianne writhes underneath as she breathes out. Just like before, Daniel can feel his member being kneaded without moving. He refuses to allow such stimulation to milk and instead thrusts, slapping his hips against her skin..

The movers did arrive with the new bed not long after Rachel left, so this is a test for the many activities that would no doubt occur. Daniel can only hope it maintains as he presses forward, driving deep into the fusion.

Shlap! Shalp!

"Oh god! F-fuck! G-give mama a kiss, baby!" Marianne begs, tears brimming in her eyes as she jiggles.

Daniel obliges, leaning forward to meet her lips again. As he does, each of his thrusts grows more pronounced. He's certainly hitting her G-spot with each of his thrusts, bringing further pleasure to them. In particular for Anne, wherever she exists in this fusion's mentality.

Shlap...Shlap!

Some moans and breaths escape their lips as they attempt to keep connected. Between some small breaks and the easing of vaginal walls, Daniel keeps at it through the night with no clear indication of how long they've been fucking.

It helps that Marianne is keeping hold of herself better. Rather than splitting as she feels close, the need to keep her baby close grows instead. After all, how could she dare to depart again so quickly after all of this?

"M-mama going to cum, love!"

"I'm cumming too!" Daniel responds.

Not wishing this moment to end, Marianne's legs restrict further around her son as they both explode into each other. Along with their cries, a slime layer extends outward from Marianne's sides like a wave!

She can't bear to depart from him!

Shlurp! Squelch!

As Marianne's eyes roll up, she envelops the entirety of her all-too-dazed son, unable to react as he lies head between her breasts and legs pulled in between her own.

"Yes! Cum...inside mama!" the fusion groans, feeling Anne's slime slide over her son.

Daniel equally cries out as his peak orgasm is shared immediately with Marianne, causing the average libido between the two to jump higher in a burst of energy. They squirm together like animals, wholly shaken in lust.

From above, it looks like Daniel has become a large lump against Marianne's body, but in reality, he's only tightly bounded to Mary's real body as the slime massages him in, both on his cock and around him.

Squick! Slurp!

The two...no, three continue their noises through the night until there's little to remain conscious under unimaginable pleasure. Somewhere within, Anne would experience something new thanks to being grounded to the two humans passing out...

Sleep.

Notes:

A\N: Nursing handjob scene is inspired by this: https://rule34.xxx/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=6242999

Chapter 49: The Meeting of Mothers

Chapter Text

Long dark hair drapes a lady flowing in white, bound to a wooden pole among hooded figures that surround her with torches in their hands. The orange glow of their fires illuminates her resigned smile, but without fear, she looks directly ahead.

Her gaze, reflecting the embers that rise, arrives on a stunned Mary, a foreigner swept into this event yet ever so connected.

'My child...never forget our love for this world. Never forget the children we serve to raise.'

Although the lady does not open her lips, her thoughts flow naturally to the standing artist, forced to watch with a heaviness preventing even a breath. However, not knowing who this woman is, can she really be the recipient?

"Let us burn this wretched witch that dares to sully our goddess Isis' name! For Isis!" one hooded man shouts.

"For Isis!" the rest of the men repeat unanimously.

The dark-haired lady closes her eyes and snorts. "What irony," she says.

Such spoken words are unheard as torches are thrown at her feet, igniting flames that expand outward. As they consume, the so-called witch reopens her eyes, staring proudly at the artist without any indication of pain.

'Remember but stay hidden, stay safe. Live for yourself without forgetting who we are. No matter what happens, I am a part of you and will always be watching you from the stars.'

"Wait-!"

Recovering her voice, Mary leans forward with an arm out before coming up short. After a blink, she no longer finds herself witnessing a burning witch. Instead, her surroundings have become sunny, green, and open without the hooded men and dark-haired lady.

"What the fuck?"

An appropriate reaction. It takes the female artist a moment before gathering herself. Momentarily ignoring the change in surroundings, she recalls Anne's words after their movie night:

"Also, what were those hooded men standing in a circle around that bound lady? There was no lead up to that scene!"

'She had another vision during the movie!'

Mary can only assume such since she reconnected with Anne again to become Marianne. With it, she can also account for new events since their first merge, such as Daniel's envelopment and retelling of the dream world to Anne.

Speaking of...

"So, this must be it then," Mary murmurs, looking around in all directions until she notices two lakes not far from her.

"...and from what Daniel told me, those must be the...pools of knowledge, er, lakes of knowledge?"

"That is correct, child!"

"Gah!"

Mary jumps as Viviane appears behind with hands clasped together in delight.

The same can't be said for the artist, waving her hands more chaotically until she manages to reestablish firm footing. Facing the source of surprise, her eyes widen as the pale beauty's silver image dazzles. Not to let herself be caught staring, Mary eventually clears her throat. "You are...Viviane?"

The silver slime closes her eyes happily. "Yes and you're Mary. I know a lot about you now, descendant of Merlin."

Mary blinks before raising one eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Whoa! This place is so vast!" Anne shouts, raising her arms as her own lake shimmers before her.

Daniel can only smile stiffly, quite withdrawn over her sudden presence. "Er, mom, I don't think this is the time to be easygoing."

Naturally, everything blurred during his heated moment with Marianne, but at some point, Anne must've enveloped him while he fell asleep.

However, why is his slime mother able to join suddenly? Wasn't it impossible for her to fall asleep?

The male artist turns his head to look at the waters. Focusing, no amount of time would unveil a wobbly view of Anne's perspective as it had. Of course, why would it now that she's here?

"Daniel?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Daniel sees the wavy-haired girl up close, her gaze filled with concern over his tightened expression. Not wishing to worry her, he takes a moment to admire the lake's cool breeze sliding through her hair before holding her hands. "Sorry, mom. It's just...how is it you're here?"

Anne twists her lips and hums. "Maybe...because Mama passed out as Marianne?"

Daniel's eyes slowly widen. "Wait, that's right! You were connected mentally to Marianne!"

If Mary passed out, she could have pulled Anne along. That also means...

"Daniel, Anne!"

The two turn away from the lakes to see the person-in-question waving as she and Viviane approach. The timing could not have been better.

At the same time, Daniel sweats, seeing how all three of his "mothers" are now together, each connecting to one another in their own way and extending his star-loving mother, Amy.

Feeling his arm tugged, he glances sideways to find Anne hooking with him while furrowing her brows at her apparent silver sister.

"Of course you went along with such a pretty lady," Anne grumbles quietly without looking at him. "As if Mary and Mama weren't enough."

Daniel chuckles nervously. "Mom, you know that's not true."

Anne harrumphs. "Mama will see."

"It's very nice to see you, fellow sister," Viviane greets as they get closer, her silver eyes shining warmly. "I've been watching you for quite some time."

"I'm well aware," Anne replies, forcing a smile and squeezing her son's arm. "While I understand our connection, I still don't feel like I know you. Clearly though, my son already trusts you."

"As he should," Viviane smiles, winking toward the artist in question. "I am this child's mommy, after all."

Anne bites her lips but holds herself. Seeing such a reaction, the silver woman chuckles and waves her hand.

"Be at ease, sister! I can't take him wholly away from you or Mary, nor do I want to; however, now that your merge has offered a way for us all to be together, we mustn't waste this opportunity! Let's get to know each other more personally, shall we?"

"Wait, hold on!" Mary interrupts, frowning. "Viviane, you still need to explain what you've told me!"

Gasping, the silver slime twists, slightly embarrassed. "Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself with so many guests."

Clearing her throat, she continues. "I know there are questions about the two visions Anne and I shared."

The slime mother relaxes her hold of Daniel, cocking her head. "Two? It was only the one with Stonehenge."

Mary sighs, shaking her head. "Anne, you were so invested in the movie; I can't believe you couldn't tell the difference. That so-called scene you complained about was actually another memory!"

Anne holds her breath for a moment. "Oh! Then, why? Are these...Viviane's memories?"

The silver slime crosses her arms and nods. "I'm even more certain as I feel strongly about them, yet everything is pieces to me. At the very least, I finally remember who called me by those monoliths, thanks to Mary's memories."

Focusing her gaze on the ebony artist in question, she grins. "That hooded man that called out to me was none other than the wizard Merlin. His name and voice ring to me after seeing those symbols her uncle drew."

"Wha...seriously!?"

Having drawn one of the symbols and dismissed it, Anne would naturally be flabbergasted.

Equally in disbelief over the existence of a literary legend, Daniel can't help to poke his slime mother. "See, I told you!"

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Anne asks, ignoring her son's claim as she leans closer. "After all, Mary's uncle is named Marlin, not Merlin."

Viviane hums, drawing a hand to her chin. "Well...either the wizard has been hiding himself, choosing a poor name for hundreds of years or Mary and her father's side happen to be descendants of the man. Regardless, this must be fate!"

"Too big of a coincidence for me!" Daniel rejects, stepping forward. "You're saying my girlfriend has always been related to this?"

Mary giggles and tilts her chin. "Be honest, love. As a Harry Potter fan, you're just jealous of mummy! I have the potential to become a wizard, it seems!"

"One, I am absolutely jealous," Daniel affirms, huffing with a light smile. "Two, you're still assuming too much."

"I don't think there's such a thing anymore. My uncle was always an outsider in the family, and now it kinda makes sense. To think he may have been hiding something big this whole time!"

Daniel shakes his head and sighs. "After Anne's painting, I've been meaning to ask you to confirm, so this works out. For now, let's assume this Merlin is real. What's his relation to Viviane?"

The silver slime lowers her gaze with a bitter smile. "I'm not sure. A friend, perhaps...or something more. There's a feeling I can't explain though."

"And the bound lady?" Mary adds.

"Perhaps a predecessor of mine?" Viviane guesses, looking upward and cocking her head. With some silence, she grunts in frustration and shakes her head. "Sadly, it's too new for me to conclude anything. At least with this, I'm comforted that some pieces are returning somehow."

"What about your transfer involving the green fire?" Daniel questions. "If we're talking coincidences, there's my Stonehenge painting and my client's request?"

"No clue, child," Viviane answers with an apologetic smile.

Daniel closes his eyes and slumps. "Well, I won't say I'm overthinking it."

"You should remain suspicious. Remember that Anne and I were likely summoned, especially now that I've seen some of the symbols and magical arrangement from the uncle. There's still a possibility others may be aware of us, so do be careful, okay?"

The male artist reopens his eyes, catching Viviane's worried gaze. Of course, holding a mother's feelings for her child, she naturally doesn't want to see him get into trouble.

"I'll be careful."

Viviane hums, satisfied, then turns towards the female artist. "The same for you, Mary. Even if you trust your uncle, I would not be forward about us."

"Of course!"

"Now then!" the silver slime begins, returning her focus to Anne. With a warm smile, she lifts her arms out for her. "Let us try merging together, sister!"

The blue slime gasps and quickly hides behind Daniel. "Y-you can't just suggest that so suddenly!"

"Why not? It'll be the quickest way to understand each other! Plus, as your elder sister who has been trapped and forced to watch you make love to our son every day, I have at least that right!"

'How very specific,' Daniel thinks, sighing.

It works though as Anne wriggles her lips in guilt. Not to be swayed too much by emotions, she suppresses it. "E-even so, it's...too soon! Also, who says you're the elder sister!? I may have split from you and...and you may be a much older being, but as far as mothers go, I should be the eldest since I was first!"

"You mean second, love," Mary corrects, unable to help but grin.

"Then, Mama is the first mother who is also a jello lover!" Anne declares, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Pfft!"

As Mary cracks up, Daniel stares ahead with thinned lips. Despite the silly hostility, this isn't nearly going as bad as he thought it would; however, he is a little worried about the potential merge suggestion.

What is Viviane thinking?

The lady in question twitches her eyes, but it's clear she's doing her best not to give into her sister's immaturity and an apparent attempt to change the topic. "I'll give you a deal then. Daniel hasn't told you yet, but I can teach you how to split yourself!"

'NO!'

As Daniel shouts in his mind, his eyes snap to Anne. Much to his horror, his slime mother's reluctance disappears all too quickly with open, glimmering eyes.

"Split...you mean I can clone myself? Wait..."

She pauses, then narrows her eyes towards her sweaty son. "Also, what does she mean you haven't told me yet?"

Chapter 50: Anne Tries to Split!

Chapter Text

After being scolded for ten minutes about hiding a more intriguing time with Viviane than told, Daniel smiles weakly in front of his puffy-faced slime mother.

"Look, mom. I just think there's not much point to it. I only need one of you."

Anne rolls her eyes before scoffing. "Don't try to be sweet with me, mister! Just think of all the multitasking that could be done. Mama can help with your backlog faster and take care of you better!"

Daniel swallows slowly with crooked lips, unable to decide whether to feel horrified or happy over her increasing hold on his business and life. Regardless, he can't protest under such a firm gaze.

"It's easier said than done," Viviane warns. "Our bodies naturally want to remain whole, so you'll have to resist that urge on top of maintaining control across splits."

She glances at her palm for a moment before adding, "At least, that's if you're anything similar to me."

"I'm willing to try! Teach me, elder sister!" Anne requests, clapping her hands together with sparkling eyes.

Viviane relaxes and tilts her chin. "Yes, that's much better! Very well, sweet sister, come with me!"

And thus, the two slime girls' relationship begins over the sharing of knowledge. Nothing could be more appropriate for Anne, who shares Amy's drive for discovery.

As Anne leaves Daniel's side for Viviane, Mary takes her place with a titter. "It looks like Mama warmed up easily."

"Too easily," Daniel agrees, sighing as he watches the two slime girls move closer to the lake. He twists his lips. "While I'm happy that these two can meet, I wonder if I made a mistake."

"Come now, love. At some point, she'd have figured it out herself, then more."

"I'm certain as well, but in any case, the cat's out of the bag. By the way, how are you feeling in this place?"

Mary looks up at the blue sky and inhales the fresh air. "It's surprisingly relaxing and weirdly real. Can this really be called a dream world?"

Daniel snorts. "Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that our bodies are cocooned in some way by Anne in the real world while we sleep."

The female artist hums for a moment before looking down. "Speaking of, we're also naked. Is that because we passed out like that?"

"You know, maybe that's the reason," Daniel hums. "I actually don't recall ever not being naked when mom enveloped me."

"Well, with nothing to hide, I suppose we can be even more honest, huh?" Mary notes, specifically eyeing her boyfriend's erect cock.

Daniel clears his throat as he tilts away. "Well, it doesn't help that I have an imaginative beauty next to me."

"Aw, love! It's okay to call Mummy weird instead, you know?"

Mary leans forward to kiss Daniel's cheek, causing him to stiffen further. He coughs, trying his best not to shy away. "N-not that I mind, but how long do you plan to refer to yourself like that?"

"Until it's not appropriate anymore."

"That's not specific at all."

"Not supposed to be. In any case, you don't mind when Anne calls herself mama, so what's different about me?"

"It just hits...differently when you say it like that. I'm unused to it, that's all."

"Oh? Differently, you say?"

"I shouldn't have said anything."

Mary's eyes narrows slyly, but before she can press further, Viviane's voice attracts their attention.

"Now, with that explanation out of the way, watch carefully!" the silver beauty begins, clearly boosted by her new sister's eager gaze.

Lifting one arm out, she allows her hand to lose form, essentially becoming an outlet to allow her mass to flow out.

Splorp!

As her shiny metallic goo falls to the grass below, it accumulates and twitches. It doesn't take long for a head to form, and to the chills of the audience watching, a groan.

"Oooooah~"

The clone of Viviane slowly pulls itself together as more slime is fed from above. It takes to stretching out all parts of its limbs as it solidifies, building out a skin layer with the same paleness as the original.

Eventually, Viviane's hand reshapes and splits off with a swipe. She takes a step back, allowing her molded duplicate to rise next to her with a similar smile.

The clone scans the stunned faces before wrapping a hand around the original's shoulder. "As you can see, I am now double!"

Having already experienced two of them, Daniel is the first to break out of his wonder. "Hold on, when you did it for me, it was totally out of the blue!"

The original grins, straightening proudly. "Child, I can split much faster. I only slowed the reformation process like this so that Anne could see."

The intended learner inhales with shimmering eyes. "This is so cool! So then, I just have to do the same, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, she extends her arm out just like Viviane did and allows the skin on her hand to dissolve. Her mass is pushed like a faucet, so like her counterpart, her blue, semi-transparent goo spills onto the ground. Just as Viviane can shapeshift, Anne slowly molds the muddied clone and has it stretch out; however, the real test comes when she attempts to remove herself.

Splick!

"Huh?"

As soon as Anne tries to reduce her flow, the melting body below extends out faster than she could react, reattaching itself to the original's legs. Binding, it trails from the ground up, lining her body and dissipating through her skin layer.

Anne blinks a few times with her hand in half-goo form before she grabs her head.

"Huh?!"

"Mom, are you okay?" Daniel calls out.

"Mama is fine!" Anne answers before lowering her brows. "But it's like, as soon as I tried to separate myself, that part of me just freaked out and reattached. I couldn't even force control of it!"

With closed eyes, Viviane crosses her arms and nods repeatedly. "That's to be expected. It's clear that our cells like to remain together. Right when you intend to restrict the junction, it'll be out for you like a magnet."

Nonetheless, Anne isn't disappointed at all. She huffs, raising her arms together. "Then, let's try putting some distance! That way, I don't have time to reattach!"

Viviane smiles a little. "Well, let's try, shall we?"

Anne pauses for a bit before narrowing her eyes. "You know something."

The elder sister giggles and winks. "There's nothing better than experience to learn, right? Shoot for the moon, as we say."

"Ugh. Hearing that somehow feels irksome. I know that's one of Amy's phrases, but you don't have to tell me!"

Regardless, Anne follows through. Given Viviane's reaction, she lowers her expectations for herself, assuming it's harder than she imagines.

And her cells do resist hard...

Splick!

"Damn!"

Splish!

"Just let me disconnect already!"

Like a noodle, Anne extends her arm a few times, but even with the distance, the gooey mound she builds up manages to reattach. Since it couldn't reach her main body, it simply focused on reaching her stretch limb, even slowing its flow to prevent Anne from thinning any part to a certain threshold.

By this point, Mary and Daniel had relaxed on the ground to watch. It was oddly entertaining to see the slime mother fighting against herself with a noodle arm.

But then, a bulb lights up in Mary. "Hey, love! Instead of doing it yourself, why not have someone else try severing the mass?"

Viviane raises an eyebrow but shakes her head. "It's a good idea, child, but even if I did try severing her, she'd reattach immediately."

To prove it, she lifts her arm, which flattens into a metallic blade. Anne widens her eyes in response and pulls back.

"W-wait-"

But it's too late.

Swip!

The blade-arm definitely slices through Anne's noodle arm, but...nothing. It manages to attach as if it were simply phased through.

"Ah?"

At the moment, Anne forgot that she wouldn't feel anything. Still, she growls. "Y-you could've given me some warning!"

Viviane shrugs, returning her arm to normal. "You're fine, aren't you? The only way this is going to succeed is if you work on your control."

"Ugh. Just how long did this process of control take you?"

The silver slime tilts her head as she thinks. "I can't remember. Time blurred, and I've lost plenty of memories, but it's definitely more than a few years, I'm sure."

"Aw..."

"However, it might be quicker for you to grasp if we're able to share our experiences."

"Through merging, you mean?" Anne asks, opening her eyes more.

"Hold on!"

Daniel joins them closer, burying his slight amusement. Along with Mary, he stares at Viviane with a creasing forehead.

"Vivi-"

"None of that!" the slime cuts, raising a finger at him with a pout. "If you don't want to call me mommy, at least call me mother, child."

Daniel is taken aback, but seeing her firm gaze, he doesn't object. "Then, m-mother...um, this merge won't be permanent, right?"

Viviane relaxes and closes her eyes happily. "No clue!"

The artist's shoulder briefly slumps with disbelief. Annoyed, he presses against his nose bridge and groans.

"Then absolutely not. If you two end up combining permanently, I...I don't want that."

"Daniel..."

Anne feels touched by her son's concern, but she's still unsure how to feel about merging. If it's anything like becoming Marianne, then she's not afraid of losing herself; rather, she'd just feel newer, just as Mary would.

Except that was bonding with a human. There's no telling whether it's the same bonding with a slime, especially one that she may have already been a part of before.

"Would anything really happen, though?" Mary asks. "I mean, even if they combine, Anne is still covering us in the real world, and Viviane doesn't exist there."

Viviane hums. "It's true that nothing may happen; yet, in a way, it was the same for my sister here coming to this land. Now we know she can exist here after bonding fully with you. The way I see it, you carried her to this world, Mary."

The female artist widens her eyes. "So it's not simply merging. You want to see if Anne can carry you back!"

The silver slime nods but glances at her uncertain sister with a dry smile. "Still, we won't know if we don't try. I understand if you'd rather not, Anne. Daniel cherishes you, so I also don't want us to be permanently bonded if it makes him sad."

Anne closes her eyes, trying to sort out her feelings. After taking a moment, she lifts her lips a little. "Then, why don't we try small? You can split a tiny part of yourself, and I can see if we can even mix!"

Daniel inhales. "Mom, hold on! This is still too risky! Nobody has an idea what will happen here, much less with you two being similar!"

"What then?" Anne presses, thinning her lips. "In the worst case, Mama and Vivi-mama will become one, but we'll still love you! We'll still be your mothers!"

"I...but that's... you'll be different. You might not even be Anne."

The slime mother's eyes soften before lifting a hand to her son's cheek. "Mama will always be here. I get that the unknown is scary, but we must explore it to broaden our horizons. Haven't I taught you that?"

Daniel shuts his eyes tightly and squeezes her hand on his cheek. "Mom..."

Anne continues with a more positive tone. "In the best case, we might exist separately too, just like Mary and I! Either way, we won't know until we try, and this may be the only chance to free my unexpected but lovely sister!"

Daniel bites his lips, unable to feel optimistic; however, seeing how Anne is determined just as Amy would be, he knows she won't budge.

Forcing himself to relax, he drops his hands and sighs. "Just a small part of Viviane, then."

The silver slime's eyes soften equally towards her shared son. "It'll be okay, my child. Trust us as your mothers, will you?"

Daniel reluctantly nods. With no further objections, Viviane cups her hands and draws them out, filling them with silver slime until it's the size of a baseball.

"Give me your hand, sister."

Not without some hesitation, Anne opens up to receive the silver mass. It disconnects easily from her sister and wobbles in her hand. Staring at it with her reflection on its surface, she takes a deep breath.

In one go, the silver mass recedes into her hand.

Chapter 51: A One-sided Merge

Chapter Text

Mary, Daniel, and Viviane stare intently towards Anne, waiting for something to happen as the silver mass submerges through the blue slime's skin layer.

The slime mother imagined a merge with her fellow creature would be like mixing two wet ingredients for a batter. It's arguably easier than merging with Mary, where she's just icing on a cake. On the other hand, icing can be easily removed.

Despite the risk, Anne doesn't feel any different with Viviane's ingredient. Compared to merging with a human, the sensation of the silver mass mixing with her is nonexistent. Not even a flash of knowledge from her elder sister is imparted.

'Maybe it's not enough?' Anne wonders, cocking her head.

The wavy-haired mother dissolves the skin on her hand to verify. With wide eyes, everyone sees her inner mass, blue as always. There's not even a silhouette of the silver mass to be seen through her semi-transparent properties.

"Did you...digest her or something?" Mary asks.

"N-no, I didn't...or at least, I don't think I did," the slime mother responds before furrowing her brows toward her elder sister. "Did I do something wrong?"

Viviane hums, narrowing her eyes. "Very interesting..."

Everyone turns their heads to the silver slime as she steps forward, taking her fellow sister's hands in her own.

"V-viviane?" Anne questions, smiling stiffly as the silver slime's eyes sparkle too much.

'Wait, I'm not like this, am I?' she has to wonder.

"Anne, I must put more of myself into you!" the elder sister finally declares.

Said slime gasps and glances away. "Th-that, uhm...sounds kinda wrong when you say it like that."

Before any sort of action can commence, Daniel clears his throat and pushes them apart. "No, hold on! Vi-I mean, mother, do you have any idea of what happened?"

Mary holds her mouth and snickers at her boyfriend's correction. 'He's trying so hard.'

Nonetheless, the silver mother blinks before shuffling back sheepishly. "Ah, apologies child! Although I'm not sure what's happening, I can tell that piece of me has not been severed. It exists somewhere within Anne, and yet, I'm unable to muster any control to it. There's something special about your mother here in this world!"

"So that excites you enough to put more of yourself into her?!"

"It's okay, Daniel. Mama is still fine!" Anne reassures before straightening. "Let's try a little more, just to be certain."

Daniel wriggles his lips with worry. "Are you sure there's nothing? Not even some memories shared?"

"No, at least as far as the small piece of Vivi-Mama goes."

Once again, Anne seems to have come up with a new nickname for her elder sister when referencing to him.

While recognizing it, Daniel doesn't let himself be distracted as he slowly inhales. "Alright, a little more then."

Viviane hums playfully. "You're not worried about me, child?"

"I'm worried about both of you," Daniel asserts.

Despite saying that, it's hard to not be biased towards Anne, given she's been the one by his side; however, he doesn't want that to be dwelled on.

"Very well," Viviane ends, not pushing it. She returns her attention to Anne. "Why don't we both assume our full slime forms so that it's more apparent what's happening."

The slime mother nods, allowing her colored layer to dissolve back into the gooey mass. No longer contained, her body droops a bit in a few places.

Likewise, Viviane also shifts back, but unlike Anne, her silver mass is more stable. As it is, she looks like a metal statue shining brightly against the sun.

So much, in fact, Daniel has to turn away just to avoid the reflection from this realm's light. "You're...very smooth."

Viviane closes her eyes and smiles. "I'm pleased to hear that!"

Anne huffs, crossing her arms. "Well, sorry Mama can't help but be a mess."

"Hold on, I didn't say-"

"Anne, forget about him," Mary cuts, her eyes glimmering in awe. "This is cool, though! You're so goopy!"

"Oh, that's right! You haven't seen me fully in this form!" Anne gasps before tilting her chin. "Now that's the reaction I was hoping for!"

Daniel slumps with a dry smile before sighing. "Thanks for giving me a hard time, guys."

"Hehe, Mama loves you too~"

With the two slime mothers in their base form, Viviane proceeds behind Anne and presses her hand against the blue, gooey backside.

"One arm, okay? Tell me if anything changes."

"L-likewise. If you lose your arm-"

"I can regrow it."

"Oh...that's right."

While Mary and Daniel watches, Viviane happily pushes her hand through. In response, Anne loosens to ensure her body can accept it.

Shlip!

One might expect a bulge to form from Anne's front, but not even that occurs. As if entering into a void, Viviane's entire arm is consumed. Only a brief section of the formed limb can be seen before it fades away.

Anne looks down at her chest in disbelief. While not doing anything to make her sister's arm disappear, that's precisely what happened. Moreover, she still feels like nothing had really entered her.

"V-viviane?"

The silver slime only hums and pulls back. With raised brows, her arm comes out intact, except...

"Oh?"

Turning around to see, Anne gasps along with the others as the elder slime's left arm is now turned into the same blue slime. After some observing, Viviane shows she can move around and control the limb despite the change.

"Wow... Looks like you've converted me, Anne."

"W-what? Why?! Are you okay?"

Anne is flabbergasted against her elder sister's calm and curiosity.

Viviane giggles, flexing her arm more and even stretching it. "It seems so. I can control fine. I've even been able to add back the piece I gave to you."

"You were able to find it? Wait, so then...ah! My body added you to me! But then, why couldn't I recognize that?"

"Possibly because I still own myself. I only gave you a little before, which is why I couldn't escape but still could sense myself."

Anne twists her lips before staring at her pair of blank and thinned-lipped artists. "What do you two think?"

"I have no clue what's going on, mom."

"Same here, love."

Seeing as the two humans are rightly out of touch, Anne returns to Viviane, who plays with the blue mass by shifting away and rebuilding a replacement silver arm.

"I can't get rid of it either, it seems. Hehe, I've got a patch of you, little sister!"

"That's crazy! Wait, what if I insert myself into you?"

"Go ahead!"

Anne does so, similarly pressing her hand on her compliment's back. Like a ripple on water, the slime mother sinks up to her wrist, then holds.

Feeling nothing, she pulls out. Unlike Viviane, her hand remains the same. "It doesn't look like...Aah!"

With a squeak, Anne sees a new blue patch formed on Viviane's back where she pushed in. "Oh no, I converted more of you!"

The silver slime looks behind and frowns. After taking a moment to think, she drops her head and sighs. "It seems there's only one path I can take then. Once going into fire, one must enter the waters. I will miss this silver color, though."

"Viviane, what do you... No, don't!"

Before Mary and Daniel can react, Viviane's slime extends from the back, entrapping the blue sister already within reach. As soon as the blue girl is pulled in, half of their individual masses mix. With it, the elder sister begins converting, losing her metallic shine.

Slish! Squelch!

Anne grunts, trying to pull away, but her sister remains stuck to her various cells. They're now easily conjoined, except with less than half of the silver mass remaining.

"Mother, stop!"

"Love!"

Breaking from their shock, both artists try to approach to help, but a light rumbling in the ground causes them to pause. Before they can question...

Shuuun!

A different rumble sounds above. It's enough to break everyone's attention on each other to look up, then drop their jaws.

Literal cracks like glass appear in the atmosphere. From within, unfamiliar characters spill out. Such magical letters float around wildly, increasing in number as the crack grows out.

With a single blink, Viviane is the only one who recovers fast enough from the change in the environment. While she may not understand her situation or containment, she knows one thing...

She can't hesitate like she did with the green flame.

"Trust me, my sweet sister. I'm always here for you."

Before Anne can respond, Viviane bumps head with her and sinks fully in.

Shlrup!

Anne shakes momentarily as Viviane fully disappears, not even a silver goo to be seen anymore. With her sister gone, the blue slime silently collapses in the ground while the rumbling above and below increases.

"N-no...no..."

She can hardly focus on her environment anymore, only mentally reeling from the pain as her sister is nowhere to seen, heard, or felt.

Like Amy had, she just lost a sister she has only begun to know.

"N-no, please...Viv-"

'Stay focused!'

Anne gasps as she hears her sister's voice. Before she can fully process her state of being, the entire sky shatters.

The land is swept in black.

Chapter 52: Rude Awakenings

Chapter Text

"Ugh..."

As the distant sounds of morning traffic leak through, Marianne raises a hand to her thumping head. She grudgingly opens her eyes, recognizing the familiar setting of Daniel's room. Momentarily confused as the throbbing of her head lessens, she snaps wide open to reality with a sharp breath.

"Viviane!"

Attempting to sit up against the new bed, the fusion is immediately pinned down by a weight against her. Barely catching her breath, she feels another heartbeat add to her own. The source can only belong to a covered Daniel, wrapped inside of her, thanks to their late moment of heightened ecstasy.

Or, to be more accurate, Daniel is wrapped in Anne's human layer and folded against Mary's body. Nevertheless, their combined movements stir him as he lets out a muffled groan.

"Anh, L-love!"

Marianne twitches and barely suppresses a moan as her son shuffles inside of her, his member still snug between her walls. While containing such a deep level of connection, she would like nothing more than to let this morning go and keep spending time with her baby.

However, there are more pressing matters than simply her son pressing her.

"N-no, th-this isn't the time! Mama has to, ungh...release you!"

Splick!

Pushing past the arousal, Marianne opens up her coat, revealing the male artist against Mary's darker tone.

Her baby.

"Wake up, love," Marianne gently whispers, placing a hand on his cheek.

Daniel's eyelids tighten before they slowly open. Similar to the fusion's reaction, he jerks up while adjusting to the sudden shift from darkness. Shaking himself from his daze, he catches the hybrid's face.

"M-mariane? You're still together? No wait... What happened with Viviane? Are you okay?"

Recalling the sudden collapse of the dream world and Viviane's disappearance with it, the fusion holds her breath.

'No, she...can't be gone, right?'

Even though Anne originally felt Viviane was foreign, that changed after meeting and connecting with her. She could finally understand Daniel's feelings now, and just like with Mary, how could she not trust having a sister who holds an equal share of Amy and love for her son?

More importantly, Anne finally found someone who was more like her—a true sister. In many ways, it's what Amy has wished for since she lost her fraternal twin at birth. Of course, Anne now carries the name of that twin, thanks to Daniel.

Amplified by loss, the fusion wants to break down, but the shared part of Amy lifts her. Even Mary provides much-needed optimism in their shared heart.

Yes, it's simply too early to give up; especially with her own composition, she knows there's a unique science that must be studied before any conclusions can be drawn.

Further, Anne could've sworn she heard Viviane's voice in her head before everything collapsed. Holding on to the hope that the silver slime still exists in some way, Marianne releases her breath and leans forward, holding her hand against Daniel reassuringly.

"Love, Mama is alright...or I should say Anne and Mary are okay as well," the fusion begins calmly. "Go take a shower first. I'll make breakfast, then we can continue with clearer heads."

Daniel holds his breath. Despite his hybrid mother's well-maintained voice, the slight worry in her eyes is just as apparent as the weight he carries, if not more.

Just what happened to his silver mother and the dream world?

Exhaling out, he tries not to let it grind at him so early. With his merged lover here with him, he locks his lips against the fusion and holds them tightly, afraid of the idea of them disappearing as well.

"Daniel, can we agree that dream world, or wherever we were, appeared to collapse?" Mary begins amid a dour mood at the kitchen table.

Dressed and separated by the time said artist rejoined them, the two girls had conveniently synchronized their observations resulting from their merge; however, no clear understanding exists of the sudden "dream" events. They could only wait for their son-boyfriend's thoughts on the matter.

"That's what it looked like to me, but I think we'll know for sure when we attempt to enter it again," Daniel answers, taking a slow sip of his coffee. He then looks down at his plate, and although Mary and Anne pushed on through to making breakfast, it's hard to have an appetite now.

Sighing, he focuses on his downcast slime mother, easily brimming with self-blame in her eyes.

"Mom, please. I know what you're thinking, and it's not your-"

"Stop," Anne cuts firmly before lifting her eyes with bitterness lacing her face. "After Viviane lost that piece of herself, Mama should've never agreed to continue! I was equally lost in curiosity, and now my sister is...missing."

Missing, but not gone. While it's easy to assume gone, it's the only difference that fills Anne with some hope.

"Then I should've been equally forceful in stopping you two," Daniel insists before exhaling. "Regardless, I don't believe she's gone either. Since you say you heard her voice after she disappeared into you, that should be telling. Not only that, we also saw that she was able to maintain herself after being converted to your slime."

Anne smiles weakly at her son's reassurance. Without knowing for certain, though, she glances away. "Mama hopes so too. If only I could hear her now, but it's been silent."

"You couldn't hear her even before," Mary reminds. "So really, nothing has changed in that regard."

"True," Anne sighs and squeezes her knees with frustration. "Still, why did she have to throw herself at me? How could she know that this would work out for her to come to the real world?"

Sharing his slime mother's frustration, Daniel remembers Viviane's words to him the first time they properly met.

"...But isn't this...unfair? When I died as Amy, I thought I had abandoned you, just as I had abandoned myself and a child I no longer remember. Even though a part of me was there for you, why...can't I be with you too? Why am I always trapped? ..."

The artist shuts his eyes, even more ashamed of not stopping his slime mothers when he should have. Viviane's desires are clear, but he failed to consider how far those intentions to act might go.

"I think she might've stopped caring what could happen," he carefully answers. "You remember me retelling her story of how she arrived in that place?"

Mary looks up for a moment. "Right, she was trapped in a different plane until a green fire appeared to her. I mean, if I were trapped for ages, I might dive into whatever showed before me as well."

'Ah...so that's what she meant.'

That reminder helps Anne to similarly recall Viviane's resigned words before making the entire push into her mass.

"It seems there's only one path I can take then. Once going into fire, one must enter the waters..."

Wiggling her lips, the slime mother narrows her eyes with annoyance. 'So am I the 'water' that's supposed to carry you? How can you possibly decide that on your own?!'

Despite criticizing her sister, who may not be anywhere to listen, Anne agrees with Mary's empathy. Without knowing enough about her sister's pain or history, she still can't place any blame.

The table goes silent for a bit as everyone is left to their thoughts. It's not until the British artist stands from her chair and exhales. "For now, I know what I need to do."

Daniel raises a brow. "Learning more from your uncle?"

The female artist hums affirmatively, but curls her lips. "Although I do question how Viviane came up with the conclusion that my dad's side of the family may be related to a famous wizard. I know it's because she recognized the symbols I remember him drawing as a child, but still...why hasn't Anne gained any similar realization? It just seems like Viviane's knowledge and connection to Anne is one-sided."

"No, you're right," Daniel agrees. "She's not a part of mom in the same way as Amy, or even you are. I think the way she could only join mom shows that."

"Well, I'll try to find as much as I can without being too specific. We saw similar symbols leaking out of the crack in the sky, so maybe my uncle will help me understand why it happened after Viviane disap-"

Stopping as she hears herself, Mary covers her face and groans. "Before that, I don't even know how to approach the topic without seeming crazy. He might not even be related!"

Daniel can't help but slightly smirk. "I'm sure you'll work your...magic."

Such a mocking jab doesn't deter his artistic counterpart, who grins. "Ha, you say that, but you better believe it, love!"

Anne suppresses a giggle as the artist's optimism lifts her as well. Before allowing Mary to leave, she reaches over to squeeze her hand. "Will you be okay, Mary?"

"What do you...oh! I'll be okay, love. I haven't been leaking so far, but I'll make sure to stock up on some pads for when I can't be here to nurse our baby."

She sneakily eyes a frozen Daniel with a cup up to his lips. Despite the unfortunate timing of taking another sip, the male artist somehow manages not to spit out and instead forces a hard swallow.

"Hehe! Still embarrassed by Mummy's milk, love?" Mary asks playfully.

Clearing his throat, Daniel snorts back. "A little by some coffee, but I know my Mum is very sweet and wouldn't tease me like that."

Mary gasps, then lowers her lips, ashamed. "Love, you can't just turn on me unexpectedly like that!"

"I know, right?"

"Alright, touché," Mary gives, raising a hand in sign-off. "I also have a few appointments that I can't reschedule; otherwise, I'd stay. After that, I plan on coming back here as soon as I can, so don't try sleeping in Anne without me!"

"Hehe, no worries, Mary. Let us know if you manage to discover anything," Anne reassures, smiling a little more.

With a satisfied hum, the artist takes her leave after hugging Anne and pecking Daniel. When the front door within the hallway is heard closing, Daniel focuses on his plate and picks up his fork.

Anne stands up with her own plate finished, her eyes now filled with motiviation. "Mama is going to do some research on your computer!"

"On what?"

"Well, I figure that since Viviane has some relation to Merlin, there's bound to be some records and literature on them that might help to better understand. Not only that, there's also the witch-burning vision I had that mentioned the Goddess Isis during the movie theater."

Daniel hums. "Good idea. I remember reading the basics on Merlin and King Arthur in high school, but there are so many interpretations. As far as Isis goes, isn't she an Egyptian goddess? If these are memories from Viviane, I can't even see how that's related."

The slime mother shrugs. "Well, then you know more than me! Amy forgot or never read up on any of those, so I wouldn't know either. Either way, there's bound to be some clues."

"I hope so. If we need to, we can hit up a library, but I think you should find what you need online."

Anne hums, keeping up her optimism about her fellow sister. Before leaving, she leans forward to lock lips with her son. They hold for a few seconds before she passes him out of the kitchen.

Exhaling, Daniel returns his attention to his plate but flinches.

"Huh?"

Although he thought he had only started eating the eggs and some toast, all of that had just disappeared.

'Did I really have an appetite?' he thinks.

Chapter 53: Magical Speculations

Chapter Text

"Lady of the Lake"

A well-known figure in Arthurian legends depicts an enchantress who resides in the waters on the mythical island of Avalon. Most know her as the one who gave Excalibur to King Arthur.

There are other roles too, such as becoming the foster mother to Lancelot and nurturing him into becoming the brave, yet divisive knight in King Arthur's round table.

She was also Merlin's love…and his demise.

The title, however, may not belong to a single person, as indicated by the lack of cohesiveness between tales and differences in passion. Thanks to various medieval authors, there are two names most commonly associated with the enchantress: Nimue and...

"Viviane," Anne repeats as her eyes scan an article among many tabs on the browser.

Daniel leans behind her, watching the screen with raised brows. Only after organizing his thoughts does he relax with a small snort. "I mean...it kinda makes sense."

"How so?"

"Well, aside from her name and connection to Merlin, she has been around lakes."

"..."

As Anne stares blankly at her son, Daniel sweats a little. Before he might be judged for saying something so obvious, he clears his throat and adds further, "As in, that's her domain, and I think it's your domain too. In fact, when I asked about the lakes, she said..."

This whole realm can be thought of as Anne's inner space. While it's unknown why I ended up here as part of my lesser half, I've learned these waters represent memories and knowledge that she has consumed.

Anne narrows her eyes at his rougher explanation, then hums. "I can see that since it could only be accessed through me, but then why did it collapse when she disappeared?"

"Maybe it's actually a shared domain between you two? I can't think of any other reason why such a realm would react."

"A shared domain..."

The slime mother flattens her lips for a moment before sighing. "Instead of speculating, I wish we could just take a nap together and confirm this."

"Mary wouldn't appreciate us going on ahead without her, plus you need her to sleep."

"Do I? Mama could merge with you completely, and-"

Catching herself, she shuts her mouth and lowers her head. "S-sorry, forget I said that. I really shouldn't be risking anything more without knowing what state I'm in...and what state she's in."

Daniel's face softens. With a sigh, he leans closer and wraps his arms around his slime mother's shoulders.

"Mom, I know it's frustrating, but we can't rush."

"I just...I'm afraid, Daniel. I'm so afraid for her."

"I know..."

"We're both your mothers; we both share Amy, but...I've never realized how much I wanted someone like me until now."

Anne squeezes her son's arm, keeping him close as she buries her chin in. They remain like this in silence for a few minutes before the slime mother relaxes, letting go of her son and staring back at the monitor with curled lips.

"Do you think it's true: Merlin dying at her hands?"

Daniel shakes his head as he pulls away. "I don't know. How much of these myths are truths is something we're only beginning to find out."

But if the artist is honest, such a wise yet clumsy silver slime doesn't seem to be of that character. Then again, she's lost much of herself. Without knowing the real history, there may even have been legitimate reasons for such a tale depicting Merlin's end.

On that note, Daniel is worried about Mary. She may trust her uncle, but there's no certainty about anything.

Breathing out, he pats her shoulder. "Let's move on for now and look up that name that was mentioned in your latest vision. You said it was the Goddess..."

"...Isis? You're talking about the Goddess Isis, right? Mike, we've already checked so many Egyptian records!"

Working from home, Lecia lays down her skepticism in front of her trusted friend in a video call. The archeologist on the other side rubs his scruffy hair with a sigh.

"I know, but clearly there's more. Especially after hearing from Jessica about a record claiming Cleopatra's revival, I had to look into it. What I found shares similarities to our situation and the missing body at the cemetery."

Lecia groans, placing a hand on her face. "My god, Mike. Even if you didn't reveal much to your wife, we can't involve outsiders, regardless of whether they're-"

"A green sort of energy was also mentioned in this record."

The Stonehenge leader straightens, her frustration with her college friend vanishing as she furrows her brows. "What?"

Finally catching his friend's attention, Mike relaxes visibly on screen. "It was hard to gather much since it's barely published online. I had to ask a few of our members based in Cairo to check the local journals. Just as my wife told me, there's a Roman poet who described a meeting with one of Cleopatra's servants.

"In it, their claim is that the queen revived and escaped entombment after taking her life. Supposedly, it's all thanks to her connection to the goddess, Isis."

For a moment, Lecia sours knowing such a historian, unrelated to their organization, is somehow providing a better lead. That's on top of capturing her friend's heart. Luckily, it barely shows on her face as she clears her throat.

"It's known that Cleopatra declared herself to be a manifestation of Isis, which obviously helped to legitimize her rule among the people."

Mike nods. "Except not quite in life, but if we're to believe this secondhand account, then most certainly in death. You're aware of the Book of the Dead?"

"Sure," Lecia answers, a little annoyed by his verifying. "It's a series of spells the Egyptians wrote to help guide kings and queens into the afterlife."

"Yes, and during the funeral and mummifying process, the same was done for Cleopatra; however, the servant told the poet that these spells, provided by their mistress, were unlike anything seen before. During their recitation, they saw an emerald light rise above the queen's coffin from the many jewels that surrounded her."

Lecia widens her eyes. "Wait, not a fire, but a light?"

"That's how it was described in Latin, but it could've been a fire. In any case, we know Cleopatra loved emeralds, and so it's easy to assume her body and tomb would be filled with them. Such a light could've been just a reflection off the emeralds...or at least, you'd think so until this part of the poem struck me."

Mike shares his screen, showing the Latin poem transcribed in a Word document. In it, a portion is highlighted. Since it's a more recognizable Latin that Lecia studied before, she's able to immediately understand it as she translates aloud.

"A shadow from emerald light surrounded our queen of the night. From her body, Isis rose. Her tomb untouched and the queen...unfold?"

"The first two sentences declare Cleopatra's resurrection into the goddess herself. What's notable is that the poet described a shadow from the light rather than the light itself surrounding the queen."

"It may as well be a shadow with what we know," Lecia agrees, her heart growing heavier.

"The third sentence," Mike continues, "...is a bit of a contradiction. How can the tomb be untouched if this shadow comes to revive?"

Lecia raises a hand to her chin. "Because speaking realistically, a shadow wouldn't affect anything, right?"

"Except the body in this case, which came undone."

"Gone, I'm sure," Lecia adds, sighing. "I understand now. This could match what we've observed."

"However, the servants assume what rose is Isis. If we ignore such faith, is that really true? How would they know?"

"Regardless," the former archeologist dismisses. "It gives some credence to the idea that our creature hasn't disappeared and is out there in some form."

"If it's really the same case," Mike cautions. "If only someone was able to discover Cleopatra's tomb."

But there's little chance that's happening in a search that's been going on for decades. As such, Lecia scoffs.

"We'd die of old age before that happens. How about looking into any events and history related to the goddess' followers?"

Mike widens his eyes. "Oh! You're talking about the Cult of Isis, right?"

Lecia smiles at the sudden glimmer in her friend's eyes. "The very one. Of course, be discrete with your search. We still need to keep the number of people who are aware of the aftermath minimal."

Mike nods. "Of course. I'll keep you posted, Lecia."

The call ends, and with it, the Sights Open President breathes out slowly.

There remains much to explore, but right now, her interest lies in the artist she commissioned. If the second-hand account is to be believed, Daniel's mother didn't just disappear.

She revived into something else.

"I need to tell Rachel," Lecia whispers to herself.

But first, it's time to open up her schedule for visiting the artist on his painting progress.

Chapter 54: Secrets and Suspicions

Chapter Text

Hello Mr. Hart. I realize this is short notice, but Ms. Bowden wants to know if she could come in today to see the painting.

Needing a break from all the mythology and history, Daniel was in the middle of painting a different piece before he receives a text from Lecia's secretary. Knowing the former archeologist's busy schedule, it'd be a while before she'd be available; thus, he doesn't feel it wise to reject this opportunity to finally receive her impressions.

But, he's also concerned.

Was his client's requirement to involve green fire a whim, or does she really know more than she first led on?

By these questions, Daniel's unsure whether he should even press her or assume it as mere coincidence. Although there's a need to understand Anne and Viviane's origins, the latter did say they were likely summoned and to be careful with others who might know.

"Daniel, do you want lunch?"

His thoughts disrupted by his sweet mother, the artist turns away from the easel to see his Anne by the door, smiling meekly.

Relaxing, he hums. "That sounds good about now, but I can just have food delivered or make it myself if you're still researching."

At the idea of more texts and videos, Anne visibly recoils. "Honestly, Mama has seen enough. It's a rabbit hole of information, yet none of it seems to have any relation to Viviane. All I can guess now is that those surrounding the dark-haired lady in that memory were probably men of the Isis cult."

"I mean, if they're wearing hoods and willing to burn someone for a goddess, they're likely cultists."

"Ugh, I don't want to even think about them anymore. It's so nonsensical!" Anne complains before burying her face. "How did it end up like this? Mama went from studying the universe to becoming involved in Earthly mythologies."

Daniel chuckles and sits up. "Alright, I think we really should clear our heads a bit by going out."

Lifting her head, Anne huffs. "I'd rather cook! At least I'll be distracting myself rather than waiting for food."

"Fair enough," Daniel answers, cocking his head to the side. "I'll help you."

Anne's eyes warm before she fakes a cough. "No, you should focus on your work while Mama prepares lunch. By the way, I saw you were focused on your phone. Is something wrong?"

"Ah..."

Daniel hesitates, rubbing his neck before breathing out slowly. "Well, Lecia — the client who commissioned the Stonehenge painting, wants to drop by to see it today."

The slime mother widens her eyes, and like Daniel, she recalls her elder sister's words about their possible summoning. "Are you planning on accepting? I mean, you have to at some point. That's regardless of whether she's related to any of this or not."

With wry lips, Daniel stares at the ground. "On one hand, her request for a green fire might be a coincidence, but on the other, she may be involved in some way. Regardless, I can't be sure whether it's a good idea to approach her now."

Anne feels Daniel's conflict, but as much as it's easy to hide, she feels they won't get any closer to learning more if they don't try. That's especially so if it means getting closer to understanding her elder sister's state of being.

"If Mary's gauging her uncle, you should do the same. At best, she's just a client that you have a painting to show off!" Anne chirps.

Daniel raises his brows as he stares back at her. Seeing such optimism, he lightly snorts. "Alright, I'll ask her to come in then. I can't really think how delaying might help me anyway."

Anne hums happily. "Then, I'll be in the kitchen. I'll even prepare tea for our very rich guest~"

Meanwhile, at Mary's studio, the female artist finished the last required appointment for a planned commission. As her client exits, she flips her business sign once more.

It's not like she plans to reduce her business hours regularly, but with so much to follow up on with Daniel and Anne, Mary can't exactly pretend to be business-as-usual.

While exhaling, a vibration in her pocket causes the artist to momentarily stiffen. Pulling it out, she sees Daniel's text:

FYI, my client who wanted the Stonehenge painting is going to visit. I'm hoping it's nothing, but...we'll see.

"Same here," Mary murmurs with regard to her uncle, then raises her eyes to the ceiling, huffing with sparkling eyes. "Although, having a secret magical uncle in the family does sound cool."

As wonders of hidden mysteries and secrets fill her head again, she quickly reverses and shakes her head, snorting. "Who am I kidding? Uncle Marlin? Him?"

While she's happily played with the idea ever since Vivian revealed a connection, it's hard to believe completely. Her uncle may be an oddball of sorts, but he's overall still a regular, working guy.

'Don't get ahead of yourself,' Mary tells herself, then checks the time on her phone. It's around evening in the United Kingdom, so knowing that her uncle works in I.T., he should be available by now.

With a cover story prepared, Mary heads back into the main area of her studio and dials his number. Relaxing onto her lounge couch, she smiles as the line is quickly picked up.

Click!

"Hey there, uncle! It's been a while!"

...

"Oh, video call? Sure!"

Mary pulls away her phone to switch to video before her lips widen even further to see her uncle's face.

The man sporting a rounder head, slight stubble, and brown eyes nearly matches that of her father; aside from the baldness, of course. At the age of thirty-eight-year-old, he's the youngest and only brother of her father's siblings. Other than his past of filling a wall with strange characters, one wouldn't be able to tell of anything wrong by looking at him.

"Hey!" Marlin cheerily greets as her niece's image is relayed back to him. "You're looking well! We last talked...what, a few months ago?"

Mary hums. "I think so. Anyway, I'm sorry for not calling sooner! How's everything?"

"Oh, no worries! Everything is going well, I'd say," Marlin answers, waving his hand at ease before clearing his throat. "You may be surprised to hear this, but I've decided to get back into it and try those dating apps you told me about."

The artist inhales, covering her mouth with her free hand proudly. "Oh, uncle, you're finally integrating!"

"What do you mean 'integrating'?" Marlin snaps back. "I work with technologies all the time! It's just these social apps are just too much for me."

For context, Marlin divorced about five years ago after being married for two. There wasn't much in the way when pressed about it other than "It didn't work out." Since then, he was content remaining single. Nobody got anything out of him about where things went wrong; his former wife remained silent too.

When Mary thinks about it now, it's actually quite strange.

"Enough of me," the uncle dismisses. "How are you and the business?"

"Going equally well," Mary answers before grinning. "I recently finished painting a rich lady's cat named Mr. Fwuff."

The British man holds in his laughter. "Is that so? I swear, you've always got something interesting your way, huh?"

'You have no idea,' Mary thinks, closing her eyes for a moment before responding.

"It's the same for you, though. I can still remember those strange patterns you showed me when I was younger."

"Oh man," Marlin breathes, slumping. "I spoke with your father two weeks ago, and he is still bitter, saying I influenced you too much. I mean, come on! From what I've seen, you were influenced by far more things than my silly patterns."

"Well...who knows. I'd say it was a nudge to my youthful mind, so give yourself some credit!"

Marlin rolls his eyes. "However your passion began, he can't deny that you're successful and doing well. I guess, in his head, he's worried that a downturn might come in the future."

"I understand his concerns, and he's not wrong that a rough time could come, especially for a working artist. On that note, I've actually begun to diversify by getting into writing!"

Marlin widens his eyes in delight. "Oh! A novel?"

"A fiction one to be exact. Like art, I'm looking for escapism, not realism!"

"Ha, I guess that makes sense for you. Then, what's the story, if you don't mind me asking?"

With a prepared plot in mind, Mary can now justify some of the things she saw without being too suspicious. Clearing her throat, she begins, "Well, I'm planning something that involves romance, mystical elements and...let's call it dimensional travel. It starts off with a girl, isolated and trapped in a dimensional plane for ages. With time blurring, she barely remembers who she was and how she first ended up there."

It might be too close to the truth, but if her uncle is more than he seems, Mary has to lead him on with some relevance. So far, he doesn't seem to react to such a plot, only humming and nodding.

"Then," Mary continues. "...a green fire appeared before her. Trapped and without hope, she plunged into it, hoping it would do anything for her."

At mention of the fire, Marlin's brows raise. "Oh, so the fire must be some sort of magic, then?"

"Yes! She ends up in a new dimension, but more specifically, it's a dream plane belonging to another person. Trapped still, our second protagonist is just your average Joe; however, when he sleeps, he starts dreaming into this plane and meeting this girl."

"Okay, I see where this is going. He falls in love with her and tries to figure out how to help her, right? His literal dream girl. It's not a bad starting plot for an aspiring author."

Mary lifts her chin proudly and giggling. "But I'm sure with your many readings, you probably know of a better one."

"I wouldn't say that," Marlin dismisses before grinning. "By the way, you said the boy's name is Joe, but never mentioned the dream girl's name."

"Uncle, only you would play that literal joke. If you must know, her name is...um, Isis!"

Mary didn't want to be too obvious by mentioning Viviane, who is related to the wizard. So, with the other mystery name mentioned in Anne's recent vision, she quickly uses it.

However, by using the mythological goddess' name, a flash of concern shows on Marlin's face. He lowers his gaze for a moment before curling his lips.

"Er... Mary, was this story influenced by anything?"

'Oh, there it is!'

Playing dumb, Mary smiles naively. "No, why do you ask?"

Marlin sways for a moment, clearly troubled. He raises his free hand to his mouth and coughs. "Let me be more specific: Do you remember anything else when you were young and in my study?"

The question surprises the artist, having not thought much of what she remembered. "Um, just your drawings. Should I have?"

The bald man twists his lips, then closes his eyes. "Well, I might as well tell you now that you're older. Maybe subconsciously you remember or something. First off, don't think me as crazy, okay?"

Mary gasps. "Never, uncle!"

Especially now as the anticipation is killing her.

Marlin smiles wrly. "Then to start off, those patterns you saw me draw when you were little are from an old book I found at an antique shop."

The artist flinches and slowly narrows her eyes. "A...book?"

This is not the angle she expected.

Her uncle nods slowly and sighs, "Suffice to say, this book I found and the antique store I thought I went to...wasn't normal."

Chapter 55: A Matter of Protection

Chapter Text

It should've been nothing more than to add some decor to his home.

However, on Marlin's trip into an antique store on a market street in London, there was something calling about an old leather-bound book sitting alone on a console table.

"Ah, the pages are faded on that one, but you won't find many with a cover like that, my friend," the store owner noted to him, stroking his grey beard.

Curious, Marlin opened the book to take a peek. Just as the owner said, the majority of the pages were blank or seemingly contained text far too diminished to read. On the cover, however, a few strange cursive-like characters were etched into the book with a golden trim.

"What does the title say?" Marlin asked.

"Something to do with Isis, I think."

'Isis?'

Marlin was familiar with enough Egyptian and Roman mythologies to link it to the maternal goddess of the same name; however, as it is now, the book didn't look old enough to be anything of the time. He figured it was written by a historian, perhaps documented around the eighties.

Not thinking further on it, he gave into the impulse to buy, figuring it would at least look nice on a shelf. With the book and some decorative ceramic plates in hand, he then presented the items down in front of the old man and his register.

"How much?"

"For the plates, it'll be 30 pounds. I'll give you the book for free."

Marlin was skeptical, but didn't question it. For all he knew, the ceramics he was paying for were overpriced, and the book was probably fake, but he wasn't in the mood to haggle at thirty. Without much ado, the transaction ended without any fanfare.

Or at least, that was until his niece came over the next day...

"Mary? What are you...Oh, be careful with that! It's..."

Catching his niece in his study with the book he purchased, his words slow. Inexplicably, there was something ominous in the cheery girl as she stood silently with her back facing him.

"Mary?" Marlin called again, more slowly.

But the girl didn't respond to him, growing his uneasiness. After a few more tries, he finally made his way to pat her shoulder and peek at her face before inhaling sharply.

Frozen, the girl's eyes were devoid of any light as she stared at a page filled with contents. Marlin ignores how such text could have reappeared in the book and shakes her shoulders, fearing for his niece.

"Mary! Hey, Mary!"

To his relief, his niece breathed in with a few shakes, life returning to her eyes. As she comes back to her senses, the book is dropped with a large thud, folding back into place.

Marlin hardly cared about the possible damage as he bent down to hug her. "Dear god, are you alright?"

His niece blinks a few times before smiling wide and hugging him back. "Hehe, uncle! Let's play!"

Marlin pulls back, bewildered. "Mary...no, before that, are you okay?"

Reflected in her uncle's worried eyes, the girl cocked her head and raised one eyebrow. "Yes?"

Seeing how she wasn't understanding his concern, Marlin pointed to the book on the floor. "You were reading that book and froze, Mary."

Looking down at the fallen book, Mary places a finger to her lips. "Oh...Did I do bad?"

"Bad? No, that's..."

Staring at his carefree niece for a moment, Marlin relaxed and forced a smile. "Never mind. Go on to the living room and I'll be with you shortly, okay?"

"Okay!"

As a cheery Mary rushed out of the office, Marlin breathed out shakily and picked up the Isis book with some sweat against his forehead. Opening it up, his eyes widened to confirm that all the pages were filled with text. It was still unreadable to him, but he was certain he bought it with most of it blank or faded.

"What the hell?"

...

..

.

Mary holds a similar reaction as she listens to her uncle's story. She can faintly remember him being worried about her and touching a book, but before that, it was blank. Given her lack of awareness as a kindergartner, she never questioned it much.

"I tried to return the book," Marlin continues, his gaze lowering. "Or at least understand it better from the seller, but the antique store completely disappeared as if it were never there; only a blank wall. Then on, I knew I was going crazy."

"There were no other visitors in that store?" Mary asks, narrowing her eyes.

"None, and the store owner didn't seem different from any. I suppose, though, if he gave it to me 'free', that should've meant something."

"Then those characters I saw you drew were from the book after the text reappeared?"

"Correct. The reason I avoided telling you the truth back then was because I was afraid to involve you any further. It was bad enough that you were exposed to...something in that book. God knows what would've happened if you hadn't woken up. For sure, I...I wouldn't know how I'd face your father."

"Uncle..."

The man rubs his forehead, sighing. "Anyway, I know this all sounds ridiculous, so let me show you something."

His video feed reverses to the back facing camera as he stands up, walking over to his desk in his study. From his drawer, he pulls out the supposed book, dark-brown with seemingly no imperfections other than somewhat aged paper.

"So, that's it?"

Marlin chuckles at his niece's disappointed tone. "I know, it doesn't look ancient of the sorts, huh? I'm not going to risk opening it since I don't know how you'll react to the text again; so instead, I'll show how abnormal this book is when I try lighting it on fire."

"F-fire?!"

Mary's glues to her screen, worry and excitement rising within her. Assuming her uncle already tried burning the book, she can only wonder what sort of magic will be revealed.

Stepping outside into his back patio, Marlin drops the book onto the concrete without any concern for damage. Then, taking out a lighter, he bends down and ignites a flame close to the corner of the cover while keeping his phone steady.

Soon, Mary's eyes widen as she sees the flame spread, but instead of burning the book, it spreads too swiftly around while turning a blue hue. The strange converted flame only lasts a few seconds before dissipating into the air without leaving a single burn mark.

"...and there you have it," Marlin says simply.

"N-no, don't say it so casually! Is it indestructible?!"

Marlin chuckles. "Well, I don't know about that. I don't intend on actively testing its durability, but it definitely resists decay. Perhaps that's why it seems like a new book."

"Wow..."

Flipping the camera, Marlin's face returns as he walks to his office with the book in hand. He stares at his nice sternly with raised brow. "Okay, now that I've shown you this, you have to be honest with me, Mary."

The artist thins her lips before sighing. "Alright, so...maybe there's some truth to this 'novel' I'm writing."

"Am I really that untrustworthy that you have to hold back?"

Mary drips with guilt as she shuts her eyes. "U-uncle, please don't make that face! Surely you understand why I'm being so cautious?"

"And I get it," Marlin responds firmly. "I mean, refusing to acknowledge the book is what led to my divorce."

The artist's eyes widen slowly. "Wait, then..."

"Yes," Marlin answers sadly. "She accidentally saw some indestructible property of the book, but I didn't want to expose her to it like you were, so I kept downplaying it to her while keeping it away."

Mary's eyes soften. "Uncle, I'm...I'm so sorry."

"No, it's my fault, but I couldn't risk giving her the trust I'm showing you now."

"W-why me then?"

"Because you already read a part of the book, even if you can't remember it. The fact you're giving me a plot with some notable details is telling. So, what are these truths to this so-called novel?"

"Hey, I could still be writing such a novel!"

"Mary, please. Why did you mention Isis and a green fire? I'm very limited in what I could gather from the book, but I know those details are described."

"F-fire too?"

"For example, I know green fire is an effect of a summoning and blue fire is from protection, as you saw."

"Ah."

Unable to sidestep from the matter, Mary slumps for a few seconds before exhaling. 'I have to trust him more, but since it's come to this...

"Fine, but I'll just outright ask: Are you Merlin?" Mary questions with a straight face.

Marlin blinks, taken aback. "Uh...it's not a secret. That's my name."

"No, I mean...I'm talking about the wizard, Merlin."

With the emphasis on pronunciation, Marlin widens his eyes and scoffs. "You mean from King Arthur? Mary, of course not! First off, he'd be ancient! Secondly, I lost my virginity before my thirties, if you must know."

Mary nearly faceplants as she holds in herself. "Pff...O-okay uncle, you're not a wizard. I'm guessing we aren't even descendants, but how about that store owner?"

"That's...maybe? Look, I'm not going to disregard myths given I've seen literal magic protecting this book, so cut me some slack, alright?"

Mary clears her throat, trying hard to smooth away the cringe she's feeling for asking these silly question. "I mean, you kinda look the part....bald-headed and all."

"No, stop!"

Back at Daniel's studio, Anne is slicing zucchinis for two sandwiches. Like before, she wishes she could borrow Mary's taste buds again. Alternatively, she could experience her son's tastes without joining mentally, but then they would be eating together...literally.

Sighing, she lifts the greenish squash and narrows her eyes. "Well, at least I'm not losing out on anything from a zucchini."

Ding!

Nearly dropping the squash in response to the sudden bell ring, Anne manages to keep a hold before turning towards the hallway.

"S-she's already here?!"

The slime mother thought she would at least have time to eat lunch with her son before the Sights Open president arrived, but it appears the client decided to come straight after Daniel texted back.

'No rush. Daniel has this anyway,' Anne thinks, calming herself as she hears her son's footsteps through the hall.

Returning to the counter, the slime mother stiffens with contracted pupils as the two half-finished sandwiches she was preparing completely disappeared its plate.

"H-huh?"

She raises her hand that had held the zucchini, only to find it too has poofed away.

"Huh!?"

As Anne frantically searches her surroundings, Daniel is already at the front door in the hallway. With a deep breath, he recomposes himself and opens up with his usual professional smile.

"Ah, welcome to my studio, Ms. Bowden!"

"Hello," Lecia greets in step with a tilt of her head, smiling equally. "Again, sorry for the sudden request to visit."

"Not at all! I understand you're a busy woman. Anyway, come in. I'm excited to finally show you the painting."

"Haha, well, if it's anything like the photos my secretary forwarded to me, I'm in for a treat."

"That's high praise!"

With such a positive mood established, Lecia follows the artist, slowly taking in the various art lining the hallway. She's about to ask about Daniel's works, but pauses at an open door to the kitchen. There, she catches a stunned, wavy-haired girl looking around for a possibly dropped vegetable.

Sensing a stare, Anne stiffens before returning her attention to the client. Nothing is said for the few seconds that their eyes meet until Lecia smiles, breaking the awkward silence with a hand wave.

"I'm guessing...you're his girlfriend?"

Straightening, Anne clears her throat. "Ah...yes, that's correct! Nice to meet you! While you two talk, I'll be preparing some tea."

"Oh, no need!" Lecia pushes back. "I'm not sure if I'll be here for long."

"Well, there will be enough if you do! So, don't mind me, okay?"

Lecia blinks for a second, then chuckles warmly. "Well, if you insist, I can't reject a cup of tea if offered, can I?"

Anne huffs lightly with pride. "That's right! You're an important client to my boyfriend, after all."

'...and full of secrets...maybe,' Anne adds with a sharp glimmer in her eyes.

Daniel coughs, breaking Lecia's attention away from his slime mother. "If you have time after me showing the painting, I don't mind giving you a tour of my place. It's not anything special, but..."

"I'd be interested," Lecia answers, humming. "It depends how much there is to discuss about the painting, of course."

Daniel has similar thoughts, but he holds back his curiosity. Leading the former archeologist away from the rest of the hallway, they arrive into the main working area with easel containing the Stonehenge painting.

Lecia's eyes widen, taking in the pastel-flavored monoliths, all equally illuminated by a green fire in each gap. They all flow mysteriously like the wind to a pit in the center.

"It's...beautiful. Such simple strokes of green, but they create a story of mystery when placed so evenly."

The artist's lips lift to see his client's breath taken away. As he stares at the painting along with her, he decides there's no better time to press.

"You've given me the liberty to advance a story, but these fires are something you stoked. Last time, you told me they were a whim, but is that really true?"

"A whim, huh? Yes, I did say that, but I was also pressed to leave for other matters."

Lecia's eyes soften before continuing, "Well, I can't complain about what you've envisioned on your own, but it was my fault for not expressing the meanings I wanted to celebrate. Had I done that, maybe this painting would've been greater."

Daniel hums for a bit, then cocks his head. "If there's something you want to add now, tell me. For me, oil painting is about defining layers."

"Would that be okay?"

"Absolutely. I'm proud of this art, but it's not meant to only reflect me, but of the intentions of my client."

"My...intention?"

Lowering her gaze, she closes them and snorts. "Well, could you describe a shadow at the center, then?"

"A shadow?"

Opening her eyes again, Lecia's gaze hardens towards the center of the Stonehenge ring. "Yes, a shadow cast by the fire; a form of indescribable force that is both beautiful and ominous, brought to this Earth...for better or worse."

The artist's heart beats faster as he hears his client's words. Swallowing slowly, he chuckles, unsure whether to question her thoughts.

However, he must.

"Quite spooky, but I can do that. Just...why such a focus on a shadow?"

Lecia tilts her chin, trying hard not to laugh with dismal thoughts of the recent hidden records Mike was able to uncover. "Aside from a normal fire enabling shadows, a more mystical one should bring its own consequence, no? In any case, I just..."

Her words slow as she looks past the artist to see another canvas nearby. It shows an unmistakable pattern drawn on black.

'No, that's...'

Daniel's eyes raise before turning to see that she has caught onto Anne's drawing of a symbol from Mary's memories. With such a intense gaze by his client, he sweats more freely.

'Fuck, I should've hidden that away!'

"Um, that's..."

Lecia pushes past the artist to take a better look, unable to dwell on her commissioned piece any longer.

"Did you...draw this, Daniel?" she asks.

At that moment, Anne walks into the main area with a tea tray; however, catching Lecia's interest in her replication of Marlin's symbol, she finds herself just as frozen as Daniel.

 

 

Chapter 56: Delaying Suspicion

Chapter Text

Having studied the book she found at Stonehenge in her early archaeological days, pretty much none of the magical symbols in that book can escape Lecia's eyes, even if she may not understand it. Thus, the circular pattern on one of Daniel's canvases can be no mistake. While she may not understand the purpose of such a symbol, it's definitely outside where it should be found.

This is no mere coincidence.

Even if Daniel may not understand the undue attention by his client, it's clear he can't let the drawing be attached to him and Anne. His head races about what to say.

"No, um, that was—"

"Dumpster!" Anne cuts in hastily. With a rigid smile, she steps forward to her son's client, holding a tray with cups of tea.

"Dumpster?" Lecia repeats, raising her brow.

The artist blinks, but quickly adjusts to his slime mother's quick thinking with a small chuckle. "Ah, yes, that's right! I was taking out the trash when I saw it lying in our bin. I'm not sure who drew it, but it caught my eye. It seemed a shame to let it be thrown out."

'But why did this painting catch her eye? Fuck, this isn't good,' he adds in his mind. Not to seem anxious, he casually tries to take his cup from the tray as Anne approaches.

Lecia stares at the two for a moment before closing her eyes easily. Reaching to the tray as well, she takes the offering.

"Well, that's a shame. It's not surprising you have a good eye. I, too, quite like minimal abstract art like this."

'Bullshit,' both Daniel and Anne think at the same time. Still, they relax more, seeing how the Stonehenge leader isn't pressing.

Taking a sip of the tea, Lecia returns to Anne with a smile. "Also, I don't think I caught your name?"

"Oh, um, it's Anne."

The slime mother hopes there's not much to be gained by revealing a common first name; however, she intentionally avoids any last name in hopes it wouldn't be pressed upon.

Thankfully, Lecia doesn't think much of it as she hums. "Well, Anne, thank you for the tea! It's delicious."

Turning back to Daniel, she clears her throat. "Anyway, I didn't mean to become distracted from your work."

Anne gladly retreats to the kitchen with the tray. Meanwhile, the artist forces himself to relax by taking his own draw of the brew. Swallowing slowly, he shakes his head. "No, it's fine. What caught your eyes about that piece?"

"I've seen something similar to this pattern, that's all. Why do you think it was thrown out?"

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I don't really dabble in abstract art or minimalism, but I can appreciate the symmetry and neatness of the strokes."

'Nothing else, huh,' Lecia concludes in her head while smiling bitterly. Regardless of whether Daniel is hiding something or truly happened upon a symbol related to the Stonehenge text, she has unexpectedly gained a lot from this visit.

Simply, there's someone out there who knows about the text. It could very well be a leak from her organization, or it exists elsewhere in other form.

"Well, I don't have much else to say, Daniel," the president begins, pushing her thoughts away for now. She takes another sip of her tea, then breathes out slowly as she absorbs the sight of her commission. "You've done a wonderful job on the painting, so I'll tell my secretary to release the rest of the payment to you since you've finished what I originally requested. Do we need to go over payment for the additional changes?"

Daniel wishes he could peek into his client's true thoughts, but burying his worry, he shakes his hands. "No, I'd be happy to apply the shadow without any extra, since what you're asking for isn't a lot. It'd be a different story if I had already applied the varnish."

Lecia giggles. "I'd say it's quite popping even without it, but I won't insist. Please let my secretary know when the final product is ready."

"I'm happy you like it! Before I apply any varnish, I'll make sure to send a photo to confirm your opinion."

"Of course," Lecia agrees. "I'd prefer to see it in person before it's coated like now, but no guarantees with my future schedule, I'm afraid. In any case..."

She drinks her cup one last time before lowering her gaze. "I can't delay any longer, I'm afraid. Again, I appreciate the tea."

"Please tell that to my girlfriend on your way out, and thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Lecia beams, shaking Daniel's hand, then makes her way back to the hallway. With the artist following her out, she stops before the open entrance to the kitchen.

Having already heard the footsteps, Anne keeps a light mask on as she moves to take Lecia's half-finished cup. "Thanks for coming!"

"Of course, and thank you and your boyfriend for the hospitality."

"O-of course."

Shaking the slime mother's hand without thinking much about her lack of heat, Lecia continues her exit through the hallway. Within the entryway, she leaves the couple with a slight nod of her head before descending the stairs.

Only when her footsteps can't be heard does Daniel close the door and breathe out slowly. Coming behind him, Anne wraps her hands around his front and rests her chin on his shoulder.

"Daniel, that was..."

"...bad," he finishes, exhaling again.

Thinning her lips, the slime mother lowers her gaze. "You think she may know more than she's leading on?"

"Absolutely, no doubt."

"Suspicious?"

"Probably. That painting had to have caught her eye for a better reason than she claimed."

Sighing again, the artist shuts his eyes while wrapping his hands over his mother's hold. "Really, it's my fault. I didn't think too much about hiding the drawing you did, especially after Viviane confirmed Marlin's drawings were more than they seemed."

Anne gasps, lifting her head. "N-no, Mama is at fault for not being more aware! I was the one who redrew it from Mary's memories, after all."

Slumping, Daniel shakes his head. "Either way, we need to be on our toes. I don't know how my client is related, but at least she didn't seem to recognize anything strange about you."

"But if she recognized the symbol, she could've been related for my summoning, right?"

"Possibly. We still don't have a lot to go on, but we'll have to start looking more into her history now."

The slime mother hums, then recalls the originator of the symbol. "Do you think Lecia and Mary's uncle are related?"

"I don't know," Daniel answers, slightly frustrated with the lack of information. "For now, we did the best we could by disassociating ourselves from that painting."

"Still, she's bound to come back again since you have changes for the painting."

"What can she do, though?"

"Do we want to find out too late?"

"Urgh...alright," Daniel gives. "But, let's wait to hear from Mary before committing to our next steps."

Anne nods, and with a small breath, she touches her son's shoulder. "There's also...something else. I might be going crazy, but all of a sudden, I'm having food disappear on me!"

The artist raises a brow, but gladly accepts the change to a lighter topic. "Food?"

"Yeah!" his slime mother huffs, bringing her arms together. "I literally had two sandwiches for us prepared and a zucchini in my hand. I turned away one moment when I heard the doorbell ringing, then poof! Gone!"

"Are you sure you didn't dissolve it subconsciously?"

"No, that has never happened!"

"I mean..."

"Okay, so maybe it has happened before, but I knew I was low on energy. That's not what's happening here, I swear!"

Anne's claim does remind Daniel that something happened to his breakfast earlier this morning. He had been so focused on his slime mother that, when he returned to his plate after she left to research, it was nearly cleaned.

"Ungh..."

Before such strange events could be further dwelled on, a strange growl causes both of them to flinch. Fixed on each other, the slime mother and artist son are certain neither of them had said anything.

Chapter 57: Hunger

Chapter Text

As Lecia enters the door opened by her personal driver, she gives her usual passing smile. Among racing thoughts, though, her expression falls as soon as she's in the privacy of the back seat where a wall separates her and the front.

"What the hell..." she mutters under her breath. Already exhausted, she leans into her seat and slides a hand over her eyes.

Now that the Stonehenge leader has time to think, she tries to connect dots of the unexpected symbol to, well, anything. Nothing comes to mind, however, so she takes out her phone and swipes to a photo she secretly took while Anne was handing over her boyfriend's tea. Such evidence has to be shared to the select few who have been disclosed of the ritual's aftermath, but she can't rush until she confirms where this symbol resides in the pages of the Stonehenge book.

Would she have to possibly draw in more members now on a chase that leads nowhere?

The troubled former archeologist winces, preferring to continue to keep current events under wraps until they confirm the creature's existence more substantially. On the other hand, if Mike's story of Cleopatra's "revival" is true, this creature could very well have a human-like form, thus requiring more attention.

However, all of that doesn't necessarily relate to the drawing.

'Who could've drawn that symbol?' she questions, knowing full well that it could still be Daniel or his girlfriend.

To that end, what should she tell Rachel? The astronomer was firm in not wanting Daniel to be muddled with any of the Stonehenge matters, but the couple she met are already more involved than expected.

"She needs to be aware, at least," Lecia decides, closing her eyes resignedly.

That said, Lecia isn't discounting that someone within their organization leaked a small part of the book they're studying. It could be Rachel or anyone for that matter; however, she will especially need the scientist's assistance if it happens that Daniel lied about the origins.

With that in mind, the former archaeologist takes the plunge, forwarding the photo to Rachel with a message:

Rachel, I didn't want to assume anything with Daniel as a client of his, but I can't ignore this. We can talk more later, but have you seen this? According to them, they found it in a dumpster, but this can't be an accident.

Back in the studio, Anne and Daniel stare at each other with wide eyes after a notable groan interrupted their thoughts on disappearing food.

"Was...that your stomach?" Daniel asks warily.

Anne widens her eyes, "Could be—no wait, Mama has no stomach, so it must be yours!"

Just as Daniel is about to hit back, a knock on the front door freezes them again.

Did Lecia return? Surely, she didn't overhear-

"Erm...hello?"

Luckily, a familiar British voice relaxes the slime mother and son. For now, Daniel puts the groan behind them and opens the door for his fellow artist.

Straightening her posture, Mary grins. "That was quick! What were you two lovebirds talking about so close to the door, hmm?"

"Hunger noises, apparently," Daniel flatly replies as he steps aside to let her in.

Anne slumps, letting the matter partially go with catch-up to have. "Whatever. I'm going to retry making sandwiches for us, but again, Mama swears something strange is happening!"

"I'm not doubting you, mom, but try to control yourself a little more, just in case."

Breathing in silently, Anne squints her eyes with a pout. "You are doubting me! Fine, but don't blame Mama if all you have is milk until dinner!"

As Anne stomps out and leaves her son flushed, Mary giggles and tilts her head. "I'm guessing your mother's been eating more?"

Closing his eyes and placing a hand to his head, Daniel shakes his head. "Maybe...I don't know anymore. Beyond that, how was your talk with your uncle?"

Stepping into the main studio area with his counterpart, Mary sighs. "Well, you were right. It would seem I'm no magic girl, and he's no magic man."

"Shocking."

Mary groans, burying her face. "Fuck, I'm so embarrassed! Why did Viviane say I'm a descendant? I really thought that maybe there was a chance with all the crazy happening!"

"Well, it was based off the symbols your uncle drew. There must've been some connection for Viviane to say such?"

Especially considering Lecia took a heavy interest once she caught sight of Anne's replica of one.

Removing her hands, Mary twists his lips. "There is. You see, he's involved with a strange magical book."

"Huh?"

Against her boyfriend's stare, she wiggles her lips as she recounts everything that was told to her. Honestly, it all seemed ridiculous, but then recalls the unnatural dispersion of fire.

Grunting, she leans against Daniel's shoulder. "Look, I've got some other problems too. First, why don't you let Mummy breastfeed you, then I'll explain more, okay?"

Taking a moment to process, Daniel struggles to pull away as he sweats. "Wait, why can't you explain to me normally?!"

Mary pouts as she clings to him more. "Hey, it's not my fault! Since I arrived as soon as I could, I didn't have time to drain. This might not have been a problem if I was able to nurse you in the morning, you know?"

"Oh god, Mary, you can't expect me to always be there to help-"

Finally hugging her artistic friend completely, the ebony beauty whines. "Love, don't act so cold! Besides, I can tell you're tense after your client meeting. Shouldn't we both relax a little?"

"Urgh, I mean..."

He can't deny that he's tense after dealing with Lecia.

Sighing, he lowers his gaze. "Well, if there's no helping it with the pressure, then...I guess."

Mary snickers as she pulls on her boyfriend towards his bedroom. "Look at you pretending to be so reluctant. How cute~"

Daniel drops his head as he's led into her pace again. "Well, seeing how you're able to tease, I'm guessing that other than your magical girl dreams, the talk still went well?"

"Oh, surprisingly! I mean, he saw through my novel cover, so I had to be a little more honest about the so-called dreams and Viviane, but otherwise he's someone we can trust, love."

"That doesn't make me less worried, Mary."

"Well then, let Mummy help ease that!"

Switched into her maternal mode, Mary removes her top blouse then bra with a light hum. Even without Anne accentuating her, her chest is plenty enough to jiggle free.

Actually, they seem to be...bigger?

Breaking her baby-boyfriend of his thoughts, the ebony artist removes her damp pads and pats her lap with an eager smile. "Come on, love! I'd appreciate it if you could relieve the right side first."

Daniel swallows slowly before entering her custody. Once he's lying across, Mary bounces with a happy squeal.

"Ah~ I love you so much, love...my baby~"

"Mmph..."

Although he's ashamed of himself, Daniel latches onto his girlfriend's right breast, his cheeks hollowing as he suckles just as he's done many times. In response, he can feel his caretaker shiver with relief as she drains into his mouth.

"Oh...oh love..."

Daniel's member hardens to her tingling whisper. Not wishing for either of them to lose themselves to the moment, he clears his throat.

"Ah, right!" Mary straightens before humming. "So regarding my uncle, he found the book at an antique store in London, but it and the store was more than it seemed..."

As Mary relays her uncle's story along with the reveal of a magical book named after Isis, Daniel suckles on, listening intently.

Fortunately, his pseudo-mother didn't reveal much about Anne, Viviane, nor their complicated relationship as if they existed for real. Instead, she claimed a close version of the dream events as her own whenever she slept. It helps that she shared enough memories from Anne to be able to own it as well.

"So, from what your uncle has gathered, he believes this book of Isis was used for Cleopatra's funeral?" Daniel asks while being gentle with the dripping nipple.

Mary shivers to his lips. "Th-that's what he gathered after years of researching on his own. By the way, can you switch to my left side?"

Her hand slowly begins rubbing her boyfriend's cock in his pants as she cradles his head close.

Daniel grunts in acknowledgment. He takes a quick suckle of her right tit that easily flows into his mouth thanks to the stimulation so far. After a few swallows, he releases with a small chap, lowering his gaze as his thoughts accumulate.

"Then, what of the latest vision you and Anne shared?"

Mary hums, pulling her sweet artist closer as she answers, "I've tried to describe that. It's just his guess, but my uncle figured I saw members of the Isis cult surrounding that woman, although he can't be sure of who the supposed witch is."

"We figured that as well," Daniel confirms, unlatching for a moment to take a breath. "What about Viviane? Anne and I looked up her name, and now we're pretty sure she's the 'Lady of the Lake' in those Arthurian tales. It's not just her name, but she also mentioned Merlin to you."

"I realized that too when Marlin pointed it out. I forgot that there was a different name associated with such a legend."

However, Mary frowns before continuing, "Except, my so-called dreams didn't make sense to him. He certainly doesn't know enough from the book to tell if there's any connection from the Lady of the Lake to such an Egyptian goddess."

Daniel sighs. "It seems you've already told him a lot. Can we really trust him, Mary?"

The female artist thins her lips while stroking his head and member below. "We have to, Daniel. Disregarding that he's my family, he's the closest we know to experiencing a magical phenomenon. Not only that, but he trusted me enough to show the book literally engulfed in a blue flames!"

Daniel nods, still unable to believe it when Mary went over the demonstration. "You said he knows about the green flames too?"

"Yes. So far, he was able to figure out that blue involves some form of protection, green means to summon, and red is related to the mind. Of course, he's wary of attempting anything in the book other than observing the blue flames. Most of the symbols he's redrawn relates to magic words he still hasn't figured out on his own."

"That's...crazy. He was doing all of this on his own?"

"That's what he told me. Speaking of fire, though, how did it go with your client...Lecia, was it?"

Daniel's eyes narrow with difficulty. "She left not long before you arrived, so you might've even passed her. Unfortunately, she caught sight of your uncle's symbol you mention that mom drew from your memories."

Mary's breath hitches. "Oh, shit...then she's definitely related, but how could she know?"

"I don't know how she knows, but she didn't seem suspicious of Anne, at first. Now, I'm sure she's at least onto us. We deflected by saying we found it in the dumpster, but I'm not confident she'll buy that."

"Wait, a dumpster? Seriously?"

"It was better than saying anyone was responsible for it."

Mary leans back and sighs while Daniel latches back on to relieve her pressure. "Either way, love, this is troubling. If your client is aware of symbols that my uncle drew, maybe there's a relation between them? He claimed he didn't tell anyone about this, unless...there are other books?"

Daniel can't even begin to guess. Things might improve if they had the "Lady of the Lake" for answers, but knowing nothing of her fate or the dream realm, they're left worse off.

Thus, he holds on to the hope that his newest slime mother is still well.

"There's one more thing my uncle revealed to me about a time when I was young," Mary adds, looking upward in thought. "Apparently, I caught sight of the book when I was young and stood unconscious for some time."

"Really?" Daniel responds with raised brows and some milk lining his lips.

"Yeah. Since he was afraid of it happening again, he refused to show me the contents of the book during our video call. Still, it's odd that he had no reaction. Apparently, a lot of the pages were blank until I came and opened it."

"Strange..."

At that moment, Anne checks into the bedroom with a tray of sandwiches. Catching her fellow maternal partner nursing her son, she's mostly unsurprised.

"Mary, you could've at least waited until we merged to nurse him together!" she grumbles.

The female artist smiles apologetically. "Sorry, Anne. Since we didn't nurse him this morning, my chest was getting full."

"Oh, I'm kidding. It looks like you're enjoying yourself," Anne observes, settling the tray down on the bed. "No need to repeat your discussion, since I'm sure your uncle's call will be shared with me once we combine."

"How convenient-umph!"

Mary presses Daniel's mouth back to her nipple, giggling. "Yes, it is convenient, love. You should try it sometime."

"Your entire life could be shared with him, though," Anne reminds with a slight smirk.

The nursing artist flinches before clearing her throat. "Okay, well, maybe not-Ah, hey!"

Mary scoffs as he feels her boyfriend shudder in her arms, no doubt thinking of what might happen if he got her memories. "I don't know what you're imagining, love, but my life is definitely not any worse than the shared memories of Amy changing your diaper!"

Daniel's muffled groan fills the room as he flushes with embarrassment. That said, he can't help but enjoy the attention a little, squeezing his fellow artist's left tit in his hands while suckling away.

Giggling, Mary pulls him in closer and unzips his fly. "We also wouldn't want you to make a mess in your jeans, so let's avoid that scenario, shall we?"

"Aw~ I'll help him down there, Mary. Just enjoy nursing our baby, okay?" Anne urges as she lowers herself by the bedside.

"If you insist," Mary agrees with pleasure, leaning her head down to kiss Daniel's forehead. Her boyfriend twitches cutely in response.

Before long, Anne's mouth envelops her son's freed cock and neatly packs it within her welcoming goo. As she flushes down to the base with a hum, her hand strokes against his thighs as she encourages him to let loose.

Mary holds her breath, trying to calm herself as Daniel groans more into her breast from his slime mother's actions. His sudden licks and pleasant vibrations from his lips travels through, causing her legs to shuffle a bit as she grows wet.

"L-love, that feels so good," she whispers, her hand moving to stroke his chest. "It's alright, just relax for Mummy and Mama, okay?"

Such reassuring words plus the tightness of Anne's gooey throat is hard to resist as Daniel does just that, pumping away into his slime mother's cave while being caressed gently by his loving friend.

"Oh fuck...Mum...Mom..."

Calling to both of them with a mushy mind, he forgets all his troubles just for a moment. Holding so much concern for the safety of his family against the unknown, he didn't realize how much he needed this since the start of the morning.

Thus, any tensions leave as Anne lovingly slurps the length of his cock, drawing in his cum as she has done many times before. While it fills her with pride, she watches her baby sink further into his loving girlfriend's hold.

Clink!

Taken out of each other's comfort, Anne is the first to gasp as she pulls away from her son's cock. With the sound so close, she snaps her head towards the tray that had been set on the bed.

The sandwiches are gone.

"W-wha...?"

Neither Daniel nor Mary can believe it, especially since they saw the slime mother come in with a full tray. Before anyone can remark, Anne swallows her astonishment and stands up, pointing to the tray while glaring at the artistic couple.

"See, I'm not crazy! Mama hasn't touched anything except...except..."

Anne can't finish her sentence as the two stare horrified at her now...or more specifically, they're locked onto something below on her body.

"Ungh..."

There's another groan, but it draws the slime mother's eyes downward this time. Like Mary and Daniel, she too widens her eyes in horror before inhaling sharply.

"Holy shit!"

The imprint of a face stretches from Anne's stomach and groans again, struggling to break free, but it's unable to get far with weak movement.

"S-sister...need...food..." the bounded extension manages to croak within the human lining before being pulled back into the depths of its host's mass. Once gone, Anne shakes while placing both hands on her head with a mixture of emotions.

"V-viviane...?"

It would appear that Anne's "stomach" was indeed the culprit all along.

Chapter 58: The Lady's Resolve

Chapter Text

Since Viviane can remember, she's always been trapped.

Starting from a foggy lake, she thought she'd forever experience the pain of an empty basket drifting to her along with the haunted cries of a child that could've been.

Oh, how desperately she wanted to save this child! Unknowing of her past that led to this point, she thought, 'What have I done to deserve this?'

It may have been for good reasons.

Regardless, a chance was finally offered in the form of a green flame. Undisturbed by the waters, it overwhelmed, transferring her into the warmth of a new life
— a sister of sorts. Along with it came the imbued love and pride towards a human child who held meaning.

Gaining such a bright star, her basket was finally full.

Except Viviane remained trapped, silently bound to her new sister who brought comfort to her sweet artist instead. Forced to watch this love unfold was worse than when she was alone. Even after her child appeared to her, the lake lady wouldn't be satisfied with tasting her son as mere dreams.

And so, she took the plunge, assimilating into her sister who was truly free. It was an undoubtedly hasty move, but to break free from her prison once and for all, she'd do anything.

...

..

.

Blips of consciousness sprang since then, making a single day seem like years. This was nothing to Viviane, but unlike before, she had little sense of herself. It turned out she lacked energy to properly manifest, similar to Anne in the beginning. While having the abundance of energy and life all around her, it stubbornly refused to be shared.

Thus, Viviane had to muster herself whenever she could. If there was free energy to consume within reach, she had to take it. As this continued, her hunger slowly decreased until...

"I...think that's enough. She's not dissolving anything more. Viviane, are you better?"

"Mom, how are you sure you're not dissolving it?"

"Well, Mama can tell because there's supposed to be a reaction...er, it's hard to explain, but I'm not getting it here. Weirdly though, I can't tell where she is in me. My jello looks all the same!"

"Pfft...love, please don't say it like that. Anyway, shouldn't she be silver?"

"Well, she did turn blue when disappearing, remember?"

"Oh, that's right! We still don't know why she converted, huh?"

'These are...!'

Realizing she's been conscious for much longer than before, Viviane bursts forward as she breaks out of her empty-minded state, pulling upward with a groan.

"Ah?!"

Squeaking first among gasps, Anne leans away with one arm as she watches a blue mound build from her slimy pool. She partially melted her lower half in hopes it would make it easier for the lake dweller to come out while being fed. Now, it seems the effort has paid off, at least at the expense of her son's pantry.

However, the two artists near her remain concerned. With the kitchen nearly cleaned out, they thought what they poured wouldn't be enough. Their worry is still warranted, seeing how the growing slime stutters in its movement.

But of course, Anne can't keep herself in check any longer.

"Y-you...you idiot!" she growls, pushing forward and splatting the goopy mound against her upper body.

What's available of the weak slime responds with a poor murky groan, shivering against her sister's body.

"Anne...please..." Viviane whispers, barely forming lips as she struggles against her fellow sister's large chest.

"No!" her counterpart shouts, shutting her eyes tightly while her mind races. "Why did you do something as stupid as disappear inside of me when we should've been just testing? We share Amy together; you wanted us to be like sisters! So, how could you-"

"Mom, stop!"

"Let her reform first, love!"

Anne inhales sharply as the two artists snap her out of welling frustration. Sparing a sad smile, she retreats, drawing bridges of blue slime between her and the shaky sister.

Free again, the new slime jiggles with relief before pulling upward. Slowly, her shape refines into what she's known, somehow capturing the same deceptive silver elegance except blue and with less shine. As her straight hair grows out and chest jiggles outward from her slim body, she stops her growth, keeping her bottom half submerged in parallel with Anne. The former metallic beauty has finally come back to life, opening her eyelids softly as her awareness becomes grounded to her human-like form. Once situated, her gaze immediately locks on her worried sister.

Smiling bitterly as she recollects the events that brought her through, Viviane holds back her joy and lowers her head in shame.

"Anne, I'm truly sorry."

The slime mother's lips quiver before carefully leans forward to grab her sister's hands, squeezing. "I'm so glad that you actually came through, but what the hell were you thinking?"

"It was reckless," Viviane agrees, closing her eyes. After leaving some silence, she continues more firmly. "Even so, I don't regret passing up the chance to see if I could truly be part of you...to finally leave with you."

Anne holds her breath, unsatisfied with the response. She wants to scold more, but seeing her sister so unwavering, she finds herself increasingly at a loss. For a mystery who had been trapped for so long, is it unfair to expect a little patience?

Perhaps not.

Groaning with the last of her complaints buried, Anne sighs and forces herself to relax. "I don't like how it was done, but you're here now. Still, you know more than you've been leading us, sister. How are we supposed to be mothers together if I can't understand you?"

Viviane hesitates, then glances up towards Mary and Daniel, their eyes equal in wanting answers.

Would they come to doubt her? Fear her?

She knows she can't hide away anymore when she was hidden deep within Anne, her thoughts buried. Now that she's finally situated on Earth, there will be greater scrutiny to a past she hasn't fully understand.

"It's true that I haven't been completely open with you all," the slime begins. "I..."

"Wait a moment, er, mother," Daniel interrupts, clearing his throat. "First, let's get ourselves situated first. Can you separate from Anne?"

Viviane's eyes widen for a moment, her figurative heart leaping to hear the artist recognize her desired role. If anything, it shows that her son still wants to trust her, even after her selfishness to disappear without warning.

"I see my child is still embarrassed to call me mommy," she teases lightly.

Daniel's face flushes in response. "Seriously, everyone is so..."

Viviane giggles and waves her hands. "No worries, my child. Of course, let me try."

With that, the rest of the former silver beauty rises, pulling more of the slime pool as she shapes up the rest of her body. Compared to before, it's an easier formation, with only a decent hip and fine legs to build.

It's a spectacle Daniel has seen before with Anne, yet he still can't help be drawn in by how his new slime mother's body molds with finer details. It's as if invisible hands around her were shaping pottery from clay.

Catching her son's obvious wonder, Viviane hums gleefully before taking her first step towards him.

Yes, to her beloved child.

Splick!

There's a small resistance from Anne's mass as the elder sister departs, but otherwise, she pulls away without problem.

For Anne, it raises questions such as how her sister came to be carried. Did her body generate new slime for her sister, or did she take away mass? Unfortunately, she lacks any sense of weight about her body to come to any conclusion.

"Oh, Daniel...my child," Viviane calls, drawing closer.

The sweetly called artist thins his lips, but doesn't pull away as the lake dweller presses against him, raising her hands against his cheek. Although she may be less firm compared to her previous form, her curves are pretty maintained despite having just been fed.

"Are you okay?" he asks to be sure.

Viviane hums. "Maybe not completely. Mommy may need to indulge in a little more of something to stabilize."

That "something" is evident as she draws near to Daniel's lips, but before such tastes can begin anew, their lips are blocked by an intruding dark hand between them.

"Love, you seem to be forgetting something," Mary flatly reminds, then narrows her eyes while smiling stiffly towards the new slime mother. "I'd like to hear more of that honesty now, especially about anything you thought of me and my family tied to any sort of wizard."

"Ah...is that not the case?"

Viviane's surprise catches everyone off guard. Seeing this, the former silver slime furrows her brows as she checks her shared knowledge. "Actually, nothing from Anne has been shared with me since disappearing. Annoyingly, even my need for energy was separate from her, as you saw."

'That does make some sense, so she's completely independent of mom now?' Daniel wonders.

Is there even any meaning to sharing the same type of slime?

"Well, that's annoying," Mary mutters before sighing.

Viviane lowers her head. "Forgive me, Mary. When I was searching the memories in your lake, I assumed because those symbols he studied were ones associated with the wizard."

"Well, even if you got my hopes up, I can understand why you thought that. Still, it turns out he was studying a magical book that's related to an Egyptian god, Isis. How could that be related to a wizard from British lore?"

"What about the antique store owner who sold the book?" Daniel asks.

"I mean, it's possible there's a relation there, but my uncle wasn't able to get any leads on the antique store or owner after its disappearance."

Since they've already learned of a book, it's clear to Viviane that she can't keep what she found in Mary's memories to herself anymore.

"Mary, I'm aware you opened that book when you were little. Are you sure you don't remember what you saw?"

Mary widens her eyes at the lake dweller's implications before growling. "I don't! Seriously, though, how could you keep such an important detail to yourself? While my uncle did say I froze, I hardly remember anything notable then."

"You might not remember, but from your memories, the contents of the page you read is clear to me."

"How does that make sense?"

"Because...what you read wasn't meant for you, but me."

As silence overwhelms the group, waiting for the slime girl to elaborate, Viviane recalls what the young Mary had "read". It was a moment of magic that literally spilled out of the female artist's lake, seemingly programmed for her eyes to see in the future.

Although the characters that aligned were foreign to her, a voice reverberated in her mind, perfectly matching the one who called to her in the first vision:

My dear friend, Viviane...or might there be another who can read these words? Even now, I doubt my magic.
I hope you can forgive me for what I've done.
It must've been hard.
It was hard on me.
As I predict from these damned visions that never let me sleep, your seal will come undone one day by the ignorance of others.
When that time comes, you will love others as you have loved me.
You will consume others as you have consumed me.
I can't stop it.
Despite knowing the future, I still can't stop you.
Because, as always, I want to believe in you.
What I then shall raise is: Who shall you be?
Who shall you protect and love this time?
How far will you go?
I can only hope it becomes a good future for you and all, my lady, who lost so much.
Your friend, Merlin.

Chapter 59: A Greedy Tale to Melt From

Chapter Text

"...and that's how I first came to know of Merlin. Just from his voice, that's also how I was able to associate him to the figure in Anne's first vision," Viviane reveals, sitting at the table with the others after disclosing Merlin's message to her.

Thinning her lips, she watches the reaction of her fellow mothers and son carefully. There's some wariness in the air as the group processes the meaning behind the wizard's words: full of ominous inevitability, and yet, optimism.

"So you reveal this information only after escaping Anne?" Mary questions, frowning. "That's oddly convenient considering it sounds like you weren't intended to leave."

Viviane's gaze pulls down from guilt. "Th-that wasn't my intention. Had the opportunity not come from my sister, I was planning on informing after you had confirmed the book your uncle possesses."

The female artist sours, unconvinced. She's also bothered by the fact this Merlin used her in his plan to record himself for Viviane's eyes. Of course, it's written in old tales that the wizard could peer in the future; however, she never imagined it to be so evident in such an obscure, prepared manner.

Her thoughts drift back to the "antique store" owner who gave Marlin the book. The seller had to have known his niece would end up opening it, considering he disappeared along with the store. Could he have been Merlin?

It seemed silly as any medieval figure, real or fictional, should be well dead by now, but then again, a legendary enchantress was before them.

Supposedly, at least.

Sighing, Mary returns her focus. "Even if your intentions are well-meaning, how can we be sure you're not going to cause problems in the future like this Merlin suggests? From what I remember of old British myths, you weren't exactly a saint character in some of the-"

"Mary," Daniel interrupts, clearing his throat. "I get your worry, but let's not make judgments or accusations right now. We don't khow much of the stories are true, so we need to sort out everything with her properly."

"Wait, stories of me?" Viviane returns, eyes widening.

"We'll get to that later," the artist promises.

"I agree," Anne adds, flattening her lips. "I'm not happy either, but...I want to trust my sister. If I don't, it's akin to not trusting myself or Amy."

"That's complete bullshit, love," Mary responds, her gaze firming between the two slime girls. "You know well she's more than just Amy."

Anne smiles dryly. "Mary, whatever your concerns are, they can equally apply to me. Viviane and I were one, after all."

"Your choices are ultimately your own, though."

"Precisely," the slime mother pushes before smiling hopefully towards her sister. "That's why I want to trust you, Viviane. It's clear, despite whatever Merlin sees, he also would like to trust you. So, I will ask the same as him: Who do you want to be?"

The elder slime blinks before her gaze slowly draws to Daniel. Replacing her guilt, warmth fills her eyes and pride lines her sweet lips.

It doesn't need to be said, but...

"I want to be Daniel's mother, of course," she answers nonetheless.

Said artist turns pink, his heart racing at the amount of affection directed at him. Unable to take much of it without questioning his worth or sanity, he clears his throat.

"Th-that's not to say we should disregard your past, mother; however, I also want to believe in the current and future you, just as I do with Anne."

Hearing the two still retain optimism, Mary shuts her eyes and exhales. Although she's the most worried, she can't fault them for wanting to believe as well. Having been shared the same maternal love for Daniel, that common affection is more reassuring than anything.

"I won't apologize for holding doubts, but I shouldn't have come out so strongly against you, love," Mary yields.

Viviane hums, eyes closing into a smile. "It's quite alright! Besides, you were suspicious of Anne too in the beginning. I hope to merge with you and Daniel so that we're much clearer to each other!"

The male artist chuckles nervously. "Um, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You just came into our world."

"Ooh, that's right!" Viviane claps. "Yes, before anything, Mommy should explore and have a date with Daniel too!"

'Dear god...' Daniel thinks, sweating as the weight of having three girls hits him again.

"Anyway," Viviane continues more seriously. "I'd like to hear what I missed out while I was unstable inside Anne. Even if they're not accurate, what are these tales that Mary mentioned?"

Everyone flinches before Daniel speaks first, raising a hand to prevent others from muddying the waters immediately. "What do you know so far?"

Viviane's eyes draw to the ceiling. "I figured since I'm related to Merlin that I'm somewhere in the tales of King Arthur. Most of my knowledge comes from Amy, though, so it's just pop culture and some basics."

"Well, apparently, Viviane is the second most popular name for the 'Lady of the Lake'."

The lake dweller widens her eyes for a moment before her face falls with disgust. "D-don't say that to me, Mommy is sick of water as is!"

"Well, that's what was written."

"Urgh...well, it makes sense. From Amy's knowledge, I understand the story that I helped Arthur to unite Britain, although I don't remember anything about it personally. What about Merlin?"

"Merlin? Um...well, that's..."

Anne coughs, taking charge away from her son to break the news. "Sister, if there's anything that matches Merlin's message, he did love you; however, he was also consumed by you depending on how we choose to interpret it."

Stiffening, Viviane crookedly smiles. "O-oh...there's no need to downplay it, Anne. Mary noted I wasn't a saint in some tales, so I'm okay knowing there's a possible reason for being sealed away."

"Alright, but don't take these to heart though; that is, unless you happen to remember something," Anne warns.

Seeing her counterpart nod, she starts, "Well, for one, I read you sealed Merlin into a tree."

"W-what, a tree?!"

"Huh?," Mary sounds, raising her brows. "I wasn't exactly a fan of British literature in school, but I thought it was written as being put to sleep for eternity?"

Viviane squeaks, her blue jello body jiggling faster.

"Is how he ends relevant, though?" Anne returns to the female artist, recalling what she researched. "The main points that are clear to me was that this 'Lady of the Lake' takes advantage of Merlin's love, gets her to teach him his secrets, then throws him away once she's learned what she can. Is there a different version of telling?"

"Huh...well, sort of. I guess the version I read said she did it out of fear rather than greed. Still, it's quite shitty."

"Both of you, stop!" Daniel shouts, his eyes wide with panic as he raises an arm towards a shaken lake dweller. "You're exchanging history as if she isn't here. Look, your sister is literally melting!"

"G-guh..."

Indeed, the now sagging and dripping Viviane can only take so much shock as she melts into the chair. Having gained modern sensibilities from Amy, it's frightening to imagine what she may have been like in the past, even if the tales might not be true.

It does beg the question of how much of these tales are true? With only her mind racing, the possibilities melt the lady down further with shame.

Gurgle...gurgle...

"Aah, Viviane!" Anne screams, standing from the table.

"Love, what are you doing?" Mary snaps, turning toward Daniel. "I'm sure I saw you still have some fruits. Grab your bananas and shove them in, hurry!"

"What the-I mean, yes, I'll go check!"

Farther out, Rachel sits in her lab at the Keystone observatory; however, her usual job is disrupted as she stares at the photo Lecia sent to her phone. Reflecting in her eyes is the circular drawing found in Daniel's studio.

'This...has to be a mistake, right?'

The astronomer still refuses to judge, but it's true she didn't pay enough attention to Daniel's home when she visited. Still, why would a symbol from the Stonehenge book be discovered by him?

Rachel knows she'll have to speak with Lecia soon to get more details, but her stomach twists to see how this search for an unknown creature has devolved. There's nothing she can do to mitigate investigations around Amy and Daniel now.

"Fuck..."

As she mutters through her breath, the door to the lab slams opens. One of her colleagues runs in, turning her head to scan before locking onto the older woman.

"Rachel! Were you monitoring the Aquarius constellation recently?"

The called astronomer blinks before composing herself.

The constellation in question was observed during the night of the ritual the Stonehenge group performed. She previously revealed to Lecia that all stars in the constellation dimmed together for a short period of time. Such synchronous behavior had never been seen before. Against such coincidental timing, plus the fact the main stars match the figures' positions in one of the pages of the Stonehenge book, Lecia surmised the stars were associated with a sealing arrangement.

A dual of the ritual performed, basically.

However, that was all speculation. There hadn't been any activity since, unless...

"Yes, I was," Rachel answers, maintaining her voice. "I was just checking some measurements about the systems nearby there."

Her colleague inhales sharply before swallowing. "Well, the...Albali star has disappeared from the main constellation sequence."

Rachel furrows her brows before tilting her head. "What?"

Chapter 60: Trust In Mommy

Chapter Text

Shlurk...glorp!

"Oh, love, that feels...so good!"

"Hehe, I can already feel your thoughts flowing through, Mary."

Shlip...

Daniel gulps, frozen in place as he bears witness to Mary and Anne's third goopy reunion; however, this is the first time he gets to see the joining from the start rather than after the fact.

Having dumped much of the perishable food for Viviane, Mary offered to go to the store quickly to help restock his kitchen and pickup some takeout.

Wanting to help, Anne insisted on literally joining Mary to go out as Marianne. It's not that she didn't want to stay behind for her fellow slime, but the guilt of similarly eating out of her son's pantry pushed her towards assisting the female artist.

Besides, the two had to resolve each other's knowledge anyway, so it was a good opportunity.

With that in mind, Mary stops twitching as the motherly slime evens out across her body like icing on a cake. From her covered face, Marianne's features come through in a short breath, while everything else ripples downward in one final refinement to emphasize their bodies.

Now glowing with a lighter brown tone, the naked fusion wobbles forward but catches herself. Breathing in more as she readjusts herself to her surroundings, her eyes flutter before locking onto her stunned boyfriend-son.

"Oh, what's the matter, love?" she asks, smirking. "You're going to have to get used to seeing Mama like this more often, you know?"

As if the lumpy, gooey monster during the transformation was his imagination, Daniel straightens to attention by the naked beauty before him.

"I...I get that. Anyway, I appreciate the help. Please use my card for-"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Marianne cuts, waving her arms. "I want to be equally responsible for Viviane here."

Daniel twists his lips and is about to push back, but seeing the fusion's firm gaze, he sighs. "Half, at least."

"Then, you can transfer it to Mary's account after I get the total, but keep your card and protests for now, okay?"

The artist's lips thin for a moment, but he nods reluctantly. "Alright, fine."

Marianne closes her eyes happily. "Thank you, love. There is, however, one thing I need from you..."

Predictably, the fusion presses forward, mashing her chest against him. In response, Daniel relaxes his hands on her hips as he accepts the pair of lips binding to him. With no resistance between them, Marianne hums smoothly into his mouth, hugging him close.

While Daniel tries to take the fusion's advance in stride, his cock bulges at her enhanced curves. He couldn't possibly stop his heart from revving faster, driving his hands to her plump cheeks and possessing them.

The squishiness of his slime mother plus the bodily, English warmth of Mary is truly a dangerous combination.

"Uuuu..."

However, the couple break away before further escalation in response to Viviane's sad groan, staring pitifully from the couch.

With a light bridge of saliva sagging between them, Marianne returns her attention to the jealous slime. "Oh, I'm sorry, Viviane. As I am now, I haven't gotten much time with our baby boy."

Daniel flushes lightly at his fusion-mother's address. Meanwhile, the droopy lake dweller pouts. "Hrm...It's not that I don't mind, but I also wish to embrace my child after being separated for so long!"

"Wow, Vivi-Mama is so needy~"

The fellow slime narrows her eyes, harrumphing. "Aren't you the same? I have no need for your teasing, Marianne. Fusion or not, I am still your elder sister!"

The fusion's eyes twinkle. "Why, you're right, love; however, do consider how much your neediness has emptied our poor son's pantry."

"Kuh...that's just unfair," the lake dweller mutters, yet is unable to refute. She burrows her gelatinous face into the couch's cushions in shame, knowing well how much her presence has caused inconvenience.

Marianne stifles a laugh before grabbing a set of clothes prepared by Anne. With the help of slime appendages, she's able to get dressed, all the while giving Daniel the pleasure of seeing her breasts fit snugly within the bounds of her bra.

Twirling Mary's keys in one hand, she leans forward to peck Daniel's lips once more before winking. "I'll be back as soon as possible, okay? Do be careful with my sister!"

Daniel glances back at the depressed lake dweller. So far, it seems like his second slime mother is holding herself better now, but he can't be completely sure.

'Let's hope,' he thinks, knowing he has nothing left to give her if she melts again from anxiety.

With nothing further said, Marianne departs, leaving Daniel free to attend to his second slime mother. As he sits next to her on the couch, the slumped slime girl sighs.

"I didn't think maintaining my form would be this bad. Even Anne didn't require as much energy as I do."

"Well, to be fair, she did consume my mother's corpse when I first met her," Daniel notes.

"Possible."

"Still, the fact you're stabilizing is good. Just relax, okay?"

Viviane straightens, humming. "Well, I believe I'm better now. Tell me honestly, child, do you believe in the tales of me?"

"I have no idea what to believe in, much less tales," Daniel answers, crossing his arms. "If there's anything, I want to believe in Amy, which in turn means I wish to believe in you and Anne."

The lake dweller smiles appreciatively, then gazes fondly away. "I believe in your brilliant mother as well. Without her, Anne and I would be lost."

"I don't think so," Daniel rejects, tilting his head. "The way I understand it, Amy provided a foundation for you all, but you can still grow in your own way."

Viviane snorts. "That may be more true for my sister, but I already came with a foundation...a shaky one, at least. My worry is that as I learn more, I might not be worthy to be your mother."

"Well, even if you did some bad things, like maybe seal away a wizard for your own selfish goal of power, how do you feel about it now?"

"I feel awful, of course, but what's more distressing is that I feel nothing for this Merlin. Everything so far just sounds like a bad movie plot."

She huffs, furrowing her brows. "In any case, my imprisonment within the realm makes no sense if that were the real story. He would have to seal me first before I could dispose of him, right?"

"That's assuming he's directly responsible. From his message, it sounds like he did, but he could've given instructions to followers, knowing of his own demise."

Viviane shuts her eyes. "Urgh, I don't know! Forget about him for now; he's not who I love..."

Reopening her eyes, she leans forward, covering some of his legs with her goo. "You are, my child! I realize I've been selfish to get where I am, but-"

"You were trapped for centuries, mother," Daniel reassures, smiling bitterly. "But even if you weren't, I know Amy was plenty selfish at times too. Like, I always wished she had told me of her cancer sooner."

Sharing the astronomer's guilt, Viviane lowers her gaze. "I'm well aware. That just piles it on for me."

"Still, I want to trust you...even if you did try to 'drown' me when we first met, left us wondering about your fate, then ate all my food."

"Waah!"

Seeing her burst and melt in shame, Daniel quickly regrets his tease as he shakes his hands. "N-no, no, come back! I shouldn't have-!"

"I'm the worst mother ever!"

"Please, let's not...oh, fuck it!"

Daniel pushes forward in his haste before his slime mother becomes more of a mess on his couch. As soon as he dives into part of her mass, his lips cross hers.

"Um?! Ngh..."

Although surprised, Viviane responds calmly to her son's kiss, easing into him while solidifying herself. Wrapping her arms around his back, she takes in his love and trust for her, dispelling her worries for the moment.

After a few long kisses, they break apart, with Daniel the only one needing to take a breath. Recovering himself, he stares firmly. "Seriously...are you better now?"

Viviane's lips quiver, but she holds strong and puffs her cheeks. "D-don't make it difficult for me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Hmph! If you're truly sorry, call me Mommy."

"Absolutely not."

"Hu hu, it is admirable to be so unmoving, too."

Daniel rolls his eyes. "Speaking of which, can you please let me go now?"

Viviane blinks, cocking her head. "Are we not going to continue? Besides, my dear child is hard, so a mother should do her duty to relieve, no?"

Daniel's head slumps before snorting. "Not that I don't want to, but you should wait until you're more...ah, okay, you're slipping in now. This is fine."

"Hehe! Just relax, my child~" the slime coos as more of her mass flows over his pants, seeping into his fabric and underwear. "Besides, it's also for my benefit to earn some energy that Anne receives all the time."

The overtaken artist inhales shakily as he feels his mother's goo wriggle around his crotch, kneading his stiff cock, just as Anne had done before. Eventually, she manages to slide his pants down.

With his cock free, Viviane repositions herself, pulling more of her main body over so it looks like she's straddling him. With one swoop, her crotch splashes over her son's rod, increasing in tightness.

"Ungh! Y-you seem to have a lot of energy, actually," Daniel notes.

"See? You've fed mommy well."

"That's not something I want to be proud of."

Giggling, Viviane moves slowly, supporting herself with her hands on her son's chest as she massages him below. Her eyes soften as she sees her artist relax into her depths.

Shlap...Shlap!

"Oh fuck...C-can you feel anything?" he asks, his voice barely level as her loose bottom picks up speed.

"No, but that reminds me, I should at least connect with you more."

Daniel inhales softly as a tingle spreads across his crotch. Similar to Anne, the slime mother has connected with his nerves across his crotch, sharing his pleasure.

"A-ah! Oh child, I'm so happy that you're feeling good!" Viviane moans, closing her eyes as her goo rolls through her son's cock.

Now one with her artist, she leans forward, pressing her gelatinous chest against him and locking lips.

"M...other..."

Viviane hums sweetly back as her son groans into her. With each thrust, she feels his body drift more into her slippery love. Not wanting it to end, she spreads more across him, connecting to every part of his body.

Splurt!

It's reasonable for Daniel to not be able to hold out against such pressure, releasing himself into the jiggling mass that coats him. His orgasm is shared with Viviane, who breaks away from her lips to gasp, shivering with delight.

"Oh...oh, child...mngh..."

As Daniel's libido descends, so does Viviane's head, lowering until she nuzzles into his shoulder in contentment.

"That was great, child," she whispers into his ear. "Hehe, Mommy can't wait to do more with you~"

The artist swallows slowly but wraps his arms around her gooey mass. "It's going to be...interesting, I guess."

Chapter 61: "The Swallower"

Chapter Text

Shplack! Shplack!

As orange rays of light spill from windows, Daniel finds himself going another round with his blue-turned gooey mother.

Groaning, he drowns himself in her maternal love, literally, as the lake dweller pulls him even deeper into her mass. Such overwhelming comfort then surrounds him as he thrusts his hips. All the while, his gooey captor squeezes the silhouette barely visible within.

"Oh, child~" Viviane coos, her eyes softening as her son jiggles away from within. She caresses his head, which stretches out from between her breasts, with pleasure. No matter how he swims inside of her, she ensures her sweet son gets enough love and oxygen to keep going.

Splurt! Splurt!

Regardless of stamina, however, Daniel is still human. He tries to push on, but he reaches his limit, pumping with one final thrust before shivering in place in exhaustion. Such love emptied for his slime mother doesn't go to waste, as the lake dweller closes her eyes and hums, feeling his energy course through her.

"That's it," she purrs, hugging her bulging mass he's added to. "Mommy is comfy, isn't she?"

"Ungh...very," Daniel answers, his weak smile somewhat visible from the face imprint that extrudes out.

Viviane giggles before leaning her face down to kiss such covered lips of her dear child. She takes in delight over how much she can spend with him now without being left behind.

Yes...it'll be only a matter of time before she'll be able to become truly one with him. Is there anything greater?

Breaking from the kiss, she nuzzles her child's head.

"Do you want to stay in mommy?"

"That's..."

Before Daniel can answer, the front door opens, along with the shuffling of plastic.

"We're back! We'll need another pair of hands to-"

Marianne pauses with a few bags in her hands to see her slime sister enveloping their son like a pregnant woman. It's not too surprising, but seeing them have fun for the entire shopping trip is rather annoying.

She huffs, tilting her head. "Well now, it sure is nice to have our son all to yourself while we get you food, huh?"

Viviane flinches before curling her lips. "A-ah, I really appreciate it, sister. Should I help or...?"

The fusion sighs as she drops the bags nearby. "Not as you are, but you could certainly allow our son to help out."

"Oh..."

Reluctantly, Viviane pulls away to the ground while letting the artist slip out smoothly, leaving him on the couch. It takes a bit for the artist to recover himself as he breathes more freely; however, the judgmental eyes of his mother-girlfriend on his stark-naked form is quick to shake him up.

Laughing nervously, he straightens and hurriedly grabs his pants. "R-right, ahem, I'll be down to help!"

Marianne forces a smile while closing her eyes. "That's better. Had fun, love?"

"Yes, sorry."

"Oh, why are you sorry? Am I supposed to be sorry that you were spending time with your mother, all cozy inside?"

Daniel sweats as he hastily slides his underwear and pants on. "N-no, that's not what I...anyway, ha ha, let me help you with the rest of the groceries! It may help if you two split so we-"

"I'm not splitting back into Mary and Anne this soon," she cuts, crossing her arms. "In fact, since you seem to have plenty of drive, why don't you pick the rest. It's the least you can do for Mama, who did all of this work, right?"

Daniel knows better not to argue, despite knowing how many trips it took last time to bring back the truckload of food when Anne had to be mass-fed. In the end, he swallows and nods, moving past the fusion to bring in his new inventory.

As their son leaves to the garage area, Viviane twists her lips to the side. "That's cold, sister."

"We can't spoil our son too much; otherwise he'll turn rotten," Marianne counters before taking out a whole packed chicken from one of the bags. "You, on the other hand, have to be fed. I bought several of these fat guys just for you, so knock yourself out."

"Ooh! Yes, that will definitely help," Viviane cheers, stretching her gooey arms out to take the heavy bird out of the fusion's hand.

Pulling it into her mass through the arm, the chicken, including the plastic wrapping, all dissolves with nothing left before it could reach her majority mass. Instantly, she feels a surge in liveliness, and with it, she firms up a little more.

The progress is encouraging enough for her to wiggle in delight. "Hehe, a few of these might be enough for me to start shaping myself a better human form!"

Marianne smiles more easily, but snorts. "Good to hear, but don't rush it. If you melt again, I swear I'll find a way to take you back inside of me."

Viviane shivers at the thought. "S-sister, be at ease!"

"What do you mean? I'm perfectly calm."

Like Daniel, Viviane felt it wise not to press. It would seem, as a fusion, Mary and Anne can be quite scary when together.

"How can a star that's relatively young disappear unexpectedly?"

That is the biggest question, not only asked by Lecia, but by many observatories, scientists, and news outlets around the world. As much as the Stonehenge leader wanted to cover it up, such a missing star that's part of a well-known constellation would be noticed by enough observers.

"I'm not certain," Rachel answers on the screen of Lecia's monitor, thinning her lips. "A star shouldn't just disappear; rather, it transforms. In this case, Epsilon Aquarii is less than four million years old compared to our sun, which is four-point-six billion years old. It should've had many more stages in its lifecycle before disappearing."

Lecia nods, finding that reasonable. "And even if something were to happen, there should be remnants or some fluctuations, right?"

"Precisely. The only fluctuation I saw was when I observed it during the ritual. After that, the received waves have been fairly stable...until it just up and disappeared a day ago. That, right there, is what's causing a bigger uproar in the science community."

Lecia rubs her forehead, worried what this might mean. It doesn't help that the worldwide attention from this star departure might impact their organization's momentum.

"Wasn't there another name for this star?"

Rachel hums. "It's also known as Al-Bali, which was assigned by the IAU."

"That's in Arabic meaning...'The Swallower'? Pretty ironic if it only swallowed itself."

"I thought so as well. Looking into its history, it was named as such by an Egyptian astronomer, Al Achsasi, in the seventeenth century. Unfortunately, we only have an incomplete manuscript in records."

The fact that an astronomer, born in late Egypt, named such a star doesn't go past the Stonehenge leader, especially given recent records learned of Cleopatra. It's very possible that few in older times were on track to unknowns then.

Lecia hasn't disclosed this possible Egyptian connection to Rachel yet, given her connection with Daniel and the painting. It's not that she doesn't trust the astronomer, but she has to be even more careful if there's a chance of a leak.

Refocusing, Lecia clears her throat. "For now, we'll have our team look into it more. Please continue monitoring the stars in the meantime."

"Of course, um...that painting, by the way..."

Lecia sighs. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I know you didn't want to involve your friend's son, but I-"

"No, I understand!" the astronomer interrupts, but her eyes narrow painfully. "The symbol definitely resides in the book, so I can't deny there may be a relation. You don't think this is related to Amy's disappearance, do you?"

"I'm not sure," Lecia answers truthfully. "The best thing for now is validating whether Daniel found such symbol by accident...or if there's bigger meaning than we know."

Rachel frowns.

'Just how could that be?'

Although there's no reason for Daniel to reveal such a find during their chat, such evidence doesn't help the sinking feeling she has towards his brilliant girlfriend.

For one, she not only carries Amy's would-be twin sister's name, but shares similar presence and intelligence to her former colleague.

However, the biggest flag was Anne's casual mentioning of NMT-5101 during their discussion over gaseous galaxies. After digging into documents from her notes, she remembered that the designation was only a temporary name during their research of the plane before the official one was decided on.

Only she and Amy could have known that; that is unless it's mentioned in the notes by Amy Daniel held.

"Is there...something wrong, Rachel?" Lecia asks, cocking her head.

Relaxing her expression, the astronomer smiles weakly. "No, it's nothing."

Chapter 62: Becoming One with Mother

Chapter Text

"There, good as new!"

With extra energy gained from more groceries, Viviane lifts her chest proudly as she stands in her silver-haired "human" form. She then twirls for her audience, giving everyone a nice look how stable she can be.

"I've also matched my sister's measurements," she adds. "So we should be able to share dresses too!"

Breaking from his stare, Daniel clears his throat. "Shouldn't you give more color to your appearance? Hardly anyone I know goes out as pale as you are; silver hair, no less."

"What? I think it's wonderful!" Marianne counters. "Don't worry about our son. You're free to express yourself however you want!"

However, the elder slime hums, twisting her lips as she takes in the color of her hand. "No, our child is right. It's no good if I attract too much attention. Hmm...how about this?"

In a smooth transition, more color flushes as if warming up. Then, along with matching Anne's skin tone, her silky hair fades into a light blonde while maintaining silver highlights. The change is subtle, but enough that she doesn't look like a cold statue.

"How is it?" she asks, smiling meekly.

"Glowing!" Marianne is quick to answer, wiggling her lips in delight.

Daniel nods in agreement, but cocks his head. "Come to think of it, you've always held that silver appearance, right?

"As long as I've been aware, but it's odd, now that I think of it," Viviane admits, cocking her head. "I'm not sure where my look comes from considering I can transform into any appearance."

"Maybe your ghostly frame is meant to ward off visitors from the past?" the fusion suggests, grinning.

Viviane scoffs. "Perhaps if I were the 'Lady of the Lake'...urgh, I really hope that's not the case."

Tittering, Marianne waves her hand. "Well, let's not worry about that now. There's only one bit of history I'm interested in..."

Holding such thought, she flips her attention to Daniel beside her, then pokes him. "Such as having fun with Vivi-Mama without me! You owe Mama some time, love!"

The artist backs away a little with his hands up. Before he can properly respond to his mother-girlfriend's jealousy, Viviane sneaks behind him, squishing her chest against his back.

"Mommy wants in too!"

Humming into his ear as she rests her chin on his shoulder, the lake dweller's hands begin gliding beneath his shirt while unbuckling his pants.

Losing his train of thought, Daniel shivers in her hold. "W-wait, mother..."

"Hey, you already did it with him!" Marianne growls.

The lake dweller glances pitifully at her fusion sister. "Oh, so you're saying I should do nothing but watch, just as I've done many times?"

"Ugh...n-no, but-"

"Even though I also want to spend more time with you, my fellow mother?" Viviane adds, twisting the knife of guilt further.

It's effective, as the fusion grunts, shutting her eyes tightly. "Okay, I get it! We'll have a threesome...er wait, foursome?"

Viviane closes her eyes in delight. "My dear sister, let's not sweat the details. In any case, I'll just make it even!"

Squelch!

Daniel has no time to react to his mother's words as the lake dweller compresses further against his back. With his pants dropped, a cool sensation follows his bottom. Despite the comfort, the artist stiffens as he glances down. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise by now, but he still holds his breath as Viviane's legs open up, slithering around his own like a suit.

"Relax, my child," the slime whispers, rubbing his chest.

With crooked lips, Daniel chuckles nervously instead. "S-so, you're taking my body, huh?"

"Naturally~"

As his slime mother finishes coating his legs and genitals tightly, he jerks a little. Unlike when Anne connected with his nerves, he finds no control over his rise in libido. Driven by external forces, his cock pulses to full mass in seconds, all while Viviane's excitement pours through him like steroids.

"Oh, fuck...ngh."

Viviane squeals, hugging her groaning son tightly as their lower half solidifies as one.

Meanwhile, Marianne cups her mouth, swallowing slowly over her sister and son's shared cock. While some vitality is expected, she doesn't recall such an immediate impact when Anne connected similarly.

'Did it ever get that big when she...no, stop comparing!'

Shaking her head of lewd thoughts, she growls at her sneaky slime sister. "Love, you can't just take him like that!"

It takes a moment for Viviane to calm herself from the burst of aching pleasure that fills her, all thanks to her son's arousal being shared. While he's forced to wriggle within her grasp, she continues caressing his chest while her other hand moves to stroke their length.

Schlip...Schlip!

"Mmm...can't I? Aren't you being too...muah...picky, sister?" Viviane responds huskily, laying kisses across her shivering child's neck. "Besides, you've already connected with, anh, his body plenty."

Schlip...Schlip!

"Ungh...mother, s-slow down," Daniel pleads, succumbing to her hand. His legs twitch, and it isn't clear whether it's from his reaction or hers.

"See? Our child seems to like it."

"Clearly," Marianne scoffs, her forehead straining. "At least stop jacking him off this soon."

"Hehe, very well," Viviane accedes, slowing her strokes while targeting her voice at his ears. "Now, would you like Mommy to finish covering you, so we can fuck Mama together?"

Daniel's breath hitches at the idea, and so does his cock, throbbing in her hand as she flutters across. "T-that's uh..."

"We'll give your dear mother and girlfriend the best time if we're together, you know?"

"No, the best time with Mama is if we're the ones together," Marianne counters while undressing. Despite saying so, she then backtracks with a cough. "Although, I'll admit, I'm curious about what will happen to you two."

Daniel's lips curl up a little, finding Anne and Mary's separate influence clear in the ebony fusion's words. Glancing back at the current blonde beauty behind him, his legs shuffle to her convincing massage below. "Ngh...okay, fine. You'll just be overlaying my body like Anne did, right?"

"Actually, I want to share minds as well! How else are we going to match your fusion mother, hmm?"

"What?!"

Both Marianne and Daniel sound out at the same time over Viviane's larger goal.

Quickly, the artist shakes his head, his teeth chattering, "M-mother, I don't think it's a good idea. I mean, look at what happened with Mary; she's..."

The fusion gasps before her son catches himself, then harrumphs. "Well, excuse me, love. Mary is perfectly fine, if you must know!"

Daniel thins his lips, sweating. Of course, it somehow worked out with his artistic girlfriend; however, there's no denying the side effects of Mary becoming more motherly and lactating.

How would he fare? Surely, he wouldn't also become like that!

The lake dweller hums. "I do understand your concerns, child, but I can control how my knowledge and memories are shared."

The fusion and artist perk to this new detail. Of course, her increased self-control isn't too surprising given the number of centuries she's spent alone.

Smiling as the mood grows calmer, Viviane draws away from their hard member to hug the artist with both arms. "My child, I know it's early, but will you trust me enough to share with you?"

"How...how much would you share?"

"That depends. How much do you want to know?"

Before he can answer, Marianne steps forward. "Stop! Viviane, there are things he should not know! Even if you're confident, I wouldn't even be trying something like this."

The lake dweller's gaze soften. "I'm aware, sister, but this is our child's decision. I will, however, avoid sharing Amy's more classified discoveries, which she took to her grave. Those aren't relevant anyway."

"W-what about Mary?"

Viviane smirks at the fusion's growing fear, most influenced by the female artist herself.

"The way I see it, you already know many embarrassing stories about our child. It's only fair that he gets to see some of hers."

"No, please!"

"Alright, you've convinced me," Daniel answers, grinning a little at the fusion. "We need to be open and honest anyway."

Marianne leans back and groans before snapping forward with a pout. "Love, don't you dare tease me or Mary. She only mentioned your Harry Potter phase, and there were far more cute—I mean, embarrassing parts that Amy knew of."

Daniel clears his throat. "Alright, alright."

"That said, I'm still wary about this," the fusion reiterates.

"He'll love and appreciate us more," Viviane reassures, her eyes twinkling. "He might even start calling us Mommy and Mama."

"Actually, I am okay with this," the fusion corrects without misstep, her eyes sparkling back at her fellow mother.

Daniel's pupils contract. Gulping, he laughs nervously. "N-no wait, that's...not going to happen, right? I already love and appreciate you both!"

"Then, what's more?" Viviane whispers, giggling.

Squelch!

The lake dweller proceeds with expanding her upper half around Daniel before he can protest, matching his slightly larger frame while spreading feminine curves around. As the slime seeps into his underlying skin, he groans, filled with more of her drive.

The engine that is his heart beats to the elder slime's will. Along with that, she takes control of her son's arms and hands, restarting her strokes against their member.

They moan together, cupping one of her breasts that now extends from Daniel's front. Somehow, the artist can feel Viviane's chest as his own. It's a sensation that he never felt with Anne, who hadn't matched his form completely.

As Daniel takes in this strange yet pleasant union, Marianne watches the process with conflict. On one one hand, a beautiful fusion would be born; but on the other, she'd rather be the one joining with her son and boyfriend.

That's true, even as she already is composed of the female artist. Against such greediness, though, she holds back, giving way to her more experienced sister.

Viviane kisses her son's cheek as they quickly share shoulder space with a strong hold against their member.

She coos. "Oh child, we're almost one~"

"F-fuck..." Daniel breathes, his eyes glazed.

"Remember that this isn't solely our time together. Rather, it's our time with your lovely Mama."

Daniel exhales shakily as his gaze returns to Marianne. At that moment, his fusion mother can't help herself anymore and moves forward, taking his head into her hands.

"Love..." she breathes.

Closing her eyes, Marianne's chest squishes against Viviane's own, her lips taking in the only remaining part that is purely her sweet artist. With a sharp inhale, she kisses him.

In response, Daniel regains some control and stops the strokes of his cock to lean into her. With falling breaths, he wraps his arms around her frame while his cock pulses across her skin.

Viviane hums, pleased, before closing her eyes. Like Anne did with Mary, she allows her head to open up. Swiftly, her features recede as she finalizes her bond with her dear artist.

Squelch..Shlip!

While keeping his lips on his fusion mother, Daniel shakes. Taking in the motherly love before him and around him, he undergoes his first complete merge.

Chapter 63: Con(fusion) Fusion

Notes:

Note "they"/"their", in place of "he"/"she" or "him"/"her", will be used to reference the Daniel-Viviane fusion for a little bit given the mixed genders. If there's any confusion over the sentences, please let me know!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

As the sweet lips of Marianne press against their near-featureless state, the being composed of Daniel and Viviane moan into the warm depths that kiss them. Their pleasure vibrates through in sync, yet, separate in tone.

"Ngh...it's okay, love...hah, Mama's here," Marianne reassures between the breaths, keeping herself available to the developing personality. Although anxious over the final result, she feels comforted by the way the fusion holds her.

Indeed, Daniel and Viviane are aware of their lover and fellow sister to kiss back with their remaining lips, but they can hardly focus as memories flood them...

"Oh, shit! Mom, this is...uh, look, I should've locked my door. No, please...I don't need the talk!"

"Hi, you must be...Mary? I heard you're looking for a model to do body painting on?"

"Mary, as your father, this worries me. Every time I talk to you, it feels like your English is turning more American."

"What the hell! Rachel, they rejected our paper...again! There shouldn't be anything controversial about-"

Certain pieces of Amy's memories are blocked. Of course, they know this is expected since Viviane prepared the memories that could be shared. Still, they feel the astronomer's frustration, and know that whatever prevented them from publishing, it was for family stability in the end.

So, while keeping what little exists in context, they continue sorting the experiences of those shared to them...

"I'm able to maintain my split thus far. Yes, if it's like this, maybe I can produce a clone I can talk to! Aha...ha...I'm losing it. This damned lake...this child...Why...Why am I here?!"

"Ugh...another date, another miss. Fuck me, Daniel and I actually hit it off well now that I can compare."

Such loneliness and need fills them.

"Mom, don't you dare fucking say that! The treatments have to help, understand?"

"Could I be given the chance? If he accepted Anne, who came from me, then maybe..."

Fear and hope surround them.

"You selfish asshole! Ten years...ten fucking years, and suddenly, you want to see MY child again? No, you made your choice."

"Oh my god, Mary! I get it, you're better than me. Are you happy that you always have something to say about my paintings?"

Frustration and regret shake them again.

"Love, stay a little longer in bed, will you?"

"Do you hear that, Viviane? Even if we're similar, Daniel is still my son! I won't let you have him that easily!"

"My, what a possessive sister I have! Well, I can understand it, at least. I hope we'll get along when we meet."

"Daniel, would you be interested in joining the art club? You have such remarkable potential, and I want to help you realize it!"

Then, there's so much immense love and dedication.

"Daniel? You can't sleep? It's okay, come here, my star."

So much...

"Oh my, Viviane. Was your lesson with Merlin harsh today? Here, come into my arms~"

...This one is new.

'What?'

With the beginning of their first thought, the new fusion is pulled back with sudden clarity. Inhaling sharply, they break away from Marianne while stumbling back.

"Love?!" the ebony hybrid squeaks in response, nearly tripping as well by the sudden jerk.

The fusion of Daniel and Viviane manages to catch themselves as they turn away, grunting. They find themselves now racing over new details that neither existed between the current Viviane, Daniel, or anyone for that matter.

Just as it had come to Anne, they received another memory of old. In fact, this woman is the same one that was burned at the stake by the Isis cultists! There must've been something between Daniel and various memories which triggered such a warm moment.

'That didn't exist before! Who is...ungh!' they shout in their mind, grabbing their head. 'We...no, I need to sort myself out before making sense of this; plus, I can't worry Marianne. First, I should change to something suitable...ah? Yes, this might do.'

"L-love, please speak to me! Oh god, maybe this was a bad-"

"I'm...I'm fine, Marianne," they interrupt, tamping down on their quiver. Their voice, now unified into a slightly huskier version of Viviane's tone, causes Marianne to inhale sharply.

In a matter of seconds, they straighten with their back facing their shocked audience. What was left of Viviane's overlaying blonde hair, fades into Daniel's dark brown; its length recedes until it's just a little longer than a pixie-cut. As for the rest of their body, the slime layer that enables their existence ripples, smoothing out remaining muscles from Daniel within.

"Ugh, seriously..."

As they mutter to themselves, the fusion leaves one hand on their throbbing head before facing the ebony beauty. However, before they could meet her stunned gaze, their faded-bronze eyes open to look down on their new form.

"Huh...this is more awkward than I thought it would be," they declare, twisting their uncertain lips as they stare down at their large chest and erect cock.

Marianne begs to differ as she cups her mouth, her shock amplifying.

'Aaah! She's...no, he? Well, whatever they are, they look amazing!'

In some ways, the mother-girlfriend is more surprised by the mother-boyfriend's unexpected style. Considering Daniel prefers to keep his appearance simple and kept, the lopsided bangs with silver highlights isn't something she'd ever expect from her fellow artist.

Viviane doesn't seem like the person to influence such a style, either; although, the silver highlights are certainly a choice in mind for the lake dweller.

Regardless of how they came to their appearance, the delighted Marianne breaks out as she notices tears brimming on one side of their faded bronze eyes. Quickly, she recomposes herself and hurries back to their side.

"Oh, love, are you okay?" she asks as she touches the fusion's cheek, wiping the tears away with her thumb.

The tomboyish fusion blinks before lifting her head to meet the dark beauty's worried gaze. Leaning into her hand, they force a weak smile.

"I think I'm fine, Marianne. It's just there are countless emotions and memories to process. So far, I feel like I can manage it, but I worry about the Daniel in me."

Raising a brow, Marianne snorts before pulling her hand away. "Oh, so you're not worried about yourself?"

"I mean, a little, but...I don't know. I'm feeling mostly calm, and maybe that's because of Viviane? Shit, it's so hard to tell!"

"Hehe, already self-analyzing, I see!"

The new fusion scoffs. "How can I not? I'm my own mother and son!"

"Hot."

"Fuck, of course you'd think that..."

After a pause, they continue with a slight smirk. "Well, I suppose I'm less surprised why the Mary in you is so weird. Man, the stuff she was into before college was certainly—umph!"

Marianne clasps her hand over her counterpart's mouth, her eyes swirling. "S-stop, stop! I realize you have her memories already, but don't you dare act as if you're innocent either, love. Mama may not have your personal moments yet, but Amy knew quite a bit about your own—mmgh!"

Now the ebony fusion has her mouth sealed as both of them cover one another in desperation over their parts' phases. At an impasse of words, they stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds as the clock ticks nearby.

"Pffft..."

Marianne is the first to break into laughter. Pulling away, the other fusion does the same, but stifles the amusement and shakes their head instead.

"Hehe... Anyway, just take it easy, love," Marianne begins after wiping some tears. "Mary also had some problems, but she was able to settle both Anne and Amy's memories. I have no doubt Daniel will adjust as well."

"Memories, huh."

With their smile receding, they close their eyes, recalling the earlier memory of the woman about to be burned. While they still have no name, it's clear she's more than related to Viviane and Merlin.

'But in what way?'

Merlin was also mentioned teaching Viviane. That does partially match with the tales of the wizard bestowing his knowledge, but there was never mention of a close figure to the Lady of the Lake.

Regardless, assuming Viviane was there during the burning, why did she allow such a person to die?

'Remember but stay hidden, stay safe. Live for yourself without
forgetting who we are. No matter what happens, I am a part of you and
will always be watching you from the stars.'

Those were the words that Anne received during from the burning memory, but in context, perhaps the lake dweller was being protected.

"Love, is something wrong?"

Blinking, the new fusion clears her throat. "Possibly. Did you feel anything strange as we were kissing?"

Marianne cocks her head, furrowing her brows. "No, why?"

'Then Anne isn't being shared the memories anymore.'

Meaning, all the visions before were indeed linked to Viviane as she resided within Anne. In some ways, this is good. Perhaps with more time, the lake dweller will remember her past and the reasons for her situation.

But, why do they feel so sad about it?

Seeing her fellow fusion staring down at the floor, the Marianne huffs, placing her hands on her hips. "Look, forget about that now. Currently, you're here; not Daniel nor Viviane. So you need to ask yourself: who are you?"

"Who am I?" the fusion repeats, lifting their head. Certainly, that's more important, plus they have time to disclose the new memory later.

Thus, curling their lips, they rub their own arm. "That's difficult to answer. I know I'm a shemale...actually, I'm not even sure of that. Aren't I technically still male since Daniel is my base?"

"Hah...fine, let's start with something basic: a name!"

"Ah, shit...my head's thumping harder."

"Wha!? Surely it can't be that hard!"

The unnamed groans, staring back in disbelief. "Speak for yourself! You two had it completely set up for you, Mary-Anne."

"Hehe, right? It was surely meant to be," Marianne agrees, tilting her chin.

The mother-son rolls their eyes trying to think. Humming to themselves, they shrug.

"Maybe Daviane or Vida?"

"See, that wasn't hard! I personally like Vida; short and sweet."

The fusion's gaze softens. "Then, I'll go with that."

"Ah, but...Daviane would've fit a theme going on. We have Anne, Marianne, Viviane..."

"Now you're the one making this hard!" Vida growls, then harrumphs, crossing her arms. "I'm sticking with Vida!"

Marianne titters, raising her hands without protest. With the name chosen, her heart beats to see such a fellow fusion come to life. "Fine~ But, Vida, you know...I'm still your Mama. Daniel may be stubborn, but surely you're different, so...how about it?"

Vida stares blankly at the fellow fusion, brimming with undue anticipation. After a moment, they close their eyes and snort.

"If you want to play it like that, then I'm still your elder sister; but out of respect, since I love you, I'll call you mom, like usual."

Glass can be heard breaking in the background.

"N-no, no!" Marianne wails, slumping. Finding the cross-armed fusion-sister grinning, she growls. "Love, you were supposed to be a tad less Daniel for me! Your other mother is a part of you, and she would want you to call me Mama!"

"Ah, well, I can't deny that," Vida hums, raising a hand to her chin before gasping. "I've got a better idea, though. Instead of me calling you Mama, why don't you call me Mommy? That's a much better deal, isn't it?"

"The hell it is! Fuck!"

As Marianne's dreams are crushed, Vida giggles and moves to console her, sliding a hand down her waist.

Their cock, which has remained semi-hard and eager to move past their resolving identity, jerks back to life as it pokes Marianne's thigh.

"Now, now, mom, I think titles are hardly as important the way we are. What matters is that, as your son and elder sister, I love you."

Marianne shivers, her lips breaking upward despite her efforts to remain upset. Seeing such affection in the fusion's eyes, she can't shake her anticipation anymore.

Letting the matter go, she wraps her fingers along their throbbing member. In turn, Vida stifles a groan as they feel warmth traveling down.

"Unf, by the way, I can be fully one gender if you'd like," they offer.

The ebony fusion's eyes widen and she stops her strokes. "W-wait, how?! I mean, I understand you could deflate your chest, but to become female means..."

"Hehe, it won't be for real, mom," Vida begins, hugging the fusion closer. "I'll still be male thanks to Daniel, but, I can shape my outer layer. It'll be easy to tuck it in by shifting my mass and growing some height."

"A-ah, but...well...ngh..."

Vida kisses her as she struggles to come to a decision. Taking her breath away, they cup Marianne's breasts.

"Ah..."

Chu...shlip!

Marianne's eyes roll back and her pussy tenses as she feels Vida's cock leak pre-cum on her hand. While being attacked, she strokes their length.

"Mmm, I can...be anything...you want, mom," Vida whispers, drawing their lips away to kiss the ebony fusion's neck. "I want to give you all my attention."

"H-haa...Vida..."

Marianne can barely keep massaging their cock as her shared senses spike wildly to their touch. While being pressed upon, her hand travels against Vida's chest, only to find that it flat during the time the fusion moved to their neck.

The sudden change is enough for the ebony fusion to break away, stepping back to better prepare herself before going crazy. Once free, she bites her lip at the warm, gaze of the eager counterpart, now fully male.

Or rather, a male with feminine curves and a pretty face.

Vida chuckles and extends a hand, his cock throbbing from the light exchange thus far. "So, shall we continue to the bedroom, mom?"

Notes:

Next chapter for the next weekend will probably be delayed, but hopefully well worth it. Colored, larger-res versions of the illustrations can be seen on my [DeviantArt](https://www.deviantart.com/elmer7780) and [Pixiv](https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/91116965).

Chapter 64: Fusion X Fusion [Male Vida Ver.]

Notes:

This is the male version. The herm version is a bit shorter, but slightly different interactions: https://rentry.co/66wkk. Enjoy!

Chapter Text

"L-love...anh~"

Chu...chu~

Marianne inhales sharply as a more male Vida keeps his lips against hers, equally sliding his erect cock against her smooth thighs while they make their way to the bedroom. With a fever crossing them, it's a wonder how they even manage to navigate.

Nevertheless, the ebony fusion drops first to the bed, while her counterpart follows. Before flushing completely against each other, Vida catches himself with his lovely partner staring wide-eyed between his arms.

Breaths exchange silently between them before the questionably gendered fusion hums, caressing his more stable-gendered partner's right cheek with his thumb.

"You're beautiful, mom."

Swallowing to such easy words, Marianne raises her defenses as she huffs back, "Y-you don't get to say that to Mama while wearing such a pretty face!"

Vida tilts with a small chuckle, his cock throbbing more against her folds.

As much as he wants to plunge right into her, he also aims to take this slow and steady. After all, the Daniel within has already made love to the fusion, discounting Anne and Mary individually; Viviane, however, has not had any physical sense of warmth in ages.

"As I said before, I can always change myself if you don't like it," he reminds her.

Marianne wiggles her lips. "N-no, um...well, I don't mind it. Actually, come to think of it, how did you choose your appearance? I don't know about Viviane, but Daniel isn't someone who'd try to look cool."

Flinching, Vida manages a crooked smile as one of his eyes twitches. "Well, thank you for the kind words."

"Hehe, sorry~"

Vida clears his throat before sitting up, straddling the ebony beauty's thighs while resting his package on top. Feeling such eagerness that has barely dwindled, Marianne can only shiver as she wonders how the night will progress.

"If you must know," Vida begins. "I took some inspiration from a girl named Lily. You should remember that name."

Marianne's breath hitches. Indeed, shuffling through Mary's memories, she recalls the first and last time the female artist attempted body painting with a model. Such events are like a gut punch, causing the fusion to cover her face.

"Oh fuck, of course you had to be shared that time!"

"I mean, I'm not in any position to judge, but it felt like she started the advance."

"That's not what matters!" Marianne growls, pulling her hands away. "It was...so unprofessional, and not to mention, I..."

As her voice falls, Marianne's lips thin bitterly. "I...I hurt her."

Speaking from the bottom of Mary's guilty heart, there's little difference between them as she recalls how that went. Knowing the details well, Vida only nods silently with a weak smile.

It happened a few months after Daniel and Mary broke up. Naturally, a sense of loneliness lingered in the female artist, even though she would deny such an appearance.

Mary tried many things to distract herself — one of them being the exploration of body painting for the first time. Like she had dabbled with photography, she invested time in planning and learning. Eventually, she found the perfect canvas in a professional model named Lily, who was drawn to her previous works.

Despite best efforts, a spark occurred between the drawn and the drawer. Both were new to body painting, so perhaps the close intimacy of the brushes along the skin was too much.

Perhaps this was Lily's intention as an admirer of the artist.

Regardless of the reason, Mary allowed herself to be deceived into it, taking it as a way to push her boundaries; however, it would never work out. The issue had as little to do with gender as it did with role.

Simply put, Lily wasn't a creator. The line between one to be captured was a greater distance apart compared to one who paints alongside. In a way, it's a boundary that shouldn't be crossed.

That's not to say the free girl wasn't enjoyable as a person, but ultimately, the artist had to face the reality that her sense of longing wasn't disappearing.

A muse wasn't what she needed in life.

Remembering Lily's shock upon the breakup, Marianne looks away. "Vida, why did you have to remind me of that? Of all the people from whom you can draw inspiration, why her? Mary should've never started a relationship that she knew would-"

"It's because Daniel met this girl as well."

Marianne snaps her attention to the fusion above her. Under his shadow, his warm, reassuring smile burns a confusing light in her eyes.

"Met, as in...dated? Wait, so...she's bi?" she asks.

Vida shrugs before glancing downward as he recalls, "It was only a week through an app, but he met her a year ago. Trust me, he had no idea Mary had been with her as well, and she didn't give any indication either, but now that I think of it..."

"You know, Daniel, I find artists to be more complicated people than I first imagined. It's something I'd like to understand better because the last artist I dated was amazing. Sadly, it didn't work out, but...the passion and craft was beyond inspiring. I still want to experience it, so...I guess that's why I still meet people like you."

As Vida relays Lily's words, Marianne's eyes flood with tears. Sniffling, she rubs her eyes.

"Fuck, we're supposed to be having sex," she croaks a little before taking a heavy breath. "Instead, we're sharing stories about our parts and failed relationships. What the fuck are we doing, love?"

"Well, you're the one who asked," Vida grins. "Still, I think it's best that the Mary in you knows that, regardless of the hurt caused, you've left her with greater appreciation. She seemed well off and not bitter at all, so there's no need to be sad."

"I wasn't sad before you brought her up!" Marianne snaps before huffing. "So then, you based your appearance, specifically your hairstyle, all because you found out we shared her?"

"Yep."

"Pfft—that's so lame! Where's your creativity?"

As Marianne giggles more easily, Vida snorts. "Well, apparently someone set a high bar."

"Hu hu, I have no idea what you're talking about~ So, is there anything else you'd like to share now that you know me?"

"How about this?"

Leaning forward, Vida locks lips with his fusion partner again, spurring delight back into his mouth; however, it doesn't last long when he shuffles off to her side. With less contact between them, Marianne nearly cries out, her hand gripping his, begging to keep him close.

The fusion isn't pulling off for no reason, however, as he positions himself to better cup one of his counterpart's breasts. While her nipple leaks a little under his squeeze, he drags his other hand down to her nether.

Distracted by his touch above, the ebony beauty tenses as she feels two fingers slip in. Moaning into his warm cavity as he excites her, her body twitches to his tease.

Shlick...shlick...

"Ungh...hah...mmmgh..."

There's little to breathe between them as they taste each other's lips. While this goes on, Marianne can feel Daniel's cock twitch on her leg, adding to her own.

One has to wonder how Vida can remain sane with such a long-drawn libido. Daniel certainly would have lost patience to keep up such foreplay, much less converse; yet, as part of a fusion, he's able to remain resilient.

This can only be attributed to the lake dweller, who's used to waiting. On the other hand, Marianne can't let this go on as she becomes painfully aware of his cock.

"L-love, please..." Marianne pants, turning her head away. "Mama is at-"

"I know, I know," Vida whispers gently, chuckling. "I'll start now."

Removing his hand that drips with desire, the fusion returns himself on top of his partner. Bearing a cock that's more than ready, he positions himself and slowly enters her sweet folds.

"Aah...Ooh..."

Taking in Marianne's moans, he easily slides into her. It helps that, like before, her insides are coated completely by the slime. Thus, the walls help flush him down completely. Locked in place, her body grips him — inside and out.

"Hehe...tight again, mom."

Marianne only inhales sharply in response, her head lurching back with pleasure. Wanting this new form of her lover to never leave, she wraps her arms around his back.

Shlip...shlip...

With a deeper breath, Vida begins rocking his partner, hugging her curves close as she does to him.

"Mmm...love....love!"

"Mom..."

This joining of two calling birds — two mothers that cover and enhance both — drives them with more appreciation than ever before.

Creak...creak!

Vida rises to a crescendo with his thrusts, throwing out the sounds of their layered skins slapping against each other. Compared to two humans, they are far more capable of absorbing the impacts of their meeting. This is, of course, all thanks to the elasticity gained from becoming slime-integrated fusions.

Shlap, shlap, shlap!

They can keep going with little worry about their form.

Splack! Splack!

"Oh fuck, love!"

Hold each other however they please.

Smooch...chu...

Then, relax completely with their hearts bound.

The only thing greater than their union is to become literally one. Uncertain whether that's possible with human bases or if they could return to their individual influences, they knew not to let their fire grow too wild.

To that end, they come to an end. With little awareness of how long the moonlight has shined through the window while in different positions, the two expel their last breath.

"Oh fuck, love! I'm going to..."

It doesn't need to be said further, as Vida slams forward, holding her from behind towards the end. He lets out a weak groan, cups her breasts, then kisses her nape as she trembles against him.

They cum together.

Splurt...splurt...

Vida shivers as tensions untangle within. He floods his fellow fusion's body, all of which becomes nutrients for the slimes that enable their existence. Such an exchange of energy and warmth is more than filling as Marianne leans against him.

Although the ebony beauty initially had worries about Vida's identity, all those have been dispelled. After all, the person holding her is just as much Daniel as it is someone greater.

However, as they fall from their high, Marianne desires to hold her baby in his purest form for the night. Before she can request so, Vida disconnects, leaving no drip gone to waste.

"I'll take my leave, okay?"

Marianne inhales silently. Although this is what she wanted, she's curious about the fusion's thoughts to split.

"A-are you sure?"

"Very," he snorts sadly. "I'm sure you have the same feelings, but the maternal instincts in me want to hold him too."

Letting his arms drop and rubbing his head, Vida clears his throat before continuing, "Obviously, I can't exactly hold him when I'm him, can I?"

"Yikes, that must be an...awkward feeling."

"That's why I shouldn't remain for so long. It's less problematic for you, but do remember that he prefers all three of his mothers-"

Screeching to a halt, he coughs and corrects himself. "I mean his two mothers and girlfriend, of course."

"No way!" Marianne shouts, leaning forward with a smirk. "I won't let that slide past, love. Why even bother normalizing a relationship such as this?"

As much as Vida wants to reject such abandonment, even he questions whether there's a point to it anymore given all they share mentally and physically.

His inner conflict is rising.

"Agh...w-whatever!" Vida grunts, shutting his eyes before taking the fusion off-guard into his arms. "I swear, you..."

Leaving it at that, he kisses the surprised ebony beauty one last time before...

Splick!

"Gwah!"

With a strange squeak, Viviane's loose head stretches away from Daniel like a mask. As soon as the mass constituting her head is free, the rest of her body starts to slowly break from her son's body.

"Ungh..."

Hearing Daniel's groan breaks Marianne from her stupor, but she isn't given the chance to worry as the male artist slumps further into her lips.

"Mrgh!"

Needing air, Marianne struggles before shifting him toward her shoulder. Immediately, her heart beats with fear as he falls limp on her. "Love!?"

The artist doesn't respond but resting against her shoulder, his breathing is stable. Recognizing that he's only out cold, the fusion relaxes and hugs him close.

"Oh, thank goodness."

Swallowing down the rest of her worry, her eyes follow past Daniel to the second slime mother, who finishes pulling away from behind with a grunt, her form barely defined.

Splick!

With the last strand of blue slime slipping away, the lake dweller drops behind the bed before rising. Although she picked blonde for her human appearance, she subconsciously reforms herself back into her original pale, silver form without thinking.

This is not an issue in private, of course. Since there are far bigger concerns, like her state, Marianne offers a hopeful smile.

"Are you okay, Viviane?"

The lake dweller hums in response as she balances herself. Having recovered from the split, her gaze settles on Daniel's tired form before widening her eyes. Gasping, she rushes back to his side, touching his shoulders.

"Oh dear, we...no, I overdid it with our child! He's..."

Marianne giggles, then reaches past Daniel with her other hand to gently touch the lake dweller's arm. Squeezing it for comfort, she smiles at her fellow mother's equal love for their son.

"Viviane, it's okay. It's obvious he would be exhausted with his first merge."

"Exhausted...? Ah, yes...that's right. He and I shared a lot."

"Too much, I'd say."

Vivianne giggles, narrowing with delight before they lower. "Although, there were some new things as well."

"New?"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. For now, our child needs to rest, and you should as well. Will you split?"

"Hehe, well...I don't think this bed will handle four. At least you can squeeze in however you want."

The lake dweller snorts. "How fortunate of you to have an excuse. Very well, let's cuddle our child together for this remaining night."

"That goes without saying~"

Chapter 65: Space-Time Conundrum

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

When Mary "wakes" up, her eyes float to the night sky above. Flat against soft grass, she stares blankly at the bright gems above, her mind inevitably calming despite the change in location.

'Beautiful.'

When was the last time she saw stars this clear? It's a sad question to think about. Her days living in busy cities, both in London and Keystone, made it near impossible for the wonders of the universe to shine through.

She would have never paid much awareness to it before, but thanks to receiving Amy's history and knowledge, there's a newfound appreciation for this vast darkness, full of mystery.

Closing her eyes, she snorts. 'Except, I don't think this place is really enough to count.'

Indeed, the fact she's back in these grassy plains means the magical realm connected to Anne hadn't shattered; however, something has changed given it's nighttime.

'Anne has to be here too if it's anything like before.'

Breaking from the stars, Mary lifts to brush off the dirt and green from her naked form. Looking around, she's not far from one of the lakes; in fact, she seems to be in the same spot where she and Daniel watched Viviane disappear inside of Anne.

Luckily, Mary catches sight of the slime mother standing in front of the lake. Her back facing Mary is shadowed as light reflects off the waters in front of her.

Relieved, she calls out to her, "Hey, love-eek!"

However, her call is cut to a squeak. Reflecting in her eyes above the lake is a large tear in the sky, quaking with unknown letters spilling and fading out. It's a wonder how she didn't draw to something so obvious from the start.

If there were any doubts of this world being magical, such an anomaly in the sky would certainly clear them.

Swallowing her stupor, the ebony artist hurriedly joins the slime mother's side in front of the lake. From there, both watch the crack in the sky in silence while floating feelings of confusion, concern, and awe.

Eventually, Anne blinks before glancing to the artist by her side. Amid this particularity, she forces herself to relax with a wry smile. "Mary...I'm guessing it's just us two?"

Said artist hums, locked onto the tear as she absorbs the details of the letters. "It seems that way. We didn't carry Daniel this time, plus Viviane's not bound to this place anymore."

"Well, this has to be somewhat good, right? At least we know this world is still accessible through me."

Mary frowns. "Yeah, except it's dark and there's a fucking hole in the sky. If I recall, we saw something like this after Viviane slipped into you."

"That was much bigger, though, wasn't it? It felt like everything was collapsing before we all woke up."

"Maybe it did? I mean, it's nighttime. Has Viviane ever mentioned whether it turns dark?"

"Hrm..."

With no clear answers, they just watch the crack spill letters continuously. After a while, Anne clears her throat and looks at more normal parts of the sky.

"Aside from that, I recognize the star formations. Even if this place may not be real, it's definitely based on some place on Earth."

Mary widens her eyes, then trails the slime mother's scan. Catching a few known constellations, she has enough of Amy's knowledge in her to confirm such observations.

"What the...you're right! I see Virgo, Leo, Orion, and..."

Squinting, she comes back to her position in front of the tear in space. "I think what's being mostly covered by that hole is...Aquarius?"

"Yes!" Anne chirps, closing her eyes in a smile. "Mary, I'm so proud of you for knowing your star bodies!"

The artist raises a brow. "What's with that praise? This is obviously coming from Amy."

"Sure, you and I might've not learned it on our own, but this sort of knowledge is to be shared anyway, no?"

"True, but it feels sort-of cheating," Mary admits before cocking her head. "Come to think of it, Daniel should start becoming knowledgeable too now that he's synced with Viviane."

"I would hope so!" Anne growls. "He couldn't even follow my conversation with Rachel! Can you believe it?"

Mary smiles dryly. 'No, I think that's quite normal.'

Coughing, she returns the focus to the screaming anomaly that wants attention. "Well, miss astronomer, any theories to this space-time conundrum?"

"I'm broken."

"Same, love. Same."

Anne snorts. "But seriously, I was suggested that this place is my domain, and that's looking to be true. That also means my sister just blew a hole through me."

"Isn't it more like she took a piece away from you? After all, she turned blue from your mass."

"All technicalities," Anne dismisses, then narrows her eyes. "Should I sue her for property damage?"

Mary laughs. "I'll be the judge then."

While neither of them intended to joke around, they had little to go off. In particular, Anne knows she can't hide away from the meaning behind her existence. The change in her dream realm only hastens the need to understand.

Therefore...

"Mary," Anne begins, her gaze firming towards the rift. "Regarding your uncle and the book, you haven't told him about me and Viviane, right?"

"At least without giving away that you two exist in real life."

Anne hums. "If possible, we need to meet him."

The artist's eyes widen. "Anne...are you sure?"

"I know you hold some doubt, but at this point, Lecia is already onto us. We need to trust our feelings to some extent if we want to make any progress. The fact is, only your uncle and Lecia seem to know about these magics. If we're to trust one of them, I'd rather trust your family."

"I guess so, but Daniel will be-"

"Our son will understand," the slime mother cuts. "While he won't like exposing us, even he'll be concerned if he saw something like this."

Her lips thin as returns to the rift. "That said, it's oddly beautiful how this damage shows up in the stars, but it's frightening what it means to me."

Mary sighs. "I don't disagree, but...I wonder if Merlin predicted this as well."

Anne gasps before turning towards the artist. "Wait, that's right! Why don't we check your lake? If the wizard hid a message within you for Viviane, maybe he has a message for you?"

"Ah? Possibly. Is this one mine?" Mary asks, pointing at the glowing lake before them.

"Yes, I think so!"

Mary rubs her neck and shifts her lips to the side. "So...how do I activate it?"

"Um...I think Daniel told me that he just focused on the waters, and it eventually fades in, but it didn't work when I was there."

"Then how is it supposed to work if we're here!?"

"M-maybe just think about what you remembered?"

"How am I supposed to remember something I blacked out as a girl? The only thing I vaguely remember was noticing the book, and then..."

"Mary!"

Both freeze as Marlin's panicked voice reverberates out from the lake, shaking its waters. With a cool breath, they snap their head towards the surface, where they see a wavy image of Mary's perspective just after she opened the book.

The current Mary widens her eyes, her mouth hanging as she sees her uncle's hands shaking her old self. It's just as he described when she was in a frozen state.

However, while she doesn't remember seeing anything from the book, the playback in the water clearly shows text that burns into the page before her eyes.

"M-mary, t-the water!"

Anne's warning shakes the artist out of her shock to see bubbles building out of the surface, distorting the image. Steam rises and with it, the molecules pull together to form words in the air.

"Wha..."

The letters are just like those spilled from the hole in the sky; however, a deep, hoarse voice rings through Mary's head in English as she stares at the words forming for her.

To the bright artist, in the chance you also find a way to read these words outside of yourself, I give my apologies to you and your family. Although I don't know you, I have plunged you into a conflict that I'm unable to predict.
Please.
Do not let the goddess sway my lady.
They are not the same.
They are not one.
The love for life must not be infinite.
A mother's love cannot be infinite.
Her self-imposed exile was the wrong solution knowing the future.
But the risk to consuming others is too great.
This is my failure.

"Mary, what's happening? What's wrong?"

Blinking, Mary swallows as Merlin's voice in her head ends. To hear such guilt and regret from a legend, her eyes strained with sadness. Daring not to cry as the emotions from the magic shake her core, she takes a shaky breath.

"I...heard him."

"Ah, what did he say? I heard nothing except the water sizzling."

Mary freezes before furrowing her brows at the slime. Pointing at the fading steam, she asks, "Did you not see the magic words form in the steam?"

Anne cocks her head. "Words?"

"No, wait...how about the burning letters on the pages I was reading?"

"I only saw a blank page?"

Mary's eyes swirl with disbelief. Although the sudden evaporation was witnessed, the slime mother didn't receive nor observe anything notable afterward.

Why?

'Did Merlin...not expect someone like Anne to exist?'

Notes:

The herm-Vida alt chapter is linked in the note at the top of the previous chapter, if interested. Like I had done with other alt chapters, I realized it's better to keep linking rather than muddy up chapters numbers and progression.

I'm leaving the colored illustration this time. I had kept with grayscale for consistency, but there was no good reason for when I started it. If people prefer the grayscale, I'll change this back to grayscale; otherwise, I want to replace the illustrations thus far with their colored variants.

Chapter 66: Nursing and Memories

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Oh! I see, I see..."

Shlip shlip shlip!

Daniel stirs to the sound of Viviane's murmurs. More obvious is the sensation of his morning wood enveloped by her gooey hand, sticking to his skin and rippling along his member with such fluid care.

He groans at the elder slime's touch before opening his eyes halfway, only to be obstructed by the unsurprising pale mound that draws his lips in. Having been in this familiar position, though, he relaxes before nestling his face deeper into her soft, jelly-filled breast.

"Ah, you're awake? Good morning, my child~"

Unlatching from her breast and swallowing sweet milk that rinses his tongue, Daniel turns his head to meet Viviane's warm gaze down upon him. Further, he sees a blue, slimy appendage extruding from her shoulder that holds his phone.

Much to his chagrin, secrets were shared between them, including his pin.

"Um...good morning," Daniel greets back, then hesitates. "What are you doing with my phone?"

Viviane raises a brow. "That's your first question since we merged?"

"Well, that's...I ought to know since we aren't sharing anymore."

"Nonsense," she dismisses. "We're sharing plenty right now, aren't we?"

To emphasize, her gooey strokes on his cock quicken, causing her son to twitch. "M-mother...ungh..."

Without misstep, Viviane continues, "If you must know, I was scouring for more tales to myself as this 'Lady of the Lake'. More importantly, how are you feeling?"

Her stroking slows, giving Daniel time to respond. Inhaling sharply, he thins his lips. "I feel fine? Wait...why do I feel fine?"

Viviane titters to his confusion. "I see you haven't noticed any changes. How about this: what's so important about LDN 1768?"

Daniel blinks. "I mean, they're home to protostars. Annoyingly, we can see them because the dust blocks light-"

Catching himself, the artist covers his mouth in shock over the sudden expansion of knowledge he certainly would not be able to recall easily on his own.

"Why, hello there, my smart child!" Viviane chirps.

"Holy shit," Daniel breathes, "All of my mom's work and knowledge feels...clear to me. How can it be so seamless?"

As he thinks back to the exams he barely made through in high school and early college, he grunts, covering his face.

"God, I feel like an idiot now! If I studied harder and paid attention to mom more, I could've..."

'There's so much art in the universe, Daniel. If only I was able to easily show you a mere fraction of what I get to study!'

"...I could've..."

Croaking, tears well up in Daniel's eyes as more personal memories from Amy surface. Everything from her passion for studying the universe to her efforts in raising him reaffirms his fortunate to have a brilliant mother like her; however, he's starting to see just how much he was lacking as a son...

...and as an artist.

The beauty that the astronomer got the privilege to see from the gigantic network of satellites and telescopes describes physical chaos yet a natural order that easily overshadows his work.

Really, they overshadowed everyone and everything.

Daniel accepted this as an obvious fact, but now that the science and theories behind the universe's dust can be recalled effortlessly, he realizes just how much he's overlooked the greatness of the space beyond Earth.

Consequently, all of his achievements felt like child's play compared to what Amy got to study every day, and yet she supported him without making comparison; she appreciated the work she got to see until the very end.

Even so, Daniel can't help but feel regret over the bridge between him and his mother that could've been stronger.

A bridge that eventually collapsed.

'How can I even paint knowing-'

"Stop."

Viviane's firm voice pulls Daniel from his descent. Blinking, he manages a breath before the slime mother's hand on his head immediately lifts, urging him to shuffle closer to her lap. Then, she removes her hand from his cock to hug him completely, laying his head against the top of her chest.

Shivering against her cool body yet warm with affection, the artist curls his lip in shame as the elder slime brushes through his hair.

"I can imagine what's going through your head, just as you know mine," she begins more softly. "Knowing that, you should also remember that you should never sell yourself short."

Daniel shuts his eyes tightly, feeling Amy's similar words that were once said to him.

"I say that even when life is short," Viviane continues, more sadly. "It's incomparably shorter than any star, and let's not speak to the universe as a whole. Even my existence and time alone cannot compare to anything beyond."

She cups his face, elevating his gaze toward hers. With a gentle smile, she wipes away his tears with her thumb.

"So, take what I've helped share with you to grow further and inspire you to paint bigger things in your own way, understood?"

"Mother..."

Daniel addresses her in the truest sense as he absorbs her demand. Along with Anne, there's no better reminder that these two slime girls embody his star-loving mother's strength, will, and love.

Exhaling slowly, Daniel straightens and rubs his eyes. "You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, I just..."

"Hehe, it's alright, my sweet child," she whispers, leaning forward. "Amy would be so proud of you...and I share that."

Daniel closes his eyes as he accepts her cool lips. Along with the feeling of her chest squishing against him, his cock hardens back up. Naturally, Viviane returns her hand to it without needing to look, letting it melt over to further soothe him.

The strokes continue while tongues dance between them. As it does, the lake dweller's life in her lonely, foggy prison repeats in Daniel's head, echoing with a child's wails in its mist. Knowing her story, he got an even better picture of her struggles.

He's certain that he'd grow insane with such shared emotions if it weren't for Amy bringing light to her eyes. So, if there's anything, Viviane is the one needing comfort.

Yet, here she is, giving him comfort instead.

Splurt...splurt...

Evidence of her care releases onto her goopy fingers as Daniel lets go. In turn, Vivianne hums sweetly into her son's mouth, holding him as a mother should while her gelatinous mass absorbs his appreciation.

Panting, Daniel eventually pulls away while his slime mother's eyes close to a smile, stable as ever. Just like Anne, the lake dweller has no need to worry about breathing except when fused or to express herself.

'How unfair.'

Speaking of fusions...

"Hah...thank you. By the way, where's Marianne?" Daniel asks, gathering himself as he rests against her. "Or did they split like we did?"

"Mmm...they're still in the bedroom, sleeping as one."

"I see...wait..."

Widening his eyes, Daniel's breath holds for a moment. "If it's anything like last time, they could be in that dream world, right?"

"I would hope so," Viviane agrees, smiling weakly. "I also remember seeing the world shatter when I slipped into Anne, but that wasn't my intention. Given that we saw the lakes containing Anne's assimilated lives, I imagine it can't simply disappear if it's bound to her."

"That makes sense, but what about you? If you fuse with me or anyone, then fall asleep, where would we end up?"

Viviane's eyes sharpen as she pouts. "I'd rather not find out when I haven't even stepped outside in this world. On that note, you owe Mommy a date like you did with Anne and Mary!"

"A-ah, well...fair."

Huffing, Viviane pats his leg. "As long as you understand. When Marianne wakes up, we'll talk more about what we've learned. For now, please allow me to continue feeding you, child."

"Ungh...sure."

"Hee, what a good boy~"

Daniel flushes at his slimy mother's tease, but because he also doesn't want to depart from her comfort, he gives her a pass. Thus, he lowers himself back across her lap, then loosens as she brings his face to her breast.

"That's it," the lake dweller coos as her son buries his face in. Supporting him, she leans back while keeping her slimy hand attached to his crotch in case there's a revival in his desire. On the other hand, she brushes her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to drink.

"Aah...holding my sweet child is really the best feeling," she says, sighing. "Although I'm glad we became one, I've realized I much prefer having you close to me like this."

Daniel hums in agreement. While learning more about everyone was worthy, becoming Vida felt lonely. As both a mother and son, the maternal feelings he held had no real outlet, given that there was little to distinguish them.

"Well, that's not to say I won't connect with you," Viviane adds. "But I may have some better ideas for us next time. Perhaps we'll get the chance on our first date, hmm?"

Daniel's next swallow of the slime's milk is much louder.

Notes:

A\N: Out of town, so no chapter next weekend!

Chapter 67: Marianne's Coffee

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

When Marianne opens her eyes, she has to blink a few times before becoming aware of her real-world surroundings.

"Huh."

Last time, she was too concerned over Viviane's fate to question why her individual parts exist separately in the dream world. With more time to take in her situation, it feels strange to split in a spiritual way, then return as one after waking up.

It's like two heads were forcefully knocked together without warning.

'But I can't exist combined in that realm...or can I?'

Pondering for a bit too long, Marianne groans. 'What the hell are you thinking? That's the last thing to do when there's a hole in the sky! Ugh...I don't even remember when things ended.'

Regardless, Anne's domain appears to be accessible, but it's unknown how long that will last.

Then, there's Merlin's message for Mary. Since Anne couldn't see it, it confirms how the wizard's message is hidden, but changes according to who he expects to view it. With that in mind, Marianne recalls the most important part of the message for Mary:

Do not let the goddess sway my lady.
They are not the same.
They are not one.
The love for life must not be infinite.
A mother's love cannot be infinite.
Her self-imposed exile was the wrong solution knowing the future.

'My lady must be Viviane, but then, who is this goddess and...self-imposed exile?'

Floating questions in her head alone does no good, so Marianne turns toward the rest of the bed, only to see Daniel and the elder slime gone.

Narrowing her eyes, the sound of suckling from the hallway clarifies the whereabouts of the two.

'Seriously...why couldn't he nurse from me while I was asleep?'

Pouting, the ebony fusion slides out of the bed, making her naked way to the lounge area from the hallway. As expected, she sees Viviane holding their son on the couch while keeping a sticky hand on his groin.

No doubt, after fusing, their understanding and trust for each other are higher than ever.

"Ahem!"

Viviane momentarily flinches to the fusion's arrival, but quickly relaxes with a smile, squeezing the artist further into her bosom as she heeds her fellow motherly colleague.

"Good morning, Marianne. I didn't want to wake you since you were sleeping, so I slipped out with our son, as you see."

Daniel subsequently freezes by his mother-girlfriend's pointed stare. Even if his mouth wasn't stuffed, he wouldn't know what to say.

Luckily, Marianne cools away with a short breath. If she were honest, she'd probably do the same. "Yes, good morning. It's better that you didn't wake me, considering Mary and Anne were able to visit the same dream realm as before."

Daniel and Viviane widen their eyes, with the latter only able to speak, "Oh, that's good! We were wondering about that."

"But there's been some...changes," the fusion adds before growling. "First, though, let me have my turn with our son!"

Giggling at her sister's envy, Viviane loosens her grip on the artist's head. "Of course, he'll need his dear Mama's milk too~"

Daniel doesn't have much say in the matter, watching the fusion sit beside the lake dweller. With a pop from the elder slime mother, his sideways body is shifted over his mother-girlfriend's lap, where her warm gaze reflects in his eyes.

Similarly supported in her arms, but with his legs cushioned by Viviane's thighs, he shuffles awkwardly under such loving care.

"Um, hey."

Marianne's lips turn up more with a raised brow. "Hey to you, love. How are you feeling?"

"Smarter and regretful."

"Oh? Tell me something that you didn't understand before."

"Well, uh, this is embarrassing, but I guess tidal forces: One part of gravity pulls heavier than the other, resulting in stretching of galaxies when near each other."

The fusion's breath hitches. "Y-you didn't even understand that simple concept?! Why do you think water rises and falls from the ocean?"

"Hey, don't criticize me when the Mary in you didn't know that either!"

"Young man, don't make this about her or me, for that matter. She wasn't the one who had an astronomer for a mother!"

Viviane giggles and waves her hand. "Now, now, let's not fight. We should be fortunate that we're able to share knowledge and retain it easily from now on. Further, our son has already banged himself for not understanding Amy more."

Marianne's eyes widen then bites her lips in shame as she studies her boyfriend-son. "Right...I'm sorry, love. Ultimately, passions are different, whether it be in art or science, so there's nothing to regret about what we're interested in."

Daniel smiles weakly. "I know, but to truly understand her now after she's gone-"

"She's not gone," the fusion reminds him firmly, running a hand through his hair. "We're here in her stead for you."

Daniel sighs. "I know, and thank you. Anyway, I would prefer not to cry again, please."

"Hehe, I'll trust you on the knowledge gained then. Seriously, though, I'm the one who really wants to cry! It seems you really do like having fun without me."

Catching his fusion mother's pout, the artist shrugs. "Just so you know, I found myself in Mother's hold when I woke up."

Viviane lifts her chin proudly. "That's right, Mommy kidnapped him!"

Marianne feigns a gasp towards the elder slime. "How dastardly of you! I should've kept my arms around him."

"You did! Your grip is lacking as a fusion, my dear sister. I was still able to slip away with him while you were sleeping like a log."

"Curses!"

The lake dweller cups her mouth to the bit while Daniel can't help but curl his lips to the two; however, it doesn't last long as Marianne returns her attention to her artist, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, mister, now it's time for Mama to kidnap you. Surely, that's no problem?"

Daniel thins his lips, then fittingly latches onto her right breast without further question. Once secured, his tongue slides around the ebony breast, encouraging it to leak for him.

The fusion jerks, surprised by the quick obedience. Still, she hugs him closer with glimmering eyes. "Oh, love, that feels so good, but I expected you to be more resistant to your next captor, you know?"

"Ngh."

"Sister, he is resisting," Viviane notes. "Look how his little partner has gone bigger in defiance!"

With said "partner" in a gooey hand, Viviane reforms her hand back and guides Marianne's free hand over to take her place. "It seems he needs to understand who's in charge!"

Marianne wiggles her lips delightfully before rubbing her son's cock with her firmer hand. As she does, Viviane slides away from the couch, leaving Daniel to groan into the ebony breast that smothers him.

Shlick, shlick!

Holding fresh adoration for her family, the lake dweller moves to the kitchen area behind the couch. "While you two connect, I'll start making some coffee and breakfast."

"Oh!" Marianne breathes, straightening as a light bulb goes off. She turns her head a little, glancing back at her elder sister. "Actually, would you mind bringing a cup for me when it's finished brewing?"

While requesting so, her hand works like an automatic piston on Daniel as she shines eagerly towards the pale slime mother. In turn, Viviane raises her brows. "You want to drink it while you're feeding our child?"

Marianne grins as Daniel's muffled moans fill the air. "You're sort-of correct."

The artist's ears perk up at the unclear answer, but with eyes rolling up, he has no capacity to think on it as he buries himself further in his mother-girlfriend, enjoying her hand on his member.

A few minutes later, a cup of coffee is laid out on the small table in front of the couch. Slowing her strokes, Marianne loosens her grip on her son's head.

"Now then, love, would you like some coffee?" she asks.

Although he's content to keep nursing, Daniel pulls away to look up at her, only to see anticipation on her face.

Closing his eyes, he sighs. "Alright, what do you have in mind?"

"Huhu, don't worry! I just want to change your diet up a little."

The artist's forehead wrinkles as she sticks a finger into her cup. Before he can question, his eyes open farther to see its dark waters being sucked up like a pipe. He knows only the outer slime layer that makes up his fusion mother can do this.

With the coffee gone, Marianne inhales, shaking a little. "Ooh, that's....that's strange. I didn't expect to actually taste some of it like that."

Daniel blinks a few times. "Wait, did you just...? How the hell would the Mary in you taste that?!"

"Ah, maybe my parts are more connected than I thought," the fusion hums, raising a finger to her chin. Uncertain, she shrugs. "Anyway, I only absorbed a little. Most of it should be lining my appearance now."

"Lining?"

The fusion-mother's eyes soften as she holds his head again to her chest. "Why yes...continue drinking, my love."

Once again, Daniel shivers at her soft, British accent. Knowing a surprise awaits him, he latches on with some interest. Besides the creaminess of the milk, he is stunned by the sudden hint of rich coffee lacing the white waves on his tongue.

'Oh, nice!'

He buries himself deeper into the ebony beauty's soft chest with his approval, sucking with greater force than before. In turn, Marianne stifles a moan and restarts her strokes along her son's member.

"Ungh, love...you like it? It's good, isn't it?"

Daniel groans in response, figuring out the fusion's meaning of "lining". As he's been drawing Mary's breast milk through the slime layer, it seems she's set up a tiny channel through such a layer where the milk could be infused with the coffee.

'Seriously, there's always something with her...er, them,' Daniel thinks, baffled but driven by the caffeine he desperately needs.

Viviane whistles as she sips her own cup among the sounds of eggs sizzling in the background. "Very clever, sister!"

The fusion beams, but slows her motions against her son's cock, squinting towards the pale slime mother. "Hold on, can you even taste the coffee?"

Viviane shakes her head, frowning. "Sadly, it's the same as Anne. I can't taste or feel anything unless I'm bound to someone. Still, it's a good source of energy for us and humans."

The fusion sighs and increases the rubbing of her son's cock, much to his twitching delight. "Darn. Well, speaking for Anne, I wish you had insight on how we could develop these senses."

Viviane smiles apologetically before turning off the stove. With a large omelet ready to be shared, she hums. "Maybe not now, but that could change. After all, Daniel and I shared a new memory of mine when we merged."

At such a drop, Marianne straightens, then switches her attention between Daniel and the slime mother. "W-wait, what?! Why didn't you two, as Vida, tell me?"

The lake dweller smiles with her eyes and motions to the table. "We both have quite a bit to share, sister; so, why don't you finish with our child before the eggs get cold."

Another ejaculation later, the three sit naked at the table. Before them, Viviane's eggs distributed on their own plates. Of course, the lake dweller's ability to cook easily derives from Amy's experience, much like Anne's.

"So you're saying the same woman about to be burned by the Isis cultists is someone related to you?" Marianne asks, blinking a few times.

Viviane twists her lips. "She was trying to console me after an apparent lesson with Merlin, but...well, I don't feel anything towards her. I'm still unsure what to think. While nursing our child, I was looking online to see if there were medieval tales that might describe her, but there's nothing as far as any additional figure to such 'Lady of the Lake'. If she is someone important, then that also means I watched her possibly die by the cultists...yet, I feel nothing."

Marianne hums and twists her lips. "It's strange I didn't receive such a memory, so...that must mean we're really separated?"

Viviane nods, finding no other explanation. Not to be saddened by what little she knows, she straightens. "Although we are separated, I find it odder that you turned me blue. One would think we'd still be connected, with me growing out of Anne's mass."

"Y-you did that to yourself!" the fusion reminds, huffing. "Well, on my end, Mary and Anne were able to enter that dream world again. First, has it ever turned nighttime in that place?"

"Oh? No, not as far as my time there."

"Well, it did. We actually saw constellations from Earth in the sky, although that still doesn't mean it's a real place. Really, though, that wasn't even the troubling part: There was a white tear covering part of Aquarius and spilling magic letters!"

Daniel blinks. "Isn't that like what we saw before being pushed out after Mother disappeared?"

"Sure, but that was when it was daytime and the whole place looked like it was going away."

The artist crosses his arms. "Well, considering that realm is magical and it's just one tear now, could it just be repairing itself?"

"Maybe, or maybe my elder sister here blew a permanent hole through me!"

Viviane titters, waving her hand. "Oh, let's not be so dramatic. By that logic, if I return, the sky should be patched up, no?"

The fusion sighs, slumping. "I guess that can be confirmed when we try to sleep to it again."

The elder slime has reservations going back again, but moves on as she recalls something while digging into her son's phone.

"You mentioned this tear covered parts of the constellation Aquarius?"

"Yes...is there something?"

Viviane only hums. While still carrying Daniel's phone, she pulls it up and starts tapping.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asks, growing concerned. "Also, can I have my phone back?"

"Not yet, child. While scouring the web and nursing you, I remember seeing something pop up on the news from yesterday. Where did I see...ah!"

Leaving a gasp, Viviane quickly lays down the phone in front of them, showing a headline: "Major Aquarius Constellation Star Disappears Overnight, Baffling Scientists and Stargazers Across The World!"

While everyone freezes at the headline, Viviane reaches out to scroll down more. Other headlines clarify the disappearance further: "AL BALI, THE SWALLOWER THAT BECAME SWALLOWED."

Daniel turns pale as he shakily picks up his phone in disbelief. "This is, um...a coincidence?"

"Love, we need to stop using that word," Marianne urges, trying to dispel her disbelief.

The three, all of whom had Amy's knowledge, understood that such a star shouldn't just disappear overnight. Especially regarding Al Bali, the young star should've remained in the sky longer than humanity is likely to exist.

Leaning back into her chair, Marianne breathes out slowly, then looks at the ceiling. "Well, um...I wish there wasn't more, but unfortunately, that's not all. Mary also revisited her memory of the book through her lake, just as Viviane had."

Everyone returns their attention to the fusion, waiting to hear more.

"Merlin wrote a message of apology for her, seemingly on the same page I'm guessing Viviane observed. It was-"

"Wait, sister," the lake dweller cuts, holding up a hand while standing up. "Let me partially connect with you, so I can see and hear exactly what she experienced."

Marianne hesitates for a moment. "By partially connect, you mean to read my mind without fully fusing?"

The elder slime smiles reassuringly. "Yes, just a hand to your head will suffice. Plus, you'll also be able to view the second memory Daniel and I shared, as well as the rest of my lonely life."

Daniel nods, closing his eyes. "It's quite depressing. I felt like I was going insane during her moments."

"N-no, I don't want that!" the fusion shouts, shaking. "J-just share me the new memory that you two gained!"

The lake dweller grins, wriggling her fingers as she approaches the fusion. "Come now, sister, we're supposed to share! Don't you also want all of our son's personal memories?"

"Ooh, that sounds...no, wait!"

In the ebony beauty's distraction, Viviane had already placed a hand on her head. She freezes as the elder slime slips in through Anne's slime layer, sending gathered experience of herself and Daniel to the underlying Mary.

Cursing under her breath, Marianne shuts her eyes and weeps a little. "Aah...fuck, Viviane, you really...so sad...but Daniel...oh!"

Daniel watches with a wry smile, sipping his cup, as the last vestiges of his personal life are now completely exposed to his mothers.

For better or worse, there's no secret that isn't shared between them anymore.

Notes:

There will be another weekend skip as I focus on finals. Aside from that, a few updates:

  • On ScribbleHub, I've started on a glossary, which should be useful to view refer from other reading sites as well. It's definitely not comprehensive, but should help refresh memory of characters, involvements, and plot items.
  • Fixed perspective of the last illustration, with Viviane giving Daniel a nursing-(gooey)handjob.
  • Added illustration to chapter 3 with Anne holding a passed out Daniel.

Chapter 68: Memory Overload

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Hmmm..."

Deep in thought, Viviane closes her eyes after settling back down onto her chair. By her side lies Marianne, groaning against the table as she twitches to the memories flooding her combined existence.

Thanks to the elder slime's "sharing", the fusion has been caught up on Daniel and Viviane's life and knowledge, except the latter's long, descent in solitude is far greater than any human had the right to experience. Plus, the pushed knowledge had to be synchronized to her underlying parts: Mary and Anne.

So, it's no surprise that she's visibly overheating from information overload.

Daniel thins his lips. "Are you okay, mom?"

"Love...ungh, sorry, but fuck off with that."

Daniel clears his throat. Thinking about it, his mother-girlfriend's reaction does beg how he managed to fare better, considering he experienced the current party's lives all at once. At the same time, he knows he passed out immediately after defusing with the Viviane, so it's possible he may have gotten lucky with his mind being forced to rest.

Finished processing her side of knowledge, Viviane returns her attention to the sprawled out fusion with a weak smile. "Sorry, sister, but I tried to be gentle."

Marianne narrows her eyes as she turns her fallen head. "Why not just give me the important details? I mean, seeing our son's perspective and methods to his dating life was intriguing, but you-"

Swallowing her words, she sighs and shuts her eyes. "No, I'm sorry. Even if it was a lot, I should be glad that to understand you better. Honestly, your behavior and decisions so far...I get it."

The lake dweller's eyes soften, but lowers as well. "I wouldn't want to send everything, but there are limits to how much I can hold back. Even then, it's not foolproof."

"Right, you were originally learning how to segment your knowledge to create a replica that could keep you company, but..."

"It was a fool's errand," Viviane finishes, shaking her head. "It's quite pathetic, honestly, but I was desperate to have to deal with that place alone."

Drawing a breath, she huffs and pushes those times away. "Enough of that, though, because I've got company!"

Grinning, she turns to Daniel, brighter than ever. "And as your mother, don't think I'll let you go so easily now!"

Daniel snorts. "Just don't stick to me too close...er, actually, that's probably well past."

Amid his pale mother's chuckle, the artist turns his attention to the fusion with raised brow. "Also, what's this about my past dates?"

Marianne lifts her chin. "Hehe, all I'll say is that Mama's got perspective!"

"Compared to Mary's dates, I have no idea what I've done wrong."

"There's nothing necessarily wrong. Well, don't worry about it."

"No, I'm kind of curious."

"Ahem, let's not get too distracted," Viviane reminds, composing herself. "Now then, I'm equally troubled by the changes in Anne's realm, but I'm afraid I'm at a loss to what's happening or how my exit might be affecting my sister."

"Could I...possibly see what Mary and Anne saw?" Daniel requests.

"Oh? What's with that hesitation, love?" Marianne asks, leaning forward. "Mama's head is still thumping, by the way."

"Um...maybe not."

Viviane leans over to squeeze her son's hand. "As easy as it would be, let's not overdo it, okay? There's also a bit of a challenge with Merlin's message, as both Anne and Mary saw conflicting views at the same time. You wouldn't want to deal with that straight away when you just absorbed a boatload of knowledge."

The artist hums, finding that reasonable. Still, the changes, especially regarding the disappearance of a major star, makes his stomach curl.

They desperately need answers.

"So what did Merlin's message say?" he presses.

The elder slime sours as she lets go of his hand. "That I apparently sealed or exiled myself to that place. Seriously, he could've let me know in such a message instead of being cryptic?"

"With his first message, it's clear he didn't want to seal you," Daniel follows. "Maybe he had to because you insisted?"

"But why would I trap myself to that hell?" Viviane claps back, gritting her teeth. After a moment of silence, her face falls. "As I feared, maybe even I knew that I was-"

"Again, we don't know," Marianne cuts. "The legends of the 'Lady of the Lake' are all different, and while some may bear truth, we can't know exactly know how it went."

"It doesn't look good when Merlin claims I will consume others."

"I mean, technically you consumed me," Daniel notes, then raises a hand towards Marianne. "And that goes for Anne and Mary."

The fusion waves her own. "Mama prefers to call it cohabitation, thank you."

"What I'm saying," Daniel continues, "Is that we don't know what Merlin truly means with the way he wrote these messages. For example, you could say he was consumed by love for the enchantress."

"I've read quite enough of those tales, and it doesn't make things less clear. Am I really that enchanting?"

"Silver haired and all? Yes."

"Oh? So Mommy draw you in, huh?"

"Well, you and mom have...literally."

"...I was hoping for something less of an analysis," Viviane grumbles with slightly puffed cheeks.

Daniel laughs, shaking his head. With a soft turn of his lips, he looks between the complicated girls in front of him.

"I'm somehow fortunate."

Marianne's brows rise. "Somehow?"

"Moving on", Viviane urges. "Merlin mentions of a goddess. The only one that comes to mind is...Isis?"

"We haven't seen any other entity related," Marianne supports, crossing her arms.

The lake dweller hums, thinking back to the first memory of that of the dark-haired woman's reaction.

"Let us burn this wretched witch that dares to sully our goddess Isis' name! For Isis!"
...
"What irony."

'Could it be?'

"On that note," Marianne says, pulling the elder slime from her thoughts. "I believe our next steps is to be more forward with Marlin than Mary had been before. That means being aware of us all along with what we know now."

"Right...I agree," Viviane concludes. Naturally, the conversations between Mary and Anne have already been synced.

However, the same could not be said for Daniel as he widens his eyes. "Wait, you really mean...reveal everything?"

The fusion nods, half-smiling. "At least as far as Viviane and Anne existing, their nature, and inheritance of Amy. As for us being your new mothers...er, maybe that's not really relevant."

Sweating, the artist rubs his head. "Is this really...necessary?"

"Daniel, we have to fully trust him now," Marianne urges. "Not only does he have the Isis book given by the wizard, there may be more messages Merlin has written for us within. It's imperative for us to see it in person."

The artist curls his lips. It helps that he's able to recall Mary's conversation with her uncle in his head now; however, even if Mary has vouched for him, the British man may take the reality of the situation the wrong way.

"Let's put this another way," Viviane adds. "We try an uncle who's involved somehow in Merlin's foresight, we test our luck against of major executive of a tech company who may be involved in Anne's summoning, or we keep going in circles while a star is missing in the sky and a hole in Anne's domain..."

She glances away before amending, "...which may have been my fault."

'It's obvious,' Daniel thinks, his forehead straining. 'Her uncle was even willing to show Mary the magical nature of the book, so I get why it's better to trust him. Still...'

If it weren't for the news of a star disappearing in the sky plus a tear in the dream realm, he wouldn't even risk intentionally increasing the number of people who are aware of his slime mothers. Yet, unable to find an excuse given the circumstances, he sighs.

"So visit London, you're saying?"

Marianne twists her lips to the side. "Um...well, preferably he'll agree to come here. Mama wouldn't trust going through security."

"As slimes, we can just hide ourselves, no?" Viviane suggests.

"Either way, Mary will make the case for him to come visit. Knowing him and his determination to learn the truth of the book, he probably won't miss the chance."

Daniel closes his eyes. "Alright, but he has to be here in person before telling him the complete truth."

"I completely agree," Marianne hums lightly. "Mary will talk to him more after I split, but for now..."

Glancing at a blinking Viviane, the fusion smiles. "...I think some shopping is in order for your dear Mother."

While caution rises to the East of Keystone, not much changes in the West as the Stonehenge leader sits in an undisclosed location among members of their secret gathering.

Once news spread of the Al-Bali star's disappearance, various people were quick to recall its corresponding constellation was tied to the ritual performed. As a result, Lecia had no choice but to call a meeting to address the change.

Scanning the group that's able to come, some of whom made quick flight plans, the majority of the members who participated in the ritual appear to be present. To Lecia's disappointment, however, Mike texted ahead he would not be able to join. Although it would be unnecessary for the archaeologist, as he's the most informed of the ritual's aftermath, she would've loved his presence...

...and comfort.

'Get it together,' she tells herself, rubbing her brows together.

"Is this wise, Lecia?" Rachel whispers, sitting beside with concern lacing her slightly wrinkled face. As the main reporter of the constellation, she's essential for this meeting.

Sighing, Lecia nods. "It can't be helped."

There are many things to reveal and still many things to hide. No matter what, though, she fully expects to be stung after this.

"Thank you all for coming on short notice," she then begins, straightening her posture while taking in everyone's anticipation and concern.

The ones who participated in the ritual and saw the magic unfold are especially worried.

"First, I want to address that a painted symbol from our book was seen outside our organization. While we're not sure where it came from, I'm not excluding the possibilities that one of us let it slipped."

Pausing, her eyes narrow as the rest of her face darkens.

"So, let me be clear: Everyone here should be aware that there's a real force behind these words which we don't fully understand. If someone has been found to be letting their research and lips loose, it won't just end with our progress, I assure you."

Everyone holds their breath, catching the rare spark of fire in the leader's eyes. Indeed, while there's never been an issue in the last six years, even when bringing on new people who believed in the value of the Stonehenge book, they also had to be reminded that any work must be shrouded in secrecy.

If not, it will surely come back to engulf them.

Hearing no disagreement, Lecia relaxes and crosses her arms. "Now, what has been held back from the majority is an observed event connected to the Aquarius constellation that we weren't sure of. Perhaps even now, we still can't assume. Rachel will explain further."

The astronomer smiles weakly to all. "Hello, everyone. One thing we didn't disclose was a large fluctuation in the luminosity of the nine major stars of Aquarius. While the ritual was going on, all stars at the same time dimmed for a few seconds. I can say for certain it wasn't a cloud or instrumental errors from the readings, but at the time, we didn't know what it meant."

Murmurs begins. Although some were annoyed by the lack of sharing of this observation, it does add to evidence that something changed after breathing through the green fire.

One raised their hand. "Even if it wasn't certain, we've always shared our findings. Why was this important change held back? Considering we witnessed real magic that night, this could've been a warning!"

"That's..."

Rachel doesn't disagree, but unsure how to respond. If it weren't for the bigger problem of something coming out of the ritual, this would've been normally shared.

"Because I asked her to keep a hold of this information," Lecia answers, raising her voice against the exchanges of the members.

To this, everyone quiets down, eager for her to elaborate. With full expectations upon her, the Stonehenge leader lowers her gaze.

Knowing a star could've disappeared as a result of their action, it's clear there's not much appetite for keeping more details hidden. In addition, they may not be working fast enough to find if this was a sign that more stars would disappear, so there's a benefit to looping in everyone officially.

That said, It could completely blow up in her face.

'God damn it.'

Breathing in slowly, Lecia's raises her eyes towards all. "To be honest, the green fire and change in stars is likely a product of something bigger...something that came out of the ashes and slipped behind our eyes that night."

Rachel's eyes widen, as does the rest; however, those few who knew the truth hadn't expected a larger reveal about the summon so soon.

Nonetheless, the Stonehenge leader smiles bitterly as the crowd indeed blows up in her face.

Notes:

A\N: Hello! A change to past chapters: I'm scrubbing the concept of "Vi" (Basically Viviane). It was a false person by Anne to draw away suspicion from Lecia when she caught sight of the magic symbol in Daniel's studio. Instead, the excuse used in chapter 56 is that the drawing was found in a dumpster by Daniel without knowing who drew it (This is arguably more suspicious).

Nothing changes as far as Lecia's suspicion against Daniel and Anne, given the possibility they are lying (I mean, we know they did), but it adds some breathing room for our main characters (and me).

Chapter 69: A Shopping Trip with Two Slimy Mothers

Chapter Text

"Lecia!"

Echoing about in an underground garage, Rachel's footsteps hastily trail behind the called Stonehenge leader, just as she arrives at her parked car. With the sudden disclosure of the unknown creature to the rest of their secret group, the worried astronomer can't let the former archeologist go so easily, despite having been grilled by many members who were left in the dark.

"Just hold on, please! Was that really necessary?"

Sighing, Lecia leans against her car with one arm extending out before turning around to face the grey-haired woman. Forcing a smile, her exhaustion shows after a heavy battle of questions and criticisms.

However, while trust was shaken for withholding an unexpected summon, many came around to understand their leader's reasoning on waiting to verify what was seen on cameras. After all, this is regarding an otherworldly being, so there had to be greater certainty before causing a commotion.

That said, Lecia can understand Rachel's concerns.

"I wish there was a better way," she answers. "While I didn't mention Amy or Daniel, you must understand that I had to be honest with its disappearance into the cemetery. We're dealing with changes that require everyone on board to find out what we may have missed."

Keeping a hand close to her chest, Rachel frowns. "My issue is that you've pointed our members towards looking unduly into the dead, not to mention families who won't have any relation to this."

"Nobody will be digging graves, Rachel."

"Even so, this is rash! Before expanding the search, we haven't even finished determining whether Amy is connected to-"

"Rachel, enough," Lecia cuts, rubbing her temples. "I get this isn't how you wanted it, but the situation with Al-Bali forced my hand. Let's also not beat around the bush: I know your true worry lies more on growing attention to Daniel and Amy than the cemetery as a whole."

Rachel bites her lips and lowers her gaze, unable to refute. As she wallows silently for a few seconds, Lecia sighs and steps forward to place a hand on the star-expert's shoulder.

"I know this is personal for you," she continues, more softly. "But this is no time to be emotional or protective. Since things have grown bigger than we anticipated, we need to start moving past variables to see the constants."

Understanding well, Rachel shuts her eyes and breathes silently through her nose before looking back up to the Stonehenge leader.

"Then, in that case, allow me to talk more freely with Daniel."

Lecia raises her brows. "Freely?"

Humming, Rachel's pupils remain steady. "You want to resolve this 'variable', right? If that's the case, then just as you've put out the truth for this group, let me do the same for him."

The former archaeologist's breath hitches before gripping the older woman's shoulder tighter. "Wha—are you crazy? We can't do that!"

Rachel pulls away. "You already know I've told Daniel about how his mother's body went missing from the grave. Do you think he won't be looking for answers himself?"

"He's free to figure it out himself, but that doesn't mean we risk looping him if he truly doesn't know anything. At best, I trust him as an artist, nothing more."

"Please, you commissioned him for a painting of Stonehenge, even requesting green fire to be added! If that's not borderline close to the truth, then I don't know what is."

Cringing, Lecia stumbles back before wiggling her lips in shame.

"That was a stupid lapse of judgment," she admits. "Had I known it would be so much more than just a change of hue...no, I was simply too excited to commemorate the success."

Rachel shakes her head, sighing. "It's already past, just as you've opened up the findings to the rest of our group. The only thing I want to know is whether my friend is related to any of this, and that Daniel hasn't gotten himself into this mess."

Despite the leveling, Lecia closes her eyes and snorts. "If I didn't know any better, you're like a mother to him."

"I'm...I'm nothing like that," Rachel denies, scoffing. "He's the only person left of my friend, so it's natural I'd want to look out for him."

Chuckling, Lecia closes her eyes. "All the more reason why I can't allow you to reveal so easily what we've gathered. Just because I expanded the findings to all doesn't mean to act impatiently. That said, I still need your help, given your relationship with him, but we shouldn't throw our caution completely."

"What? I'm not saying that I'll tell every-"

A buzzing from the former archaeologist's pocket chips through. Not having any good feeling about it, she pulls up her phone with some sweat. Sure enough, a loud text message awaits her from Mike. No doubt he learned of the recent disclosure by another member.

'Fuck.'

Dropping her head for a moment, Lecia smiles weakly at the astronomer. "Rachel, unfortunately, I've got to leave to deal with more angry people. I know this is hard, but please, please restrain yourself on this. The difference between opening up to Daniel versus our group is alignment, trust, and time. Everyone in this effort, including you, has dedicated years helping to study this nature of this book; so, I'd argue confronting Daniel, who shouldn't be involved, needs to still be scrutinized carefully before we decide to be forward."

The astronomer bites her lips, but understands her caution. "I'm sorry, Lecia, I know you mean well."

Lecia hums and opens her car door. Before slipping in, she peaks out halfway from the top. "Just to reassure you a bit, Mike has been researching into possible history that might bring some light on your friend's disappearance, plus the nature of what came out of that ritual."

The astronomer's eyes widen. "What?"

"So, can I keep trusting you, Rachel?"

Groaning, Rachel covers her face with one hand. "You're awful."

Lecia shrugs, smiling unabated. "If anything, there are plenty of mysteries in the world. I'll bring you up to speed if what Mike and team has enough substance to be relevant, but until then, please have more faith and patience."

Breathing out, the astronomer reluctantly nods. "Alright, I'll keep you posted."

Satisfied, Lecia closes her eyes gratefully before the door shuts. As her car rumbles to life, amplified into the distance by the concrete environment, Rachel watches the former archeologist drive away before turning towards her own vehicle.

"She can be quite devilish sometimes," she mutters.

At the downtown Keystone mall called The Ensemble, Viviane stares with sparkling eyes at crowds filling various shops and lining escalators within the multi-storied building. Wearing a simple dress from Anne, so far, none of the passersby pay mind to the elder slime, who turned blonde and warmed her otherwise pale skin.

"So...so many people!"

Behind, Daniel and Anne smile weakly to their respective mother and sister's awe. Although it shouldn't be anything to be amazed at, this is the first time she's been around a normal, busy crowd in centuries. They can't even find it sad or amusing, having been bestowed the elder slime's life in a magical realm, so they fully understand Viviane's reaction.

Flinching, the elder slime comes back to her senses before facing her family and raising a fist to her mouth, coughing.

"I mean, this is normal. Obviously, a mall would have plenty of people around this time."

Amy's modern life luckily grounds the elder slime to the current time. If it weren't for that, perhaps everything would be intimidating and foreign to a being that has possibly lived in medieval times.

Lifting his lips more, Daniel chuckles. "You would think, but many malls outside downtown have been closing due to people shopping online more. It's only thanks to its location that this place can survive."

"Ah, so my child has contributed to its decline, huh?"

The artist shrugs. "There's constantly changes in consumer habits. At the end of the day, I can spend more time painting rather than shopping for supplies. Putting that aside..."

He narrows his eyes. "I don't mind your quirks, but you might want to stop calling me 'child' in public. It's going to be weird if others overhear you."

Viviane widens her eyes in realization, then hums, rubbing a hand against her chin. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure where that habit started from..."

Crossing her arms and tilting her chin, her lips lift smugly. "Although, to be fair, everyone is a child as old as I am."

Anne grins as she leans forward. "Hu hu, rather than a mommy, she's a granny-muuagh!"

Harrumphing, Viviane is quick to seize her slime sister's cheeks, then smiles unevenly with her eyes closed. "My dear sister, that's not nice at all! Wouldn't you be the same, coming from me?"

"It wersh a joke! Halp!"

"Oh my, why the cry? Seems you're not as scary when you're removed from Mary."

As Daniel blankly watches Anne wiggle hopelessly against Viviane, he sighs and recalls Mary's reasons for splitting from Anne, then insisting him with his slimy, motherly troublemakers...

"Love, I've already spent plenty with both of your mothers, not to mention shopping with Anne to feed Viviane. Go and spend some time with them together!"

"Then, what are you going to do? Didn't you take time off from your studio?"

"Obviously, I'll stick around, but I'm going to talk to my uncle first. I'll try not to say much except to get him to come visit on the promise we'll reveal our situation. If there are any problems, I'll let you know."

"So otherwise, you're just going to chill in my studio?"

"Not at all~ In fact, maybe Mummy will have a surprise when you get back?"

No surprise, Mary is a troublemaker in her own way.

"Enough with the cheeks, it's always the cheeks!" Anne growls as she finally pulls away, her face snapping in place with a frown to boot.

Taken out his worries by Viviane's evil giggle, Daniel shakes his head to himself before patting his wavy-haired slime mother's shoulder.

"We should get going," he urges with a smile to both. "First is to get Viviane her own phone, then we can shop for clothes and generally check around."

The elder slime lowers her hands as she rolls her eyes. "As I said before, there really is no need for my own clothes. You bought enough for Anne, and I'm perfectly able to wear her clothes fine!"

"Not that I have a problem with that," Anne agrees, "But just a few will be fine, don't you think? Plus, it'll be fun to find something that'll look nice with your blonde!"

Daniel hums. "Really, it can only be a few. I don't think I have enough space in my closet for a full load."

"Well...I suppose. Will there be a shared changing room?" Viviane asks, more hopefully.

"I'm not going through that again," Daniel rejects flatly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I obviously meant between Anne and I."

The artist lightly snorts to her knowing smirk. "Sorry, how presumptuous of me."

Moving onward, less Daniel falls into further traps, they walk through the mall to the same shop where he bought Anne's phone. Trusting her son's judgment on the matter, Viviane sits with Anne on a bench just outside the entrance while the artist waits in line at the register.

"This feels...quite odd."

"What, being outside?" Anne questions, removing her eyes from various news and science articles on her phone.

Viviane hums, leaning back and taking in the liveliness of the mall. "Yes, compared to my longer time alone, it's all so sudden in comparison."

Anne studies her slime sister before lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry."

The elder slime raises her brow. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything."

"I didn't know anything," Anne corrects, thinning her lips. "But now that you synced everything you know to me and Mary, I'm in greater disbelief that you would even accept me."

After all, she was an accident.

Anne recalls the moment the lake dweller threw a piece of herself to test the green flame. Although it was explained before, it hits her with greater clarity now that she can see it from her sister's perspective. As a result, there's no doubt that she came to exist because of her slime sister's action.

Worse, she delayed the elder slime's freedom.

However, Viviane closes her eyes easily. "Sure, I was jealous in the beginning, but ultimately, you are, in some ways, what I attempted to create during my descent. Not only that, but when I woke with Amy's life imbued to us, you became the sister that she would've wanted...that I wanted."

Inhaling silently, Anne shakes before leaning against her sister's shoulder to hide her face. "V-viviane, s-stop! You're going to make me cry!"

The elder slime giggles and pats her counterpart's head. "Silly, we can't cry."

"I'm carrying water in my head!"

Snapping her eyes wide, Viviane immediately breaks away. "Why did you fill yourself up?!"

"I thought it might be useful when we're in public!"

Grumbling to herself, Anne rubs away her eyes. At the same time, Daniel comes back to the group with a bag in hand. He furrows worriedly for his first slime mother.

"Is...everything okay here?"

The water-struck mother takes a deep breath before standing up. "Never better! I just caught some dust in my eye."

"Wait, but you can't feel-"

"Anyway," Anne coughs, then locking herself to Daniel's side with a grin. "You sure have taken on a big responsibility, coming with us. Are you prepared?"

Letting the matter go, Daniel shuts his eyes as he tilts his head to the side. "I do know, so please spare me."

"Hehe, too late!"

"Well, it won't be as bad as last time," Viviane assures, smiling as she stands up; however, her eyes sharpen with a hint of glimmer to them.

"After all," she adds, "We both know your preferences. It's like having a mini-Daniel in our head for feedback."

Daniel sweats. "That's...good, I think? No, wait, maybe that's bad."

As the artist doubts himself, the two slime girls titter; however, before moving to one of the major department stores, Anne locks onto a smaller store in the distance.

She squints. 'Occult Matters?'

What's more eye-catching is a stand next to the entrance: "Star Dropping Savings! 50% Off For Your End Of The World Needs!"

Looking where his slime mother is staring, Daniel holds a hand to his chin, grinning. "Ah, you're interested in that stuff, huh?"

Gasping, Anne straightens. "N-no, not at all! How could anyone ignore such a store name?"

"Well now we have to check it out."

"No, we don't!"

"Hehe~ Relax, Anne. You never know, it might be interesting," Viviane adds, stepping ahead.

The wavy-haired mother drops her head and sighs. "Seriously, don't we have enough strangeness to deal with?"

"Hey, that's my line," Daniel responds as they follow behind the elder slime.

Chapter 70: Flooding Possibilities

Chapter Text

Peering through a lava lamp mounted on a decorative book with teeth on the edges, Anne takes in the merchandise and the general feel of the store with a pleasant hum.

"Everything here is actually pretty well put together."

That goes without saying: a horror and supernatural themed shop would have to be good to attract foot traffic, and that's without needing Halloween.

"Anything that interests you?" Daniel asks, scanning shelves as he takes in various monster figurines.

Anne curls her lips to the side. "It's cool to browse, but as far as buying, probably not. Besides, anything here would have to find a place in your studio."

Daniel snorts. "That's true. Why would I need anything here when I already have the best monsters around?"

There's a pause before Anne catches the corner of her son's lips. Narrowing her eyes, she pouts. "You know, calling your sweet mother a monster isn't very nice."

"What do you mean? I said the best, didn't I?"

"Look at you being a smartass again," Anne replies flatly before smirking, glancing towards the figurines. "Perhaps your dear mother needs to show you what a 'best' monster does?"

Daniel swaps his lips and closes his eyes, chuckling rigidly. "N-no need. You're right, my mother is all sweet, no monster."

Like a switch, Anne claps her hands together in delight. "Aww~ She would love to hear that!"

Nearby shoppers sweat, thinking the couple gets along differently with the boyfriend's mother at a home. All too common, they can't help but feel for the artist.

If only they knew.

Not far from them, Viviane is pursuing the literary section of the shop. Having read many stories online to find clues to her origin, she found some tales were quite fun to read, even if they weren't exactly relevant to her.

However, none of the spooky books here seem interesting.

'Shouldn't there be a more varied bookstore of some kind in this mall?' she ponders, humming.

Rather than shop for clothes, she'd much rather immerse herself in stories that are filled with excitement, adventure, and intrigue.

"Excuse me!"

Viviane blinks away from her thoughts before turning towards a bang-covering female employee near the end of the aisle. She seemed to be in the middle of restocking a few shelves before noticing the elder slime's focus on books.

"Yes?" Viviane answers, cocking her head. Although she and Anne haven't caught any suspicion, there's always a worry that their human appearance is off in some way.

However, pointing to a basket near the register, the employee's smile back reveals no such thought. "Figured I'd let you know there are more books in that bin that are discounted. One even seems to relate to the news of that star that disappeared. Pretty interesting stuff, in my opinion."

Viviane straightens more. "How so?"

The employee leans to her side. "Well, apparently some theologian claimed five years ago that a star disappearing within the Aquarius constellation would spell the coming end or something. Pretty crazy now, right?"

Stiffening, Viviane holds her smile more crookedly. "Oh, that's...really strange."

"Yeah, but it's just a coincidence, if you ask me, just like all the previous calls for the end of the world," the worker dismisses, waving her hand. "If the world really was ending, I'd hope it's more exciting than just a star disappearing. Like, an actual monster or something, you know?"

"..."

The employee laughs heartily at Viviane's flat-lined lips. "Sorry, maybe I'm the only one who'd want to see something like that."

"N-no, it's fine," Viviane reassures, feigning a cough. "Thanks for reminding me about the sale. I'm assuming the matter of the book is referenced to by the sign outside?"

The employee grins. "Yep, that was me! Doomsday messages do well for marketing, don't they? We've always had problems selling copies of that book, but with the recent news, I just had to ask my boss if I could set up the sale messaging this time."

"Well, it certainly sounds interesting. I'll take a look, but the book you're recommending is called...?"

"Oh, um...I think it's 'The Fallen Star'? Even though it's intended to be a study, it feels more of a line between a memoir and fiction. I guess that's religion for ya! Anyway, enjoy your shopping, and don't hesitate to call if you need any help or suggestions!"

As the employee moves on with her duties, whistling, Viviane slowly slides the book she was holding into its spot on the shelf before making her way over to the basket near the register.

'What the hell, might as well check it out.'

Previously, the elder slime saw Anne had been trying to look up connections to the disappearance of the Al-Bali star on her phone, but nothing really came up in terms of prior history and myths. As such, the recommendation of this book is more than she could ask for, even if it's a joke.

Arriving at the bin, she immediately catches the book in question among a few copies. It doesn't really stand out with its brown cover, which probably didn't help its sales. Picking it up, she glances at the bottom for the author's name.

'Layna Moore?'

Humming, nothing comes to mind to the elder slime, even with the collective knowledge of her son and fellow mothers. For all she knows, the name could even be a pseudonym. Examining further, she flips it over, catching that the book was published five years ago, just as the employee mentioned.

'If the author is a theologian, then her arguments would be based on some belief or religion, right?'

Only one way to find out, Viviane starts reading the first page, which provides a foreword. Soon, her forehead creases.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

A few hours later in Daniel's studio, Mary leans against the lounge couch with her phone and hand flopped by her side. She sighs, her exhausted eyes twitching after having an even more honest call with Marlin.

"Uncle, you stingy man."

Money matters aside, Mary is glad that her uncle agreed to visit. All she revealed was that she was back with her ex, and with him, they host two otherworldly shapeshifters that came out of a green fire.

That's the oversimplified version, considering the talk went on longer than expected. She mainly had to elaborate on her former "dreams" from their last discussion, revealing they're actually connected to said shapeshifters.

Her bald relative was dubious, of course, unaware of such beings in his discovery so far; however, he understood his niece's caution on hiding their existence. If it weren't for witnessing the magic of the Isis book, he wouldn't even be willing to see Mary's claims for himself.

That said, the catch was that he expected his niece to cover the full cost of the flight to leave Britain. During the current Summer month, that's not cheap.

'Cost of family and trust, he says,' Mary scoffs before closing her eyes.

The sound of the front door clicking jerks the girl from further thoughts. Burying her troubles, she clears her throat and hops up from the couch, moving to greet her fellow artist and slime mothers.

"Welcome back, love. Everything went well?"

Taking off his shoes, Daniel smiles lightly as he enters first. "Somehow, but we found-"

"Mary, you have to see this!"

Viviane pulls ahead of her son, carrying the discounted book from the Occult Matters. There's little time to react before the book is eagerly dropped into the female artist's hands.

Blinking, Mary frowns as she takes the title in. "Fallen Star?"

The elder slime tilts her chin proudly for the find. "It was on sale at a horror shop called Occult Matters. As it turns out, the author's grandfather was a follower of Isis!"

Mary lifts her gaze with eyebrows raised. "Oh? Wait, I think I've seen that store as well! But, if what you're saying is true, doesn't that imply the cult may exist even today?"

"Maybe," Daniel agrees, sighing. "I looked into it a little while we shopped for clothes for Viviane, but I couldn't find much information as far as the author's personal life nor any modern version of such religion. As far as the book goes, it's almost universal reviews dismissing it, although that was when it was first published."

Mary hums, opening to the foreword page that disclosed the author's grandfather. "Alright, but what does this have to do with us?"

"The author, Layna, inferred from her grandfather's journals that a star falling from the Aquarius constellation would spell doom...supposedly," Viviane answers, glancing away.

Mary flinches. "W-what?!"

"Hey, apocalypse or not, can we please move on from the hallway already!" Anne interrupts, huffing as she reaches the doorsteps with a shopping bag in hand.

The three chuckle weakly to the slime mother's annoyance, but follow through to the lounge. Once settled in, Anne plants herself down on the blue couch, crossing her arms next to her elder sister while Mary and Daniel sit across.

Mary sweats to Anne's pout. "So...did everything go well outside the book find, love?"

"Yes..."

"Er, just yes?"

Viviane breathes out, then shakes her head at her fellow mother's attitude. "Dear sister, are you seriously still upset about my picks?"

"I am!" Anne finally snaps before shutting her eyes. "You knew...everything! You have my measurements, Mary and Daniel's sense of color, and an instinctive design sense! The worst part of it all, I agreed with everything you picked out! Where's the fun in experimenting? What happened to our sisterly bonding time?!"

"Ooh, can I see what you two picked out?" Mary asks, her eyes sparkling.

"Later," Viviane dismisses before patting her sister's head. "Now, let's not sulk. We'll have plenty of time to have fun together, won't we?"

Anne keeps her lips curled as she looks away. "I guess..."

"We may not have time if this author's claim is true," Daniel notes, bringing the topic back to the book laid in front of them.

Mary furrows her brows. "Alright, please elaborate."

"From what I've read so far," Viviane begins, her eyes narrowing. "Layna surmised from her grandfather's journals that a flood will consume humanity. Apparently, Aquarius was long seen as the barrier between this world and Isis to some followers. It's a gift to cleanse the Earth and reborn anew."

The female artist thins her lips. "So basically, Noah's flood 2.0. If I recall, Aquarius has long been represented as a water-carrier, but I never thought it would be associated with the goddess of fertility."

Humming for a moment, her face then sours a little. "Honestly, I wish you all had texted me about this book. I could've asked about it before my call with Marlin finished."

"How did that go?" Daniel presses.

Mary tilts her head to the side. "It went well, I think. He was dubious when I said we're hosting two shapeshifters out of the gate, but since he already knows that green fire is associated with summoning, he didn't dismiss the truth. As such, he's agreed to come visit with the book. I just have to coordinate his tickets."

"What about the realm linked to Anne and the disappearing star? Did he have insight on that?"

"I tried, but couldn't explain Anne's domain very well. Magical realms aren't something he's ever considered. When I asked about the Al-Bali star, though, he mentioned that some stars seem to align to certain rituals in his book, but nothing ever matches Aquarius in his. Still, taking his words and this recent account, maybe..."

With a glance at Viviane, the elder slime flinches before sighing. "I see...you're thinking I'm the so-called flood, huh?"

Mary waves her hands quickly. "I'm not accusing you! We know you mean no harm; however, if your escape out of Anne caused a star to disappear, that's the only way I can imagine this book's claim being somewhat true."

The elder slime harrumphs as she turns her head. "Even if I could, I wouldn't do anything like that. Besides, what happened to me being the 'Lady of the Lake'?"

Anne stifles a giggle, placing a hand to her mouth. "Lakes can flood too, you know?"

"Great way to twist it, sister."

After rolling her eyes, Viviane grabs the book and taps on it. "I'll finish reading this before we let our imaginations run too wild. Plus, now that I have a phone, I can finally do my own research! Speaking of which..."

She squints at her cheeky sister, then grabs her shoulder. "You have your own research to do!"

"Huh?!"

"Think about it. I've already synced everything through Mary to you, so now is the time to practice control of your mass."

Anne inhales sharply, her eyes shimmering. "Oh, you're right! Maybe I can become two Mamas!"

Mary closes her eyes and stifles a laugh to Daniel's horrified groan. Before long, the two slime girls slip away to the main studio area, leaving Mary and Daniel alone.

"Should we go observe them?" the female artist asks, stretching her arms forward.

Daniel sighs, but lifts a small corner of his lips as he stares into his artistic counterpart. "Rather than that, I recall you saying so slyly that you would have a surprise for me?"

Mary freezes, then glances away, breathing rigidly. "Oh, ha ha...surprise...right. Well, love, you see..."

"You forgot."

"No, my call went on longer than expected!" Mary defends.

Daniel snorts, shaking his head. "I don't even need your memories to imagine. You were probably thinking of coming to me naked at the door, just as you've done when we were living together."

"Hehe, you know me well~"

"Perhaps too well now."

Shrugging, Mary raises her hands out with a grin. "Although, if I had the time, I was planning to make icing with some of my breast milk and presenting it on myself."

Daniel widens his eyes. "Shit, I should've let my mothers shop more!"

The ebony beauty breaks into a short laugh. Uplifted from possible doom, she eases forward. "I'm flattered, love."

The two draw to a close, exchanging sweet kisses on the couch. Slowly, their hands roam over each other as they reconnect in familiar ways, just as if they never separated to begin with.

After a minute, the couple pulls back with a bridge of saliva dropping between them. Breathing slowly, they stare into each other's eyes before the male artist makes the next move, sliding one hand down to her hip.

"Mary, you're plenty sweet as is. You don't need Anne to sugarcoat you."

"That's true," Mary answers softly, taking a final breath before her eyes warm. "Should we continue in your bedroom, love?"

"How can I even say no to th-"

Daniel halts, realizing something about the ebony beauty as his hand trails down her hips. "Sorry, but...you're wearing one of Anne's clothes, right?"

Mary cocks her head. "Yeah? The ones I came with are in the dryer right now."

"So they fit you well?"

The female artist frowns. "Of course, but why would that matt...er?"

As Mary's words break, the meaning behind her boyfriend's observations strikes her. Putting aside her chest, which would've naturally grown due to lactating, she does wonder why Anne's pants aren't looser on her. After all, the two slimes have made their default proportions more curvaceous than most humans could barely maintain.

Gulping, Mary's eyes swirl. "Y-you wouldn't happen to have a measuring tape, would you?"

Chapter 71: Thicker Mary

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Eep!"

Mary's mousy peep is the most suppressed she can manage as Daniel holds a measuring tape along her hips. Having done the waist, there's no question about her sudden shift in body fat. That said, the ratio is within human possibility, but it takes certain genetics and effort to maintain such a state. Regardless of how, the dark artist's eyes quiver, seeing how she's changed within a few days without doing anything substantial.

Anne fidgets in the presence of the two artists, taken away before she could go on her own bodily excursion.

She fakes a cough. "W-well, that's quite strange!"

One knee down in front of Mary, Daniel stares blankly at his shifty-eyed slime mother before rising and letting the tape in his hands fall.

"I agree...quite strange," he repeats, less convinced.

Flattening her lips, Anne eventually shuts her eyes in shame. "Okay, it's obviously Mama's fault! How could I have known I'd be capable of molding people?"

Daniel sighs. "As always, there's a lot we don't know. While her measurements aren't exactly the same as yours, I imagine some shift happened after you and Mary went for shopping together as Marianne. That was also when you changed into a different pair of clothes."

The slime mother opens her gaze to the female artist, then bites her lips. "Above all, it's also the longest we've been together...oh no, Mary, I'm-"

"Love, don't apologize," said artist cuts, recovering from shock before swallowing slowly. With a small breath, she continues more firmly. I'm a willing participant in joining you, and I don't regret it at all. At least now, we know you're able to modify people."

To what extent is another matter. Originally, Mary thought her lactation was just a hormonal side effect after gaining Amy's maternal memories, but now she's not sure. Are more drastic changes, such as a person's appearance or height, possible? While mildly curious, the female artist shakes her head.

"In any case," she continues, more upbeat. "If you can adjust me close to your proportions, then you can just adjust me back overnight!"

Daniel inhales sharply. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Obviously, we have to be more mindful of how your mothers add to us, but what else am I going to do? If I stay like this, I'll have to throw out all my clothes back at the studio."

"Forget that, I'll gladly pay for new ones," Daniel offers. "What's more important is taking a pause on any joining to make sure there's no other changes. That goes for me as well."

Anne nods in agreement, her eyes filled with concern. Stepping closer, she takes her friend's hands. "He's right. I'll even give you some of my clothes in the meantime!"

Mary smiles weakly to such insistence. "So that's it? We're going to just avoid connecting because of some new discovered? It's not as if there hasn't been changes with all the memories exchanged and my swelled chest."

The slime mother frowns. "Mary, in hindsight, we were dumb to not pause sooner. I think you and Daniel should at least schedule a physical before we try anything more."

"That's a good idea," Daniel hums, thinking back to his last clinical visit. "It's long overdue for me, at least."

Unable to refute, the female artist groans before slumping. "How annoying...alright, fine. Doesn't this mean we won't be able to check up on Anne's domain tonight?"

"Actually, you and Daniel can as long as I surround you two while you sleep," the slime reminds as a matter-of-fact. "The only thing to avoid right now is mixing in with your body."

"So...if I get a clean bill of health, we can keep mixing?"

The slime mother widens exasperatedly at the puppy-eyed artist before growling. "I swear, Mary, as much as I love being connected with you and loving our son together, your well-being comes first! We'll see when the time comes, okay?"

Mary pouts for a bit before raising her hands up with a sigh. "Fine, fine. I'll schedule an appointment as soon as I can."

Satisfied but not done, Anne points at her son and narrows her eyes. "Don't forget about yourself, mister. Vivi-Mama could've changed you in some sneaky way for all I know."

Daniel closes his eyes lightly. "Haha, no worries, mom. I'll do the same."

Not to leave his dear slime mother worried, he draws closer to her; however, Anne harrumphs as she's led into his embrace. Perhaps her attitude is merely to gain affection, but it works as Daniel eases his lips forward, eventually melting his mother with greater reassurance.

"Ngh~"

From dubiously strict to undeniably happy, Anne hums smoothly into her son's mouth as she's squeezed close. Before escalating unfairly in the presence of Mary, Daniel pulls away after a few drawn seconds while his head remains clear.

Unsatisfied, the wavy slime mother puffs back up as she grumbles, "You can kiss Mama for longer, you know?"

Closing his eyes, Daniel smiles bitterly. "Well, I wouldn't want to hold you from your trials."

Like a switch, Anne gasps, jerking away from her son as she brims with renewed scientific urge. "Oh yeah, that's right! I still have to see if I can match my sister's skills!"

"D-don't go overboard...ah..."

Unfortunately, his slime mother is already out of hearing range as she leaves the bedroom to join the lake dweller. Scared of what Anne might learn, he breathes out slowly in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Giggling, Mary strides closer and helps with a hug from behind. "I thought you didn't want Mama learning new tricks?"

Daniel gulps, shivering as he feels the ebony artist's adjusted contours. "T-technically, she already knows thanks to Mother. I'm just hoping she'll learn how to better maintain herself."

"Oh? Then, how about Mummy? Do you have any tricks against me?"

"Against?" Daniel questions before dropping his head. "I'm sorry, you have a defenseless boyfriend right now."

"Aw~ That's okay, love! Would it be okay for us to continue as I am?"

"I mean..."

Flipping around, Daniel holds Mary to his front and allows his hands to travel from her hips down to her shaped behind. With such proximity, his boner naturally presses against her crotch as he rubs her down.

Tittering, Mary leans closer to his face. "I'll take that as a yes~"

They lock lips, taking each other's air while also unraveling each other's pants. Although they've already connected, both are aware this is the first time they'll have each other without the elasticity of the slime mothers.

That's not a bad thing at all, though. Such an opportunity gives them a chance to reground themselves to purely human intimacy while they can. Thus, they stretch along the bed, their bodies bare and pounding with desire.

Daniel breaks from Mary's lips first to press against her neck as she holds him close. With more air to take in, he hears her breathing shakily as his fingers find their way to her nether. So easily is she wet, his gentle care more than enough while staring at the ceiling above.

"H-haah...love~"

Spurred by Mary's sweet whimper, his lips travel down to her left breast, where a few beads of her milk beg for him. Unable to resist, he opens wide and takes in as much of her mammary in, burying his nose as he does with a content hum.

The female artist's eyes flutter and moves her caressing hand from his shoulders up through his hair. Thanks to memories of Amy breastfeeding, her boyfriend's thirst fills her with warmth; although, his fingers sliding below is certainly not within the realm of motherly love.

It's a good thing then that Mary has become a pseudo-mother of sorts — one that can gain the benefits of the maternal affection that simply extends her existing love for him.

Slurp....smack....

They stay in this position for a while as Daniel drinks her, but it's a bit one-sided, seeing how he's providing Mary the most pleasure. Unwilling to let that pass, she gently nudges him off her breast and smiles.

"Let me be on top, okay?"

Daniel removes his hand from her crotch, dripping with the ebony beauty's desires. With warm eyes, he accedes to her, lying down as she comes above.

His cock perfectly positioned upward, Mary wastes no time to slowly recline onto it. In response, her walls compress in anticipation as she inhales slowly.

Even without Anne lining her walls, Daniel immediately groans to her natural pressure. The one thing that had been missing was her warm juices surrounding him, given it was always absorbed by Anne. Now, their fluid desires are free to make their lovemaking just a little smoother.

Mary takes in her fellow artist's knitted expression with delight. Wiggling her ass against his crotch, she giggles as he moans.

"Wow, you are pretty defenseless, huh?"

Daniel only grunts in response as she starts rocking, closing her eyes as his meat is squeezed by her insides. Although slow, the shift in volume to her ass is apparent as slaps reverberate into the room.

Phlap...phlap...phlap!

"Mmm..."

With her ass rippling as she bottoms out, Mary moves slow and steady, preferring consistency as she appreciates this special bonding time. After several pounds and her lover reflected in her warm gaze, she lowers herself, pushing in her right tit into his mouth.

"Easy, love...just relax," she breathes, then continues her hip movements with smaller slaps as Daniel drinks from her other side.

Following her words, he wraps his arms around her as she grinds on top, her sweet milk lacing his tongue while some dribbles out from the corner of his mouth. They continue this skin in this position for as long as possible before until Mary feels him twitching, clearly trying to hold out for longer.

Already close herself, she picks up the pace.

Splack! Splack! Splack!

Daniel unlatches to gasp, his eyes wide open. "M-mary..."

"Haa, it's okay! Cum, love," she urges. "I'm close too!"

The breathing between them picks up, as do the smacks, jiggling Mary's entire body. With their world shaking, they hold each other close to stabilize, embracing each other's heat.

Reaching her limit, Mary slams one last time down and grunts.

Splack! Splish!

"Oh fuck, Daniel!" she screams out, lurching back with her hands to her face in ecstasy.

The two release, exchanging fluids. Meanwhile, Daniel holds on tightly to her thighs as he shakes into her very being, pumping out to this free woman who somehow clings to him.

With their exchange coming to a close, their movements slow as they crash down from sexual high. Mary chuckles between her breaths with a fully flushed face and tired smile before lifting off Daniel's cock. Once it flops out, she lies on top of his chest, cuddling him close.

Daniel tries to slow his heaving, then leans forward to kiss her head before wrapping her close to him.

"That was fantastic, love," she whispers, humming contently to his afterglow kisses.

"No, you're fantastic," Daniel returns, rubbing her back.

"Aw~"

They hold each other in silence until Mary has enough energy to lift her head to meet his eyes. With warm lips, she pecks a few before the corner of her own pulls dangerously.

"Doesn't feel like anything wrong with me. Would you like it if I kept myself like this?" she purrs.

"I-It's up to you."

"No, stop with that bullshit; be honest!" Mary insists, pouting.

Daniel sighs. "Well, a little bounce is always nice."

"Ha ha, there we go," Mary chirps, then grins. "Would you be down to try my ass next, love?"

Reminded of all the times they had anal sex previously, Daniel gulps and holds her more tightly, for his own safety.

"Let's um, not open that door so soon," he pleads, causing her to giggle.

Perhaps it's best if Mary does reduce her bottom back to normal.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

In the main studio area, Anne extends her arm out, allowing her blue mass to escape her hand like a faucet. This is precisely how Viviane had demonstrated, but this time, the less experienced slime girl recalls Viviane's feeling while being trapped in that unknown foggy realm.

The desperation of her elder slime is painful, but perhaps it's what she needs to create a clone — a poor companion by her sister's assessment, but an achievement of self-control nevertheless.

Yet, even with her sister's experience, something is missing. Just as she had trouble in her dream world, the goopy mass that falls immediately attracts to her legs, seeping back into her skin like a ferrofluid as soon as she tries to reduce the flow.

Having heard her son and Mary's lovemaking, she internally cries.

'I should've joined them!'

Viviane peeks above the 'Fallen Star' book, one leg over the other. From her sister's various attempts, it appears she's still not able to clamp down on her mass' tendencies.

"So you're still not able to let go, even with my experience?"

Slumping, Anne sighs as her cells on the floor finish their loop back to her. "Yes. Just what am I missing here?"

The elder slime closes her book. So far, other than the prediction of the flood and connection to Aquarius, the author's analysis of her grandfather's journal has been utter speculative trash. Seeing how her sister needs guidance, though, she gladly takes a break from reading.

"Let's take a step back," she begins, rising from her chair. "First, I should check to see that I can still split, considering I'm constituted of your slime."

At least, that's how it seems, considering she's blue and all.

Viviane's about to split from behind, but is quick to remember she's wearing clothes which would rip. Clicking her tongue, she extends her arm and performs the same, but slower cloning method.

Just as before in the dream world, a mound builds up; however, unlike Anne, Viviane easily shuts off her flow, allowing her clone to reform without the slightest attraction back to herself.

Soon, a naked Viviane stands, blinking, then examines herself. "Hmmm...It feels the same as I've done it before."

The clothed Viviane crosses her arms, shrugging, then turns to her flabbergasted sister. "Well, if I was converted into this world from you, that means you should be able to do this with your slime as well."

Anne stammers before recovering her voice, raising her arms out. "How?! You make it seem so easy!"

"It seems there's more to our understanding than just knowledge and experience," the naked Viviane guesses, placing a hand to her chin.

"However," the clothed original continues, "Maybe...there's something subconscious that's holding you back."

"Holding me...back?" Anne repeats, raising a brow.

The lake twins nod, intuitively recognizing a difference between them, but aren't clear on the specifics. Thinking back to when the wavy slime mother tried to split the first time, the two slimes tap against the wooden floor for a few before gasping in sync.

"Wait! Maybe..." they both say at the same time. Then, the naked one raises her arm, flattening it into a sharp blue blade.

Immediately, Anne steps back and shakes her hand. "W-wait! You already tried-"

Contrary to her expectations, the clone swipes off her own arm instead, which immediately drops to the floor.

Holding herself silently, Anne stares as the surprise dismemberment wiggles on the ground before staying put, acting like a severed arm.

The clone reverts the blade arm back and picks up the limb, reattaching it like nothing. Taking a moment to sigh, she narrows her eyes at Anne.

"Your reaction says it all, dear sister. Forget about splitting. How can you even let go of yourself if you act like you have something to lose?"

"Wha...wha..."

Anne shakes, nearly losing her human layer as the difference between her and Viviane's mindset is made apparent.

'She's right. I...I got it all wrong.'

Behind the desperation when her elder sister was trapped, there's something even more troubling that she ignored about the lake dweller's long life.

That is, despite living, Viviane lost all sense of the word as time went on without meaning.

Notes:

A\N: We have an updated cover, this time with Viviane! I figured it's time to change it up as I improve my illustrations. At some point in the future, I'll do Mary next (Although she's no slime girl, maybe slightly covered by one of the slime mothers like a symbiote).

Second cover:

First cover (I can't find w/text currently):

Chapter 72: Fearless Jello

Chapter Text

"I...I can't do it like that! Isn't there a better way?"

Such is the cry of Anne, swallowing nervously at the idea of slicing herself off without fear to split. Even though she knows she can't be harmed, her elder sister's disconnect mentality seems way unreachable now.

The original, clothed Viviane raises an eyebrow. "So, me bringing a blade to myself is somehow different than you stretching and tampering off some of your mass?"

"Yes!" Anne huffs. "Don't tease me. I know it doesn't make any sense, but to separate like that is scary!"

The naked Viviane clone drops her head and raises her hands. "My, what a picky sister I have. With that kind of logic, it's clear you're just holding yourself back."

The wavy-haired girl bites her lips before gazing down in thought.

'She's right. Even if there's nothing to be afraid of, why am I like this?'

As it turns out, just because one shares memories and the past feelings of others doesn't mean they can easily assume it completely. Certain experiences are way too ingrained to the individual, especially for one who has lived as long as Viviane.

Seeing the trouble eating at her sister, the aforementioned slime sighs and extends her arm to her nude clone. Upon touching, her twin's form collapses and gets sucked up through her limb, ceasing to be.

"Again, it's just my intuition," she reminds, casually reforming her hand and flexing it. "Maybe there are other reasons, but surely, you can see that to remove part of yourself as you want, you can't be self-preserving like a human would."

Human.

Indeed, the biggest difference between the two slime is the degree of humanity. To Anne, her foundation began with Amy, who was afraid of leaving the world so soon. On the other hand, Viviane's foundation began in solitude, only regaining some humanity through Amy after the fact.

Although the two slimes are more in sync than they have ever been, this divergence sets their natural tendencies and growth apart.

Anne thins her lips and rubs her arm. "But...isn't it natural to be close to human with our memories?"

Blinking, Viviane leans to the side with a hum. After a few seconds of thought, she shrugs and closes her eyes with a light smile. "Then, forget about splitting yourself because humans can't do that."

"Urgh, how blunt."

"Of course, It'd be preferable if we were human," the elder slime adds, looking at her hand with bitter desire. "Beyond feeling, tasting, and holding a warmth we can call our own, I don't think anyone should live as long as I have. At some point, though, we'll outlive our son, Mary, and everyone that we care for. Rather than trying to change what we are, we should ask: Can we accept not being human?"

"Ah..."

It's not that Anne hadn't considered she'd outlive her son, but she chose not to think hard about the future, given he's more than healthy as a young man. Still, she can see how time moves fast for her elder sister, making every life seem so insignificant. Holding such perspective, wouldn't she have to accept her son's death as the natural course?

"I'll say, I can accept not being human with a condition..." Viviane begins, causing Anne to perk up. Reflecting back, the elder slime smiles, full of hope. After a pause, she steps forward while taking her fellow slime's hands, continuing, "I can accept it knowing our son has a fulfilling life, and that I have a sister like me who'll always be by my side."

Anne opens her mouth silently before quivering. Water remaining in her head brims in her eyes as more memories of the former silver slime flow through her head.

"S-stupid! What's up with always making me emotional?"

Burying her face into the elder slime's shoulder and sniffling, Viviane giggles and wraps her arms around. "There, there~ In any case, don't worry if you can't match me yet, okay? Perhaps your hesitation is a good thing. It says you are more human than me, which might be something you want to cherish while the feeling lasts."

Despite being warmed by Viviane's words, Anne allows her "tears" to dissipate before glancing away. "...It'd be cool to have my own clone, though."

"Hehe, Amy's drive is definitely more prominent in you, that's for sure."

Straightening, Anne clenches her fists and raises it with shining defiance in her eyes. "You know what? No. You're just trying to make me feel better for giving up! Holding fear may be a part of being human, but trying to overcome it is also a goal! To that end, I'm just a bunch of jello, and jello has no fear!"

With that in mind, she raises her arm and transforms it into a blade, just as Viviane had. Taking a moment to remind herself that she can't be harmed, she shuts her eyes and swings it down.

"Haah!"

...

Despite the war cry, her blade-arm stops just short of slicing as she quivers in place, grunting as if an "invisible force" were preventing her following through.

"Uh...what's going on?"

Daniel's voice enters the studio as he and Mary come out of the hallway. After finishing showering and redressing after their bout, they naturally can't ignore the commotion in the studio; not to mention, the strange sight of a struggling slime trying to slice herself.

Viviane snorts, shaking her head. "Your Mama is being 'fearless' jello, that's all."

Blinking, Mary cocks her head before gasping. "Oh, I see it! She's even wobbling!"

 

Jello-Anne-resized.png

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Several thousand kilometers away, Marlin steps into his local pub that's a few blocks from his building. He takes in the bustle of happy hour with only a tinge of envy.

Naturally, the place is packed with men and women looking to unwind from the workday, and their laughter is a nice counterpoint to his usual lonely, quiet, remote job. Since he visits about every week, though, the bartender instantly recognizes him with a smile.

"Evening, Marlin," the younger brunette greets as he approaches. She wipes down the bar top a bit before straightening. "Usual?"

"Please," the bald man replies, smiling back lightly.

As his drink is prepared, Marlin glances at the clock behind her.

6:34. A colleague-of-sorts should be arriving soon.

Exhaling, he takes a look at his phone, then raises a brow to see a ticket confirmation for Colorado, along with a bitter text:

I bought tickets this weekend, you cheapskate.
Seriously though, thank you for considering my crazy talk. I promise everything will be clear when you arrive. Love you, uncle.

Marlin only smiles a little before his expression deepens.

'A shapeshifter...' he recalls as his niece's words play back in his head. With no clear idea what that actually entails, he closes his eyes while his forehead creases. 'Mary, what the hell did you get yourself into?'

Not only is she back with her ex, whom he personally never met, she's also in cahoots with a otherworldly being.

No big deal, right?

Compared to the mysterious book he was given, this is way beyond what he could've imagined. It's true that he gathered a green fire would involve summoning, but he never expected the creative artist to be the one to provide evidence.

'Perhaps things were set into motion the moment she opened that damned book.'

It's pointless to regret now, but he can't help wonder who could've summoned such a creature? From the call, Mary mentioned that of one of Daniel's clients was high suspect, but wouldn't elaborate until they discussed in person. Seeing how she's bought his tickets, it's clear she's serious about a family visit that he wishes wasn't more.

Regardless, the implications of another party having the ability to summon is clear...

'There's another book out there.'

"Here's your drink, Marlin. Long day?" the bartender questions, intruding his thoughts as she slides over a glass.

"Always," Marlin answers after a pause, raising his glass with a forced smile before taking a sip.

Before the brunette could chat up more, a few customers come to the bar table. With a resigned sigh, she lifts up and greets them with the same energy, leaving the bald man with more time to consider what he may come to face.

However, a buzz on his phone takes him out of it. Glancing at the screen, he sees another text from Mary.

By the way, do you know anything about a book called 'Fallen Star' by Layna Moore? Supposedly, there's a relationship to Isis and the Al-Bali star that disappeared.

Marlin immediately buries his head into his hands, groaning. "Oh, fucking hell..."

"Hey, Marlin!"

The subsequent slap to his back jerks only adds to said man's problems, in addition to nearly spilling his drink too. He would get upset, if not knowing the personality of his arriving company.

Holding in complaints while slamming his glass down, he turns from his stool to a crooked smile at a slightly overweight, double-chinned man with a hair barely clinging to the sides of his head. Aside from his overall roundness, the sight of his thick brown eyebrows makes Marlin want to take wax paper and strip all of it off just so he can see how obnoxious he can be.

"Stavian," Marlin acknowledges, as composed as he can be.

The man laughs heartily. "Been a bit, hasn't it! Let's take a seat in the corner, shall we?"

The heavy-weight man requests a mug from the bartender as Marlin transfers to an empty table away from prying eyes. With how busy it is, their voices can only be lost in the mixture of laughter and drunken slur of patrons talking about their day and plans away.

"How's everything? Any luck with the ladies?" Stavian starts, his body causing a creak into the wooden chair as he settles down.

"None so far. Got a few people pinging me on one of those apps, but it's been difficult to find time to put in," Marlin answers, taking another sip before hardening his gaze. "More importantly, I received a letter from The Order. What the hell is that about?"

Stavian grins, leaning forward. "Why, the stars have aligned, my friend! Although you joined a year ago, surely you remember when some of our secrets was leaked to the public, right?"

Marlin closes his eyes. "Yes...Layna Moore."

Just one more reason for Marlin to worry about his niece now as she dips her toes into matters that simply dull the mind.

"Correct," Stavian nods. "Naturally, we can't keep track of every possible family who has ties to our group; however, in hindsight, it was a blessing. Her publishing from five years ago will now be scrutinized again by many with renewed interest."

"So, just because some star disappeared, we assume it's time to start coming out more publicly?"

"It's the natural course before The Flood comes."

Marlin takes a deep breath and rubs his temple. "Let me remind you: That claim is utter nonsense."

Stavian snorts, then shrugs. "It may very well be. I'm not blind to see that some of the old teachings don't add up, but we shouldn't ignore everything about the old journals, considering we're not the only group looking into it."

Straightening, Marlin furrows his brows. "What do you mean?"

"There seems to be another group kept well hidden like ours, but their movements revealed themselves in Egypt seeking a particular set of information related to Al Achsasi — the original astronomer who designated the disappearing star. Suffice to say, I heard our council doesn't approve of the probe."

The heavy-weight man pauses as a mug is delivered in front of him. With grim eyes, he takes a swig before staring straight into Marlin's eyes.

"Things are going to get ugly, my friend."

Holding his breath for a moment, Marlin chuckles. "Why? You're not saying..."

"Outsiders on their way to a greater truth have usually been dealt with swiftly. Layna was an example of that after her book was published. The only difference here is that we're dealing with a another group, so it may become a war if no common ground is established."

Marlin's heart beats. Of course, his initiation into this "Order" a year ago wasn't because he believed in their mission; rather, it was a way to find answers about his magical book.

He can't say it was worth it, especially given the risks to his well-being. So far, he has avoided suspicion, but if one were to realize he too held "greater truth" by keeping an important book, he's not sure how long he'll be standing around.

It won't be him either.

'Mary.'

Stavian clears his throat. "I didn't mean to bring such a dour mood. All I'm saying is that, it'd be best if you lie low. Personally, even if I believe in the Goddess' return, I'm not crazy enough to abandon my life. It's important to live well, yeah?"

He grins, then lifts his mug. "On that note, shall we raise a toast? For Isis!"

Marlin smiles bitterly, then raises his glass with less enthusiasm. "For Isis."

Chapter 73: A Tight Transport

Chapter Text

Putting Anne's mental trial aside, the rest of the day passes with Viviane's offer to make dinner. Then, after a reminiscent meal imbued with the inherited care of Amy, the four gather into the bedroom for their next dive into Anne's magical realm.

"There's an important question we must answer tonight!" Mary declares, her eyes firm before they change for the night.

Daniel and his two slime mothers stare at the ebony artist. With such expectant eyes, she clears her throat and lifts her chin. "If Daniel and I enter Anne's dream world together with clothes on, will we appear there dressed?"

Indeed, an important question; however, Daniel continues to stare more exasperatedly before raising his hand. "I've got a better one: Where will we end up if one of us sleeps inside Mother?"

The addressed elder slime flinches before shaking her hands. "H-hold on, child! Is it wise to explore another world? That's even if I hold such a place of my own."

Anne crosses her arms, humming. "Well, sister is right. We should first focus on understanding my world with the ominous hole in the sky. Of course, I'm definitely not saying this because I want to hold two lovers snug inside of me. Oh, not at all~"

Mary gasps, her heart leaping just imagining being flushed against her fellow artist and surrounded by Anne on top. Naturally, her inner kinky freak screams out in delight as she tries to compose herself.

"T-that's...I agree. Maybe we should hold off on wearing clothes too. What do you think, love?" she asks by her boyfriend.

Thinning his lips, the reserved artist switches between an eager Anne and Mary, whose corrupt intentions can't be more clear as day.

'Honestly, these two...'

Closing his eyes, he sighs. "Sure, let's go inside Mom together."

Everyone freezes.

"Huh?!" both Anne and Mary sound out at the same time.

Expecting more resistance to such a tight arrangement, they lean forward at him quickly.

"Are you okay, love?" Mary asks first, her eyes concerned. "I'm asking you to be up against me for the rest of the night. It'll be stuffy!"

"Yeah, Mama might do something to you two!"

Daniel raises a brow, then scoffs. "Why are you two trying to discourage now? Regardless of the arrangement, I need to see this tear as well. Also..."

Pausing, he stares at the distant Viviane. She's notably inactive compared to the troubling girls in front of him. Feeling his gaze, she stiffens before closing her eyes reassuringly.

"I-it's okay, child. While you two sleep inside Anne, I'll spend time finishing the book and researching the author."

"Well, if you insist," Daniel gives. "I know that you and Mom can't sleep without being bound mentally to a human anyway. Still, it's possible that we'll eventually need you to visit Anne's domain, considering the changes occurred after you left her."

"Visit? I..."

"Hey!" Mary snaps, drawing her boyfriend's eyes back to her. "Is that really important right now? We don't know enough to be certain whether the situation is dire, but we do know your Mother just came out. Telling her she'll have to go back is insensitive!"

"It's okay, Mary!" Viviane hurriedly cuts before her son can respond. It's clear the young man regrets thinking too far ahead as he rubs his neck in shame. To help, she presses forward and places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Our child is right, even though I hope that's not necessary. In any case, please don't worry. If it comes to it, I'll do whatever is necessary if we determine my sister is at risk...or, who knows, maybe the world?"

"Ugh, enough of the guessing. We'll do what we can, alright?" Anne urges. She focuses on the humans with a grin. "Now, let's get going! I'm ready to gobble up my son and his sweet Mummy-girlfriend to sleep!"

Shloop!

In one go, Anne's "skin" layer scales back, returning her to a base blue form with clothes fitted. The sudden regression alarms the artists.

"M-mom, what are you doing?" Daniel questions. "If you throw away your layer like that, won't you have to rebuild it again?"

Which in turns costs Anne quite a bit of energy, thus equating to more of Daniel's pantry.

However, Anne places a hand on her hip, puffing her chest up with a shine. "Hu hu, is that what you think?"

Clearly not holding such confidence for no reason, Mary and Daniel squint their eyes. The dark artist is the first to notice a difference in Anne's form from the past.

"Actually, you look...firm? Huh...I don't see a single droop of slime!"

"That's right!" Anne cheers, turning smug. "This is all thanks to Vivi-Mama's transferred experience!"

The elder slime widens her lips. "I should've realized when you created your own blade-arm without an issue. Your cells actually leaning solid now."

"Er, care to elaborate?" Daniel asks.

Somehow, there's always missing details that's brushed aside.

Anne raises a finger. "It's like muscle memory, Daniel. What Mama did before, wrapping myself around, is efficient, but it just makes it so that the rest of my body never learns. Thanks to my sister's time, though, I'm able to use her body's memory for myself!"

"Oh, that's interesting," Mary breathes. "Meaning, your body now defaults to your human mold?"

"Yep, I've naturally firmed up!" the slime mother chirps.

Looking closely, Daniel does see that she looks pretty similar to before, except...well, blue.

"Then, what about your coloring?" he asks on that note.

"That doesn't take too much energy compared to building out a separate layer from scratch. See?"

Anne lifts her hand, which fades into her usual skin tone, then eliminates the pigment. It still amazes Daniel that such colors are just based off his oil paints.

"Without needing to build an explicit layer, it'll be easier to expand myself without worrying about being too dense. Speaking of, watch this...Hup!"

The slime mother tugs off her clothes from the front, making it look like she's ripping it away. In reality, she's seamlessly slipping through the fabric while keeping it intact.

More and more, Daniel feels like he's witnessing a cartoon in the making. While the idea persists in his head, Anne hums, folding her clothes as if the removal were the most normal thing in the world. Next to her, Mary eagerly undresses too with a crooked smile plastered on her face.

Although Daniel stiffens below by the curvy forms before him, he gulps, wondering if his heart can take being intimately squeezed together. In any case, he mustn't back out now. Before he can undress himself, a pair of pale hands slide to his side, reaching down to unbuckle his pants ahead of him.

"Relax, child," Viviane whispers, smiling gently. "While the realm connected to Anne is meant to be taken seriously, it's fine to have some fun towards the destination."

Daniel shivers to the elder slime's touch as he feels her pull his pants down while gliding her cool skin across his back.

"At some point," she continues. "I promise to carry you within me as well, just as my sister has."

"D-didn't you already do that?"

Viviane giggles. "Silly, not as one, but two. Surely, you understand what I mean, my sweet baby~"

Daniel flushes red, and although he hates to admit it, his lips turn just as crooked as Mary. Quickly, though, he tampers himself while clearing his throat.

"I...I'd much prefer you calling me a child than a baby."

"Oh? We'll see how you feel when our time comes."

Daniel sweats lightly, but a light growl takes him out of his moment with the elder slime to see his fellow artist and blue slime mother naked and pouting together.

"Love, flirting so openly in front of Mama and Mummy has limits," Mary chastises.

"Yeah," Anne adds. "Don't take us lightly!"

"As if that's possible," Daniel flatly counters.

The jelly mother harrumphs. "Well, I was trying to figure out how I should arrange you two inside of me, but now I know. Considering your attitude, mister, you'll be placed behind!"

Shloop!

"Aah~ Anne, that tickles!"

Now locked to the slime mother, Mary closes one of her eyes as she squeals, clearly enjoying the gooey sensation as her friend extends herself around. On the other hand, Daniel has to take a step back, seeing how quickly a mound rises to take him.

In his last attempt to make peace, he raises his hand up while laughing nervously. "H-hold on, mom. What's with the scary expression? You know I'm kidding and love you, right?"

"Hehehehe...Mama loves you too~"

It doesn't work.

The mound snaps towards him with a single motion of her hand. In turn, Daniel has little time to dodge butt-naked as the blue mass wraps around him, pulling him away from the lake dweller.

Unfortunately, his silver mother doesn't help, and claps instead. "Ooh, quite impressive control, sister."

Anne switches off her devilish play to smile sweetly at her elder sister. "Aw, thank you~"

"Mom, w-what do you mean I'll be placed behind?!" Daniel cuts in, grunting as the slime fully surrounds his and Mary's entire body except for the head. Slowly, they're dragged together, only inches apart from Anne's torso.

"Isn't it obvious? You'll be behind 'Mummy' when Mama keeps you two inside of me. That means all my loving hand caresses will be for your sweet girlfriend tonight. I'm sure she won't mind, right?"

The female artist gasps, her body shivering. "Oh yes! In fact, would you kindly help plug me up with him?"

Daniel inhales sharply, then snaps his head at his more daring partner. "Wait, Mary...you don't mean..."

She smiles meekly. "This is the perfect chance. We did it a lot before, and with your mother's coat, it'll even be safer. Can we...do it, love?"

Even though Daniel worries about her, who hasn't done anal in a long time, his cock hardens at the thought of returning to her tight entrance that she's known to enjoy.

Too much, in fact.

Although he intended to delay such an act with her, it seems she's determined.

Even Anne has concerns. "Um...Mary, that's going to be quite uncomfortable, won't it?"

"While it's been a while, you should know better than that about me," Mary reminds with a wink. "Plus, I've never felt cleaner in my life without you!"

"Well...alright," the slime mother assents, then turns to her blob-imprisoned son. "Daniel?"

Pressed on his reservations, Daniel thins his lips before at his fellow artist, who smiles back with an innocent blush; however, this is not the correct expression for a woman clearly excited over being bound to each other for the night and fucked in the ass.

'She's insane.'

Yet, that's how she always is.

With a sigh, Daniel relents. "Alright, but let's go slow on this. Also, mom, remember to avoid truly connecting to our bodies."

Anne grumbles. "Annoying, but I know. On the other hand, I'd rather not be shared the pain."

"Hey, it's not that bad~"

"Mom, don't listen to Mary. You know she's not normal," Daniel urges, causing the mentioned artist to laugh.

The slime mother grins. "Hu hu, but neither am I! Let's get you two more acquainted, shall we?"

Slurp! Glorp!

Growing bigger and expanding around the artists, Mary and Daniel groan as they sink together into Anne's cool gel body. As they do, wet noises spill out in their descent along with their increasingly muffled breaths.

"Yes...just relax. Mama will take care of you two," Anne coos, leaving one last kiss to Daniel's head before he sinks further into her gooey depths.

Similarly when she enveloped her son to sleep, she grows even more to account for two. Consumed, the couple appear as silhouettes floating inside of her as she shuffles their bodies around.

Shlick...Splorp!

Eventually, the two human lovers are aligned, barely visible within a curvier Anne who hosts them like a suit. From between her breasts, one can see the faint outline of Mary's face extruding out.

"You two can breathe fine, right?"

"Y-yes...this is amazing...hah..."

"Oh, fuck. Mom..."

The last is Daniel, more muffled and pleasured by the surrounding slime squeezing his member.

Anne beams. "That's good. Seeing how Daniel is ready, I'll pull you two even closer..."

Shlip...shlip

"Ngh! O-ooh~"

Mary's face extrudes out more as she feels Anne's slime filling her hole, and along with it, her lover's cock from behind as his body flushes against her back.

"S-slow, ungh!"

As Daniel cautions, Mary squirms in delight, wiggling her hips against her boyfriend. Perhaps it's thanks to Anne's slime guiding in, but Daniel's cock fits perfectly. It's as if they never broke up.

"Oh, love! You're...throbbing so hard."

"Ma...ry..."

Anne can tell her son is writhing in pleasure to the tightness and warmth of Mary. In turn, the dark artist's head stretches in and out from Anne's chest from the beginning thrusts.

Splish, splish, splish!

"You know, this is horrifying," Viviane admits, arms crossed as she stares at Mary's outline wobbling from Anne's mass like a flopping fish.

Her sister giggles. "I'm a little bigger than I need to be. Maybe it'll be a little less horrifying if I align myself to their combined shape?"

With that said, the slime mother starts optimizing to the two's average height. She first hides much of Daniel's resting head against Mary's shoulder with a thicker layer, then tightens across Mary's frontal contours while doing the same against Daniel's back.

Shwip...shiwp!

She makes sure her wrapping is not so much that she'll end up diving deep into the two's biology. At the end, she's fitted around their bodies like a glove. The reduction allows Mary's knitted face to show through Anne's head like foggy glass, their lips now aligned.

"How is it?" Anne asks, forcing the movement of the artist's mouth as if they were her own.

The female artist breathes in deeply with fresher air before barely opening her eyes against to see through Anne's view with blue-tinted vision. Her momentary excitement is reduced to a grunt as Daniel continues his small slaps behind her.

Her eyes roll up a little. "A-amazing...ungh."

Anne grins. "I bet you can barely stand. Don't worry, Mama will start moving you two."

Like that, Anne takes control to walk towards the bed, causing Daniel and Mary's legs to bend accordingly. With each step, the two within groan as the movement unintentionally causes Daniel to push deeper into the ebony beauty's ass. It helps that he feels no resistance due to Anne coating her bowels.

"G-god, ugh...fuck! It...hurts so good!" Mary screams, her voice clearer as it escapes Anne's lips.

"Hehe~"

While Mary enjoys the sensation of her boyfriend, Anne rubs her fitted breasts. With another arm, the slime mother extends to Mary's nether regions, slipping a hand between her folds that drip heavily; all absorbed into the surrounding gel, of course.

The double penetration rocks Mary as she moans louder, her mind slowly loosing it. Behind, Daniel doesn't fair better as Mary's cheeks jiggle around his hips, milking him into utter bliss.

Even though he's mostly flushed against the dark artist, there's enough slime in between to act as a cushion so that they don't feel like they're being crushed together. Moreover, the slime that surrounds them is constantly massaging them into submission.

They can't help but loosen to the slime's control.

Reaching the bedside, Anne hums playfully. "Now, let's just slowly sit down here..."

As she bends further onto the bedside, Daniel cock slides in deep in as their legs match, causing him to tighten his hands around Mary's own.

"H-holy fuck!" Mary groans, her pupils shaking in a mixture of disbelief and lust.

"Ungh, I can't...!"

Like that, Daniel convulses, spurting away into his fellow artist's bowels. Of course, Anne takes it all from within as she hums pleasantly to the two's animalistic noises.

Twitching to their combined movements, the slime mother holds for a bit before reclining on her side across the bed with legs curled. The tightness of their forced spooning remains, but Daniel's cock grows soft with no energy to maintain. Along with it, his eyes flutter as he crashes down from the peak.

"M-mary?" he calls weakly, feeling her own bodily shaking cease.

Worried by how the female artist has suddenly gone quiet, Anne quickly opens her mouth; then sighs with relief as Mary's breath comes through.

"She just passed out after cumming."

"Thank goodness. God, she's...still so tight...and warm."

"Just for the record, I'm not squeezing you from my lining. That's all Mary."

Daniel shivers one last time with that in mind. Then, as he feels his girlfriend's heartbeat passing into his own, his eyes close. He musters some strength to take control of one of their sandwiched arms to wrap around Mary's waist, which doubles for his slime mother.

With one final muffled breath, he holds them both at the same time and within the same space. Such a binding is beyond a position he'd imagine himself to be in; however, Mary had been interested in a little bondage play.

Obviously, nothing was ever realized like this.

"Go to sleep, my baby," Anne urges, her voice warm. "You wouldn't want Mary to be alone in my world, would you?"

The artist easily falls to such words and nestles his face further into Mary's shoulder, kissing her skin. For now, he just enjoys his counterpart's warmth and mother's cushion as he drifts away.

It would seem his slime mother has truly glued them together.

Chapter 74: Lakes and Fogs

Chapter Text

Daniel opens his eyes to the fresh air of the grassy plains that stretches before him.

The dive into Anne's realm is no different from before, aside from the feeling of already standing. More importantly, he has to blink twice to confirm that night has shadowed the land as described. That said, despite having only the faintest illumination from the stars above, the scenery has simply become a different painting that isn't any less beautiful.

But can it still be admired if its changes are consequential?

"Aha, there you are! Finally joined, I see."

Burying his awe, he turns a full one-eighty to Mary. There, in front of her lake, her outline simmers with its glow as if it were brimming with life. He'd normally take time to appreciate her shaded contours with such a backdrop, except...

"What...the...fuck?"

His eyes inevitably pop out, ripped from his girlfriend's presence to the unmistakable white tear above. It snatches him as he watches the crack pulse out magical symbols that demand royal attention.

Mary and Anne didn't nearly do justice to describing the anomaly, already bigger than Daniel imagined. Swallowing slowly, he tries to calm himself while forcing his legs to join his counterpart's side.

Suppressing a short laugh, Mary crosses her arms and nods. "Yep, you're holding the same reaction I did."

Snapping away from the mesmerizing hole in space, Daniel shakes his head before thinning his lips. "First off, are you okay?"

The dark artist raises a brow before gasping. "Ah, right, we're pretty wrapped up against each other in the real world. I feel fine, but it's strange how none of that comes through."

Pausing, she grins. "Well, we could do it here if we wanted. Wouldn't that be meta?"

Daniel drops his head. "You're crazy. Let's be serious here, please."

"Oh, fine, but you have to admit it was heart-pounding being squeezed together. I know you felt good, wiggling your hips behind my bigger butt so eagerly~"

The male artist glances away. "I...I'll refuse to encourage more of it. Anyway, has anything changed since you and Anne dived into this place?"

Mary titters at her boyfriend's lack of honesty, but otherwise, she lifts her gaze back to the hole in the sky.

"Well, the tear seems to be the same as last time, so...maybe that's good? Other than that, we have a new lake! Guess whose it is?"

Following Mary's hand to the right of them, Daniel catches the third lake's similar glow, seemingly about a hundred meters away. That's about the same distance from Anne's lake to their left.

He narrows his eyes. "Mine?"

"Bingo!" Mary chirps. "It was a good thirty minutes before you arrived, so I checked it out while waiting for you. Not that I need it to revisit your memories, but it's cool to see a wobbling view of our sex life from your perspective."

"Why specifically...you know what, nevermind."

It may be him, but the lake also seems smaller in comparison to the other two. He decides against questioning with a more notable body of water missing.

"What about Mother's lake?" he asks.

His fellow artist hums, placing a finger on her chin. "I wondered that as well. Now that Anne has access to Viviane's time, she should be here as well in some form, right?"

They scan the area with that in mind. Thankfully, the lakes shine in the dark like moonlight across ice rather than water, so if there is a fourth lake, it should be pretty obvious. On the other hand, his second slime mother is a special existence compared to humans and even Anne. Perhaps the same rules for how memories gather in this metaphysical reality are different for her.

'No, why would that matter?' Daniel rejects in his head as his brows lower. 'Memories are still memories. If Anne can access Viviane's time, then it should show up somehow.'

"Wait, there's...something in the distance below the tear!" Mary points.

Looking closely, a light cloud clings to the ground further in front of them. Granted, one would be hard-pressed to see it in the dark, given the faintest grey against the light reflecting off Mary's lake, but it's worth noting when everywhere else is clear.

"Well, it's something, but it seems a little far. Do we really have to walk that distance?" Daniel asks.

Mary giggles as she slides her hand into his. "Love, this place is vast, but aren't you sick of staying in the same general area?"

Daniel snorts. "I guess...well, it doesn't look like we have much of a choice."

"Then, shall we swim through my lake? Ah! Wait, no, let me rephrase: Shall we swim through me?"

Grinning slyly, Daniel rolls his eyes, but is unable to prevent his lips from rising to her stupid joke. "I think I've swum enough with you, much less in you."

"Ha! Come now, love. Are you going to really take your time walking around my lake? Unlike yours over there, we'll easily lose fifteen minutes if we don't go straight through mine."

Flinching, Daniel momentarily holds his breath. "No way...Are you saying my lake is small?"

"Pfft, it's basically a pond," Mary maintains, waving her hand. "It's cute, though. I wonder why it's so small, hmm?"

"Really, Mary?" Daniel questions back flatly. He's more disappointed at such an unoriginal allusion.

Snickering, his girlfriend leans forward. "Oh, relax! Mummy knows you're plenty big in other ways~"

"Now I'm confused. Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

She narrows slyly. "My ass says it is, at least."

Daniel snorts. "Being blunt isn't very British of you."

"Hey, I've been in America for too long!"

"Agreed."

Moving on, Daniel turns his attention to her waters. "Since I don't know how much time we have here, we'll swim through yo-I mean, your lake, alright? Before that, I want to see your viewing of the Isis book with Merlin's message that you said magically appeared before you."

Mary gasps. "Oh, right! All you have to do is recall what I remember as a young girl as you focus in on a place of the waters. Who knows, maybe you'll get a different message."

He understands Anne didn't receive any message, meaning Merlin may not have expected his slime mother's viewing, or involvement, for that matter. Although he's not holding any expectation for a message either, he steps closer to the shore and narrows his eyes.

As he stares at the calm water's surface, he recalls the moment young Mary picked up the book. When she opened it...

Nothing.

For Daniel, it's all missing. That's emphasized by how the wavy image in the waters only shows Marlin's panicked face with the dropped book shut after the fact.

Mary clicks her tongue. "I guess it doesn't play in full for you. Let me try it again."

Daniel relaxes his attention, allowing the female artist to take over from her original recollection. As she squints, he can see the same memory playing, but this time, it shows her actually opening the book.

However, there is no magic, only a blank page.

"Huh!?"

Apparently, it's blank for Mary now as well. With such a discrepancy, she drops her focus with a few blinks, then waves her arm, shouting at her waters. "Hey, stupid wizard, I know what I saw! You're not going to replay some magic and generate some steamy words?"

At the very least, the blank page shows something was unlocked, considering Daniel couldn't even pull that from his collection of foreign memories.

"Maybe his message was a one-time thing?" he suggests.

Slumping, Mary exhales. "Yeah, probably. Well, it was worth trying."

Daniel smiles reassuringly. "In any case, your uncle will be coming over with the book, so we'll have more chances to discover other aspects. You said he'd be coming this weekend, right?"

Rubbing her head, Mary grows a little annoyed at the thought of her family member. "Yes, but I have no idea what he's thinking. After denying to pay at least part of the ticket, he texted me just after dinner that he'd reimburse me once he sees our loving shapeshifters. Jeez, he didn't even think I would go through and pay for his flight!"

"I don't blame his caution," Daniel admits. "I'm a bit worried about how he'll react."

Mary scoffs. "He's studying a magic book! I think he'll fare much better than I did."

Stretching her arms forward, she prepares to take a dive. "Let's not dawdle any longer. It should be safe to swim, right? I mean, it seems like normal water aside from you being able to breathe in it."

"That was with Mom's lake, but I'm assuming it's the same with the other ones. Let's just hope there's nothing that drags us down."

Mary stiffens as Daniel's first experience with Viviane vividly plays back in her head. Swallowing, she laughs nervously. "Um, actually, you know what? I'd rather not get wet. Besides, we should be more careful with all the changes that occurred, and surely, we have enough time in this world before we wake up, right?"

Daniel stares blankly at his counterpart's shifty-eyed excuse. Although part of him just wants to swim through to rattle her bones, he isn't keen on swimming either.

With a light shake of his head, he squeezes her hand with a smile. "Alright, we'll go around. Just don't complain about the travel...you know, given how large you are."

Catching the corner of his lips rising further, Mary opens her mouth silently before narrowing her eyes. "You're technically right, but at the same time, I should've seen that coming."

...

..

.

Some distance later, after passing around Mary's lake, the two artists notice the fog growing stronger as it shrouds their feet. Behind them, the three lakes are mere shining dots that only dim as they move further into the depths of their uncertain direction.

The tear above that quakes with magic provides the only meaningful light: almost a guidance, one could say. Were it not for that, they wouldn't be sure whether they're keeping straight.

"This is going well," Mary begins, her tongue sour. "Not. Creepy. At. All."

"Why even point it out?" Daniel asks, less concerned.

"Well, I'm sorry!" she growls before swallowing to reign in her chills. "But in seriousness, what do you make of this?"

"It's a fog."

Mary drops her head. "Yes, I see that, love. Let's not be that serious and have a bit more imagination."

"Well, that's more of your forte, so you tell me."

Curling her lips, Mary looks around as the area fades into more grey, and oddly, a little brighter as a result. Despite it being nighttime, the fog seems to be spreading more of the light it receives above.

"We're...passing through the shadow realm! Yeah, that probably is a thing, right?"

Daniel's lips break into a smile as he shakes his head. "You're such a dork."

"Hey, let's not ignore your childhood," Mary reminds.

"Fine, we're both dorks," he says, chuckling.

They squeeze their hands together in their moment of brief uplift, but not even that helps them with their next step.

"Huh...Gwak!"

Mary drops from Daniel's view with a delayed squawk, her hand sliding out of his grasp before he can react and tighten. It takes a moment for his girlfriend's disappearance to register before his pupils shrink.

"Mary!"

Heart racing, Daniel steps closer to his fellow artist's previous position, only to nearly stumble as well. Luckily, he catches himself, then bends to one knee to feel out the ground with his hands. To his horror, it slopes out into a mixture of dirt and sand with no clear end.

"Shit, Mary!"

Calling out again, he squints in the hopes he'll see where she dropped; however, no amount of focus would help cut through the fog. Without any response or sign, he's about to follow her down....

At least, until a hand shoots out, gripping his arm.

"Fuck!"

The artist's heart almost stops beating, but he has enough mind to recognize Mary's dark skin showing through the fog. Hearing her grunt, he exhales slowly before helping her back onto her feet.

"Oh god, that scared me!" the ebony artist gasps. Not wishing to slip again, she tugs closer to her fellow artist, her breasts squishing against his body as she does. Glancing downward after taking another breath, she growls. "Why the hell is there a depression here?!"

More relieved than anything, Daniel wraps his arms around her and forces them to take a few steps back for safety. Seeing how they still remain on solid ground, he eventually adds space as he grips the sides of her arms.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

Mary hums, taking time to pat herself down. At the same time, the drip of concern in her counterpart's voice makes her smile, but she clears her throat. "Other than the sudden fall, yeah, I think."

They turn towards the general area of the slope to try to make out the terrain change. As if expecting their attention, some of the fog in their view decreases, revealing enough of a large ditch that stretches out with little warning.

A dried lake.

"Wait a minute, could this be...no, that can't be, right?" Mary questions, mirroring Daniel's similar thoughts regarding Viviane; however, it doesn't make sense. After all, why would such an empty lake exist far out from the more healthy lakes, especially when Anne carries her slime sister's memories?

Or could this feature have been here before Viviane left Anne?

Without answers, Daniel thinks back to the lake dweller's time alone. In some ways, the mist and silence of the area matches what his slime mother had to deal with. The only difference from memory is that her lake was full, not to mention that a green flame is assumed to have swallowed her into a different realm.

"Please...enough..."

Before they could dwell further on the matter, Mary and Daniel's ears perk to a weak but familiar cry behind them. They turn around to find the silver-haired mother collapsed on the ground, her hands bundled into a fist, shaking.

"Mother?! Wait, how...?"

While Daniel calls out, confused, Mary immediately rushes to the slime's side, unable to worry over such details of her joining.

"Oh my god, love," Mary begins, crouching to her side. "Are you-ack!"

Flinching with more surprise, Mary stretches away with her hands up as the lake dweller disperses into the air before she can touch her. Now holding her breath, she slowly returns her gaze to Daniel, equally stunned.

Like that, a floodgate of Viviane's old and new memories fills the air.

"The constant cries! Please, how can I help this child? Answer me!"

"Waah! I'm the worst mother ever!"

"Always the same...always the fucking same!"

"Hmph! If you're truly sorry, call me Mommy."

"My very own clone, ha ha...how foolish. I'm going crazy!"

"Oh...oh, child...mngh"

Her struggles, love, insanity, and confusion all appear around them, with near-physical images of herself and others in those moments. At this point, it's apparent that the current lake dweller isn't actually here with them; rather, they are witnessing a different form of memory instead of ones that would play on a lake's surface.

In that case...

Recovering, Daniel finds his voice again. "Mary, I think this is the same as our lakes. We need to stop thinking about her!"

"Ah!"

Like a switch, Daniel's theory proves correct as the voices cease. Along with it, various images of the elder slime disperse into the suspended particles in the air.

While the area regains its uncomfortable silence, Mary straightens and joins her boyfriend's side, less disturbed. "Whoa, that's actually amazing! It may be spread out, but it's still water around us that must've filled this lake!"

"Yes, or what's left," Daniel adds, returning his eyes to the ground depression.

Unable to guess the reason behind the features, he rubs his forehead. "I think we should head back before...?"

A distant wail of a baby interrupts his thought process, inducing a cold down his spine.

"Mary, do you hear that?"

"Y-yes, I hear it! Just for the record, I'm not triggering this one, I swear!"

Neither is Daniel.

There's no image of Viviane appearing anywhere near them, but knowing this was a constant source of torment for the elder slime, it's definitely more than related. In fact, a pain builds within their hearts, ingrained in them by the lake dweller's long dealings with such a cry.

Mary especially winces, her maternal strings tugging. There's something horrible about a child calling out to its mother, yet never receiving the attention it needs.

So, how could she ignore that now, especially when Viviane tried her best to reach such a child?

"Mary, we need to leave," Daniel urges, understanding exactly what his fellow artist is thinking. "Remember, this is all from past dealings."

"No, but...someone was left behind. What if there's something here that helps us understand your Mother better?"

The wail grows in volume, and Mary gasps. Biting her lips, she grasps Daniel's hand as her eyes plead further. "Love, we don't know if we'll get this chance again. There's something different about this one compared to Viviane's memories!"

Daniel curls his own as he gazes out into the distance. The wailing never stops, but unlike with Viviane's former realm, he agrees that it feels like he can hear where it's coming from. Regardless, his elder slime mother was never able to reach this child, so how will their presence help?

Despite his doubts and desire to not get lost in this fog, Daniel ultimately cannot ignore the call. He squeezes the ebony artist's hand with a bitter smile. "Alright, but if the cry changes direction or doesn't get louder, then we head back, alright?"

"Of course."

They begin moving away from the ditch into more of the surrounding fog. While keeping their ears attentive to the untiring cry, they also check above them, making sure the tear in the sky is visible so they have a reference to turn back.

Their hearts beat louder as the cry grows more pronounced, adding to the idea that they're already closer to the baby than Viviane ever was. Perhaps their anxiety comes from the elder slime, who desperately wishes she could meet this child in need.

Carrying that hope, the crying stops.

It puts Mary and Daniel suddenly off course. Given no further guidance, they scan around them as silence once more permeates the dense cloud surrounding them. The only thing that can be heard is their hearts beating out through their bodies.

Hoping for more, Mary's breath halts as she catches a shadowed figure in the distance.

"Love," she whispers, grabbing Daniel's attention towards her view.

The male artist blinks as he sees the figure as well. Feeling unease, though, he squeezes Mary closer to him. It's obvious that, without any trigger, this is more than just a passing memory.

Cautious, they creep closer to the figure. With each step, the ground becomes increasingly damp with the addition of small puddles that splash between their toes. They can't even begin to consider the changes, but the terrain's relationship to the figure and cry isn't random.

Eventually, they approach close enough for their eyes to peer through the haze, uncloaking two people. Straightaway, they freeze together.

"Daniel, that's-"

"I know."

The same dark-haired woman who was about to be burned in one memory, then offered consolation to Viviane in another, holds a baby wrapped in cloth with a gentle smile on her face.

Oblivious to her audience, the mysterious woman's eyes soften as she grazes the hidden face of the bundle in her arms.

"I've seen many abandoned children such as yourself, little one," she begins.

'Abandoned?' Daniel repeats in his head.

Mary swallows and steps forward, seeing no reason to be discrete. "E-excuse me, is this the child who was crying out?"

The woman doesn't answer and turns around, giggling. For a brief second, Daniel's pupils shrink when he sees bits of silver hair dressing the baby's head before being hidden by the holder's back.

'What?'

"So, my child," the woman continues as if uninterrupted. "I'll protect you as I've done for others."

"Wait!" Mary calls out, stretching a hand, but the lady walks away from them and fades into the fog without a shadow left behind.

Stunned, the ebony artist has to blink a few times before straightening and placing a hand on her hips, huffing.

"What the hell?! Is this really a memory? Maybe a hidden one? I don't understand. We didn't even trigger anything!"

"Let's not worry about the behavior of the place here," Daniel insists, his forehead creased harder than it ever was. "It's clear this whole place is a mess."

For that reason, one can easily get lost in such a spot. If this is similar to what Viviane had to deal with, it's no surprise she couldn't rediscover herself.

"Ah...Daniel, you're fading!"

The artist blinks, then looks at his arms. As his vision darkens, he looks up at Mary to see she's fading as well.

He gives a wry smile. "It looks like our time is up."

For now, Daniel leaves with a better idea of his elder slime mother, but there is a problem.

He sighs. 'This is why I wanted to go back...'

While they've learned a lot, Daniel can't help but groan, knowing they'll start lost in this fog the next time they enter Anne.

Chapter 75: A Belly Full of Love

Chapter Text

"Hah..."

Mary's hitched breath tickles Daniel's face as his world switches. Stirred, the male artist tightens his eyes for a moment before seeing the close, flushed face of his counterpart.

While they remain inside Anne's gooey body, shouldn't he be behind her?

"...Mary?".

Said artist forces a strained smile in her own waking pleasure. Curled around her lover, she can feel his hardening cock stretch her pussy this time, and like before, there's little room to pull out.

Of course, she doesn't mind this at all.

"H-hey there again, love," she greets slowly, then stiffens. "P-pretty tight, isn't it?"

"Oh good, both of you are awake now!" The exuberant, muffled voice of Anne calls from outside.

They can imagine her grin as she continues, "Hehe, I took some liberty to shuffle you two. How is it?"

"How is it? Ngh, it's wonderfully tight. You're the best, Anne!" Mary praises, partially moaning as she wiggles against Daniel.

The rubbed male grunts in response, his body's excitement finally catching up to his mind as he feels the British woman's chest squish pleasantly against him. Although they had just come back from an exploration that needed to be shared, his hips are hard-pressed to continue other avenues.

"Oh, fuck it," he mutters, jiggling his slime mother's surroundings as he thrusts with what little room he can muster.

Mary gasps, her eyes rolling up a little. "Anh...e-easy, love. Mummy isn't going anywhere~"

Her crafted words spur him as he presses his lips to her own, locking them further into pleasure.

On the outside, Anne is still in her slime form as she titters to her enlarged belly, wobbling with their love. Sighing, she rubs Daniel's extruding head between her breasts. Tiny waves spread down as the pounding catches a rhythm.

"It seems I have some naughty babies...ah! Actually, Viviane, do you want to try holding them?" Anne asks, turning to her seated slime sister at her son's desk.

Distracted in her research as she took to Daniel's computer during the night, she now straightens and swivels to meet her slime sister's gaze.

She hums for a moment, twisting her lips before responding, "I'm tempted, but I shouldn't yet. I want to hold our son first, just like you had, before I consider more."

Anne tilts her head. "But haven't you already engulfed our son?"

"If you're referring to our joining as Vida, that's different. Anyway, I'm not in no ru-"

"Ungh...I'm cumming, Daniel!"

"I'm also...!"

Within Anne, the two artists interrupt in one final thrust, sending the encompassing slime mother to nearly bounce from the internal force. Giggling, she loosens her grip on her sweet guests as they grow limp together.

After some heavy breaths, the chamber of Anne becomes a series of loving moans and kisses, building down their afterglow.

As much as Anne wants to keep them together, she's feeling a little jealous of their continuing affection. Pouting, she allows her "belly" to open up, exposing them to the morning rays that cross their faces.

"Gah, mom!"

"T-too bright!"

Whistling, Anne slides away from them as they roll away from each other to cover their eyes. Not to take pleasure in her mischief for too long, she reforms by the bedside and clears herself.

"Look at you two being so lovey-dovey in your own world, despite Mama being such a hospitable host. I may as well be invisible, huh?"

Readjusting to daylight, Daniel forces a smile at his jelly mother. "N-nonsense, mom, you're great! Maybe harsh sometimes, but great!"

"What was the last part, mister?"

"N-nothing!"

Fully attentive now, Daniel stands to kiss his dear slime mother reassuringly, but she narrows her eyes suspiciously while accepting such lips. Eventually, she comes around and melts into his hold as he slides his hands over her hips.

After a few licks between them, Mary sits up from the bed, then raises her arms while motioning with her hands. "Love, me too, please~"

Daniel pulls away with a raised brow. "We already-"

"Not you; I meant your mother!"

The slime mother gasps, her figurative heart bursting at the invitation, "Aw, Mary!"

Eagerly jumping back to bed, the slime locks her lips with her fellow mother-in-arm. As the two girls embrace, Daniel shakes his head with a sigh.

'I really can't win.'

"So, child, how are you feeling?" Viviane asks, stepping closer to her deflated boy. Unlike everyone else, she seems to have dressed into a night gown after he and Mary fell asleep. Although Daniel questions the necessity when everyone else has been naked, he can't deny the allure of her chosen white fabric tugging at her pale curves.

Quickly, he averts his gaze away from her chest and clears his throat. "Surprisingly okay, considering I've been compacted against Mary for so long."

Viviane's eyes soften. "I'm glad. Mommy was a bit worried."

"Worried? Why would you-umph! Mmgh..."

More kissing goes around as his lips are taken unexpectedly, but Daniel accepts the elder slime's movement. Like with Anne, he holds her close and takes his time tasting her. When she pulls away first, she leaves her hands on her son's cheeks.

"I just held a thought of what would happen if you and Mary got trapped there, that's all."

The artist blinks before breathing easily. He cups her hand closer to his face. "It may be possible, but so far, we've been able to wake up fine."

Viviane sighs. "I know, but...anyway, it's just my reservation. So, what did you see in there?"

"Well...I guess you, for one."

"Me?"

Mary finishes cuddling squishy Anne on the bed, perking up to their conversation. Refocusing her attention on the two, she knits her brows.

"At least start from the beginning, love."

Daniel rubs his neck. "Right...well, the tear and change to night are the same, as far as Mary remembers. Then, there are two new areas for memories: One of them is mine as a lake-"

"You mean a cute pond," Mary corrects.

"Lake" Daniel maintains indignantly. "I didn't personally check it out, though. Instead, we found out that Mary can't re-trigger Merlin's message. There's nothing to note for me, either."

Viviane hums, placing a hand on her chin. "That might say the wizard left it only for me and Mary. How about the second lake? I'm guessing that would be mine, right?"

The artist thins his lips at such an assumption. "Well, not exactly. Before that, have you ever seen a fog when you were stuck there by the lakes?"

The elder slime frowns as bitter times unfolds in her head. "No, not in her realm. The only fog I've seen was one I was trapped in before being transferred to my sister."

"If you haven't seen it before, then it may have manifested itself after you shared your memories with Mom."

Even though Viviane doesn't need to breathe, she instinctively holds herself while her pupils shrink. "That's..."

Quickly, Daniel draws her hands back and firmly rubs her shoulders. "Mother, please. It's okay."

Swallowing, her eyes shift to Mary and Anne, who also smile back at their fellow mother. Feeling their concern for her, she lowers her gaze. "R-right...no, maybe...such feature has always been intended for me. Did you go inside?"

Daniel nods. "Just like the lakes, we found out we could see your memories if we thought about you, but unlike our lakes, they played as if you were really in front of us. I don't know...like a hologram? That's the only way I can compare."

"Really, love? I would say it was like seeing ghosts of the past. It just made the whole place eerier," Mary adds, shivering.

"Either way, it's not just a simple fog," Daniel continues, staring carefully into the lake dweller's eyes. "Within, we also nearly dropped into a large ditch, which looks like it held water once."

"Seriously..." Viviane mutters as she stumbles back, her face wrinkling. "I don't like any of what I'm hearing. Why am I the one so different?"

Daniel and Mary glance at each other, silently understanding to leave it at that for now. The biggest reveal of all is the cry of a baby, which may have been the same one that haunted the lake dweller for centuries. If that's really the case, it's unknown why they were able to find the source. Regardless, talking about it now might make the lake dweller more anxious.

"Let's take it easy for now," he insists on that note, burying his own concerns. "How about I make breakfast this time?"

Mary groans, lifting herself away from the bed. "That sounds good, but I have to get back to my studio to finish some work."

"As do I," Daniel agrees.

"Don't worry. Mama will help you, Daniel!" Anne declares, her body wobbling with motivation.

Seeing such unfair company and dedication to her boyfriend, Mary's face falls with bitter lips.

"Must be nice having such a cute, motherly assistant," she grumbles, then reaches over to grab her phone from the nightstand. She sours more, seeing how many emails were auto-responded to during these two days of break and now have to be properly addressed.

Feeling bad for the forlorn artist, Viviane smiles softly. "Mary, I'd be happy to come along and help. After all, everyone's combined knowledge of painting has been bestowed on me. Not only that, I remember all your current clients, so I'm confident I can assist with your communications."

The offer nearly smacks Mary as she inhales sharply. Clasping her hands together, her eyes shimmer at the elder slime. "My goddess!"

Daniel shakes his head, but has no problem letting his elder slime mother leave with Mary. It might even do her some good with a change in scenery.

Before that, though, he furrows. "By the way, did you learn anything more about that book and author...who was it, Layna Moore?"

Sighing, Viviane slumps. "I can't say anything has stood out to me so far. She just goes into more analysis of her grandfather's journals, but it's all mindless: Finger cutting, sacrifices, and values of the humanities that are rewarded by Isis. Yet, I can't seem to find much relevancy to what we've seen so far."

Exhaling out her frustration, she then narrows her eyes. "As for the author, there's very limited information about her except for other books she wrote, most of which are saner. A few says she passed away a few years ago, but nothing is substantiated online."

"So then...?"

"For now, I've read all I could," Viviane concludes. "Of course, I'll keep checking every now since more people are becoming aware of the book's claims and discussing them, but I will say, one person brought an interesting point: We should keep an open mind about what a flood means. To the Babylonians, floods were the bringer of death, but to the Egyptians, it was their life."

"I see what you mean. It's neither good nor bad; it just brings about some sort of change in the end."

"That's right," Viviane confirms, then looks back at Mary and her slime sister, worried.

She feels the same as she squeezes her son's hands. "The only change I want is to be able to live freely with you all."

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Miles out, Lecia is at a loss as she stares blankly ahead within her kitchen. She holds a phone to her left ear, where Mike's sad voice passes through, bearing unwelcome changes.

"...What? You're ending the investigation in Egypt?"

"..."

Slowly, the Sights Open president shuts her eyes tightly. "I get it. Please help arrange safe passage for them to come to the U.S. Still, how did two of them get attacked? These are members who are locals, so they know the area, unless..."

"..."

Digging her hand through her hair, Lecia shivers. "No, this...something is wrong here."

"..."

Lecia lowers her head, her eyes darkening as she slams her hand on her countertop, gritting her teeth. "I'm well aware there's been missteps, damn it! I don't need another lecture from you. Aside from things out of our control, however, your team's activity in Egypt should not have been noticed. If we're talking missteps, then this all started with a lead from your wife, who-"

Immediately, she pulls her phone away from her ear as Mike's voice rises. It's to be expected, but her heart may as well be ripped out.

Does her college friend really trust Jessica more than her? Even after all they've been through together?

Tears flood her eyes as she tries to keep her voice. "Mike, she can't be discounted just because you're married to her, and even if she's from academia! Please-"

The call drops, and shaking, Lecia slams the back of her phone onto the counter with an annoyed grunt. With it, tears drip down onto the floor tiles as she tries to steady herself amid her awful teeth-clenched expression.

Of course, any loving man would get angry with accusations against their wife, but isn't that unfair? It's not as if there haven't been risks to their members before, but this seems to have escalated at the wrong time.

Her phone rings again. It's her secretary.

"Fuck..."

Taking a deep breath, she rubs her eyes before clearing her throat and answering, "Yes?"

"..."

"Who? I'm not expecting anyone with that name. Please ask him to schedule an appointment after he goes through the proper channels with the sales team first if he wants to discuss-"

She halts herself, paling, as the secretary throws more information. "He wants to talk about...Isis?"

Chapter 76: Existence Not Found

Chapter Text

Perhaps it was naive of Lecia to think she could keep digging in secret for so long. Anyone would eventually notice a hole in the ground. From there, the person digging could be buried alive with little hope of escaping at the behest of their uncertain discoverer.

The Stonehenge leader already felt she'd gone too far since she realized the green fire was more. Without recourse, however, she had to keep digging a slope to get out, and in her haste, she probably was digging areas where she should've avoided.

An archaeologist doing excavation must survey their surroundings carefully. Where had she gone wrong?

Certainly, commissioning Daniel to celebrate such a magical moment was a lapse of judgment. As Mike warned, it may have also been too soon to reveal to the greater group the illusive movements of an unknown creature, although she still feels otherwise given the changes to the stars.

Regardless, there's little she can do now except push ahead as she walks through the hallways of the Sights Open office, trailing her secretary to meet with the unknown man who wished to discuss a certain Egyptian goddess. Specifically, he's interested in the company's technologies to scan potential ruins buried in Bigeh where the Egyptian Temple of Isis originally stood.

Given the relevancy and timing, there's clearly more to the arrival without prior notice.

"Here she is, Doctor Grayson. I appreciate your patience," the secretary announces as she opens the door to the meeting room for her boss.

Taking a small breath, Lecia follows through while forcing a smile.

"Welcome, Doctor Grayson," she greets, extending a hand.

Rising from his seat for a moment and lifting his lips, he takes in her hand shortly before settling back down.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Bowden," he replies, his voice laced with a hint of rasp. "I apologize for taking your time on such short notice. Please, just call me Victor."

Victor Grayson.

Bearing streaks of grey, Lecia takes in the older man's slicked-back hazelnut hair and goatee that lines his rigid face. She hoped that his appearance might ring a bell, but so far, she still doesn't recall ever meeting such a person.

Her secretary sent over information on him: Victor is a former professor of history at Broughton International University, having moved and studied eight years within the branch in Cairo. Other than looking into mythologies and ancient Egyptian religion like others in his field, his work is surprisingly low-key.

Rather, it's suspicious.

After her secretary leaves them alone, Lecia straightens in her seat across, keeping up her smile.

"Can you tell me why there's such urgency? We've helped with many archeological projects around, but from what I've read, it seems you retired from academia. What could you possibly be involved in?"

Victor closes his eyes, chuckling. "In some ways, this old man can't seem to let go of the past. I'm sure you know the feeling."

The Stonehenge leader's smile falters as she narrows her eyes. It's pointless to continue formalities. "No. Who are you, really?"

Taking a sip of the bottled water provided, he hums sadly. "I agree the timing isn't ideal, Miss Bowden. It's certainly not my intention to grab your attention like this, either. It is true that I'm aware you had people in Egypt, outside your normal, looking into a very specific history that is unknown to most."

That confirms everything as Lecia clenches her hands, her heart racing. "So you're with the ones-"

"Not exactly," Victor corrects, raising his hand. "Please, relax. Like you, I also believe unknown corners of history needs to be explored. There shouldn't be any violence between groups wanting to seek out the truth."

"Yet, you're aware of them," Lecia maintains, her eyes unable to help but glare. Subsequently, she scoffs and crosses her arms. "I can easily guess that you found some enlightenment during your research days at University. Although I never dwelled on it too much, I should've been more aware there would be people who would also be looking into rumored elements. Everything is public, after all."

"Public, but not so accessible. In any case, the ones that attacked your members are from followers of Isis, who despise seekers of truth that do not completely devote themselves to their goddess."

Lecia had a feeling. In fact, she had read Layna Moore's analysis of her grandfather's journals a few years ago, which undoubtedly has blown up now. As such, the idea of modern-day believers in the Egyptian and pagan gods isn't so far-fetched.

"You say the 'ones', but aren't you also a follower?" she questions.

Victor stares in silence before the corners of his lips rise slightly. "Do you know what the problem is with followers?"

"..."

He continues, his gaze following the grains of the table. "Followers risk enforcing a narrow outlook on their lives and others the longer they devote themselves to someone...or something. Over time, they may even lose sight of who they were truly following, twisting their image to validate an aspect they wish others to see. Sadly, we constantly see this happening with various degrees."

He snorts, chuckling. "However, in this case, it doesn't help that such a goddess never held a consistent image of herself in the first place."

Lecia's brows furrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Shaking his head, Victor straightens his focus back to the Stonehenge leader. "To answer your question, I am a follower, but even now, I'm not sure what I'm following anymore. At the very least, I acknowledge that Isis existed in some form on this planet for many years."

Lecia's eyes widen. "Her...existence?"

Swallowing, she recalls Mike's findings regarding the last Egyptian throne. "Then, you're referring to Cleopatra's supposed revival?"

Victor hums. "What your group was seeking to confirm is the earliest written claim to an incarnation of Isis on Earth, but you mustn't think of it as a single revival. In reality, Cleopatra was simply a catalyst for one of the many forms that walked among us."

The Stonehenge leader's hands shake underneath the table, her heart rising with alarm as she thinks of Amy's missing body.

'...existing in some form...'

Realizing his words so far matched her underlying concern, it still seems insane, but...can it really be the case?

"How are you so sure?" she asks, her voice beginning to strain.

Victor lifts his chin a little, studying her features carefully. "Hard to really explain, but there's a saying: 'Seeing is believing'. It's a poor excuse, since I would doubt it even if I were to hear it from myself, even with my time. Still, Lecia, you have already seen evidence of this truth using one of the books."

Snapping her eyes wide, the Stonehenge leader slams her fist on the table as she rises to her feet. "Cut the bullshit! What do you kn-"

It's only a blink, but Lecia's heart drops, and her words are swallowed in such a fleeting moment of frustration. Just as fleeting, the man before her is suddenly gone now; there's not even a water bottle left behind.

As the former archaeologist grows increasingly pale from the seeming hallucinations she may have experienced, her secretary rushes in through the door.

"Miss! Are you okay? I heard shouting. Why are you alone in the meeting room?"

Lecia stiffens, her pupils contracting further. Without looking at her secretary, she continues staring at the empty chair that once seated Victor.

"...alone? I was...no, didn't you set up...?"

As her boss shakes, the secretary cocks her head. "M-miss?"

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Back at Daniel's apartment, Mary thins her lips to the side as she and Daniel are alone for a moment before her leave.

"So...when should we tell her?" she asks.

More specifically, the British artist is referring to the discovery within Anne's realm of the wailing source and caretaker they've yet to know the name of. Undoubtedly, Viviane is owed some explanation, even if it may bring up some trauma.

Daniel rubs his head before deciding. "Tonight, if it's not too late when you're done with work. Otherwise, you can let her know there's something else we skipped to be discussed as a group."

Mary hums. "That seems reasonable. Do you think she'll be able to handle it?"

"Possibly. While it may bring more questions, we can only hope it may bring her some peace too."

"Alright, here are some clothes!"

The motherly and slimy duo returns to the front door, with Anne holding a bag prepared for Mary.

Accepting it with guilt-ridden eyes, Mary sighs. "Oh, love, I'm really sorry to be borrowing some of your clothes."

"Hey, don't be sorry! If anything, I'm the one sorry here," the wavy-haired slime insists, taking the artist's hands in hers.

Mary still feels bad about it, but perks up a little. "Well, I have good news, at least. I managed to set up an appointment today! Hopefully, I'll get a better answer about whether there's anything wrong with me. If not, then..."

Letting her words draw, her pleading eyes say everything to her fellow fusion buddy.

Wiggling her lips, Anne sighs. "I guess after that, maybe I can try fixing you up."

The ebony beauty waves a hand. "Oh, I don't think I need fixing. Our dear son isn't honest, but he likes Mummy's ass."

"Oh, please, spare me," Daniel groans.

The three girls laugh before Viviane steps closer to Mary, her eyes twinkling. Prepared to leave with the female artist, she's already put on shoes and transformed into her less pale form.

"Mary, let's not forget you have me!" she chirps. "If you get a clean bill, I want to merge with you for the first time!"

Both artists flinch. Their thoughts immediately go to details of their excursion into her fog. It would be better to hold off any slimy connection before they're ready to share such memory.

Thus, glancing away, Mary chuckles lightly. "W-we'll see, but let's not rush it, okay? For now, I prefer your physical presence with me as my assistant."

Viviane gasps, then raises her arms. "Don't worry, I'll help you out so we have more time together!"

"Aw~"

Squealing, Mary hugs the lake dweller close, who titters and wraps back. This moment doesn't last long, with a clearing of the throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, but don't you have a client that's visiting in an hour?" Daniel reminds, grinning.

Mary flatly stares back with her cheek squished against Viviane.

"Ugh...so pushy," she grumbles with a pout. Reluctantly, she lets the lake dweller go and opens the door. As it squeaks, Daniel is reminded of something else.

"Oh, wait a sec!"

The two pause as their boyfriend and son rummages through his pocket. He then hands his counterpart a key to his apartment.

"I already have another copy in the drawer, so use this whenever," Daniel urges.

Breathing in silence, Mary holds herself for a moment before her eyes soften. If there's any bigger reminder that they're a couple again, this key is one of them.

"Thank you, love," she whispers, closing the key in her hand. With a tilt of her head back to Daniel, she steps forward and presses her lips against his.

Surprised, Daniel eagerly accepts her feelings in kind, holding her closely. After a few seconds of sweetness filling the air, they part with a shared smile until a cough wedges between them.

"Child, you mustn't forget about your Mother here!"

Harrumphing, Viviane steps forward as well, but this time, Daniel is more prepared to take her cool lips. As he takes her in for a few more seconds, he soon remembers that the door is open to potential onlookers.

Jerking away, he gasps. "Oh shit, um...let's be more careful, okay?"

The two girls giggle at his concern, but don't tease him further. With a wave, they exit the hall and disappear downstairs.

The two girls giggle at his concern, but don't tease him further. Giving one last wave, the contrasting artist and assistant leave their fellow boyfriend and slime sister behind.

With his apartment becoming just a tad quieter, Daniel breathes out as he shuts the door, then thins his lips.

Maybe letting Mary have Viviane for the day was a mistake. At the same time, if the lake dweller can help his girlfriend with her workload, they can get to discussing magical matters sooner.

Amid his worries, Anne hugs her son from behind, rubbing her head against his shoulders. "Hu hu, yes! Mama is finally alone with you!"

'Scratch that. Will I be okay?' Daniel rethinks.

Regardless, he clears his throat. "Hey, Mom, let's not be creepy, okay?"

Gasping by such accusation, she huffs, pulling away. "Mama is happy, not creepy!"

"I fail to see the difference. Anyway, let me answer some emails-"

"Already done."

Daniel stiffens, then focuses her full attention on his unduly proud slime mother. "E-excuse me?"

"I forgot to tell you, but Mama went ahead and updated the status of the commissions on your behalf."

Considering Viviane offered similar assistance to Mary, it might not be a total surprise that Anne can handle the same for his clientele.

"N-no, but how would you know how I'd respond?"

Narrowing her eyes, Anne pouts by her son's doubt before clearing her throat. She lowers her voice a little.

"Hello, Mr. Johnson, your portrait is nearly complete and should be ready to varnish by the end of the day. Please let me know when you're ready to come by this week."

Her son gasps, his eyes widening. "Huh? Well... I mean, sure, that one is easy to respond to, but others-"

"Good morning, Craig," she begins with another response: "There's an issue with your provided reference photos regarding the lighting of your wife. So I can accurately use the right colors, would you kindly provide me with better photos? Preferably, it might be easier to just have your wife come in, so I can capture her complexion better."

At a loss, Daniel stares blankly at his slime mother. In response, she closes her eyes and sticks out her tongue silly.

"Hehe~ No problem, right?"

"Um...yeah, that's..."

Perfect.

Gulping, Daniel decides he'll certainly be reviewing his sent messages, but if it's anything like the examples she's thrown out, then she's read his mind.

No surprise, given she has a copy of him in the form of a lake—a normal-sized one, of course.

Anne leans closer, pressing her hands on his chest. "I know you're unlikely to take my word for it, so feel free to check your messages, but do put more faith in me. Mama knows best, after all~"

Case in point.

Sighing, the spoiled artist nods with a bitter smile. "Well, it seems the studio will run fine with you taking the lead. First, let's-"

"Breastfeeding time."

Humming, Daniel crosses his arms and nods. "That's right, you should breast...what?"

Catching himself too late, Anne giggles as she draws her blank-minded son away from the hallway and into the lounge before the workday can truly begin.

Chapter 77: Beautiful and Ominous

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

One milky session later, Anne and Daniel are seated across from each other with their respective canvases. The young man has to admit that a lot of his usual morning churn has been freed up after finding no fault in his slime mother's email responses.

Truly a terrifying assistant who literally knows best.

'Mary is in for a treat if Mother is the same,' Daniel thinks, his lips rising just imagining his counterpart's tears of joy.

So, with more time to paint, he begins working on the final touches to the Stonehenge painting that Lecia requested. Unknowing of her total involvement, though, he recalls her words:

Yes, a shadow cast by the fire: a form of indescribable force that is both beautiful and ominous, brought to this Earth...for better or worse.

'What does she know, really?' he thinks, rubbing his chin. 'Marlin explained to Mary that he believes a green fire represents a form of summoning. If that's true, then the so-called shadow formed from the light must obviously be...'

Stretching that thought, he peaks over to Anne, who is starting a project that's been delayed for too long. Her focus is admirable as she pencils in the structure of the well-built commissioner; in particular, one who couldn't decide on a proper "manly" pose for a whole month until today.

Disregarding the absurdity of the painting to be, his slime mother feels her son's gaze and perks up.

"What is it?"

"Mom, just wanted to say: You are both beautiful and ominous."

Anne frizzes out. "Wha...What's with that so suddenly?! Mama is not ominous!"

Daniel snorts, unable to keep his face straight anymore. "I mean, that's how Lecia described the 'shadow' that should be added to this painting."

"If anything, that makes her the ominous one, not me!"

"Maybe, but a star did disappear due to a rumbling hole in your magical space. I think that makes you credibly ominous."

"Well, I think there are assumptions in your logic, so that makes you credibly stupid. Hmph!"

Snapping back to the canvas indignantly, her son laughs more freely. "Wow, ouch. Forget I said anything then."

Anne breaks into a smile and shakes her head. "Ignoring possible doom, the relation to the stars is fitting, though, isn't it? Amy did say that she'd be watching you from the stars."

Daniel's eyes soften as he returns his own gaze to his canvas. "Never did I think to take that literally. Either way, is that true when I have you here?"

"Of course!" Anne huffs, lifting her chest before making a few more strokes. "As her successor, I'd like to think she's watching over me too."

"More like judging," the artist corrects. "Let's not deny how she would really feel. I have her memories and know her nearly as well now."

Feigning a cough, Anne leans into the canvas more. "Okay, fine. Mama will admit she'd be judging due to our intimacy, but none of that matters since I now overrule. You are free to be more appreciative of your new loving mothers, okay?"

"How ominous."

"...It seems my dear son is asking for a spanking. Amy would certainly not disapprove of that."

"Sorry, I meant the Stonehenge painting I'm working on."

Anne tilts out from behind her easel again, squinting her eyes as she attempts to peer through her son's current poker face. Unsuccessful, however, she relents and continues her sketch.

"You know what else is ominous? Seeing you and Mary hiding something about Vivi-Mama."

Daniel's brush stutters. After holding himself in place for a second, he sets the tool down with a sigh.

"Only for a bit," he admits, closing his eyes. "It's mainly because I still need to organize my thoughts on the matter. Was it that obvious?"

Anne hums. "A little. Vivi-Mama's likely aware there's more to the fog than just your claims, too. At the very least, can you tell me what's causing your hesitation?"

Breathing out again, Daniel crosses his arms. He sees no reason to keep it from his first slime mother. "Well, we heard the same cry that haunted her in the fog."

Similar to her son, the slime mother's pencil stutters as well. She grimaces as bitter memories of her elder sister's time replay in her mind.

"It...does make sense considering the fog resembles her memories, but I don't see why that would-"

"Unlike Mother, however," Daniel continues, thinning his lips. "We were able to travel and find the source of the cry."

"W-what!?" Anne shouts, jerking up to her feet. "Don't draw it out, sweetie. What did you see?"

If she's feeling this shocked on behalf of her elder sister, one can only imagine how the lake dweller would personally react to such revelation. After all, the imprisoned slime went through centuries of hearing the same, repeated cry in the distance, yet was always trapped in a lake area that prevented her from seeking out.

Now, all of a sudden, two artists hold the answer to what she's been seeking for so long. The anticipation is enough to make anyone go crazy.

Daniel raises his hands up with a slight nervous laugh. "W-whoa, Mom, this is exactly why we didn't mention it. Turns out, as we got close, we saw the same dark-haired woman with blue eyes, holding a covered baby."

Anne blinks a few times. "Seriously...her again?"

She slumps back into her chair, her own aggregated mind racing. "So, you're saying this woman we've been seeing so far saved a baby that was haunting my sister?"

"It seems that way. She even mentioned the baby as 'abandoned'."

"...Abandoned? But...why?" the slime mother whispers before narrowing her eyes and speaking clearly. "No, before that, we still don't know who this woman truly means to my sister. Further, if this baby was going to end up being saved anyway, why would it call out for so long?"

Daniel hums. "This is where I'm not so certain, but...I think I caught some strands of silver hair on the baby head before she disappeared."

His slime mother's mouth hangs for a moment. "Wait, you're not suggesting that..."

Daniel nods, his gaze narrowing. "My guess is that the baby that cried was Viviane herself."

"That's..."

Letting her thoughts move forward first, Anne presses a hand to her lips before continuing, "Meaning, this woman is an important mother figure for Viviane, but then...no, something is wrong. If my sister was found as a baby, wouldn't that imply she was once...human?"

"See, that's what I've been considering. In any case, we need to think this through better, knowing how many more questions will arise."

"Ugh, this all sounds so eerie..."

Bzzz!

The two flinch, their thoughts disrupted by a sudden presence at the door. Swallowing her worry for her sister, Anne tries to reset.

"I don't believe you're expecting anyone today, right?"

Daniel was about to say, but at minimum, it could be package delivery. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if a neighbor finally came to address the increased noises in his apartment.

"Don't worry, I'll get it," he assures, standing up. "We'll discuss this more when Mary is here, okay?"

"Alright, but first, you probably should wipe off that milk mustache."

Gasping, the artist swipes over his lips, and indeed, finds such liquid stealthily lining his face. Flushing red, he stares at his slime mother with disbelief. "Don't tell me, have you known this whole time and didn't say anything?"

Anne closes her eyes, bearing innocence. "Yep!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

She promptly frowns and turns away. "Why? My son is a grown man. He shouldn't need his Mama to tell him to how to take care of himself with every little thing."

Daniel's eye twitches at her creeping smile. 'This slimy...'

The front buzzes again, forcing him to give up. Exhaling out his annoyance, he double-checks to make sure there's no further sweetness on his face before entering the hallway.

Upon opening his front door, he stiffens.

Perfectly centered, and wearing a light pink turtle-neck sweater, Rachel tilts to the side with an embarrassed smile.

"Hello, dear, sorry for the sudden visit! I just felt like dropping by."

Staring blankly, Daniel forces himself to relax and steps aside, lifting himself with the brightest smile that he can muster. "Oh, there's no problem. Please, come in!"

There are definitely worse times for an unannounced visit, so the artist just counts his blessings that it's when Mary and Viviane are away.

With the artist's permission, the astronomer walks in, then joins him through the hallway until a pencil drops. Looking to the source, she catches a frozen, wavy-haired girl at her easel, whose eyes slowly light up as if an angel had descended.

"Rachel!" Anne squeals.

Breaking from her surprise, the slime mother hurriedly stands to attention, but nearly stumbles on the wooden flooring in doing so. Undeterred, she's about to hug her friend before she stops herself midway.

Mentally slapping herself, she cringes. 'Calm your Amy down, seriously!'

The older woman before places a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, then nods her head towards her fellow sparkle-eyed star enthusiast.

"Hello there, Anne."

"Ah...yes, hi! It's good to see you again!"

Rachel only chuckles in response, then takes a moment to scan the studio a little. Of course, she finds no sign of the black symbol Lecia caught in the open. It could've been put away as well, knowingly or not.

'God, what am I doing?'

With such thought, the astronomer clears her throat in shame. Coming to visit while holding suspicions against her friend's son and his girlfriend was never her intention, but fortunately, it's only a small, passing opportunity to check up with the couple.

Thus, she moves on, raising her hands to prevent any pressure for them to show unneeded hospitality. "Actually, would you two like to go out for lunch together? I had originally driven out here to meet a colleague, but she annoyingly canceled plans at the last minute. So, I figured I might better use the time to catch up with a fellow science lover."

She winks towards the wavy-haired girl, who inhales sharply. Meanwhile, Daniel notices how he's unfairly left out of the catch-up as someone who apparently isn't a "science lover".

'Isn't this good?' he thinks, keeping a smug grin to himself. 'With Mom's knowledge, I'll actually be able to follow...no, wait, that would be suspicious, wouldn't it?'

"Yes!" Anne nonetheless answers amid her son's troubled thoughts. She shakes him out of it as she tugs at his arm. "My boyfriend and I aren't in any critical stages of painting currently."

The artist opens his mouth for a second before closing it. He nods to his side, conceding. "As she says. Do you want to go now, Rachel?"

"If that's fine with you two, but I don't mind waiting a little if there's stuff you'd rather wrap up first. We can take my car as well."

"Then, I'm pretty sure we can leave straight away," Daniel assures, smiling. "Let me grab my wallet."

"Oh, there's no-"

However, her friend's son steps away, leaving the two women alone for a bit.

Huffing, the astronomer places her hands on her hips. "Honestly, that boy. All the times I've taken him out for lunch, and he still won't let me make it my treat."

The slime mother titters before leaning back with her hands behind her.

"Don't mind him! So, how is everything?" she asks.

"Absolutely bonkers," the astronomer answers, placing a hand on her forehead just thinking about it. "I'm sure you've heard of that missing star, right?"

Anne smiles crookedly. "Er, y-yes! Haha, can't really avoid knowing about it with all the news."

"Well, now I'm now part of a global effort with other labs to figure out why it just disappeared, but all our usual suspects for stars disappearing just aren't there."

"Meaning suspects like black holes or wave-inhibiting dust were dismissed?"

Lifting her brows for a moment, Rachel can't help but soften her gaze in delight. "Once again, Anne, it's a pleasure to talk to someone outside who understands well."

Quickly, the slime mother waves her hands. "T-that's not true at all! I have an interest and know some basics, but I'm no expert like you."

Such "expert" scoffs, smiling wryly. 'Hardly.'

While Rachel privately recognizes there's a connection between the Aquarius constellation and the ritual Lecia organized, it doesn't mean she can ignore more public research exploring other possibilities. There are simply too many variables to consider: astronomy, magic, and astrology, of all things.

To make matters stranger, she can't shake away a sense of familiarity with this bright girl. Simply speaking with her brings out high-energy and exciting times, like when Amy was around. While it may be just her, she remembers how this girl referenced certain star designations that aren't well known to the public.

"Anne, please don't be humble," the astronomer insists. "I still need to invite you to the lab, and I don't say such for someone who only knows 'basics'."

The slime mother wriggles her lips as she lowers her head. "Rachel..."

Daniel returns, ready to go. "Where are we heading?"

Rachel switches her gaze to the artist and hums. "I was originally going to meet for sushi at a new spot in the East, but now that's called off, we can go anywhere you'd like."

Anne raises her head and gasps. "Oh, I don't mind sushi! I'm assuming this colleague works with you at the laboratory?"

The astronomer chuckles, closing her eyes rigidly. "Well, something like that..."

It was actually a meeting with Lecia; however, she said that other matters had come up. While that's to be expected for such a busy woman, her tone was rather...alarming.

Rachel, I...need you to be careful, okay? Please lay low for the time being.

The astronomer knits her brows when thinking about it. 'What exactly is going on?'

Notes:

A\N: Not related to this story, but I have a different "Mommy" slime in my first planned comic (Probably only 2-3 pages when complete). Check it out!

Don't Cry to Mommy" on DeviantArt

"Don't Cry to Mommy" on Itaku

Chapter 78: A Venture Into Clay Gone Wrong

Chapter Text

'A ghost or am I losing my mind?'

The answer is likely somewhere in between, as Lecia stares exhaustively at her computer monitor back at home. With everything that happened, she had to cancel all meetings to reflect on the sudden disappearance of Victor Grayson.

To her secretary, her boss must've seemed crazy trying to get her to remember the man. Yet, despite being the one who organized the meeting and relaying the academic's background, all actions and memories of such were wiped.

The former professor didn't just physically leave in a blink of an eye; he was removed from anyone's mind who might've seen, heard, or spoken with him.

That is, everyone except Lecia.

"There's nothing in the camera footage, either. It's like he never entered into the building in the first place. Graah!"

Throwing her head back, the Stonehenge leader feels she is leaning closer to losing her mind.

Despite this, her meeting was not a mere hallucination. Everything her secretary informed her about Victor was accurate, except left out was how the historian was more than simply "retired".

Rather, he died three years ago.

Or at least, that's what the records show online. Whatever the case may be, she's either met his ghost, witnessed a new kind of magic she can't fully understand, or both.

It's probably both.

...there's a saying: 'Seeing is believing'. It's a poor excuse, since I would doubt it even if I were to hear it from myself, even with my time. Still, Lecia, you have already seen evidence of this truth using one of the books.

Recalling his last words, Lecia understands he's referring to the green fire. Ironically, his disappearing act adds weight to his authenticity, even if she doesn't wish to trust him. That, too, may have been his intention.

'One of the books,' Lecia repeats in her head. 'Then, we're not the only ones studying the language.

That should've been more apparent if Egyptians held the first written record of summoning the mentioned "shadow" that brought Cleopatra to life. Would the same book travel all the way to England, just to be buried at Stonehenge intact?

No, it's more likely that copies or variations spread, just like how the worship of Isis spread over centuries into medieval times—and apparently, even into this modern day with fanatics attacking others.

"God damn it..."

Lecia can't decide whether to laugh or cry. It's safe to say, though, that there aren't many she can trust now. Especially now, as Victor's words confirming her fears replay in her head.

...but you mustn't think of it as a single revival. In reality, Cleopatra was simply a catalyst for one of the many forms that walked among us.

Eyes hardening as she thinks of Amy's grave, Lecia stands up from her desk.

"That artist definitely knows something."

Things are not so easy anymore. Daniel might deny such knowledge, just as he excused the drawing of one of the symbols she caught; however, if he's part of the followers of Isis, then she's made a bigger mistake than she thought by commissioning him.

When leaving her office in a rush, she even gave Rachel a warning after canceling their planned lunch meeting, but she couldn't elaborate why without knowing enough of the situation behind the followers.

For all she knew, however, Rachel could be a follower. There's also Jessica, who knew of this rumored revival of Cleopatra. Perhaps it's her bias, but she can't help feeling more wary of her friend's wife than the astronomer.

Shutting her eyes, she shakes her head.

'No, calm down. I need to learn more about these so-called followers first before making judgments on whom to trust,' she decides, figuring that even if they stopped all studies, the people against them might not. For all she knows, anyone within her organization could've been hiding themselves, not just people she closely works with.

With no time to regret, she must keep moving ahead as she's done. Thus, stepping to her bookshelf on the side, she scans the columns to find the book by Layna Moore—one she ordered online a few years ago.

It all seemed crazy from the records the author was studying about her grandfather's journals, but now, it may give better insights into the minds of those who attacked them. This book is also the only one that predicted that one of the stars in the Aquarius constellation would drop.

Breathing slowly, she grabs the book in defiance, unwilling to back down just when things are getting stranger.

'He said I've already seen evidence of the truth, huh? Then, let's make sure to face it again.'

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Meanwhile, within Mary's studio, Daniel's prediction of his lovely British girlfriend's reaction to his second slime mother's help is...

...as expected.

"Uwaah! Viviane, you're such a godsend! I...I'll pay double whatever Daniel might tempt you!"

The praised lake dweller remains woefully unamused as Mary rubs against her cheek with beseeching tears. Seeing no end to the violation of personal space, she loosens her form just a tad.

Shlip!

"Eek!"

Mary nearly fumbles forward, leaning on air as the slippery slime passes under her. Luckily, the same slime pulls her back, stabilizing her footing as she reforms from behind.

"Honestly, you're too much," Viviane begins, huffing. "All I did was answer your emails like you would've done it."

Keeping to herself this time, the ebony artist recovers as she turns around. "How I would've done it eats up a huge chunk of my time! Some days, I get barely any work done!"

"I'm very sorry that you're popular with clients."

Mary pouts. "Oh, come on, love. You know me! I thought you might empathize with me better than this."

In response, the lake dweller snorts slightly. "I don't need your perspective to tell me that you take on too much work. Anyone can see that."

Grumbling, Mary lowers her gaze and fidgets. "I realize, but how can I pass up commissions that I find interesting?"

Nodding, Viviane smiles. "And I understand that drive too, but some sacrifice is necessary for your health. Speaking of which...?"

The artist blinks before widening her eyes, then straightens. "Oh, right! Yes, the physical..."

She left the studio an hour ago while the elder slime went through her morning communications. Unlike Daniel, however, she wasn't the least worried about how the second mother would respond in her place.

It remains the case as she pulls a thumbs up, grinning much too easily. "Still human as can be! I even had them do a blood test, so I should get the results in a few days. However, they had a record of my body measurements from before, so...uh, I felt bad, but I had to blame them for getting it wrong the first time."

Viviane narrows her eyes. "Meaning, it will be even more suspicious if you revert to your same dimensions."

Coughing, Mary shifts her eyes. "I guess I'll just have to keep my proportions, huh?"

The two girls swim in silence before breaking into a giggle together. Then, the slime shakes her head. "You really don't have to try making excuses with me, Mary, but doesn't this mean you'll have to go shopping?"

"That's a future me problem," the artist maintains before leaning forward to take the lake dweller's hands. "Now, I think I'm clear to truly join with-ah..."

Flattening her lips, Mary remembers that her motherly comrade would get an early look into their discovery of the fog if they merge. Thus, swallowing, she reluctantly lets go of the slime's hands and rubs her neck.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be too hasty. Daniel would give us a yelling if we experimented too far," she excuses.

Not that Viviane doesn't agree, but she sighs, aware there's more to such hesitation. Of course, she's in no position to press when she hid the details of the wizard from them in the beginning. Allowing herself to remain ignorant, she clears her throat.

"Forget that. Don't you have commissions to work on? I came here to help you, not play around."

"Hey, I take offense to that. Playing around is part of the job!"

"Need I remind you that you told Mister Jenkins that his purple-sky orchard painting would be ready tomorrow? I already affirmed to him that would be the case, since you just have to apply your final touches."

"Urgh...that's right, I did say that. Okay, fine, but that shouldn't take long. An hour of work for some of the paintings I promised this week, then we do something cool, deal?"

Uncertain, Viviane narrows her eyes. "I'm getting a sense of déjà vu that doesn't belong to me."

"It won't be anything like with what happened with Anne, I swear! Rather, I want to make a clay bust of you!"

"Oh?"

"Seeing how you don't have to breathe, can't feel anything, and can wiggle your way around, you're practically an ideal living base I can safely apply clay to directly!"

"Ooh! That sounds-"

Viviane catches herself, realizing how strange it is to feel happy about the idea. Quivering in disbelief, she grabs her head. "No, hold on! Who would want clay rubbed onto their face?!"

"You do~"

The lake dweller shuts her eyes. "Kugh, y-you really are rubbing off on me."

The artist lifts her chin. "And I'll take that as a compliment! Of course, I'll gladly rub on you~"

"No, begone!"

Undeterred, Mary claps her hands together. "Please? I've always wanted to try doing a clay sculpture."

Wiggling her lips, the lake dweller eventually groans. "Ugh, fine! Go ahead and prepare for it. It'll be faster for me to finish your client's painting simultaneously so that you have more time to apply your stupid clay."

"Yay! Alright, I'll get everything...wait, I'm setting up?"

However, the lake dweller walks away before Mary can fully process her role. Although she's happy that the slime agreed and understands what needs to be done for her client, her feelings are more complicated than expected.

Smiling crookedly, she stares blankly ahead. "D-did I just turn into the assistant?"

...

..

.

Splick!

Less than an hour later, Viviane splits into two.

With the orchard painting done and varnished, the lake dweller's naked self sits on a chair with plastic laid on the ground to protect the wooden flooring. The other, clothed self, helps Mary bring out a bucket of clay she had in storage.

"Alright, let's get to splatter!" Mary cheers.

Viviane sighs lightly, then stares at her naked half, who slumps exasperatedly at the eccentric girl.

"Why even me?" the naked one starts.

"Because you're so lovely, Viviane~" Mary sweetly answers. "In fact, if this goes well, I want to do it for all of us!"

The clothed one shakes her head. "I shouldn't have asked."

Mary titters while getting some plastic wrapping to protect her hands. "Oh, come on, this will be fun. Even better, you get to squish clay around yourself!"

"More like awkward," the slime scoffs. "Rather than start with me, how about we choose another, like, our son?"

Holding her breath, the ebony artist steps closer to the clothed slime. "Wait, come to think of it, neither you nor Anne have ever transformed into a male before!"

Viviane harrumphs. "I don't doubt I can do it, but I'd prefer to keep myself female. In any case, I'll just transform my split, so that will make me feel somewhat comfortable."

"I don't believe you've done that either, right?"

Viviane hums, nodding to herself. "That's true. I've always just had myself."

Shrugging for a moment, Mary wiggles her wrapped hands with eagerness. "Well, in any case, I'm down. Our love would be the hardest to agree to this in person anyway. Hehehe, I can already imagine his reaction to a bust of himself!"

Viviane giggles, seeing it too. Drawing with more excitement, she wills her naked half to change shape. "Then, I'll transform my split just a bit, and...there!"

Shoom!

With his chest flat, wider shoulders, and carrying beautiful olive eyes from Amy, Daniel appears before them naked and seated. It's all thanks to fusing with her son that the elder slime can bring out every detail stored in her memory, down to perfection.

"Wow..." Mary breathes, then wiggles in delight as she grabs a clump of clay. "Oh yeah, this is so satisfying! Hey, I can let lose some frustration with this clone, right, Viviane?"

The lake dweller stifles herself. "I suppose, but remember, let's not be too harsh. This is our child, after all."

Leaning closer to the fake, Mary only chuckles evilly; however, after a few blinks, the clone's hand snaps up to stop the ebony's approaching application.

He exhales, exasperatedly. "Hey, what the-What do you think you're doing, Mary? Also, why are we in your studio? I thought we were...?"

Flinching at his confusion and mobility, the female artist swallows and turns to Viviane with a strained chuckle.

"Ha ha, very funny. You don't have to make your clone act too much like him. We'll never get anything done!"

However, the elder slime wide eyes and contracted pupils drops the artist's heart. She can already guess that something unexpected has occurred again.

"Okay, seriously!" the clone growls, ever so confused by his sudden position. "What just happened? I remember Mother and I fusing to become Vida, then we-"

"Mary, hold him down...now," Viviane cuts, stepping forward and extending her arm quickly.

Chapter 79: A Slimy Matter of Existence

Chapter Text

What does it mean to exist?

For Daniel, he likes how the famous philosopher, René Descartes, puts it:

"I think, therefore I am."

Beyond thinking, though, something about his current self feels...off.

Thus, blinking a few times, he attributes it to his sudden waking within Mary's studio.

'I'm certain I passed out after Mother and I defused, but then what?'

Unsure, Daniel recalls his heated exchange with Marianne in bed. One would expect he'd wake up in his apartment with them. Instead, he's sitting naked in front of Viviane and Mary; the latter of which is about to slap a ball of wet clay onto his face.

No time to question, Daniel catches his girlfriend's arm before she can smother him. In turn, she stiffens to his defense with wide eyes. Although his reaction should've been given, he's surprised how numb his hand feels against her dark skin.

He dismisses it as his blood requiring some time to flow, then snorts. "Hey, what do you think you're doing, Mary? Also, why are we in your studio? I thought we were...?"

He draws out, trying to piece together the events of Vida better before he might look stupid. Surely, they didn't drive him out of his apartment naked just to play a prank on him?

...

Actually, with Mary, that might be too optimistic.

Daniel waits for an answer or an excuse, but his doubtful counterpart swallows before laughing nervously towards his slime mother.

"Ha ha, very funny. You don't have to make your clone act too much like him. We'll never get anything done!"

Said "clone" furrows his brows. 'What?'

A glance at his slime mother reveals her face falling, dragging a suffocating silence down on them. Growing uneasy by such gravity, Daniel allows his impatience to flare.

"Okay, seriously!" he growls. "What the hell is going on with you two? Last I remember, Mother and I fused to become Vida, so how did I end up-"

"Mary, hold him down now," Viviane cuts, her firm voice breaking out of her stupor.

The order slaps Daniel, causing his eyes to swirl. 'H-huh?!'

"Ah, o-okay!" Mary follows, breaking away from her false boyfriend's grip. Only figuring things have truly gone awry, she buries her concern just as fast as lets her clay flop to the ground.

Daniel subsequently shakes as the dark artist's muddied hands press down on his shoulders from behind. Raising his own peacefully, he wiggles in his seat with a crooked smile. "H-hey, th-this isn't funny! What's up with...with...?"

Once more, his words fail him as the lack of weight occurs to him from Mary's hands. He didn't feel her arm before, and now, that seems to extend to the rest of himself.

What's wrong with him?

Shlick!

Sadly, he's not given time to fully process his state of being when his pale slime mother contacts a hand on his chest. Just like with Mary, he can't realize her touch; however, that's hardly the biggest problem.

He inhales sharply to see his skin crumbling into slime mother's hand. It's as if he's being stretched into spaghetti within a black hole.

There's oddly no pain or sensation, so it takes him a second for his mind to catch up before he jerks back, his eyes bowling out.

"HOLY SHIT! Mother, s-stop! What are you doing? STOP!"

His delayed outburst causes both girls to flinch. Despite that, his body continues to draw deeper into the elder slime's hand, whose gaze equally deepens with disbelief.

Cursing, Daniel can't afford to figure out what's going in the second slime mother's head. While rustling against Mary's hold from behind, he manages to grab her attached arm, then tries to push her back.

But it's futile.

Splip!

His gripping hands sink into her arm just as his slime mother shuts her eyes, turning her head away. Even if she wanted to stop, her frenzied mind only spurs her cells to continue the deed, pulling her split mass back where it belongs.

"N-no," she whispers, her voice strained. "You're...not my child. Y-you can't...be him."

Faced with his slime mother's denial, Daniel howls, jerking to his feet as the rest of his body thins and deforms.

From his struggles, the chair beneath him tips over. Unbalanced, Mary can't keep herself on the clone anymore as she backs away, cupping her mouth.

Her mind races, wondering if the elder slime should stop seeing there's more life to this clone than expected, and yet, it's far too late seeing how parts of her fake lover shifts into blue goo.

What's left of "Daniel" then becomes a blob stretching through his slime mother's arm and distributing out within. As he ceases to be, he manages one final call...

"Moth-"

Shlip!

...

Silence falls.

Viviane keeps her extended arm in place before stumbling back, staring at her hand that had done the collection. Despite resolving herself, her pupils shake wildly as an unimaginable weight adds to her own.

Breathing out, she grips her head.

"N-no...no..."

Unlike with a clone of herself, new memories pour through from the cloned Daniel, all revealing the thoughts of a confused young man. His scream replays more vividly, stabbing her many times over as he's assimilated without understanding why.

He was terrified.

He was terrified of her.

He was...real?

You will consume others as you have consumed me.

Amid Daniel's struggles, Merlin's warning echos, emptying her eyes further. With no recourse to her actions, her hands fall down in vain.

Had this been the wizard's warning?

Meanwhile, Mary releases a sharp breath after holding herself. Quivering, she stares at the fallen chair for a few seconds before removing her hands from her face.

'Daniel...'

Her thoughts naturally draw to her boyfriend, worried as if she's just watched his murder. Maybe she did, but the only thing that prevents her from screaming out is knowing that the clone she saw struggle couldn't be him.

It couldn't be.

Convincing herself of that, she takes another heavy breath and lifts her gaze back to the elder slime.

"Vi...!"

However, Mary flinches at the sheer distraught on her friend's face.

"What have I done? I..."

Hearing such self-blame, tears brim in Mary's eyes before she steps in to squeeze the limp elder slime close.

"N-no, please...s-stop that," the artist demands, feeling her own emotions about to burst. Despite it, she hangs on, pressing a hand to the back of Viviane's frozen silver head.

Another slow inhale, she hums to herself. "That wasn't Daniel, you understand?"

Viviane's eyes narrow with pain as she squeezes Mary back, her fingers digging into her friend's back.

"But I..." She chokes. "I...I felt him. His thoughts were added to me, unlike with myself! How can he not be-"

"Right now, Daniel is with Anne!" Mary shouts, pulling back and gripping her shoulders.

While hearing her boyfriend cry out and struggle was awful, they both know the human version couldn't have possibly transfer over. Moreover, having two Daniels would be problematic.

"Please, snap out of it," she urges with that in mind. "You did exactly what you needed to do, regardless of whether what we saw can be considered our son and lover."

Viviane's eyes remain darkened as she lowers them, unconvinced. "I..."

Closing her eyes, Mary draws a cool breath before taking out her phone. It's clear they both need more reassurance, so she dials Daniel.

Brrr...

Unsure what his boyfriend is doing, she might be catching him at a bad time. Regardless, this enough of an emergency to repeatedly ring him if needed. Thankfully, he picks up just towards the end.

"Oh, thank god," she breathes before clearing her throat. "H-hey, love. Um, are you okay?"

...

"Oh, you and Anne are out with Rachel? I see...well, er...something happened..."

...

Quickly, Mary waves her hand, sweating. "No, no! It's-fuck, look, I swear we weren't trying to experiment. Everything is fine, and you're fine as well. That's all that matters."

She thins her lips, continuing. "I'm really sorry, love. Just hang on for a little bit. I'm just going to pass the phone to Viviane. We'll talk more later, okay? Text me when you and Anne are in the clear."

Ignoring her true boyfriend's sounds of confusion, the artist hands out her cell to the elder slime with a reassuring smile.

Swallowing, Viviane hesitates, but takes her phone to her ear. "D-daniel?"

...

Immediately relaxing as his voice comes through, some light returns to her pupils. "Ah...y-yes, I'm fine, or...no, not really. I...I did something awful."

...

"N-no, it has nothing to do with Mary's physical! There's nothing wrong with her, so you're probably fine too, but..."

If only he knew what she did.

Ashamed, she lowers her gaze. "I'm sorry. My head is a bit messed up right now, but I just...I'm just glad to hear your voice. Anyway, we'll...!"

Gasping, Daniel's next words forces her eyes back up. After hanging her mouth open, she shuts her eyes tightly, nearly choking. "Yes, Mommy...loves you too. I love you...so, so much."

She really doesn't deserve him.

The call ends and Viviane lets the phone down. She extends it back to the dark artist, who grips her hands further in comfort.

"Better?"

Breathing slowly, Viviane nods, softening her gaze. "Yes...and thank you."

Mary hums, her own lips rising. She takes her device back and hugs the slime again. "It's okay to feel shitty. Still, I'm a hundred percent positive Daniel won't get upset just because you reabsorbed an unexpected clone of himself. He'll be concerned for sure, but he won't hate you."

The lake dweller wiggles her lips before burying her face into her shoulder. She's not so convinced, but her son's empathy is more than she expected.

"He...finally called me Mommy."

Like glass shattering, Mary perks up with bulging eyes. For a second, she stammers before breaking away.

"No fucking way! W-what about me? I'm just as shaken up by this, yet he..."

"You're more of his girlfriend, you know?"

Mary closes her eyes, growling. "Not fair! I'm his 'Mummy' too!"

Chapter 80: Lunch with Rachel

Chapter Text

Within the public bathroom of the chosen sushi venue, a flickering ceiling light patters Daniel's weary eyes as he stares into his mirrored self before the sink. His parting words to Viviane replay in his head while pink creeps up his cheeks, despite efforts to hold it down.

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm fine. Whatever awful thing you think you did, though, it's a past that shouldn't reflect the current you. No matter what, I still love you, Mommy.

Cringing, he turns on the faucet and splashes cold water over his face, but the rising heat on his face remains unabated. With no recourse to his words, he stares back at his duplicate image, dragging his face down and groaning.

'Fuck me! Why did I call her like that?' he screams internally, before cradling his face into his hands.

He already knows the reason.

Although he may not be aware of what happened at Mary's studio, Viviane shocked him with her muted horror. Regardless of the reason, he couldn't allow her to beat herself up, so he did his best to uplift his mother.

If it weren't for his and Anne's lunch outing with Rachel, he would've driven there in a heartbeat, too.

Breathing out, Daniel lifts his chin towards the ceiling with a dead smile on his face.

'Why does everything like to fall apart?'

Mixed laughter spilling from the dining room breaks his concern — a reminder that the two women he joined are waiting. Luckily, he was able to place his order before excusing himself.

For now, he'll have to trust that Viviane and Mary's situation will be revealed soon when they're together again. Although waiting won't ease his stomach, he pushes past, exiting the restroom door with a forced smile.

The bustle of peak lunch hour immediately floods his ears as he steps back into the main seating area. From there, Anne and Rachel chatted merrily at a corner booth, with complimentary sushi rolls served. No doubt, they've been talking about science.

He clears his throat as he approaches.

"Sorry about that. It was a client," Daniel lies, retaking his seat next to Anne.

"Oh, no worries. I figured," Rachel waves before leaning forward with a raised brow. "A high-profile client, huh?"

"Sorry, but all my clients are high profile," the artist clarifies, straightening.

Closing her eyes, the astronomer stifles herself with a hand. "My, how honorable! Certainly, you carry your mother's work ethic in your own way."

Anne smugly lifts her chin, to which Daniel coughs, not wanting any more profound meaning to arise from his slime mother's reaction.

"Of course, you also know how she overdoes herself," Rachel adds, sighing. "Seriously, Amy was a workaholic through and through."

Following, Anne flinches before silently thinning her lips and glancing away.

Daniel's eyes twitch because of his slime mother, but he manages to keep it in.

"Hoo...anyway, I'm sure you two were talking about some developments in the sky. What's the latest, other than the missing Al-Bali star everyone is talking about?" he asks.

Rachel shakes her head. "Sadly, every researcher is on a race to come up with theories for Al-Bali, but before that, I was looking into a particular asteroid that holds a different metal composition beyond our belt. Unfortunately, there's not much to really talk about since that analysis was paused."

But at the same time, she's also sick of talking about that damned star. Her eyes shine a little when she returns her attention to Anne.

"Let's forget about my work, for a moment. I have to ask: Did your boyfriend mention that his aunt, who died at birth, would've been named Anne?"

Nearly dropping her roll within chopsticks, the slime mother quickly jerks forward. "O-of course! It's unfortunate what happened, but Anne isn't an uncommon name."

The astronomer hums before taking a sip of some water. "That's true. I just found it an interesting coincidence."

Feeling too much weight, Daniel forces a light chuckle. "Rachel, let's not make this awkward for my girlfriend with comparisons to the dead, please."

Blinking, Rachel lowers her gaze. "Oh...my apologies. I'm still wrapped up in the past, as usual."

"No, it's fine!" Anne insists, jabbing her son beneath the table to ease up. She keeps up her smile as if nothing were wrong, humming softly. "It's a compliment, truly."

While the artist rubs his side with crooked lips, Rachel's eyes relax as she recalls her friend's telling long ago. "I'm glad you think so. Obviously, for Amy, she couldn't feel too sad about it since it happened at birth, but it was different for her mother. The shock was enough to avoid trying another child."

She returns focus to Daniel, snorting, "Well, aside from moving on from your father, I do think that your grandmother's experience was more excuse for Amy to be satisfied with just you."

Recovering, Daniel flattens his lips before shrugging. "I'm glad I got to know my grandmother before her passing, but...you might be right. Mom always warned me to not bring up my would-be aunt."

She is right.

Anne shifts uncomfortably, unable to deny the influence of Amy's mother. That said, if Mary and Daniel marry in the future, then...

The corner of her lips secretly rise. 'I hope they don't settle with just one like Amy did.'

A clap breaks her wishful thought as Rachel groans. "Dear me, I'm doing it again, bringing up family. Well, going back to space, as much as I don't want to, I just remembered..."

Sipping some more water, she locks to Anne and continues. "When we were talking about reduced galaxies last time, you mentioned NMT-501. Looking into it, though, Amy and I never published with such designation; it was just a temporary one between me and her. How did you find out about it?"

Daniel and Anne flinch. With the blunder shared between them, the artist quickly responds first.

"I told her. I knew because I overheard Mom mentioning the designation at home when she was on a call with you."

Rachel's brows rise. "Ah, I see. I'm surprised you'd remember something so fleeting, though."

Daniel simply shrugs, hoping she doesn't put too much thought into it. At the same time, Anne tries to relax and is thankful that her son can cover for her.

However, Rachel reclines back into her seat, twisting her lips. It's not that she doesn't believe Amy could've been overheard when Daniel was young, but to remember such a specific detail seems...odd.

In addition, Anne's awareness of space developments and theories are far beyond what she'd call a passionate interest. It feels more like she's actually gone to college to study these concepts.

Holding these doubts about the lovely couple in front of her, she smiles weakly but can't find too many ways to press as the staff brings over their full orders.

...

..

.

The rest of lunch went smoothly as Rachel parks in front of Daniel's apartment to drop her passengers off.

Grumbling, she grips her wheel. "You paid the bill before me..."

Daniel laughs in the passenger seat next to her. "Hey, it's no problem. You drove us."

"Enough with that!" Rachel snaps, lightly nudging him on the shoulder. "You should let your elders treat you from time to time!"

Leaning back to her sharpened gaze, Daniel thins his lips and glances away.

"S-sorry, I don't see the problem?"

Rachel narrows.

To such a gaze of death, Daniel coughs, closing his eyes innocently while also reaching for the door handle. "But really, thanks for coming by, Rachel."

"Yes, thank you!" Anne adds, then huffs. "There's nobody like you who I can talk about space stuff!"

Scoffing, Rachel shakes her head. "Keep your thanks. I'm still bitter that I wasn't able to make this completely my treat."

Daniel and Anne glance at each other before opening their respective doors awkwardly. The artist speaks first, bowing.

"Well, anyway, please have a safe dr-ah!"

Before he can finish, the astronomer's hand snaps to grab Daniel's arm before he can fully exit. Bearing flaming eyes, she causes both couple to remain seated.

"This Saturday."

"S-saturday?" Daniel repeats, shuffling.

Rachel smiles rather rigidly. "Why, yes. You two should come over to my house for dinner, without payment I might add, and enjoy some of my cooking. There are no issues with that, right?"

Her manner of speaking leaves no room for argument or rejection. As such, the couple gulp at the same time before nodding their heads.

Seeing their "agreement", Rachel relaxes like a switch flipped, then closes her eyes, clapping her hands together. "Wonderful! Then, I will send you details later. It was really fun catching up with you two!"

"L-likewise."

Anne recovers a bit, her smile more genuine. "Bye, Rachel!"

The astronomer blinks, then smiles warmly. "Dear, I might be stepping boundaries here, but...I don't mind if you want to give this old lady a hug. I feel we're friends, aren't we by now?"

The slime mother's breath hitches as she widens her eyes.

Friends.

Just like old times.

Anne chokes, quivering. "R-rachel...uuuh..."

Somehow, she manages to control herself. It's not like she can jump the astronomer completely from the back seat. Still, she leans forward, wrapping a needy arm around her friend.

Chuckling, Rachel closes her eyes, collapsing a hand over the brilliant girl's hold. After a few seconds, Anne reluctantly parts, taking her son's side from the outside and closing the door.

Daniel also shuts his door, but just when he thinks he's escaped from her elder gaze, she rolls down her window.

"Saturday."

Daniel quickly raises his hands. "Y-yes, I heard it the first time! Please let us know the timings soon."

Satisfied, Rachel snorts. Her lips rise as she rolls up the window. "Don't stress yourself out, alright!"

"No worries!"

When the window shuts, Rachel drives away. In her rearview mirror, the two shrink behind and when they're gone, she sighs. "I swear, Amy, your son is walking a fine line with me."

That said, she still can't believe they could be involved with matters of the Stonehenge book. It's not out of the question, necessarily, but this is simply her reservation.

Groaning, she tries not to think about it. There's already enough to worry with Lecia as is.

'Anne felt quite cool to the touch, though. I hope I'm not running the AC back there.'

Checking her temperature controls, she sees no such setting; plus, the internal measured temperature is set at 74 degrees.

"Huh."

Chapter 81: Sharing is Caring

Chapter Text

"So, did something happen when you took off to the bathroom?"

Straight to the point, Anne settles into her chair in front of her canvas once they're in the clear of the studio. When her son got up to leave for the restroom in the Sushi venue, she knew better than to think he received a call from a client.

Daniel hums. Having no appetite to continue work immediately, he gently holds his slime mother from behind, sliding his fingers through her wavy hair with a bitter smile.

"It was from Mary and Viviane. Apparently, something unexpected happened," he begins, but sighs, shutting his eyes. "Seriously, I feel like I'm going insane."

Anne knits her brows. "Are they okay?"

"As far as they claim. Strangely, they were more worried about me. In any case, they couldn't explain immediately so we'll have to wait for them to come back."

"What bad timing, though," his slime mother notes, sliding her lips to the side. "I really hope Mary didn't attempt any crazy art experiments with my sister like she did with me."

Daniel snorts. "I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt this time. On the plus side, apparently her doctor's appointment went well."

Perking up, Anne transfers his hand from her head to her shoulder, holding it in with a squeal. "That's great news! That means you're probably okay as well, right?"

Daniel smiles lightly. "Maybe? Either way, I'll have my appointment tomorrow."

Anne wiggles before catching herself, then coughs. "I mean...yes, of course. Disregarding any changes, it's important that you remain fit in other aspects to continue activities with your dear mothers."

"Oh? What might these activities entail?" Daniel asks, lifting his tone and brows.

Such a question with an obvious answer pulls the slime to a grin. "Why, you're just asking for Mama to show, aren't you?"

There's no denying that as Anne stands up and twirls to face him. In another step, Daniel accepts her weight against him, easing in to the contours of her lips that take him. Soon, sweet moans fill the air as he wraps his free arm around her waist.

"Mmmh..."

Shlip...chu!

Escalating with fires of slippery love, Daniel breathes in sharply as fresh air and a fluid tongue invades his cavity. Even more pressing, Anne's free hand lowers to his inevitable bulge below, stretching the tip of the tent to elicit more of his one-sided moans.

"Ngh...m-mom!"

His mother's unstoppable movements make it hard for her son to think, even when she breathes fresh air into him. He may as well be drowning as her chest jiggles against him, sinking him further to her embrace.

Thankfully, she pulls away before he can fully lose his mind.

"Mama will suck you off, okay?" she declares, her voice filled with care.

Panting, Daniel's eyes swirl.

Who is he kidding? He's already lost his mind to her.

To that end, the dazed young man breathes shakily as Anne slides his pants off, letting his cock spring forward. She waits for his meat to finish wobbling, splashing a bridge of pre-cum across her face. Unbothered, she looks up at him with a warm smile while his sticky liquid fades away on her round, squishy face.

Without another word exchanged between them, she opens her mouth, and...

"Omph!"

The entire length of her son's member is engulfed, no differently than she had done in other positions. From there, she maintains her stare to him as she begins her pull, applying an even force within her mouth before pushing in. Each deliberate tug brings her lips closer to his base, like adding frosting to a cake.

"Ha-haah..."

Daniel's hitched breath tells her all that she needs to know; however, she wishes she could bond her cells to his body to truly feel the pleasure he's experiencing.

Still, she mustn't be impatient with her baby boy.

Thus, after a few minutes of slurping down his member, she slides to his base one last time and holds. With no way out, Daniel shuts his eyes and grunts, holding her head. He feels her hands roam the sides of his legs soothingly, coaxing him to release.

"Mom!" he groans.

He finally erupts, semen flooding through his slime mother just as passionately as his call. The love he buries deep flows so easily, no doubt helped by how her tongue kneads across his meat to ensure nothing is wasted.

"Mmm...muah!" she sounds, leaving a tiny pop at the tip before letting his flaccid member droop down.

She's applying a bit of play from Mary there.

Disregarding whether his girlfriend's influence is a good thing or not, Daniel wipes some sweat across his forehead before stabilizes his footing. Then, with a chuckle, he leans down to slide a hand across her cheek, entangling delicately through her wavy hair.

"Hehe~"

Anne happily rubs her face into his hand until...

"Ahem!"

Their sweet moment drops with the arrival of British flare. Frozen, they stare at each other for a moment before snapping attention towards the entrance hallway.

"I'm not interrupting anything important, I hope?" Mary inquires, smiling rigidly while twirling the spare key in her hand.

Swallowing, Daniel quickly drags his pants up while his slime mother jerks up and away. The former recovers first, his lips crooked as he faces his girlfriend.

"W-wow, you arrived faster than I expected! Ahaha...how long were you standing there?"

Crossing her arms, Mary knits her brows. "Oh, just as you blew yourself. I couldn't possibly speak up against such a tender moment with your Mama while we were traumatized by your death."

"Ah, I see. That's...huh?"

He blinks. Did he mishear?

Before he can follow, Viviane peeks from behind the ebony artist, her eyes misty to see him safe and sound.

"Daniel..."

Of course, why wouldn't he be? Even though she knew that, it didn't stop his clone's horrified screams from living rent-free in her head.

Catching her uncomfortable body motion, Daniel seals his lips and sets aside his questions. They both have experienced something troubling, and yet, here he was getting it on with Anne without consideration for their arrival or circumstances.

'What the hell am I doing?'

"I'm sorry," he hastily responds, stepping forward. "That was thoughtless of us. First, are you both okay?"

Inhaling, Mary shivers as Daniel's gentle hand presses down on her left shoulder. She tries to remain calm, but such console shakes the mental walls she thought she prepared. Unlike his current hold, her own just a couple of hours ago had been more restraining.

She sours, unable to stop tears brimming in her eyes. "L-love, I..."

Chocking, Mary unrolls her arms and tackles him, burying her face into his shoulder. After adjusting to her weight, Daniel's eyes soften as he strokes the back of her head, allowing her tears dampen his shirt.

Just what happened over there?

For now, he continues not to press and turns his head to the elder slime, extending his free hand over.

"Mother..."

To his beckon, Viviane draws closer, but hesitates after one step. Her mind reels over how easily she eliminated her son's duplicate with just a touch. Although she knows that it shouldn't be like that with the original, she's filled with enough doubts over her capabilities.

What if...

"It's okay," Daniel whispers, smiling.

His reassuring tone thrusts the elder slime to the present. Biting her lips, she forces herself to accept his hand as she would've done.

Nothing happens. There's no twisting or deformation of her child.

Why would there be? He's human and she's a slime.

Viviane draws another relieved breath, then stumbles forward to his side. With a short weep, she buries her face into his other side, digging into his back. A small part of her worries that he might still disappear.

...

..

.

After settling down, the family sits together at the table with tea. From there, Mary took the reins to explain the series of events, everything from her doctor's appointment to how the unexpected clone was eliminated. All the while, the silver-haired slime remained silent, her eyes heavy.

Once finished, Daniel shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Seeing how the slime mothers can transform and split, it's easy to imagine a clone of himself coming to life, but he can't imagine the terrifying thoughts his clone held as he assimilated back into the elder slime.

'Would I have reacted the same way?'

"Then, this means we can recreate those we've joined after splitting off, right?" Anne asks, wiggling her lips.

Viviane nods slowly, her gaze momentarily lifted to her meet her sister. "That's my conclusion. When I was alone, I only had my sense of self to transform and split. It never occurred to me that splitting off into a separate person would actually allow them to act on their own. Had I realized this sooner, I..."

Before she can finish, Daniel reaches over the table to squeeze her hand.

"Mother, you didn't know," he reassures. "I get why you were so worried about me now, but whatever guilt you're feeling is against someone who isn't actually...you know, me."

The elder slime grimaces. "Even so, it doesn't excuse what I did. He...he wanted to exist, but I just snuffed him out. He really thought he was the real you!"

"You did the right thing," Daniel maintains, his eyes firm. "Would I have been afraid? Probably. At the end of the day, though, it would've far worse if you had let 'me' go."

Viviane turns away and withdraws from his hand, gripping her knees instead. "I know that, child, but I just...I've never heard you sound so terrified. That fear is something that will be difficult for me to erase."

Daniel spreads his lips in silence, unsure what more he can try to help alleviate her actions.

Could his clone's thoughts and feelings transfer over if she synced with him? Maybe then, he can give Viviane a better response on behalf of his clone's experience.

He shuts his eyes. 'Idiot, that might just fuck me up.'

Sighing, he turns his attention towards his girlfriend, who appears calmer.

"Mary, I know you're blaming yourself too, so don't."

Said artist inhales slowly to her boyfriend's keen eye. Although, with his share of her memories, it's not surprising he would know what she's thinking. Regardless, she can't shake off the feeling she's done wrong.

With a small snort, she closes her eyes. "Love, that's easier said than done. Ultimately, if I hadn't been excited to have Viviane with me, we wouldn't have had to face such a difficult situation."

Viviane widens her eyes and leans forward against the table. "No, Mary, you did nothing wrong! We would've been fine if I'd gone along with your plan of doing a bust of me. That would've been the safest-"

"Both of you, quit it. Nobody should be at fault!" Anne shouts, crossing her arms.

The studio silences to her huff. "We wouldn't want to see our son hurt, so I understand why you both are shaken by the clone. Still, how long will you make our real son worry? Should he be afraid of us now?"

Maybe he should, but Viviane doesn't want to admit. She sighs. "I'm sorry...Look, we don't have to dwell on it any longer, but there's something else I've realized about myself after this event."

Everyone draws a brow as the elder slime's gaze follows past everyone. "It occurred to me that...I might be a clone, too."

Anne widens. "Wait, as in...you may not be the original Lady of the Lake?"

The elder slime nods, smiling wryly. "If you think about it, I've always felt incomplete. It's possible that the way I am now isn't the original way I existed, just like how the clone of our son is created..."

She pauses, then locks to Anne. "Even you, dear sister."

The two artists exchange glances.

'That might explain some things,' Daniel thinks, humming.

It's not just a cloning, but transforming too. Viviane and Anne can be whoever they want to be. In the instance of Anne transforming into his astronomer mother, they can also presume the personalities of others they have consumed.

With that in mind, the human baby that was picked up by the mysterious "witch" within the fog might support Viviane's theory about herself.

"Mother," Daniel starts carefully. "Does it matter if you're a clone?"

Blinking, Viviane cocks her head before raising her head to the ceiling. "I suppose not, especially if the person I may be imitating is long gone."

Returning attention, her silver eyes glimmer with ease. "But if they aren't, it just means I can shape myself like my Anne had, and become someone truly unique for you!"

Such optimism stretches Daniel's breath. Seeing how the elder slime is less worried about her own existence, it does settle some of his concerns.

Hesitating for a few seconds, he leans forward. "Actually, to be honest, Mary and I have been withholding something else discovered in the fog within Anne. It might give you the answer to that."

The slime and female artist snap their heads to him, their pupils contracting in disbelief. Quickly, the latter leans closer to her boyfriend's ear.

"H-hey, wait, is it wise to-"

"I would like to know," Viviane cuts, straightening in her seat. Her eyes narrow. "However, I would prefer to see it as you saw it, so..."

Her eyes shift to Mary, who stiffens under her hopeful gaze. She continues, "Mary, would you be willing to share yourself with me for the night?"

Everyone else joins the artist in her stun, but Mary relaxes quickly. Clearing her throat, she fails to temper herself with an obvious crooked smile. "A-are you sure, love? I mean, I also want to experience fusing with you once, but...well, even if I'm physically fine, this might not be the right time."

"I'm well aware," Viviane admits with a dry smile. "I just...I want to feel my child for the first time, but not simply as him."

Gulping, Daniel raises his hands as he looks between the two. "H-hold on, can we just chill? I understand Mother gaining a first-hand look at what we saw, but there's no need to go-"

"Alright, then."

Mary's assent throws her boyfriend off as he swivels toward her. "Mary?!"

Standing up, the female artist breathes out, a little annoyed by her boyfriend's resistance. "Love, I don't think it should be said, but we both need the real you after our ordeal. Since my physician said I'm healthy, I won't wait if your Mother wants to join with me."

"But-"

"Your mother deserves to know better, and further, I feel we'll be stronger together emotionally. Wasn't it the same when you became Vida?"

Daniel can't deny that, but he slaps a hand over his face. "Fuck me, I'm not getting any sleep, am I?"

Mary titters, and slides over behind him. Goosebumps grow as she leans into his ear. "Love, would you rather have all three of us in bed, then?"

Fair point.

Pulling away, she smiles warmly, but her closed eyes show a tint of upset. "Besides, sharing is caring, and right now, you need to do a lot more sharing. After all, your sweet Mother got a special surprise from you over the phone, but what about the rest of us?"

Anne blinks. "Huh? What special surprise?"

Daniel pales and waves his hands. "Th-that's um...alright, I get it! Just, please keep in mind to avoid any changes to yourself, okay?"

Viviane's eyes glimmer while Mary claps in delight. The latter continues, grinning. "Hehe, I'm glad you agree! Now, before that, how about we have our turns with you, hmm? Your little moment with Mama got me all hot, so let Mummy and Mommy spoil you too, 'kay?"

The artist gulps as his three lovers increase the intensity of their focus on him.

In the end, what does it matter if he's going to do it with all three of them anyway?

Chapter 82: Motherly Matters Come Before Merges

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

And so, more spoiling comes for Daniel between Viviane and Mary.

However...

"Hrmm..."

Stripped and escorted to his bedroom, the young man in question reorients his gaze away from his irritable partner, who presses his mouth over her left nipple and coats his tongue with her excessively sweet breast milk. While that happens, his elder slime mother buries his crotch between her breasts, comforting an erection that disappears into her cool, gelatinous body.

"Um...Mary, shouldn't you ease up with him?" Viviane asks, unable to focus on massaging her son while the two artists are at odds in front of her.

The British artist harrumphs, gripping Daniel's head tightly while maintaining her narrowed eyes at him. "No way! This form of discrimination must be addressed, isn't that right, love?"

Daniel gulps, ingesting more of the artist's overbearing sweetness. Upon closing his eyes, he conceals his face further into her breast.

"Hey, don't you hide from me!"

Sha sha sha!

In the background, Mary's annoyance is highlighted by Anne's cooking in the kitchen. The younger slime mother insisted that dinner be served before her motherly supporters merge for the first time. Given the uncertainty surrounding another fusion, Daniel would have been grateful for the opportunity to mentally prepare. Except, he is unsure whether this situation is relaxing.

Despite his feelings, Daniel pulls away with a pop and clears his throat. "Okay, listen...I honestly see no discrimination here. Words can't fully describe how I love you all the same."

Mary snorts, her rigid smile widening. "Words, huh? Right, so I guess there's no problem if you called me 'Mummy' like you similarly did with Viviane over the phone. After all, what's the harm since we know you love us?"

Yes, that's what this "discrimination" is about.

Laughing stiffly, Daniel tries to give his most sincere smile. "Why would I call you like those Egyptian dead? Honestly, Mary...I mean, Mum, I think of you more highly than that."

Squinting, Mary's leans her head over him, shadowing his face.

"Looove...stop with the bullshit."

Recoiling, Daniel's mouth zips as fast as he pales. He shivers, watching his excuse swirl into the void of her increasingly dark eyes.

Motherhood is unexpectedly scary.

Swallowing, he retreats again into her breast, wondering what more he can do to get through to her. The last thing he needs to do is expose this matter to Anne, and he shudders at the thought on how his first slime mother would react.

Taking in his silence, Mary sighs and relaxes her hold against him. "Fine. You want to play hard, is that it?"

"Mmmph!" Daniel rejects, half-weeping in his mind.

Is his acknowledgment of her being part of this strange mother club not enough?

"It's one word. Call me Mummy once and I'll forgive you."

Surely, there's some way to appease his girlfriend's inherited maternal appetite.

"Mu—mmy."

However, Daniel doesn't have a clue what that could be.

Twitching, Mary forces another slow breath. Apparently, a different approach is needed.

"Jeez, stubborn till the end. Does Mummy matter that little to her baby?" she asks more gently.

Goosebumps rise to the maternal desire lacing with her accent. Against better judgment, he peeks out from her breasts before his breath hitches to the sad curl of her lips.

Catching him, she tilts her head and pouts further, brushing through fingers through his head. "Love, why have you gotten so cold with me? No matter what, you're still our baby, you know?"

"..."

"Hehe, you were so cute when you called me 'Mama', Daniel. Why have you gotten so cold with me?"
"Urgh, Mom, stop it! I'm not a baby anymore."
"Oh, my star, you'll always be my baby."

"That's not fair," Daniel mutters, turning his head away with a frown.

Humming, Mary closes her eyes and simply smiles. She knows exactly what she's doing.

Groaning, the artist rolls his own before looking up, facing her steadily. As much as he wants to, he can't half-ass this either or else she'll never let go.

He takes a deep breath, then...

"I love you, Mummy."

Freezing, the ebony artist has to blink a few times at the unexpected concession. When it finally hits her, she melts and cradles him closer, tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh, love...Yes, that sounds so perfect!"

Coughing, Daniel breaks away from her gaze while his face reddens like a tomato. It's a small sacrifice, however, as he nestles into her breasts. "I'm...I'm only saying it once. Honestly..."

"My child...I'm truly disappointed."

Flinching at Viviane's sudden remark, Daniel feels his cock being squeezed further by her chest. His forehead creases before unsteadily returning his attention to her.

To his horror, her puffed-up face greets him.

"Oh, please no..."

Unaffected by the plea, Viviane huffs. "Y-you...you never said it to me in person! I didn't expect my child to actually give in to Mary, but now..."

Groaning, Daniel sits up from Mary's lap and slaps a hand over his face. He doesn't miss the tiny smirk crossing his counterpart's face, but he can't deal with the floodgates she opened.

With no resistance left to give, he exhales slowly and drops his hand from his face to the silver slime's head.

"Okay, fine. I love you too, M-mommy."

'I'm actually dying,' he thinks, his lips crooked.

Clueless to his trouble, the elder slime breaks into a gasp. Part crying and part squealing, she slides closer into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. This causes his crotch to fully submerge into her squishy being, much to his pleasure.

"A-ah! Mother, w-wait, I'm..."

"Uuuaah! Mommy loves you too! I'm sorry for killing you!"

"Y-you're still on about that?! You know that wasn't me. Now, please loosen up or else I..."

"Or else, what?"

Everyone stiffens as the room is cut to silence by an additional presence. Of course, it has to be Anne, who holds a large spoon in her hand while wearing an apron.

It appears dinner is ready, but looking at her strained smile and closed eyes, Daniel already feels his appetite fleeing.

"Ahaha...M-mama?"

...

..

.

After making amends with his mothers, Daniel finishes dinner with just a tiny bit of pride gone due to his appeasement. Reflected in his absent gaze, however, he's not blind to the smiles on their faces. He figures the cringe he inflicted on himself was worth it.

...

Like hell. He must be careful from now on.

"By the way," Mary begins, drawing his attention. "I know you agreed to visit Rachel on Saturday, but do remember that I'll be picking up my uncle from the airport too."

Daniel twists his lips to the side, then rubs his neck. "Worst case, I'll have to push back on the date, although...she'll really be on my ass if I do that. In any case, she hasn't sent Anne and I any specific time yet."

Anne giggles. "She's gotten a lot more assertive than I remembered."

"That's an understatement. Regardless, we'll play by ear depending on how things go."

Daniel then pauses, and shifts to Mary and Viviane. "Do you two really have to combine?"

He already knows the answer.

"Yes!"

Both of them chirp at the same time, their eyes shimmering as they stand from their chairs. They're so resolute that Daniel opens his mouth, but can't find words to try dissuading them.

Slumping, he resigns his fate over another heated night.

"Now that's settled, let's get going!" Mary roars, raising her fist. Since everyone is already naked except for Anne, the eager artist doesn't delay sliding behind Viviane, wrapping one hand across her stomach and the other across slime's hand.

Viviane's eyes soften. "Ah, you're so eager, Mary~"

Shlick...

"Hehe, so are you!"

Mary effortlessly sinks into the elder slime's back, their arms being the first to attach. She wiggles their fingers, embracing the inner goo connecting deeply to her cells like Anne had done before. Despite the familiar tingle, she holds her squeal and eases her chin onto her partner's shoulder, allowing their individual contours to emerge slightly before snapping to one another with ease.

Slick...

With their chests aligned, Viviane opens up her legs, sliding across her darker host's half. She feels Mary's wetness immediately as she connects with her twitching entrance, eager to be one and share many pleasures together. Admittedly, the lake dweller held some doubts whether the British girl would be compatible.

Well, it should've been guaranteed given how easily Anne and Mary merged, but to experience it for the first time is a little different from Daniel. That, of course, is beyond simply role and gender.

"Viviane..."

Mary croaks, her body twitching as half of her face slides into Viviane's head. Their lips align, almost like a kiss to their shared love for each other.

More so, a shared love for their boyfriend and son.

"Mmph...Ooomph..."

Their groans mix into each other as Viviane quickly loses her features, becoming a clean canvas across the artist's face. In turn, Mary's outline momentarily stretches forward as she feels her individuality fading away. Like with Anne, the two pound with optimism as they become someone new—someone stronger.

Yet, as the two resolve themselves to be one, Anne and Daniel watch, seated with wide, unblinking eyes. Unable to turn away from the gooey process, Anne finally opens her mouth, shivering.

"Uwaa...this... is actually horrifying! Is this how it looked for me and Mary?"

Daniel thins his lips, shuffling in his chair. He wishes he could feel more amused.

"Well, I'm glad you're aware of it now, at least."

Notes:

A\N: Appreciate the patience! Busier matters have been getting in the way, as usual.

Chapter 83: New Life and a Name

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

...

It's quiet.

Unlike previous fusions, there's not much to sort out for Mary and Viviane when it comes to their knowledge and memories. The latter had already synchronized the majority of their memories nearly two days ago while sharing the another memory of the unknown "witch" — a dark-haired lady inexplicably linked to the elder slime's past, along with Merlin.

Without having the chaos of their lifetimes to sort through, they're able to focus on the foggy past that wails its way through their heart. Given Viviane's confinement, it should have been concerning to their melding minds, and yet, they feel relieved.

"I've seen many abandoned children such as yourself, little one," a voice begins, breaking through the silence of the fog.

Perhaps it is due to the presence of the so-called witch that they feel relieved upon meeting again. Although they question why she looks so big to them compared to Mary and Daniel's discovery, her motherly gaze and grape voice silences them to easement.

"So, my child," the woman continues, her smile lighting the surrounding fog. "I'll protect you as I've done for others."

It's the same words heard by Daniel and Mary, but when her hand grazes their head, they shake with new awareness of their small form. The only explanation would be that they're observers to the continuation of this scene, and through the eyes of the abandoned child, no less.

Does this imply Viviane was the wailing child all along? It must be. Otherwise, how else can they experience such a perspective?

But then, what had she lost for a piece of herself to call out for so long?

They shiver, unable to ponder further as a cold spreads through them.

"Oh dear..."

The woman halts her wet footsteps against the ground, catching their shiver beneath the blanket. Narrowing her eyes, she purses her lips in shame. "Even wrapped, you're losing so much warmth. It doesn't help that I'm lacking such, too."

Humming, she turns her head, scanning the endless abyss of moisture in the air before her mutters expose to their ears. "I wonder...is there is someone left who can offer themselves to me so that I may save this child?"

'...offer?' they repeat, their voices separate but unified. Uncertain, their mind can only chill to their surroundings that eat away at their life.

"Fucking monster!"

Before they could close their eyes, a hooded man breaks through the crack of the white air. His grey robes bear stains of red as he slumps forward, shaking by the hilt of a sword in his hands.

"You'll never get away with this, you hear?" He snarls. "Our goddess will surely punish you!"

Their protector blinks before widening her lips in delight. "Oh? Goodness, one of you cultists survived! Not in good shape, of course. Hmm....well, this is still fortune. In exchange for this child's health, you'll help me, right?"

"N-nonsense! I don't know what you did to the others, but that child — urgh — is our offering," he rasps, wincing at his mounting wounds. Still, he musters forward. "It's not for someone the likes of you, witch!"

Said witch sighs, placing a hand on her cheek while still holding their presence with one arm. "Dear me, this again. There's no point in convincing you otherwise, especially since I will be taking this 'offering', as you say."

In the next breath, she whispers something they can barely make out. It doesn't sound like any language they're familiar with, but there's little time to analyze her words when they feel her supporting arm drop. With it, their view tilts upward, stretching away from their former handler and wounded cultist.

"Ba...?"

However, no real fall comes. Even the baby weakly utters babble in confusion. While they are certain the woman's arms have left them, what could possibly be holding them to remain steady in the air?

Sadly, they have no way to maneuver their shivering state to check. Because this is not their body, they are forced to stare into the distant fog, as the baby would have done, listening.

"Uuuuuh...."

Of course, such a baby wouldn't understand what's going on and start whimpering without the presence of her protector. They can feel her worry over being left alone again.

But it will only be for a bit.

"T-that is...! Y-you...really are a witch! S-stay back!"

Schip....schlurk!

This noise...

"A-ah...ah..."

Clang! Thump...

It sounds like the cultist has dropped his weapon and fallen to his knees in fear.

"You...What the hell are you!?"

Most definitely fear.

"Whatever I aim to be," their guardian answers, her voice warped.

The man's next shout sets off the child to burst out crying, howling into the fog as she had been. Against the backdrop of terror, there's no mistaking its needy voice, circulating an apparent past that evaded Viviane for so long.

SHLOORP...SCHLURK!

But why? Isn't this a good thing for her?

"He...l..."

After all, she was being saved from those who would sacrifice a child.

Schlip!

...

With no certainty, it grows quiet again.

Even the baby's wail crawls to a slow, sensing something amiss. Whatever it is, their guardian comes back like nothing happened. Her sweet smile glows as she wraps their bundled form into their arms. Unlike before, however, a warmth desperately needed spreads from her body.

They feel like life has breathed itself back into them.

"There, there. Am I better?" the woman asks, her eyes soft.

Certainly, the baby's feels better, but...what changed?

... They aren't sure if they want to know.

The woman grazes their head, spreading more warmth. "Now then, we have a bit way to the castle, child, so please rest easy. Since you survived incredibly, I'll make sure you stay alive until the end of times."

She pauses, then gasps. "Ah, let's not forget to give you a name! I've held many names myself, so it's only suitable that I bestow one to such an abandoned. Given your circumstances...yes, there's only one for someone as strong-willed as you..."

Her eyes close happily. "My sweet child, Viviane."

She hums, holding them closely. "It comes from Latin, meaning to be alive...to survive. It's a beautiful name, isn't it?"

With that decided, she continues her trek through the fog, burying their vision into darkness of their white cloth. Feeling secured for the first time in ages, their mind soon follows the baby from exhaustion.

"As for me," she continues, her voice fading. "I hope you will grow to call me Mother, but my name around these parts is..."

...

..

.

"Nimue."

The witch's voice echoes within the void of their distancing mind before light pierces through. Jerking forward, the newly bonded slime and artist open their eyes to Daniel and Anne standing in front, their brows knitted.

"Er...Mary? Viviane?" the male artist calls, stepping forward carefully. At this point, he understands they're more like a single individual now, but has no clue what to call them combined.

They blink, adjusting to their situation before inhaling. Slowly, they raise a hand to her face, crossing her fingers across her cheek.

They...no, she can feel. Everything from the air coming through the AC to the texture of her layered skin burns into her combined mind.

"Ah...ahaha..."

Tears of disbelief brim in her eyes as she takes in sensations on behalf of Viviane. Above all, her shared heart beats at the sight of her boy...her sweet love that is cared for endlessly by her composing parts.

"Daniel..." she breathes, now stretching her hands forward to cup his face.

The called artist shivers to the fusion's voice as he accepts her tan hands. She's lighter in skin than Marianne, but her British tone is much fuller and crisper. It's as if Viviane's peach notes are enhancing Mary's flavor. This aspect only strengthens the inverted beauty before them, who matches the elder slime's long hair with black, and a half-covered bang in line with silver.

Letting go of his breath, he relaxes and places one hand over hers on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asks, smiling.

The shared being hums, wiggling her fingers against his skin. "Yes, I think so. Even though I thought I knew how it would be based on Marianne and Vida's experience, everything still feels so...fresh."

She pauses before slipping her hand out of his grasp and down his neck, sending more goosebumps down his spine.

"And you, my love...you feel so warm."

Daniel flushes even warmer as she gazes with misty eyes. It's not as different as his mothers would show, but he understands her reaction. After all, Viviane had experienced him inside with sensations as Vida, but not out. Feeling one's self isn't as gratifying as touching another.

On that note, the fusion pulls away and switches her attention to Anne with a smile. The targeted slime flinches and backs away, protecting her cheeks.

"D-don't you dare. I know what you're thinking!"

The hybrid raises her hands in defense. "Dear sister, you can trust me, can't you?"

"I don't know if I should!"

Pouting, the fusion leans forward. Anne squeaks in turn, but before she can resist, her hands are pulled to the former's cheeks instead.

"Huh?"

"Hehe, see? It's okay. As expected, you feel cool...just like her."

Anne widens her eyes, realizing that Viviane never got the chance to know what Daniel and Mary feel when they touch them. At least in passing, through Marianne, the slime mother had already felt Viviane's cool body. Beyond that, the second part of the hybrid's words doesn't escape her.

"Like her?" she repeats, cocking her head.

The fusion blinks, then gasps, pulling away. Quickly, she clears her throat. "Ah, that's right. Well, basically, I experienced a continuation of what Daniel and Mary saw in your realm."

The artist and slime mother widen their eyes, but before they can follow up, the fusion raises a finger. "Before we discuss, there's an important matter to deal with..."

Her finger then twists to point at herself as she smiles crookedly. "What...should I call myself?"

"Ah."

Notes:

A\N: FYI, I'm doing a poll on ScribbleHub for the name choice since I figured it was a good opportunity (if not, the only chance): Chapter 83 on ScribbleHub

Of course, I'll be reading comments all around, so if there are any suggestions, let me know!

Chapter 84: Mavi

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"How about Mavi?" Daniel suggests. It took him only a few seconds to consider variations of the fusion's parts, but he immediately recognized nothing would ever fit as full as Marianne.

Anne concurs, tilting with a slight hum. "I think that's the best name. Everything else in my head sounds a little off."

Newly identified, Mavi's mouth hangs as she slumps forward. "N-no...surely not. Where's the effort? All you did was combine the first two letters of my parts like what was done with Vida."

Nearly forgetting the prior fusion, the slime mother gasps and taps her hand. "Oh, that's right! Vima doesn't sound too bad either. It'll even compliment Vida."

"What do you mean 'compliment'? Now you're just flipping the name!"

Anne giggles at her new sister's groan, then winks. "But seriously, doesn't 'Mommy Mavi' click together nicely?"

"Ah."

Mavi blinks for a few seconds. As she lets the alliteration echo through her headspace, she eventually straightens her posture and coughs.

"Well, maybe it's not so bad. Sometimes simplicity is the best choice."

'So easy,' Anne and Daniel think at the same time, their lips barely able to restrain their smile.

Although it's still too early to tell the leanings of Mary and Viviane's joined personalities, both get a sense that Mary's persistence is less here. After all, "simplicity," as she says, is far from what the ebony artist would personally prescribe.

There's more to question as Mavi dries her tears and steps to Daniel's side. Boldly, she takes his arm between her chest while her lips smooth delightfully to his flinching form.

"Well, my love, what do you think?" she poses. "Am I Mommy enough for you?"

How sassy. No surprise there, with Mary also at the subconscious wheel.

Recovering, Daniel thins his crooked lips. It might be easy to find the answer with his cock rising, but that's a perfectly normal reaction to two well-developed girls overlapped and naked in front of him.

"M-more than enough. It has always been more than enough," he insists before holding his breath.

Despite suffocating a little to his fusion-mother's intentions, he wraps his arm around her back and locks her closer. He can't be so reserved as to wade around his curiosity about this new black-and-white arrangement before him. With uncertainty always in the back of his mind, he bumps his head against her and squeezes her arm.

"Just promise me you'll be aware of yourself. I don't want you to make more unexpected changes to Mary."

The fusion warms, sliding a hand over his cheek again. "How sweet of you to care, but your dear Mummy-girlfriend will be fine. After all, I'm more aware of my form than Marianne had been."

Daniel snorts. "It's because you're also Mary that I'm worried you'll try crazy stuff."

Following that, Mavi smirks. "Why, my dear child, the only crazy stuff I'll do is with you~"

Her terrifying words are snuffed out of Daniel's mind as Miva draws her lips close. Grunting, he accepts and matches her pace as she slides his hand to his cock, stroking it. He didn't think he'd have more in him, and yet his cock is more than eager to pump to her warm, yet slippery touch. However, before he can let go for her, his mind slaps him with bigger dealings ahead.

He gasps, and jerks back. "Wait, hold up! You still haven't told us what you gained from mine and Mary's excursion into the fog."

Miva clicks her tongue, hoping the worrisome memory would've been discussed later.

The aproned slime mother growls. Eager to get her fair share, she tugs at his arm on the other side. "Yeah, don't distract our son so soon!"

Relenting, the fusion sighs and raises her hands up. "Very well. I do have to still sort out some thoughts, so how about this..."

She claps her hands together for a moment, then her eyes shine before continuing, "Instead of having our usual boring table meeting, let's go for a nightly stroll together!"

Daniel raises his brows. At this hour, it feels too late, however, he also feels a walk will do him good after his "adventures" with the girls.

"You know, I think that would do good as a change of pace," he agrees. "Let's me get changed and...ah—M-mom!?"

This time, his surprise switches to Anne as she slides her hand down to his member. Undeterred, she huffs. "Oh, stop being so surprised, sweetie. If we're going out first, then we can't let Mavi's effect linger on you."

"N-no need! It'll go down on its own."

"So? We're not in a rush, are we? Just relax for Mama!"

At the sight of insistence by the slime mother, Mavi pouts. "If that's the case, there was no need to stop me."

Unwilling to stand by, she rejoins her lips against her son, breathing heat into him. Daniel struggles to keep up, kissing back while his slime mother lets her hand melt a little across his crotch.

"Hehe~ Let it all out, sweetie," Anne coos.

"Ngh, yes...cum for your mommies," Mavi adds between breaths, rubbing her hand against his chest.

The young artist is sandwiched, and there's not much he can do except jerk his hips at their urging. As he does, his mind blanks and his toes curl as he tries to hold on; however, his efforts are futile when, less than a minute later, he's spurting ropes of cum into Anne's partially melted hand.

The slime mother hums pleasantly, then rubs his back with her cool touch. Opposingly, Mavi glides her warm hand across his chest, kissing him more softly on his cheek as his body relaxes.

Although the fusion's a little wet for more, she knows to patiently wait to connect further with her son. In the back of her mind, though, part of her doesn't want to deal with the past revelation. It only adds to her unease when she thinks about what the dark-haired caretaker did to the cultists.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Once outside at one of the nearby parks, a few clouds faintly poke through the dark sky by the scatter of light from the Keystone city below. It's fairly quiet, with only a few cars passing in the distance. Just as quiet are the gentle breezes that push Daniel, Anne, and Mavi along a lighted path through the acre of sectioned greenery surrounded by tall buildings.

"Ah, much better~" Miva sighs, stretching the fabric of Mary's clothes as she lifts her arms. "Although, it would be nicer if we were able to visit the less urban spots near the observatory."

Having no human bond to feel anything, Anne can't help but curl her lips at the fusion's fortune. While recognizing that such comments derive from the elder slime, it seems a bit tasteless considering she's the odd one out. Of course, she could bond physically with her son like she had before, but she doesn't want to push for potential biological harm until after his check-up.

So, burying her jealousy, she clears her throat. "I also would like to go out and see the stars at some point. It would be better if we could visit the observatory like Rachel promised."

"One thing at a time," Daniel urges, but smiles. "Aside from Rachel's pending invitation to her work, I'll gladly drive nearby at the next new moon so we can see some stars. It's been a while since I last saw the milky way, too."

Anne holds her breath, then leans towards him with bright eyes. "That's a promise, right?"

Daniel chuckles and hugs her with one arm. "Of course, mom."

With barely anyone nearby, he felt it was okay to address his slime mother properly. Although a few could eventually pass by doing a nightly jog, Daniel hoped that being seen with two women wouldn't bear much in a stranger's mind.

Indeed, some men and women were encountered on the trail, but very few spare a glance as they soon come to a bench. While keeping an eye out on their surroundings, Mavi turns to the sky for a moment as she settles down.

"Now then, where to start? It would be better if I could sync the memory I experienced with you two."

Anne crosses her arms into an X, specifically blocking the fusion's view of Daniel. "Denied! Let's not give our baby a headache, okay? Just remembering how Viviane transferred memories through is enough to make me wince!"

Miva closes her eyes and sighs. "I figured. At the very least, sister, I'm sure you'll get a better picture whenever you and Mary join."

The fusion then recounts her experience as the picked-up baby, trying hard to exclude any speculation or implications of what was seen, heard, or felt. She described the "witch" and her protection from Isis cultists, the odd lack of warmth she emitted, then the gain of such. Especially at the mentioned terror of one cultist's fate, Daniel increasingly pales to the supposed dangers of this mysterious adopter.

It's more than he could've expected. Naturally, more questions spawn as they move closer to other answers, but before that...

"Is she really...that Nimue?" Daniel asks, swallowing.

"Who else could it be?" Mavi replies, smiling weakly. "It makes sense since she referenced Merlin in the last memory. Not only that, but we know Arthurian literature alludes to two different enchantresses. It was never clear whether they were the same person or different, but now it seems they were separate."

She pauses, then grits her teeth. "Still, what frustrates me is why this memory called out to Viviane in her prison for so long. Is it really just a missing piece of her past? If so, I'm even less sure where or why she was trapped in such a unending fog."

Nobody is sure, for that matter, but Mavi doesn't expect an guess as she continues, "I feel a small sadness over the loss of this connection, and yet, I'm worried to learn more about this person who took her in."

"Why?" Anne asks, cocking her head. "It sounds like she saved Viviane!"

The fusion bites her lips as she looks down. "I certainly felt relieved when she saved her, but nothing felt exactly right about the woman. No...I should say something isn't right."

"... I've held many names myself, so it's only suitable that I bestow one to such an abandoned."

As Nimue's words flow through her head, Mavi narrows her eyes with difficulty. "It's as if that woman is..."

"You...What the hell are you!?"
"Whatever I aim to be."

"...staring into a black hole, growing endlessly," she finishes.

Daniel and Anne remain silent for a few seconds to Miva's description. It's clear that whatever this woman is, they can rule her out as being human given how she may have handled the lone cultist.

In that case, she might really be a witch as far as others are concerned. To Daniel, however, more important is whether she's the same as Viviane and Anne.

"Let's not dig too much into what she is when we barely know how much about her is true," Anne suggests, sighing. She wraps a gentle hand across the fusion's back. "For now, the important thing is how you feel about yourself, sister. Does any of this matter to Viviane in you?"

Mavi takes a deep breath, then straightens. "I'm even more ready to move beyond this past, if that's anything to imply on her behalf. Although I'm not completely certain, I also accept that she could've been a clone, and that all these memories we're seeing are simply from the original."

She pauses, then looks at her hand. Although she feels human now, the reality is that she and other fusions are simply a borrowed existence. No matter what, Viviane and Anne would never individually be grounded to the Earth the same way that humans are.

But, is that such a bad thing? Viviane wouldn't have to adhere to burdens of her past self. She could be more like Anne — someone who is connected, but unique in her own way.

Snorting, she shakes her head. "Or maybe, I just want an excuse to run away from the past and live anew."

Notes:

As implied, the name "Mavi" was overall picked between the ScribbleHub poll results, comments from CHYOA, and AO3. The alternate names suggested were "Vivary" and "Vary". Thanks to those who participated!

Chapter 85: Long Night

Chapter Text

After Mavi recalls as much as she could, she and the others continue their loop around the park. Needless to say, their thoughts collect around Nimue and her role in real history—if she's anything like medieval literature describes. At the same time, Anne's eyes lower as uncertainty grows in her own role to it all.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Anne blinks as Daniel's whisper spurs her out of thoughts. Quickly, she waves her hands.

"Oh, I'm good! Just...a little confused about myself. I understand that I stopped receiving Viviane's missing pieces ever since she left me, but you and Mary saw the beginnings of such within my dream world. Why can't I receive these on my own despite holding them?"

Daniel hums, twisting his lips. "Well, I can't say for sure, but Mother has always resided in you differently than Mary and me. Even now, her memories could be...well, both literally and figuratively foggy for you."

The slime mother stifles a laugh by the logic. "A bit annoying, but I suppose that's one way to put it. So, you think Mama's head is in the clouds, huh?"

"Of course not," Daniel answers, straightening. "You're obviously higher than the clouds."

"How high exactly?"

Daniel's gaze draws to the dark sky above. "I don't know, the great beyond?"

The slime mother rolls her eyes. "Wow. I wonder how you figured that. As much as that's my game, I'd rather be down to Earth with you, sweetie."

Her son curls his lips slightly but avoids a flush to her sentiment. It would seem his angle at lifting her spirits succeeded and failed at the same time.

"What about me?" Mavi asks, squeezing the artist's hand with bright eyes. "I, personally, would love to ascend to the skies!"

To this, Daniel raises a brow. "Last I checked, Mary hates heights. Wouldn't you too?"

Mavi freezes briefly, realizing the artist is right. She even sweats thinking about climbing ladders! Despite this, Viviane's eagerness to do many things after her time imprisoned poses a conundrum to the fusion.

Her lips break into a crooked smile. "Well, m-maybe it won't be that bad! You don't have to compare me to Mary or Viviane, you know? I'm sure I can be much braver being two!"

"I'm sooo convinced," Daniel replies, chuckling.

Mavi pouts, shaking off her fear further. "Oh hush! Whenever we visit the observatory, we can take one of the nearby trails up some of the mountains. I'll prove it to you there!"

Still, her son snorts. "I think it'll be difficult when you're two people."

The fusion gasps, staggering back. "Dear child, are you implying I'm heavy...again?"

Flinching, the poor artist waves his hands. "N-no, not like that! I mean mentally...uh, never mind! Also, what do you mean 'again'?"

Mavi narrows her eyes, harrumphing. "You know very well. In fact, you should owe Mommy for that uncalled attack against Mary in the dream world."

"Uncalled?" Daniel sputters. "For the record, that was an even measure after yours—I mean, Mary's watery comparison."

Mavi looks away. "What measure? The only measurement that matters is how kind you are to your mothers, no matter the form!"

Daniel sighs, rubbing his head. "Man, how is that even fair?"

While her son trembles with Mavi-but-mostly-Mary shenanigans, Anne raises her brow. Unwilling to be left out of the loop, she pokes him. "Did something happen in that world that you didn't mention?"

Removing his hands, her son just rolls his eyes. "Just the typical teasing from Mary."

"Ooh, I want to know!"

"Hehe, don't worry," Mavi assures, winking to the slime. "He's just insecure because his lake within you is smaller than expected. Even so, he's still big enough to handle us, don't you think?"

"Ah, I remember now! So that's why you referred to it as a 'pond' before."

Daniel groans. "It's. Not. A. Pond. Rather than me, how about you size yourself down a bit?"

The banter and giggles only increase as they return to the parking area, but amid their expressions, a figure with a hat and large coat looms afar against a lamp post.

Shadowed with a strange aura, the observer should alarm anyone, but an unwitting jogger passing by shows they're outside normal perception.

"So this is where she leads..."

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Back at the studio, Daniel feels a little better having walked with his two motherly lovers—even if they do sometimes drive him nuts. After all that was discussed on the new memory, it would be better to rest and clear his mind.

"Now that it's late," he begins, stretching. "Maybe we should-"

Before he can finish, Mavi and Anne hook their son's arms in perfect sync, then drags him from behind. He blinks, stupefied as he passes through the trim to his bedroom. A subsequent slimy appendage extends from Mavi's back to close the door in front of him.

With the exit's slam marking his end, he thins his lips before dropping his head.

'Oh, fuck.'

Indeed, that is their plan.

Dropped to his bed, the two girls return within his sprawled view. His heart races as their eyes swirl at him with a maternal longing and hunger. Despite conversing normally in the park, it's clear this moment was always set in the back of their minds. No late hour will delay their heated desire to embrace their dear son.

As such, Daniel gulps, watching them undress before him. He wishes he wouldn't react, but it's an impossible feat for his weak mind. Their shapely breasts and curves simply harden his focus and equally harden him below.

Once naked, Mavi approaches first, unbuckling his pants and sliding his underwear down. No resistance is to be had from the artist, knowing this intimate experience is especially important to Viviane as part of this fusion. Although the elder slime had bonded with him partially, then fully as Vida, this is an opportunity to provide a warmth like none other.

That said, the fusion pauses. Her thoughts momentarily roam to Nimue, wondering what the enchantress had done to the cultist to obtain similar warmth. It would make sense she's also a slime, given the initial lack of heat felt by the baby. Regardless, she shudders to think how she used the cultist to achieve it.

It was deserved...maybe.

Taking a deep breath, she forces such concerns away before they can show on her face. None of that matters compared to being Daniel's mother, girlfriend, and general lover—all wrapped into one. Her existence resulting from Viviane using Mary is a mutual one, unlike the means Nimue may have used to save her. Convinced of the difference, she starts off by grazing her son's cock, gently applying pressure with her thumb to the tip of his head, then downward to his base.

Daniel's breath hitches, jerking his head away as the fusion strokes his member. Before he can return his attention to her, his view is blocked as Anne stretches her way to him, blissfully compressing her chest against his own with a warm smile.

"Hi~" she sings before her eyes soften as she brushes his hair. "Mama and Mommy love you so much, you know?"

The artist knows more than anyone, but isn't able to say it back as his slime mother leans forward to connect lips with him. Against such tenderness, he closes his eyes and tries to return the favor, but it's difficult to focus as Mavi maintains her strokes below, partially melting her outer layer across to butter up her movements.

Schlip, schlip, schlip...

For a few minutes, he receives the girls' love as calmly as he can until he feels Anne loosen on top of him. Opening his eyes to check, they immediately widen to watch her morph back into her gooey form. He utters a muffled grunt of surprise as she spreads around him like honey.

Contrary to his expectations, she's melts off him into a pool around. His clearer view returns to Mavi once the blue tint wears off, but her smile reassures him over the slime's state. Much to his relief, he feels Anne's mass slither, squirming to hide behind him.

Shlurk!

Before he can question the slime mother's plan, his body is raised as she rebuilds herself beneath him. He would've been more concerned if she had tried this before, but Viviane's shared experience truly helped the slime stabilize better. As such, she hums smoothly into his ear within seconds of reformation, then wraps her arms around his stomach, locking her baby close.

Pleasant shivers travel down as she kisses his cheek. From behind, his tingly spine aligns neatly against her front, while her mounds exist to ease his shoulders. His wobbling cock's signals approval as it grows even bigger in front of Mavi, much to her glee.

"Hehe, comfy?" Anne asks, sliding a hand across his chest. "Isn't it nice to be held by Mama like this?"

"I...I guess."

He's certainly been held in much stranger ways than this. No matter how Anne becomes his extra support, though, it's obvious that he wouldn't find a better gel cushion in the world.

Knowing that, he relaxes into her hold and focuses on the Mavi. The fusion already ended her strokes now that he was plenty hard and leaking pre-cum. With a twinkle, she slides her hair back, then leans in closer between his legs. Thanks to his elevation, her breasts lift his scrotum as she snuggles in.

"You two look so cute together," she says, giggling. "While Mama holds you, try not to squirm too much, okay?"

Daniel furrows his brows. Before he can question, Mavi lowers her lips to kiss the tip of his cock. He immediately tenses while his heart throbs to her piercing eyes. Finally understanding her intentions, he tries not to cum so early as she slides her tongue around the tip of his penis. She holds his cock like this for a few seconds before the rest of her lips split, sliding his member neatly into her mouth.

Like Marianne, Mavi doesn't even need to express saliva, since her mouth is already coated with a slime layer. That same layer allows her to minimize gag reflexes by extending nerves to muscles Mary wouldn't have been able to control otherwise. As a result, her head bobs and reaches his base effortlessly.

He's not sure why he bothered thinking he had a chance to hold out for long.

"Oh god, M-mother..." Daniel breathes, shaking.

It's the first time he's addressed his fusion mother without thought, but he's not entirely sure about the best term to use at the moment. In any case, he just goes with what he calls Viviane to differentiate from Anne. Hearing her muffled grunt and warm eyes, she evidently pleased by it.

Speaking of Anne, his slime mother behind him continues to caress his twitching form while enjoying his sounds of pleasure. She does her best to aid his movement by lifting her hips more, pushing her son's cock deeper into her sister's mouth.

"Omph~"

The fusion savors the taste of her son, sliding her tongue deeper along his shaft while taking in his reaction. With each push and pull, her pussy aches to take more of him. Before that can happen, however, she must wait a bit longer until he gives her the real taste she's been wanting to know.

Slurp...slurp...slurp...

That coming taste is spurred by the long, drawn out squeezes between her lips and throat as she slides up and down. This goes on and on, hitting her son's with unwavering force like a ram to the gates of a kingdom.

"Ungh!"

To his surprise, he resisted longer than expected, but there's no stopping the pressure as he cries out, filling his hybrid mother according to her hunger. Along with his groans, his hips shake, bucking forward to extend the sensation.

Splurt...splurt...

Mavi takes it all in, swallowing slowly until she has to pull up to breathe. As her son's cock plops out of her mouth, she shivers in delight. There's more to do before his cock can grow limp, so her hand is quick to take it back and stroke it to peak.

"Mmm...that was so good, my love, but let's not go down so soon, yeah?" she says, her eyes narrowing slyly.

"That's right. Mama will want a turn too!" Anne reminds, kissing him on the cheek again.

Daniel gulps, wondering if he'll have the energy to please Anne at this pace.

"Don't worry, sister," Mavi reassures, licking her lips. "He'll be ready for you, but first..."

She climbs up the bed to straddle him after ensuring his cock is big again. Wiggling her butt, she positions her crotch over, and while holding his meat in place, descends slowly.

The artist holds his breath as her folds open for him, feeling the familiar yet enhanced squeeze of Mary's warm, tight walls with a coat of the elder slime. Preparing himself, he slides his hands to her hips and awaits her rocking.

However, Mavi remains still and curls her lips to the side.

Doubts fill her gaze. "Love, I should've asked, but...Mommy isn't hurting you, is she? I know your actual limits, but...well, it feels like it's been ages for me even though I..."

She lets her voice falter, confused over herself. Yet, her concern only somewhat surprises Daniel. So far, the contact with Mavi has been similar to Marianne, but he understands the hesitancy is in part due to Viviane.

On behalf of the elder slime, Mavi is certainly savoring tastes and bodily pleasure more than Marianne had. It stands to reason, for someone as old as Viviane, her reaction is because such contact is long overdue. Just the fact that she feels uncertain, even with Mary's experience, shows how disconnected she's been becoming a female that can actually utilize all five senses.

Daniel forces a smile, then reaches to intermingle with her hand.

"Hey, you're doing fine. Putting aside my...light dehydration, I trust the mothers within you, so naturally I trust you as well."

Mavi widens her eyes. For a moment, she holds herself before a line of tear spills out from her uncovered eye. From there, her lips break into a quiver. Emotions run rampant within, so she hurriedly turns away, letting her white bang hide the rest of her crumbling expression.

"Uhh...n-no, I'm..."

To experience being the most human she can be as a woman, then connect with a man who loves and accepts her after centuries of being alone, how could she possibly keep herself together?

She can't.

Splick!

Thus, a sharp inhale escapes from Mary as her head stretches out from the fusion. Tears flow down her darker skin to no end as she cries out, "V-viviane, s-stop! You're making me cry! Oh god, Daniel, why did you have to say that?"

A squeak pipes from said slime, who finishes pulling away while returning to her original form. Of course, she loses her ability to cry, but her eyes shut as if she did.

"I can't help it! My child is...he's so..."

The two's sudden split luckily stops from the shoulders. They seem to have quickly recovered themselves enough to remain combined on top of Daniel, holding themselves steady as they let their shared emotions pass through each other.

Daniel is stunned, to say the least. While at a loss to the crying girls, Anne giggles more freely and pats her son's side. "You did good, sweetie."

"D-did I?" Daniel questions.

Regardless, it takes a long minute before they calm down. The elder slime closes the remaining parts of her face that were opened from the split, then breathes out in sync with Mary and their shared lungs.

Calmer, Viviane leans across the dark artist's shoulder to peek at her son meekly. "Sorry, my child. But as I thought, it's so much better to be connected with you like this."

Mary wipes her eyes away, then snorts. Having most of their fused form, she takes control to bounce against her boyfriend in agreement. Anne thankfully provides a nice added suspension to their meet, enabling a satisfying smack against her ass.

She purrs, narrowing her eyes at him. "Unf...definitely. May as well continue like this for a bit."

With that plan, they lean over their son. Mary is the first to catch his lips, sending vibrations into him like ocean waves. If he wasn't sandwiched before, he's definitely now as Anne and Viviane join in, pressing their cool lips to his cheeks while Mary leads against his mouth.

Chu, chu, chu.

It's so hard to focus.

Phlap....phlap...

Impossible, really.

They eventually escalate in their kisses, all the while Mary and Viviane's connected hips resume. His mind blanks as soon as the British tongue invades him, leaving him no recourse but to roll his eyes back. The most he can do is hold onto their ass, plunging onto him with abandon. With each thrust, their moans grow louder in sync, indiscernible from their bodies meeting.

Shlick!

Before Daniel knows it, he stops feeling Viviane's lips to the side while Mary's lips become more supple. Their reconnection is so seamless that when Daniel regains some mind back to look, Mavi returns to him in Mary's place as if she had never left. Her eyes smile with the reflection of his own before she gives one last smooch, pulling away and drawing bridges of saliva between them.

Another breath escapes before riding him more vertically, layering across her fellow mother's hands for support.

"Sorry about leaving, my love," she says, grinding her hips between pounds. "But, you're almost there, aren't you? It's okay to cum by now. Please cum for Mommy."

"Hmm...yes, you've done so well. Just let go, sweetie," Anne encourages, rubbing his sides.

Daniel grits his teeth, hoping to prolong for a little longer. Yet, unintentionally, Mavi flips her hair back in her reshuffle, giving Daniel the pleasure of seeing both of her lovely eyes. On top of her full chest swinging with each bounce, everything about this fusion is enough to send him away.

Splurt!

And she does, feeling his balls clench before the coming flood roars out of him. With it, he drives himself further into her, gripping her tanned ass with another cry.

"Oh, love!" Mavi cries back, similarly digging her fingers against his chest as she orgasms.

Splurt! Splurt!

She jerks for each rope of cum felt, her body heaving as the semen is absorbed by her slimy lining. She pushes her son to release everything as he had before, grinding her ass against him until his cock can't maintain its might. Even after, the lasting effects of their connection continue to spread sparks through her.

Time travels slowly until those signals pass, then their pants even out together. When all is finished, Mavi widens her lips against Daniel's tired gaze. Without another word, she leans forward and gifts him with more gentle kisses.

"You were wonderful, my love," Mavi praises after the last press of her lips. Inches away from him, she closes her eyes, sighs, then switches her focus to Anne underneath him.

Both of them nod silently before she cups her son's face.

"Now, please give your attention to your Mama," she requests.

Daniel's pupils shrink.

"W-wait, um-"

Splick!

He can't finish as Mavi splits. This time, the elder slime completely rips away, leaving the female artist to gasp as she returns to full consciousness. As for the elder slime, she reforms into her pale self smoothly, only needing a few blinks before sighing with joy.

Daniel flattens his lips as she slides to his side and hooks his arm while nuzzling his shoulder. "Daniel~"

Swallowing to her sweet call, the said artist keeps his attention on Mary, who remains on top with his cock inside. Her eager smile sent shivers down his spine.

"Uh, h-hold on. Maybe we take a break first?" he asks. "Or, better yet, continue in the morning?"

Mary tilts her head, failing to hide her amusement. She raises a hand toward Anne as she responds. "Unfortunately, I can't stay here in the morning. Plus, that wouldn't be fair to your dear mother, who cushioned you for so long. Just have some faith in yourself, love. Your Mama and I will handle everything anyway. All you need to do is-"

SHLICK! SHLOOP!

Mary's words cut off as Anne slips out from underneath Daniel, sliding up the dark artist's arm and flooding her. Although the slime mother feels a little guilty for being impatient, she can't resist joining Mary to feel human again after Mavi's show. Her eager mass wraps tightly against familiar contours, all in response to becoming the best for her baby...their baby.

"Ooah~"

Their groans mix as they become a temporary human-shaped blob. What's terrifying to Daniel isn't just the joining process that he's literally up against, but how his cock somehow decides it can stiffen in this situation. Yet, that's the reality he shudders to Anne's mass thinning between himself and Mary's entrance. He can feel the gooey cells squeeze around his member for a second before aligning against Mary's inner walls, adding to their integrity.

Twitching and smoothing out, Anne eventually fades around Mary, overlaying her skin to a light brown. Their head lurches back as their face transforms anew and their hair extends long. When all is complete, Marianne comes to the front of her existence, and straightens her head back to him. With a giggle, she wiggles her ass as she feels his cock throbbing inside of her.

"...relax for Mama~" she purrs, finishing Mary's sentence with a glint in her fresh eyes.

"..."

Daniel only stares in muted horror, desperately needing some time for his mind and heart to recover from the transformation.

Somehow, his cock is still hard. What's wrong with him?

By his side, Viviane twists her lips toward the fusion while rubbing her wide-eyed son's side in comfort. She closes her eyes, and sighs, shaking her head.

"Dear sister, it would've been better if you merged a lot cleaner than that."

Marianne flinches. "H-huh?"

They exchange more words as the elder slime criticizes the fusion, but it's all lost on their son's ears as he closes his eyes with a bitter smile.

It's going to be a long night.

Chapter 86: Appointment Not Found

Chapter Text

Bzzz!

Somewhere among sprawled clothes on Daniel's bedroom floor lies his phone. The man himself twitches as its muffled vibration reaches his ears. Too sensitive to the many dealings he requires of its use, he opens his eyes half-way, only to catch the cool valleys of his pale silver mother spreading across his view.

Viviane is like a mystical breeze as she hugs him close, brushing the back of his head to aid in his rest. It's plenty effective, lulling her son to close his eyes again and forget matters of the intense night he endured. With a hum, he cedes deeper into her softness.

His enveloper giggles. Now that her son is awake to some degree, she pauses her strokes along his head, then slides down his back to help him snuggle further into her.

"Good morning, child," she whispers before drawing a kiss to his forehead.

The artist wiggles contently before lifting his eyes up to meet his caretaker's sweet smile. As her warm silvery gaze sucks him in, he can't possibly stop his lips from rising from the force of it, linking himself to her.

The elder slime closes her eyes to her son's evident draw, humming contently into his mouth as he tastes her. She continues brushing his head as they make out, filling the bedroom with familiar sugar. Although it hasn't been long since she separated from Mary, she already misses the ability to feel his lips. To make up for such loss, she prolongs the kiss and accepts the small mental pleasure of hearing her son melt in her hold.

However, Daniel has enough mind to break away before he might escalate the morning. Taking a deep breath before her chest, he sits up and clears his throat. It's immediately evident from the lack of additional movement that Mary and Anne are gone.

"What time is it?" he asks, rubbing his neck.

"10 A.M. Surprisingly early for you to wake up considering all we've done," the elder slime says, raising to sit next to him.

Being malleable, she stretches her arm a few meters to the floor, taking out her son's phone from his pant pocket. When her arm retracts, she looks down, catches the latest message, and grins.

"If you're wondering where your Mama and Mummy has gone..."

Trailing off as there's no need to explain herself, she hands Daniel his phone with a text message from his British girlfriend:

Last night was great, love! If you haven't heard from Mommy yet, I'm taking your Mama this time to my studio. Now you must come to my place at eight for dinner if you want to see us again! Muahaha! >:D

Also, we need to talk about plans for my uncle's visit tomorrow. No rush immediately, so please rest well and update us on your check-up later!

'God damn it.'

Daniel forehead creases as remembers such appointment is in three hours. After pounding against all three of his lovers, he's not sure if such exertion will show, proving him to be "healthy." In fact, he worries about potential inquires if they're able to tell.

Laying a hand on his arm, Viviane cocks her head. "Is something wrong? If you're worried about them—"

"It's not exactly about them," Daniel assures, then sighs. "I'm just wondering if I'm any good to see a doctor after last night."

The elder slime blinks, then presses a hand to her mouth to suppress a short laugh. "Oh please, child, you're fine! You're sturdier than you take credit for. If anything, it's a sign of good health and youth."

That said, she lowers her hand and averts her gaze, coughing. "Still, I apologize for my over-eagerness. I'm sure it showed through Mavi."

Daniel snorts. "Long as it was, why would I blame you for a good night? Besides, if there's anyone overeager, it's Mary."

"Pfft...Well, I certainly can't deny that."

Straightening, Daniel closes his eyes and clears his throat. "Of course, maybe next time we do more one-on-one instead of all-on-one. Just thinking of all the heat we did is making me feel a little parched."

He opens one eye to her, and Viviane's lips widen to his meaning. Giggling, she opens her arms and motions with her hands. "Then, by all means, my sweet child, I'm here to help quench that thirst."

"That is quite the offer."

One that Daniel takes as he shuffles around so he's facing her chest. Once his upper body is suitably above her lap, she supports his weight with one hand behind his head and another wrapped around his back.

"So, did Mary and Anne fall asleep together or did they split towards the end?" he asks before latching on.

The elder slime hums for a bit, allowing her cells to reproduce the milk that Anne similarly inherited.

"They separated," she answers, sliding through her son's hair with her fingers as he suckles. "After you fell asleep, Marianne debated with herself whether to let Mary and Anne go to the dream world or not. Ultimately, the Mary within was too worried that she'd be alone in the fog without direction. If she's going back, she said she wants it to be with you again."

Daniel raises his brows, but is unsurprised. Mary's concern is valid, given he's returned to the same spot after being booted out. This is why he was initially against going deeper into Viviane's fog; although, it did lead them to finally learn the name of the mysterious woman who cared for her.

On that note, he swallows and unlatches to look up at her. "And how are you feeling about everything you saw?"

Viviane blinks, then leans back against the headboard of the bed. She takes a moment to recall the experience of being the lost baby, all while squeezing the larger one in her arms. As the memory replays vividly in her mind, she twists her lips while nudging him back to nursing.

"Relieved, mostly. It's not like I feel unburdened completely, but I think back to my time trapped, always hearing the baby cry out. To finally know it was my past self is much better than the alternative. My worst fear was that it was punishment for failing a child in the past."

The elder slime's eyes lower before continuing. "Well, who knows. Perhaps it's too early to say that. As Mavi said, it's a little frustrating, though. I can't shake off the feeling that something more must've come out of Nimue taking me in."

Daniel remains focused on her, absorbing her uncertainty as she wallows in self-doubt. Slowly, he lifts his hand from her shoulder, squeezing it.

"We'll find out more about this enchantress, but it shouldn't change who you are now."

Viviane's eyes soften, and she squeezes his head closer to her chest. "Of course."

After a second of silence, she huffs. "Anyway, we'll just have to continue learning. For now, the only legendary figure that matters here is Mommy, you understand?"

Feeling her expectant gaze, Daniel stifles a chuckle, then does his best to nod dramatically. "Of course, my lady."

He returns to his descent into her right breast while cupping her left one. As he draws in her milk, his slime mother lifts her chin, satisfied. She slides her hand down to his erect member that can't be controlled anymore.

She hums. "Speaking of legendary, looks like you have quite the sword for Mommy, huh?"

...

..

.

Later, after a breakfast that is more than just milk, Daniel changes and drives out for his appointment. Viviane insisted on joining him, unwilling to be left alone at the studio. Not only that, but it's a good opportunity to head to Keystone library that's close to the clinic, giving them the chance to research more about the second Lady of the Lake. Although Daniel wasn't particularly optimistic, Viviane's book find at the occult shop by Layna Moore showed that there was some worth checking books in person.

None of that was on the lake dweller's mind, however, as she turns her transformed blonde head towards her son. "So, we never established our public relationship, you know?"

Keeping his eye on the road, Daniel's lips lift slightly. "What do you think it should be?"

"Your third girlfriend, of course."

"Yeah, I'll just go tell everyone that I have three girlfriends. No big deal, right?"

"Hehe~ You mock, but maybe it really isn't such a big deal. Artists tend to be...varied, I heard."

"Don't apply that so generally unless it's specifically Mary."

"Fine, fine," Viviane accepts before squinting her eyes. "If anyone asks, just say I'm a friend...with benefits."

"I will say you're a friend. Simply, a friend."

"Oh? It's not good to be too deceiving, child."

"That's real funny of you to say, Mother."

Viviane titters before returning to the rushing tall buildings and people bustling, all blurring together. As she thinks about herself out there among people, she hums.

"Do you think witch hunts exist today?" she asks.

The unprompted question causes Daniel to blink. Figuring she must be referring to the memory of Nimue about to be burned at the stake, he shrugs. "As far as the news goes, there's plenty of so-called 'witch hunts' going around, but regarding Nimue, I...well, actually, I can't even be sure that's not going around either."

The elder slime grimaces, leaning against the window with her elbow. "Guess we'll be deceiving for a long time, then. Still, it would be great if we could make people forget so we would have some leeway about being discovered."

"Okay, now I see where you're going with this, but I wouldn't go that far," Daniel reasons, thinning his lips. "It just sounds like it's asking for more trouble, and we've been risking plenty of that."

True as that may be, Viviane doesn't press. Instead, she takes on the mask and role she's been assigned as they arrive at the clinic. Of course, one day, she hopes she can stand proudly as one of Daniel's mothers in the face of others. Even though it's wishful thinking, her maternal pride from Amy is unwavering, especially with how far her son has come in life.

For now, she steps into the waiting area as a "friend" who came along, standing by her son's side as he checks in for his appointment with the front lady. There are a few others seated and waiting for a doctor or assistant to call them in. Overall, it doesn't seem so busy today, but that could be because it's in the middle of the workday.

Sitting next to Daniel after he finishes some signing and a copay, the phone Daniel got for her dings. Humming, she pulls it out to see a text from Anne...or, not quite.

Sister, need advise! (I'm Marianne btw). Out shopping for clothes on Mary's behalf, especially for our dinner tonight! What would you suggest?

'They already rejoined? Well, can't blame them.'

Knowing of Mary's wardrobe, she begins texting back:

You should find something with more red. I know she doesn't have a lot. Also, don't go off merging however you want!

The fusion's response comes quickly:

Don't you deny my existence! Plus, it's easier this way when going out together. Don't worry, I'm being aware of my form, okay? Anyway, what about some purple?

Viviane shakes her head. Before she could reply, the main door to the offices opens. Time seemed to have passed quicker than she expected as an assistant pops through with her clipboard.

"Mister Hart? Doctor Grayson is ready to see you."

Daniel raises to his feet before turning to his mother. "Shouldn't be long."

"Hm, okay."

Viviane sneaks in a quick squeeze to his hand before letting him go. Once the main door shuts, she returns to her phone, only to see a new text with a photo of Mary posing in a very nice column dress of royal purple. It's obvious they split once in the changing room.

How about this?

The elder slime narrows her eyes. 'Are they trying to steal his attention?'

Huffing, her thumbs tapping wildly against her phone.

Maybe try green instead—

"Um, excuse me, miss? Are you here for an appointment?" the front lady interrupts her typing.

Viviane freezes before lifting her gaze to the lobby's desk. Looking around, she notices all the rest of the people around are gone. Had they already been served?

Perhaps time passed faster than she realized while texting.

"No, I'm just waiting for my friend who went in," Viviane answers regardless, assuming her accompaniment wasn't apparent to the woman.

The front lady stares, then looks at her computer for a moment. "Sorry, but...there's nobody who has checked-in in the past hour. Are you sure your friend said he'd be here?"

Viviane tilts her head as her forehead creases. Even though she literally saw her son leave into the main offices not long ago, how can this receptionist forget?

"No, that can't be. He literally...Hold on."

Stammering, the elder slime's head spins as she dials her son, but it immediately goes to voicemail. If she had a heart, it would be pounding now as the silence of the waiting room weighs on her.

Is this a bad joke?

Stopping the call to nowhere, she stands up and approaches the woman while trying to compose herself with a short laugh. "Sorry, but you're mistaken. I literally saw my so-I mean, friend leave this room for Doctor Grayson."

The receptionist is, perhaps, more confused than the elder slime. "Ma'am, we don't have physicians associated with that name."

Viviane holds herself, staring into the woman's eyes with increasing concern. Somehow, it doesn't look like this woman was lying, but that also can't be right.

It would be easy to make a scene at this point, but the slime controls herself. With a stiff smile, she closes her eyes for a moment. "Sorry for the confusion. Where is the restroom?"

The front lady blinks, then points next to the desk window with a relieved smile. "Over there. If nothing else, you might want to call your friend. It could be he does have an appointment with us, but I'm afraid I can't disclose that out of HIPAA compliance."

"Of course, I'm sure I might be mistaken," Viviane answers lightly before trailing into the restroom calmly. Once in, she looks at herself in the mirror as her gaze hardens, then takes out her phone. She hesitates to let Mary and Anne know what's going on without knowing much herself.

'What the hell...?'

She scoffs, thinking to Daniel's doubts earlier on the convenience of making people forget.

"He was right. This is far more troublesome."

Chapter 87: Fire

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Thank you for answering! Doctor Grayson will be with you shortly."

As the nurse takes her leave, Daniel relaxes further into the examination room's chair and sighs. So far, it's been a few minutes since leaving Viviane in the waiting room at the clinic. As with all patients, he had to answer some standard inquiries about his medical history and health. Of course, he couldn't say he had connected with a life form of unknown magical origin, but that's to be expected.

'It'll be fine, right?' he questions in his head, humming.

If Mary's check-up is any indication, he should be. Aside from discrepancies of her slightly adjusted body mass, he figures he'd be even safer. After all, he only fused fully with Viviane once, compared to his overeager British counterpart.

Although, becoming Vida felt...weird. Was it becoming a girl-boy, or the fact he shared motherly love with himself?

Both?

Shaking his head, he tries to brush off further doubts of his state by taking out his phone to distract himself. However, upon unlocking, it pings with fresh doubts from his slime mother on the other side:

Checking - Are you inside?

Daniel raises his brow. Apparently, he also missed her call, but the phone oddly never rang. Either way, he wonders why his slime mother would think otherwise. She saw him go in, didn't she? He's about to confirm to her until...

"Hello, Daniel. How are you?"

A low voice jerks him in his seat, jumbling his thoughts and phone in the process. Stammering a bit, he snaps his head up to an aged man with slicked-back hair, complimented with increasing grays and a standard practitioner's coat. There's no question he's the physician who would be examining him, but Daniel wonders how he could've missed hearing him open the door.

"Yes, I'm good! You must be Doctor Grayson," Daniel hurriedly greets, not to let his startle remain. He sits up from his chair and extends a hand, to which the doctor closes his eyes to a smile as he shakes it.

"Call me Victor," the doctor insists before removing himself and placing his hands into his coat's pocket. With no time to waste, his eyes start scanning the artist, looking for anything notable as his patient stands before him. No doubt, he has other patients to check on as part of his day, and Daniel is just one of many.

"So tell me, you don't feel strange after being with your girlfriend?"

...?

Equally strange, if not rude, question to start off with, but Daniel answers regardless with a half-smile. "No? You're talking about the girl who's waiting outside, right? She's just a friend, although, I'm not sure how that's relevant."

Victor raises a brow, then lowers his head for a moment. "Well, friend or not, she happens to have quite the fire about her, and the same lingers on you."

...!?

Slowly, a sinking feeling builds in the pit of Daniel's stomach, turning his smile stiff. Not to sweat, he shrugs off the sensation with a slight laugh. "Um, is that code for disease? I'm not sure what you're insinuating, but she's been healthy as far as I know. More importantly, isn't this my examination?"

As the patient, he shouldn't need to remind of this.

Victor hums, closing his eyes for a moment. "Yes...Sorry, I seem to be getting ahead of myself here, so let's establish a baseline between you and me."

With that said, he pulls one hand out of his pocket, then twirls his index finger towards the ground. Such an unfamiliar gesture is displaced by silence.

...

Awkward silence, in fact. With no "understanding" to be had, Daniel opens his mouth to question the man's sanity, but freezes.

Fwoo!

In the corner of his widening eye, Daniel catches a tiny, violet flame forming behind Victor and moving towards the door. The out-of-nowhere combustion makes him question his own sanity instead, so he blinks to make sure he's not imagining things.

FWOOSH!

But really, has anything been of his imagination lately?

Indeed, Daniel regrets not acting sooner as the flame engulfs the door in a snap, expanding much too rapidly before he can react. He only manages to take a step back as he inhales sharply, but opposite of him, Victor remains in the same place, studying his patient while the flames cast its violet hue across his face.

In seconds, metal disintegrates around them, walls turn black, and any furniture vaporizes as the flame spreads, burning everything like paper. A force like that should've incinerated them already, yet they remain intact as it travels below their feet without leaving a fuss on their shoes and clothing.

'It's...not hot?!'

Daniel's eyes swirls, unsure whether to be relieved or afraid as everything changes too rapidly for his mind to process. Yet, even under the pressure of unexplainable changes, he still turns his head to follow the strange burning.

Fwip!

He only manages to catch the end of the flames though as it consolidates into a single point, then snuffs out with the last of the room eaten. Although there should've been more spread given they're in a room of many, Daniel only finds silence and pitch-black darkness.

Well, not quite.

Apart from the emptiness, Daniel returns his head forward, widening his eyes to see that Victor is visible, perfectly lit up despite everything becoming dark. Further, there's no sign of ash, debris, or anything of the clinic around that should've been left behind under a normal fire.

But that's the key: This fire isn't normal, and apparently neither is his so-called doctor.

"With this, we can talk things more seriously now?" Victor offers, his eyes close to a smile.

"The hell we are!" Daniel wants to scream, shaking. However, with his throat dry, he swallows any inner complaint and offers a dumbfounded nod.

Seeing how he's seemingly alive and without any evident harm, Daniel takes time to consider this burnt reality. One can easily assume he's been taken across some form of magic similar to other colored fires that Viviane and Marlin revealed. Only now, this is the first time the young man can claim he's personally experienced such otherworldly energy.

He can't say he likes it. Given Lecia is also likely involved in a fire that summoned his slime mothers, it calls for him to be warier of this examiner before him. Thankfully, he's able to suppress most of his inner panic with all the abnormal he's been experiencing daily.

Thus, keeping that in mind, Daniel clears himself and forces another smile. "Um, just checking, but...you are a doctor, right?"

Snorting, Victor nods to his side.

"Yes, you could say a doctor in a way," He answers, then straightens. "I previously was a professor back in Egypt many years ago studying the history and Egyptian gods."

Daniel pushes out enthusiasm with a hum, but his neck sweats. "Right, that...sounds fascinating! Guessing you learned quite a lot in that time, but honestly, I think I'm looking more for a physician than someone holding a P.H.D. in History who can do...whatever you did here."

Victor chuckles, waving. "Relax, Daniel. I apologize for changing up your appointment, but if I'm honest, you're taking this better than I expected. I don't mean any harm to you or your friend either, but this was the best chance to meet you, and help you understand the stakes at play. I approached Lecia similarly, too."

The artist widens his eyes at the mention of his commissioner. After some silence, he takes a deep breath but drips more behind his back. "Okay, so you've been expecting and following me. Who are you, really?"

The corner of Victor's lips curl a little as he recalls the same question raised by the Stonehenge leader. It was unfortunate their talk was cut so soon, but regardless, such doubts are to be expected by anyone.

"I'm just a follower of a god who played too much with fire," he dismisses, snorting sadly to himself. Before Daniel can question, he raises a finger. "It might be better to start with the one who could handle this fire the best: I assume you've heard of Merlin in Arthurian legends?" he asks.

Although it might be futile to downplay what he knows, Daniel still shrugs, unwilling to show his limited knowledge against a man he's only met. While that might not be the best play considering how his doctor can bring about magical fires, he has to at least try to guard himself and his strange maternal family.

"I mean, sure. Everyone has at least had to read of him in school. What about it?"

"Right, but there's always more to stories written by poets," Victor suggests, then narrows his eyes. "While I won't assume to how it spread, you can say we both have been exposed to the same fire that was also present in Merlin when he performed miracles for Britain."

'Exposed?' Daniel repeats, holding his breath.

Has the colored fires he's seen been more than just an effect?

Victor continues with Daniel's thoughts. "Like you'd expect, a fire can spread and grow hotter under the right conditions. It can also be harnessed for both good and bad indiscriminately. The reason I'm able to find you at all is because a very different fire was lit within you and others beside you. However, I mention your friend outside because she has the brightest fire that I've seen so far."

Daniel thins his lips as he considers the doctor's words. Although it's clear "fire" is more than just figurative, it's quite difficult to imagine something that's attached to him when he doesn't feel any different. Then again, none of the magical fires shown produced any heat, so with all that he's experienced with his slime mothers, it would make sense they're carrying an energy that's out of this world.

Without much to go by, he forces himself to accept this concept in consideration of the evidence of these flames, but it begs the question...

"Where did this fire come from?"

"To me and others, that remains a mystery," Victor admits, stroking his goatee. "The most prominent belief is that it's a power gifted by the goddess Isis, which spread to her followers over time after she descended to Earth through Cleopatra."

That matches what Marlin has gathered, but Daniel doesn't want to probe when there's no certainty. He hasn't even dived enough into mythical gods in general, much less Egyptian ones, to understand the influence and apparent relation to his slime mothers and the world.

"If it's such a mystery, how can you control it?"

The doctor smiles, placing a hand to his chest. "Much of that is thanks to Merlin's teachings. So, going back to your initial doubt about me, you could say that outside of my profession, this knowledge was passed down to my family and others over generations from the disciples of Merlin, who followed the goddess Isis, among others. As a result, the fire I showed is just a small part of the studies that slowly accumulated and refined over centuries."

Daniel raises his brows. Although left unsaid, a "wizard" might be the only title Daniel can ascribe to Victor. Just imagining if Mary were here, she'd have so many sparkling stars in her eyes. After all, her disappointment was immeasurable after being misled by Viviane's assumptions into thinking her uncle was related to the legendary mage.

If she were to learn she carries this "fire" within her, then...

"Finally! I-I mean, please accept me as your disciple, oh great wizard! As a fellow British literate, I hundred-percent resonate to the teachings of Merlin!"

Daniel cringes, tasting the bullshit Mary would be willing to spew to dive into something new and exciting. As evident to the shared knowledge and memories of his girlfriend, he's scared that he can imagine her words so easily.

It's a good thing she's not here.

"This is to say, you must be careful," Victor intrudes, snapping Daniel's attention back to him. "I am not in any state to interfere, but others who can see like I do will come to know your 'friend' is exceptionally bright. Various branches, especially for followers of Isis, will either seek to use her or destroy her depending on what they believe in."

The artist flinches. This is already a bit too much, considering he talked about the possibility of "witch hunts" with Viviane earlier. Although he has been trying to pass her and Anne as humanly as possible, is that impossible in a world with apparent cults and magic?

Against the odds, Daniel grits his teeth, trying to stay calm. While Victor may be able to tell that one of his slime mothers isn't normal, it doesn't look like he's aware of their true nature.

"But...why?" He presses. "Even if she does carry this so-called fire like you do, she certainly doesn't know how to use it. She's just a normal girl!"

Is it still worth playing dumb, even now? Daniel doesn't know, but he tries, if only to see what's laid bare to someone who has so easily seen through his family. However, his stomach churns as Victor smiles lightly, amused.

"You really care for her, don't you?" he says, then hums, nodding to himself. "It's good to remain vigilant, but considering one star is missing in the sky and another is burning brightly among us, it'll be difficult to continue hiding. Especially now, those who know are accepting that Merlin's seal has been broken; the star he sought to contain is now among us."

With such an observation that hits far too close to home, Daniel gulps. "That's uh..."

'Daniel!'

The called artist halts before turning around quickly. It's faint, but he could've sworn he heard Viviane. Glancing around for a second, he twirls his lips to the side before returning his gaze to the former professor. To his horror, however, Daniel's pupils contract.

Victor's gone.

"Daniel, wake up, please!"

Resounding more clearly, the called artist gasps. It takes just a blink, but his eyes reopen as if waking from sleep. Regardless of whether that's true or not, another change in surroundings completely shuts his brain down.

In front of his stoned face, a mostly reformed Viviane stands in place of the false doctor. Her worried silver eyes bores into him, adding to his unease. Around her, the examination room appears to be back to its normal state, with no sign of burning or fire to be had.

Swallowing slowly, Daniel opens his mouth, but no words come out as he tries to comprehend what happened. Had he simply dozed off and imagined a man named Victor?

No, obviously not.

Seeing how there's movement returning to her son's face, Viviane lets out a small breath of relief.

"T-thank goodness," she whispers, her voice almost a choke. Her hands drag to his shoulders, squeezing him tight.

"M-mother?" Daniel finally voices, thawing enough to notice she's naked, trailing with goo falling from above. More specifically, his mother's gooey mass is spilling out from a vent in the ceiling.

"What the hell?"

"What do you mean, 'What the hell'? That's my line, you idiot!" Viviane growls, then squishes against him, wrapping her arms tight around his back. Daniel can feel her hands shaking.

"Y-you wouldn't answer the phone, so I had no choice but to sneak in. I don't know why, but suddenly the waiting room emptied and nobody acknowledged you were here or knew of the doctor! Just to make everything stranger, I find you actually here, but standing like a vegetable!"

The rest of her mass finishes slipping out of the vent, finishing her formation into her usual silver-haired form. Although Daniel fails to follow his slime mother's experience, he has enough mind to hug her back while trying to catch up.

He could have been induced to day-dream at some point. Certainly, if his slime mother's words are true, he wouldn't be standing in the room after being called in either. How could they forget, though?

At the very least, her last text message made sense now. Having been taken by surprise by Victor, he curses himself for not letting her know sooner.

Then again, would it have made a difference? Maybe it was good Viviane came to "wake" him.

His slime mother slowly stops shaking, inhaling as she regains some sanity now that her son is safe. "Daniel...Who was that man in your head? Was he the doctor?"

Daniel's eyes open more. Pulling away from her, he stares at arm's length. "So you saw?"

"I had to!" Viviane huffs. "Neither shaking nor calling out to you did anything, so I had to resort to connecting to you mentally for a bit. It was brief, but I saw you were talking to a man, but..."

She pauses, then lowers her gaze. "Actually, it's odd now that I think of it: Why can't I recall any of your conversation?"

'She was...blocked?'

Daniel twists his lips, but tries to shelve his questions. Presently, they need to leave first before considering Victor Grayson's warning and how he manipulated what should've been a normal check-up.

Knock

"Hello? Is someone in there?"

Viviane and Daniel freeze as one of the nurses calls from the hallway. Quickly, the slime mother stretches her arm behind and locks the door before it could be opened. A thud resounds, adding to confusion on the other side.

"I-I'm in here!" Viviane blurts, her voice turning light but slightly raspy.

The shift stuns Daniel. He's about to open his mouth, but her finger snaps to his lips, silencing him.

"Oh? Chelsea, is that you? I thought I saw you leaving to go to lunch. Why did you lock the door?" the nurse on the other side asks.

While sneaking through the vents from the clinic's bathroom, Viviane had overheard and saw briefly of this Chelsea, a blonde, pony-tailed nurse who indeed left for break. Naked and with no other way to explain their current predicament, especially given how Daniel doesn't have an appointment anymore, the slime mother feels no other way but to use the absent nurse to avoid being charged with trespassing.

Thus, she forces a nervous laugh, her eyes glancing behind while keeping her finger on her son's lips. If she could sweat, she would be leaking buckets. At least now, Daniel finally caught on and was doing it in her stead.

"Sorry~ I must've done it without thought, but I forgot something in here. Just give me a minute!"

Removing her finger from her son's lips, Viviane looks around while Daniel holds with anxious breath. Luckily, the slime mother's eyes flicker as she catches an extra scrub peaking from a closet in the corner.

She hums, tilting to the side with flat lips as she considers an idea. In the end, there's not much choice or time, so she switches her attention back to her son and returns to her normal, but whispered tone. "Sorry, child, but I'm going to have to cover for you."

Daniel would like to have more details of her plan, but before he can ask, she draws closer to him again. This time, she seals his lips with her own, muffling any shock of his to a grunt. He's unable to pull away fast enough as her face softens, melting over his.

Apparently, by "cover", his slimy mother meant literally.

SHLURK, SHLROP!

"Uuuh, Chelsea? Are you okay in there? You know there's no need to pretend or make excuses if it's that time of the month."

...

Without response but a hint of heavy breath and moan, the colleague on the other side grows worried. She's about to call their boss, the actual doctor of the clinic, until the handle rustles.

With a smile, "Chelsea" opens the door, dressed in a blue scrub and seemingly normal. For some odd reason, she's also carrying a set of male clothes. Before the hallway nurse can question, her friend clears her throat.

"Sorry, you're right! I'm a little under the weather, it seems. Can you cover for me?"

The fellow nurse relaxes, then snorts, putting a hand on her hips. "Girl, do you really need to ask? Get out of here already."

'Gladly.'

Bowing to the nurse, the transformed Viviane walks fast, exiting the hallway before anyone might notice anything amiss about her. A few new patients add to the waiting room since the time the slime sneaked in, but neither them nor the front desk find anything wrong, unaware that their false employee holds a man within, all sealed inside her comfy gooey body.

Having taken control of Daniel's body and muscles in such a short period, the slime mother can feel his heart beating fast. Honestly, it may as well be her heart racing as she's just as nervous, if not more. Before leaving the clinic, though, she stops along the restroom door, where she took off her clothes to sneak through the vents.

The door doesn't budge.

'Oh...'

That's right: she locked it from within, and now she's out.

Shutting her eyes tightly, she breathes out and abandons her clothes, keeping on the scrubs she stole for now. While walking to her son's car, she reaches for the keys in Daniel's pant pocket and twirls them with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, child, but you're going to have to wear Mommy for a bit."

"Mmph..."

Notes:

AAH! This took far too long to write! That's just life, but thank you for the...*Checks date*, a little more than two-month patience!

Chapter 88: A Snug Library Visit

Chapter Text

 

Sip.

Having returned to her standard appearance, albeit with less conspicuous blonde instead of her usual silver, Viviane closes her eyes and tilts her head slightly as she draws in the sweet hint of lavender and coffee. Its cozy mix adds to the rich air of oak bookshelves that tower around them, blending a sense of calm into the lake dweller as gentle whispers and murmurs hail from the distance. Savoring the rare chance to taste, she exhales slowly as the warm drink overwhelms her senses to further ease.

Well, borrowed senses to be exact.

As evident, her other hand rests on the study table, but coldly taps fingers against its hard wood. This impatient gesture is spurred by none other than Daniel, his body fitted within his slime mother's deceptively gooey body like a glove. Overall, everything but his mind was shared in their haste to leave the clinic without drawing suspicion. It was good thinking on Viviane's part, if not risky, but Daniel is glad that it worked out in the end.

That said, as the artist sips on the elder slime's behalf with the excellent coffee brewed by the library's café, he wonders...

'Why are we still connected?'

Aware of Daniel's concerns, Viviane glows as she settles her cup down, then lays the hand over her more anxious one. "Oh, child, just relax! Since we're like this, we may as well enjoy our time together."

"I hardly think that's appropriate," Daniel whispers back, his lips retaking control as his deeper voice drives out of the elder slime. "We should've split somewhere private or maybe returned to the studio first to regroup after what happened. Instead, you drove straight to the library without a second thought."

"I mean, this was our plan after your check-up."

"Which didn't fully occur as intended," Daniel counters. "Now there are more issues than before."

Viviane's smile stiffens before glancing away. "W-well, all the more reason that we're here now. Why waste time?"

Daniel sighs, his and Viviane's head dropping as he overrides her avoiding expression. Such body sharing without being a complete fusion was first observed between Anne and Mary on their first date. He can already imagine how similarly they look: a mad woman muttering to herself in the corner of a library.

"Listen," He urges more softly. "The whole point was to see whether there were any changes to my health. While I'm pretty sure I'm fine, having my mind abducted into a weird plane where I get the wrong type of doctor to evaluate me is not. So, we shouldn't risk trying—"

"P-please, Daniel! Why do you think I'm holding on to you?" Viviane blurts out, choking as her controlling hand on top of his grips more tightly in vain.

Daniel recoils.

Silent as the surrounding shelves, he can only listen as his enveloping mother quivers, breathing slowly. While stifling herself, he can feel his own emotions twist as she tries to hold back tears, agitated by using his ducts.

'Oh, Mother...'

After giving her time to gather herself, Viviane lifts her head and relaxes control of her hands. Daniel doesn't resist, however, so she slides them to her knees and stares downward with shame.

"I'm...I'm sorry, child. I know this isn't what you expected, but right now, I really need to know you're truly with me," She says, her stealing breath careful not to pass further instability onto her son. "I need to feel you alive because...if you're alive, I'm also alive. I know it's selfish, but I just...I worry that you might really disappear. It was bad enough on my mind that I had to snuff out your clone, but when you wouldn't wake up in that clinic, and...stood there, so silent, I..."

Daniel doesn't need to hear anymore as he shuts his eyes, causing his enveloper to do so as well. It was good for both of them as they gave themselves more time to cool down.

'She's afraid of losing me. Of course, she would be, you idiot.'

He shamefully dismissed just how much worry his slime mother held. Indeed, given what she had to deal with in a matter of days, it would be weirder if she wasn't challenged because of him.

Thus, opening their eyes, he taps their hands together.

"You're right. I should've thought more about how you would feel," Daniel gives. "We can stay like this for a little longer. Just know that, whether I'm inside or out, I'll be either here with you or trying my damnest to get back to you and everyone else."

"Will you?"

"Yes, I promise," Daniel chuckles and raises a hand to wipe a lingering wall of tear on the right side of his face. "I love you, Mother."

Viviane smiles weakly. Although still worried about the future, she feels more at ease having laid out her concerns. Now, with their hearts intertwined, she blushes naturally. "I love you too."

They relax more, and Daniel initiates a sip of the coffee before clearing his throat. "Okay, with that out of the way, let's start reviewing what we know. First, is there a way I can talk to you without seeming like we're talking to ourselves?"

The elder slime blinks. "Ah...well, I'm not sure how I can hear your thoughts without connecting with you mentally. Even if we do, we might end up becoming Vida."

Which Viviane doesn't want. Feeling her baby within and knowing he's safe is more important to her than becoming a new person whose identities are blurred.

So, humming for a bit, she eventually raises her brows. "Maybe...yes, let's try this?"

Closing her mouth, Daniel feels her slime withdraw from his cavity, splitting through the cracks of his lips. It's a strange feeling as she slips out, disconnecting from his gums and tongue. When the goo finishes receding, he blinks and opens his mouth.

"Uh, okay? But now, how can you talk without it looking unnatural?" Daniel whispers, with some resistance against the goo that at least lines his lips.

Viviane's unlined lips widen. Although her mouth doesn't open, Daniel gasps as he hears her deep in his ear.

"Now, why would I need to open my mouth outside when we're alone? With this, you can talk to Mommy without worry, all sealed up in her cozy head, while I talk the same in yours!"

Clever. It's easy to forget that while his slime mothers assume a human form, they can technically produce vocal vibrations anywhere they want.

Ventriloquism would surely be a snap for them.

However, Daniel worries whether anybody would still be able to hear him within his slime mother. Thinking back to the time when Anne sealed his lips to quiet his moan within the changing stalls, he at least assumes it won't be noticeable if he keeps to whispers.

"I'll slip and take control of your mouth if I need to speak out loud, okay?" His slime mother reassures.

Daniel hums. With that resolved, the artist takes control and drags over a few sheets of scratch paper and a free pencil that was offered within the library. He begins drawing a diagram.

"So, the man who appeared to me was Victor Grayson, a former professor who studied in Egypt. From his explanation before you pulled me out, he showed that he's able to use the same flaming magic that we've seen so far with Marlin's book, your summon from the lake, and then what I drew according to Lecia's commission. He even told me he met that woman as well, which worries me."

Viviane curls her lips to the side as their hand, still controlled by Daniel, writes down the professor's name, then circles it.

"What about the fact that he's dead?" She asks. "It's true that he was a researcher, but online shows he passed away a few years ago."

Daniel recalls feeling shocked when Viviane looked his name up on her phone while they waited for their coffee. However, given the doctor was able to make people forget about his existence, plus his own, it's possible that's only what's on record.

"Who knows if he actually died or not," Daniel dismisses. "The main thing he claimed to warn me is that there are people, like him, who studied this fire — all descendants of the teachings of Merlin."

"Hmm...It would make sense he taught others. I think from my memories we received, he may have even taught me. Although, it's hard to say when I can't remember much. Even so, isn't this big? It means there are actual wizards in this world! Mary will be delighted."

"No, no, I don't think it's something to be excited about at all, especially when Marlin is supposed to arrive tomorrow," Daniel urges, his slight sweat immediately absorbed by the surrounding goo. "How is she and Mom, by the way?"

Viviane closes her eyes and giggles. "They're just getting ready for our dinner tonight. We'll have to dress nicely too, it seems. Still, I haven't told them anything of the problems we experienced in the clinic."

Daniel groans, leaning their shared form back. "I don't want to disrupt them, but at the same time, they're going to be so mad that we didn't let them know what happened sooner."

"You know your mothers well, but it's best not to ruin the fun they're having right now."

Sighing, Daniel thins his lips. He can't help but feel lacking in responding to their love, concern, and overall care.

Is that any surprise, though? He's completely overwhelmed. Having groups of magic users that would be able to find them and learn of Viviane and Anne doesn't help, either.

On that note, Daniel leans forward, focusing on the paper. "Anyway, the biggest problem is that people like Victor, who had grown up with passed-down teachings, are aware that you're not normal. They can detect what he called a 'fire', similar to the flames we've seen, within anyone who has touched such magic."

He pauses to draw a simple flame on paper, circling it, then connect it with Victor's name.

"So...you're saying I carry this fire? Could this have happened when I got pulled into the green flames?"

Daniel shrugs. "Honestly, I think you might've always carried such flame within. You are a mystical being, after all."

As a girl who gained modern sensibilities through Amy, Viviane wants to roll her eyes, but she can't deny the role anymore — not with her past memories, anyway. "So they'll know what I am?"

"Maybe. I wasn't able to prod Victor enough before you broke me free, but he claimed you're the brightest he's seen, then pretty much linked to you to the Al-Bali star that disappeared."

Immediately, Daniel feels his face drop from his slime mother's control.

"W-what do you mean 'maybe'? He definitely knows!"

Snorting, Daniel holds back a chuckle at her reaction. With that, however, he sadly adds her name to the paper, circles it, then connects it to the flame.

"True. He did say the stars are related to your sealing from Merlin."

"Just to make me look less like a bad guy, we also know that Merlin seemed reluctant about it."

"Yes, and again, I wasn't able to ask more about it. So, the entire reason is still a mystery that we have to try figuring out. I'm not holding my breath that we'll find any information here that will help, though."

Regardless, Daniel adds a star symbol to Viviane's name — one that, in this case, distinguishes her in an unwanted way. He can't help curl his lips a little as she grumbles.

"Hey! I can feel you smiling, child. Quit it, this is bad!"

Quickly, the artist tries to compose himself and swallows. If she thinks this is bad, he proceeds to add his, Mary, Anne, Lecia, and Marlin's names on paper, linking them to the flame as well.

Viviane flinches, her pupils contracting. "W-wait, why did you add your name? I can understand how Lecia, Marlin, and my sister might hold this fire, but why would you or Mary...?"

"Well, it's because Victor confirmed I carried it as well. Since Mary and I have connected many times with you and Mom, I figure we've been shared this fire naturally as a result."

The lake dweller shakes, her lips twisting. "Oh...Oh god, Daniel, I'm—"

"Mother, it's okay," Daniel urges. "Please, try to keep calm. We couldn't have known about any of this."

"Still, you're now in the spotlight because of me!"

Daniel snorts. "I was long in the spotlight the moment I met you and Anne. I still don't regret it."

Wiggling her lips, Viviane shuts her eyes, groans, and places her face into their hands. Wanting to reassure her more, her son gently rubs their cheek in said hands while keeping silent.

He remembers Amy having moments like this. Especially when trying to think of a solution and being frustrated, she'd commonly assume a similar posture as she racked her brain. Still, his original mother's diligence and structured thinking is one of the best aspects to have been shared in his slime mothers.

It'll help them keep sane.

Thus, Viviane soon pulls her hands away, her eyes focusing on Daniel's problematic diagram. "What is Victor's purpose in telling you this anyway?"

"That I'm not sure. Whether he means well or not, we're going to have to be more careful about his peers — all of whom will have their own ideas about what you represent."

"Just one more reason we have to gather more information quicker, especially on this magic that others can use," Viviane adds, her eyes narrowing. "Mary's uncle may be able to help us get started once we tell him the truth, but at the same time..."

Daniel hums. "Yes, I'm now worried again whether we should trust him. Once Mary learns of this, it might shake her trust too. I don't want to make her doubt family, but we know so little."

The elder slime shuts her eyes, equally frustrated of the uncertainty. After a moment, she reopens her eyes to stare at Lecia's name before raising her brows. "Wait, wouldn't Lecia also be able to detect this fire? If she was the one responsible for the green fire that freed me and brought Anne into this world, she should've been able to tell that you and my sister were affected...right?"

A possibility, but Lecia certainly didn't seem to notice anything odd...or at least, that was until she found a copy of Marlin's book symbols that Anne redrew.

"I'm not sure," Daniel admits.

Viviane slumps and tilts her head. "Oh, child, what am I even doing questioning any of this? Mystical or not, your dear Mommy has fallen so low!"

Her weak dismay only lasts a few seconds before she straightens in their seat and taps on the table. "Well, as your mother would say, 'Our first step on the moon was less than a baby's in comparison to the universe, but it was still a step'. Don't you worry, Daniel, Mommy will be ready to protect you soon!"

'Well, I don't know whether to be happy or scared,' Daniel thinks, twisting his lips.

In his weary, Viviane retook control of their hand to add to the list of names on the diagram: Nimue and Layna Moore.

"So now, we have an idea of how your names are related," the elder slime accepts. "As far as the other Lady of the Lake that took me in, I'm pretty sure I can assume Nimue also uses this flaming magic, considering she's related to me and Merlin."

Plus, her recent memory of the dark-haired woman dealing with a cultist in uncertain terms leaves a lot to the imagination. Regardless of what she is, it begs the question: If she can deal with cultists, then how did she end up at the stake by cultists?

For now, while adding a line on the paper, she draws a question mark to emphasize the need to read more stories about her.

Daniel doesn't disagree with that, but it's his turn to grow perplexed by a certain author.

"Why Layna Moore?"

"I put her in here because I'm fairly certain she's related too. If we think about it, her grandfather's journal she wrote about was the only public claim to predict changes after the Al-Bali star disappeared on the day I separated from Anne. If this Victor was aware of the stars and this fire, the author might know more than she wrote about."

The enveloped artist doesn't press if Viviane feels so. He understands the "changes" she mentions refer to a coming "Flood" the author described, but they decided not to consider it too literally. It was a fitting, however, considering the Aquarius constellation is supposed to represent a water carrier.

'Mom and Mother seem like mostly water too,' Daniel adds in his mind. Although, if one is surrounded by goo like he is now, they'd wonder if that's really the case.

With no objections, Viviane has them stand up, her eyes sparkling with determination. "Alright, this is a good first step. Now, let's go looking for books on the stars first — especially with...ugh, constellations. As much as it pains the Amy in me to look into dumb astrology, maybe history will give us more ideas."

"You'd rather look into astrology than mythology first?"

The elder slime scoffs. "I'll take astrology over gods any day, even if they are closely related."

Daniel chuckles. "Sure, it doesn't matter to me. Just make sure to not leave our diagram out in the open."

"Ah! See, it's good that you're here with me, huh?"

"Well, I didn't need to be specifically in you," He reminds.

Viviane giggles. After folding their drawing into her scrub's pocket, she starts heading to the Science section with her coffee. To finish the cup, she regains control of Daniel's mouth for a bit and sips as she scans the shelves until she's made her way to a section with many starry book covers.

'Ah, this brings me back. Amy always loved being in the library,' Viviane reflects fondly.

After some searching, her eyes lock upon a good book to start regarding the history of constellations. She reaches over before flinching. A slightly more tanned hand was about to take the same book in her vision.

She turns their head to meet this opposing reader before she and Daniel gasp simultaneously, widening their eyes.

Beside her, dressed in a brown sweater, Lecia Bowden holds while raising a brow. After a second of awkward silence, she coughs and steps back.

"Sorry, miss, you can have that one."

Chapter 89: A Chance Meeting

Chapter Text

The Keystone public library isn't Lecia Bowden's first choice when it comes to research.

After all, in this day and age of the internet, she'd rather organize her notes fully on a computer. It's only after re-reading her copy of Layna Moore's "Fallen Star" that she felt continuing the momentum might help her find insight, especially with material that isn't so easily available online.

That's the logical excuse, anyway.

Emotionally, she's been feeling trapped ever since the ghostly warnings from Victor Grayson and the news of the assault on Mike's team in Egypt. Thus, getting out and taking time off from her company duties is the biggest reason for her dive into physical books, even if it might not pan out.

She sighs. 'Instead of looking to others, I just want to know the truth of the book I dug up and what we've released. Is that so hard to ask?'

Nothing in life is given, but regardless of summoned creatures or old men with magic, the former archaeologist decides to start her journey with the astrology book section. Her stomach curls with all the extra nonsense she'll have to digest, especially as it relates to Layna Moore's claim of the "flood" based on the Aquarius constellation, but it's necessary.

If only she knew the status and whereabouts of the author. Her goal isn't so much to study the claim as it is to understand Isis, her followers, and any dangers that exist in the present to herself and her members as they get closer.

In her worried thoughts, she stops by a shelf for a book that seemed good enough to start out as a reference to constellations. Her hand draws to it, then flinches. Beside her, a blonde woman in blue scrubs gasps slightly as she's about to pick up the book too.

'A nurse?' Lecia cocks her head.

As they stare at each other, the former archaeologist backs away and coughs. There were plenty of other books she could read on such basic matters.

"Sorry, miss, you can have that one."

Paying no further heed to the blonde, she passes around her to continue the search.

"Um, w-wait!"

Lecia's shoulders stiffen as the blonde calls back. Curious, she turns around to meet the supposed nurse's gaze a second time. "Yes?"

Was this stranger trying to be courteous and offer her the book?

"If it's about the book, no worries. I'm not specifically looking for anything particular," she adds, not in the mood for a back-and-forth.

However, this blonde, known as Viviane, hesitates.

In their initial meet, it didn't occur to the elder slime that she and Lecia never met. Since all the memories and suspicions of this woman are shared with her by Anne and Daniel, it's easy to get mixed up in the feeling of knowing someone. Lucky for her, and especially Daniel tucked within, that isn't the case.

Yet, something compels Viviane to not waste this chance meeting.

Of course, snug inside her gooey body, Daniel has other thoughts. He breaks from his stun to exert control and turn their head away. In haste, his slime mother seals her lips while unsealing her son.

"Puah! What are you doing? Just let her be!" He whispers sharply as the slime slips out of his mouth.

Viviane feels Daniel's sweat as her own, then glances at the increasingly confused Lecia. Aside from her perplexity, she doesn't seem to hear the artist she commissioned. Even so, it's not good to keep her waiting.

"She doesn't know me, Daniel. I know this seems bad, but let me try speaking with her. Maybe we can learn something!" Viviane insists.

Unfortunately, there's not enough time to elaborate as Lecia furrows her brows. "Uh, is...everything alright?"

Shlip!

Daniel's mouth is taken over before he can protest. Although reluctant, he lets go of any resistance as soon as Viviane twists back to face her son's client with a stiff smile. There's no retreat now that they have the Stonehenge leader's attention.

Laughing silly, Viviane rubs her neck. "Ahaha, sorry about that! I just realized: You're Lecia Bowden, correct?"

The former archaeologist blinks, then snorts. The girl's strange reaction makes some sense if she's a fan. Although rare, she had people recognize her for her work in both academia and her role as President of her company.

"Yes," She confirms, smiling amusingly. "I didn't know I was famous, though."

Viviane waves frantically. "Oh, I...I don't mean to make you uncomfortable! It's just that you run a pretty notable company in this city. Plus, I've read some of your introspection between Stonehenge and the digs in New Mexico. They're fascinating!"

"I'm flattered," Lecia chuckles, keeping a professional air about. If anything, she'll take talking to an interested stranger to delay her long descent into the city library's books.

"But I don't think it's fair that only you know who I am," she continues, crossing her arms. "What's your name?"

"People call me Vivi," the elder slime answers, closing her eyes cheerfully.

Even if he could control his mouth, Daniel would still be speechless at how easily his slime mother has been able to establish herself, even hiding behind an easy nickname!

'Wait, this is...going good? I didn't know Mother dug into Lecia's work before.'

His heart beats a little slower as he relaxes, something that helps his mother unwind too. Of course, they can't be too at ease. A small part of Daniel still worries they'll be discovered in some way.

At this moment, Lecia hasn't noticed anything amiss. "Well, Vivi, can I assume you're a nurse?"

The elder slime flinches. She figured that because of the stolen scrub attire, she might get approached about it. Her excuse to a random, fleeting stranger would be to claim to be a nurse or resident; however...

"I'm...actually not a nurse."

This meeting might be more than fleeting.

Wriggling her lips as Lecia raises her brow, the elder slime tries not to overthink now that she's being somewhat truthful. With a huff, she forces a confident hand to her chest as she looks into the tanned woman's eyes.

"I just love wearing comfy scrubs, that's all!"

...It's true they are pretty comfortable.

Yet, a terrible silence fills between them, causing Viviane to drip. She can feel her borrowed heart rise again, undoubtedly due to her son. In fact, Daniel wishes he hadn't thought well of the engagement beforehand.

'Great, Mother. Really, great.'

Although the artist complains, he understands it would be harder if she lied about being a nurse without the employment or knowledge to support such a claim if questioned further.

"Well, um, I suppose everyone has their own preference," Lecia gives, forcing a smile. Although it's strange, there's no rule that only medical professionals can buy and wear them. She also wasn't sure if she wanted to dig deeper. Thus, she moves on. "Any reason you're looking up astrology?"

The elder slime breathes out silently in relief, then straightens. "I...I was about to ask you that, actually!"

The former archaeologist can't stop her lips from rising before placing a hand on her hips. "Oh, I just love reading about shiny astrology, that's all."

Like a switch, Viviane heats up as she registers her matching excuse and tease in the woman's voice. Adding to that, her son's second-hand embarrassment within isn't helping.

Or maybe that's why she's embarrassed herself.

Regardless, she swallows and lowers her eyes. "Oh, well, ha ha, you got me there. As you say, everyone has their own preference."

Lecia brings her hand up to her lips to stifle a giggle. 'She's...quite adorable.'

Although feeling silly, Viviane is at least encouraged by Lecia's reaction. Not to let herself be played around, though, she decides to be more forward, especially with information that's already publicly known.

"A-anyway, I was just interested in looking at the history of constellations ever since news broke out about the disappearing Al-Bali star. Not to mention, there's that crazy book by Layna Moore that's now going viral with the prediction of a star disappearing."

'Ah, of course,' Lecia snorts, only barely preventing her eyes from rolling. "I'm glad you think it's crazy too, but I'm sure it's just a coincidence. The author didn't even specify which star of the constellation would pop out of existence."

'She's aware, huh,' Daniel observes. Of course, who wouldn't be? At the very least, it confirms that his commissioner is paying enough attention to the connection.

His slime mother has similar thoughts as she hums. "Maybe, but given your preference, what could a former archaeologist be looking for in this section if not related to this great mystery?"

Lecia shuts her eyes and sighs. "I never said I'm not interested..."

She pauses, wondering if it's wise to indulge this stranger in her goal of finding the author and group her grandfather belonged to. At the same time, it's one of the major questions floating around as well online, so it's not like she's uniquely asking with swaths of people of the same mind.

'What the hell. Maybe someone with a little outside perspective can help me,' she decides, but goes in with low expectations given she read all the opinions she could about it.

"If I'm honest, I'm interested in the same. For me, it's more about the author and her grandfather's journal. Frankly, don't you find it strange that there's no word with all the public attention? Some say she's even dead, but then there would be a record, wouldn't it?"

Viviane widens her eyes, delighted to see the Stonehenge leader opening up. It's regarding an open mystery, but still.

"I think so too!" She chirps. "Especially when you consider 'Fallen Stars' was her last book a few years ago and nothing else, doesn't that make it even more strange?"

"Sure, but it only emphasizes the radio silence," Lecia notes. Before going off the deep end, she slides out the reference constellation book they were aiming for and then waves it in front of them.

"Do you want to look into it together, Vivi?" She offers with a smile. "That's if you have time, of course."

"I've got time, but..." Viviane narrows her eyes. "I would've thought someone like you would have better things to do."

'I wish there were better things to do,' Lecia mentally agrees while smiling bitterly.

She coughs. "Well, curiosity isn't exclusive, no? Besides that, what about yourself?"

Closing her eyes, Viviane lifts her chin. "Let's just say I'm a writer taking a creative break and looking for inspiration!"

Inside, Daniel groans.'Oh god, when did she come up with this? Actually...hold on,is she's adapting Mary's excuse to her uncle?!'

Nonetheless, Lecia's forehead stretches as her free hand hugs her chin. "Oh, I guess that certainly makes sense. Have you published a book?"

Viviane breaks, then opens her eyes, glancing away. "L-like I said, a creative break."

Shaking her head, Lecia snorts. 'How weird...'

However, for the stressed-out Stonehenge leader, meeting "Vivi" is certainly a breath of fresh air. Whether she'd continue feeling that way after exchanging their thoughts is another matter.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Back at Mary's apartment, many fresh clothes in bags were bought and carried in to match the British artist's current bodily measurements. To that end, Anne wraps a tape measurement around her fellow mother's torso, having checked the waist and hips to ensure nothing changed from the accumulated fusions they incurred while shopping as Marianne.

"It looks like you're still the same...I mean, as far as your new measurements go," Anne concludes. "I think this just confirms we have to be more aware of our combined form. There's no telling how we'll lose sight of ourselves otherwise."

Mary raises a hand to her mouth as she snickers. "Oh, love, you say that, but I think you may have added to me with that burger and fries you certainly lost yourself in."

The slime mother coughs and turns away. "W-what? No! Y-you were enjoying it just as much when we were together."

"Whatever you say," Mary shrugs, her smile wide. Moving to snap back her bra, she avoids teasing the slime further with another topic. "Daniel should've been done with his check-up by now. Any update?"

Anne pulls out her phone, then hums. "Last I got a text from Viviane saying they're finished. It doesn't say if he's fine or not, but they're at the library to research more of the past."

"Well, if I'm anything to speak of, they probably won't notice a thing," Mary dismisses. "Being the case, would you merge with him like Viviane if we assume he's in the clear?"

Anne frowns, then lowers her gaze. "I was interested, but after Vida, I don't think it's right anymore. While it'll be fun to share bodies like we had done, I think I share my sister's feelings of wanting to know our baby is present in mind."

Mary hums, pulling over a light t-shirt. Since they were going to prepare for dinner later, she didn't want to change into something nice too early. Not only that, she first had to start organizing her closet.

"I get that," she agrees, then refocuses her gaze. "But that's not the only reason, right?"

The slime mother flinches. After a moment, her eyes narrows with guilt. "Of course, you and Viviane would know. Then, do you think I'm being silly by worrying over sharing what Amy and Rachel experienced that day?"

The British artist crosses her arms. "The 'classified' observations, you mean?"

She recalls the concerns she and Anne held as Marianne before Viviane merged with their boyfriend and son.

"Stop! Viviane, there are things he should not know! Even if you're confident, I wouldn't even be trying something like this."

"I'm aware, sister, but this is our child's decision. I will, however, avoid sharing Amy's more classified discoveries, which she took to her grave. Those aren't relevant anyway."

'Those aren't relevant anyway, huh,' Mary repeats in her mind, unsure whether that's fair to claim.

Although she didn't mean to discuss the specific memory in question, the can of worms has already been opened.

She breathes out. "Okay, first, let's drop the pretense here, love. There's nothing that would bother our son related to the strange radio waves and weird ambient lights you witnessed. Like, come on...really?"

Anne bites her lips.

In silence, Mary shuts her eyes, then steps forward to squeeze the slime mother into her arms. "My view is that it was an untimely omen, but what ultimately happened afterward wasn't Amy's fault. It's not something we should bear, either."

The slime mother squeezes back, burying her face into the artist's shoulder. "I-it's easy to say that, but it doesn't excuse what happened. If our son knew, he..."

"Amy is afraid. We feel that, but it's also in our way of completing our bond as a family. Do you want that?"

Anne closes her eyes. After a few seconds, she pulls away and huffs. "Of course not..."

After some silent thoughts to herself, she hums. "You're right. I'll talk to him about that asshole, but just...not now. There's too much we have to deal with anyway."

Mary closes her eyes, tilting her chin. "Fine by me. Although I am his dear Mummy, I feel that it's not my place to reveal personal matters as his girlfriend."

Widening her eyes, the slime mother scoffs. "That's a load of bull! In that case, I'm also his girlfriend! If you're going to have it both ways, you need to feel responsible for this as well!"

Coughing, Mary pulls up her phone. "Oh, look at the time! I should start organizing now. Anne, would you help prepare dinner with the ingredients we bought?"

"Mary!"

Chapter 90: Perspective

Chapter Text

"Huh."

A full hour has passed before a moment of clarity strikes Lecia. She blinks, finding herself before a few stacks of books and papers with general notes. What started by going along with a strange blonde who enjoys wearing scrubs has resulted in an excursion into mythology, the history of various cults around the world, and ancient Egyptian interpretations.

'Not bad, actually,' she admits.

Her encounter with "Vivi" using public resources was surprisingly productive. The only reason the Stonehenge leader studied with a random but interested stranger carrying similar investigative goals was to see whether she could utilize the public interest in Layna Moore and her book on her cultist grandfather.

At this point, it's anything if it helps to find out more about the group that attacked her team in Egypt and Victor Grayson.

But while the gathered material they found so far provides a better sense of history to modern-day cults, it's still limited. That's to be expected from a public library, but it also doesn't help that she can't reveal details she knows to anyone.

Yet, despite the restrictions, "Vivi" feels so in step with her. There's an uncanny level of intuition in the girl that almost makes the Stonehenge leader want to recruit her. Of course, that would be extremely dumb, given the risks currently being faced. She's not sure who she can trust inside her organization who may be leaking information, either.

Faced with this frustrating bounding box around her, she shakes her head. 'Focus, Lecia. This isn't the time to get attached.'

Meanwhile, away from the table to find more material, "Vivi" Viviane has been guarding truths of her own, and that's not even mentioning the commissioned artist tucked within her. Like Lecia, she's equally surprised at how well they've been able to map out a picture of Isis' followers thus far.

Granted, it hasn't revealed anything that speaks to Viviane's history.

"You know, she doesn't seem that bad," Viviane whispers within her head while disconnected from Daniel's jaw.

Within her, as she borrows his body, Daniel snorts. "Being suspicious doesn't equate to being bad. We still don't fully know her motive or role in all of this, so continue to be careful not to let anything slip that isn't explicitly mentioned in the books we find here."

"Right, but if we can find something that substantiates what we only know, that might help us also understand her better."

"I don't know if it would necessarily help us understand her, but it would still be huge for us to find links. So far, all we've gathered is that she's aware of Isis, the related Egyptian worship, and the cult followers that lasted, but nothing we've read connects to anything specifically Arthurian. Honestly, I'm not optimistic we'll ever—"

"Wait, hold that thought!"

Daniel shuts himself just as his slime mother ends their stroll in the History section. Before her, she catches a plain brown book with the title "An Alternative Perspective on Egyptian Rites." More important is the author:

Grayson.

"...How about we skip this one?" Daniel suggests after some silence.

Viviane closes her eyes and titters. "Oh, child, we can't be too picky here."

"No, no, I think we should. Might I remind you that this guy is a confirmed magic user? We're risking enough by letting you mingle with Lecia."

The elder slime rolls her eyes, then, against her son's wishes, slides the book out and taps it. "We already saw on my phone that your mystery doctor published books as a professor. This one happens to be one of them, and that also means anybody could've read his papers. It's either this or we go through expensive paywalls online — your choice."

Daniel grunts, not liking the options or the happenstance.

But, with no further objections, Viviane flips it open to the first page before stiffening. Her eyes widen as they stand with only distant murmurs around them.

"Mother?" Daniel calls, growing worried.

Without another word, Viviane leans forward and starts swiping through the book hastily.

"H-hey, slow down! What's wrong?" Daniel calls again, unsure whose anxiety is pushing his heart to beat faster.

"What's wrong? Child, do you not see what I'm seeing?!" she nearly shouts, gripping the book by the spine more tightly as her other hand continues its race across the paper.

"I can't when you're just breezing through the pages like that. Just chill already!"

Daniel shakes back control of his hand to stop her flipping. That's enough for Viviane to snap out of her disbelief and silently gasp. With it, she glances around to make sure nobody is nearby to catch her actions.

She slowly breathes out through her son's nostrils. "S-sorry, but surely you see the problem: All the pages are blank! Isn't that strange? It's just like—"

"But it isn't?"

Daniel's correction gives way to the library ambiance. A few seconds pass as both of them consider their current perspective, which, while aligned with their shared form, remains individually tailored. To that end, it's clear this situation is exactly like how two different messages from Merlin revealed themselves to Viviane and Mary from memories of Marlin's magical book.

The former mother twists Daniel's lips to the side while causing his eye to twitch. "Okay, I see how it is. First, he blocked me from your conversation and now doesn't let me read his work. Why is this guy keeping his secrets from me? Why did he approach you instead of me?!"

"I'm sure there's a reason, but let's not forget how you kept secrets from us."

"Aha...ha...there's no need to bring that up again, my sweet child. Your Mommy is an open book now!"

Daniel snorts. "You and Mom are the least open books. We wouldn't be in the library if that were the case."

"Urgh...N-nevermind that, what does the book say?"

Taking control, Daniel flips to the first page, which begins with an introduction. A quick skim reviews the common notions of the Egyptians. In other words, it reads like a typical padded research book that must lay the groundwork before offering the main points. While a bit annoying, it's quite typical with most academic publications.

However, their brows rise as Victor offers the beginning notions for his interpretation.

The supported understanding is that the most important of the dead is wrapped to protect and ensure there's a body to re-awaken in the afterlife; however, this book offers an alternative view for preservation of the bodies and the accompany rituals: Sacrifice.
As will be discussed, this can be garnered through behaviors in later cults devoted to Isis, one of the few Egyptian gods that spread into Medieval ages. It's through sacrifice that their devotion to the Mother was not merely to be guided, but to contribute to her being.

A chill runs down the artist's spine. Feeling it just as well, Viviane frowns.

"...Daniel? What does it say?"

"Well, um...it reads like a normal academic paper. Victor proposes from his studies that Egyptian Mummies were preserved for future sacrifice to Isis, rather than readying them for the afterlife. He thinks the followers believed in the prospect of becoming part of their goddess."

"That's....quite concerning. Given the attempted sacrifices made by Isis followers in my memories, it's not hard to believe this view. I mean, even I was apparently about to be sacrificed as a baby before being saved by Nimue...or at least, a human version of me."

Certainly, there's still plenty of mystery about Viviane's origin and current state, but Daniel avoids thinking about his covering slime mother's personal history or Nimue as he looks at their actions thus far.

He hesitates for a bit. "Mother, I'm not trying to bring back any blame, but I also feel this 'sacrifice' sounds a lot like how you and Mom consumed Amy."

Humming, Viviane thins her lips and lowers her gaze. "I...suppose. There's no doubt your birth mother became part of us from the grave."

She then feigns a cough in his ear. "But that was only because Anne didn't know any better! I also had no part in it, thank you."

Daniel snorts. "Again, not blaming. I've accepted what it is, but I do think it's unfair for you to deny it. You were a part of Anne and benefited from the same memories, after all."

The elder slime looks away from the book. "Hmph! Charges aside, we don't even need to consume the dead. You and Mary have similarly become part of us, and look, you're all fine!"

"..."

"Child, say something. Don't doubt Mommy on this."

"O-of course," Daniel hurriedly excuses, then takes control as they see someone passing. "How about we check to see if others can see this text?"

"Fine," Viviane grumbles before reconnecting to her son's mouth, lining it neatly. They smile as she waves to the lurker.

"Excuse me, sir. Don't mind me, but can you read this? I just want to make sure it's not me and my eyesight."

The man blinks before leaning across as the elder slime opens the book for him.

"I can read it fine from where I'm standing. If you're having problems, it'd be wise to go to an eye doctor."

"Oh darn, but thank you!" Viviane chirps, closing her eyes graciously. Luckily, the man doesn't seem to be in the mood to chat further as he continues his way through the shelves.

Turning away, the elder slime unlinks from her son's mouth, sending a tiny growl. "That's really annoying. Does this mean everyone reads this like a normal book except me?"

"Whatever it is, we need to check this book out," Daniel concludes, wiggling his mouth a little after being freed. "I'm a little hesitant about showing Lecia this, though."

"I think we should. Victor said that he also met with Lecia, right? It would be good to see her reaction. Plus, we wouldn't be suspicious since anybody could've picked up this book."

"Well...alright. Just be careful."

Relaxing his reservations, Daniel lets his slime mother control their steps as they walk back to their study table. There, Lecia was looking up notes on her phone.

"Hey, I found this! What do you think?" the elder slime announces, holding up the book. She hopes she's acting as unassuming of the book as possible.

Flinching, Lecia lifts her head. With more time passing than expected, she figures it's about time for her to leave.

"Actually, Vivi, I'm afraid I-"

The next words get caught in her throat as soon as she locks onto the author on the book cover. With it, her following swallow is all that it takes to confirm to Viviane and Daniel that Lecia had met the magic user as well.

'Doesn't seem like she expected to find any of his publications here,' Daniel observes.

At the same time, Viviane assumes a curious expression, suppressing her knowing smile. Thankfully, any read of her face is lost as Lecia remains distracted by the book's cover.

Carefully, Lecia returns her gaze back to the elder slime.

"I-interesting! Can I see?" she asks, smiling crookedly.

The elder slime happily lays the book down in front of the obvious Stonehenge leader without another word, eagerly awaiting her perspective. When the former archaeologist picks it up, opening to the first page, her brows immediately furrow while her pupils scan left to right.

'Seems she can read the book too. Why is Mother not able to?' Daniel thinks. He can feel a small disappointment in his covering mother that it's not similarly blank for her.

Regardless, Lecia reads the same first page as Daniel saw, contemplating the book's alternative theory. Humming, she looks up, but in no particular direction.

"A sacrifice to Isis..." she considers, then shuts her eyes. "Well, that's probably more in line for a cult than a revival, but still..."

"Um, Lecia?"

The former archaeologist gasps, realizing she'd taken her thoughts aloud. Clearing her throat, she refocuses her attention back on the scrub girl in front of her. Of all the material found, this was no doubt the most valuable.

But, isn't this too convenient? She had seen books, but they were harder to access online.

No matter, she forces a chuckle. "Oh, sorry, don't mind me! Anyway, this is a great find, Vivi. I think I might check this one out before I leave."

"Ah! Well, um..."

The elder slime fidgets, unsure how to insist otherwise. Having read the beginning, they need this book just as well if they're to understand Victor and his background.

Seeing this, Lecia twists her lips to the side, thinking of Mike's team in Egypt, who got attacked after having scoured local libraries.

'No, something isn't right here.'

Even if it isn't, she'd be on record of having checked it out and then returning it. With all that's going on, it's better not to have any trace of her readings.

"You know, on second thought, you can have it," She concedes with a smile, ready to close the book. "I have to leave soon, so just let me take a picture of the ISBN, then it'll be easy—"

FWOO!

"...for...me?"

Lecia last words squeak with horror as the lighting dramatically shifts around the table. More concerning are the blue flames that spontaneously erupted, flowing around her as she stares past Viviane.

Time seems to slow between them as the flames crackle ominously, but they don't seem to burn or spread around the Stonehenge leader. It's not clear why such magic flames decide to rise and envelop Lecia when nothing happened to Daniel and Viviane while reading the book, but the latter recovers herself before any others might witness this.

"Lecia, f-fire!"

Lecia inhales out of her shock and closes the book with a resounding thud. There's no way of knowing whether it would help, but the flames appear to respond, dispersing with a slight wind and returning their area immediately to its normal luminescence. Amid the deafening end of crackles, oblivious murmurs and whispers of fellow readers from afar fill their space again.

The two stare at each other for the longest time. It's only when Lecia drops a sweat does she lower her gaze to the author's name on the book she closed.

Her grip tightens against its spine as she breathes.

"That bastard..."

Chapter 91: Problematic Books

Chapter Text

Lecia curses Victor under her breath, her head spinning with the predicament she's found herself in. The sudden eruption of blue flames around her, coupled with the mysterious "dead" professor's publication in her hands, leaves her convinced this is no mistake. Yet, if one of his books was here in the library, shouldn't it have reacted and caused a stir in the past?

So, is it only her?

But then, why did it ignite long after reading the first page?

'What the hell does it mean?!'

Viviane thins her lips amid Lecia's frantic thoughts and trembles. Although such a reaction is appropriate after being engulfed by fire, the flames were anything but standard. So far, the former archaeologist's behavior doesn't suggest she has much experience with these magical fires.

'Then again, what do I know? I was only surrounded by fire once before being swept away,' Viviane reminds herself.

In any case, the elder slime must maintain her unassuming facade more carefully. Feeling Daniel's throat dry in his own horror of the escalating magic, she swallows slowly on his behalf before stepping closer to the shaken woman.

"Are you okay, Lecia? You're not burnt anywhere, are you?"

The former archaeologist gasps, her face flushed. A switch flips in her head before dropping the book to pat herself down. This should've been her first reaction instead of analyzing what happened. Fortunately, aside from her heated face, she can't tell of any burns or damage.

Yet, that only encourages her heart to beat faster. 'Why is that? Vivi definitely saw it as well, but I'm fine?'

At least, she thinks she's fine.

Without verbal confirmation, Viviane pulls out her phone. "I'll call for an ambulance, just in case."

Lecia's breath hitches as she snaps back to the elder slime. "Wait! I'm good, I'm good!" she urges in a blur, her chair nearly tumbling over as she rises to her feet with her hands out.

The less quiet break rumbles through Viviane. She looks around, hoping nobody has heard them, then returns her gaze. "Are you sure?"

Lecia grips her hands together and bites her lips. Of course she's not sure, but what she is sure about is not attracting further attention. Knowing her panic isn't helping, she takes a cool breath and closes her eyes.

"Yes," she insists more softly, then opens her eyes firmly. "Don't call anyone, please."

The elder slime twists her lips, but nods. While she would go through bringing emergency attention if needed, she hoped the former archaeologist would want to keep this matter discrete. It's a bit selfish when anything could've been done to her, but it supports the assumption that Lecia recognizes the nature of these flames, just like the one emphasized in the commissioned art from Daniel.

However, the elder slime can't relax too much, especially while she feels jittery from her son within. She wants nothing more than to hear and talk to him, but she can't immediately unlink from his mouth right now. To compensate, she rubs her own arm and squeezes to comfort her sweet host.

'Hang in there, child. Maybe it would've been better if I listened to you and not shown her the book, but then we wouldn't have seen proof that the book reacts differently.'

"So...what exactly was that?" Viviane asks on that note, leveling her voice.

Lecia groans, leaning one-armed against the table. She slides a hand over her forehead as she narrows her eyes. "I'm not sure."

That's the truth for the most part. Although she triggered the green fire from the Stonehenge book, she hasn't observed other unknowns and magic beyond that and Victor's disappearance. Now that she has a witness to another, Lecia considers her options.

Which is to say, there's really only two: Play dumb or bring her in.

Playing dumb would be easy, especially when she's dumbfounded as is with the blue flames and its relation to Victor, but it would be largely unhelpful as it wouldn't guarantee any silence. That could place both of them in danger if others were to know.

There's also the possibility that "Vivi" knows more than she led on. What if she intentionally approached her more than out of admiration to pass on this book?

'What a fucking mess.'

Taking a step at a time, Lecia removes her hand to face. As she observes the troubled blonde, she understands that she needs to first ensure this girl keeps quiet. If this is not just happenstance either, she'll also need to find a way to extract her background.

'If there's anything I've learned about this girl, she's not going to ignore this. I have to bring her in,' Lecia concludes.

The question is at what length? It has to be in a way that doesn't expose her organization negatively.

With such troubling decisions, Lecia exhales. "Listen to me, Vivi. Do not say a word about this, not even about us meeting."

The elder slime widens by the shift in tone. "O-okay?"

"I'm serious. It'd be even better if you forget what you saw, but I won't ask for the impossible. Just know this is for our safety more than anything else."

Viviane straightens. "Safety? I can hardly describe what I saw, so how would anybody believe me that you were suddenly surrounded by blue fire?"

A fat lie, of course.

"It doesn't matter whether people believe you or not," Lecia counters. "With enough word, someone who knows better will be on to us."

The warning widens the elder slime's eyes. If anything, it mirrors Victor's warning about others. She considers her next words carefully.

"It...sounds like you know something about all of this."

Snorting, the former archaeologist smiles dryly. "Truthfully, I don't know enough."

She picks up the book again and taps it. "For now, this isn't the best place to talk. I will have to take this book with me, so if you want to talk more, give me your number. I'll contact you when we can meet again. Just don't try digging into this any further right now."

Lecia pauses before stepping to the elder slime, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please, Vivi."

Shaking, Viviane can feel Daniel's urge to pull away, but she remains in control. They simply can't keep themselves sheltered when there's already people that will detect her, just like Victor did.

They need to understand those around more.

"I, I understand, Lecia. Before we exchange numbers, though, can I ask something?" the elder slime begins, gripping her hand close to her chest. This is more to help her son inside her to relax.

Lecia removes her hand while thinning her lips. "I'm not sure if I can answer."

Even so, the elder slime presses. "I just need to know! Are you...perhaps aligned with the Isis followers that Layna speaks of in her book? Is that why you're researching the author and her claims?"

Stiffening, Lecia snap-opens her eyes, her jaw loosening. Before she might spit out as air drives into her, she turns her head away to reign in a short laugh by the notion.

'If she's worried about that, that puts me a little ease as well.'

Viviane cocks her head, wondering if her question was odd. Not to keep the elder slime waiting, Lecia clears her throat quickly. "No, no, nothing like that. If anything, I'm just...well, I guess you could say a fool way in over her head."

Regret flickers in Lecia's eyes as she smiles weakly. To that end, Viviane can only help wonder what might bring a notable archaeologist and businesswoman to degrade herself.

She wants to know for sure: Did she really bring about the green flames that let her escape? Why?

"Then I suppose we're the same," the elder slime agrees, forcing a smile.

Through deception and unknowns, some progress has been made as two girls exchange numbers and shake hands. Their area is cleaned up, but any sign of the blue fire that rose is absent, leaving only traces in memories.

When goodbyes are said and Lecia is out of sight, Viviane finally unlink with her son's mouth. Immediately, he coughs as he regains control of his jaw and mouth. Viviane fully expected him to yell at her for her decisions, but he just groans.

"Let's just get the hell out of here. I don't want to see any more books at this point."

That's putting it mildly, as Viviane fidgets, gazing downward. "Are you...angry?"

The artist sighs, his heart managing as he recalls everything exchanged. "Not angry, just worried as usual. I know you felt right about getting closer, but she's the only one who is highly related to the green fire that summoned you and Anne. If she found out what you were..."

"Then what?"

Daniel remains silent.

After a few seconds, Viviane hugs herself before continuing more firmly.

"I understand your worry, child. However, I feel she's just as new to this magic as we are. We might not know her role or motives yet, but I don't think she'll be able to do much. That's especially if she wants to keep matters a secret."

Their head turns away as Daniel scoffs. "Whether she means well or not, I still don't like it."

"It's fine to feel that way, but I won't regret using this chance to meet. For now, I think you're better off worrying about the dinner with Mama and Mummy tonight, don't you think?"

"Oh, boy..." Daniel mutters.

Bzz!

If it can't get any worse, his phone buzzes in Viviane's pocket. She carried it in addition to her own while sharing form. Pulling it out, the elder slime soon raises her brows while Daniel sweats as they read a text from Rachel:

I've made preparations, so we'll have dinner at my home with you and Anne, tomorrow at 8. No ifs or buts about it, you hear?

Viviane giggles as she feels her son quiver within. "With Marlin arrival, you're going to be quite busy tomorrow too, huh?"

══════════ ∴ ══════════

About seven thousand kilometers to the East, crowds buzz and suitcases roll against the tiled floors of Heathrow Airport in London. Mixtures of moods follow the various lines as impatience, ease, and excitement float about.

Among them, Marlin is particularly anxious as he looks at his phone to check the status of his flight to North Dakota with a connection from New York. It would be a couple of hours before boarding begins, but he really wishes something would happen to prevent his departure.

It's not merely the prospect of jet lag, nor that he doesn't want to see his niece. Under better circumstances, he'd love to visit America, since it's been decades when he had to visit for a business trip.

However, he's afraid of what he might discover and what his niece has involved herself with. When speaking to her father — his older brother — he played it as a business trip to which he'll be visiting her.

"Just don't give her any ideas, Marlin. She's weird enough as is with your influence. Just...let us know how she's really doing."

Marlin snorts. 'I'm sorry, brother. The damage might already be done.'

He regrets revealing to her the book he holds, but if she's truly involved in something otherworldly on her own, it's not like he can stand by pretending either. Just to be safe, he left the book at home under lock and key while keeping a copy on his laptop. There was no way in hell he'd take the original with him, especially if he wanted to stave suspicion within The Order.

Taking a breather, he soon enters the security checkpoint and unloads his hand luggage onto the conveyor belt and a bin with his shoes and phone. Without any drama, he exits the checkout clean as most would, then picks up his luggage on the other side.

However, when the bin of his shoes and phone exits the scan, the luggage in his hand drops. Blood draws away from his face as he stares at the gray tub creeping towards him.

Next to his shoes and phone is none other than the "Book of Isis" that was supposed to be at home.

"...Fuck."

Chapter 92: Green and Lovely Dressing

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ding dong!

Daniel steps back after ringing the door to Mary's apartment. Behind him and Viviane, the sun sets, bending their shadows against the greeting mat and flower-adorned entrance.

Suffice to say, it's been a long day.

The artist blows out slowly while adjusting his collared dress shirt and chinos. Undoubtedly, there will be much to discuss with the rest of his motherly lovers. It's a relief he had time left to recover back at his studio and collect his thoughts since sharing bodies with his elder slime mother. Specifically, the bright elder slime by his side made sure to help him at home, literally stroking away his tensions after connecting all but their minds together.

Although separated now, Viviane remains close as she links with his arm, her gentle smile rolling him with ease. It only adds to her allure after returning to her preferred silver-hair, which dazzles against her white sheath dress.

"Have I said how stunning you look, Mother?" Daniel raises, if only to distract his mind from the sure-fire excitement that would come with Mary and Anne.

The elder slime closes her eyes happily. "Why yes, you have~ I know you're still tense. Just try your best to relax, my child."

She nuzzles against his shoulders with a loving breath. In turn, Daniel wiggles his lips, feeling grateful, but naked to her detection. With everything shared with his slime mothers, he can't even hide himself using compliments.

Holding each other, a few more seconds pass before Viviane opens her eyes, frowning. "Did they not hear the bell?"

She extends her free arm like rubber to press the doorbell for the second time. Not long, both of them flinch as they hear muffled voices behind.

"Aaah! W-why are they here so early?! Mary, I'm not ready!"

"It's okay, love. Let's just meet them as one for now!"

Shlurp! Squick!

"Ooo...Ooomph! Mary...Anne...Ah..."

Shlip!

Daniel and Viviane stare blankly at the door, while the presumable fusion recovers herself on the other side with such passion. The former clears his throat, leaning closer to his slime mother's ears.

"I don't like how we're able to hear all that from their doorstep."

Viviane smirks. "You say that, but I think some of your neighbors might be aware of our nights."

Widening his eyes, Daniel coughs to the side as he prays to any non-sacrificing god that isn't the case. He's unable to dwell on the possibility further as the door finally opens.

"Ahem...Welcome, my lovely guests! You two came early. Couldn't wait to join us, huh?"

Graced by the front light and warm interior from behind, Marianne stuns Daniel and Viviane as she leans against the door frame, glowing across her fluid dark hair that extends towards dripping sleeves. Her olive eyes glimmer delightfully in her low-cut dress that drapes her medium-dark figure.

But, as Viviane quivers, something else is prominent about the choice of wear...

'She's actually wearing green!'

After the clinic incident, Viviane never finished sending her tongue-in-cheek message to suggest they try green while Mary and Anne were out shopping to supply for the artist's new bodily measurements. She didn't expect the British artist to actually pick one, and look good at that!

Gutted, Viviane glances at her son. As she feared, Daniel stares, enamored by the emerald gem before them. His gaze lasts a couple of seconds before he blinks and swallows carefully.

"You look...incredible, Mom."

Marianne's eyes soften as she raises a hand to her lips. "Oh, love, you too."

Next, her eyes fixes on Viviane before squealing, "You as well, sister! That dress that Anne picked for you is simply enhances your silver being. Indeed, a true enchantress of the lake!"

The elder slime scoffs and looks away. Prohibiting herself from teasing her elder sister further, Marianne claps her hands together and steps to the side. "Anyway, come in! Hehe, I've got to thank you two for your early arrival. Originally, Mary and Anne were going to remain separated, but since you came before Anne could change, I've now got a chance to show off!"

"It's not that early," Daniel insists, following in as Viviane tugs close to him. "Let me guess, did Mom decide to cook too much dinner?"

Of course, "Mom" is referring to Anne, but distinguishing the addressing from Marianne is moot. Case in point, the fusion coughs.

"I...I didn't make a lot! Have some faith in Mama, alright? Do you really think I would take my love for cooking just to make waste?"

Daniel hums. "Okay, so maybe you didn't make too much, but I would hope you didn't overwork yourself making everything perfect."

"Oh please, love, it's fine. Mama just wanted this night to be special. Is that wrong?"

"Not at all." Daniel lips rise. "All of our nights have been special, though."

"Exactly! We've really pushed our child, so let's not make it too special, sister," Viviane adds with a wink to her son.

While their son flushes, Marianne glances away and fidgets. "I...I can't guarantee that! We're definitely going to have sex later, you know?"

The pretense is dropped, and so does Daniel's head. He slumps to the side, his smile bitter. "Well...I guess there's Mary's influence for you. At least you're honest."

"Hmph, Mama's always honest!" Marianne insists, huffing. Before Daniel might quip back, the fusion snaps forward and presses a finger to his lips.

"But if I'm speaking honestly, I've really missed you," she continues, her voice low. "Since you've spent plenty with Mommy, you'll fancy Mama some appetizer before we start the wonderful dinner I prepared, won't you?"

Viviane twists her lips to the side as she watches her son and sister locked to each other. Knowing her sister is right to want attention, she sighs, letting go of the former's arm to give the two some space.

However considerate, Daniel can't help but shiver. It's not that anything would stop Marianne, but he feels like he's been left to the tiger's den, obligated to sate the green beauty's hunger twice over. Yet, he also can't deny wanting to dive into this beauty who loves him so much, even if it might drain him.

Thus, the moment his fusion mother's finger slides off his lips, Daniel brings up his hands to her waist, caressing across her silk-laden hips. She draws closer, her chest squishing against him and melding him to her as she presses her lips forward.

"Mgh..."

Connected, they both breathe into each other, warm bodies in need. Marianne especially needs more of his touch on behalf of Anne's feelings, who would always be delighted for the chance to feel her baby. To feel human.

Shlick...Chu...

The kiss deepens with Marianne wrapping her hands around his back. Her tongue swishes inside her dear son — her artistic half, who reciprocates. To her shared heart's joy, she feels his cock rising in his pants, pressing against her dark thighs.

She shudders, her lower body squeezing to the desires of her son.

It wouldn't be right to encourage Daniel to dirty his nice pants nor herself, so she forces herself to break away with a gasp. Her son doesn't loosen his grip, however, his pupils shrouded with the need for more.

Marianne gently presses a hand to his chest, her lips sweetened enough by their connection. "Love, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Mama and Mommy will be here all night for you, and there will be desert too! Hehe, just like our first time here~"

The reminder shakes Daniel with new clarity. Breathing out, he releases her and swallows, nodding shamefully. "Um, right."

It wasn't even that long ago, but with all that was learned and shared, it feels like ages when Mary and Anne first came together as a fusion, thus jump-starting his relationship back with Mary.

"I'll go set up the table, but you two should relax! It won't take long."

"Ah, let me help," Viviane offers. Except, Marianne grins, pointing at their son's tent.

"Then you should help our boy~"

The elder slime wiggles her lips as Marianne leaves for the kitchen, then turns to Daniel, who remains flushed.

"W-wait, Mother...i-it's fine," the artist urges to the intent within his silver mother's eyes. "It'll—mmph..."

Viviane doesn't hear more, halting his excuses with her cool lips. Unlike her fusion sister, she keeps it as a brief kiss before focusing more on unbuckling his pants.

"No thanks to your Mama, but we can't leave you horny. Just let Mommy handle it."

With his pants fallen, Daniel doesn't protest as he leans against a wall within the living room. His mother lowers to her knees, admiring his cock wiggling freely. Before it might leak pre-cum and stain Mary's floors, she does the usual, engulfing her son's mass smoothly into her head. Her lips kiss the base of his groin, sending another jolt through her son's spine.

Once she hears her son's sharp breath, she begins bobbing her head.

Slurp...slurp...slurp!

The game is always the same with his slime mothers.

"M-mother, I'm going to...!"

Viviane holds, pressing her face into her crotch. With it, her gel cavity tightens, connecting with Daniel's nerves to share the pleasure of his orgasm.

It's too much, as Daniel grunts, snapping his hands forward to keep his slime mother pressed against him. He can feel her like an extension of himself as her body pulses in sync with her baby's manhood, moaning as each rope of cum ejects a jolt to her gooey constitution.

"Mgh! Mgh...Mgh..."

Shluck...slorp...

Lasting just under a minute, Viviane slowly disconnects from Daniel's now flaccid cock. Residue slime that remained deeply attached to her son's member stretches out of her mouth as she pulls away. Like wires breaking from a bridge, they detach from the pole that she had become a part of, receding back into her mouth.

She looks up at him, beaming. "There, all better~"

Daniel chest heaves, shutting his eyes to gather his breath. As his mother pulls back up, so does his pants, which she hands off.

He clears his throat, securing his belt back on with a wry smile. "I'm still ashamed how easily you and Mom make me take off."

"Oh child, don't feel bad," Viviane coos, rubbing his chest. "It's only natural since we're not human."

"Oh, right, how could I forget?"

Past the light sarcasm, Daniel glances at Marianne humming in the kitchen as she takes out various serving bowls and plates. For someone who heard all of that sucking and moaning, she sure is playing it calm.

The artist thins his lips with shame, and lowers his voice. "I'm worried about breaking the good mood when we talk about what we've dealt with today."

Viviane crosses her arms, humming. "Well, there's no helping it. Considering that your well-being was at risk, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to spank you for not letting them know earlier."

"Oh, come on," Daniel snorts. "Let's not be so dramatic."

Notes:

It's been a while since I first drew Marianne. Clearly, it's also one of the first digital drawings as I started out to learn. While there's still plenty to learn, I'm pleased to see how much I've improved. One day, I'll replace the first drawing.

Just FYI, although I try to post towards the weekend, I know I'll be busy enough for me to be unable to post next coming week(end). Thank you for your understanding!

Chapter 93: A "Spicy" Suggestion

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With Victor Grayson's academic book about Egyptian rituals in hand, Lecia Bowden breathes out as she leans back on her couch. Her eyes waver by the flow of text, doomed like any other to be seen by mostly students writing for their uninspired history essay.

"Seriously, is this thing going to light me on fire again or what?"

Truly uninspiring.

Yet, even with proper magical context, there's no excusing the crazy talk as Lecia reads the former professor's views, desperate to learn more about him and the blue flames that enshrouded her from his book. While the flames may not have caused her any noticeable harm, it doesn't mean that nothing was done. So, without knowing enough of the ancient magic, she feels there's no choice but try to tempt the fire again.

A bad decision? Absolutely.

That said, there's been no reaction since checking the book out from the library. Midway through the pages, the book's material hasn't particularly stood out either. Victor spins new interpretations of Egyptian life and death, but retreads carefully along existing historic lines.

'It could be the flames were just a one-time thing, but...why? What is your goal, Victor?' Lecia questions, tightening her grip on the book's binding.

It doesn't help that there's no prior accounts of people catching fire while studying with various copies supplied to libraries. As such, it's easy to conclude that her experience is unique among readers, no doubt related to meeting the "dead" author himself.

Her impromptu study session with Vivi at least showed that the blue flames weren't her imagination. At the same time, the blonde's witness to such flames and overall involvement poses a troubling risk. She delegated a background check on the girl to her intel team, only claiming her to be a potential help in figure out the results of their ritual.

While hoping nothing spirals out of the event publicly, her focus remains to figure out Victor Grayson and the ones that attacked her people in Egypt. Not knowing if or when she'll get the chance to see the illusive man, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath to collect herself. When she reopens, she continues her trek into his perspective. Despite nothing related to magic, she soon comes across an interesting section:

The concept of Sacrifice has long existed in other cultures and societies. As it relates to Isis spreading beyond Egyptian worship into other groups and cults, the Druids have overlapping spread in time with the goddess; though, they varied in beliefs and rituals. Julius Caesar wrote in his account during the Gallic Wars, Commentarii de Bello Gallico, of sacrifices being fit into a human-shaped wicker stature, then burnt all together in flames. Although there is no preservation effort seen like in Egyptian mummies, the unification of men and women into one shell has never been described otherwise. Along with the Druids general belief of being reborn, the assimilation into the wicker man, then sacrifice, is almost symbolic of the journey to be part of a greater being.

'I suppose that's one way to interpret it,' Lecia agrees, humming.

Even her organization had studied the Druids to understand the Stonehenge book. Concerning sacrifice, there is also speculation they used the famous stone monument in their rituals. The only problem is that there is very little records on the Celtic priests, so she didn't want to waste resources digging into finding association with her magical book.

That doesn't mean there isn't a connection, though. Especially if Victor is the one to mention it, there may even be truth to the behavior of Druids that he's not telling.

'Looks like this reading isn't completely fruitless. It might be worth digging deeper into Druids,' Lecia decides, closing the book in her lap for a break. She stares up at the ceiling from the headrest. 'I remember some say Merlin was related to the Druids. Hah...well, if Isis exists in some way, it's not out of the question for other mythical figures to...!'

Her thoughts are disrupted by a buzz in her pocket. Dropping the book on a side table, she pulls her phone out and sees the caller ID to one of the members of her intel team. Although she didn't expect to hear so soon about Vivi, she hoped for some news.

"Hello, did you find anything about her?"

...

Lecia blinks. "I mean, it's possible that Vivi isn't her whole name, but—"

Hearing more, Lecia flattens her lips before shutting her eyes. "I see...Well, I couldn't just question her easily in public. For now, keep an eye out, especially with any forums that might be discussing the Al-Bali star and Layna Moore that's been circling. Meanwhile, I'll try setting up another meeting with her at our café. Let our barista know we'll be coming at some point. I'll follow with more details, hopefully soon."

...

"Yes, it's been a while since we've done this. Anything else to note?"

...

"I see...well, thank you."

Ending the call, Lecia's lips twist to the side as she stares ahead of her screen, then leans forward and groans. "A strange girl who is vying to be an author, but doesn't have enough presence on the internet or place in any official record. Am I a fool or what?"

Fool or not, Lecia has nothing to judge "Vivi" except the timing and pick of Victor's book. It's not out of the question she may be related to the former professor, or worse, a cult member of Isis he warned about.

Regardless, she has to set up necessary precautions.

'I truly hope it's nothing. She seems like a smart girl, if anything,' Lecia holds. Sighing, she proceeds to text the scrub girl to set up their next meeting.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Within Mary's place, Viviane's phone pings from her new acquaintance. She pulls it up, raising her brows as Lecia proposes to meet at a café sometime this coming week. With much to discuss about the library meeting, she can't respond while in the middle of dinner with Daniel and Marianne.

Especially when the table she's at glimmers with wild rice, roasted potatoes, and seared steak; all garnished with garlic, lemons, and thyme. The savory scents are enhanced by the lit candles that glow from the center, spreading warmth for the three. To top it off, wine glasses are distributed, reflecting the rich preparation for the night.

Daniel clears his throat, unable to prevent his lips from rising after finishing half his plate. "You know, I said you didn't have to go overboard, but at the same time, wow!"

Marianne grins. "See? Just know this preparation is as much for Mama as it is for us. After all, when else would I get the chance to sip some wine during a fancy dinner?"

Snorting, Daniel nods to the side. "I suppose that's true."

He glances at Viviane as she tucks back her phone, then slips in a bite while keeping her expression at ease. Although she isn't complaining, Daniel knows she isn't tasting or smelling anything of the food that deserves the attention.

"Mother, would you want to connect with me a little bit to actually get a taste?"

Viviane blinks, then drops her fork, waving her hands. "Oh, child, it's fine! Mommy has connected enough with you today."

Such implication doesn't slip past Marianne. Gasping, her eyes shine as she leans forward. "Wait, so you two did join! That mean our son is all good to go from his appointment?"

The elder slime and artist flinch. In front of the lovely dinner array, they momentarily forgot about the major developments of their day.

Passing a glance to Viviane, Daniel swallows first and smiles stiffly. There won't be a good time to tell anyway, so he takes front, rubbing his neck.

"Soo...actually, Mom, I had a...let's say, different kind of doctor's appointment than expected. We weren't sure when or how to tell you this while you were out shopping, but..."

Marianne's smile loosens. "...But what? Is something wrong?"

It's unfortunate to dampen the mood with worrying news, but Daniel takes a heavy breath before relaying the events of meeting Victor Grayson. Starting from the violet flames of magic to the warning of others who would see a "fire" in them, Marianne increasingly pales as she listens. Even her inner Mary can't grow excited over the existence of real "wizards" linked to Merlin.

All that she hears is how her son could've been in danger. Although it was not explicitly claimed, Marianne can't help feel so as she imagines how easily Daniel was "abducted" by this mysterious professor, even while Viviane was around.

The fusion's shared heart tightens as Daniel finishes his recollection. With no recourse to the swirling in her stomach, she shakes, clenching the fork in her hand with uneasy breath.

Her eyes empty into Daniel's own as she lowers her voice. "What the hell, love..."

Sweating, Daniel gulps again. "I-I'm sorry, Mom. We should've told you this sooner."

That acknowledgment only worsens the mood. Lips parting, Marianne lets her own fork clink away to slam her hand against the table.

Her pupils contract.

"Damn right, you should have! This isn't anything small!" she snaps, tears brimming in her eyes. "Before you even think it, Anne and Mary being away for shopping is not an excuse for the lack of response. What would have happened if Viviane couldn't reach you? Oh god, if you really had disappeared, how would I..."

Knowing the risks that could've been, Daniel smiles bitterly and reaches over to squeeze her hand. "Mom..."

"Sister, I'm also to blame," Viviane adds, trying to keep her voice leveled. "I could hardly understand what was going on, but all I knew is that I needed to get him the hell out of there. I didn't care about anything except making sure he was safe with me."

Scoffing, Marianne squeezes Daniel's hand tighter while planting her other hand over her face. "You know very well you can't just monopolize your feelings over him without consideration. It isn't right!"

The elder slime wiggles her lips and lowers her head. "I know, and I'm sorry. For something like this, there's no excuse."

"Fuck, this really is all too much," Marianne squeaks, rubbing her eyes before taking another shaky breath. "I expected us to at least talk about Marlin's arrival tomorrow morning, but now with this..."

Unclear how to proceed, she lets go of Daniel's hand and hardens her gaze to the two as they look like they had more to say.

"Spill it. Is there anything else?"

The elder slime returns her gaze slowly. "That's...well, we also went to the library to find more information on Nimue and the cults as we planned, but then stumbled into Lecia."

"W-what?!"

Quickly, Viviane straightens and shakes her hands. "A-ah, b-but don't worry! It was just me. I covered our child the whole time, so I'm certain she never suspected—"

"Stop," Marianne cuts, her eyes wild enough to turn Daniel and Viviane to stone. "You're going to transfer all your experiences so far to me. Now."

With no room for debate, the elder slime shakes her head as if at gunpoint, then extends her arm, planting on top of Marianne's head firmly as she had done before. Compared to the first time, though, it doesn't come with the boatload of despair and long, empty memories that crashed the fusion with a massive headache.

Still, there's some backlash as Marianne winces, grunting lightly as Viviane's perspective adds to her memories. She immediately is hit by her elder sister's confusion and frantic emotions while she sneaked further into the clinic to look for Daniel. Then, the coating of said son while engaging with the former archaeologist, producing a baffling surge of blue flames out of nowhere. With so much to their trip, she can somewhat understand Viviane and Daniel's hesitation to tell her immediately, although it doesn't excuse it.

Although the exchange of memories plays like a long video, it finishes outside in seconds as the elder slime detaches. Opening her eyes, Marianne inhales sharply. She stares blankly at the table, processing the elder slime's time with more questions to their increasingly troubled world.

"Uh, Mom?" Daniel calls, sweating as silence reaches uncomfortable levels.

Not nearly shaken out, Marianne switches to her glass of wine. Snorting, she takes it and downs the entire glass down without a second thought. The two in front of her don't move an inch as her gulps permeate the air. When she finally plants the glass down with a firm thud, her eyes fixes on Daniel.

A drop of tear falls down her face while she forces a smile and a cool breath. "Love, are you...okay after all of that?"

Reliving the memories and emotions of others will always speak louder than anything told. Daniel's heart wrenches for the amount of worry he's caused for the underlying Mary and Anne. He can only offer comfort, scooting his chair over to reach and cup her cheek. In turn, his fusion mother hums, accepting his touch.

"Yes, I'm fine," he reassures, sliding his thumb against her dark skin. "Again, I'm sorry."

Marianne lips relax for a second before pulling away. She inhales more calmly as she manages all the shared chaos that fills her.

What matters now is that both Daniel and Viviane are okay.

"Hoo...Alright, let's move on then. Barring the fact that this Victor had no right to engage with you like that, do you think he means well if he came to advise you?"

Daniel thins his lips. "I can't say. As far as my talk before I was pulled out, he seemed forthcoming. At the same time, he also approached Lecia, too. I don't know what their relationship is, but I don't have any doubt that the flames that covered her are a result from him."

"It didn't seem like they're friends with how Lecia reacted," Viviane notes.

Sighing, Marianne crosses her arms. "Knowing what we know now, let's focus on Marlin. Tomorrow, Mary will be picking him up from the airport in the morning. He'll probably be tired, so I don't want to shock him immediately by revealing all of us."

"I believe that's for the best," Viviane agrees. "I'm more interested in getting the chance to review the Book of Isis he was given."

"It might only be a copy," Marianne warns. "Mary tried to convince him, but he wouldn't make any promises he'd take it along. Honestly, it's probably safer this way."

Viviane shrugs. "Whatever the form, I'm hoping reading it might help me remember more. The magical symbols should be there."

"Or, even as a copy, it could read blank to you — just like Victor's book."

"Ugh! That would be so..." Viviane pauses, then widens her eyes. "Wait! Speaking of, were you able to see Victor's text from my memories?"

Marianne blinks, then equally widens her eyes as she recalls. "Actually...hold on, I can! I mean, you guys didn't read past the first page introduction, but I think it matches with what Daniel saw. So then..."

Thinking through the collective times magical messages came across differently, she narrows her eyes and hangs a hand to her chin. "It's just like how we've seen with other magical texts."

Daniel hums. "If Victor descends from Merlin's disciples, it would make sense how any of his books can be enchanted for a certain reader. This 'fire' within us might also have something to do with how a book reacts."

The fusion shakes her head. "It's a shame you weren't able to check the book out. I wonder if other copies are enchanted, would all of them be blank for Vivi-Mama?"

Viviane slumps, pouting. "I didn't want to read a stupid academic book anyway."

Giggling, Marianne claps her hands together. "Feeling left out, are we? Well, let's get back to Uncle Marlin, not Merlin. How should we approach him when he's ready?"

"I say it depends on how he feels," Daniel begins. "But, if he's expecting 'shapeshifters', a simple transformation is the least to start out with."

"Maybe," Marianne agrees. "Just to start with, perhaps Viviane and Mary should stay together and meet with him in the morning. Meanwhile, you and Anne stay put and focus on your dinner with Rachel tomorrow. If he's adjusted well, we can all see about meeting him together that day or the next."

Viviane raises a hand. "I'm fine with that, but do you think it'd be wise to exchange memories with him?"

"Absolutely not," Daniel maintains. "Exchange verbally if you have to, but that should be the last resort to force an understanding."

"Except, I might not learn more of my past if we don't share," Viviane counters. "It's similar how recently some memories come from our joining. Besides, I can limit what I can share so as to not overload him."

"Even so, I'm with our love here," Marianne supports. "At least, I wouldn't want to risk splitting my uncle's brain on the first day."

"Very well," the elder slime accedes. Although left unsaid, she wouldn't hesitate to do whatever needs to be done if the uncle turned out to pose a risk to her family.

She hoped that wouldn't be the case.

With that, the dinner continues as the three talk a little more at ease over their plans for tomorrow. As for Lecia's invitation to Viviane, Daniel suggested his elder slime mother offer to meet next weekend in order to give some breathing room. They could take the time to look for another copy of Victor's book in the meantime, as well as any consider new information from Marlin. Of course, Viviane wouldn't go alone to meet Lecia again. She would need a host for sure to seem more "human".

At some point, between Marlin, Lecia, and Victor, he hoped the gamble of exposure would be worth it, giving a better picture into his mysterious, loving slime mothers.

...

..

.

Later, as the night sky and city lights loom outside the window, Daniel takes a sip of the wine with their plates cleaned and some cheer returning after the long talk.

"Again, that was excellent, Mom."

However, after everything that was shared, Marianne narrows her eyes and pouts. Her body sways a little in her chair as she twirls the fork in her hand with a bit more heat to her face than usual.

"Not so fast, looove. Did you think Mama would forgive you and your Mother after holding back such a...ahem, swimming day from me?"

The artist and elder slime stiffen.

"First, we had to eliminate your clone, then you disappeared with nobody to remember you!" The fusion continues, half-whining. "Do you need your mothers to constantly babysit you or something, huh?"

'Yep, she's a little drunk,' both Viviane and Daniel think.

A single glass shouldn't have made her this loose, but holding shared emotions and thoughts that blur together is probably worsened by the alcohol.

Nevertheless, Daniel clears his throat. "Mom, relax. I don't see how the clone part has anything to do with this, but I'm fine."

Unwavering, Marianne huffs and points her fork at him with a squint. "No more excuses, mister! Thanks for worrying me, I'm afraid my planned dessert is going to start off spicier this time!"

"S-spicy?"

Slowly grinning, Marianne holds up three fingers from her other hand. "That's right. If you're truly sorry, accept three spankings on my lap! You thought it soooo 'dramatic' to Vivi-Mama earlier, but I think this is an appropriate measure between a mother-girlfriend and son, no?"

Daniel holds his breath, unable to believe what he's being offered to make it up to her. He glances at Viviane, but she looks away, feigning a cough.

He wants to partially blame the elder slime for seeding ideas, but Daniel pushes forward a dry chuckle as he returns his gaze to the eager fusion. "Mom, please. We're all adults here, so there's no reason for that sort of punishment in this day and age. Since you're clearly drunk, why don't you lay down for a bit?"

Harrumphing, Marianne leans forward. "Love, I admit I'm a little under, but I'm serious! Also..."

With the pause, her lips twist playfully. "When did I ever say it would be a punishment?"

"..."

There's no question that this suggestion is of Mary's influence, being the kinky British artist she is. Under normal circumstances, Daniel would have no trouble rejecting such a play without hesitation.

However, as the male artist's face flushes and cock harden in his pants, he realizes that maybe...just maybe, his lovely girlfriend's influence is affecting him in the head more than expected.

That could be the wine, too.

Notes:

Hmm...I'm still considering the execution of the next chapter. This may be one where I'll have to do some alts where Daniel can appease her or...a reversal, perhaps? We'll see.

Chapter 94: Fusion Mama's "Discipline"

Chapter Text

Shutting his eyes for a moment, Daniel is truly pressed to no end with his maternal figures. While more baffled to react to Marianne's kinky offer, he snaps out of his disbelief over himself with a scoff.

"Mom, you can spin it however you want, but I don't see how getting spanked can be enjoyable."

Marianne smirks, wagging her finger. "Now, now, love, don't be so quick to dismiss! Open your mind a bit and think of the experience like a pepper: Despite it stinging our palate, it can enhance the flavors of a delicious meal."

Daniel snorts, suppressing a laugh. "Is that why you suggested a spanking be 'spicy'? Rather than that, I think your flavorful ideas are being dulled by the wine."

Unabated, fusion mother harrumphs, lifting her chest, which jiggles indignantly in her low-cut dress. "Listen here, mister, my creative juices are flowing because of the wine — both figuratively and literally!"

"Dear god, Mom, have some shame," Daniel sighs, rubbing his face.

"Hehehe~ You say that, but you thought about it earlier, haven't you?" she follows, her drunk eyes smiling. "Don't try to lie to Mama nooow~"

Dropping his hands, the artist swallows without looking back at her. "That's...maybe, but still."

"Besides, It's not as if Amy hasn't spanked you when you were little," Marianne adds, waving her hand. "What's the harm in a little love tap into the past? I simply feel like my baby needs to learn his lesson. As your Mama, it's my duty to instill some sense in you."

"Sense?" Daniel sputters, snapping back to the fusion. "Mom, the only lesson here is that Mother and I should've communicated better with you. What doesn't make sense is how you're trying to stretch that into this!"

"Nope!" Marianne chirps, closing her eyes and twisting away. "I still don't feel like you understand the graaaave sin you've committed by worrying your dear Mama! More and more, you seem to be taking us too lightly."

Pausing, she peeks open one eye—an obvious plea to reconsider this wild start to their "dessert". No matter the persuasion, however, she ultimately can't force this silly play unless her son is willing.

To that end, Daniel only stares at a loss. He doesn't forget Viviane beside him. Notably, the elder slime is unfairly trying to keep out of the conversation as she focuses on the glass of red liquid in her hand, swirling it.

"Can we even get intoxicated on our own?" She mutters quietly to herself.

The situation seems to call for it, after all.

Her son clears his throat. "Mother, help me out here. This is partially your fault too, you know?"

Flinching for a moment, Viviane coughs as she puts her glass down. "M...Mommy doesn't know what you're talking about! In any case, what's the harm playing along if you're truly curious? There's no need to hold any excessive pride in your naked behind when we know everything there is about you."

Quivering, Daniel flushes into a tomato. "Wha—It's not about pride, I'm just no masochist!"

At this, Marianne raises a brow. "Love, think about everything we've done so far, then consider that statement again: Is that one-hundred percent true?"

Wiggling his lips, Daniel sighs. "Well, I won't deny I've been squeezed to the limits by you guys."

"Mmhmm," hums the fusion, her lips widening. "Look, there's no need to act like you're on a high horse, sweetie. This experience will even be good to reflect — come to terms with yourself and our relationship in new light!"

"I really don't see the light."

It's been only a horny rabbit hole of gooey love that Daniel has allowed himself to fall into. His descent was sealed the moment he accepted Anne into his life, and with unexplained magic about, is there any chance he'll crawl out?

Sighing, the answer is obvious. Despite his footing, Daniel can't deny that he's mildly curious about the experience. Perhaps the wine really is affecting his judgment, or the British influence of this "spicy" suggestion has really deteriorated his sense of dignity. No matter the case, he breathes in.

His eyes lock on the remaining wine in his glass. With a shake of his head, he picks it up and gulps it down in one go. The red liquid flows out within seconds, equally emptying his reservations, as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

With a sharp breath of alcohol, he plants the glass down. "Fuck it. Let's see how exactly you paddle me with this sorry reasoning."

Gasping, Marianne's eyes shine before she hops up to her feet. "Oh, love, I knew you'd come around!"

However, Daniel holds out a hand. "Not so fast, Mom. If this is a matter of 'reflection', then you'll also get three spankings."

"Even better!" Marianne squeals, her face flushing with greater heat.

Brows twitching, Daniel drops his head. "I shouldn't be so surprised..."

Tittering sweetly, the fusion reaches out, offering a hand. "See? The first step is always acceptance. Now come, naughty boy, Mama will straighten you out with only the love and care that a mother could provide."

Between them, Viviane pours another glass of wine for herself, then takes a sip. With flattened lips, she closes her eyes mournfully.

"It's such a shame to remain sober in this situation."

...

..

.

Leaving the table, the three join near the couch. Before situating themselves, Daniel's eyes are fixed as Marianne slides away her dress, revealing a form with molded curves that would surely steal one's glance.

"Now love," the fusion begins, sliding in front of him while her hands reach for his pants. "This is for your own good, you understand?"

Cock throbbing in his underwear, Daniel doesn't resist as she leans forward, pecking him on the lips. He shivers as her curves press against him, easing him into her flow.

"Y-you say that, but...I think this might be more bad than good."

"Hehe, it's all perspective, sweetie~"

As his pants fall, Viviane is right behind him as she pulls up his shirt, sliding her cool hands across his sides and adding goosebumps.

"Child, don't worry; Mommy will comfort you. You did nothing wrong."

"Then, w-why are you allowing this?" Daniel asks as he's increasingly sandwiched between his two mothers.

The elder slime narrows her eyes. "I could ask the same: Why are you?"

"...Damn it."

Naked, he's led towards the couch where Marianne sits on the right, her smooth and coated thighs ready to receive her son's twitching manhood. At the same time, Viviane lets go of her white dress, letting it fall to the ground as she takes the left side, curling up to receive her son's lean.

"Come, sweetie. Onto Mama's lap or else I'll add more spanks to our agreement," Marianne warns, her voice level as she taps her lap.

Although it's a play, Daniel finds her authority quite spurring. Under clearer heads, he might've found it laughable.

Still, he wouldn't back down after committing. His cock twitches as he slides closer to the end of the couch before adjusting himself over the dark beauty's lap. Immediately, her thighs catch his cock, squeezing it with a surprising amount of cushion. Since his fusion mother is a slime-enhanced human, perhaps it's not too surprising.

From his view on the other end of the couch, Viviane's chest grows larger until he's submerged into its softness. From there, she coos, wrapping her hands around his head and keeping his body lifted across the length of the couch as she leans back.

"Oh, child..." She sweetly whispers into his ears.

Daniel shudders, not foreseeing he'd be in this position of comfy support, especially with Viviane holding him. Even without it, he can't keep denying his arousal with the position as Marianne rests her hand on his bottom, caressing it.

"Love, you must understand that first and foremost, you are our son. We care for you, so any matter that might disrupt your well-being isn't something that should be taken lightly with us."

Daniel wants to almost roll his eyes, but he knows what he's agreed to. "Yes, I understa—Ah!"

Smack!

The first swipe against his bottom occurs before he's ready, reverberating out in the living room. It wasn't too hard, but firm enough for a slight sting to jitter through his spine. The real shock comes when his cock grows harder between Marianne's thighs.

'Oh fuck...'

It must be the alcohol. It has to be.

"Hehe, you seem to be growing excited, sweetie~" the fusion sings, squeezing her thighs more as she rubs his bottom soothingly to make up for her first smack. "Are you still taking us lightly?"

"N-no, that's not it..."

Viviane leans forward and kisses his head. "It's okay, my child. Mommy understands it's been hard for you, so I'll try to ease your pain. None of this is your fault."

Marianne harrumphs. "Don't be too soft on our son. We might breastfeed and spoil him, but he's still a man at the end of the day. There's simply no excuse for his behavior!"

Her hand comes down again.

Smack!

The second slap rings, stiffening him forward. Daniel grunts, shutting his eyes and holding on to Viviane tighter while his cock drips pre-cum onto his hybrid mother's legs. He can't tell whether that was harder or not, but he's certainly more ready to receive the stings.

"To that end, you must be more honest with us," Marianne demands. "Let's finish with where you're at now. Do you enjoy this?"

"I...ungh..."

The slimy coating around Marianne's thighs extrudes out, gripping onto his cock and massaging him. While this goes on, she rubs his bottom and down to his thighs.

"Do you enjoy us, love?" she urges, more softly. "There's no shame in relying on your mothers, even if you're an adult. We'll breastfeed you, carry you, cuddle you to sleep, and love you in as many ways as possible. All that we ask in return for our love is that you take us as seriously as your art. Give yourself to us as we give to you."

Squick...squick...

Her gooey thighs rub his shaft faster, causing the artist to quickly lose his breath as he snuggles further into the elder slime's breasts. Viviane pats his head, unable to help but smile softly. Even if this were a play, her sister's words couldn't be any truer. She, too, wanted him to rely more on them.

Knowing this, Daniel thins his lips and swallows. He's so close to cumming with the fusion's thighs milking him. Even so, he pushes his trembling response forward. "I...ungh, really do love you all. It's overwhelming sometimes, but...I'm trying to keep up. That's...how much I want to give myself to you."

Marianne nods, her lips widening with warmth in her eyes. "That's all we can ask for, my love."

Smack!

The last hand hits his bottom, and with it, Daniel groans into his elder mother's breasts, spurting away across Marianne's legs as he's milked into a stinging bliss. While twitching in pleasure, Viviane adds to it with her sweet kisses on his head, comforting him as a balance to reward him for his honesty.

His cum drips from Marianne's legs, trailing into the carpet below, pleasing his hybrid mother as she hums. Her own pussy twitches with arousal over being able to relish this moment of discipline with her son on her lap, even if the reasoning was shallow.

In any case, her heart beats for more.

"Love, now it's Mama's turn to be spanked!" she declares. "It's important for us to give and take, after all."

That's an odd excuse when it's clear Marianne — and by that, mostly Mary within — is just perverted.

Viviane giggles. "Let our child recover for a bit. Here..."

Smoothly, the elder mother partially reverts into her slime form, shifting herself to sit upright while turning her son sideways across both of their laps. The artist comes to be supported in the crook of the silver beauty's arm, cradled more into her breasts.

"Drink, child," she coos.

Breathing in, Daniel latches on and drinks slowly, drawing in the elder slime's reproducible milk. By his lower half, Marianne continues rubbing his bottom with one hand while cleaning his cum with the other, absorbing his love around her legs and his crotch with the slimy coating of her hands.

Suckling fills the air as Daniel's head bobs against his mother's sweet breasts, burying his face as much as he can into her gel softness. Eventually, his cock perks up from Marianne's rub. Ready to roar once more, he unlatches with a deep exhale, then clears his throat.

He catches Marianne's eager eyes before grimacing. 'Fuck me, this might be more embarrassing than being spanked.'

Luckily, Viviane releases Daniel with an offer, "Child, why don't we share your body again, then spank and fuck your Mama together? As the elder sister, it's only right for me to discipline your mother for being too much."

"Ooh! D-don't threaten me with a good time, sister!"

As Marianne squirms to the "punishment", Daniel slumps and shakes his head. "Mother, you're not that much better, you know?"

The elder slime huffs, then pouts. "Hey, Mommy has been on your side this whole time! Should I spank you?"

More than saturated with three spanks, Daniel raises his hands and coughs. "No, no, it's fine. Go ahead and take me then."

Even though they've shared bodies this whole day, Daniel feels bad that his elder slime mother has been the odd one out during this dinner, unable to get drunk nor feel any pleasure.

'No, wait...it's better she's not drunk!' Daniel corrects in his head.

God knows what would happen if she let loose.

"That's better! Now come to Mommy!" Viviane urges, wrapping her arms around him. She doesn't waste time, hugging her sweet, artistic baby to her. In turn, Daniel sinks through her outer skin layer, overlaid in everything beside his mind.

Squip, shlurp!

When all is said and done, Daniel is wrapped safely into his Viviane's gooey body like before, disappearing perfectly as his slime mother's host. More than that, however, his nerves and sensations are shared, including his coated cock, which becomes the property of the elder slime.

"O-oh..." Viviane takes in her boy's arousal, sharply inhaling as she strokes their cock a little.

It's so sensitive. "You're...so hard, child. How does it feel?"

"Mmmph~"

"Oh, hehe, silly me, I've taken over your lips as well. Well, you don't need to speak. Just relax and let Mommy handle your bad Mama."

Marianne quivers with swirling eyes. If it weren't for her slime coating absorbing her internal juices, she would've wet the couch ages ago.

She straightens. "I-I'm ready! I'm so bad, so please punish me, sister!"

Grunting, Daniel would definitely not be able to handle his fusion mother's excitement, so he gladly leaves control to Viviane. Still, even his elder slime mother cringes.

"You're so unhinged, sister. Fine, on my lap. Let's see if we can smack the alcohol out of you. The Mary in you still has to wake up early tomorrow to pick up Marlin."

"W-whaaat? No, it'll be fiiine," Marianne drawls as she lies flat on the couch against her sister and son's shared form. Her body twitches quickly to their cock poking underneath her.

She shuffles into position. "Anyway, let me just get ready—eek!"

SMACK!

The fusion lurches forward as Viviane swings down without warning, shaking the beauty deeper into the couch's cushions. As she cries out, her ass jiggles to the force of the harsher hand, sending waves out through her brain.

She manages to inhale sharply before snapping her head back. "W-wait! That's a little—"

SMACK!

"Hngh!"

Marianne's head returns forward as she contorts with a mix of pain and pleasure. She grips the edges of the cushions more tightly, tears brimming in her eyes. Luckily, there's a bit of reprieve as Viviane rests her hand on her sister's ass.

"I'm somewhat disappointed in you, sister. Since you are composed of Mary and Anne, I would've especially thought Anne would've put up resistance into not spanking our son, even as a matter of play."

"T-that's...yes, you're right! But M-mama would never truly hurt him!"

"I'm aware," Viviane answers, then sighs. "In the end, we worried you, so there's no helping the frustrations I'm sure she felt. Let's leave it at that, and we'll continue. Go ahead and bend over for us."

Marianne's breath hitches as she lifts away a little. "W-what about the third spank? Also..."

She looks away shyly, adding, "I wouldn't mind a few more as well, even if you were a little hard~"

The elder slime closes her eyes with an irritated smile. "Oh, there will be more, don't you worry!"

With that promise, Marianne's eyes shine; however, she tempers herself. She might regret any further smacks for annoying her sister.

For their final act, they move to the couch's left arm. The fusion's body bends such that her ass becomes the centerpiece of Viviane and Daniel's view. It's quite enticing as they slide their hands down her dark hips.

Their cock rests on top of her crack, eager to be drawn into any of the fusion's holes. Knowing Mary's preference, however, Viviane decides to position their cock at her back entrance. It opens up easily, stretching around her son's mass so easily.

"Mmmgh!" Daniel muffled groans escape.

"A-a-ah...y-yes..." Marianne quakes, her eyes rolling back.

For Viviane, she feels Daniel's pleasure, but steers clear from losing her mind to it. "Ungh...Sister, you're so tight."

She pushes forward, sliding all the way into Marianne's reinforced walls that constrict around them. In turn, the fusion buries her face deeper into the armrest and stifles more grunts of pain and pleasure. Thanks to Mary, this is all familiar, but it might be a bad influence on Anne, who would be experiencing it for the first time.

Fwap!

There's little patience for adapting, though, as Viviane's hand makes waves on the fusion's left ass cheek. With it, she moans, bouncing her hips against her sister, son, and boyfriend's eager shared mass. More noises add to the liveliness of the room.

Splack, splack, splack!

Two bodies of slime-enhanced human forms meet, one dominating to the other's delight. There is no true winner when only the pleasure of their bond matters.

Smack, smack!

That doesn't stop Viviane from swiping her sister's butt again, spurring the fusion to increase her bounce as the elder slime thrusts forward. She moans, her breath increasingly strained.

"Fuck, I'm...I'm going to cum, love...sister."

Likewise, Daniel groans, writhing inside his slime mother's encasement. They can't be in complete sync without fusing mentally, so for a moment, the imprint of Daniel's face stretches from Viviane's head alignment, pushing out from the side of her face, like two about to split.

However disturbing, they both groan together, their voices unified in a pleasure that keeps them together. Shaking her head, Viviane snaps back to her son, realigned.

"S-sister, we're going to...cum too!"

Unable to hold out, Viviane slams forward one last time and flushes themselves across Marianne, cupping their hands around her chest. The tight squeeze only cements the final strike against the anvil.

"Ooooh goood!"

Shaking, Marianne shuts her eyes and cries out, her pussy gushing as she fails to absorb her own juices from her slime coating. At the same time, Viviane and Daniel pump out together, letting everything out into the fusion's bowels.

Splurt, splurt, splurt!

They lay together across the arm rest like a hanger, their bodies intertwined. With each of them being coated, sweat comes to the front of their skins only for a moment before being absorbed.

Viviane hums contently, pressing a kiss on Marianne's neck. "Do you think that was enough?"

Marianne shudders. "Y-yeah, I...I have no complaints."

"Hehe, very good~"

They hold together like this, catching their breaths. Only then do they part, with Viviane and Daniel's cock slipping out cleanly from the tight hole of the fusion. There's a gape, but it doesn't last long, closing out nicely thanks to the lining of the slime.

Still feeling the pound, Marianne wobbles weakly to the front of the couch and slumps down. "Aaah, that was lovely! Can we just stay like this for tonight?"

Viviane straightens and picks up her dress from the floor, snorting. "No, you have to split. Anne has to leave with Daniel, but I'll stay with Mary as we planned. Come on, let's not delay anymore while it's late."

The fusion groans and slaps a hand across the couch. "Oh fiiiine! How annoying..."

With her excited but short-lived existence, Marianne sits upright and sighs. She extends her hand out forward, expecting the slime that is Anne to slide off.

She does, except...

Shliiiiip!

There's a ripping of expected blue goo; however, Viviane freezes in her covering form, widening her eyes in sync with Daniel within. The two open their aligned mouth silently as the British artist comes to, standing and facing away from the couch.

"Ah...huh? I feel clear-headed all of a sudden," Mary begins, blinking. Her eyes drift to the shocked expression of the elder slime, but more than that, they are looking past her.

Furrowing her brows, she turns around to the couch behind her, where she and Anne should've been fused. Only then does she stiffen with a sharp breath.

Somehow, Marianne stares back from the couch, wide-eyed with an arm out. For a moment of silence, she remains still before relaxing her arm and rubbing her eyes.

"Ugh, I must be reaally drunk. Am I Anne now? I don't feel any different from before, though."

By this, Mary's gears turn as she figures to check herself. However, as the lack of sensations becomes apparent, her lips begin to thin with horror.

"I...I can't feel anything at all!"

Viviane swallows as Daniel's throat turns dry. "This is...not what I meant by splitting."

Chapter 95: Double The Trouble

Chapter Text

"What the hell did you do?!"

Marianne lowers her head, shutting her eyes before an angry clone of Mary. "I—I don't know, I'm sorry!"

"No, you should know!" the false Mary points, deepening her brows. "You were supposed to split like we always do. How is it that you ended up creating me instead of just allowing Anne to separate from me?"

"It...it must've been the wine!"

"Don't you dare blame it on the wine! You're also partly me, so you should've been able to handle yourself with a single glass."

"It's not an excuse though! I exist using your real base, so maybe...maybe you're just overestimating yourself."

"Huh?! Are you really blaming me?"

"I'm blaming us both! You can't just criticize me when you're also part of me!"

"Well, I didn't ask to suddenly exist like this!"

The two argue, oblivious to Viviane and Daniel's blank stare as the latter remains fitted within his elder slime mother. Nothing could have prepared them for this night to get stranger.

"Mmph..."

Hearing her son stir within, Viviane blinks out of shock. "Oh! Sorry, let me get off you first."

Schlip!

Daniel inhales as his elder slime mother opens up and slides off his body, pulling away with strings of connected goo that hang on for a split second before receding away. Regaining full control of himself, the artist doesn't waste time leaning into his reforming mother's ear.

"Just to be sure, but is that Mary really a clone?"

Viviane drops her head as she finishes closing up. "Sadly, it's exactly as you saw. While this Mary formed quickly after drawing out of your Mama's arm, there's no doubt she's made of her mass. It's just like how I first created your clone."

"Then, doesn't this indirectly mean Anne has successfully split a part of herself?"

"I suppose. Although, I think their state from the wine was a factor."

Daniel snorts. "Didn't you say she had to let go of herself to produce a clone?"

The elder slime shakes her head, smiling bitterly. "Honestly, I never thought getting drunk would help, but here we are. In any case, they need to stop arguing."

"Right...Um, h—hey! Can you two chill?" Daniel calls, clapping his hands. That's enough for Marianne and the false Mary to catch themselves, twisting their heads to their son and boyfriend.

"Ah...sorry about that, love," the false Mary responds first, more softly.

"Mama is sorry too!" Marianne follows.

Clearing up the air, "Mary" returns to the fusion. "Alright, no matter how or why it happened, at least I have all the memories up till now. Since I'm aware that I'm not the real one, let's just do what needs to be done."

Marianne widens her eyes and shuffles uncomfortably. "Wait, you don't mean..."

"Hold on, let's not go there yet," Viviane urges. Breathing out, she focuses on the fusion. "Please try splitting properly this time, sister."

"Oh, but..." Marianne bites her lips, worried she'll make another mistake. At the same time, it would be worse if she couldn't split at all. Resolving herself, she sighs.

"Yes, I'll be more careful this time."

She glances at the clone once more, her heart squeezed, knowing how terrible it was for Viviane to re-assimilate Daniel's clone.

Would this really be the same situation?

Aware of the concern, the false Mary smiles easily. "Love, please. It'll be okay."

Okay?

Wiggling her lips with shame for leaving such a problem to her parts, she lowers her gaze and pulls away. "...I hope so."

Splick!

Fortunately, the fusion safely splits back to Mary and Anne as the former breathes in sharply, stirring as the latter stretches away from her side with a grunt. The covering slime mother stretches away to her wavy-haired form as usual, becoming less of the ebony host's second skin in turn and regaining her individual consciousness.

The same goes for Mary, who widens her eyes to a reflection of herself, smiling more.

"Whoa," she breathes.

The clone giggles. "Why, hello there, real me."

However, it's too soon for the artist to admire her double, smacked by the wine on her mind while its effects clear from Anne. The last remaining residue of Anne's mass eventually slides off, leaving Mary wincing to the burden of a glass that indeed was too much.

"Seriously?" Her clone stiffles a laugh. "Well, maybe gulping down the glass all at once was a bad idea."

The thumping lasts only for a few moments before Mary straightens, clearing herself. "I...I still call bullshit. It's probably having something to do with Anne and I being joined, but I won't deny we should've drank more moderately."

"You can say that again," The false Mary snorts, but grins. "Besides that, nice to meet me! How are you feeling? Have to ask since I'm senseless all over."

"Nice to meet me too! Give yourself some credit, though. We're British, so there's not much sense to be had."

"Aha! As expected of the original!"

"Hehe, I'd say you're quite the copy too!"

"Oh, not at all! Let's not forget Anne transformed into you, remember?"

"Yes, but that was before she knew me entirely. With my memories and personality, you're like...probably a better me."

"Pfft!" The clone waves her hands. "Oh, no, there's nobody more perfect than you~"

Mary squeals, wiggling in delight. "Aww, I knew my self-worth would come in handy some day!"

"This might be the real nightmare," Daniel mutters, unheard in his horror as he watches the Mary twins bond in their strange, enlightened ways.

"Um...Mary?" Anne injects herself back between them.

The twin British girls perk up and change their attention to Anne, who fidgets. With their eyes on her, she lowers her gaze.

"I...I'm sure that part of the reason this happened is because of my inexperience, so...sorry."

"Love, let's not worry about it anymore," the clone reassures, raising her chest. "In any case, the night was sure wild!"

"Yes," the real Mary agrees, her eyes cheery. "Oh, and congrats on splitting for the first time, love!"

Anne groans, burying her face into her hands. "This is no time for celebration! Besides, I didn't do this fully on my own."

Even so, the false Mary chuckles. "That's all details. The fact is, you've shown you can separate a part yourself just like Vivi-Mama. Shame it ended up being me, though."

Said elder slime coughs. "While I wish we all had more time to talk, it's already getting late. Now that Anne and Mary have truly separated, what should we do with this clone?"

A silence falls. Removing her hands from her face, Anne grimaces. "That's..."

Faltering in words, she stares at the clone, who huffs in turn. "Love, there's only one thing to do: take me back. At the end of the day, I'm just a bunch of goo that belongs to y—"

The clone halts, her lips frozen in place. After a moment of gears turning in her duplicated mind, she squeaks and holds a hand out. "Wait, wait, wait! Holy shit, that's right, I'm a slime girl now! L—let me try something before I disappear, please!"

The clone doesn't wait for a response from the stunned group as she pulls the same hand back, focusing on bringing out the underlying goo. Although she can't explain it, she holds a vague feeling of how Anne and Viviane can control their masses through the memory sharing.

A few moments of embracing that feeling, the pigment to her hand fades away, revealing the same blue slime of Anne.

"Wow!"

Her eyes glimmer like a little girl finding diamond as she turns her hand, taking in the light-bending gel mass that makes her up. Still, there's so much more than simple erasure of pigment, so she stretches her arm out like a noodle with ease, extending it up to the ceiling.

"This is awesome! I mean, I might not be able to feel or taste anything, but to be able to move around like this would make my work so much easier. Imagine, no more bending down for dropped brushes!"

The real Mary quivers before her elastic double's flexibility, then shuts her eyes. "God damn it, I'm so jealous!"

"Can't you do the same when Anne is merged with you?" Daniel asks. He wonders if it's wise to be playing around. Regardless, the clone is already doing so, melting her body to slide across the living room, flowing between everyone's legs.

While the slimy Mary's excitement fills the room, the original sighs. "Sure, but there are limits to how far we can extend when your mothers are overlaying me. I certainly can't melt myself down like she's doing."

The slimy Mary slithers back to her previous position after swimming around, but instead of looking human, she remains blue and gooey as she reforms herself. Her semi-transparent curves jiggle as she exhales.

"Okay, I'm satisfied!"

Without ado, she opens her arms outward towards Anne. "Alright, love, you can take me back now~"

Despite the willingness to be assimilated, the slime mother shivers. She takes a step back and shakes her head. "N...no, I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

Another drop of silence.

Viviane shuts her eyes, but doesn't say anything. In the end, everyone remains still, feeling the weight she experienced after cloning Daniel.

With no progress to end the night easily, Mary's clone drops her arms, her last smile now a crack. She draws out a long sigh, crossing her arms. "So we're really debating this, huh? Love, I'm happy you're concerned about me, but you don't need to be. We can't be having more complications just before Marlin arrives."

Yet, Anne frowns. "Even so, you're still Mary! I already was shared how Daniel's clone felt as he was disappearing, so how...how can I do the same to you?"

"This is different," the false Mary urges, more leveled. "That version of our son didn't know the signs of being a slime, but I do. I'm aware that I'm just a fake."

"Being a fake doesn't change the fact that you're free and autonomous now! Surely there's a better way than make you disap—"

"That's the only way!" the clone cuts, her impatience rising. Exasperated, she turns to her original. "Help me out here. Surely, you agree with me...you know, being me?"

Mary's face wrinkles. "I do agree that long-term, having two of me will be problematic. At the same time, if you're truly me, then I'd be scared of what's to come."

"Oh my god," the clone groans, covering her face. Keeping it together with a dry laugh, she drops her hands. "If you guys keep talking about it, of course I'd be scared! But my feelings are irrelevant since there won't be any pain if I go, so let's stop talking like my existence means something."

"W—what does that make me?" Anne presses, clenching her fist closer to her chest. "I also came into existence as a split from Viviane, so how can you say you don't mean anything?"

"The difference is that I still feel like I am Mary, I want to remain being Mary, and I wouldn't like it if another me was about...or like my twin says, all the time."

"To throw yourself away, though..."

"Graah!" The false Mary throws back her head, grabbing it and shaking. "This is going nowhere! Fine, let's just have your body decide!"

Before Anne can question, the clone loses form, flooding around the slime mother in a snap. It happens too swiftly for her to react, easily seeping into her solid figure where it belongs.

"M—Mary, stop! You don't have to...Mmmph!"

The goo closes up around her face and the rest of her body, thinning as it conforms to her existing shape like a sheet. There's nothing the slime mother can do but quiver, unable to register or feel her slime to reject the assimilation.

She doesn't know what to do.

"Mom!" Daniel shouts, taking a step forward, but Viviane stops him with an arm out, her eyes narrowed sadly.

"Child, she'll be fine. This is her mass that's just returning to her."

The real Mary hums, smiling bitterly. "Yes, this...is for the best."

Although, she feels conflicted, troubled that she would throw her sense of existence. If the positions were reversed, would she have done the same?

It doesn't matter anymore, as Anne finishes taking all of her slime back, shaping subconsciously to her human structure. Her pigment fades over her translucent body as she blinks.

Her face slowly falls, and raising a hand, she flexes herself with a bitter smile. "I see, so that's it? There's nothing I can do."

Viviane doesn't stop Daniel pushing forward as he takes his slime mother, pulling her close to him. Only a bit surprised, she quickly wraps back, squeezing him with a small whimper as she buries her face into his shoulder.

"Mom, it's alright," he whispers.

Anne tightens her grip over him. "I hate this. I hate that I don't have better control of myself."

"You're still learning. Please don't blame yourself."

"Was I in the wrong, though? I just...it didn't feel right to me that someone so alive like us should disappear."

Daniel sighs, shutting his eyes. "I don't think you were wrong, but...it was her choice. How did she feel?"

"She...!"

Anne pauses, then pulls back. With wide eyes, she snaps her head to Viviane. "Sister, didn't you say you felt Daniel's shock and thoughts when you took back his clone?"

The elder slime blinks. "Yes, but why do you say that?"

Anne thins her lips. "I felt nothing."

"Perhaps that's for the best." Viviane hums. "Still, you should've received some new memories, however short they may be."

"But I didn't?"

As the disparity between the two slimes weigh down, Mary gasps, pointing at the first slime mother. "Love, your shoulder!"

"Huh? Ack!"

"Ooooo..."

Anne flinches as a groan matching Mary's tone reverberates within her. Specifically, a mound grows from her shoulder, shaping up to be none other than the copy herself. As the false Mary finishes forming her head, her eyes open downward to their shared form, then back to her neighborly head.

"So, uh...that didn't work."

"Mary!" Anne breathes, her eyes shining.

"No, you shouldn't be excited!" The clone growls. "This is bad! Why haven't you assimilated me back!?"

"Ah! Well, I'm not sure!" Anne squeaks, then switches again to Viviane. "What's happening here?"

The elder slime opens her mouth, shocked, as everyone else. After a few seconds of ingraining the conjoined sisters into her mind, she clears herself.

"Honestly, I don't have to think much when I absorb my clones. Your body should just...handle it, I guess?"

"Oh, great," Daniel grumbles, looking away.

"My existence is pain!" The false Mary cries, shutting her eyes. "Why do you reject me?"

"I did accept you being gone after you forced yourself on me," Anne notes. Furrowing her brows, she huffs. "Since there's no helping it now, get out of me already!"

"Ugh."

Stretching forward, the slimy Mary loses shape for a moment as she stretches, spilling out of Anne from her shoulder like a fountain. As she pools before the group, she rises back to her human shape with slumped shoulders and a sigh.

"Well, shit. What do we do now?"

The real Mary blinks for a moment before gasping. Tapping her hands together, she leans forward with bright eyes. "Wait, why don't we join together?"

Her clone freezes before similarly clapping her hands together, inching closer to the original. "Genius me! Why didn't I think of that from the start? After all, there's no better place to being me than me!"

"Haha, exactly!" Mary chirps, lifting her chest. She extends her arms out. "Come. We can become a better girlfriend and mother for our love!"

"You read my mind!"

The clone doesn't waste time surrounding the original before anyone has a say...or rather, the group is far too exhausted by now to even care. They all smile weakly as they witness the gooey Mary align neatly around her human self, attaching mind and mass together.

Like previous fusions, the false Mary disappears seamlessly across the original's skin, leaving only one, single Mary to slowly open her eyes and breathe. She blinks a few times as her memories catches up, then looks at her hands.

She hums, squinting her eyes. "I don't feel any different."

Sighing, Daniel only rubs the bridge of his nose before flipping to Anne. "Mom, get ready. We're going back."

"Ah?" the slime mother sounds, straightening. "So we're just going to...leave it at that?"

"There's no helping it now."

Anne nods to the side. "Well, okay. Mama will be driving, though, you hear?"

Daniel snorts, closing his eyes. "Even if I didn't drink, I think that's for the best after tonight's events."

Mary coughs, composing herself. "Quite blunt there. In any case, I'll keep you posted when I pick up Marlin, though."

"Please do, and about yourself."

"Aw, Mummy will be fine, love!"

Flat to her sweet tone, Daniel changes focus to the elder slime. "Mother, please look after her."

Viviane curls her lips. "I'll try, child."

"Hey, I said I'll be fine!" Mary huffs. Stepping closer to her boyfriend, she squishes herself against him with a pout. "Why don't you try being nicer to me before you leave?"

Daniel stiffens, literally, as his cock pokes her thighs while her dark chest presses against his own. He tries to breathe out slowly, wrapping a hand around her hips.

"Honestly, you're too much."

Mary giggles, drawing closer to his lips. "Nonsense~ I don't think being twice as much is too much."

She seals him into her, humming into his mouth as they kiss. Although he's happy that Mary has resolved herself, it feels like his hope for one human relationship in his life has been thrown out. This is only emphasized by her hand slipping down to wrap his cock, her new slime layer now extending itself from her fingertips to coax him further.

With such fluid pleasure to overwhelm, Daniel's eyes draw to his slime mothers, who pouts. Unwilling to lose out, they step closer as well.

Suffice to say, it would be another thirty minutes before Daniel would leave with Anne.

Chapter 96: More Nightly Troubles

Chapter Text

Lecia Bowden breathes out as she steps out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her as the droplets of the day's volatility drips down to the floor below.

Her eyes draw to her phone by the sink. Knowing there's a lot to catch up as she was focused on reading Victor's publication, she picks up her phone, and swipes it open. Just an hour ago, "Vivi" replied with the suggestion to meet next weekend. Although that felt like a long ways off, Lecia agreed, only to allow herself and team more time to dig into the blonde. Further, if nothing spilled into communities about the blue flames or of their library meeting over the coming week, she'll feel better about the girl's witness and sense of discretion.

Although, that doesn't necessarily mean she's trustworthy.

Trying hard not to overthink consequences if something does blow up, Lecia scrolls through her unread messages, and locks onto a message from Mike.

Hey, I'm sorry for telling you off yesterday. Please, let's talk.

Speaking of blowing up, Lecia's heart tightens shamefully by the last call with her friend. She closes her eyes, brushing a hand through her wet bangs. There's no question it was wrong of her to blame his wife without evidence. She takes a moment to temper herself before dialing him, setting him on speaker to keep her phone dry from her head.

He picks up immediately. "Lecia?"

Smiling bitterly, she tries to hide with a light, professional tone. "Hey, Mike. I'm sorry for not reaching out sooner. I thought it might be better for us to cool down."

More like, when Victor happened, she couldn't focus on anything else.

"Lecia, I—"

"Most of all, I shouldn't have raised suspicion on Jessica," she cuts him quickly, taking a deep breath. "The last thing we need is to blame someone, and it was uncalled-for to place blame on your wife just because she gave you a lead. I hope you and Jessica can forgive me."

Her friend pauses briefly before sighing. She can imagine him rubbing his head. "It's alright, but I won't say you weren't wrong. In the end, I think we're both overwhelmed."

"Even so, I should've been more sensitive."

A few drops of water from the shower fill the coming silence between them. With nothing left to say, Mike chuckles as he takes the chance to move on.

"You could've waited until you were out of the bathroom."

Lecia snorts, her lips rising just a bit more. "Why? Is it giving you ideas?"

"Oh, please. Give me a break, will ya?"

The two share a short laugh, a nice reprieve from the mix of anxiety as they return to more friendlier exchanges. However, on that point, Lecia lowers her gaze.

"That said, Mike, I think it's best that I do give you a break from anything related to our strange work right now. Focus on your normal research, family, and yourself while we try to figure out what happened in Egypt."

He remains silent for a few seconds, then scoffs. "You know I can't do that. When there are threats and magical forces we have yet to understand, it calls for more diligence, not a time for relaxing."

"It's not relaxing, it's called keeping yourself low and safe. You're the one with the family."

"Even so, everyone agreed there may be risks when joining this endeavor into this strange book you dug up all those years ago. While it's expanded beyond what we all imagined, we can't let that prevent our discoveries into the truth to that book."

Lecia groans and slides a hand across her eyes. Admittedly, it was a long-shot to expect anyone, especially Mike, to back out.

"I can't stop you if plan to continue, but I'm also saying this because...well, I think it would be good for you and I to take a break from each other."

Another moment of silence passes.

Mike snorts. "That kinda hurts. Still, I could've told you that."

Dropping her head and stifling herself, Lecia breaks into a long hum. "Well, I guess you didn't tell me hard enough~"

She can imagine him shaking his head. Indeed, a sad breath escapes from his lips. "Clearly, I haven't enforced proper boundaries."

"It doesn't excuse that I've done you and Jessica wrong."

"Let's not go there right now. If anything, I've done her wrong. Lecia, I..."

He stops to collect himself, exhaling slowly. "Look, if you're trying to make it right by pushing me away, this is not it. We've come too far with the work we've done, and I can't just drop everything knowing what we've seen. This is bigger than any problems or feelings between you and me!"

Biting her lips, Lecia shuts her eyes, knowing it well.

"Lecia," Mike pleads, more firmly. "Let's continue to work through this as we've done. Has anything happened? I heard from our intel team that you met someone named 'Vivi'?"

Many things have happened since the last call with Mike, but Lecia can't disclose any of the strange encounters and magic that overwhelmed her senses.

She breathes in. "It...it was just a girl in the Keystone library who recognized me from my company. She was on the same chase as the whole internet about the meaning of the Al-Bali star's disappearance. I ended up humoring her, seeing whether I could gain anything from a common person digging into the star and anything on Layna Moore."

"Ah, that nutty book author. Well, maybe not so nutty anymore. What did you find with this stranger?"

"She was unexpectedly quite intuitive. There wasn't anything new, per se, but I was impressed how she connected history and dots."

It wasn't technically a lie. Sure, there was a magic fire that enveloped her, but they've seen it before in green. Regardless of the twisting of her experience, she doesn't feel bad about keeping it to herself.

Mike can get angry at her all he wants later.

"So you think she's worthy of being brought into our group?" He presses. "Is this really a good idea, especially now?"

Not really.

Lecia clears her throat. "I never claimed to be bringing her in. Look, there's unexplained change in the universe for the world to see, plus a group out there that is becoming aware of us and doesn't want us digging in. We're going to increasingly encounter more people who will know more than we do, so if someone reached out to me, should I ignore it?"

"It...depends."

"I will say, there's nothing the team has found immediately on this girl. It's suspicious, if anything, so that's why I asked to look into her more."

Mike inhales slowly. "I understand your reasoning, but just...be careful. This is not the time to expose yourself to risks."

Smiling weakly to herself, Lecia nods to the side. "Right back at you. Tell me, have you heard from any of our members from Egypt about who attacked them?"

"Sadly, only that they were masked. I haven't been able to learn much about them."

"I see..."

"With that said, I think we should start letting others know of what was happened in Egypt. Especially if we face more assaults, everyone should be on better alert."

Lecia shuts her eyes. Truthfully, she was hoping to delay it to avoid panic, but it's also irresponsible if not done in time.

"I don't like it, but you're right. Since you're most familiar with the situation, can you handle it?"

"That's not a problem."

"And one more thing, do you recall anything about our past research into any connections to Druids?"

"Only that it was too hard to find anything other than Roman records. Why?"

Lecia hesitates.

"If you can, I want you to try looking again into Druids, especially on literature related to Merlin."

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Back at his apartment and studio, Daniel enters his bedroom, changed and ready for much-needed sleep. Much to his chagrin, Anne is already in bed, naked under his sheets while bearing a sweet smile for her beloved son.

"This is not good for my heart, Mom."

Anne widens her eyes. "Wha—what do you mean? Mama won't do anything to you...that is, unless you want me to?"

"So you won't stick close to me?"

She gasps. "Bury the thought! You can't tell Mama not to hold her baby close!"

Daniel slumps with a dim smile, wondering why he even bothered asking. More so, is there any point in trying to have a normal sleep now?

He slips into bed with inevitability dragging his face while she feigns a cough. "You know, it's not my fault if you react to your mothers and have such a high libido."

"My libido was quite normal before you came into my life."

"Hehe, but isn't that good?" She grins. "If you don't like it, maybe Mama can spank you for having naughty thoughts~"

"Please, spare me," Daniel replies flatly. "Once was quite enough."

Anne titters before her eyes softens. She reaches out, cupping his cheek. "But really, sweetie, you're my pride and joy...or as Amy would say, you're my star. I know things can turn unexpected and out of your control, but don't ever forget we're here for you."

"Mom..."

Satisfied with his embarrassed, but welcoming smile, she removes her hand and clears herself. "Anyway, do you want to enter my dream world tonight?"

"I think I've had my fill from the last time. Besides, if I go in now, I'll probably just be wandering in that fog without...."

Daniel was about to say Mary, but when he thought of the British artist's new slimy overlay, his pupils contracts.

Sweat builds across his forehead.

"D—Daniel?" Anne calls, her brows furrowing.

Taking time to swallow, the artist opens his mouth slowly. "Hey, since...Mary is now coated in your mass, what happens when she falls asleep?"

Anne stiffens, her eyes equally widening. The two stare for a brief silence before Daniel jerks to reach his phone lying on the bed stand, swiping it active.

"C—call Vivi-Mama first! She'll always be awake like me," Anne advises, leaning forward.

Daniel nods, his heart picking up. Dialing and setting it to speaker, the elder slime takes the call after a couple of rings.

"Oh? Yes, child?"

"Mother, is Mary asleep already?" Daniel asks, keeping his voice leveled apart from his growing anxiety.

"She should be. I'm not in bed with her, since I figured it's a better use of my time to see where we can find another copy of Victor's book. Why do you ask?"

Daniel breathes in. "If she isn't asleep, she should separate from herself first. We don't know where she'll end up in her dreams while being covered with Mom's split."

"...Ah...Aah!"

It takes a bit, but Viviane catches up to the possibility with the squeak of her computer chair. Her footsteps patter through the apartment towards the British artist's bedroom. Not long, light snores spill from the speaker.

"She's asleep," Viviane whispers. "But she seems normal? Then again, it wasn't clear what the situation looked like while both of you were in that realm. Should I try waking her?"

'Great...'

Daniel rubs his forehead. While waking her would be the easiest, he doesn't want to disrupt her sleep if it turns out nothing.

"You know what? It's fine," he decides. "I wasn't planning on it, but I'll just visit the dream world again through Mom."

"Are you sure? She might not be there."

"At least we'll know that for sure."

The call goes silent. Despite worries, Viviane eventually hums through. "Please be careful, child."

"I will, Mother."

Daniel hangs up. As he turns to his slime mother next to him, he lurches back as she narrows her eyes close to him.

"Mama is going with you!"

The declaration leaves her son speechless for a second before he shakes his head. "H—hold on, that would mean you have to connect with me mentally!"

Anne huffs. "Mary's current state is my responsibility. Further, if you go in, and you're lost in that fog without her, you might need someone outside to help guide you out."

"But...you'd be sharing with me everything. I thought there were some classified discoveries from Amy you didn't want me to know about."

His slime mother wiggles her lips before lowering her gaze. "How can you be okay with that after everything you've seen? Aren't you more curious what she and I are hiding from you?"

Daniel blinks. "How? I guess I am a little curious, but more than that, I want to trust my mother and you."

Those words sting Anne more than anything. If she's to match that level of unconditional trust, why should she have to hide anything from her son?

She grips the sheets of the blanket more tightly as she makes up her mind, her eyes narrowing. 'I'm sorry, Amy, but...I can't let this be in the way anymore.'

"Again, Mom, you don't have to tell me anything Amy wanted to keep buried," Daniel reassures, waving his hands. "Just surround me like you've done. We shouldn't waste more time if Mary does happen to alone in there."

"No...I will join you, sweetie," she reaffirms, her eyes lifting back to him. "To be honest, it's less about what Amy discovered than what led to the worst wish she ever made."

The air is quiet.

Her son thins his lips, holding an idea with the pieces that were shared to him. In fact, perhaps it begets the real reason Amy never shared a would-be figure in his life.

"This is about my father, isn't it?"

Anne smiles bitterly. She doesn't say anything as she leans closer, pressing her lips to his. There's barely any time for Daniel to think as she soon overwhelms him, turning herself gooey as seconds pass by.

Shlick...

Kneading him into her.

Shlurp...Shlick...

And joining him into a most shameful tale.

Chapter 97: Father

Chapter Text

A Big Bang.

Not as grand as the universal one, but Amy Hart's fist nevertheless resounded against her desk ten years ago. In front of her, she stared wide-eyed at her fellow researcher and friend, Rachel. The pixie-haired woman, in turn, thinned her lips, just as mystified having delivered the news.

"What the fuck," Amy begins. "So that strange infrared data we captured...they're really just asking us to ignore it?!"

"I'm afraid so."

"No!" She straightens, leaning forward into her desk. "What brain-dead senior ordered such? We're all astronomers here mapping out the universe, and yet, someone told us to simply disregard something that popped up for several days just to disappear? Even if it was an error, we should at least verify first."

Rachel raised her hands quickly as she reclined into a swivel chair next to her. "Easy, Amy! Charles was the one who told me, but he said it came from a court order initiated by NASA and the U.S. Military. This came only last night after he submitted our draft designation on the signal."

Amy recoiled and blinked as she was hit with more crazy. "Excuse me, what!? Shouldn't there have been a process to inform us first?"

"I know this is all very sudden. We could try appealing it, but if there's this much effort put into stopping us from looking into it more, maybe we should drop it?"

Before Amy could protest, a knock on the side of her opened door shattered her thoughts. She looked past her friend to see one of the local facility handlers peeking in.

"Um, sorry, but someone from the military said he's here to see you out in front."

Stiffening, Amy took a moment to swallow before switching her gaze between an equally stunned Rachel and the handler a few times. After getting her gears in her head back into position, she broke into a small, dry laugh.

"Wow, so...did we just catch a UFO signal or something? They don't even let you breathe to consider it, do they?"

Rachel coughed. "Regardless of what it is, do we dig our feet in?"

Leaning back, Amy sighed as she tilted her head, conceding. "Look, with Daniel to take care of, I'm not blind enough to waste time and money against bigger authorities that could probably make us disappear."

"You certainly look like you were about to."

"Haha, nonsense!" Amy cheerfully waved her hands, yet sweating. "Ahem, let's go greet our guest, shall we?"

As she got up, however, another gear spun in her head. No sooner does her smile crack towards her friend as she quivered. "Wait, I'm not actually about to disappear now, am I? We don't even know what we saw!"

"Well..." Rachel glanced away before forcing a smile and pulling a thumbs-up. "You're thinking too much. Good luck!"

"That's no reassurance!" Amy cried. Huffing, she stomped towards her friend, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. "To hell with that, you're coming with me!"

Rachel shook. "Hey, they were looking for you, not me!"

"Don't act as if you're not already in the same boat as me. If I'm in trouble, so are you!"

"D—don't be silly, Amy. Besides, someone should be there to pick up your son from school if—"

"If what?" Amy cut, grinning as she dragged her poor friend with her. "Since you're thinking I'm overreacting, surely I'll be there to pick him up, just as usual. Are you implying you'd go to Daniel's school because I won't be there?"

"Ahaha, no, my mistake. I just figure this might take some time, you know. Since there's no reason to worry, let's not pull me into this, please."

"But if they ask, I'll have to be honest about your involvement. May as well be up front with them since there's no reason to be worried."

Wiggling her lips, Rachel dropped her head. "Fuck. You're the worst."

Amy's malicious giggles filled the hallway as they left to meet this official. However, despite her hope to amicably close a matter they weren't too invested in any way, an entirely different matter had opened upon reaching the lobby.

The army official, dressed in a typical green uniform with metals and insignia, stands up from a chair. More alarming, Amy's eyes widen to the unmistakable piercing blue eyes and a sharp jawline. His face, a mix of rugged handsomeness and a certain softness around the eyes, was one she had once known intimately.

He smiled weakly as he removed his cap. A shock of dark hair, slightly tousled, fell over his forehead. "It's been a while, Amy."

The astronomer held her breath as the same light, but stubborn southern drawl escaped from his lips. At this moment, it may have been better to disappear than deal with this guy, but it was too late to just turn away.

Thus, she gritted her teeth. "What the hell are you doing here, Mack?"

Her ex-boyfriend shut his eyes and sighed, keeping his hat close to him. "I've been sent to clarify that the signal reported yesterday on—"

Amy waves. "Yes, yes, it's very obvious that was not a star, but probably some secret deployment you don't want to be on record. If that's not correct, I'm not interested in the details, especially with you. Since we have barely analyzed it, let's just end this matter and forget."

She needed to end this quickly.

Mack snorted and lifted a folder. "Alright, then I'll just have you and your friend sign this for me. You'll still have to follow up with the letter you received, but this will help conclude filings from the military's side. Rest assured, nothing further will be required of the parties as long as records are removed and designation cleared."

Amy snatched it without hesitation and reviewed the contents. Meanwhile, Rachel watched, her brows furrowing as her stomach churns. She could do nothing but wait amid the strangling silence.

After several minutes of reviewing the non-disclosure agreement, Amy pulled out a pen and signed, marking initials on each page as further acknowledgment. The sounds of impatient scribbling worsened the tense mood.

Once she handed it over to Rachel, who began to review it as well, Mack clears himself as Amy's uncomfortable gaze returns to him. "So, how is Daniel?"

"He's doing good, but that, of course, is none of your business," she warned, crossing her arms.

"I figured you'd say that. I'm still hoping we can work this out amicably."

Amy scoffs. "There was a time before we separated, but you made your choice and I made mine. Don't try being a father, Mack. He doesn't need you."

Mack breathed out. "I'm aware of that, but that doesn't mean I can't—"

"That's enough," Amy cuts, then turned her head impatiently towards her friend. "Rachel, are you done?"

The fellow astronomer shivered, weighed down by the pressure of the custodial dispute in front of her. If anything, this only cements her choice to remain single. Gulping carefully, she nodded quickly as she hurriedly finishes signing next to Amy's own. Handing it off, Amy swiped it away and passed it back to Mack.

"Leave, we're finished here. I don't appreciate that you came here to take advantage of the cease-and-desist, but my answer remains the same. Stop trying to enter my child's life and live your own instead."

Mack narrowed his eyes and took back the folder. "That child came from my life just as it did yours. I'm not asking to be a father to him, but only to see him. If you're not going to personally give me that chance, then so be it, but I'm not going to give up."

He flipped his cap back on, nodded towards Rachel, then turned away as the two watch him leave. Only when the front door follows him shut did Rachel exhale. She twisted her lips anxiously by her friend, who stared ahead with a tightening scowl.

"Amy..."

"Don't. I'm sorry, but I still can't forget his attitude back then. I had even warned him that I could get pregnant when we linked the second time. Do you know what he said? 'We'll work through it.'. That was all a lie, though. He didn't actually think I would get pregnant. The sheer...fucking idiocy!"

Amy's finger dug into her elbows as she squeezed herself more. To this end, Rachel could only lower her head, having heard the story well enough. However, even after ten years, she couldn't help but wonder whether it was right not to give another chance.

Regardless, she couldn't bring it up, knowing the pain the man brought to her friend. Before they could turn away to work that would certainly be less productive now, the front door opened again.

A different man stepped in, dressed in a suit.

His eyes lock onto Amy with a neutral expression. "Are you Ms. Hart?"

The astronomer tried her best to relax and force a smile with her irritable gaze. "Yes?"

The man raised another folder from his side and held it out. "You have been served with a suit through the Civil Court System of Keystone."

Rachel and Amy stiffened. The latter opened her mouth, but any words were stuck in her throat. The timing made it clear who had filed the lawsuit, only making her heart pound with flames.

'That sneaky son of a bitch.'

Amy would have rather fought the disclosure of the mystery signal at this point.

...

..

.

Several weeks passed. Through filings and lawyers, stress inevitably wore down on Amy's face as she sat on top of a hill near the laboratory, raising to the night sky that shimmered with the Milky Way. The atmosphere was clearer than ever with no moonlight to hide away the beauty of the universe.

She wished she could be more appreciative. Her only saving grace was her son, lying on her lap as he fell asleep to the stars. She made sure he remained unaware of the proceedings she had to be a part of, picking him and taking him to places as usual while appearing normal. There was only one time she had to ask Rachel to pick him up.

But the mere fact that she was being disrupted by that man shook her. Was it in his legal right to visit Daniel? Absolutely.

She knew she was going against the current to prevent visitation. Even her lawyers recommended she stop trying to find a legal ground for denial. Mack had no real criminal or abusive faults before or after their relationship.

He was just an asshole who didn't want to involve himself in her child until now. Had he approached sooner while she was raising Daniel, she might've forgiven him, but when her child is already ten years old?

Didn't she promise Daniel that she would be there for him? That he didn't need anyone else to support him?

Her lips broke in disgust as she gritted her teeth, her forehead creasing with shame.

It just felt unfair; to struggle while raising a kid, but get rewarded for seeing their progress in life. Why should she have to share that joy when they weren't there to be part of that initial growth?

She didn't want his influence.

As she thought long and hard about her efforts, a shooting star passed overhead. It was a much-needed distraction for her to return to the bigger picture that transcended any personal struggle.

A shooting star is nothing more than a rock that is burning in the atmosphere, but now, she couldn't help but latch onto the belief that any wish might come true when one catches the beautiful streak at night sky. At this point, what does she have to lose?

She swallowed, grazing Daniel's hair as the wind howls around them.

"Please, just make him go away."

...

..

.

Amy's wish echoes into darkness until Daniel snaps his eyes open, his breath leaving him as he reawakens to an endless fog and dulled grass around. He can't yet question his surroundings nor state, as the last bit of memories from his astronomer mother strikes him with more shame than he's felt before.

Immense shame from his mother, Amy.

"Daniel..."

He blinks, a tear rolling down his cheek, before he turns to the pained voice from above. For a moment, he sees Amy as she was in the memory, letting him sleep on her lap under the nightly sky. It's only when his eyes adjust does Anne fades through, holding him just as his astronomer mother did all those years ago.

However, her lips quiver, eyes misty as the surrounding air.

"I'm...sorry," she lightly chokes, her hands shaking against his head. "I'm so sorry..."

"Mom..." Daniel breathes, his mind swirling.

He swallows slowly, trying to collect himself as the name and image of his father finally buries into his mind.

It would only remain a memory now.

To that end, his star-loving mother's stun fills him as the words of her lawyer replays through his head, just two days before a trial he had been kept away from knowing.

"Ms. Hart, while tragic, you may feel relieved to know that the trial will be dismissed. Unfortunately, your ex was involved in a fatal car accident yesterday. For any misgivings you may had with him, I still provide my condolences and also...my congratulations."

"...I shouldn't have...I didn't mean to..."

While the inner Amy weeps through Anne, Daniel shuts his eyes, so utterly conflicted. Yet, he forces himself to rise and pull his slime mother into a hug, burying her face into his shoulder. Although no tears spill, she is undoubtedly crying with a guilt she had to carry for so long.

So, he sheds tears on her behalf while looking up, expecting to see the white tear in space past their gray surroundings.

However, the fog has seemingly grown denser. He can't even see the night sky, much less the magical tear. Whether that's good or bad is unclear; just as unclear is what life might've had in store for him if he had the chance to meet his father.

It's all in the past now, stored with the memories that this strange realm holds for them.

Chapter 98: Trail to a Difficult Love

Notes:

A bit longer to get this chapter out due to recent study/work. There's been a correction to the end of the last chapter: The mentioned magical tear in the night sky of this dream realm should've been hidden due to the current fog, not read as conclusively gone/fixed.

Chapter Text

Anne's trembling gradually subsides as she clutches her son, a beacon of warmth amid the enveloping gray. With no visibility of the night sky nor of the tear, Daniel wonders how his mother ended up with him instead of outside the fog.

Before any of that, he takes a deep breath of the humid air, drawing away while keeping his slime mother at arms length. He tries to smile as reassuringly as possible, but Anne tilts away, her lips full of disgust with herself.

The details of connecting mentally with him are as hazy as their surroundings, but the last memories from Amy of Mack are painfully clear. Although she already knew it, Anne relived those moments of her predecessor by sharing them with her son.

So, now that he knows, why is he the one to comfort her?

Amid her disdainful thoughts, the elder slime's foggy surroundings worsen the mood, stirring a suffocating silence between.

Daniel breathes in. "Mom—"

"No, stop," Anne pleads, holding her eyes. "Don't say it's not my fault. Even if the wish I made was circumstantial, it doesn't excuse the fact that I wanted him gone. I was so blinded trying to keep you away from your father...so angry."

His slime mother speaks as if she were Amy, owning the emotions of the astronomer. Whether that's right or not, Daniel understands his original mother's feelings about it as well.

She wanted to protect him, except what was shared with him was a man who wanted only to see his child. Ten years or late or not, he had the legal right. His efforts to approach and sue Amy showed how serious he was about it, too, compared to the time right when they broke up.

Daniel can't say whether he would've been pleased as a child if they met, but there's no telling what would've happened. Therein lies the rub to all of this: Amy kept this to her grave, leaving him to believe his father had never been serious enough to be part of their lives. He thought what his mother kept from him was simply confidential matters related to her work, but that was just a masked truth.

It's a hard history for him to swallow, but for the slime mother in front of him, he doesn't feel she or anyone should have to shoulder that mistake.

"You're right," Daniel admits softly, closing his eyes for a moment. "It was shitty and selfish, but you and I understand that well enough now."

"Daniel..."

"Look, it's not as if I'm not upset by all of this," he adds firmly. "I'm most upset that I won't know how Mack would've been to me and that I was lied to by my mother for so long. That doesn't mean I can remain frustrated with you specifically. You shouldn't own this."

Anne's lips quiver as she lowers her head. "No, I'm not any different. She was afraid that you'd hate her, and I share that. That's why I hesitated about joining with you. I didn't want you to think badly of her or me."

"And yet, you've finally shared the truth with me," Daniel whispers, sliding his arms down to close around her cold holds. "Thank you."

His slime mother lifts her head back to her son's sad, but stable shimmer in his olive eyes.

It just doesn't feel right.

"Even if you say that, what am I supposed to do?" She presses. "I can't just continue pretending all is well as I have."

"I'm not saying you should, but I won't despise you for the past that you inherited; neither would I hate Amy. I mean, how can I possibly hate someone who has done everything to raise me? All I can do now is..."

He pauses, then closes his eyes. "Yes, learn about him. I think once we've settled enough from the crazy we're dealing with, it's only right to find out what kind of man he became, but not on what my mother saw and harbored."

Anne lifts her eyes, taking in her son's choice. Although she won't be able to shake Amy's guilt away, acknowledging as much of the man that her predecessor tried to ignore may be the only to move forward.

She smiles bitterly. "Is that all that can be done?"

"It's a start. I think it would do you more than me to know," Daniel suggests, standing up and offering his hand.

Anne hesitates, but she ultimately takes his hand, pulling herself up. Although she'll have to carry Amy's shame the same, she feels a little lighter than before to have confessed what should've been.

She takes a small breath, then glows weakly, borrowed thanks to her son's warm eyes. "Thank you, sweetie."

"I should be the one to thank you," Daniel insists before clearing his throat. "For now, let's focus on where we are now. I don't suppose you've seen Mary?"

Frowning, Anne shakes her head. "No, and I don't even know how I ended up in this fog, either. After the memory, I just found myself in place with you on my lap. Were you that exhausted to fall asleep after merging?"

"I don't think so, but...maybe?" Daniel questions, twisting his lips. "Whatever the case, it would've been better if you had stayed near the lakes. I'm not sure why you were delivered here with me, considering your last position was when you entered with Mary."

Anne hums. "Actually, I was nearby Mary last time we merged, and now I'm with you. Do you think joining has something to do with it?"

"Maybe."

It's rather annoying to deal with so many maybes, but they haven't traveled enough through this dream realm, even though there's been plenty of discoveries.

Anne wraps her fingers around his hand, huffing. "Well, I'm relieved! Mama would rather be together than separated."

Daniel snorts, feeling more at ease to hear his slime mother's upbeat tone returning. "I just hope that Mary isn't alone if she's connected to this realm as well."

"Before that, haven't you noticed anything about yourself?" Anne poses, her brow raised.

The artist blinks before looking down. His eyes only widen slightly as he finds himself wearing the same sleepwear that he slipped into bed with. He had been so wrapped, literally, with his slime mother, he never realized this was the first time he wasn't naked in bed. Of course, his slime mother remains bare like before.

"Seriously?" he scoffs.

Anne giggles. "Well, that's one mystery down! Sleep in clothes, dream in clothes."

"No, that just makes this realm stranger! Why would it matter what I'm wearing to be projected in here?"

"Isn't this good, though? Maybe we can bring stuff we're holding with us next time."

"Ugh, of course you'd want to experiment more."

The slime mother's eyes shine. "Hehe, you bet! Speaking of which, this area is filled with Vivi-Mama's memories, just like our lakes, right? I want to try focusing on a memory of her!"

"Wait, let's not—"

It's too late.

"I just love wearing comfy scrubs, that's all!"

With that reverberating declaration from the recent day, a bookshelf manifests from the fog a meter from them, showing how Viviane encountered Lecia. Watching the three-dimensional replay of the memory was admittedly cool to see, but this was not the time to fool around.

That doesn't stop Anne from grinning. "Wow~ I know I saw it already as Marianne, but you really do fit seamlessly inside your Mother. I wonder what that says about you?"

Daniel rolls his eyes as he walks through the memory, waving through and dispersing it away. "Mom, this is no time for teasing! Let's go see if Mary might be around."

"Fine, fine," Anne gives, but squeezes her son's hand tightly. With her other hand, she cups around her mouth.

"Oh Mary! Are you here?"

Her voice travels through the fog, but to no avail. After a few seconds of eerie silence, Daniel follows louder.1

"Mary!"

Still nothing.

"Hmm...Maybe she'll respond if you call her Mum," Anne suggests, failing to keep her lips straight.

Snorting, Daniel tilts his head a bit higher. "Hey, stop being so mum! Are you anywhere?!" 2

"Aha! Well, aren't you clever with words?" Anne raises, her eyes a smile.

Flushing, Daniel coughs. "Anyway, she's not nearby. I really hope that if she's dreamed into this world, she didn't just wander off."

"You should know better," Anne admonishes, raising a finger. "If I were Mary, I wouldn't even try to spend any time sitting alone in a spooky fog, waiting to wake up."

"You're right," Daniel groans. "If so, she should leave a trace for us or to return, at least."

With that in mind, and knowing Mary's personality far too deeply for their own good, the slime mother and son scours the nearby ground. They waft any low cloud bending around their feet until, eventually, Anne gasps.

"Wait, what's this?"

Daniel stops brushing his feet around the soft, moist grass to join his slime mother. Not far from their placement, grass and dirt split into a line, trailing off into an unclear direction from them.

The two glance at each other. Since there was nothing around like sticks or rocks, digging like this seemed like the only way to make a mark. Still, the cut seemed quite deep, like a hoe being dragged across the ground.

"That's certainly a sign. Do you think Mary did this?" Daniel asks.

Anne squints her eyes with an idea forming. To test a hypothesis, she silently straightens and morphs her arm into a sharp blade. Her son doesn't have time to question as she swipes across the grass, swirling the foggy air.

Past the wind that blows, a similar cut dragged across the ground in front of the slime with similar depth. The answer to Daniel's question becomes evident.

"That's right, she could do that on her own now."

His slime mother reforms her arm back to normal, flexing her fingers indecisively. "No way to be sure, but if Mary arrived with my split, it's possible they could've dragged a cut like this for us."

"A bit unsettling," Daniel admits, reminding himself not to test his girlfriend too much. "Anyway, let's hope that it's from her."

"Hehe, scared? Have some faith in your Mummy, won't you?"

Daniel scoffs. "You know very well that my sense of faith is shattered."

...

..

.

Walking onward, time blurred, barring no indication when the gray haze would diminish. Anne and Daniel could still see each other, at least, but that was about it. Aside from the magical lakes outside of Viviane's fog, no other features dressed the vicinity except the grassy crunches from their steps.

They called out many times in their walk. Sadly, no response ever echoed back from the illusive dark artist. The only thing they had was to keep following the dragging of dirt, which kept going straight. Occasionally, Daniel would look up, hoping to see the stars return to visibility, but the fog remained as thick as ever.

"So...question, sweetie," Anne starts.

"Hm?"

Daniel perks to his slime mother, who squeezes his hand to ensure they wouldn't have a chance to lose each other. Remembering Mary's fall into the large ditch, they needed to support each other at a moment's notice.

"When are you thinking of marriage?"

Speaking of ditch, A different kind stumbles the artist forward. Sure enough, Anne helps her son out with a giggle, saving him from the weight of her out-of-the-blue question.

She sticks her tongue out. "Hehe, sorry~ Was that too much?"

"Yeah, it is!" Daniel squeaks, snapping his head back to his slime mother. "What the hell is that?! Marriage is the last thing on my mind right now!"

"Ah, but you should have considered it at least once. You and Mary know everything about each other, after all."

She then huffs, leaning closer. "Besides, I'm pretty sure neither Viviane nor I can have kids, so it's up to you two humans to paint some kids of your own so we can have grandkids!"

Daniel pinches the bridge of his nose. "It's too early for that. Might I remind you that it's only been a little more than a week since we entered this strange relationship? Whether we're in sync more than before doesn't change the possibility that it won't work out."

Anne narrows her eyes. "If we're talking about time, you've been shared a lifetime of memories through us! Don't you think you're being too cautious?"

"Of course I'm being cautious! Look at everything that's happened so far!"

His slime mother clicks her tongue and glances away. "At least entertain the...?"

The slow roll to a stop of Anne's voice grounds Daniel back to their situation. Focusing ahead where Anne is looking, they see a silhouette of something rectangular in rows. Before considering it, Daniel looks down, noticing that the dragged cut through the ground seems to be fading.

"Hold on."

He parts away from Anne to peak ahead a few meters, waving away the fog as he goes. The trail does appear to end, meaning...

"Wherever those shadows are, it must be where we need to head now."

Anne wiggles her lips, unable to help but grow worried.

"Hello? Mary?" she calls, hoping the British artist is near enough to hear.

However, after a few seconds, it's the same silence as ever.

Daniel links back to his mother's hands, his lips smiling weakly. "You get my caution now?"

His slime mother snorts, shaking her head. "Alright, you've made your point. Just stay close to Mama, okay?"

"Always."

They step lightly to the only mass they've been able to see so far. As they draw closer, the shape and arrangement ahead of them grows clearer in form, marking a set of entryways circularly.

"That's...!"

Woo!

In their next step, the two stretch out their eyes, mouths agape, as the wisps of the low cloud wrap around their bodies and withdraw into the fog behind them. There was no warning as they entered a large circular acre of land, untouched by the cloud. In fact, the whole clearing is unnaturally separated, with the surrounding gray lining the perimeter like a wall.

In the center of this clearing lies Stonehenge, but of a time when it was complete. Seemingly uncorrupted by nature, its presence shimmered under the dark sky.

The tear in space returned too, the same as ever, spilling magical symbols with an uncertain connection to the stars of Earth. Whatever its wavering disruption entails, it illuminates the bluestones like moonlight.

"Nope. Mama is going back."

Anne's flat tone and quick turnaround to the wall of fog snaps Daniel out of his daze. He tightens his hold on her, pulling her back.

"W—wait, you can't ignore this!"

"Who says I can't?" Anne shuts her eyes, looking down and away. "It's just a bunch of stupid stones anyway!"

"Are you kidding? All of this is more than simply stones!"

"I have memories of being an astronomer, damn it! Why do I have to be involved in more nonsense of this magical world?!"

"Because it's your world!"

"I just wanted to help find Mary and talk about wedding plans!"

"Viviane..."

A familiar whisper to the elder slime mother rings through both of them, ending their opposition. Following, a flame erupts from the center of the Stonehenge formation, where an altar lays, seizing their attention.

Anne reluctantly pivots back to the monoliths, her lips crooked as the flame's orange glow that adds to the stars' light across her face. She sees a cloaked, hooded figure, its form distorted against the backdrop of the fire.

"I knew it." She breathes. "This is like the first vision I had when you started working on the Stonehenge painting."

Daniel swallows. "Which means the person ahead must be..."

"Merlin," Anne completes. Shutting her eyes, she sighs. "Is this another of her hidden memories?"

Although, if it comes from Viviane, one would imagine the area also being shrouded by the fog.

Putting behind the discrepancy, her son shrugs. "We won't know for sure unless we get a closer look."

Anne grumbles, tilting her head to the side in dismay. Eventually, she pushes out air to clear her mind, then straightens. "Alright, let's go."

While creeping closer to the famous sacred circle, they look around for any signs of the dark artist. Out of the fog, it should've been a good place as any to wait for them.

However, a few of the same calls to the British girl were just as one-sided as before.

'Maybe she's not linked to this place, even though she's covered by Mom's slime,' Daniel thinks.

But then, who else could've dug into the ground, leading them to this place?

Daniel keeps any conclusions to himself as they pass through the stone gates. The cloaked figure lifts as soon as they enter the inner perimeter, then twists his body towards them.

Keeping distance, Anne and Daniel stand several meters from the fire and the figure, unable to see the legend's features under his hood.

"Viviane..." He repeats, his deeper voice clear enough to suggest a dryness in his throat.

Opposite of him, Daniel shuffles uncomfortably, reminded of his experience with Victor. Still, he musters forth his voice, not knowing whether this person is real or part of a memory.

"Are you...Merlin?"

The figure remained silent for a few breaths.

"...No, you're not her."

Anne and Daniel widen their eyes. Before any of them could follow, a chuckle echos between the stones, freezing the words in their hearts.

Fwoo...

The flames at the center of the altar waver.

"Oh my, Merlin, very impressive! You've gotten better at distinguishing the flames in us."

Viviane's voice, playful but warm as the fire, arrives behind the mother and son. No sooner do they break free from their shock as the elder slime walks past them, her gaze deep onto the magician's form.

'Mother?' Daniel questions.

"I'd rather not see my apprentice taken so lightly, so would you please change back, Nimue?" Merlin requests, unamused.

"Viviane" raises her hands, sighing. "I think you're the one who needs to lighten up, but if my daughter tempts you that much, I'll be sensitive."

Merlin scoffs. "Nonsense."

With the scene more likely to be a memory, Anne and Daniel cease any thoughts and observe silently. Their eyes lock on the first Lady of the Lake as her appearance shifts fluidly, her hair turning from silver to dark and iris fading to its deep oceans.

"Come now, my love," she begins more gently, stepping closer to the magician. He doesn't move an inch as she leans against his robes while brushing her hands against his shoulders, staring up into his shrouded face.

"Tell me, what's troubling you to come out here all by yourself?"

"...You, for one."

Nimue giggles, her eyes unoffended. "Then, I suppose we'll have to fix that, shall we?"

She leans forward, pressing her lips into the shadows of his hood. With it, the magician reciprocates, his hands roaming across the enchantress' contours...

Shaking.

Chapter 99: Merlin's Fear

Chapter Text

Chu~

"Haa...My lady, please stop...this is...mmf..."

"Shhh~"

Chu...chu...chu...

Daniel and Anne stare gray as the stone gates surrounding them, unreachable from the unfolding heat in the center where a love rages. So riveting are the moans and sweet kisses between Merlin and Nimue, they seemingly fan the actual flames crackling on the altar to their passion.

It's not a total surprise to see love spilling, given the medieval literature of the two. That said, it's been more than a minute since they started making out. For the patient, invisible observers to this union, this has gone beyond mere poetry.

Making matters worse in their suffering, Mary is still nowhere to be seen to join them.

Shaking at her peak, Anne finally breaks, raising her fists into the air with her own flames. "Graah, we get it! When are they going to finish!?"

Her frustration echoes into the distance, yet the moans continue in their own world. Looking away, Daniel can only chuckle sadly to himself. Besides sharing his slime mother's exasperation, he's a little relieved. Had it been Merlin and truly Viviane making out, he's not sure if his heart could take it.

'Although, he said Mother was his apprentice?'

Nimue also mentioned lessons when consoling Viviane at one point, so the relationship does follow a version of the tale where the "Lady of the Lake" learned from the wizard. At the same time, the tale and Merlin's messages through Mary indicates a higher affection between master and student. Perhaps there was, even as Nimue embraces the man before them.

Daniel shakes his head, unwilling to let potential or past relationships distract from more meaningful history they've been trying to uncover. In particular, what of Nimue's role and fate?

In the first memory shared, this fiercely kissing woman was presumably caught by cultists and burned to death at some point, but that now seems unlikely if she's anything like his slime mothers. With her recent shapeshifting before their eyes, lack of bodily warmth, and the screams of a cultist she dealt in saving Viviane, "human" should be the last thing to describe this enchantress.

Amid his thoughts, the hooded wizard finally forces some distance, holding the enchantress barely at an arm's length.

It took him long enough.

"My lady, please," he breathes, letting his hand trace from her hips to her hands, holding them just as tightly.

Said lady's eyes soften as she pulls forward a bitter smile. "Why? Tell me, am I that troubling for you?"

"Troubling for my heart," the wizard amends. "But, I'm more troubled by how your outsized influence is creating work for me."

Nimue relaxes, finding the first trouble quite the praise. As for the second, she draws away, waving her hand dismissively. "You speak of the cultists that are spread among the Saxons? I find this blame rather unfair. How am I supposed to rein in centuries of misunderstandings, false hope, and corruptions spread from my predecessors?"

Merlin sighs, dropping his head. "Forgive me, I was just airing grievances. I am well aware that your existence is better off hidden. As a remnant of Isis, the last thing we need is for the current you to be worshiped."

'...What? Remnant?' Daniel repeats to himself, his eyes wide. 'If she says there were predecessors, does she mean...'

"Ah, let's not forget to give you a name! I've held many names myself, so it's only suitable that I bestow one to such an abandoned."

While Nimue's saving words to Viviane echo through his mind, Anne snaps him out with her own beginning line of thinking. "Um...Daniel? Could Viviane and I also be..."

"Ah! Wait, let's not jump to any conclusions yet," the artist quickly urges, squeezing her hand. In turn, Anne hums, only a little worried, as they return their attention to the Arthurian couple.

The enchantress huffs at the wizard. "Even so, you shouldn't need to feel troubled by what you can't control! Why try to overstep yourself in this short life?"

"I can't simply do nothing either, my lady. At the very least, I want to make sure that the history in this land is headed into the right direction."

Nimue furrows her brows and scoffs. "Is that why you advise Uther Pendragon? That pathetic king is far from right."

"Has there ever been one?"

"...No, I suppose not, but why have you aligned with him?"

"He may be crude, but he's not short-sighted when it comes to managing his land and trying new ideas." Merlin lifts his gaze to the fire. "Regardless of who I align with, though, I promise you there are no loyalties."

"And to me?"

"All the love."

Nimue narrows her eyes. "Suspicious. You'll give me love, but not even a bit of loyalty? As the one who helped raise you and then your dear apprentice, shouldn't I deserve more?"

"It's not good to be greedy," Merlin advises, his lips rising. "Besides, you've tricked many, no?"

"I haven't the faintest clue why you'd think that!" Nimue harrumphs, twisting away.

Merlin snorts. "Even now, my lady is being quite the enchanting trickster."

"And you're any better?"

The wizard quivers with a hearty laugh. "Heavens, no. You should take pride that your precious daughter is turning out better than us. When she inevitably takes over my studies, she'll need to be."

"How ridiculous. You must think you're so wise, huh?"

"Not at all! It would be unwise to think so."

"Unwise, you say...Unbelievable."

The two hold themselves in their little banter before the enchantress eases up. With a sigh, she joins him in staring into the fire. Once a few stars take their time to glimmer, Nimue shuts her eyes.

"Fine, it does not matter to me how your plans go. But, if we're talking about troubles and wrongs, I fear this fire is the only real slight I've granted you and Viviane."

Merlin remains still in his gaze. "Certainly, it would've been better if I wasn't able to handle it at all, but I don't regret connecting with you. At this time, I can only study how to control it. Perhaps one day, this power can be snuffed from use."

"I highly doubt it," Nimue scoffs. "Take it as someone who has lived through others for too long."

Yet, breathing out the cool air, she refocuses on him. "Anyway, since I can't convince you otherwise to not bother in the matters of men, I'll leave you to your research and manipulations. Just know, I'm always here for you if you need it."

"I know...and thank you."

Nimue holds the wizard's hands one last time, glowing with a hopeful smile, before leaving into the direction of the observers. They straighten, but any question on whether to move aside becomes moot as she passes through them, dispersing into the surroundings behind them like a mist.

'Huh, so Uther Pendragon was a real king then? No, more than that, whose memory does this scene belong to if it's just them?' Daniel ponders. It's less clear given how the entire circle is walled away from Viviane's fog, yet surrounded within it.

Regardless, Merlin stands alone again by the altar, illuminated by the fire's glow. With the enchantress gone, he raises a hand, sliding into its flames without hesitation. Rather than being seared, the fire rumbles, roaring higher. It's hue fades to green, howling into the air and spreading fading emeralds around the monoliths.

His audience stares, mesmerized.

"It's like your painting," Anne whispers.

No, it's more beautiful, but Daniel swallows from speaking it. Having seen just a little of what different colors of magical fire can do between the various memories, Victor, and Lecia, he wonders if he has any right to paint it at all.

If Merlin really did try to bury these flames, it might be for the best.

Their enrapture is broken when Merlin breaks the crackling silence. "It's faint...but there. You're watching this moment with me, aren't you?"

Daniel and Anne flinch to the wizard's call. After an odd second, the two glance at each other before the former checks behind him, hoping there's another person about to join this replay of memory.

It's just them.

Not waiting for a response, Merlin tilts his head to the sky as the green fire stabilizes on the altar. "The fire that we carry, and the kind you see here, is a force that not even my lady was able to explain. An enigma despite sharing with many kinds of people over centuries.

"No matter how long, it's existed throughout all of her incarnations, originating from a time when Isis was thought to roam this world, yet lost without a true sense of self or understanding of what she is. The reality of being a goddess is simply a title thrust upon her by man, eager to serve a higher being just so they can feel a sense of purpose beyond their life."

His hand clenches into a fist. "It's beyond foolish to attach to something we don't know, and yet, look at me trying to understand this dangerous energy that she brings. While it may feel cool to touch, just like her, make no mistake, it burns far worse than anything ignited by man. For me, it's already condemned me to views to the future and my fate."

He snorts sadly. "Perhaps, that in itself is fate."

The flame's crackles are highlighted in the coming silence as the wizard recollects himself. When ready, Merlin turns around to face his future viewers, a glimmer of light peaking from the darkness of his shrouded face. Whether he's actually seeing them isn't clear yet, but it definitely feels like his eyes are boring into their souls.

"This isn't about me anymore," he continues. "I don't know when or why yet, but the lady you saw — that I respect and love — will eventually undergo a change due to the greed of others. I can't tell her any of this in fear she'll bring about the change that will flood humanity earlier — connecting us all together in a sea of flames."

He lowers his head. "Thus, Viviane, if it's really you who can hear this, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for deceiving you when I know what's going to happen...for showing you love even though I know we can't be together...and for the sacrifice you'll have to make with me and your mother to give humanity time...and possible a chance."

Merlin turns away, taking a deep breath and levels his voice. "Find the book that I will bury here, and of which will have unsealed you. By that time, I hope to have written a way to cleanse you. You may think it baffling that I would even allow you the chance to be free, but leaving it to others has the potential to shape the future in ways I can't see. I must latch onto that hope rather than let your seal to the false star fade on its own.

"This is my gamble. Although I cannot guarantee I will have any descendants like you in the future, I hope someone will be there to guide you and perhaps give you the genuine love that I could not. More importantly, I hope you're able to suppress the madness that inflicted your mother, wherever it resides in you."

The wizard returns his attention to the green fire, wavering.

"Do not let the worship consume you. The goddess mustn't remain anywhere."

With his final plea, he swipes a hand through the fire.

FWOO!

A wind promptly howls, providing the observers little time to prepare in their attention to the wizard's words. There, above the altar, a vortex forms, disrupting the air. The magical fire gets sucked in, plunging Merlin and the Stonehenge area into darkness.

With the fire and Merlin gone, the air continues to be drawn evenly through all gates, nearly lifting Daniel and Anne off their feet towards the altar. The former buries any thoughts and immediately hugs Anne, grounding them together as sharp breaths of incredible force streak past their huddled bodies.

"Why is it like this?!" Anne screams, her voice dampened. Nevertheless, she envelops her son closer by turning gooey, then burrows her feet into the ground. It was good timing as the great monoliths shatter around them, crumbling into pieces while being erased from the area. Holding tight, Anne shields her sweet artist from any debris pulled forward, not taking any chances to see if they can be hurt while in a realm where her son can feel everything.

SHWI—

And then it stops.

The sound and feeling of the wind cutting off is so abrupt, their minds reel. Yet, enshrouded in darkness, they don't dare to let go of each other. In their grip, they feel more seamless than ever before.

They can't think too much about it as rays of warmth slide across their face. With it, their ears recover a bit to the sounds of cars honking in the distance and the usual city movement.

"Ugh..."

Slowly, they stir and open their eyes to a perspective that may not be the same.

Chapter 100: The Voices In My Head

Chapter Text

Click!

The bathroom lights flicker on.

From the mirror, a woman appears, staring back with shimmering olive eyes. She inhales softly, taking in her dark gray, shoulder-length hair, all decorated evenly with familiar curls as part of her side bangs. Overall, her features seem oddly kept, considering her wake-up call from an explosive end to a dream.

"Goodness..." she whispers, her tone light and crispy.

Despite the disbelief, this new presence within Daniel's bathroom is well expected. As she's wearing said artist's pajama set, her current standing is a result of letting Anne follow Daniel into the dream realm. More specifically, the slime mother had to join her son both physically and mentally for them to fall asleep and dream together.

Now awake from the dream realm that held new information and uncertainty, she swallows slowly by her new existence.

Things are a bit different from previous fusions, though.

'Sweetie, we're so gorgeous together!' Anne squeals inside the head of their new existence.

'Mom, let's not get ahead of ourselves here,' Daniel pleads. 'I swear, I thought we were supposed to share a seamless consciousness?'

Feeling her inner part's confusion, the fusion crosses her arms and hums.

'Perhaps Merlin did something to us?' Anne suggests.

'I don't think it was Merlin. It was already strange when we immediately passed out after joining.'

'Then maybe it's an effect from the glass of wine you drank last night?'

Blinking to the idea, the fusion twists her lips and pulls a hand to her chin as the possibility converges to her. "The wine...yes, that might be why I feel off for some reason. With what happened with Marianne, I guess any amount of being drunk does strange things when joining."

It should be noted that neither Daniel nor Anne are in complete control when the fusion speaks or acts. Although their thoughts are separated, they remain more of an invisible influence to their shared form than anything. As such, nothing changes from previous fusions except that their thoughts are more explicit to each other.

'Well, however this happened, let's split and call Mary to see how she is,' Daniel presses. 'She should already be up and getting ready to go to the airport.'

The fusion tilts to the side. "For now, I should split and reach out, although..."

'Aw, can't we stay together for a bit longer?' Anne cries, pushing their shared form to frown.

"It would be such a shame to leave myself already," the fusion amends, closing her eyes.

'Mom...'

'You already know Mama was hesitant on merging because of your father. After Vida, I was less certain whether I wanted to join with you, knowing we'd lose ourselves instead of experiencing each other. But now, it's different: we're one and can still talk to each other!'

Daniel can't deny it certainly is an experience. 'Fine, but just for a bit. We still have much to discuss about what we saw.'

That's putting it lightly. For now, Mary's safety comes first, so the fusion keeps herself and walks out of the bathroom. Immediately, she picks up Daniel's phone left on the bed.

'Wait, what should we call ourselves?' Anne asks, causing the fusion to pause. Humming, she tilts her head to the ceiling and squints.

'Danne?' Daniel offers.

"Let's go with Danne," the fusion decides, as if she had come up with it herself.

'Oh, that's interesting! Mama was about to agree, but I guess we both don't have to think everything completely.'

With that established, Danne checks the phone, anxious for the British artist. Before she might dial, though, she sees a message from Viviane ten minutes ago.

Just worried for you, so please give me a call when you're awake. Mary left to pick up her uncle from the airport, but she says she never entered Anne's dream realm. She did dream something odd though, so we synchronized. I can explain further on the call.

'So she really wasn't connected to me with my split?' Anne questions. 'But then...who drew that line on the ground for us?'

'I don't know, but my first guess is maybe it had to do with Merlin?' Daniel speculates.

Regardless, Danne feels somewhat relieved between the two to see Mary woke up fine. With the British artist out, and details to share about Merlin and Nimue, the fusion dials Viviane instead.

The line picks up along with the sounds of sizzling in the background. It appears the lake dweller was cooking breakfast in preparation when Marlin would arrive.

"Ah? Good morning, er...should I call you mother or sister?" Danne begins, shuffling herself awkwardly as her relationship to the elder slime becomes complicated.

"...!"

"Who is this? Oh, sorry! Yes, Daniel and Anne are okay. Your sister was keen to join Daniel into her dream realm to help search for Mary, so...well, they had to become me. Please call me Danne!"

"...?"

"A video call? Sure."

Danne holds out her phone and switches to video. The call switches automatically to speaker, sending the fusion's image to the elder slime. Likewise, Viviane appears on her phone, dressed moderately with an apron as she stands in the kitchen.

Her silver eyes widen. "You two really did join! But then, that means..."

Closing her eyes, Danne smiles reassuringly. "It's okay. Daniel knows everything now about his father, so there's no reason to hide it any longer."

Yet, Viviane thins her lips, lowering her gaze as she turns down the heat from the stove. "I see... No, it was only right for you to know. I'm at fault for helping to hide it just as well from our child."

'It's fine.' Daniel urges forward his influence. 'That aside, it feels very weird to be talked about when I'm still here.'

Anne giggles in their hidden mental space. 'Don't overthink it, sweetie. We might be mentally present, but we are behind tinted glass here.'

'Interesting analogy. Are you sure I'm the one overthinking?'

'Hey, don't make fun of Mama!'

"Danne?" Viviane calls, cocking her head.

Caught frozen among her dual thoughts, Danne snaps straight and clears her throat. "Sorry, just...um, overthinking some things. You don't worry about Daniel, though. More importantly, is Mary alright?"

Viviane hums. "She's fine. Although, she is pretty upset you didn't wake her up before going to the dream realm."

The elder slime raises her chin as she mimics the British artist's voice. "'Not bothering me is not an excuse!' She said."

"I'd expect that." Danne chuckles sheepishly. "At the very least, the trip wasn't pointless. Daniel and Anne encountered a new memory in your fog...well, sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the first memory of Merlin that Anne received? The one that showed him in standing within Stonehenge calling for you?"

The elder slime holds herself. "It was from that? Shouldn't it have been a memory from me?"

"Not exactly. There was a cut into the ground that led them to this area, completely isolated from the fog. Merlin was there, just like in the memory and calling for you, but it was actually Nimue who appeared for him."

Danne goes on to retell what her parts saw, describing the apparent relationship between the wizard and the more known version of the "Lady of the Lake". Beyond that were the implications of Nimue being a remnant of Isis and Merlin's words for his viewers.

The elder slime, a former apprentice to such a wizard, furrows her brows. Like with all previous information revealed, she feels so disconnected from it.

"So my sealing...was related to Nimue becoming a threat?"

"That's what I gather," Danne supports. "I don't know how Nimue changed, but even though Merlin loved you and her, he foresaw your guardian needing to be restricted. I wish he'd elaborate more, but...who knows, maybe that's intentional."

Viviane narrows her eyes.

"Do not let the worship consume you. The goddess mustn't remain anywhere," she murmurs, repeating Merlin's warning relayed by Danne.

While the wizard's last words continue echoing internally, Viviane's forehead creases. "It doesn't make any sense. If we're like Nimue, remnants of a goddess and a risk to the world, Merlin shouldn't have buried the book expecting others to unseal me! Even if it was only going to be temporary, is it really worth it to ..."

She pauses, conflicted. On one hand, being freed and gaining a new chance at life was an escape from hell. She couldn't ever go back to her cage by her foggy waters, but wherever she was put to, it was clearly a means necessary by the wizard. Even if she was deceived, had this been a will that she'd forgotten?

She scoffs. "Forget it. Why is Merlin even saying we have to find his book? For what?"

Danne smiles bitterly. "I'm not sure, but if he buried the book at Stonehenge so that you and Anne could be unsealed, the only person who could have unearthed it would be..."

"Lecia," Viviane finishes, and sighs. "Another reason to get closer to her. Still, what of the book held by Marlin? Could that have been written by Merlin or some descendant?"

"It's possible. Merlin mentioned a cleansing, and him knowing of Mary's involvement, it might be related."

"Or it could be bad for us," Viviane adds, slumping. "With other magic users like Victor around, any book written after Merlin might not hold in our best interest. On that front, I do have one good news to share."

"Hm?"

Straightening, Viviane grins. "I found someone in Keystone who has another copy of Victor's publication! There's a resident selling for two hundred somewhere in the East."

Danne frowns. "I hope you didn't reach out."

"No, of course not!" Viviane waves a hand. "I'll be busy with Mary and Marlin, but maybe you could check it out if you have time?"

"What about another library?"

"There are a few I saw that have it, but they're pretty far. I could also press Lecia when she'll return the book to the local library. It's not so suspicious since she knows I'd be interested in it...right?"

Danne and her parts weren't sure. It might not be wise to have more contact with the Sights Open president beyond their next meeting, especially when they now have to get a different book out of her.

'We could get some insight with this seller,' Anne suggested. 'Since there's not many copies out there, two hundred for something we can keep sounds better.'

'Well.. we can look into it before deciding,' Daniel slows.

Thus, Danne hums. "Alright, send me the listing when you get the chance. What about Mary's dream you mentioned?"

"That's...Oh!"

Sudden popping from the stove drowns out Viviane. She quickly puts down the phone on a counter, sharing the ceiling to Danne.

The fusion stifles herself from laughing. "Sorry, I forgot you were cooking."

Only when the sizzling dies down does Viviane clear her throat, her voice a bit distant. "It's okay. As far as Mary goes, let's worry less about that right now. There wasn't anything to note from her dream aside from an empty cabin and a forest. It's too early to draw any conclusions about it. You'll understand once we sync up properly."

'A forest?' Anne repeats, although she and Daniel trusted the elder slime's words.

"Very well," Danne gives. "Please let me know how things go with Marlin."

Viviane pulls back the phone to her face, and beams. "Of course! By the way, you weren't sure whether I should be your mother or sister now. I think this time, I'd like to consider you another form of my sister, even if you are partly my child. What do you say?"

'Why does there have to be a role?' Daniel questions, cringing.

Anne giggles. 'Aw, don't be like that! Regardless of title, Vivi-Mama is your family. We should always be welcoming to each other in some fashion!'

Split with warmth and embarrassment, Danne shrugs. "I...I suppose we can be sisters."

The elder slime closes her eyes to match her smile. "Hehe, you're quite adorable! Don't stay merged for too long, though. As nice as you are, I would like to have my child back sooner than later. In fact, I believe Anne and Daniel have dinner with Rachel later, right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Danne confirms, recomposing herself with a breath. "We may not be able to sync up today, depending on how things go with you guys."

"Even so, try to be at ease. No matter what, I won't let any harm come in the way to Mary or myself."

Danne snorts. "Maybe start by focusing on making sure breakfast isn't burnt."

Viviane pouts. "Hmph! Worry about yourself! We'll talk later, okay?"

"Alright. Bye."

Leaving Viviane to her preparations, the call ends. Hoping things are well on Mary's end, Danne sends a quick status check to the British artist. She would rather not call while the British artist is driving or if Marlin happens to be with her.

'With that out of the way, I have a few commissions I'd like to get started. I don't know if us working as one will be better, so how about we split for now? We can join again later if you wish,' Daniel offers.

Anne hums. 'Alright, fine. Mama has to give your daily milk anyway.'

'A...actually, on second thought, maybe we keep together instead?'

Schlip!

However, there is no second thought as the Daniel feels Anne departing from their headspace. With blue gooey strings stretching from his face, Danne ceases to be while his slime mother's head reforms quickly in front of him. Her backside stretches partially out from their shared nightclothes as she uncovers from his torso.

Facing him, she giggles, nuzzling against his forehead. "Now, now, sweetie. Whether in and out, there's no need to lie about your true feelings to your Mama~"

Remaining joined on the legs and feeling her cool, gelatinous breasts squish against his chest, Daniel flushes to their snug union. He isn't able to object to his mother's urging as she sneaks a kiss to his lips, sending him with all manners of maternal love.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

Arriving at Keystone International Airport, Marlin unboards his plane with other passengers, trying to keep cool. Yet, his hand can't help tighten around his carry-on that drags across the carpet as he enters the United States.

It's been a long time.

Both in terms of visiting the states, but also his perception of time as he agonized through the flight over the "Book of Isis" that had magically appeared to him through the security checkpoint from London.

It was the first time the book had done anything like that. Even going out of the U.K. to other places in Europe, the book had always remained in his safe at home.

Swallowing slowly, Marlin pulls hastily past the line of people in front of him. His heart beats faster as his phone buzzes with fresh cell signal in his pocket. It was probably his niece on her way or already here to pick him up.

He can't bother checking as his mind races to find a private spot without people. In the corner of his eyes, he catches a hallway leading to an airport employee lounge. Nobody was standing around, so he pivots, walking only several meters in until the crowd of arrivals is muffled.

Breathing out heavily, the bald man kneels and pulls the main zipper of his luggage. For better or worse, the book he had received all those years ago remained inside, cushioned by his clothes.

"Shit."

His pocket buzzes again. Quickly, Marlin tucks in the book behind more of his clothes, then takes out his phone. Swiping it on, he sees Mary's messages; the first showing that she had left thirty minutes ago and the more recent updating she's ten minutes away.

Shutting his eyes, Marlin groans. 'I shouldn't have come.'

Clearly, the book's ability to teleport to him didn't occur without reason. There's no doubt in his mind this is because of his niece.

The book is either trying to reach her or these mysteries around her.

Why?

With her claims of shape shifters and dreams, Marlin is less inclined to expose her more than the hole she's digging herself into. He's not sure if he can convince her to stay away anymore than he has, but as her uncle, he has to try to help understand and protect her.

Taking a deep breath, he zips back his luggage and heads out of the hallway. As he turns the corner, he bumps into a tall man passing. The only thing he sees among his six-foot figure is a navy coat before recoiling back.

"Oh, sorry about that," Marlin apologizes, immediately lowering his head. When he raises to meet the bumped man's eyes, they're covered by sunglasses lining his bridge, with short, jet black hair standing up from the front. Chuckling, the man raises a hand at ease, barely unbalanced.

His dimpled smile grazes his square jaw. "No worries, friend. Coming long ways from the U.K, huh?"

A distinct, layered accent that smells of Italian bounces off him.

Marlin blinks, then grins. "Looks like we're both coming a long way off."

"Indeed, but take no mind of me. Here, your phone."

The man hands over Marlin's device, which must've fumbled out of Marlin's hand as he was leaving. To the I.T. specialist's shame, he never even noticed.

"Oh, thank—"

When he lifts his gaze back to the man, he has already left. Looking to the side, he can see his figure shrinking among the generally shorter field of traffic, walking onward to whatever business he had come to the states for.

"Hard to take no mind when you're as big as that," Marlin mutters.

Regardless, Marlin is grateful as he grips his phone more securely, then pauses. On the backside of the phone, he feels a small piece of paper lining it. Pulling it off, his pupils shrink, as does his breath.

Welcome, Brother. 2302 Javier Ave., Keystone, SD. Please come, if you have time.

On the corner is a familiar insignia that belongs to The Order.

Marlin's face pales.

Had Stavian told them he'd be around? No, he never told him he'd be leaving to the states. In fact, he made sure to not tell anyone except Mary's father.

He puts the note into his pocket as his eyes narrow forward.

"I really shouldn't have come here."

Chapter 101: Mary's Dream

Chapter Text

Through the wisdom of wine, it began with a crash to the bed.

To her credit, Mary never thought her sleep would be any different, since she didn't feel any different. She could easily forget she had merged with her slimy clone because it was a seamless connection that didn't bring any change in her sense of self.

Clearly, things were different. One blink, and possibly a snore, she opened her eyes to a new world. In her stunned, blank gaze, the bright green oak leaves fluttered about with the wind while evergreen pine towered in the distance.

"Uh....well then."

It helped this wasn't her first rodeo to dream lands, so she took some time to warm up to her new environment. In front of her, she squinted her eyes to a clearing where an abundance of light filled. Holding her breath, she crept forward, letting the breeze stroke her nightgown that followed on her. Once she stepped out to the exposed land, a bright flash flooded the artist's form, causing her to look away for a moment. As her eyes adjusted to the fresh sunlight, a cabin faded into the center, glowing among rays cast between the surrounding trees.

"What the..."

Usually, when people dream, it's based off something that's made an impact in the mind or recently seen. However, Mary never visited a cabin in her life nor held any appetite for remote living. Given that she could feel the lush environment, it was clear that she was connected to something similar to Anne's dream realm. As for why it pulled her to this area, she had no clue. She didn't know whether this place was still part of Anne or a completely separate realm. Based on the lack of tears and bright sky, she felt the answer was leaning more towards the latter.

Regardless, Mary studied the area and the cabin for a while. She was hesitant about entering the wooden structure on her own, but not wanting to drift too far away, she eventually tried knocking on the door.

"Hello?"

Nobody answered, and the door was completely unlocked. She peeked in first, finding the interior was neat, but fairly empty. There was a bed in one side, a table in the center, and a row of drawers and cabinets lined to a wall.

It was too clean to not have been taken care of, but too empty for anyone to have stayed. Although, was there even a need to clean in a magical world?

"It's cozy at least."

Following in, she scoured the place for any signs of living, checking the drawers and cabinets; however, there was nothing. She huffed and sat on the bed, taking in the interior.

"Think, Mary," she told herself. "If this is anything like Anne's world, and I'm currently joined by a piece of her, then...this place must also be a piece of her."

That would be a logical conclusion, except, there didn't seem to be any "damage" to this area like a magical tear. Further, nothing in her, Daniel, Viviane, or Anne's memories brought a cabin into play.

At least, as far as memories accessible to all of them.

Seeing how there wasn't a clue in sight, Mary sighed and stood up. "No point staying around here. Maybe I can climb a tree to... Oh, wait!"

Brightening with an idea, Mary raised her hands to check her state. Focusing, she willed her new slimy coat to draw out of her skin. Sure enough, her hand became visibly covered by a translucent blue slime.

She grinned. "Nice!"

The question was whether she could use her slime body to help lift herself and get a bird's-eye view of the area. Stepping out, she started with the tallest pine tree closest to the cabin. She guessed it was at least a hundred feet high, although, even her artistic sense of depth couldn't be certain.

Regardless, she was more excited to make use of her new accompanying slime.

"But how should I do this? Hmm... Ah!"

Splick!

From her shoulders blades, two slimy appendages extended out of her nightgown and wobbled above her. She figured, this way, she wouldn't have to risk any tension to her underlying human structure by stretching too far.

"Alright then, easy..."

Steadily, her pair of slime grapplers stretch from behind towards the best stable branch she could see. Once they wrap around the trunk, Mary breathed out.

"I should be able to lift myself with this slime, right?"

She thought of her mass like a pulley. With a bit of a focus, her feet lifted off the ground.

"Hell yeah!"

Mary laughed freely, her body raised effortlessly by her accompanying gelatinous mass. While avoiding branches on her way up, she hums pleasantly as the wind picked up and brushed through her hair. Soon, her feet lightly tapped the bark of the branch as she reached her new platform without issue.

More light filled her vision as she widened to the sprawling forest that seemed to go on forever. As she looked for any other structures or features, mists rising in the air caught her attention. She leaned forward, consequently losing focus of her slime mass on the tree as she squints.

"Wait, they're coming from...lakes?"

Three lakes from what her eyes could see.

Snap!

But the artist wasn't able to confirm. Her woody support cracked, dropping her off before she could even register. In a blink, she screamed while slimy appendages tried to grip on to anything.

Everything was spreading too fast to focus!

"FUC—"

Thump!

...

..

.

Safe to say, Mary woke back into her apartment after that.

Having given her heart time to cool, the artist synchronized her experience with Viviane before leaving for the airport. Unfortunately, the elder slime held no new ideas about the environment, nor did she receive any new memories.

Coughing, Mary tries not to think too hard about it or her fall as the clattering from her car's tires reverberates along the patched highway towards Keystone airport. Perhaps next time, she would even bring Daniel with her, providing a good excuse to wrap her new slimy layer all over her artistic half and bind him to her.

As the kinky idea persists, Mary's hands tighten around the steering wheel as she mentally slaps away any anticipation.

'Focus, Mary! You just fell like a dumbass!' the British artist tells herself, her lips crooked shamefully as she passes under the airport signage. Clearing herself once more, she drives for a bit until she's able to park in the lot closest to the terminal her uncle, Marlin, should be waiting.

Exiting the car, she couldn't help brush herself down. Although she's fine, there's a sense that she should be more of a mess after that drop through trees. Not to dwell on her would-be state, she checks her messages on her phone. There's one update from Merlin saying he's arrived and another by Daniel.

Regarding her artistic half, she's upset he didn't encourage Viviane to wake her if they were truly worried about her dream state. What if he learned more that has to be considered without her?

Groaning, she reads on while walking towards the terminal.

Morning. I talked with Viviane, and I'm glad you're fine. We'll have to sync up depending how things go with your uncle, but Anne and Daniel did go into the dream realm. They ended up being guided to a place that showed the rest of the Stonehenge memory with Merlin. Mother has the details, but just giving you heads up. Love you.

Mary stops in the middle of a crowd and narrows her eyes. 'So they did find something important without me! Seriously, they should've just woke me up if they were so worried about...'

Her thoughts slow as she catches how the message is presented.

They... Anne and Daniel.... Dream.

Her breath becomes stuck in her throat as she internally screams, leaning her face into her phone screen. 'Wait, what?! They merged! That means Anne must've shared...!'

"Mary?"

"Gah!"

The dark artist fumbles for a bit, then straightens. Her eyes lock onto a familiar shiny-headed man in front with brown eyes, and a grin to boot.

"Hey there, miss weirdo," Marlin greets, trailing with his luggage.

Mary shoves her phone into her pocket as she resets before her family. She wants desperately to see Daniel and Anne's state, but that'll have to come later.

Clearing her throat, she raises her arms. "Uncle Baldy!"

"Of course," Marlin mutters, snorting as he accepts her incoming hug. It must've been at least two years since they last saw each other in person.

Holding a few seconds to celebrate this reunion, Mary pulls away and beams. "I'm so happy you came all the way to visit me!"

Marlin slumps. "That's one way to put it. Honestly, you have no idea how much you've troubled me lately. I'm...a little scared what you have to show me."

Mary waves her hands quickly. "Relax, relax! I know you've come a long way, so we don't have to get right into anything strange. Here, let me take your lugg—"

"Ah, ah, it's fine!" Marlin excuses, forcing a chuckle while his grip on the handle bar twists tighter. "Let's get going. How are you faring so far?"

"As normal as can be! Well, aside from being one of the few British folks in town...among other things."

Marlin grins. "Well, it's part of your charm, innit?"

Mary groans. "Ugh, let's not overemphasize it. Anyway, I've already got a guest bed ready in my studio since I'm sure you're tired. Do you need to go anywhere first?"

"Actually, I should rent a car for myself while I'm here. Is there a center nearby?"

"There's one a few miles away from here, but really, I don't mind if you need to borrow my car to go places."

The Order likely knows of his relationship to Mary, but even so, Marlin feels he needs to have his mobility while limiting any traces to his niece. He shouldn't even stay with her in that regard, but he can't follow any risks either if he's not close.

"It'll be better this way for me. You won't have to pay for the car, I promise."

Mary huffs. "As if I would! Being a cheapskate has limits, you know."

Marlin chuckles. "That's harsh. Didn't I refund you back the price of my plane ticket? It was necessary to make sure you were serious about me visiting."

"I do understand the caution, but it still irritates me. Whatever your case is, we'll head to the rental center."

"Thank you."

From then on, the two continue in idle chat as they leave the terminal. While a step behind from his niece, Marlin can't help but warily look at the people surrounding them, wondering how many, like the Italian man he bumped into, might be from The Order.

What were they here for?

Chapter 102: The Uncertain Future That Laid Ahead

Chapter Text

Suckle...suckle...

On the couch near his kitchen, Daniel nuzzles his face into Anne's right breast, drawing in her milk as she secures him close. His muffled moans reverberate through the slime mother's gelatinous form, easing him into contentment as her fingers stroke the back of his head lovingly.

"Isn't that refreshing, sweetie?"

"Mmm..."

The overlaying slime giggles to her hard-working son's contentment, feeling his cock...no, their cock twitch within her spilling mass that connects them. As he drinks the milk her body has learned to copy, she strings her fingers down to his neck and shoulders, kneading him further into her.

It's more than effective as the defenseless artist shivers to the cool touches. Drawn into her maternal depths, he lost how much time had passed.

This feels dangerous.

Forced to take one final gulp, he grunts and removes his lips. "I...I think that's enough, Mom."

His slime mother's eyes gleam before she lowers herself, receding some of her mass across her son's body while keeping their torsos inches apart. Face to face, her hands slide from behind to his cheeks, spreading her thumbs evenly against them.

"You certainly drank a lot," Anne notes, her lips rising slowly. "You're not becoming more addicted to Mama's milk, are you?"

Caught, Daniel flushes but doesn't look away from her knowing smile. Unwilling to be teased further, he coughs. "And if I am, whose fault is it?"

She draws a long hum, rubbing her son's face, then shrugs. "Yes, I wonder who could it be~?"

Daniel wants to tug her cheeks back for being so slippery, but abstains. Shaking his head, he slides her hands off his face with a sigh. "Well, I know I'm partially to blame for allowing it. Forget about that, though, can we get start being serious?"

"Surely, we can have a serious conversation with some milk?"

"Any further and I might throw up."

Anne titters. "Alright, fine. Before any of that, do you really think Mama would let you go without handling what's pulsing between our bodies, hmm?"

Stretching away, she forms more of herself but leaves her lower legs connected to his hips. Like a seesaw, her ass shapes up, then promptly slides into place against the rod behind.

Phlap!

Daniel jerks, one eye closed. His hands automatically wrap around her solidifying back as she wiggles in place. "Sheesh... Well, I can't object to it when you're already there."

"Hehe, that's my oh-so-accommodating baby~"

Anne leans forward to lock lips while her hips gyrate behind, washing away and squeezing the throbbing cock shared. She can feel the pressure building and the accompanying pleasure overwhelming as her baby groans into her mouth, eyes rolling up.

'So cute~'

Chu...chu~

Splack...splack!

The artist groans, feeling as if being struck by an ocean. With each squeeze, Anne's generous chest jiggles against his own, riling him further.

"Ungh, I can't...!"

Not even a minute goes by of this stimulation before Daniel explodes into her unyielding mass, his shoulders slumping as he moans into his slime mother's squishy chest.

In his post-orgasm, Anne inhales all of him between her slick lips, squirming as she takes his warmth as her own. His beating heart adds to the mess of love jolting through her gooey goodness.

If there's anyone addicted, it's her.

"Ngh..."

So, Anne keeps her lips on him, her goo seeping into his pair, binding him further to her. The reconnection shocks Daniel, but he isn't able to resist it while her tongue dances with his. With it, she lets air from the outside pull in, helping him to breathe and keep the momentum going.

Her hands slide behind him, locking him further.

"M...Mo...!"

Not yet. Against his twitching body and muffled objections, she increases her hold on him, hungry.

Slurp! Chu! Shlip!

His seat vibrates to the sounds above before Daniel manages to tap his goo-covered leg, sending the pleading signals for his slime mother to cease. Reluctantly, the slime mother draws away, letting bridges of slime and saliva draw from their lips.

Her son's eyes swirl as his lungs draw slowly on their own volition. Although oxygen forcefully flowed into him, he's still taken away by Anne's needs.

"Fuck me..." He breathes out slowly, then swallows with a crooked smile. "Er... A—are you okay?"

"Ah..." Anne blinks. She considers an excuse while her slime recedes away from his lips, but sticks her tongue out instead.

"Sorry, Mama can't get enough of you!"

Silence hangs in the air before Daniel slumps, sighing. "Let's not love me to death here, okay?"

"N-nonsense, don't be so dramatic!" Anne dismisses, glancing away. "I even made sure to give you air!"

Daniel snorts. "Yeah, a real comfort. Look, as much as I appreciate such gentle care, can we actually take a physical break from each other?"

"...Phooey," Anne mutters before squinting her eyes. "Fine, but don't forget you said we could rejoin later!"

Regretting such a promise, Daniel gulps. "I...it depends on how the day goes. Why are you so eager now, when you weren't sure about merging with me before? I know that was partially because of Dad, but still."

Flinching, guilt crosses Anne's face as she's reminded of the memories she tried to hide from him.

Schlip!

She rips away, reforming her naked self in front of him. When fully by herself in human colors, she returns her gaze back to him with a sad curl of her lips.

"I see you're already calling him Dad."

Daniel blinks, then inhales softly. "Oh shit, you're right. I wasn't even thinking, I just..."

Raising a hand, Anne shakes her head. "No, it's fine. If you acknowledge the idea he was ready to be your father, then what right do I have to object when I'm just a poor copy of your mother?"

The artist rubs his neck shamefully. "Maybe..I don't know. To be honest, I think it's easier to say, knowing he's gone. Still, I might be giving away too many parental passes here."

Anne perks up at such a notion. "Hold on, what makes you say that?"

"Surely, not the fact I have three figures wanting to be my mom?"

"Really?" Anne questions, feigning clear ignorance. Smirking, she leans forward and drags a finger along his thigh. "Well, I don't think you're giving us enough passes, mister. If you had, you'd be calling me Mama already~"

Flushing a bit, Daniel waves her away. "Look, once was more than enough. Back to my question, why do you want to reconnect so badly?"

The slime mother pouts for a second but doesn't dwell further on her son's reservations. "Well, for starters, it felt so much better sharing a body and hearing each other! Don't you agree? I'd like to see if I can replicate our state; maybe even apply it with Mary when we become Marianne."

"I'm not sure if I share your enthusiasm."

Undeterred, Anne fakes a clearing of her throat. "Okay, then more importantly, we have to check everything in my dream realm after that strange memory with Merlin. No way am I going to miss any chance into my world with you or Mary again."

Daniel sighs, nodding. "I can understand that. We do have to check your dream world after that implosion. On that note, shouldn't we discuss more of what we saw and heard in there? I know we're in sync, but there's plenty we haven't thought about."

The slime mother hums and steps back, crossing her arms. "I suppose we should. Do you really think it was Merlin who dragged that line into the ground?"

Daniel wiggles his lips as he moves to slide his pants back on. "I can't be completely sure, but considering we saw that Merlin expected Mother to view the memory we were in, I feel like the trail to lead us to him was intentional."

"But...how? Wouldn't that mean he's actually there in my world?"

"Maybe not," Daniel muses, lowering his gaze. "Memories manifested within Viviane's mist, right? What if the bubble and drag into dirt was a product of some magic he set up for her?"

Anne widens her eyes. "That...might make sense? Ugh, whatever it is, I don't like how he's been leading us: first through Mary, and now this? If Nimue was really going to pose a danger to humanity, and Viviane was meant to be sealed to delay the danger, why would Merlin gamble on a future with his apprentice and allow for her release?"

That's the biggest concern. What exactly went wrong with Nimue?

"Technically, we helped release her through you," Daniel reminds.

"Wrong, she released herself through me!" Anne corrects, then wiggles her lips. "Not that I'm not happy I get to have a sister. I just...I don't know. I want to believe she's not carrying any danger. Hell, I could be the one carrying something ominous, too."

Narrowing her eyes, she continues. "I don't believe this Merlin completely blind to this future, though. After all, he anticipated Mary's involvement at some point, so what isn't he telling us?"

Daniel hums, tilting to the side. "This is my guess, but the memory and his message we saw were only with the visions he had accumulated at that moment. He could've gained more visions later that would've changed some things."

"Ugh," Anne groans. "What if our future is worse than letting this seal, or whatever magic he performed, to naturally break?"

"Let's not try to overthink it," Daniel urges. "Our first step should be understanding what happened to Nimue, and what changed in her. Whenever you synchronize with Mother, maybe that'll get her to remember what Merlin had to do and why she had to be sealed."

The slime mother smiles bitterly. "I hope so, but I can't shake off this worry. What if whatever risk Nimue posed applies to us?"

The artist blinks for a moment, then holds himself. "Oh, come on, I don't want to believe you or Mother will turn for the worst."

"But you can't be certain," Anne counters. "It's obvious that, whatever we are, we're the same as Nimue: these remnants of Isis. If she had predecessors, my guess she's held different personalities in the past, similar to how I've already inherited pieces of yours, Amy, and Mary's memories and personalities."

"That's..."

Remnant of Isis.

As much as Daniel wished there was an alternate connection, there wasn't anything else to go off to describe the origins of his slime mothers now that they heard the term between Nimue and Merlin.

Perhaps it all began with Cleopatra's rumored revival.

Anne steps forward and takes his hand amid her son's thoughts, her eyes softening. "Sweetie, I just don't want to downplay the possibility. Maybe not now, but what happens in a decade? A century? When you're long gone, how do you know that Viviane or I won't change?"

The artist thins his lips, closing his eyes. It's only fitting that Merlin's first message to Viviane echoes with higher clarity than before:

As I predict from these damned visions that never let me sleep, your seal will come undone one day by the ignorance of others.
When that time comes, you will love others as you have loved me.
You will consume others as you have consumed me.
I can't stop it.
Despite knowing the future, I still can't stop you.
Because, as always, I want to believe in you.
What I then shall raise is: Who shall you be?
Who shall you protect and love this time?
How far will you go?
I can only hope it becomes a good future for you and all, my lady, who lost so much.
Your friend, Merlin.

'I think I understand now,' Daniel thinks. 'Is he hoping Mother will turn out better than Nimue? If that's the case, maybe the sealing involved replacing her.'

Which would be fitting as both are considered the "Lady of the Lake".

It's only speculation, though. Opening his eyes, Daniel smiles weakly at Anne. As she holds one of his hands, he raises the other to cup her cool cheek. "You're right, it'd be weird if you didn't change. No matter how, though, I hope you remain bright like Amy did."

Anne's eyes widen. Feeling such admiration for her astronomer part, she can't help take the praise as her own. Taking a few moments to thaw from her son's sweet words, she raises her chest and grins. "To hell with that, Mama will be brighter than her!"

Daniel chuckles sadly. "And there's her problematic drive. Let's not flash bang people here, mom."

Anne frowns and promptly nudges him. "Oh, whatever, you. Why don't we get going with some of your backlog? Maybe later, we can check out this local bookseller that Viviane sent you?"

"...We'll see how much time we have."

Daniel's hesitant on digging into anyone who might hold a copy of Victor's book. While it might not react the same way as it did for a stranger compared to Viviane and Lecia, he's wary of other people like Victor.

Speaking of the Lecia, he wonders what might be occurring between the former archaeologist and Victor. It's troubling how close she's approaching them, especially now that they know Merlin buried a book of his at Stonehenge for someone like her to uncover.

Could she try re-sealing Anne and Viviane, taking them away?

Daniel shakes his head, refusing the thought, and proceeds to finish redress as he heads into his studio. With Marlin, about to meet with Mary and Viviane, then a dinner with Rachel, the worried artist feels like he has enough on his plate.

No amount of painting will sadly fix it.

Chapter 103: The British Reveal

Chapter Text

Mary peaks into her rearview mirror, confirming that Marlin is still following behind after he obtained a rental car. Although she's curious as to her uncle's current thoughts as he drives through the city, she's glad to have some more time alone to figure out how to go about revealing everything.

Well, maybe not everything.

'Ignoring the shared sense of motherhood, I got back together with Daniel, and we're helping some cute slime girls that mean no harm to society. Easy!'

There might be too much bias and optimism in her thoughts, but Mary feels confident her uncle will adjust to matters of the slimy dwellers. If not...well, she would rather not imagine the sort of elbow grease needed to chug things along.

Heaving slowly, Mary pulls up to her studio. From the mirror, she sees her uncle already parked and exiting the car to grab his luggage from the trunk.

"It'll be fine, yeah."

She steps out with a smile. "Need any help, uncle?"

Marlin raises his hand, flexing back a weak smile as he takes out his luggage. "No, I got it. Is this the studio? How very fancy! You're paying for this in addition to your apartment?"

Mary tilts her chin proudly. "Yep! It's certainly more expensive and a lot to manage, but I don't regret having a separate place to focus. Anyway, let's head in, and I'll show you around."

Marlin follows his niece as she unlocks the front door, revealing the lobby with her best pieces up on display. She introduces a select few, her eyes lit up with excitement as she reminisces on her favorite assignments. Marlin can't help but warm up to see such passion in his niece's eyes.

'She's come so far. If my brother saw this, he wouldn't be so worried about her.'

Past the lobby, they enter a hallway leading to the work bay, but the artist stops her lead as the breakfast Viviane prepared wafts through the air. While she was momentarily lost in her works, Mary doesn't forget there's someone more amazing amid her art. Clearing her throat, she flips around to face her uncle.

"Right, enough about me. Hungry?"

The British man chuckles. "Smelling that, how can I not? You didn't need to go that far to make anything extravagant, Mary."

"Well, it's only right after your long trip. Besides, Viviane is the one who prepared it."

Marlin flinches. "Viv...wait, you don't mean..."

"Oh, you're back!"

Finishing right on time, the elder slime pops into the hallway while folding an apron she just removed. Her gaze studies the bald man behind Mary for a few seconds before she closes her eyes, smiling warmly.

"Why, hello there! I'm Viviane. It's nice to finally meet you, Marlin," the elder slime greets, joining Mary's side to extend a hand.

Marlin stares with an emptied mind at the silver-haired beauty, drawn in by her pale, but smooth complexion and silver eyes. Before he might be considered mental, he reels himself in and clears himself, remembering that she's the source of mystery Mary wants to understand better.

'Is she really a shapeshifter?'

"Right, Mary talked about you," Marlin begins, hesitating for a second before he takes her hand. "I'm not sure if I can quite believe it. How...?"

He halts, words interrupted by the cool temperature of Viviane's hand as it spreads through him.

'Huh?'

Viviane cocks her head as Marlin freezes. Before she can question, he releases her hand as Mary forms a cough.

"Ahem! Uncle, I know you have many questions and doubts. It would be easier for her to show you that she isn't human, but I don't want you to have a panic attack right after coming here. Maybe eat and relax first?"

Marlin furrows his brows, rubbing his hands as they warm up. "No, let's not delay. If you're telling me she's a shapeshifter, then please show me."

Mary thins her lips before glancing at Viviane. They lock eyes for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"To demonstrate, I'll transform into your niece," the elder slime announces. "Don't be too alarmed."

That's easy to say because, in a few breaths, Marlin stiffens. His eyes nearly pop out as dual images of his niece soon reflect in his gaze.

"Holy shit..."

...

..

.

Overall, the reveal wasn't too bad.

Marlin did nearly stumble in his footing as he swallowed the reality of seeing two Marys, but other than that, he remained relatively calm. Having mostly recovered himself, he now sits at the table detailed with plates of eggs, toast, and juice in the lounge area. The shapeshifter across from him returned to her standard form, further emphasizing how simple it is for her to transform.

Wary, the bald man hesitates to take a bite of the breakfast prepared by the silver being. By contrast, his niece digs in, showing the trust and familiarity of having an otherworldly guest by her side.

He swallows carefully. 'This is insane.'

Following that thought, he asks, "So, if you're not human, what are you exactly?"

Placing her fork down, Viviane appreciates an expected question. "See, that's part of the mystery we want to solve. Physically, I guess the closest I can describe myself is as a slime girl."

"A...slime girl? What's that?"

Mary stifles a laugh. "Oh, uncle, you really haven't been scouring the internet much, have you? I mean...it's probably best you don't."

Viviane waves the dark artist off without breaking contact with Marlin. "I'm basically some kind of organic being that is made of...jello, let's say. I can split myself, transform, and reproduce some material that resonates with me. Let me show you my base form."

Shwip!

Her colors fade, leaving her blue and semi-transparent. Just as fast, Marlin's heart ramps up, jaw hanging to see the girl has indeed become jelly. If he was any older, he might have died from a heart attack.

"Ah!" Seeing the man's shock, the elder slime quickly repaints herself and plants a hand across her face. "Sorry, that was too much. I should've just shown you my hand instead."

"I...I don't...?"

Mary leans to the bald man's side, pressing a hand to his shoulder. "Just relax, take a deep breath, and collect your thoughts. I know this is shocking, but remember that you have a magic book by your side."

Meeting a new form of life can hardly be compared with his studies, but it does provide some ground to keep calm. Rather than making a leap forward into the unknown, this feels like he's being pushed to take a step.

His chest slowly rises and falls while his mind thaws enough for him to bury his slump.

Shutting his eyes, he groans. "I swear, Mary, what have you gotten yourself into?"

To that, Mary blinks, silently glances to Viviane, then back. She rubs her neck, sweating a little. "W-well...more than I'd like to admit. I know you're worried about me, but I assure you there's more at stake here than me."

Marlin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Wow, that sure makes me feel a lot better."

The girls hold their tongues, letting the bald man calm down. Blowing out slowly, he drops his hands, returning his gaze to the elder slime.

"So based on my calls with Mary, you were summoned through a green fire?"

The elder slime hums. "Yes, but there were complications. At the very least, I don't think I came into this world as intended."

"As intended?"

"As intended by Merlin."

Marlin stares blankly before he shakes his head. "Wait, wait! Mary mentioned that wizard. Given your name, does that mean you're 'The Lady of the Lake' from the tales?"

"Well, one of them."

"One of them?!"

"O-okay, I should start from the beginning," Viviane suggests, smiling bitterly. "While I'm missing a ton of my past, I remember..."

She goes on to cover the recent discoveries of her origin, how she was saved as a baby from being sacrificed by cultists in worship of Isis, what little she knew of her savior and mother figure, Nimue, and how she was trapped in an unknown realm. As far as the new information Daniel and Anne discovered this morning, she avoids mentioning it as she wants to confer with Mary privately first.

"Despite these memories that come up, I'm not sure what's true," she finishes, narrowing her eyes. "At least, they certainly don't match up to the tales."

Marlin blinks a few times. "Wow. I...suppose it would be a surprise if it were completely accurate."

Taking time to collect himself, he stares up at the ceiling with a weak smile. "I'm more shocked to have living proof there's a hidden history to my country."

Mary gasps and claps her hands, twisting to the elder slime with a grin. "Oh, that's right! I didn't consider it, but doesn't this mean you're technically British like us?"

"Uh!" Viviane's pupils shrink. As the idea persists, she quivers, looking down. "Oh, my god. As if I weren't cursed enough!"

"Pfft!" A hand slams down on the table as Marlin fails to hold in his laugh. The slime's played terror is an unexpected reprieve to his worries. As strange as it is, he's starting to feel better sitting across an otherworldly being.

Recovering himself, he smiles more. "Well, 'Lady of the Lake' or not, you're definitely not quite how I envisioned."

The elder slime raises a brow, then places a hand to her chest pompously. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm quite the elegant and mysterious figure, if you must know!"

"Until I rubbed off on her~" Mary adds, resting her chin on her hands with a cheeky grin. "Sorry~"

Narrowing her eyes at the artist, Viviane harrumphs. "Yes, you can partially blame your niece for being the way I am."

"I'm afraid I might bear some blame for my niece as well," Marlin admits.

Mary flatly raises her hand. "Yes, I blame myself too."

More chuckles erupt from the table, lightening the mood further. Marlin regains some appetite to take a bite from his plate. His worry still holds for his niece, regardless of how friendly this silver-haired slime girl seems. With that in mind, he turns to her.

"How did you two meet then? You weren't the one who summoned her, right?"

Mary waves her hands. "Of course not! You see, um..."

The artist hesitates, wondering if she should mention Anne this early on. The plan was to wait, but she's happy with how receptive her uncle has been. In any case, it definitely can't be hidden for long, so for ease of explanation, she decides not to delay.

"When Viviane mentioned complications, she actually came through another who we call Anne. It was right around when I got back together with Daniel that..."

With some twisting of the truth, Mary reveals the first slime mother and of the dream realm that contained Viviane and other memories. For good reason, she avoids going into how Anne came into being by consuming her boyfriend's mother, only saying that the slime girl felt a sense of connection to him. The more critical point lies with how Viviane's release coincided with a crack in the realm and the Al-Bali star's disappearance.

Marlin takes in all the explanation, just as he did with the Arthurian history. His brows deepening, he turns to Viviane. "So, she split from you, but you ended up part of her?"

"As far as I can tell," Viviane answers, smiling weakly. "I remember the fire actually pulling me in once I tossed what would become my sister, so it must've been related. Have you found anything like that in your observations with the book?"

Marlin scoffs. "Absolutely not! What you're describing is beyond my years trying to learn. If I didn't know an inkling of the properties of some of these colored fires, I'd call this story a fever dream. As it is now, I'm afraid I don't know enough to help, but I can definitely see how the book I was given is related to you."

Sighing, he switches to Mary. "With all of this, you'll have to introduce me to Daniel. I don't particularly like how he's involved you in this, if these beings came to him first."

"I involved myself," Mary corrects, glaring at him. "Don't try to be so protective and blame Daniel for my decisions. Besides, I was involved the moment I opened that book when I was young."

Marlin shuts his eyes. "Which I deeply regret. That bookshop owner had to have known you would read it if you were somehow imprinted with Merlin's message. I should've never left my curiosity out in the open."

Opening his eyes, a thought occurs to him as he looks between them. "Actually, you mentioned these lakes that hold memories. How exactly did Viviane receive this message if it was from Mary?"

Viviane hums. "Anne and I can copy memories from others we touch if we focus. So, I should clarify that I don't just have to copy a person's appearance, but I can replicate their personality as well."

Marlin's brows rise. "Seriously? So it wasn't a joke that my niece rubbed off on you? That's...terrible."

"Hey, I get I'm part of the joke, but there are limits to rudeness!" Mary huffs.

Left unsaid is how the reverse is true, but Marlin doesn't need to know that his quirky niece has become even more mentally inspired than before.

"Sorry, slip of the tongue," Marlin excuses, collapsing his hands together and pressing on with a reset of tone. "So you believe my book and your release were part of Merlin's plan?"

As Mary grumbles in the background, Viviane takes the lead. "More or less. My release was anticipated, but then we learned there could be implications for everyone else when the star disappears."

"So that's why you were asking me about 'The Flood'?" Marlin asks Mary.

Setting aside plans to get back at her uncle, the artist nods. "That's right. Layna Moore's study is the only thing we've found that mentions an event to come after the star's disappearance."

Marlin twists his lips to the side.

Layna may have known more, but she certainly wasn't able to continue after The Order got involved. Marlin doesn't know what means she was dealt with, but he doesn't want to find out.

Viviane lowers her gaze, clenching her hands. "Had I known that my release would cause a star to disappear and create this stir, I would've never tried to escape from my sister."

"I-it's hindsight now," Marlin assures, smiling crookedly while shelving the potential risks to his family. However, he doesn't disagree with Viviane. The Order believes in such a signal and thus has been ramping up activity. It's clear now that this shapeshifter is connected to The Order's agenda, being the one to cause the star's fall.

It would be easy to ask Mary to cut ties for her safety, but he knows she won't do that. Even without the elder slime, it might not matter without knowing Merlin's reasons for choosing his niece to be the messenger.

Hell, it may even be too late depending on what The Order knows about him and Mary.

'Shit. Is there any way to protect her from this?'

"U-uncle, are you okay?"

Seeing how his worry has drawn extremely on his features, Marlin snaps out and composes himself in front of the girls. "Sorry, I..."

So, now what? Does he tell them about The Order he's joined? As a lower member, he's only gained the benefit of accessing old records they've shared in their worship of Isis, which he used to help propel his studies of his magic book. Most of them weren't that useful.

No matter what, he can't ignore their presence. If some members are already here in Keystone, he'll have to meet them according to the Italian man's address he was given.

'No, not yet.' He decides. 'I can't risk exposing myself without knowing The Order's plans here...or what they might know of me.'

"...It's nothing," He excuses, rubbing his temples. "Just tired and overwhelmed."

"I wouldn't expect any less. Why don't you get some rest first, uncle?" Mary offers, smiling. "I already set up a bed in this studio. We can talk more later tonight."

Marlin sighs. "Sure, but before that, have you learned who triggered this summoning?"

The girls glance at each other again. With the summoning and blue flames, this connection may be the most important yet. Nodding to each other, Viviane returns the bald man's gaze.

"Lecia Bowden."

Blinking, Marlin takes a second for the name to register before perking up. "That name...She's the president of Sights Open! I heard she used to be an archaeologist at Stonehenge, too."

"Do you know her?" Mary asks, leaning forward.

"Hardly. I've seen her name pop up in the news, just like anyone would, but my company also did some consulting work on their I.T. systems before they moved on. That was years ago. More importantly, why do you think she's the one?"

"Well, coincidence or not, Daniel was approached to work on a commission piece of Stonehenge with a special fire in the center," Mary answers. "Guess what color?"

Marlin snorts, shaking his head. "No way...Why would she even put herself out there? Then she had to have known—"

"Oddly, I don't think she does," Viviane interrupts, her eyes firm. "Maybe this is naive of me, but Anne and I have both met her, and she hasn't seen past our human appearances. The strangest thing happened this week, though. I met her at the Keystone library, then took my chance to speak to her."

Taking a moment to recall the blue flames that surrounded the former archaeologist, she continues, "She was engulfed briefly by blue flames when she started reading a book by Victor Grayson."

"...!"

Quietly, Marlin's stomach sinks while his body stiffens. He weakly raises a chuckle. "What?"

Viviane only mentioned Victor because of the relevancy of the blue flames, hoping Marlin might be able to add to what occurred in the library yesterday. Beyond that, she and Mary felt it was better not to go into details of the "dead" professor until they had Daniel.

Catching the shift in her uncle's eyes, Mary leans forward. "Is there something you know? Maybe about the author?"

Marlin swallows carefully, then shakes his head. "I'm...afraid not. What is surprising is that you witnessed another fire outside what I've shown. If these blue flames covered Lecia, and are anything like what happens when I try to damage my book, it sounds like she's been put under some sort of protection, perhaps set up by this author."

"Protection?" Both Mary and Viviane raise at the same time, their eyes wide.

Given what Mary saw from Marlin's demonstration on the phone a week ago, it makes sense it would be related to protection, but then, why would Victor seek to protect Lecia while rendering the pages blank for Viviane?

As the girls consider this detail, Marlin hastily rises and clears his throat. "I definitely need to clear my head and rest after this. Perhaps later tonight, we can talk more?"

Blinking, Viviane gasps. "Ah, of course! With all that we've discussed, I know this has been overwhelming. Before you leave, I heard you brought copies of your book for us to examine. Will it be alright if I take a look while you're resting?"

Marlin's eyes narrow uneasily. "I would prefer if we looked at them together."

Mary stands by her uncle's side and hums. "Agreed, let's not rush this. Given what we know, I'd be worried if this was also part of Merlin's plans and something might happen to us whether we look at it now, copy or not."

'Something definitely will happen!' Marlin mentally groans, shaking. He's already accepted that he might not be able to hide the book in his luggage for long, although that doesn't mean he won't try, as long as it doesn't teleport again.

However, a larger problem has reared its head that adds to his worries.

Victor Grayson.

In truth, Marlin has heard of this person.

While publicly known he was a professor in Egypt, he's one of the few names Marlin heard of past council members that guided the cult. Of course, this was decades ago. It was never clear if the man ever left at some point, passed away, or was dealt similarly to Layna Moore.

Either way, between Lecia, Victor, and these gooey summons, it's clear he and Mary are in more risk than he thought.

Chapter 104: A Rosy Exchange

Chapter Text

Ding Dong!

With Anne behind him, Daniel takes a step back after pressing the bell to a home located in the northern suburbs from downtown Keystone. He rubs his hands together, only a little nervous.

"Urgh, maybe we should've just searched for this book at another library."

Yet, here they are, following Viviane's lead on a seller who has a copy of Victor Grayson's "An Alternative Perspective on Egyptian Rites". Earlier, Daniel had hoped they wouldn't have the time today to worry about Victor and his book between work on commissions and dinner at Rachel's home later in the evening, but he underestimated the amount of time saved by having such a flexible assistant by his side.

Rose Lane.

That's the name of the seller they're meeting. Reaching out to her after looking at other options, she responded fairly quickly and was open to an exchange in person. Although her listing for the book was fairly pricey, it was far more reasonable than anything he saw online. The alternatives were to drive far to other libraries that weren't guaranteed to have it, or wait on Lecia to return the book to the Keystone library.

At least before Viviane would meet with Lecia again, it didn't seem wise to delay any information they could learn about a man who had identified Viviane and could perform sorcery of flaming proportions.

Especially the last part.

However, Daniel has been reluctant to buy off from an individual. After all, they're not just dealing with a professor who studied in Egypt, but an actual mage with ties to Merlin. What would that say about people who own a book from him?

Anne leans closer to rub his back. "It'll be alright! Let's not overthink, okay?"

Daniel sighs, knowing his slime mother is right, but he can be forgiven for his caution.

"I just hope there are no surprises again."

"Not if you jinx it, sweetie."

The artist snorts, straightening swiftly as the door opens. A woman in her twenties appears with round glasses perched atop a tipped nose, bearing brown hair tied up into a ponytail. Despite expecting their visit, she seems uninterested in changing away her blue cotton sleepwear at this late hour.

She flashes a smile, adjusting the lens in front of her brown iris.

"Oh! You must be Daniel, right? Gosh, when I read your message saying you were interested in Doctor Grayson's book, I was shocked that anyone would want to take it off my hands when they could just check it out from a library."

Needles of awareness stab at Daniel.

While silently weeping, he shakes her hand and positions a rigid front. "Nice to meet you, Rose. It's actually, um...less for me and more for my girlfriend here. She's becoming a history buff, you see."

Anne snaps her eyes incredulously at her son for thrusting the purpose onto her. Recovering, she swallows any annoyance with a glare before resetting in front of the brunette.

"Ahem... Yes, hello, I'm Anne," the slime mother greets, stepping closer with a wave. "Just looking for fresh perspectives, you see."

"Eyaaah! So you understand the value too?!"

As Rose raises her arms in delight, her visitors flinch at an unexpected squeal that shouldn't belong to a grown woman. For better or worse, it seems the door to learning and intrigue opened wider than the actual entrance.

Daniel feels his stomach churn.

Like her pajamas, the girl either isn't aware or doesn't care as she hops back a step and waves in her visitors. "Please, come in! I'd love to hear more about what you're seeking! I have all sorts of books on Egypt, Europe, and..."

"A-actually," Daniel cuts, his smile now crooked. "We... we don't have too much time. If we could just pay you for your copy, we'll be on your way and..."

"Half."

Daniel freezes, a sweat crawling his neck. "E-excuse me?"

Rose readjusts her glasses again, the lens shining just as brightly as the eager pupils underneath. "I'll gladly give you the book half off from my listing if you don't mind sharing your stories! As your girlfriend says, I also love hearing about people's thoughts and perspectives!"

"That—"

"If you insist," Anne intrudes, hooking her son's arm. She turns to him with a grin. "Now, pumpkin, we should welcome some good hospitality! The whole point of buying books from locals is to also share our interests, no?"

The young artist cringes at the return of his squash address. As it follows, his protest is equally squashed, seeing that's part of their purpose in visiting an owner of the book. Of course, he can't deny the lure of half off what's already an expensive and risky publication.

Question is, will it be worth the trouble of enduring an eager bookworm?

"Hehe, your girlfriend understands well!" Rose grins. "If you really do have other matters, though, I won't push."

"No, it's fine. We have an hour to spare," Daniel gives, forcing down the wallowing regret in his stomach. "If you'll have us, Rose."

"Hmm hmm, of course! Come in! Shall I get you some coffee or tea?"

"That would be lovely," Anne answers, dragging her son in step to the home with a bright smile. "Coffee for me, please."

"Same," Daniel adds, resigned.

They follow into her warm-colored abode, decorated with various collections of paintings and antiques among a polished velvet interior. Naturally, there are several bookshelves lining the walls as they enter the living room, all organized by timeline and topics.

A true book nerd.

Anne and Daniel observe their surroundings until they're led to a half-circle couch. Settling in, Rose heads to the adjacent kitchen to prepare some coffee for her guests.

Anne clears her throat. "What's your job, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, it's nothing special," Rose answers, grabbing some mugs from the top cabinet. "I work at Keystone Bank as a Financial Analyst."

Daniel blinks. "Really? Not exactly what I expect from all these books on History."

"Well, I do have a major in history. Ha, no surprise there. Sadly, that doesn't help with the bills."

"What were you hoping to do?"

Rose sighs as she finishes pouring ready-made coffee from her drip machine. Carrying the mugs on a tray to the coffee table, she sits next to Anne with a bitter smile. "Oh, the usual: an academic historian or a curator hired at a university or a museum."

Anne frowns and bows her head. "Sorry it didn't turn out as you hoped."

"Oh, no. I'm aware it's a matter of luck and connections to get into those positions," Rose waves off. "I don't regret it."

She takes some time to sip her cup before continuing with fire in her eyes. "After all, who wouldn't take a chance to travel and study in Egypt with a full scholarship? Life is too short for goddamn boring jobs that won't even make a mark on history!"

Anne widens her eyes. "Wait, you studied in Egypt?"

Humming, Rose stands up and takes out the copy of "An Alternative Perspective on Egyptian Rites" from a nearby shelf. Placing it down on the coffee table, it looks exactly like the one Daniel and Viviane found in the Keystone library.

"As it so happens, I was a student under Doctor Grayson," Rose proudly reveals. "So, the copy I'm selling is actually quite personal for me in that regard. Imagine my fortune that I was able to buy directly from the distributor when it was first published!"

"R-really?" Anne presses while glancing at Daniel, stun-locked by this chance development.

Maybe he really did jinx it.

"Yep! Out of the professors there, you could tell he was the most passionate," Rose continues, her eyes shimmering with even more passion just talking about it. "Largely, we tend to focus on a specific history but lose sight of the larger picture of how it affected everywhere else. He enjoyed seeing the effects of history rather than the history itself."

Daniel takes a sip of his coffee to calm his nerves; however, his face remains stiff. "Why are you selling the book, then?"

The brunette shrugs. "It felt like time, and I only have so much space. Although, I wasn't expecting anyone to be willing to buy it, so I haven't been trying to get rid of it. That said, it's not like I'm completely sentimental when I only participated in his lectures out of many."

She then claps her hands, her smile widening. "But what about you two? What do you do, and why the interest in this book?"

The slime mother takes point. "Actually, Daniel and I work in the business selling paintings. While I wouldn't call myself a history buff like my boyfriend says, I'm bigger into astronomy. It's only recently that I've been sliding my way into Ancient Egypt and Roman civilization as a personal curiosity. When I heard about this book, I saw his take as a good inspiration, I guess."

Rose breathes in sharply and leans forward. "Ooh, inspiration, you say? It's interesting that you mention stars, though, because they're part of history too! For example, ancient Egyptians believed that their pharaohs became stars after death. It's fascinating how they try to immortalize their rulers."

"Ahaha... Did Victor ever talk about stars?" Anne asks, finding the example all too close for comfort.

Lowering her gaze to the book, Rose hums and slides her hand over it. "In one of our lectures, I remember him talking about them, how they are the most prominent aspects of our universe to connect civilizations and history. Every society views them differently, but the one thing shared is how people relied on them to guide their way of life in some way. With science big in our century, a lot of the magic and mystery has sadly been taken away."

Daniel thins his lips. 'If only that were the case.'

"I'm sure you've heard, but what are your thoughts on the news of Al-Bali?" Anne asks.

Rose rolls her eyes. "Oh, that? It's overdone. We've all heard of chatter about some sort of 'End of the World' scenario, but it's just a repeat of what occurred when people tried to interpret the end of the Mayan calendar for 2012. What about you?"

Masking herself, Anne shrugs. "I've had...similar thoughts, but I guess I wish there was more substance from the author who claimed such."

"Well, I wouldn't put money on it," Rose scoffs, then stares up as she thinks. "Layna Moore, was it? Funny enough, I think there was someone who was named that in my class."

"...?!"

Holding silent, Daniel and Anne gape at Rose as she casually threw out something notable. The former quickly clears his throat.

"That's... a pretty big deal with everything going on now. Are you saying you knew the author?"

Rose blinks, then chuckles. "Oh, no! I'm just saying the name because I remember her being called out in class by Doctor Grayson. Although maybe I shouldn't say anything because I can't be sure if it's the same person."

"Wouldn't you know by appearance?"

As she tries to recall the lectures, she hums, squinting her eyes. "I'm not sure. She was the one who asked the most questions in class, but...huh..."

A silence invades the living room before Rose shuts her eyes and scratches her head. "I can't say I've paid enough attention, I guess. You'd think that I'd remember better, seeing how everyone is trying to find this author, but it's lost on me. In any case, I don't think it's right for people to bother if she doesn't want to be known. The internet should really just move on, but... easier said than done in this day and age."

Daniel and Anne glance at each other for a moment. The latter raises her hand reassuringly.

"It's alright. Back to this book, anything to note that you like?"

Like a trigger to such inviting words, Rose brightens again. "Ah, yes. I loved his talk on Druids!"

Her visitors just stare at her, expecting her to elaborate; however, she grins. "As in, he goes into a little bit of Druidism when talking about Egyptian rituals. I won't say anymore and urge you to read it yourself, but it's rather interesting how he connects them."

'Druids, huh?' Daniel repeats in his head, finding nothing in his aggregated knowledge about them.

In the end, Anne and Daniel don't push it as they continue on to various topics and favorite points in history. A lot of the research on world events was done by Viviane, so Anne assumes what she can while sharing her breadth of astronomy from Amy.

Time quickly passes when intellectual passions collide, but the artist feels increasingly left out of the conversation, despite carrying the same knowledge as his slime mothers. It turns out that even if he feels smarter, his appetite and battery for historic and scientific talks remain the same.

'Ugh, this is going to happen again at dinner with Rachel,' Daniel thinks, mentally sighing.

However, the young man remains patient until clapping his hands as it approaches the hour. "Rose, this has been very fun, but we do have to go. Unfortunately, we have another home to attend later tonight."

The ponytail girl perks up. "Oh, of course! Thank you for giving some time!"

She slides the book towards them, then raises her phone. "Can we confirm the payment and exchange from the app now?"

Daniel hums, pulling up his phone. "Sure."

As he and Rose progress through the transaction, Anne takes the chance to stand and walk around the living room, taking in the various collections of books and decor. She stops near one counter to see a photo of Rose and Victor among other students who appreciated his lectures. This only supports Rose's experience and admiration.

'This Victor looks the same as how Daniel met him at the clinic. Was he hiding himself as a mage during university?'

In any case, she feels she got to understand the former professor a little more, but it makes him all the more stranger.

Even more so if Layna was involved with Victor in some capacity.

"Um, Anne?"

The slime mother blinks, taken out of her thoughts as the Rose approaches her with a hopeful smile.

"Do you mind if we exchange contacts?" She asks. "Would love to hear more stories of the stars some time, even if it's a little over my head."

Anne glances at Daniel, who unexpectedly nods. It appears she got his contact as well.

More upbeat, she wiggles in place. "Yes, I hope to hear more from you as well!"

That's the slime's honest feelings. If there's anything gained other than Victor and Layna, it was that Rose was of similar curiosity and drive to her and Amy. She actually enjoyed speaking with a fellow seeker of knowledge, even if their foundations are different.

No, perhaps they're more aligned than ever with the mysteries that surround.

However, Rose's eyes close to a smile as they finish sharing numbers, unaware of such mysteries. "This has been fun! Don't be afraid to reach out. In case it isn't obvious, I'm always ready to discuss stories. It's kind of my thing."

"Haha, likewise."

By the end of it all, Daniel and Anne return to their car while waving goodbye to the glasses' girl.

Overall, it went really well, but...

"I don't like these odds," Daniel mutters once he's out of ears. Entering the driver's seat, he spares one final glance at Rose through his window as she heads back inside.

Anne curls her lips, her hands lining the edges of Victor's book by his side. "Maybe, but then again, who else would carry such a book if not a student inspired by a teacher?"

The artist sighs, rubbing his neck. "I don't know, but if this visit was somehow within Merlin's predictions or Victor anticipated this, I can't help but be suspicious."

"How could it be Victor? We could've gone to a different library or tried searching elsewhere!"

"But we didn't. It's useless to think about it now. More importantly, can you read the pages?"

"Oh, right..." The slime mother opens the book while Daniel begins his drive back to their apartment. Focusing, she flips through the pages multiple times before humming.

"It looks like all the pages show up fine for me."

"That matches. You were also able to read from the first pages from Viviane's memories, too."

"And yet, it was blank for her."

Daniel nods. "It's like how Merlin's message was stored for Mary in Marlin's book. I wonder if they'll see something similar from him."

"But say she can't view this copy we picked up from Rose. Does that mean all copies share the same magical properties?"

"I guess, but we'll have to try letting Mother read it. Maybe send her a photo?"

Twisting her lips, Anne grumbles. "I will, but I don't know if I should be happy that I can read Victor's words. Why am I different?"

"Guess you're not special enough."

The slime mother gasps, snapping her head to him. "How rude! Does Mama need to remind you how 'special' I can be?"

Daniel coughs. "Sorry, I meant to say that my lovely Mom is especially cute."

"That's better," Anne harrumphs. While they drive back home, she returns her attention to the book, starting where she remembers Daniel left off in the library.

"Do you think we should've asked if she got doused in blue flames?"

Her son nearly sputters. "Absolutely not! That's the last thing you ask someone!"

Anne only giggles, tracing the pages.

"Besides," Daniel continues, "If that were the case, she'd either be holding on to it or have sold it off sooner. More than the book, though, I can't help but feel she and maybe other students were affected by Victor somehow."

His slime mother cocks her head. "What do you mean?"

Daniel's grip on the steering wheel tightens. "Didn't it seem strange how she reacted to Layna Moore? If it's anything like what happened with the clinic, he's able to erase his existence and others, so..."

Anne's eyes widen, continuing his thought. "So, you're thinking he's stopping people from really remembering Layna, just like how none of the staff remembered you were a patient?"

"Exactly. Although Rose did recall someone with that name in her class, so I can't be sure if that's happening here."

Before Anne and Daniel can continue discussing observations, the car rings from Daniel's connected phone. On the dashboard, it shows the caller ID, Mary. There's no hesitation as Anne presses on the touchscreen to accept the call.

Beep!

"Mary!" She chirps. "How did everything go with Marlin?"

"Anne? Are you in a car?"

"We're on the road," Daniel confirms. "We just got the book from a local named Rose that Mother pointed to us."

"Ah, I see! Well, that's good. On my end, I'm pleased to announce that my uncle did not have a heart attack meeting Viviane. Both of you will definitely want to speak with him tomorrow, especially since I felt it was better for you to talk about your visit with Victor from the clinic."

"I see. Where is he now?"

"Resting in the guest room at my studio. He did say he brought a copy of his magic book to review, so we'll study it later tonight when he's ready. If anything strange happens, I'll let you know."

Daniel sighs. "Right, just be careful. For all we know, there may be more messages that Merlin would like to imbue onto you."

Mary huffs. "Then I say bring them! If anyone should be careful, it should be you two. No colorful fires have jumped at you, right?"

"No, and I can read it fine so far," Anne answers, flipping through the pages again. "It's odd."

"Then odds are I'll be able to as well. Whatever the case may be, I hope nothing sparks like it did with Lecia. I did let my uncle know about that woman. He says she may have been put into some sort of magical protection, just like how blue flames cover his book when anyone tries to damage it."

Anne and Daniel perk.

"Protection?" Daniel questions. "Victor's protecting her? From who?"

"That's what we need to confirm. I'm just worried something other than blue fire will come out."

Widening her eyes, the possibility lingers long enough for Anne to promptly shut the book and set it to the side between her and Daniel.

She feigns a cough. "Um, yes, that would be...bad."

Daniel can't help but smile, holding back a chuckle.

Unaware of the fear she just set into Anne, Mary continues. "What about this Rose you bought from? Anything strange she saw?"

"Not with this book, but...I'll text you the details," Daniel assures, needing more time to consider what they learned from the bookworm.

"Oh? Alright then, love. You and Anne enjoy your next dinner with Rachel. Just don't go too crazy like we did last night~"

Daniel shakes his head. "The bar isn't high, that's for sure."

He ends the call, then glances at Anne, who is notably keeping her hands clean from the book. Looking downward, she meets his gaze for a moment before fidgeting.

"W-what Mary said...um, surely if a fire spread out, it wouldn't harm Mama, right?"

"...Maybe?"

"You know, it might be better for you to read it first."

Daniel refocuses on the road with a snort. "Not getting me this time, Mom."

Chapter 105: A Tale of Two Drives

Chapter Text

"You couldn't have known this, right?" Mary asks Viviane, handing over her phone as they sit near one of her paintings in progress.

Viviane's eyes are unmoving as she scrolls through Daniel's text that came as promised, detailing their experience with a seller named Rose. Amid this new connection, it felt likely enough that someone like her, who studied in Egypt and enjoyed the lectures under Victor Grayson, would also buy their book.

However, the possibility of Layna Moore being connected to Victor definitely raises alarms.

"No, how could I?" Viviane finally answers, raising her eyes back to the dark artist. "It is strange, though. I never saw anything in Layna's bio that mentioned her studying in Egypt."

Mary sighs, rubbing her neck. "Maybe that's the idea. If Victor had anything to do with Layna's lack of activity, it implies there may be some credence to her words."

Guilt traces the elder slime's face, knowing Layna's claimed 'Flood' inferred from her grandfather's journal might not have a backbone if she didn't try to escape Anne. Catching this familiar expression, Mary rolls her eyes.

"Don't. We've been over this."

"I can't help it, Mary. Think how much less complicated—"

"Complicated, yes, but no real trouble has actually happened. Let's not forget what Anne and Daniel saw in that dream realm," the artist reminds, squeezing the lake dweller's cold hands. "Based on what we synced after your call with them, this whole scenario could've happened regardless, had you been the one to directly come out of whatever ritual Lecia performed. Merlin anticipated you to be unsealed...no, that's not right, he fucking set it up!"

She continues, growling. "Not to mention, he even had a magic book delivered to my uncle, using me to get to you. If we add the fact that Victor descends from a family of disciples from him, you cannot be blamed for this!"

Sighing, Viviane shuts her eyes. Although she remains doubtful, she moves along. "So what now? Should we tell your uncle?"

"I was going to wait until we have Daniel and Anne tomorrow."

Mary's phone buzzes again, this time from the latter. Following Daniel's update, she sends a photo of a page from Victor's book for a test.

Still having Mary's phone in her hand, Viviane checks the message first and widens her eyes. A dry laugh spills from her lips as she pulls her other hand to her head.

"I can't believe it..."

Even as a picture, the opened book shows blank, just as before. She hands the phone back to Mary, who raises her brows.

"Huh? This is the book they got, and...I see some text, but you...?"

The elder slime leans forward and shakes her head. "It's blank for me."

"Seriously? That's crazy!" Mary breathes. She returns to squint at the image more carefully. "How can things be hidden away from your eyes no matter what? Does the magic get digitized or something?"

Viviane hums, crossing her arms. "What if it's...not so much the book, but me?"

The artist switches her gaze to the elder slime, cocking her head. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying, maybe there's something about me that prevents me from absorbing the information. Even then, that still doesn't make sense. If I can't read it, someone else can tell me the information regardless, so...what's the point?"

Another ping interrupts them from the phone with Anne, confirming she can read it.

Mary twists her lips to the side. "Since Anne can read it as well, it's the same as before. Are you sure you checked all the pages back in the library?"

"Not thoroughly, but if there was a marking, I think I would've caught it."

Out of ideas, Mary stretches her arms above her. "Fuck. Well, let's wait until you get your hands on it. Maybe you missed something?"

"Maybe...?"

The girls' discussion fades as they straighten to a door creaking from the direction of the hallway where the guest room lies. From there, Marlin exits with a yawn.

"Uncle? It's only been four hours, but you're already awake." Mary calls.

Stepping into the work area, the bald man chuckles weakly. "I figured it's not good if I don't try to adjust to the time change. For now, I'll just go out for a walk to a park I found while there's still daylight."

Mary straightens on her stool. "Are you sure? We can join you if you'd like."

"No, please continue whatever work you're doing," Marlin insists, raising his hands. "But while I'm out, I'll buy some dinner for us, my treat."

The artist hums, then shrugs. "Well, if you're buying, I can't say no."

"Meanwhile, would you mind if I take a peek at your book...or at least, whatever you copied for us?" Viviane asks, her eyes steady on him.

Marlin thins his lips. 'The book is somehow still in my luggage, but I don't want to risk them looking at it yet. There's a bigger problem I have to check now.'

"I'd rather be around if something happens, copy or not."

The elder slime frowns, but understands the uncle is worried about what will occur. It's reasonable, given how Mary froze when she first "read" the text and the risk of magical fires blowing out.

Hell, for all she knows, it could turn blank for her as well.

"...Fine," Viviane gives.

Marlin smiles weakly. "I know there's plenty more we have to discuss, so I won't be long, I promise."

Without visible objections, Mary and Viviane watch him head out through the hallway, then glance at each other.

"Should I follow him?" the latter asks, keeping her voice low in case he's close enough to hear..

Mary's eyes lower, wincing. "Urgh...I want to trust him, but...I'm worried."

"There isn't much time to act before he's gone, Mary. I can slip inside his car and..."

"No, let me do this. He's my uncle here," Mary pushes, shutting her eyes. Resolving herself, she breathes out and wills the slime layer that seamlessly covers her body to loosen.

"Although, it won't be exactly me," she adds, smirking.

Splick!

Her intentions clear, there's sadly not enough time to stop the artist as Viviane would like, watching Mary's slimy layer stretch away all too easily. The goo emits a warbling grunt as it disconnects from the host's cells, slipping through her clothes while reforming.

Finding her voice, Viviane growls. "God damn it, Mary. This is such a bad idea!"

Yet, it's too late to prevent the clone from returning, shaping into a perfectly blue, translucent gel version of the ebony girl. The separated slime regains her awareness in front of the two quickly, but as the intentions for her split processes, her eyes and mouth hangs open.

"Huh? Wait a second..."

The clone stares dumbly at her now grinning host. Looking down and finding she's clearly not the original, her eyes snap back up in horror. She raises a pleading hand.

"I agree, this is a bad idea!"

Unfortunately, Mary shrugs, glancing away. "Ahem, I guess we can't always be aligned when someone has to do the dirty work."

"Because you don't have to do it! Why should I...?"

The sounds of a Marlin's rental car rumble in the distance, indicating there's no time for the clone to argue further.

"Fuck!"

Leaving that curse behind, the slimy Mary shifts into a blob form, sliding across the wooden flooring towards the exit to catch her uncle before he might drive off. Once she disappears, Viviane slaps her hand against her forehead.

"I can't believe you'd do this. What if you're found out? He'll freak out more if he discovers there's a true slime version of you!"

"Oh, it'll be fine!" Mary waves and bumps her chest. "She'll be naturally careful because she's me, after all."

"That inspires no confidence in me!"

══════════ ∴ ══════════

While the sun descends from its peak, Lecia exits her company doors with an irritable breath.

"Impatient assholes..."

She comes from a board meeting with stakeholders wishing to see faster results in their ground-penetrating scanning products. It wasn't enough for them to hear good news on the tests; only whether they could start selling the solution to various universities within the quarter and, above all, sell to wealthy oil seekers.

Regardless of their interests, she's been eager to return to more important fish with her other venture that has so far left her with nothing but mystery and magic.

Her driver awaits her in her car, opening the backseat door as she enters. Once inside, she slumps, twisting her lips.

'Maybe I need to disclose my experience with Victor now.'

She's reluctant, given how this is a person that can use and apply strange magic. If anyone knew she'd been approached by such a person, it might destabilize her group's discipline after they had just disclosed they had a few members from Egypt assaulted.

That's on top of a potential summon out and about. No news on that front, to say the least.

At least with the assault news, damage control was handled much better. She had to call a few members who had concerns once they learned about it, but for the most part, Mike did well in reassuring her people.

She hates to rely on him, though.

Making matters worse, she hasn't received any new information on "Vivi." If the silence persist like this, it might not be worth the risk to meet with the girl a second time.

Brr!

Lecia blinks out of her thoughts, then pulls out her phone to see Mike calling. Some small guilt tugs at her heart before she accepts the call.

"Hey, what's up?"

"..."

Slowly, her brows knit. "Oh...Paula? She's our linguistic contact. What about her?"

"...!"

"She hasn't received any of our calls for the past two weeks? Are you sure she hasn't said—"

SCRAA!

Tire screams pierce Lecia's ears before the conversation goes adrift, her arm wrestling the phone away from her ear on its own. In the mere seconds that tick, her blank eyes contract to a shift and weightlessness that strains her chest against the seatbeat.

'What the...?'

leciacrash-resized.png

Before long, her eyes catch shards of glass floating past her, adding to the sudden symphony that smashed its way in. Past the cloud of shimmering debris, sounds of her driver's screams echo, desperately to regain control while metal bends around.

Time slows enough for her thoughts to continue, but her vision fades in payment before she can process a pull of rotation. Within this newfound darkness, a small blue flame illuminates, wavering to her increasing heartbeat. Seemingly close to her, she nearly forgets about the harm that awaits her outside.

She reaches out to it.

FWOO!

It expands, ready to engulf her once more. Unlike last time, she feels a sense of calm overwhelming her, numbing her mind to its cool temperature.

It's as if it's calling to her.

While it might not be wise to embrace it, she gathers her current situation leaves not much better alternatives.

Chapter 106: A Dinner with Friends

Chapter Text

Mike's heart drops to the dead tone of the phone by his ear, blood draining from his face and breath fading. Signal issues happen all the time, but the loud bang that he heard before Lecia's phone was cut off makes him fear for the worst. For it to happen after noting a lack of activity from one of their members just adds fuel to the growing pain in his stomach.

He redials the number, hoping it was just a dropped call. His pupils shake ever so slightly when there's not even an attempted ring as it fails to go through.

"Shit..."

Worried about his friend, he brushes his hand through his hair frantically, and stares through his window on the second floor of his University's office. There's nobody but the typical students walking to their classes, but he can't help but feel paranoid now.

Thinking of his family first, he dials Jessica with his other phone. They normally work at the same university with different roles, but she's taken off to attend their youngest son's middle school play.

Thankfully, she picks up amid a note of laughter in the background.

Mike forces a smile. "Hey, just checking up on you. Everything alright?"

"..."

"Okay, good," he breathes, although he can't let his guard down. With a forced smile, he continues. "I was thinking of taking off early. I'll pick you and Eric up, okay?"

"..."

Humming, he nods. "Yeah, not a problem. Love you too."

He's not sure how he'll proceed with his family if Lecia was compromised, but he needs confirmation from someone close before he makes assumptions. The only person close to Lecia in Keystone would be...

Switching back to his encrypted phone, Mike dials Rachel.

It rings for a few times, a welcoming sign, but sadly falls to voice mail.

Shutting his eyes, the archaeologist slams a fist on his table. "God damn it, Rachel, please answer! Something might have happened to Lecia, so call me back as soon as possible!"

Hanging up, he racks his brain for other contacts. Time of the essence is vital right now, so he can't wait for news or response from either Lecia or Rachel.

'Who can I...!'

Mike pauses as he remembers someone, then shuts his eyes. 'There's no choice...'

══════════ ∴ ══════════

While her phone buzzed aggressively on a nearby countertop, Rachel had already been drawn away to her front door. Widening her smile, she opens to see her two expected guests.

"You're a bit early, but welcome!"

Dressed for a most-pressured dinner, Daniel laughs weakly, his arm eagerly squeezed in contrast by his wavy-haired slime mother.

"Well, Anne insisted it was better to come early than late. Definitely not because she wanted to talk to you more."

The slime mother's eyes brighten, leaning forward. "No, I admit it! How can I possibly delay more interesting conversations with a friend?"

Rachel giggles, placing a hand on her cheek. "Oh, Anne, I think you might be rating our time so far too highly. I hope you have other friends around your age."

"I do, but age is all relative," Anne scoffs, waving.

"Well, I hope I can at least keep up then."

Turning around, Rachel motions them into her home. As they step inside, the slime mother's eyes expand to the familiar interior, where the colors and oak resonate from the many times Amy has visited.

It's hardly changed.

"Dinner is almost ready," Rachel notes while her eyes twinkle towards Daniel. "I'm making the beef casserole like your mother used to make."

Daniel snorts, unlinking with Anne as she slips behind in her distraction with the house.

"Like my mother? You were the one she copied from," he reminds.

Rachel hums. "That's true, but I know she added more spice than I typically do. I just figured with the relationship between people as young as you, spice is something you need."

He grimaces as the events of last night's "spice" with his maternal lovers dances rent-free in his head.

"Ahaha...I would say I have enough spice," Daniel replies, sweating.

Rachel gasps, raising a hand to her mouth. "Oh my, don't say that! I heard people who tend to think they've had enough don't end up long in a relationship. For someone as smart as your girlfriend, I won't allow it, you hear? You have to live life as much as you can at this stage."

Daniel sighs, lowering his eyes as they empty. "I'll...take that to heart."

Anne breaks from her viewing, hopping forward to the astronomer. "Rachel, do you need any help in the kitchen?"

"Oh, you don't need to, dear! I only have some vegetables to add on top."

The slime mother closes her eyes happily. "Even so, allow me to help chop, chop!"

Rachel can't help but melt with such a helpful cheer. "Well, if you insist, I won't say no."

Daniel raises a hand. "Should I help prepare anything?"

The astronomer shakes her head. "No, with Anne, she's more than I need. Just relax on the couch while you wait. It might just be me, but you seem awfully tired. Long day?"

"Uh, something like that."

For one, Daniel can't help but worry about Mary and Viviane...again. He received a text from the latter half an hour ago, apologizing and saying she couldn't stop Mary from letting her slime half go to tail Marlin when he decided to go out. Of course, even if Viviane were to go instead, he still wouldn't feel good about it.

'Honestly, do they really think there could be something up with him?'

Daniel only hopes they're overreacting because, if not, he certainly can't do anything to help if he doesn't know where the uncle might head. He also wants to trust Marlin, given Mary's memories.

Adding to his distress, Viviane also relayed that the pages were blank in Anne's test photo of Victor's book. Daniel can't imagine how that's possible, especially through a phone, but it confirms they're holding a genuine copy imbued with the same magical properties as the one Lecia borrowed. For better or worse, they'll have to continue studying it knowing that.

Trying not to let these matters weigh him down in front of Rachel, Daniel forces a smile. "Anyway, don't worry about me, but do let me know if there's anything I can do. It's not like I haven't been here, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Rachel smiles warmly. "I appreciate it, dear."

With that, Daniel settles into the living room while Anne helps Rachel out in the kitchen. The two women follow easily in line together.

Chopping green bell peppers while Rachel heats up a skillet, Anne takes notice of a framed photo of Rachel and Amy on a boat wearing ponchos just before the Niagara Falls.

Her eyes soften as she recalls the memory. "How often did you travel, Rachel?"

The astronomer blinks before noticing Anne's question arrived from the photo. With a sad snort, she adds onions into the pan.

"I would say at least every year we'd try to go places. Of course, after Amy had Daniel, it was difficult to do."

That matches up with Anne's knowledge, but she hoped that wouldn't be the end of it. "What about on your own? I mean, this might be overstepping, but I'm sure Amy wouldn't have wanted you to stop seeing the world. It's just as important, if not more, because..."

"...because our time is short, and our world is more accessible than the stars," Rachel finishes, causing Anne to flinch.

The astronomer's lips widen as she stirs the sizzling onions. "Ha ha! Sorry, I just remembered Amy saying such. Not that I don't agree, but it's difficult to travel on your own, especially at my age."

Anne frowns but doesn't press her friend as Rachel motions to the diced green peppers. "If you're done, we can add those now."

"Oh, of course!" Anne jerks and lifts the cutting board, sliding the green pieces into the skillet. It cries louder to the fresh moisture of the pepper.

Moving on to slicing mushrooms, the slime mother reigns back the conversation. "I wouldn't mind traveling with you and Daniel. Although you say it's difficult at your age, you're looking better than most."

"Hehe, that's very kind of you," Rachel answers, but her eyes lower. "I don't know if that's a good idea, though."

Inside, Rachel feels her heart ache. Working together in the kitchen like this, talking about travel, and sharing the same fascination with the universe's mysteries, Anne all too scarily reminds her of Amy.

She's not sure if she can handle that pressure, constantly reminded of her dead friend if she were to relive the same excitement together.

"You should be focused on spending time with your boyfriend, Anne," Rachel excuses, pressing a hand to her shoulder. "It's more than enough that I've gotten the pleasure of meeting you, really."

Anne thins her lips but hides her disappointment with a nod. Perhaps, she shouldn't be so hopeful to continue the days with her friend as Amy did.

...

..

.

It's not long before the cooked vegetables and garnish are done, then layered over the baked casserole from the oven. Set into the center of the dining table with a few side dishes Rachel prepared, Daniel and Anne sit alongside the astronomer.

Closing his eyes, Daniel takes the first bite, immediately hit with hints of paprika and peppers that add to the cheesed layers of ground beef. With a pleasant hum, he stares into Rachel's eyes, the food almost good enough to make him forget how crazy his life has become.

"Rachel, dare I say, this might even be better than what Mom used to make!"

Silently gasping, Anne's eyes dig into the artist's face on behalf of Amy.

"Dare you say, huh?" she mutters under her breath.

Feeling his slime mother's death glare, he amends his statement. "B-but of course, it's been a while. I'm sure it's not fair to say that."

Rachel giggles. "Either way, I'm glad you like it! Aren't you happy I forced you to come here?"

Daniel swallows carefully. "Wow, you aren't even trying to hide it."

"This is all because you wouldn't let me be kind and pay for a simple lunch," she insists, huffing. "I watched you grow up, and even if you're an adult, it means little to someone who has babysat you many times over."

Sighing, Daniel slumps to the side. "Yes, ma'am."

Anne titters, taking her first bites of the dish. Sadly, she can't taste anything with the way she is, but she's not too depressed about it.

"Would you mind if we took some of this to go with us?" she asks, knowing she'd have a chance of enjoying the dinner better later when she merges with Daniel or Mary.

"I wouldn't mind at all!" Rachel chirps, clapping her hands gleefully. "I guess I've really outdone myself here if something as basic as this is popular."

"Sometimes, it's the basics that hit the hardest," Anne notes, then winks towards Daniel with a grin. "But speaking of babysitting, I'd like to hear some of your stories handling my boyfriend here. I'm sure that would make this meal a true delicious one."

Daniel freezes. Glancing at his slime mother, his face silently asking what the hell his mother is thinking. However, Anne sticks her tongue out, her silent response being akin to, 'I love you, but a good dinner requires sacrifice.'

Rachel is astounded by the betrayal before her eyes, then whistles. "Daniel, I'm learning that your girlfriend can be quite the cheeky devil."

Quickly, the artist shutters to the astronomer with a crooked smile. "If you know, let's not. I think this lovely dinner would do well without bringing up my childhood."

Silent, the two girls stare at each other; just as quick, Daniel's plea is ignored.

"Well, it's all in good fun, isn't it?" Rachel excuses, causing the artist to lean back and groan.

"There was a weekend where Amy had to travel to a conference," she begins. "I didn't have to attend, so I helped her out by looking after Daniel, who was in...first grade, I think?"

"Second," Daniel corrects, sighing.

"Close enough." Rachel waves. Continuing, her eyes brighten as she closes her hands together. "We played board games, watched movies, and me generally giving myself 'cool' aunt points. However, that night, we had a storm. Daniel was still a bit of a baby, so he asked to sleep with me. While his mother would normally console him, I had a different idea..."

"More like a cruel joke," Daniel adds, sipping a glass of water. "You lost cool aunt points for sure."

Rachel narrows her eyes, huffing. "Let me finish the story! In any case, you needed some incentive to brave the storms of life...ha ha, get it?"

Daniel only rolls his eyes.

'Oh...!' At the same time, Anne widens her own as her collective memories sort enough to recognize where Rachel was heading.

"Your boyfriend may not want to admit it, but I'm pretty sure I was the trigger to his Harry Potter obsession by this incident," Rachel continues with a grin. "He watched the first three movies with me and loved it, so I thought, let's use that to change his fear into motivation."

She winks. "So, I told a bit of a lie, saying that thunderstorms are disturbances caused by 'true' magic in the air, unlike in the movies. If he ever wanted to become a 'wizard', he would have to withstand the charges of the Earth...or something to that effect. I probably said it poorly, but he was eight, and that got his attention.

"When he was fine enough to go back to the guest room, I gave him a wooden spoon and told him that if he ever was woken up by thunder, he should hold up the spoon tightly so that he might accumulate enough power to become a wizard."

Anne resisted the urge to bang the table on Amy's behalf. 'So that's why she could never find her wooden spoon!'

It all clicks together for the slime mother. Although she holds Daniel's perspective, it's fuzzy around that age where attention spans are short. More importantly, why didn't Amy learn of this?

"Did you tell Amy?" Anne follows, hoping she was just missing some of her predecessor's memories.

"Well...no," Rachel admits, closing her eyes with shame. "When my friend told me her son was acting strange, I thought it best to keep quiet."

Turning her focus to said son, she grins. "But honestly, who would've thought a child would take my words so seriously that he'd carry a wooden spoon in his backpack for a year?"

Daniel stares flatly. "Well, a child, obviously. Good on you for taking advantage of me back then."

"Oh dear, you have to admit it's cute. People should appreciate the naivety of the past."

"If by appreciate, you mean cringe, then sure."

Anne pouts. "I wish I could've seen it."

Bzz! Bzz!

Daniel's phone alerts him, taking out of the fun at his expense. Pulling the device out, his eyes widen to an urgent message from Mary.

LOVE, HOLY SHIT. CHECK THE LOCAL NEWS! CALL US WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE!

Raising his brow, he does so, a growing sweat behind his neck. Immediately, the first headline on the website of The Keystone Papers forces his breath to leave him.

"No..."

President of Sights Open, Lecia Bowden, missing from fatal crash. Driver dead.

From the subtext, the presumed summoner of his slime mothers was involved in a car crash after leaving work, but...she disappeared? From the images of the crash and intersection, it didn't seem anyone could've survived that, much less slipped away.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Anne asks, breaking his hardened stare with worry in her eyes. Concern equally lines Rachel's face as they wait for him.

The artist swallows. "Um...it seems an important commissioner of mine was in a car accident."

Rachel's eyes flicker. "W-who?"

"Lecia Bowden."

The astronomer stiffens, her heart skipping a beat. She also loses her breath, perhaps even more than her guests. Her first thought is to immediately check her other phone that she left while preparing dinner.

Before she can excuse herself, the doorbell rings, shaking the air.

Anne doesn't miss the fright in Rachel's eyes. She recalls the astronomer mentioning she knew someone in Sights Open, revealing the scan that detected Amy's empty grave. Not knowing any better, perhaps she's worried about such a person, unless...

'Did she know Lecia as well?'

Storing the question aside when there's someone at the door, the slime mother coughs. "Rachel, are you expecting someone?"

"No, that's..."

The doorbell goes off again with the addition of a hard knock. No time to waste, Rachel shoots up and forces a smile.

"Let me see who it is. Just a moment."

As Rachel takes her leave, Anne snaps her attention back to Daniel while lowering her voice. "What the hell happened?! Is Lecia okay, or is she..."

"It's too early to say, but so far, she's nowhere in the car or at the crash site," Daniel answers without looking away from his phone. His eyes narrow, tightening his grip. "I don't know what this means, but let's wait to hear for more information."

"Didn't Marlin suspect the blue flames implied she was being protected? What if..."

"Mom," Daniel addresses lowly. "We shouldn't make any assumptions now when we've only scratched the surface of what Mother and I saw."

At the very least, it doesn't look like Viviane and Lecia will get the chance to meet again anytime soon.

Anne holds herself before sighing.

"Well, waiting around doesn't sound good either," she counters. To that end, she stands up from the table. "It's been more than a moment, so I'm going to at least check up on Rachel."

Daniel nods, his eyes focused and fingers tapping as he sends updates back to Mary and Viviane.

As Anne leaves the dining room, she starts hearing a familiar voice of the person at the door.

"Listen, I barely understand what's going on, but Mike couldn't wait and just wanted to make sure you're...Oh? Oh!"

Frozen, the slime mother's mouth hangs as she catches a certain brunette with glasses in front of Rachel. Likewise, the girl's lens reflects the stunned slime mother behind Rachel's shoulder.

Her eyes brighten with growing delight.

"Anne!" The history-loving girl, Rose, squeaks. "Wow, what a small world, huh? I had no idea the other home you had to visit would be Rachel!"

The astronomer blinks between the two in shock while the slime mother's lips twist crookedly.

Her shoulders slump. "Uh...y-yeah..."

Chapter 107: Welcome To The Order

Chapter Text

Farther away from Rachel's place and Mary's studio stands Ruler's Den — a local pub that is apparently renowned for its chili fries.

However, that's not the reason Marlin is here, as he stares blankly at the place's illuminated signage that drones on. By this hour since he left the studio, only a fading orange outlines the buildings around him while the sun tucks in. He doesn't have much time if he wants to be back before worrying his niece.

No, will he even be able to come back?

Marlin swiftly clamps down his worries and double-checks the note he was given by the Italian man. 'This is definitely the place.'

Fortunately, there are quite a few patrons parked. Along with people shopping around the district, it makes him feel better knowing he's not being directed to a sketchy venue alone.

Although, that's not saying much when the invite comes from a cult.

The way they organized across the world, meeting in person is generally discouraged. Instead, encrypted channels are used, taking advantage of the internet and corners of social media wherever they can. While it still feels icky to be in these channels, Marlin is lucky enough that he hasn't needed to interact with many members in person aside from Stavian, and that man is one of the more tame believers.

Yet, to acquire knowledge from deeper archives on Isis to support the study of the strange book he was given, he had to travel to select businesses within Britain that appeared normal on front but would hold material for members following a set of rules.

This pub had to be the same, especially since he wasn't given a specific time and day to meet. If not, he's going to look stupid to whoever owns this place.

'Get it together,' he tells himself one last time.

Tightening his hands into a fist, then relaxing, he steps into the pub. Unknown to him, a puddle of blue slime leaks from the trunk, spilling low under his rental car as he disappears.

'Damn it, uncle, I was really hoping you'd just go to a park like you said you would. What is this?' the slime version of Mary questions, her pooling mass jiggling.

As a clone of the human artist, this slimy split didn't consider she'd be made use of so soon. While agreeing overall that she had to be the one to trail him, she wished there was more time to prepare instead of being thrown to the wind by her original.

'What am I saying? This is me we're talking about.'

Grumbling, she doesn't waste further time stalling. After ensuring there's nobody walking by, she slides across the sidewalk and under the door to the pub. The area immediately brightens with dark wood planks welcoming her amorphous pallet. Above, marble counters with food towers over her while green booths press against the walls, buzzing with people relaxing from a long day of work.

Amid servers bustling between tables, Mary catches Marlin walking to the main bar in front. Unsure how her bluish mass might show up among the planks, she doesn't risk following straight and clings to the corners along booths, sliding past unwitting feet.

While this clone snakes her way past the fuel of laughter and alcohol, the main bartender on duty perks up to Marlin's approach.

"Hello! What can I get you?"

The bald man hesitates before sliding the invite he was given across, hoping the emblem and message would provide enough context. "Someone said I should come here, but with no set time to meet. Would you happen to know anything?"

Staring at the paper for only a second, the bartender shrugs. "Can't say I do. Since you're already here, though, how about I get you a drink?"

Marlin snorts, expecting no easy giveaway. Although few, his past excursions to cult-associated businesses usually involve a signal. Worst case...or best case, he'll at least have a drink and maybe an order to bring the takeout he promised his niece.

"What are your drink specials?"

The bartender hands over the menu, listing their cocktails. Looking through them, Marlin finds a particular one called "Tears of Isis," involving a blend of vodka, pear, and rosewater.

He snorts. 'Well, if that isn't plain as day, I don't know what is.'

"I'll have the 'Tears of Isis.' Oh, and go light on the vodka, please."

"Sure, I'll have that ready shortly."

As the bartender steps to the side to prepare the mix, Marlin's ears perk up to a television screen above him, airing the local news...

"Returning to our coverage of the crash at the intersection of Chester and Ray, the President of Sights Open, Lecia Bowden, remains missing."

With the name dropped, Marlin's eyes snap to the screen, his shoulders tensing. He had only learned of this woman today through Viviane and Mary as the suspected summoner of the slimes. Now, this woman was involved in an accident?

At the same time, Mary also freezes in her gooey crawl, having made her way behind the bar counter and its shelves. If she had her human form in place, her jaw would've been dropped to the floor as she hears this news for the first time.

In place of that, her compressed form simply wobbles. 'What the hell?!'

The anchor continues. "At the same time, police are still investigating the cause behind the accident, resulting in the death of Lecia's personal driver, Jon Anthony, and the driver who ran into the car, Aaron Grot. So far, initial reports indicate Grot had a heart attack, but Keystone police and medical officials have not confirmed anything at this time."

The scene switches to a press conference with the chief of police on stand. "While we can't comment on how or why Miss Bowden was missing from the car as we scour footage, I would ask anyone who has seen her to call us immediately. Our hope is that she is alive and may have been dropped off somewhere before the crash. We ask for patience as we—"

"It's quite the shame, isn't it?"

A velvety voice pierces through Marlin's right ear, jerking his concentration. At that moment, the busy air of the pub and news deafens.

He passes a small breath, feeling as if he'd just woken up again. The sound of his heart reverberates through his skull as he turns to his sudden neighbor — a woman, seemingly in her late twenties to early thirties, already seated to his side at the bar without a peep to her entrance.

With unusually dark eyes, long cinnamon hair, and a red dress, Marlin feels like his focus is forcefully warped to her. It may not be an exaggeration, either, as his vision dims around her.

"I heard Lecia has done a lot for this city," the woman notes, providing a hint of a French origin laced with her words. It's mostly a toned-down accent, but one might assume she's been residing in America for a while. Regardless of where, there's a far more concerning association at play, seeing how she's talking so easily to him.

She closes her eyes. "The problem is, anyone with her kind of mind and work to help unearth missing pieces to our world's puzzle will inevitably add to it as well. It's all interpretation, after all."

Marlin can barely register what she's trying to say, but the pit in his stomach grows deeper. He can't dwell on his stunted environment as the woman reopens her gaze and locks onto him. Her lips widen, but no matter the friendly expression, those eyes that sink into him aren't making him feel warm.

"Anyway, I digress. It's a pleasure to meet you, Marlin."

Her lone audience swallows. "Who are you?"

The woman's eyes soften, and she places a hand to her chest. "I am Morgan, part of the council to The Order. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether you'd even come, so I'm grateful that you're taking the time."

She drops it rather casually, but nothing in her voice can stop Marlin's neck from sweating, finding himself before a higher figure for the first time.

'Well...fuck me.'

Before Marlin can answer her greeting with a less dire front, a clink erases his thoughts. Switching to the marble in front of him, a glass of the "Tears of Isis" cocktail glistens on top. Although he can't see nor hear his environment, it doesn't seem like there's a complete stop to activity around.

Perhaps this isolation is within his mind: the result of a teleporting book, a cultist agenda, and slime girls all pushing him to the brink.

Morgan notices.

"I realize that coming to you like this isn't the greatest. That Nico, I wish he didn't approach you so soon after you arrived."

Marlin returns his attention to her, brows knitted. "You mean...the man at the airport?"

"Yes, my subordinate. He's a big fellow, so I hope he didn't scare you."

"Rather than that, I'm wondering how The Order even knew I'd be coming here."

To that, Morgan grins and cocks her head. "Why? Something to hide?"

"N—no, it's just that..."

Morgan laughs heartily before Marlin can finish. As her amusement fades, she straightens and lowers her head. "Sorry, your concern is valid. It's poor of me to tease in the matters of privacy."

She then clears her throat. "However, while I can't excuse the surprise you must've felt when you're only meeting family, we are entering a critical time ever since the Al-Bali star dropped. As I mentioned a puzzle, we're already dealing with the wrong pieces, and I just need to make sure everything falls into place correctly."

Marlin holds himself. "Wait..So then, the news..."

She waves her hand. "Let's not overthink it. I truly hope Lecia is found alive to know what happened. That said, you must've at least heard of the group that tried to dig into information about Isis in Egypt?"

"So, she's related to them?"

Morgan snorts. "Related? She's the leader of her very own group that we've been working to uncover! They haven't made it easy, but you know we can't have people who don't fully understand our mission."

Marlin tightens his hands, his body quivering. "I'm not even sure if I fully know. Was this...really necessary?"

The councilwoman stares calmly into the member's shaky eyes, then closes her eyes to a smile. "Why are you so concerned~? It's nothing you have to worry about. Besides, this isn't why I wanted to meet you. Perhaps try the cocktail to calm your nerves. It's quite a good combination, I heard."

Thinning his lips, Marlin doubts he should take on that risk. With knowledge of his visit and clear hand in Lecia's "accident," somehow he's not sure what actions he can afford.

Just how much do they know?

Seeing his caution, Morgan reaches over and grabs his glass, sipping it. With a sigh, she raises a brow and swirls the liquid in front of him.

"Okay, perhaps some realism will do. Is it such a surprise that we'd keep an eye on our people? You do realize how important it is that our records to Isis remain in our circles, right?"

Knowing he's already spilled secrets to Mary and Viviane, Marlin tries to remain calm. "I'm aware."

Humming, Morgan settles the glass down, passing it back to him. "Then, let me start by asking this: Why did you join The Order?"

Marlin gazes downward. "I just felt a connection to the goddess, and..."

"No, no, let's not bullshit," Morgan cuts, grinning. "Many join because they don't feel like they belong to any other religion. While we may be accepting, you and I have the markings of something more substantial."

Marlin lifts his head. "Markings?"

Continuing her smile, Morgan narrows her eyes as she lifts her hand and glances at it. "The mark of our goddess, of course. To that end, I suppose you're not wrong about feeling a connection."

Before Marlin might question...

Fwoo!

The bald man's pupils contract, his breath holding, as a yellow flame ignites in her hand. As his lips split in awe, he notices black edges rumbling around the source, unnaturally contradicting what provides light.

He's never seen such a fire from his studies, but that's far from the bigger reveal as it comes from a member of the council. Thinking he joined a cult just to understand the purpose behind the book he was given, how naive has he been?

He didn't know anything.

Morgan hums as she collapses her hand, extinguishing the unknown force she displayed.

"Based on your expression, it looks like we can be more honest with each other. Did you really think that we'd allow you to access our records and not have a clue on what you were trying to study? It's quite obvious with a history as big as ours."

Marlin can't keep his voice from cracking slightly. "If...if you knew of this...power, why keep me in the dark? In fact, why not show the world? More people would believe in the goddess if this were to spread!"

"Because ultimately, this is still a fire, and you wouldn't want a fire to spread," Morgan answers, her gaze hardening. "A fire that comes from our goddess might perform miracles, but it can equally wreak havoc, burning people worse than a traditional one. From what I can tell, you haven't learned how to use it, but you've definitely been burned, whether you know it or not. Even the great wizard, Merlin, who was the first to control this fire, couldn't escape his downfall into madness from it."

The last part spills out of Morgan with such disappointment, but Marlin can't dwell on her meaning. Rather, this was the first time he's heard Merlin being acknowledged. Seeing how little he knows, he chuckles flatly and decides to take a sip of the cocktail, needing it now and more than ever.

A different fire from the vodka warms him. Taking a breath, he refocuses back to her. "So you've known about the book I received?"

She raises a brow. "We always assumed, but it helps to see you're confirming."

Marlin face falls. 'Shit.'

"It makes little difference how you got an imbued book." Morgan shrugs. "If I had to guess, you've been contacted through some remaining follower of Merlin — thrusting you into his madness...stubbornness—to stop what Isis can offer to this world. Even in death, his beliefs have been a problem for us that we continually try to pick apart."

She pauses for a second, scoffing while shaking her head. "This is all to say; you're not the first, but you're alive, at least."

The bald man pales while her finger travels around the marble counter. "In any case, a book you received by his believers would not be able to be read by anyone else. Why do you think we allowed you to study it on your own with the help of our records? To dive into your curiosities?"

Marlin's eyes hold steadily. "To...learn from me later."

Morgan grins. "And now that we're clear, I hope we can be more transparent with each other, to separate the wrong pieces from the right."

She stands up from her seat.

"So far, we know Lecia was involved with a particular traitor, but we don't know how or what she has done in her advancement of this magic. At the very least, the difference between you and her is that you joined us instead of trying to make sense of Merlin's 'gift' on your own. To ensure that our goddess can provide a better world for all, I hope you'll cooperate with us on what you've found so far."

The implication in her words is clear: They're giving him a chance.

Shivering, Marlin lowers his gaze, gritting his teeth behind his lips. "Tell me, does this 'better world' have anything to do with the Flood?"

Morgan's eyes narrow delightfully. "What else could it be? A seal has come undone from the stars, and with it, we should have the first trickle upon us. The remnant of our goddess will fill in the key to changing this world, so everyone may become equal and loved."

The bald man's eyes briefly flicker. 'A remnant? Wait... Is Viviane who they're after?'

Recalling the elder slime's explanation of her breach and the timing of Al-Bali, he can't see any other way.

So, should he tell them? Would that allow him and Mary to be absolved from this madness?

"You have doubts. That's natural," Morgan whispers, reclaiming Marlin's attention as he feels her hand lift his chin.

She smiles. "What can you tell me of your studies so far?"

"That's..."

FWOO!

Before Marlin could answer, his eyes widen as a blue flame envelops the woman's hand touching him. From there, it spreads across her arm.

Morgan doesn't react much, only blinking before she steps back and looks at her body quickly being enveloped by the blue energy. Smiling widely, her body slowly disintegrates before her stunned guest's eyes.

"I should've guessed you'd be placed under some protection. That old fool is still making things difficult, even into this damn era," she mutters.

Turning to Marlin, her eyes close to a smile. "Well, it would seem we will have to continue this discussion later. For now, I do hope you'll continue to have our best interests at heart, Marlin. I'll have Nico drop by once things settle down in this city."

Her form turns into a silhouette as more of her form dissipates into the air. The flames grow smaller until the leaving smile of the woman opens for one last time.

"Have some faith now~"

CRASH!

The cocktail glass shatters onto the floor, and Marlin "wakes," his arm jerking against the drink as he straightens to a cold sweat across his forehead.

Suddenly, the pub revives in its chatter to his ears, but just as quickly quiets to the sound of glass at the main bar. A few glances and curious turns linger before the pub activity resumes.

The bartender, wiping away a different glass to the side, raises a brow before chuckling. "Welcome back, sir. Don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it."

Marlin blinks a few times to make sure he's not dreaming. Currently, he's staring straight ahead to the cabinets and shelves filled with various alcohols and syrups. Turning his head to the side, he sees no evidence of Morgan ever being next to him.

He can hardly believe it.

She was a magician...or would it be a witch? Regardless, Morgan is definitely a user of the flames from an ancient goddess. Whatever happened, it was clear now he went under her effects somehow.

There's also Lecia, who conjured the flames that summoned the slime to start this mess.

Finally...

"So far, we know Lecia was involved with a particular traitor, but we don't know how and what she has done in her advancement of this magic."

Based on Morgan's words, if Lecia had been enveloped by blue flames while reading Victor's book, then he could only guess that this "traitor" is the same man who was once a council member. If so, then Victor didn't leave The Order on friendly terms, possibly becoming more in line with Merlin.

The same wizard may have also pushed Morgan away from him in whatever state he was in.

He's not sure whether to be grateful when overall, The Order will be having their eyes on him.

"Should I get you another glass or...?"

Taken away from his thoughts, Marlin returns his gaze to the bartender. "W-what? No, that's uh...What happened?"

The bartender keeps a professional smile. "Only you would know, sir, but seeing how you've come through, I should offer my congratulations."

"What?"

Grabbing a nearby towel to clean up the mess, the bartender pauses before the confused member, then lowers his head and voice.

"Welcome to The Order."

Marlin's heart sinks. It would seem he's only begun to see the true face of the cult he joined.

...

..

.

After taking time to recover, Marlin ends up stepping out of the pub, dazed, and holding a bag of food ordered to go. Some chili fries and burgers were given to him on the house for the "inconvenience".

More importantly, he was given two burgers without any question. It implied they knew he was staying with his niece.

Yet, they don't seem to be aware of Viviane or this Anne. For how long depends on him.

'Damned if I do, and damned if I don't.''

He's not particularly convinced on the benefits of The Flood, especially when The Order will go through any means to remove possible variables.

That includes him as well.

Amid his internal struggles, the slimy Mary trails him with her own measure of confusion.

'What the hell just happened?'

From her perspective, Marlin grew quiet ever since hearing the newscast. A few minutes passed, then without any warning, he jumped, causing glass to fall. The bartender cleaned up, then Marlin left with food in his hand.

What's clear is that her uncle is shaken.

Additionally, she learned he drank a cocktail called 'Tears of Isis'. If that didn't sound alarm bells, she just didn't know how. Regardless, she drills the pub's name into her memory, knowing it has to be more than what it seems.

'Uncle...'

Chapter 108: Breaking Through Lies

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[Unknown cavern on the outskirts of Keystone]

Morgan's eyes open in a single breath.

When her senses return, droplets of the wet cavern she resides within echo through her — each hollow plink from a stalactite a reminder of the unending flow of forces that slowly shapes the Earth over time. She finds it soothing to resonate in such geologies, more defined than any temporal score of humanity.

Forces of nature act all the time on the world. For her and The Order, their goal is to not only gather those who believe in Isis, but to break the dam of a force long held back. Like how water shapes the Earth, so too will their goddess.

Not to remain distracted in her admiration, the councilwoman inhales the humid air once more before rising. Blue embers follow as her red dress slips to the ground, tattered and charred to the carved magic circle she was sitting on top of. She doesn't mind the loss as she stares at what was left of the ritual she performed.

Her eyes narrow, half-annoyed, half-intrigued. If the flames were complete, the embers should've remained yellow, but thanks to her decision to meet Marlin, her connection to the goddess' flames was altered. It wasn't too surprising, considering the similarly named man was in direct connection to Merlin.

Either way, she doesn't regret meeting him.

"Merlin...Marlin. Who knew that a dead man could be so funny with his pickings?" she mutters.

Tap tap!

Morgan's attention shifts to a nearby tunnel as steps frantically edge toward her position along with the wisps of a flickering light.

"Dear council!"

A deep voice burrows into the cavern as the large Italian man, Nico, halts before the councilwoman. With a square jaw illuminated by the torch he holds, his eyes are unbending to the bare cinnamon figure before him. That said, he can admire how her skin glistens against his light and the moisture in the air.

"Nico." Morgan acknowledges, her eyes softening. "I see you've set up quite the commotion in the city. Were there any regrets for our brother who sacrificed himself?"

"None. Without understanding our goddess' flames, the city can only see a heart attack." The Italian man assures, then frowns. "But I heard you projected yourself to Ruler's Den. You did not need to personally go out of your way to meet Marlin and break your focus. Our contact would've been able to evaluate him."

"No, I'm glad I did. With his arrival here, the man needs to see that we're not just a bunch of blind followers to Isis without any tangible evidence. To that end, our dear pub owner might not have been able to handle any probing of Marlin using the flames."

Brow's rising, Nico's eyes lower to scan the carved symbol that was prepared, catching the blue specks that lie about.

"So he's dangerous. Is that why you cast protection?"

Morgan follows her gaze back down to the tiny coals and snorts. "No, it was spread against me. Like we suspect, Marlin carries ties to Merlin, but he isn't aware of it. He was given a book that started the fire in him but lacks experience to control it. Even so, his connection to that mad mage was enough to kick me out before I could gather what he does know."

"He sounds like someone we have to remove."

"Perhaps, but let's not judge too quickly," Morgan warns. "If anything, he provides us the latest clues to Merlin's visions and plans he set up centuries ago. Since he willingly followed up on your invitation on the same day, we should give a member of our Order a chance to prove himself, no?"

"I see what you're after, but I'm not sure if I agree."

"Then visit him and see for yourself. More importantly, have you found anything on Lecia?"

"As far as her whereabouts, no," Niko answers. "We searched her house too before the accident, but nothing imbued with our goddess' flames was found."

Morgan sighs. "Not surprising. Given she was able to organize her own group for this long without our knowledge, she wouldn't have her secrets lying about. Victor's connection to her is only complicating matters further — he's likely had a part in her disappearance. What about any other contacts?"

"Nothing yet. It seems they're actively securing themselves as even public records are becoming harder to find in the last hour."

Niko pauses before adding, "You would know the most, though, my lady. Have you found anything through one of Lecia's members we captured?"

The councilwoman's lips rise a little. She raises her hand, looking at it. "Not yet. Sadly, her presence has already become lost to me. That's partially why I decided to give up and visit the pub."

Her eyes lock back onto Nico, and for the first time in a long while, a shiver travels down the Italian man's spine to meet the void in her eyes.

"Would you like to join her? Perhaps you can find the information...ah, but then I might not be able to find you either."

Nico's breath quivers. "That's...! I would love nothing more than to become—"

"It's a joke," Morgan shuts him down, flatly. Her eyes roll, exasperated. "I swear, people need to relax. Don't forget, we'll all become part of something greater, so don't set your sights short."

Nico swallows but nods. He stands still as the councilwoman takes a step past him, then lays a comforting hand on his arm.

"When you've lived as long as I have, truths will inevitably reveal themselves. Don't be hasty."

She draws her hand away, leaving. "By the will of the goddess."

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[Rachel's Home]

After some commotion from an unexpected visitor with glasses, Daniel shuffles awkwardly at the dining table to face the history addict, Rose, again. Rachel was equally surprised by the connection but couldn't ask how her guests knew each other with an overdue call to attend to first. Knowing that, she pushed Rose to join them.

Although Rose didn't mean to add to the dinner night, she ended up losing to the astronomer's insistence.

"Uh, sorry for the intrusion," Rose begins toward the two, rubbing her neck with a nervous laugh. Her gaze shifts to Anne as she clears her throat. "But honestly, when you said you were bigger into astronomy, I didn't think much of it. Looking back, I guess it makes sense you would be affiliated with Rachel."

Leaning away, Anne laughs weakly. "I...I suppose, but what about you? What's your relationship with Rachel?"

Rose stiffens before waving her hands. "Oh, nothing! We just share a mutual contact, that's all."

The slime mother raises a brow. "Who? Is it this 'Mike' you mentioned?"

"A-ah, j-just a...coworker of hers! He asked me to forward something that couldn't wait."

"Really now? What exactly was so important?"

Rose holds her hand out, closing her eyes anxiously. "I-it's not really my place to say."

Seeing Rose hiding something only raises Daniel's suspicions. Adding to his growing list of worries, there's still been no reports of Lecia being found in the news.

'Never a dull moment.'

Sighing, he glances toward the kitchen entrance, where Rachel excused herself to take a call. Somehow, it must be related to whatever Rose had to alert about.

He could sense there's something more distressing at play.

"I'm going to check up on Rachel," Daniel announces, rising. While it's only been a few minutes since the astronomer left them with a bumbling historian, he feels like he's wasting time as is.

Eyes snapping to him, Rose's shoulders jerk. "W-wait, no! She's fine, trust me! It's not good to bother her...a-ah..."

Her words fall on deaf ears as Daniel disappears into the kitchen before she can finish. Lips quivering, the bookworm's glasses fog into a panic before she tries to follow; however, Anne's hand on her shoulder was quick to end any challenge.

While trusting her son would manage with Rachel, the slime mother's eyes close to a scary smile. "Rose, we're friends now, aren't we? You should be able to tell a friend something about another friend."

Rose wiggles her lips. "That's...W-we only met today, though!"

"Why would that matter? Besides, you said I could ask you anything about history, and this is a history I want to know."

"Urgh...but, um...I'm just the messenger! Don't shoot the messenger!"

"Who says anything about shooting? Just an honest question. You're being oddly suspicious, you know?"

"Eeek! Um, I meant...no, that's not...uh..."

As Rose fumbles before an unyielding Anne, Daniel finds their elder host leaning against one of the counter tops, her eyes shut with one hand across her forehead while the other holds a phone to her ear.

"Dear god, why now?" she mutters, her voice cracking. "Surely, Lecia's okay if they haven't found...!"

Eyes opening, her breath stutters to see Daniel in front of her. Returning her gaze, the artist's eyebrow rises to hear his client's name dropped with such familiarity.

He decides questioning can come later as he resets, smiling as if he hadn't heard anything. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

Hand sinking, Rachel straightens instantly. "Y-yes, it's fine, Daniel. Don't worry, I'll be right there once I...!"

The astronomer's words are cut by the caller in her ear. A few seconds later, her pupils shrink and shift to the side of her phone.

"Fuck off!" she erupts, shaking the air and Daniel as she turns away from him. Refocusing on the caller, her free hand grips the side of the counter with the weight of her objection. "Just because she's missing doesn't mean you have to bring him into this! I won't allow...allow..."

Yet, she stumbles. Whatever the caller is saying, it's handing the scientist a reality check. As she holds herself, forced to listen, Daniel thins his lips in worry to see his 'cool aunt' actually losing her cool.

After some time, Rachel shuts her eyes.

"You son of a bitch," she mutters through her breath.

Collecting herself, she returns to face Daniel, drawing the phone away. Although it's obvious she's irritated, her lips break into a weak smile.

"Daniel...I'm sorry for this. I promise that I'll explain everything, but first, I'd like you to talk to the man on the phone. His name is Mike."

The artist breathes out, understanding that's the name that Rose mentioned. While feeling unease over why he's being asked to join, Rachel's face shows more upset in her request.

Thus, without another word, he takes the phone from her hand and awkwardly brings it up to his ear.

"Uh...Hello?"

The voice that follows into his ears is mellow, tired.

"Hello, Daniel," Mike greets back before taking a moment to sigh. "Under better circumstances, I wish we didn't have to talk like this."

Daniel's brows knit. "You know me?"

A single bitter laugh escapes through Mike's breath. Daniel could almost feel his exhaustion through the speaker.

"Not personally, but Rachel and I both know Lecia. She made quite the blunder commissioning you, and now I fear..."

The archaeologist stops himself amid Daniel's silent surprise. "Sorry, what am I doing? Let me rewind a bit. Lecia and I are...friends who studied together in archaeology. At some point during her excavation days, she uncovered something incredible that couldn't be disclosed publicly. Rachel and I were eventually added to a private team to help with the research that followed for several years. That's how we all know each other."

Daniel's breath holds. He doesn't dare out himself, but is certain Mike is referring to one of Merlin's books that Lecia found at Stonehenge. More surprising is the fact that Rachel was involved with Lecia this whole time.

'Damn it,' he thinks, gritting his teeth. There's a sense of betrayal, but he doesn't forget that he and Anne have been lying to Rachel as well.

There were secrets on both sides.

He glances at her for a brief second while keeping his face neutral. "And the research is...?"

"This is already more than I ever expected to say to a stranger, but I can't elaborate without knowing where you align. If it weren't for the fact that you're here with Rachel, I wouldn't even consider it. The problem is that you're connected somehow, and not just as an artist Lecia hired."

Heart beating, Daniel plays off such notion with a scoff. "I'm sorry, but are you suggesting I had anything to do with the accident on the news? I'm just as shocked by all of this, especially now hearing that Rachel knew my client and didn't tell me."

The astronomer flinches across from him, but Daniel can't meet her gaze a second time for the sake of keeping himself together. Whatever happens, both of them will have explaining to do, and he's not looking forward to it.

"Is that so?" Marlin questions, unconvinced. "For Rachel's sake, I'm allowing you some benefit of doubt, but let me be clear: This was no fucking accident."

The sudden steel in his tone shrinks Daniel's stomach. "I...What do you mean?"

"I hoped you might have an idea. Regardless, I figured that if you're working with the group that coordinated the attack on Lecia, then Rachel and Rose might be as good as dead while the rest of us are compromised. If not, then you're equally at risk thanks to matters surrounding you, not to mention Rachel's connection to you. Either way, your family is in trouble..."

His tone lowers, adding, "...and so is mine."

Eyes wide, Daniel tightens his grip on Rachel's phone. Although he wants to deny that Lecia was attacked on purpose, Victor's final warning comes back to him.

"I am not in any state to interfere, but others who can see like I do will come to know your 'friend' is exceptionally bright. Various branches, especially for followers of Isis, will either seek to use her or destroy her depending on what they believe in."

There was no question of it. He just didn't consider there would be a group affecting others beyond him and his slime mothers.

Holding firm to not give anything away, Daniel growls. "Sorry, but you're fucking insane. It's ridiculous to think I could do anything to harm Rachel or anybody. If what you say is true, why not report it to the city?"

Mike barely seems relieved. "If only it were that easy."

The artist twists his lips. He had to ask, but figured that would be the case.

"Let's drop the pretense, Daniel," Mike forcefully urges before Daniel could question further. "Even if say you're not involved with the 'accident', Lecia believed you to know more than you led on. You should've already known from Rachel that your mother's grave was scanned by Sights Open and found empty. More than that, Lecia saw that you had a painting of a particular symbol. Whether you know what it is or not, people who are targeting us might not care. So, are you going to play dumb, or can you really say you don't know anything?"

"..."

Daniel frowns. There were obvious missteps, but knowing how those steps propagated beyond Lecia really hammered it home. It was a wonder how there wasn't more pressure on him.

Was it because of Rachel?

Either way, he finishes collecting his thoughts, scoffing. "I would say I don't understand enough! This is all very sudden, and you haven't given me a reason or benefit to believe you, Lecia, Rachel, or anyone part of this shady 'research' group."

Rachel softly inhales, her eyes widening in response to her name. While she doesn't know what Mike is saying, Daniel's upset stabs her, and she notices that he seems to be taking the archaeologist more seriously than she thought.

"...Daniel?"

Could it be he really knows something?

The weakly called artist doesn't respond but feels more shame for his words. Still, he can't be picky for the sake of his slime mothers.

He can't risk losing them to anyone.

Unexpectedly, Mike seems to breathe easier. Even though Daniel is running around his question, the fact he's willing to consider his words is telling.

"No, that's understandable," he admits. "Without knowing how much of our group is known, I really can't guarantee anyone's safety, but I'm making sure as much of our information is locked down to make it harder for them."

After a moment of pause, he lowers his voice. "That said, we're not defenseless, but we need to know who is and isn't actively trying to sabotage us. If you, or whatever you're hiding, isn't a problem, then I promise you that we'll do our best to support you as well."

'Problem, huh?'

Daniel narrows his eyes. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm not convinced."

"Haah...well, this would go a lot smoother if we were both more honest. The good news is that I don't have to convince you myself. After all, you have someone who'll want answers even more than I do."

The artist flinches, his eyes widening as he returns to the anxious scientist in front of him. From the moment he took the call, it never occurred to him that this setup was intentional. Rachel would naturally doubt and want answers after standing by and hearing him, but it seems Mike understands how important Rachel is to him and is using that.

'This bastard...' Daniel thinks, gritting his teeth under his lips.

Mike continues, unwavering. "Rachel has been brought up to speed about what we know so far, so even if you don't trust me, at least trust her. If I hear back from them, then I hope that we can later come to an understanding. If not...well, I'll live with my regrets."

The call disconnects, leaving the artist stunned. Slowly, he lowers the phone from his ear.

"Daniel..." Rachel calls again, her voice rising with a quiver. With each second of silence that passes between them, her heart tightens. More than anyone, she wants to believe in her friend's son — someone she's looked out for in place of Amy — isn't part of this danger that's developing.

Feeling her concern, Daniel holds himself as his mind swirls to come up with an excuse before breathing in.

"Rachel, listen to me," he starts slowly. "While I wish you had told me that you knew my client, the fact that you were working together for...something on the side is none of my business. It also has nothing to do with me."

Rachel's face falls before tears brim in her eyes. "N-nothing to do with you? How can you even say that? It has everything to do with you, Daniel! What we were looking for might have something to do with why your mother's grave was found empty!"

Daniel groans, shutting his eyes for a moment as he internally facepalms. Straightening, he holds his hands out. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that. What I meant is that the accusation that I would know something and could be responsible for Lecia's accident is completely unfounded. I'm just an artist, for god's sake!"

Rachel wanted to believe it as well, but...

"I just...I don't know anymore!" she chokes, curling with a hand to her face. "All I want to know is the truth about what happened with your mother...my friend!"

"..."

Daniel creases with guilt at the pain in her voice. He'd like nothing more than to tell the truth, but he's afraid of how she'll react, how she might change her outlook on Anne. Finding out she's been aligned with Lecia only validates such caution.

He steps forward, wrapping his arms around her. "Rachel, please...I know, and I'm sorry."

The scientist chokes again, failing to reign in her emotions as she leans against his chest. Her hands claw the front of his shirt as tears stain him.

"I just miss her so much! Please, if you really know anything...anything at all..."

The artist shuts his eyes as he squeezes her. "I miss my mom too, but even if we find her, she's...she's not going to come back."

"No, that's the thing!"

Daniel gasps as Rachel pushes him away, hands shaking. Her head lowers, bangs hiding her teary eyes.

"I...I don't know what Mike told you, but if you knew what Lecia saw, knew what I saw from the stars, you'd feel a glimmer of hope. As a scientist, I don't want to believe in magic, but there are so...so many things that have happened recently that are unexplainable."

She takes a deep breath, raising her head to meet Daniel's guilt-laden features. While Mike had warned her to be careful revealing their findings, he gave her the choice to be clear to Daniel if she felt it appropriate, although at her own risk. Regardless of permission, she can't hold back any longer.

"Daniel, you can call me crazy, but...something was released into our world by Lecia, all too similar to the painting she commissioned you for. Mike just told me he was investigating a history where Cleopatra revived. I know that sounds impossible, but it's the only thing that matches closely to everything that happened with the green fire Lecia and others saw."

The artist stares, paling. He knows this story as well, but to hear it from Rachel brings her closer than he'd like.

He can't downplay the idea fast enough as Rachel continues, laughing rigidly while tears continue to stream down her face. "I don't want to believe it...I really don't want to believe it, but surely, if she's not in her grave and did revive, she'd come back to us, right? She wouldn't...!"

Everything stops for Rachel except for her tears.

While the salty drops from her eyes fall to the tiles below, she takes in Daniel's expression and a hidden desperation behind his eyes. It only add to a ballooning feeling in her heart.

She feels as if the answer had been in front of her for so long.

Draft designations to stars that shouldn't have been known.

A sense of comfort that could only belong from an old friend.

Knowledge that carries forth a bright future and passion to the universe.

Without another word, Rachel turns around, unable to ignore this feeling as Mike's words and Daniel finally strike a realization in her heart.

...Anne.

"Rachel, h-hold on!"

Breaking out of his icy state, Daniel fails to get the scientist to calm down as she rushes out of the kitchen. In his fervor, he stumbles onto the floors.

'Fuck!'

Rachel enters the dining room, her chest rising with increasing intensity as she hears Anne's irritable voice along with Rose's cries.

"Grah! You are so annoying, Rose! Spill it already!"

"Uwaah! Why are your hands so cold?!"

"Don't change the subject!"

Coming from behind the slime mother, Rachel watches Anne growl as she tugs Rose's cheeks. The historian's eyes clench with stubborn defiance.

Watching this scene only helps to solidify memories of the fights she would see and experience with Amy. It only helps to further the pounding in her chest. While painful, there's more hope than she ever expected to hold.

She draws in slowly.

"Amy?"

...

The frustration in Anne's expression drops, as do her hands gripping the poor glasses girl. While Rose snaps away with a grunt, Anne's mouth hangs and eyes blank with disbelief. She wonders if she simply misheard the returning Rachel.

"You're...actually Amy...right, Anne?"

Sadly, no.

Notes:

This is the second drawing of Rachel. The first one was when she met Lecia at the coffee shop in chapter 27. I'd say pretty overdue for an improvement as far as my drawing is concerned.

I'm also going to start announcing the scenes within chapters to better clarify the change in settings, as seen with the brackets in bold.

Chapter 109: Reunion

Chapter Text

[Rachel's Home]

"You're...actually Amy...right, Anne?"

As Rachel's sudden question slams into the unsuspecting slime mother's back, Rose blinks a few times at the two, adjusting her glasses and freed face as the mood drops considerably. Having withstood Anne's frustration against her, she watches the life drain from said girl's face, paralyzed by Rachel's approach.

'Who is Amy?' Rose questions while rubbing her wrestled cheeks.

Anne would certainly know, shuddering as she continues staring past Rose. She has no idea what happened from the time Rachel left to the kitchen and back.

Did Daniel tell her anything?

"Rachel, stop!" he shouts, breaking through as he joins them from his prior stumble. "I don't know what you're thinking, but please calm down!"

Maybe not.

Anne refocuses. It's at these moments that she's glad she doesn't have a beating heart in the way of calming down. Although reeling in her mind, she masks her inner turmoil, twisting in her seat to meet Rachel's tear-struck eyes.

Her gelatinous internals tense to the need for truth.

"I'm... not sure if I understand. Is everything okay, Rachel?" she asks slowly, her smile distant.

Mentally slapped, Rachel flinches as she stumbles back. "O...okay? I..."

The scientist holds herself, squeezing her hand even closer to her chest. Her mind races by her time with Anne, rethinking her feelings. She's not sure, but regardless of intuition or evidence, she recognizes how hasty she's being.

Breathing out, she turns away to collect herself.

"N... No, give me a moment," she requests, her voice cracking.

"Rachel..."

Guilt clouds Anne's eyes. Instinctively, she's about to rise and comfort her friend, but Daniel extends a hand with a subtle shake of his head. This enforced distance is agonizing, but their precarious situation demands more diligence than before. At the same time, Daniel fears it won't be enough to dispel Rachel's doubts.

Before dealing with the scientist, however, Daniel doesn't forget Rose, awkwardly stranded amid the rising tension. He shifts his attention to her, offering a strained smile.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but can you give us a moment?"

Rose blinks. "Ah..."

She darts between everyone before coughing, standing from her chair. "It sounds like this is a personal matter, so I better head out now. Besides, I can't stay up too late with work early in the morning."

Daniel's shoulders relax. "If you insist. Before you go, Mike and Rachel told me a little, so I'm assuming that means you're part of the group as well?"

'Group?' Anne questions.

Rose stiffens for a moment before sighing. "Only a few years ago. To be honest, I don't know much about what's going on, and I'm not sure that I want to. If you're curious, Rachel or Mike can tell you more, but... can't say I have anything they don't already know."

Daniel's brows rise from this claim, but he doesn't pursue it. "Alright, thanks."

"Wait... Rose."

Perking to Rachel's weak call, Rose adjusts her glasses to the elder woman. "Y-yes?"

Rachel drops her hand, wiping the tears in her eyes as she draws to her with a bitter smile. She doesn't disagree with allowing the historian to take her leave but feels ashamed for inviting her in, only to let her go.

"Please be careful, dear," she urges past trembling breath. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this, but if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to come to me."

Rose's lens briefly flickers before she smiles warmly. "Thank you, but don't worry about me."

Switching to Anne, she sends a wink, adding, "And sorry for being so tight-lipped, but it was fun to talk again!"

Anne nearly sputters, straightening with disbelief. 'Fun? This was fun?!'

"Ugh...you..."

She can't say anything, though. Whatever the girl knows, it's easier to catch up with Daniel, seeing how he's in the know. Breathing out her frustrations, she narrows her eyes.

"Sorry for pulling your annoying cheeks."

Grinning, Rose barely stifles a giggle. "Aw, it didn't hurt, really. I hear that I often irritate people when I crumble under pressure. Anyway, it sounds like we might be seeing each other more. If there's anything you want to know that won't get me into trouble, I'm your girl!"

However, Anne only stares flatly before snorting. Rose might crumble into pieces, but those pieces don't break any further.

"I guess we'll see."

That's all she can afford to promise for now.

With nothing left to be said, Rose steps out with a wave, but Daniel thins his lips, troubled. Based on her admission, it's obvious now that she was formerly part of Lecia's group. If Mike was desperate to reach Rachel while she was preoccupied with them, it makes sense why the girl was reached out to check in.

Consequently, it will be harder to ignore her now, seeing how she has connections between Victor, Layna, and Lecia. Daniel doesn't want to think about it at this point, returning his attention to Rachel.

The front door shuts closed by Rose. With it, the air hums with unspoken words as Rachel locks her gaze on the slime mother. Her puffy eyes study the wavy-haired girl, stirring the conflicting feelings in her.

Anne shrinks a little with the attention on her but maintains her gaze.

"Rachel, please tell me what's wrong. Did... I do anything wrong?" she urges.

Wrong?

Rachel doesn't answer, her forehead creasing until she sighs. She rejoins the table, running through all the doubts that fill her. The quiet unnerves Anne as Daniel sits down as well, struggling to find a way to smoothly traverse the astronomer's feelings.

"Anne," Rachel finally calls, her eyes wavering to the slime mother. Despite drying her tears, she only managed to patch herself against a dam that threatened to burst again at any moment.

Feeling the pressure, Anne swallows. "Y-yes?"

Glancing at Daniel then back, Rachel inhales slowly. "I don't know if I can explain everything, but I need to know, are you..."

Pausing, she considers her words before shaking her head. It's important that she repose her first question in a manner that's less baffling.

"Do you know Amy?"

The slime mother widens her eyes, her lips falling crookedly before she forces out a chuckle. "W-what? No, how could I?"

"That's what I would have normally thought," Rachel agrees but lowers her gaze to the table. She circles a hand anxiously against the wood.

"I feel like I would've known about you if you and Amy were close. It's just...from our conversations, your knowledge, the sense I get around you, it...reminds me so much of her."

Too much of her.

Her hand drags to the table's edge, gripping it, before continuing, "I could've believed it was a coincidence, even as my friend's grave remains empty, but now there's this...history that I'm learning that might explain why she's gone. I don't want to believe completely in magic, but there's been unexplained events that make me question everything."

Anne holds still, her eyes blank, as the heart of her existence is touched closer than she wanted to ever see from Rachel. She passes a glance toward Daniel, but it's clear from his expression that he wasn't the one who told her anything.

How could she know, though? Was it from this Mike that she barely got answers about? She can't ask Daniel without arousing suspicion.

Daniel pushes forward as he finds an opening. "Rachel, I understand you miss her, but Anne is not—"

"I know, so let's say I'm just being delusional," Rachel cuts without looking at the artist. Returning to the slime mother's lost gaze, her lips rise with resignation as a single tear breaks through to stream down her face.

"Maybe this is just a bad joke from fate, but no matter how you arrived to Daniel, it's an honor to have someone who resembles my old friend so much...who can make me feel like she's alive."

Anne shakes.

If tears could fall from her eyes naturally, they would've already; however, nobody would need such to see the pain spreading across the slime mother's face.

Rachel leans forward, desperation crossing into her own. "So please, Anne. If you really don't know anything, I won't press this matter again. Just tell me, why do I feel like I've known you for so long?"

"R-rachel..."

Anne's voice trembles. Unable to answer immediately, she bites her lips and looks down, dragging her hands against her knees.

Rachel inhales. "Anne, are you really...?"

"I'm sorry, but... I'm not Amy."

Like that, Rachel's heart stops.

Of course, what was she expecting? Anne looks nothing like Amy, but the scientist didn't want to assume outward appearance would matter in the face of flaming magic.

Swallowing, she laughs dryly. "Right... how silly of me. I'm sorry for asking, dear. I've made you and Daniel uncomfortable with my—"

"She...she is part of me, though."

Daniel and Rachel snap their eyes at Anne, their pupils contract. For different reasons, both of them had not expected the truth to be given so easily.

'Mom...no...' Daniel pleads in his heart, but seeing the pain in her eyes, he understands that his slime mother can't hold it in any longer.

On the other side, Rachel blinks for a few seconds before leaning forward, folding her hands on top of Anne's own by the knees. "Dear...w-what does that mean?"

"I'm... I'm sorry for lying," Anne chokes, her lips spreading. "I'm the one responsible for taking what's left of Amy."

The confession lingers in the air, whitening Rachel. She opens her mouth, but no words come out of her rattled head as she struggles to process this claim. In place of that, however, she processes how strangely cold the slime mother's hands are.

She was like this before, too. It's enough of a push for Rachel's mouth to hang.

"You're...not human. That ritual... Lecia and the others... You're what came out of it!"

Anne rumbles, raising her head in horror. Her friend's words confirm she has been working with the former archaeologist. Since the news of the accident, the urgency within the home suddenly makes sense.

Did she make a mistake?

"I...!"

Rachel launches from her seat!

Anne's world blurs before she can react. The side of her head is suddenly pressed into the astronomer's chest, wrapping her unexpectedly close.

"Oh god...oh god...." Rachel croaks, the dam shattering in her eyes, flooding tears down onto her friend's head. "I can't believe it... You're...really..."

Anne's eyes swirl wildly. Her lips break downward as she tugs the scientist's arms around her, unsure whether to push her away or keep her close.

"No...no..." she squeaks, shuddering. Her eyes screw tight. "Stop... I'm not her! I... I can't be her for you! Nothing can excuse what I've done to—"

"To hell with that!" Rachel explodes, squeezing her. "From what I've seen, how can you not be her?"

Anne lies frozen while Rachel pulls back, her hands digging across the slime mother's shoulders as she stares past her tears into the girl's olive eyes.

Even Amy's eyes were of the same color, so how did she miss this?

She swallows, barely maintaining herself against the urge to spoil down to a sobbing mess. "W-whether you're Anne or Amy, do you remember when you felt we first met?"

Keyword is "felt."

Anne quivers. She can't lie about her feelings now, even if she wants to separate them.

Even if she doesn't want to assume her predecessor's life.

The Amy in her naturally flows out because it's part of who she is.

She clenches her hands, looking away. "When...when we were on the hill by the observatory, looking at the stars. No telescope, no machines to aid in our escape. I...was a little drunk."

"Ha..." Rachel shakes her head slowly in disbelief, her lips curling up. She grips the slime mother tighter. "What are you saying? You...you were completely out of it."

Anne's eyes narrow with fondness amid pain as the memories flow just like Rachel's tears — unstoppable. "I know... I was just lonely. Before meeting Daniel's father, I got dumped and blamed myself for not spending enough time outside of work."

"Yes...yes...you were crying to the stars about how hard it was. By the end, I had to take you home, and...somehow, we became stuck together."

"I... I don't even remember what was said."

Rachel scoffs between a happy sob. "Me neither, but...it doesn't matter. You were the best thing that happened to me! You and Daniel, becoming part of the family."

Anne lifts her gaze back, her eyes wide. She clenches her teeth behind her lips as emotions roil through her.

"No, d-don't say that."

Rachel slides a hand across her cold cheek. "You said she's a part of you. I don't know what that means, but from what I've seen, it doesn't make you less of her, even if you're no longer the same."

"Stop..."

"Don't leave me again, please."

The nail strikes Anne.

Daniel had said similar words. It riles the guilt Amy had to bear leaving this world. Unable to stop these feelings, she wraps back around the scientist—her friend.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel!" she cries, burying her face into her cloth. "I missed you...so much!"

Rachel adds to the longing cry, brushing against Anne's head, never wanting to let go.

So many questions need answering, but right now, she can only embrace what has become of her friend - someone who has been given life in a new way.

Like a star entering its next phase.

Outside this reunion, Daniel watches, his lips rising dryly as he slumps in his chair. He shuts his eyes to stop tears from infecting him.

'Fuck.'

He's not sure if this is a good outcome, but either way, he's once again lost a few years of his life.

...

..

.

Once tears relaxed among the starry friends, Rachel tugs Anne close as she glares at Daniel. The stains on her cheeks look like blood with how her creases expand.

Daniel was expecting this.

"You. Had. No. Right... To hide this from me!" Rachel hisses between her clenched teeth, far angrier than he had ever seen.

Despite that, Daniel shakes off the shivers down his spine and knits his brows.

"I had to protect her," he maintains lowly.

"That's your bullshit excuse!?"

Daniel snaps his eyes wide and slams the table. "Bullshit?! A form of my mother comes back to me, and I'm supposed to risk revealing her? I will damn lie to anybody about this, and seeing how you know Lecia, I think it was warranted."

"So you do know about her! Whatever you're imagining, this wasn't the way to do this!"

Daniel scoffs. "You'll have to forgive me for being so guarded. I know that she summoned my mom. Should I believe it was just for an otherworldly being to be free?"

"What?! You can't be—"

"ENOUGH!"

Anne jerks away from Rachel and stands between them. First, she turns to her fellow scientist.

"Rachel, if you want to blame my son for the secrecy, then blame me as well, but you can't just disregard our caution."

Then she turns to her son. "And Daniel, I know you're upset, but there are limits to how much we can hide ourselves if we aim to learn the truth of our existence. The fact we're allowing Mary's uncle to learn about us is proof enough!"

Daniel frowns. "That's not a fair comparison. Marlin carries a relevant book and revealed it to Mary on his own accord. With Rachel, we had no idea she was a part of something dangerous!"

Stammering with disbelief, Rachel growls. "Dangerous?! If anything, we're the ones in danger. Also, Mary? You're talking about your ex-girlfriend? She knew about your mother, but not me?!"

Before Daniel might explain and fan the flames, Anne raises her hands, chuckling nervously. "C-calm down, Rachel! Um...Mary was...well, the first one accidentally exposed to me. Good news, they're back together now because of it, so..."

Rachel shakes her head, hands up to the ceiling. "Seriously, if that were the case, why bother lying and using the cover of being Daniel's girlfriend to me?"

Anne stiffens.

Suddenly, the house goes silent.

Sensing she misinterpreted, Rachel lowers her hand slowly, watching the slime mother's eyes shift to the side.

"...Amy? No, I mean...Anne?"

The confusion over identity only worsens as the slime mother generates a clearing of her throat. "Um...like I tried telling you, I'm...different from Amy. I was there before Mary, so while I might consider Mary as the main girlfriend, I also...er..."

Daniel conveniently looks away, ashamed. Meanwhile, sweat begins to drop from Rachel's neck to see her friend hesitating.

"A-also...what?" she presses.

Anne wells up resolve and shuts her eyes tight. "I'm... I'm also more than just a mother to him, you know!"

The declaration echos into Rachel's mind, causing her mouth to creak down. She staggers back.

"What? N-no, but...you're..."

Reopening her eyes, Anne steps forward and raises her hand, which softens into her base goo form. Since it's come to this, she hasn't shown Rachel how she's not human.

"S-see, it's fine! While I'm not sure what I am exactly, Daniel and I aren't even biologically compatible, so... Ah!"

Anne quickly slides to catch Rachel as the latter's eyes roll up. Her knees give in, as does her sanity.

"Rachel!"

"Ugh..."

Daniel buries his face into his hands, groaning.

They might be here for a while.

Chapter 110: Cult Confessions and Moral Wrath

Chapter Text

[Mary's Studio]

"What?!"

The studio shakes, and so does Viviane, nearly dropping the brush in her hand.

Jerking away from a canvas she was outlining against, Viviane snaps her head in the direction of the lounge, where Mary boomed.

"Oh, for the love of... What is it this time?" she mutters.

Here she was, doing the only thing she could in an art studio to distract herself from worrying developments as they waited for Marlin's return. Between letting Mary's clone trail the bald uncle to news of Lecia's accident, things have been mad since the evening.

They say art is an escape, but that's not helping right now.

Sighing, Viviane lifts off her stool. She's about to join Mary in the lounge to see what the ruckus is about, but the ebony artist rushes out instead with her phone out.

"Easy, Mary. We tried... we really did try."

Viviane blinks to hear Daniel's despondent voice spilling from the phone speaker. She leans forward as Mary sides next to her with the phone in between.

"I'm not blaming you, love," Mary follows. "It just makes me question our shitty luck or the kind of strings that are being pulled here. Anyway, your Mother needs to hear this too."

"Child?" Viviane calls softly. Although glad to hear his voice, she lowers her lips. "Is everything okay?"

Daniel's breath escapes through the speaker. "Not quite. Rachel has learned the truth about Mom."

Viviane jerks, her pupils shrinking as she feels a ton of bricks hit her.

Anne would naturally feel more impacted, but Viviane shares Amy just as well. She can only imagine the terror her sister had to experience, worried how the fellow astronomer would react to their existence.

Daniel and Mary wait for the elder slime to recover.

"Th-then...?"

"Good news, she's accepting," Daniel continues. "I guess you could say she can't dismiss the time she spent with Mom."

Viviane relaxes a little. "Is that so? Thank goodness. Still, how did she find out?"

"That's the bad news...or at least, one of them. Apparently, Rachel had been working with Lecia."

The elder slime holds herself with her mouth hanging. Opposite, Mary only thins her lips, having already heard up to this point.

From there, Daniel does his best to go over the events that passed since Mary alerted him to Lecia's accident. He describes everything from Rose's visit and connection with Lecia's group to his talk with Mike — someone he can only assume to be second-in-command of this research project that led to his slime mothers.

By the end, Viviane lifts a hand to her head. "Oh god, seriously..."

"I'm sorry, Mother."

"Don't be. You had no way of knowing it would end up like this."

"No, I should've realized when Rachel talked about a 'friend' at Sights Open that helped detect the empty grave."

Mary grips her phone. "It doesn't matter. Now that Rachel knows, what's going to happen?"

"I don't know. Rachel is...uh, recovering after seeing Mom show some of her slime form."

That's in addition to learning about his... unique relationship with her.

Daniel clears his throat, not bothering with getting into that mess. "At this point, I don't think I can keep her away, but I'm more worried about how we go about Lecia and the people around her."

Mary narrows her eyes. "More worried? We're finally discovering the people behind Lecia, and yet you're saying there's something out there they didn't anticipate that's pressuring them? I'd call that more worrying, love. You're sure this Mike believes what happened in the news wasn't an accident?"

"He's certain."

Mary and Viviane glance at each other. The former recovers first, swallowing.

"Well, if that's true, we can't discount the possible threat. If they attacked Lecia because of the knowledge and research they've been doing, Rachel, my uncle, any one of us could be next!"

Daniel sighs. "Mike warned exactly while pushing whether I had any part. I denied, of course, but it's difficult to convince when they already hold suspicions."

"If he wanted us to open up, he'd give us a reason to trust them," Viviane notes.

"That was my thought as well. He promised to provide support, whatever that means. I'd rather not confirm yours or Anne's existence to the ones who started this, but he knows I'm hiding something now. Even if Rachel decides to keep everyone's identities to herself and lie for us, they're already closer to the truth than I expected."

Taking this in, Viviane lowers her gaze after a few seconds of contemplating.

"Child, we don't know much about Lecia, but the time we studied in the library together never gave me the impression she was particularly dangerous. I know that doesn't mean much, but if Rachel trusts these people, maybe we shouldn't outright dismiss them."

Daniel groans. "I get what you're saying, but we don't even know if she's still alive or where she is! Besides that, getting involved with them now could be..."

"Dangerous?" Viviane finishes before snorting. "It's a risk, but we're already involved. It began as soon as you met Lecia for the commissio. Not to mention, I planned to meet her again as Vivi so we could find out more about her intentions. Can we say this could have been avoided?"

"I wanted to hope so."

Viviane shakes her head. "With the resources she has, I'd say the answer is no. So, while Mary and I check with Marlin, you must do the same with Rachel to decide whether we stop hiding in front of them. Is that clear?"

"But, that's..."

"I know, but dragging our feet may end up worse if there's something bigger on the horizon for us and them. Worst case comes, I'm not going to hold back if anyone intends to break us apart. So please, don't assume you're carrying us on your own. Mommy won't allow it, you hear?"

"Ugh... Do you really have to end it with that?"

Viviane smirks. "Are you questioning your mother at this time?"

"N-no... Well, it doesn't matter what I think if things are left as is. I'll see what direction we go from here."

Mary looks away, sliding her free hand to her forehead. "To think we would both have uncle and aunt-like confessions to deal with tonight."

On that note, hope laces Viviane's lips as she she pivots. "Do you think we could meet Rachel?"

"Knowing her, it'll happen, but I can't say when," Daniel answers. "It's already slipped that Mary and I are together again, so I don't want to shock her with the fact that I have another variant of mom. I need to make sure I understand where she stands with Lecia and this group first before we come together."

The door opening and closing from the lobby breaks everyone's focus. Mary clears her throat.

"Love, my uncle is back, so we'll have to continue this later. I know we need to talk about Rose, too. If possible, it would be nice if you and Anne stayed overnight at my apartment. Marlin will be sleeping in the studio, so we should be able to talk privately, too."

"Depends on how things go here, but keep me updated on your uncle."

"Likewise."

The call ends. Mary and Viviane don't have much time to prepare as Marlin steps through the hallway into the work area. Catching the two girls, he forces a smile on his face while lifting bags in his hands.

"Sorry, it took longer than expected, but I've got dinner as promised!"

Mary shuffles, scanning past her uncle to see where her slime clone is. Fortunately, she sees a blue blob creeping to the corners behind him. It doesn't seem he's noticed his little passenger.

Relaxing, Mary tilts her chin.

"About time, I'm starving!" she huffs, sliding her phone back into her pocket. Stepping forward, she offers a hand. "Here, let me handle the food. I'll set up the table in the kitchen."

Without question, Marlin hands off the takeout to his niece. While the weight of the bags is off, the pressure of his meeting with the Isis leader, Morgan, continues to weigh down on him. He tries not to show any of it, unaware of a blue blob trailing Mary as he turns his attention to Viviane.

The elder slime thins her lips. It will be only a matter of time before the slime clone and Mary reconnect, so she hopes their suspicions turn out to be nothing.

"Did you hear the news?" she asks, crossing her arms.

Marlin raises his brows before his eyes flicker. "Oh! Yes, what happened with Lecia, right?"

Viviane hums, thinning her lips as she looks away. "The timing is terrible. I told you how she was enveloped by a blue fire when I met her disguised at the library. Do you think there's any relation in her disappearance?"

Marlin stiffens.

So far, he's gathered Victor likely had a hand in Lecia's disappearance, at least based on his conversation with Morgan. At the end of it, though, a blue fire enveloped her as well. Despite his shock, he recalls her words as she was cast away in his mind.

"I should've guessed you'd be placed under some protection. That old fool is still making things difficult, even into this damn era."

She mentioned Merlin, so he figures "old fool" must refer to the wizard, but he can't even begin to rationalize how that's possible. Even if he carries a similar name to the famous wizard, he doesn't remember ever being enveloped by flames like Lecia.

Could it have been done at some point when he wasn't aware?

Shutting his eyes, he buries these questions for now.

"I wish I could say," he answers. "I'm sure Lecia is alive somewhere."

"I would hope so," Viviane says, her eyes narrowing. "It's possible that this wasn't an accident."

Marlin straightens awkwardly by the astute guess. He holds his breath for a few seconds. "Why do you say that?"

Viviane pauses before lowering her gaze. "Just a feeling."

She could let him know about Rachel and what Daniel had told them, but it seems better to avoid the topic without knowing where the bald man truly went or his intentions.

To that end, Marlin swallows silently but doesn't prod further. 'Don't tell me they already about about The Order,' he thinks before shifting the topic.

"Well, putting speculations aside, I know you wanted to take a look at the text, and I did bring a copy with me. Maybe things will be clear to you tonight about these fires or Merlin once you start reading it."

"Maybe..." the slime answers, but internally grumbles to herself. 'At least, that's if it doesn't go blank on me like Victor's book does.'

"Table's ready, let's eat!" Mary shouts from the kitchen, breaking the two out of their thoughts. Marlin and Viviane end their standing and head over. From there, the British girl has already seated herself with no sign of her slimy clone.

"Burgers and chili fries from Ruler's Den. You're just trying to kill us, aren't you?" the artist raises, a light smile countering her narrowed stare. "Although if you wanted to drink, you should've brought me with you."

Marlin chuckles weakly as he takes his seat. "You can tell? It was just a light one, I promise. It sounds like you've been there before."

"Well, in a way."

Viviane stares at Mary, her brows slowly creasing. Seeing how there's no brand on the bags or wrappings, her friend had to have recombined with her slimy clone to learn where Marlin ordered this from.

"Mary?" she calls.

The artist holds out a hand and shakes her head silently. Seeing this, Marlin switches between them.

"Sorry, is something wrong?"

Taking a stretching line of chili fries to her plate, Mary straightens. "Not at all. Why do you think there's something wrong?"

Marlin churns to his niece's tone while his neck begins to sweat. 'Fucking hell, so this is how it's going to be?'

"Okay, to be honest, I didn't go for a walk," he admits, forcing a smile. "I heard of this pub and wanted to check it out before it got too dark."

"Is that so?" Mary questions flatly.

Mary had indeed combined with her clone. While reviewing the memories of her uncle just sitting at the bar and waiting, she might have believed his excuse; however, she can't ignore a place serving a cocktail that happens to be called 'Tears of Isis'.

"For what exactly?" she follows, taking a bite of the fries.

"Haha, those chili fries, for one. How are they?" Marlin answers, trying to keep calm.

Mary draws a long hum. "Gooey, spicy, and probably taking me closer to a heart attack in the future. You're not trying to kill me, are you?"

"Of course not." The bald man snorts. "But, it goes without saying, most good food isn't good."

As hidden tensions rise in the air, Viviane tries a fry dipped with its signature. Not that she expected anything different as a slime, but she sours to the taste of nothingness. Still, nothing would be preferable to the suspicions that have spiced the air, one that she's forced to watch. Part of her wants to try pulling the temperature down between these two family members, but without knowing what Mary learned, she can only keep her discomfort to herself.

Mary leans more into her uncle, narrowing her gaze. "I'd be more interested in their alcohol offerings. Did you try anything?"

Marlin winces. "That's..."

"I heard they have a special cocktail called 'Tears of Isis'," Mary cuts, a growing impatience behind a disconcerting smile. "Interesting choice of name, don't you think?"

Finally, her uncle buckles, shutting his eyes and breathing slowly. "Okay, I get it, Mary. Whatever you're thinking, you don't need to go this far."

Eyes wide, Mary scoffs. She tilts away before rising from her seat.

TOK!

Viviane and Marlin shake as the British girl slams the table with her hand.

"Don't play us dumb, you're damn well I had to!" she snaps, stunning the air into silence. "I wanted to trust you to help us get to the bottom of all of this, yet you go off to some suspicious place without telling us? What do you really know?"

Marlin's forehead creases, tightening his hands underneath the table. "Mary... I don't want to put you in harm's way."

"From where?!" She throws up her hands. "Uncle, if you're trying to protect me, keeping us in the dark will do the exact opposite. There's plenty more we were planning to tell you, but that'll be difficult if you're not going to straight with us."

"Mary—"

"Stop," she cuts, her voice starting to crack as she tries to hold herself from crying. "For better or worse, you and I have a part in this by way of a famous wizard that's no longer a myth. On top of that, my slimy friends are linked to an Egyptian goddess and an ominous 'flood' that could ruin the world, so don't... don't give me that crap about protecting me. There's nothing to protect if we aren't on the same page!"

The air hangs.

After a few moments, Marlin leans forward, resting his head against his hands. He really has been naive about the Order, his niece, and the book he studied. With the cult that is more aware than he realized, it's less likely he'll be able to do anything now if they decide to move, just like they did with Lecia.

Leaving with a heavy sigh, he drops his hand, locking to his niece's fierce eyes. Another moment passes before he lifts his lips bitterly. "I'm sorry, Mary. I'll explain, but first, how did you follow me?"

Mary's stare holds firmly. Without another word, she lifts her hand...

Squick!

Lurching back, Marlin's face drains of color to see blue slime rising off her skin with a flood of goo pouring away from her hand. While his mind blanks at what has become of his niece, Viviane places a hand to her face, wishing the circumstances were better to reveal this change.

Nonetheless, the slime layering the artist slips away, pulling itself to the floor in a slippery mess. When it finishes separating from her host, a clone rises into a looser form with the same hardened expression toward Marlin.

"Like we said, there's plenty we haven't told you," the second, bluish Mary begins. "While you know about Anne and Viviane, I'm...wait, hold on...!"

The clone breaks, then growls towards the original. "Why am I explaining?! I wouldn't be here if you and Anne were able to control yourself!"

Mary coughs, closing her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

She refocuses back to her uncle. "Anne and Viviane can merge with anyone, and that's how our memories can be shared. Yesterday, when I was joined with Anne, we... accidentally ended up creating a copy of me instead of separating. My copy couldn't be reabsorbed by her for some reason, so... now there are now three slimes."

"T-this...happened...yesterday?" Marlin forces out, quivering.

Mary nods and motions to her clone. "Yes, and through her, that's how I was able to trail you. So, now that you know, are you going to continue hiding from us?"

"I..."

"If not, then even if you are my uncle, Viviane and I can force out what you know," Mary warns, her pupils reflecting the increasingly pale uncle. "All it would take is just seeping some slime across that stubborn bald head of yours, then..."

"A cult! I joined a cult!" Marlin blurts out faster than he thought possible. Sadly, his body immediately locks up in his shock to explain himself.

The kitchen stills to the admission while the Mary twins and Viviane stare blankly. There was no other way, of course. Faced with an immediate threat by The Order or a slimy probe by his family member, Marlin recognizes the futility of trying to hide, seeing how both of them knew far more than he realized.

He really was naive.

Viviane and Mary break out of their own stun first before they lean forward in sync. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!"

"I.. I swea... fuck..."

Breathing out weakly, Marlin's eyes roll back in his stumble. As he slumps, Viviane quickly shifts to keep him from falling off the chair.

"Marlin! Damn it, Mary, wasn't there a better way than to scare him?" the elder slime hisses. She taps his shoulder a little. "Hey, Marlin... Marlin!"

The uncle groans, but only as he finishes passing out. Flinching, Mary and her slimy duplicate recede and look at each other before they clear themselves.

Yes, they may have been a bit too forceful there.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[Rachel's Home]

While one family member faints in the distance, another of sorts takes a glass of water after her own recovery.

Rachel's hand grip such cup tightly, keeping it close to her lap. Sitting beside her on the couch, Anne rubs a soothing hand across her friend's back.

Opposite, Daniel taps his knees, wiggling his lips. It's been thirty minutes, but felt much longer after Rachel describes what she knows of the ritual and the book Lecia found.

"I'm sorry, but based on what you're saying..." he begins, hesitating. "It sounds like you're part of a cult."

Scoffing, Rachel shakes her head. "Well, we're not. I mean, I wasn't there when Lecia and others performed the ritual, but while we were hiding the activities of our research and meetings, we weren't doing any harm."

"How can you be certain?" Daniel presses. "You weren't even kept in the loop until now!"

The elder woman lowers her gaze. "You're right. I can't be for sure, but..."

Raising her head, she stares readily. "At least through my talks with all the other members...academics, investors, pretty much anyone who believed in the book she found at Stonehenge, we were free to carry doubts, we all argued about the contents as we collaborated. Although the book was dated in medieval times, we weren't so blinded to trust it blindly. We knew we could have spent years studying aspects of this book, all for it to turn out to be a hoax."

"Until it wasn't."

Rachel hums and glances toward Anne with a light smile. "I still don't know how to feel, seeing the product of the green fire before my very eyes."

Anne thins her lips, looking like she's about to cry. "I thought you'd be disgusted... angry at me for taking away Amy."

Snorting, Rachel shifts a comforting hand to her leg. "Maybe if I hadn't met you, dear. Even if you and Daniel lied to me, I can understand why. You said you didn't become aware until you came out of Amy's grave, right?"

"...Yes, but that doesn't—"

"It's alright. There's not much use for a dead person except to decay, so I'm glad something like you was able to come out of it."

However, Rachel's smile fades as she knits her brows back at Daniel. "That said, I disapprove of this...relationship. Regardless of whether she's Amy or not, or that there isn't any harm in intermingling, she is still a derivative of your mother. You accepted that, and even crazier, you're dating Mary as well!"

That's only two-thirds of the crazy part. Although they would have to tell her, Daniel and Anne hold back the existence of Viviane with exceptionally flattened lips.

Breaking out with a nervous chuckle, Anne leans forward with her hands waving. "R-rachel, please! I was the one who wanted it. What matters to me is that I live to the fullest with Daniel."

Placing the glass in her hands onto the coffee table in front, Rachel takes a moment to plant her face into her hands, groaning. "Goodness, this is insane."

Daniel gulps. "Not that I don't understand your concern because it was mine as well before I gave up, but we have bigger problems to deal with."

Leaning back, Rachel sighs as she slides her hands down. "Fine. Going back to the work we did with Lecia, I don't know what else I can say. Was there illegal work done behind the scenes? Probably. The fact that she took a book from an archaeological site and kept it to herself was certainly wrong, but she couldn't trust institutions to take the book seriously. If anything, she's driven and passionate about unearthing history, like many archaeologists."

"If she knew the truth of what came out of that ritual, what would she do?" Daniel asks.

Rachel's gaze drops. "I only know she was afraid, not knowing what came out or the consequences, so I can't be certain how she would feel if she knew. Did she notice anything when she visited your studio?"

Anne shakes her head. "Nothing particular about me other than the slip-up with the symbol I drew."

"Wait... you drew that?"

"Yes, it was from Mary's memory when she looked at her uncle's book that... Oh, wait, I think I'm getting ahead of myself here."

While Anne closes her eyes meekly, Rachel stares blankly before switching between Daniel and the slime. "I...apparently have a lot to learn."

Daniel sighs. "We'll tell you everything, but I need to know whether we should trust Lecia and the people behind her. If I had to choose, I'd rather not have your group or anyone know about Anne, but...I doubt that will be possible now."

Rachel leans back, staring at the ceiling. "Trust, huh?"

Taking a moment to collect herself, she locks back to the artist. "Do I completely trust Lecia or Mike? No. Even I can imagine people wanting to investigate your new mother like a research subject. Have you not seen countless movies portraying the abuse that would end up leaving the subject resentful, then end up becoming a tragedy?"

Oddly specific.

"Pfft...Rachel!" Anne cries, barely holding herself from laughter.

Figuring this would be the case, Daniel nods. "Then—"

"However," Rachel cuts, her eyes narrowed. "You know it's more complicated than that. Rather than who I trust, you should trust the circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

Rachel hums, taking a sip of her glass. By the end, and a clink to the table, she breathes out, staring past the level of water. "I know Mike cares for Lecia. By revealing the research to you, even a little, he's desperate enough to find who attacked her and where she is. Moreover, you should know that the only magic that has been performed by us is this summoning. Nobody in this group would be able to do anything like you see in those Harry Potter movies."

She lifts her gaze with a sad smile. "So trust me when I say we're completely out of our league here. If there are others who seem to know more and want us gone, then we're basically apples for the picking."

Daniel's eyes widen.

The first part is clear, given what he heard from Mike. As for the second part, he's reminded of Lecia's words to Viviane in the library.

"If anything, I'm just...well, I guess you could say a fool way in over her head."

Merlin's first message also expects such.

"As I predict from these damned visions that never let me sleep, your seal will come undone one day by the ignorance of others."

'Of course, you chose to let it turn out that way!' Daniel thinks, clenching his hands.

"Daniel?" Anne calls, breaking his thoughts. When his eyes meet, she smiles reassuringly. "You don't have to decide tonight. I think it's best you clear your head first, sweetie."

The artist smiles back dryly, nodding his head to the side in consideration, before shifting to Rachel. "Tell Mike we can have a more honest talk tomorrow. Whatever Lecia means, I don't wish her dead and also want to know what happened. She's still a wealthy client who has to pay me for her troubling painting, after all."

The scientist breathes out silently before snorting. "How cold of you, dear. Business first, huh?"

"For my sanity, it has to be." Daniel admits, then rises from the couch. "Anyway, we'll come back here tomorrow to talk more."

"Actually, I'll stay here with Rachel for the night and explain the rest," Anne declares. "You should take up Mary's offer and catch up with her."

Daniel blinks. "Are...are you sure?"

Anne nods. "Yes. I know we planned to join together and revisit my dream world, but I think that can wait. For all we know, we might not see any new clues or memories in that fog."

Rachel's mind swirls. "Fog? Dream world?"

The slime mother giggles and pats her friend's hand. "Don't worry, I'll tell you all about it. Most importantly, I want to make sure you're safe tonight."

Knowing some group targeted Lecia reminds Daniel that Rachel could be next. Fearing the worst, his forehead creases.

"No, if that's the case, I'll stay as well."

Anne rolls her eyes. "Daniel, I can stay up; you can't. Don't argue with Mama on this!"

Hearing the address for the first time, Rachel inhales deeply at the slime mother. "Wait, you call yourself Mama?!"

"Oh! Oops, hehe~"

"Don't play cute with me!" Rachel admonishes before twisting to Daniel with distaste. "Alright, you two desperately need time apart. Listen to your mother and get going!"

Daniel flinches. "But—"

"Get going, young man!"

The next few moments pass like a blur before Daniel finds himself pushed outside Rachel's home with the car keys in his hands. As the door shuts behind him, he's about to protest leaving before his phone buzzes.

It could only be from one person.

'Oh no... Please no...'

Hands sweating, he takes a flip of his phone to see a dreaded text from Mary.

MY UNCLE IS PART OF A FUCKING CULT! NEVER TRUST THE BRITISH, I SWEAR.

"..."

Daniel stares at the message for the longest time before his dead eyes lift to meet the sky. Although no stars can be seen thanks to the city light pollution, he wonders how many of them might fall to bring more premonition.

"Wait, you're telling me there's another mother?!"

Hearing Rachel's muffled cry behind him, he gulps.

Anne must've slipped up again.

Faced with Rachel's wrath if he stays, he stops hesitating and bolts to his car. Cult or not, he'll take his chances over there.

 

Chapter 111: Booba

Chapter Text

[Mary's Studio]

"Yep, he's completely out."

Mary and Viviane heave a slumped Marlin across their shoulders to the guest room bed. While settling him in, guilt naturally wrinkles the artist's face over how she approached the situation.

"Urgh... But what else was I supposed to do?" she asks, sliding the covers over her uncle. The strained lines on his unconscious face show the amount of pressure he's had to deal with. It only weighs down Mary, desperate to understand.

Viviane crosses her arms. "I don't know, but not threatening your uncle with a probe of his mind would be a start."

The artist shifts her eyes. "Okay, I got a little frustrated."

The elder slime shakes her head before turning to the uncle's suitcase on the floor. Bending down, she starts unzipping it.

Mary stiffens. "Hold up, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm not going to wait for him anymore," Viviane huffs, digging through his items. "He said he brought a copy of the text, right?"

"It's most likely locked behind in his laptop or phone. Why would he..."

THWUMP!

"... Bring it?!" Mary finishes with a shout. Her eyes quiver with disbelief as she witnesses a book hurl itself out of the suitcase, straight into her silver friend's face. As the elder slime leans backward by the impact, she lets out of her own muffled cry of surprise.

Fortunately, the jump scare doesn't go any further than remaining on the target's face. Silence falls, as do some of Marlin's clothes, before Viviane pulls the book away.

"Puah! What the... Oh?"

She cocks her head, eyes glued to the specific pages of the book that engulfed her face. To her relief, she isn't struck with blank ones, but rows of symbols to a strange language.

This mostly matched what Marlin had shown, but seeing it in person, it feels...familiar. How? She doesn't know, but beyond the memories and information that came to her before, this is the first time she hasn't felt disconnected from something from the past.

Clearly, the book didn't smack her in the face for no reason. How packed was it for it to spring out?

"Whoa... So this is it? But is this really a copy?"

Viviane flinches, nearly forgetting Mary, who crept behind. Quickly, she shuts the book and snaps back to her.

"S-stop! We shouldn't be careless! For all we know, this could impact your mind just like it did when you were little!"

Stepping back, Mary scoffs, waving a hand. "Oh, come on, I only froze a little. Look, I'm fine with what I saw, no?"

Viviane frowns. "You already scared your uncle today. Do you want to worry him more if something happens?"

The artist slowly knits her brows before glancing towards her bedridden family member. "I'm the one worried here. Who does he think he is, joining a cult and not telling us?"

"I'm sure we'll learn his reasons, but it's pretty clear what he joined."

Mary halts, lifting a brow up. "What do you mean?"

Viviane raises the book in her hand, standing up. "From what he told you, he got this book from a disappearing shop that called this a 'Book of Isis'. So, it makes sense he'd join a cult of Isis. We always figured there was a modern-day variant of these worshipers based on Layna's book, but to think we'd have a direct source."

Mary inhales slowly. "Isn't this dangerous? When you were a baby, you were nearly sacrificed by this centuries ago. What if my uncle..."

Left unsaid because she doesn't want to believe her uncle could be bad, the elder slime thins her lips, glancing at the bald man. "I wouldn't assume anything right now. As strange as it is, I still want to trust your uncle. That might because of your shared feelings, so rather than me, what do you feel?"

"That's... Well, I'm not sure." Mary lowers her gaze, shuffling. "In the pub, my clone saw him order the cocktail I mentioned. The strange thing was that he just... sat there. He didn't touch his drink when it came to him. After a few minutes, he just jerked and broke the glass. It was like he woke up from a bad dream."

Viviane's brows knit. "Mary, this sounds similar to when our child froze in front of me at the clinic."

The artist pauses before swallowing. "Wait, you don't think...?"

"It's only a guess. While I know I just disagreed about probing him, maybe... maybe we should search his memories while he's out."

Stiffening, Mary wiggles her lips. After a moment, she shakes her head fiercely. "No, let's be patient. Besides, the last time you tried to sync with Daniel, you couldn't learn much from his internal meeting with Victor except to wake him. If this is anything similar, you'd give my uncle a headache, and we'd still have to hear the truth from him."

Viviane shutting her eyes, shamefully. "Sorry, you're right. I shouldn't be having second thoughts."

Clearing herself, she reopens her eyes and wiggles the book in hand. "Then, let's leave your uncle here and see what this is all about. You updated Daniel, right?"

"Er... I was a little passionate, but yes."

"Then—"

The two quiet as Mary's phone rings. Pulling it up, her forehead creases in delight. "Oh, speak of the devil."

She answers her boyfriend's call and slides it to her ear. "Hey, love! Ahem, sorry about the text."

"..."

"Yes, we're fine. I...uh, kind of threatened him to search his brain while revealing my clone. We didn't get more than him admitting he's part of some cult before he fainted. Suffice to say, he's in bed now."

"..."

"No, I don't think we're in danger... well, maybe. That aside, you said Anne is staying over at Rachel? Then... are you going to join us tonight?"

"..."

Mary's brows furrow before she growls. "What do you mean, 'unfortunately'?! Just get over here. We've got my uncle's book to study as well. While I know you've had a difficult day, Mommy and Mummy promise we'll make it worthwhile~"

"...!"

She breaks into a chuckle. "Listen, listen... You're not going to be drained any further. Come on, who do you think we are? Wait, don't answer that."

"..."

Her eyes soften. "Hmm... Okay, see you soon."

Pulling the phone away, Mary giggles. "He's so tense."

"Well, it's to be expected" Viviane sighs. "We had no idea this night would turn out to be so... opening."

Mary snorts. "Opening, huh? You can say that again."

"I'm afraid it won't get better," Viviane warns, tapping the book. "Let's head over to your apartment to see if anything makes sense. Also, it would be better if you left your clone here in case your uncle wakes up."

Mary blinks. "Ah... I guess so. Wouldn't want him running away."

She did want to revisit the new dream realm and mysterious cabin when she slept, but figured that had to wait.

Thus, removing herself from her slime layer, then subsequently apologizing to her slime clone for being left behind for uncle-sitting, Mary and Viviane head out, locking the studio for the night and returning to the former's apartment complex nearby.

Unbeknownst to them, tiny green embers fly behind them from the book Viviane carries as they make their way under the city lights.

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[Mary's Apartment]

An hour later, Daniel arrives in front of his girlfriend's apartment. Although he considered whether it was a good idea, he ultimately stopped by his apartment to grab Victor's book as well.

He sighs.

'I didn't think I'd get separated from Mom like this.'

It can't be helped as Anne and Rachel catch up, but he worries about the astronomer. Anne may hold the memories of Amy, but she's not the same friend Rachel once knew. He hopes she will always keep this in mind and come to see Anne as her own person, not a replacement.

'Although it doesn't help that I call her Mom,' Daniel recognizes. It's far too late to change that, especially as Anne would push back. Besides, the shared feelings of his slime mothers are far too ingrained into him now.

If anything, he's become more appreciative of his time with his true mother.

But, speaking of "mothers", he takes another breath, wondering what will await him tonight before knocking on the door.

The door opens swiftly, causing a blast of wind to brush his face. Mary receives him with stars in her eyes and a bright smile.

"Love! Come in, come in... You have to see this!"

Daniel blinks before he's hurried in by the hand. Before he can question the excitement in the British girl's voice, she stops.

"Ah! Sorry, where are my manners?"

Turning back to him, she leans forward to him with warm eyes. "We both had a busy day, so just try to relax tonight with us, okay?"

Daniel feels his heart rising but in a good way. Alone with her and Viviane, he had no secrets to defend, only openness and trust.

Well, he's a little uncertain on the last part with Mary's wild drive, but that's to be expected.

He smiles weakly, sliding his hands to her hips. "I'll try, thank you."

"Of course, love~"

Mary squishes against him. In turn, Daniel's eyes close as she presses his lips against him. Her arms wrap behind his back, pulling him deeper as she dives her tongue into him, embracing her existing love along with the twisted maternal feelings she's gained.

Her bottom twitches as his hands dig into her dark flesh, equally needy. Mindful that Viviane is waiting, however, Mary forces herself to break with a line of saliva between them.

Her breasts leak just a little in anticipation as she grins.

"Easy, love. I don't know why, but we think my uncle brought the actual book with him!"

Daniel hides his disappointment as he's led to the living room. Worry dresses his face. "Didn't you say he wouldn't be bringing... Oh..."

Fwoo...Fshh!

Just in time, Daniel watches Viviane on the couch, her index finger transformed into a blue knife as she cuts into a page of Marlin's book on the coffee table. As soon as she makes a mark, a blue fire envelops the Book of Isis before extinguishing within a second.

The cut she made disappears.

"Huh."

Turning her head, her lips lift to see her blank son. Snapping forward from the couch, she lifts with her arms out.

"Welcome back, my child~"

Daniel stores his shock away to receive his silver-haired mother, chuckling. She locks lips with him just as Mary did, but unlike his counterpart, she silently reattaches her gelatinous cells to his lips, sharing his warmth as their faces partially join together.

"Mmm..."

Daniel groans in content, a tingle spreading through him before she detaches. Blue slime recedes from his lips back to the elder slime while leaving his lips a little cool.

Breathing out, he clears his throat. He's not sure if it's a problem that he's getting used to it. He wonders if Rachel will be quick to draw moral condemnation to him with Viviane... or hopefully realize how little it matters when anybody could embrace a share of her friend.

"What was that?" he asks, eyeing the book.

Viviane grins. "It's the same as what Marlin observed if you recall Mary's memories with him. The book seems to have a self-healing property that prevents damage."

"Oh, right! It makes sense if this is the original, but... why did he bring it?"

"I'm not sure, but when I think back, Uncle was being oddly protective of his luggage," Mary adds, squinting her eyes. "He didn't want us to go through the book without him, either."

Daniel thins his lips as he switches to her. "It sounds like something happened for him to bring the actual book with him. How is he, by the way?"

"We put him to bed in the guest room of my studio after he fell unconscious. Currently, I have my slime clone watching over him."

"Ready to give him a heart attack, then." Daniel snorts.

"Hey, give me some credit here!" Mary growls before sighing, closing her eyes. "I'm hoping he doesn't do anything stupid."

"You said he's part of a cult?"

Viviane hums. "Yes, although, we'll have to wait for him to elaborate. It's probably related to Isis given... well, what's here."

"No, that makes sense. The question is whether he actually believes in the goddess or not."

"I mean, I would if I saw this kind of fire every day," Mary raises. "But, knowing him and his attempts to study this book, he might have joined only to find answers. On that note, there's something else you should know."

Mary and Viviane explain Marlin's outing to a pub, likely associated with the cult, given the namesake cocktail that can be ordered. They explain the strange behavior of the bald man, and how nothing seemed to happen except for his sudden wake up.

Daniel lowers his gaze. "But in my case, I saw violet fire by Victor."

"Maybe that was just in your head?" Viviane suggests. "From your memories, I saw a little of Victor and the fire, but was blocked out you really went under."

Curling his lips from side to side, he finally shrugs. "It seems you'll have to ask him."

Although Daniel worries. It's not certain who the attackers of Lecia are, not even completely by Mike, but what if they are related to a cult?

And right now, they're holding a member.

He shakes his head, not wanting to think about it. Breathing out, he looks between the two. "So, what now? Did you find anything from the book?"

"Well, I feel something about the strange language that's written. Some pages show diagrams of a set-up, but I'm not sure what it says. It does resemble the letters that you saw in Anne's dream realm," Viviane explains.

Blinking, she catches the book by Daniel's side. "Is that Victor's book?"

"Oh, yes... here."

Handing it over to the elder slime, she peeks into it before slumping.

"Great..." she mutters.

Not that she expected much when having it in her hands, but like the library copy, the pages appear blank to her.

Undiscouraged, however, they all settle on the couch. For several minutes between the two girls, Daniel reads Marlin's book for the first time while being watched carefully by Mary for anything to happen. At the same time, Viviane focuses, brushing through each page of Victor's book at a brisk pace.

The Book of Isis might as well be blank for Daniel. Skimming least a quarter into the book, he can't make any sense of the contents before turning to Mary. "Nothing for you?"

She shakes her head, snorting. "All I can see the weird language scribbled about, but I haven't been stun-locked like I was young. I wish the stupid wizard would give us something already. I'd rather not go through this entire book that I can't even understand."

Daniel raises a brow. "Still, shouldn't we be more careful here?"

"How more careful can we be than trying to read? No risk, no reward, love."

"We don't know if there's a reward."

Smirking, Mary leans forward, pressing her chest to his arm. "How about we make one, then?"

"It's all fucking blank!" Viviane interrupts, throwing her hands up as she finishes the book, confirming there really wasn't anything she missed. "What sort of flaming magic is placed on all copies of one book for it to blank for me, then another for it to heal itself?"

Daniel chuckles weakly, putting the Book of Isis down on the coffee table. He pats his slime mother's knee while staring at the two books, considering the difference between them.

On one side, the Book of Isis's undamageable property makes it so that it can withstand time. It's clear it was meant to be received by Viviane and Mary in the future. On the other, Victor's book, "An Alternative Perspective on Egyptian Rites," was meant to spread around to be seen by all. For some reason, the pages are blank only for Viviane, but why?

There's nothing particularly special about the contents, and anybody can tell Viviane the details of Victor's interpretations, so what's the point of hiding it?

Daniel's brows rise. "What if... Victor's book has to be activated?"

The two girls perk up. "Activated?" they both repeat.

"I don't know about The Book of Isis, but Victor may have something for Mother." Daniel turns to said slime mother. "When he approached me, he knew you were special, warning me that you'd be embroiled in conflict among followers of Isis."

Viviane lowers her gaze, pursing her lips. "He could've approached me if he wanted to say something."

"But he didn't. Maybe he couldn't," Daniel suggests. "Back at the clinic, you were unaffected, while everyone on the staff forgot I was there. It's clear that between you and Lecia, he... I don't know, programmed something for you two."

Programmed might not be the best word, but he doesn't know how else the behaviors they've seen only affect select people.

The elder slime looks at the two books laid out in front of them. After a while, she leans back and groans.

"I get what you are saying, child, but... I have no clue what to do. Perhaps there's some magic I have to perform, but it's lost on me. When I look at The Book of Isis, I can sense that I should be able to do it, but that's it."

Mary runs a finger along her chin, narrowing her eyes. "Maybe say the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the text."

Viviane straightens and scoffs. "Why the hell would...You know what, sure."

She doesn't have any better ideas to juggle lost knowledge.

Shaking her head, she looks at a random page of Merlin's book with a diagram of sorts. Staring at the first character, she tilts to the side. "Uhh... J-jabba."

"The Hutt?" Mary questions, grinning.

If Viviane could blush, she would. For gaining creativity in art between Daniel and Mary, it doesn't translate to anything in coming up with words.

"Fine, you try it then!" she growls.

Mary gladly takes the book, staring at the page. "Hmmm...The first word probably means... Oh, my god! It's coming to me! I can feel it!"

"W-what?!" Viviane cries. "S-stop messing around!"

"It's..."

She returns to the two, staring with a dramatic shadow in her eyes. The air thins to the anticipation.

"Booba."

"..."

The slime mother and son stare unimpressed, pushing Mary to snicker before bursting out laughing with her own immature joke.

"Jeez, you two are so uptight! Relax, relax!"

Viviane rolls her eyes. "Anyway, it looks like we might need to have Marlin's help or...!"

Gasping, she snaps to Daniel. "Wait, Lecia and the others might have figured it out with the book they hold, right? The one that summoned us."

The artist grimaces. "For sure. Another reason that I have to consider Mike's offer to take their support... or at least, that's if they don't see us as a problem when they learn the truth."

"Hmm... What did Rachel say about it?"

Daniel shuts his eyes. "She wouldn't trust anyone either now, but she said that rather than trust her word, trust the situation. I'm going to reserve judgment until tomorrow, but the biggest thing I learned was that Lecia and the others hasn't performed any magic except what summoned you. They probably know more than us, but..."

"...they're no Victor or Merlin," Viviane finishes, unsure whether to be relieved or not. "If we can't rely on them or Marlin, then we'd have to rely on ourselves as we've done."

Daniel hesitates. "What about looking into your dream realm?"

The room shifts silently, but Daniel pushes through. "I mean, if Mary had an entirely different world available after bonding with her clone, then I would assume that you have your own."

Holding herself for a few seconds, Viviane finally sighs, nodding. "Yes, I likely have my own realm."

"I'm not saying we try going in tonight," Daniel adds. "I understand you're afraid what you'll—"

"No, let's do it," Viviane cuts, her eyes firming up toward the surprised artists. "It's long overdue anyway. With the way things are going now, it's best not to delay if there's a chance we can figure out something."

"Mother..."

Swallowing, both excited and nervous, Mary raises a hand. "Okay, but we have some time before going to sleep. We've all had dinner, right?"

Daniel flinches. "Y-yes?"

Mary flashes a wicked smile. "Hehe... You know exactly where I'm going with this. Mummy and Mommy need to feed our baby before bed. Don't be fussy now~"

She slides off her shirt, revealing her larger, dark chest in her newly sized bra that was purchased during yesterday's shopping. Nearly the same as both of his slime mothers, he draws to them without thinking.

"It's time for booba, love~" she sings.

"Hold on!" Viviane huffs, tugging Daniel back to her. "We have two magic books in front of us! How can you tempt our child at a time like this?"

Without misstep, Mary snorts, unclasping her bra. "You're better off looking through my uncle's book to see if recognize anything or find any hidden wizardly messages. What can we do while we wait?"

"Y-you... How about you read Victor's book and see if there's anything. How do you know there won't be a surprise for you?"

"Ugh, I doubt it, but I'll multitask." Straightening, Mary pats her lap with an eager jiggle to her chest. She smiles warmly to her beet-red and struck boyfriend. "Come on, love. Come to Mummy~"

Although Daniel thought he'd be getting used to it, he groans. "Mary, can you maybe tone down a little for tonight?"

She closes her eyes to a smile. "No."

After some silence passes, Daniel drops his head.

'What was I expecting?' he asks himself, his lips stationed crookedly. Breathing in slowly, he turns around to face the couch before angling across her lap.

Ready, Mary catches him by the crook of her arm, her warm giggles vibrating through him as she leans forward, briefly smothering him to grab Victor's book on the table. Before any milk can be drawn, she adjusts herself, swapping the book to her hand above Daniel's head and supporting arm.

Viviane puffs up. "Hey, I can study and help just as well!"

Her determined gaze rests on her son as she pats his thigh. "Relax your legs, child. Mommy will help you down there too."

Daniel quivers. "On second thought, maybe we shouldn't...mmph! Mmph..."

By the second muffled moan, Daniel doesn't bother anymore, shuffling as needed across Viviane's lap while Mary plants his mouth into her left breast with a knowing grin. This is for the best, as his length is spread more evenly across the couch.

He suckles, drawing in Mary's sweet nectar while she rubs his back with a purr. Further down, Viviane slides off his pants and underwear, adding a cool bed to the inevitable heat that will rise.

"Hehe~"

The elder slime rubs his legs with a loving smile, sending shivers down her son's spine. After a few tickles along his skin, she picks up the second magic book to continue her push through the pages. Her free hand digs into her son's loins, encouraging his suckles.

Among all the trouble that lies before them, Daniel can't be bothered to think about them right now as he melts into their care.

Chapter 112: Catching Up To Death

Chapter Text

[Mary's Apartment]

Suckle...Slurp...!

Mary bites her lips. "Mmgh...Ngh...E-easy, love. Mummy can't focus on this boring book if you lick like that."

Even so, Daniel can't stop his momentum, breathing hard as he takes in as much of his girlfriend's flesh. He's already lost track of time, buried in his counterpart, her sweet, warm milk lacing his tongue. With each swallow, his head grows fuzzier.

"Mary... Mum," he interchanges between breaths and kisses to her nipples.

The ebony artist's eyes soften. "Oh, love."

The warmth in her British tone only spurs him along. Despite the rising arousal in the female artist, it's impressive enough that she's maintained her hold on Victor's book this long.

To say she was effectively reading is another matter.

Down the couch, Viviane studies the Book of Isis they got from Marlin's suitcase. While going through the series of symbols and letters that hold magical importance of flaming proportions, she holds her son's bottom half on top of her lap. Previously, she rubbed him off, but after the first ejaculation, she has since stripped and shifted over to envelop his groin into her gooey abdomen so that he doesn't make a mess of the books. The added benefit is that she can hug his wiggling butt closer to her as he thrusts into her mass.

Splack...splack!

Her body ripples with each thrust, but she remains collected, eyes scanning across pages. Although frustrated as none of the pages has brought any revelation, she gains some mental satisfaction to hear her child enjoying himself.

Thus, enveloped on both ends in an environment of contemplation and reading, Daniel dances to his mothers' casual grip on him.

"Ngh!"

With one last thrust, he cums again, ejecting into the elder slime's cool gelatinous mass. Perking, Viviane tightens her hold, pressing his crotch deeper into her.

She glances away from the book for a moment to smile. "That's it, my child; let it all out into me."

"Mo...ther..." He croaks within the dark valleys of his girlfriend.

Eventually, Daniel goes limp, unlatching from Mary's breast to breathe. In turn, she relaxes her hold to give him more room. Her brown eyes twinkle at the spill of milk on the corner of his lips. Lifting her hand from his side, she doesn't miss the opportunity to thread to his cheek, swiping away the cute mess.

Daniel barely registers, only closing his eyes while his heart calms down. "Haa... Fuck, I'm going to die."

"No, you're not," Mary counters plainly, her freed nipple dribbling a little before him. She slides the book out of her holding hand onto the sofa's armrest to properly support her boyfriend's head before rubbing his chest with the other. "Stop acting like an old man, love. You've cummed, like, five times, I think? Do you realize how incredibly lucky you are?"

Said lucky guy reopens his eyes to Mary before snorting. "Yes, Mum."

Narrowing her eyes, Mary can't tell if he's being genuine or mocking. Regardless, she tilts her chin and clears her throat.

"Well, anyway, I've read enough of this book. Honestly, I'm not sure if I see the point. With all that is happening, it sounds like you're going to eventually have to talk to Rose anyway. Won't it be better to get the important bits out of her instead?"

"Maybe. If it helps, she mentioned liking his talk about Druids."

"Druids?" Before Mary might question, she shakes her head. "I'm nowhere near that part, but even then, it would probably be best to hear from her side, given how she's connected to all of this."

Daniel sighs. "You're not wrong. I wanted to avoid it, but there's too much to her. Apparently, Rachel told me that Rose had a disagreement with Lecia about the book she dug up. She's the only one that departed from the group."

Viviane switches away from her book for a moment, raising her brows. "Why?"

"Rachel wasn't there when it happened, so she couldn't tell me. Depending on how things go, I might bring her up to Mike tomorrow if he knows more, but... I guess we'll see."

"That's telling though," Mary adds, humming. "Considering she's someone you've said studied under Victor and was around Layna, she must know something."

"It seems that way. The problem is, she's not keen on getting wrapped up again with Lecia or what's happening, but with the attack, I'm not sure how she can avoid it or any of us, for that matter."

Thinning her lips for a moment, Viviane rubs his thigh and places the book on the coffee table in front of them. "Child, while we should take it seriously, let's not drain ourselves with possibilities. Right now, it's more important that you get some rest."

Daniel breathes out slowly. "Will I get any rest once we go into your realm?"

"To be fair, I haven't felt like I was awake all night when we enter these dream worlds," Mary notes.

"True," Daniel admits, twisting his lips. Pivoting, he glances over to Viviane down the length of him.

"What about you? Anything enlightening from the book?"

The elder slime shakes her head sadly. "Nothing so far. It's quite annoying when these symbols speak to me somehow."

Mary gasps. "That doesn't sound like nothing. I want to hear the voices too!"

Viviane drops her head. "You know well what I mean."

While Mary titters, Viviane removes Daniel's cock inside of her, escaping out nice and clean. With it, he uses the chance to push off the two and readjust himself on the couch.

"That reminds me," Daniel begins. "When Mom and I merged and woke up after encountering Merlin, our thoughts ended up remaining separate, even though neither of us had full control over the fusion."

"What?!"

Shouting in sync, both girls snap closer to him, their eyes wide. Mary is the first to grab his shoulders. "Why haven't you mentioned this until now? That means when your mother was talking to Danne this morning, you two were conversing behind the scenes?"

Daniel blinks a few times. "Y-yes? Sorry, it was just a detail that I figured could wait. I don't know if it was because of the wine from our...ahem, excursion. Maybe Merlin did something within the Stonehenge memory we were at."

Viviane's brows knit. "Regardless, I'm due to see what you and Anne experienced over there. Not only could that help me remember more of the past, but I wouldn't mind merging with you again if it means we're not simply lost as one."

Daniel slumps, groaning. "Mom was also eager to merge because of that, but let's not get too excited about it. It could've been just a one-time thing."

None of that discourages Viviane as she leans forward. "There's only one way to find out. Will you join with Mommy?"

Daniel flushes but steadies himself. "S-sure, but..."

He looks away, rubbing his neck. "To be honest, I... I'd rather not be mentally one for too long. It feels strange for me as the only guy."

Viviane smirks. "Ah, but you don't mind becoming physically one like we've done, right?"

Her son coughs, not saying anything.

"Well, I agree!" Mary huffs. "It's better to have us fellow mothers come together to hold our lovely baby, not become him. Not that I have anything against Vida, but I'd prefer to swing toward you, love."

She pauses, then squints as she considers her slime clone at the studio. "Although, since I do have a slime version of myself, it would be interesting to merge with you. Of course, it wouldn't be me, me, but still..."

"Okay, I think it's time to move on," Daniel hurriedly declares, unwilling to imagine another fusion with his girlfriend.

Standing up, he turns to Viviane. "Ready, Mother?"

Smiling, Viviane hums and rises. "Of course, child. Come here~"

She opens her arms for him, her silver eyes expecting and her body loosening as her goo begins dragging down her human form. What remains solid is her gaze, speaking to Daniel like a mother would to her child.

Daniel gulps, drawing closer. He shivers as soon as her large chest squishes against his own, some parts seeping into him in preparation of their third joining.

Although he just came, his cock decides to harden again.

"Goodness, you naughty child," Viviane coos, glancing down as his meat poking her thighs. "You really can't help it, can you?"

"Apparently, I can't," Daniel answers resignedly, sliding his hands down her hips as she does to him.

"Hehe, it's okay. Mommy will take care of it as I have. Let me just... There!"

Shplack!

Daniel inhales sharply, having little time to prepare as his slime mother mashes her hips forward. In a swoop, she splatters across his crotch and legs, starting her engulfment from bottom-up. Yet, beyond the initial force, her slithering goo blankets his cock with care, gently massaging him in.

"M-mother...Oh, fuck..."

Viviane hushes him, drawing him closer with a kiss. As she seals him, he moans into her collapsing mouth cavity before her face melts across his. Behind, he feels her sticky hands thin across his back, starting the job as his new skin. With so much building upon him, Daniel closes his eyes and tries to relax. Soon, they become less defined as she spills into his very being, sending shivers and tingles all around him.

He feels her...and she feels him.

"Mmm...Moooah..."

Thus, the slime mother and son groan in sync, hugging each other, never wanting it to end. They twitch as they mold to their previously agreed appearance as Vida.

Mary watches intensely, her heart squeezed with some jealousy but mostly arousal. She shuffles her legs with the slightest leak.

'Dear god, I'm really done if I enjoy watching this,' Mary thinks, swallowing. Knowing how it feels to share one of the slime mothers, to share the emotions and love, it's simply addicting.

However, the biggest part of the joining completely is the merging of consciousness and memories. As Viviane finishes layering over her son, she saves that for last, wondering how she'll fare to the eye-opening experiences Daniel gathered today.

Most of all, his and Anne's discovery of the memory between Merlin and Nimue. To that end, Viviane jiggles comfortably around her child and dives in.

Shlick!

Their body solidifies slowly as the memories flow with no specific order...

"As a remnant of Isis, the last thing we need is for the current you to be worshiped."

"It's interesting that you mention stars, though, because they're part of history too! For example, ancient Egyptians believed that their pharaohs became stars after death. It's fascinating how they try to immortalize their rulers."

"When he was fine enough to go back to the guest room, I gave him a wooden spoon and told him that if he ever was woken up by thunder, he should hold up the spoon tightly so that he might accumulate enough power to become a wizard!"

"Let's drop the pretense, Daniel. Even if you say you're not involved with the 'accident', Lecia believed you to know more than you led on. You should've already known from Rachel that your mother's grave was scanned by Sights Open and found empty."

"You're...actually Amy...right, Anne?"

"Bullshit?! A form of my mother comes back to me, and I'm supposed to risk revealing her? I will damn lie to anybody about this!"

"Is that why you advise Uther Pendragon? That pathetic king is far from right."

"I don't know when or why yet, but the lady you saw — that I respect and love — will eventually undergo a change due to the greed of others. I can't tell her any of this in fear she'll bring about the change that will flood humanity earlier — connecting us all together in a sea of flames."

"I had to protect her."

...

"I couldn't protect him."

"I couldn't protect him."

"I couldn't protect him."

"I couldn't protect him."

"I couldn't—"

"Viviane..."

A call from darkness cuts through the whirlpool of memories before she breathed her last.

And began anew.

The elder slime opens her eyes to wooden logs lining the ceiling of some sort of... cabin. A howling wind brushes the boards causing the shelter to cry out in creaks.

She seems to be in a bed, but who called to her from this memory?

With a grunt, she tries to turn her head, but remains frozen without peep spilling from her lips. Her locked state seems similar to when she experienced her rescue as a baby by Nimue; however, unlike that memory, she remains herself rather than viewing as part of a union.

'That voice...sounded like Nimue?' she thinks, letting the memory play out.

A step against the wood floors finally pulls her attention, and soon, her head turns on its own to find her guess correct. There, the first lady of the lake and her blue eyes shine mournfully while drawing a sad smile. Strands of her dark hair flow around her simple white gown as she leans forward, placing a hand to her cheek.

"Are you okay, child?"

Viviane feels herself furrow before her lips open outside of her control. "M-mother? Where am I? Something is... wrong."

Considering she can talk, she's not a baby at least.

However, her disassociated voice sounds a little younger and... welsh? For the times, it makes sense; however, she doesn't understand how she came to lose such an accent. That's hardly the biggest problem, though. Without carrying a single heartbeat or the cool touch of her guardian, Viviane can immediately tell she's lost something much bigger at this moment.

The lady of the lake leans forward, sliding her hand away. She hesitates for a while before shutting her eyes.

"You died."

Chapter 113: Viviane's Rebirth

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[ Memory - Unknown Cabin - 5th Century ]

"You died."

The declaration hangs in the air, a strange truth made worse by the gust of wind echoing around the cabin after Nimue's words. Naturally, her past self recoils, but the present Viviane knows exactly where this is going.

'Ah. This must be it, then,' the observing Viviane muses, taking in the scene through the disoriented eyes of her younger self.

A strained chuckle was all her past could manage as she slowly pushes herself upright from the bed. "That's silly, Mother! Enough with the games, where is this place?"

Nimue lowers her gaze, her bangs shadowing a growing upset. "You don't remember anything?"

The young Viviane flinches to her tense tone. "Mother?"

]"Right now, you're in my home — a sanctuary where I can ignore the matters of men and their shaky rulers... at least, until now."

Lifting her gaze to Viviane, pain creases around her eyes as she continues. "Now, why do you think you were brought to me?"

The candle lights flicker as the air weighs down between them.

Viviane swallows.

"I was... training with Arthur after finishing my scribing with Merlin," she answers, lowering her head as she thinks back. "After that...!"

Eyes widening, she snaps back to her guardian. "We were attacked! I think it was... yes, a group of Saxons had infiltrated somehow. Arthur and I tried to take up arms, but then... I don't know, it happened all so fast."

"You were struck while protecting him, my dear," Nimue answers, a deeply seated anger rising from her throat, stunning the girl.

"W...what?"

Growling, Nimue collapses a hand over Viviane's own. "I should've never left you with Merlin. He promised me he would protect you, and look what happened!"

"N-no, please, what do you mean?" Viviane begs, straightening. "If I died, how am I here with you?"

Nimue's face relaxes as anger turns into regret, twisting the enchantress' beauty. She hesitates for a few seconds before shutting her eyes.

"Because I gave you a part of myself as you were dying."

The wind howls again, its chill freezing Viviane. Her gaze loses focus, only now recognizing how distant her environment has become. From the cabin's air, stirred by whispers from the breaths outside, to the glow of the candlelights, her surroundings fail to bring any sense of warmth or stimulation.

But the worst of it all, the cool touch of her beloved caretaker's hands on top of hers?

Dull.

She stares blankly ahead, registering the sensations that now avoid her. Her only comfort is the sight of Nimue and her voice, but the diminished reaction to life sends a frightening jolt through her.

"A...ah...!"

Viviane shakes, pulling her hands away from Nimue and frantically placing one to her chest. If it wasn't clear before, the lack of any beating within her finally nails it in. With it, she lifts her other hand into view, an intuition of control feeding through her fear. Wishing it isn't so, the pigment of her hands nonetheless fades to her will, revealing a blue, gelatinous surface.

She died as a human.

At the same time...

'Wait, I was blue to begin with?!' the present Viviane cries behind the wavering eyes of her past self.

It might be good that she's simply an invisible observer, lest she completely undermine the terror welling inside her younger self. Viviane thought she had lost her silver base as a consequence of exiting through Anne, but was she mistaken?

Regardless, she watches, feeling the panic of this past moment spread through her. She half-expects herself to scream about now, but Nimue wraps her close, her hand tight against the back of Viviane's head.

"What else could I do?" Nimue stresses, her voice a crack. "When Merlin brought you to me, there was little time. It was either let you pass on or..."

"Turn me into a remnant," Viviane finishes ghastly. She stares past Nimue's shoulder before narrowing. "W-why? Merlin would've never agreed to—"

"He did. I would've never forgiven him otherwise if I didn't get the chance to see you, to have you taken away from me like the ones before."

"He...did?"

Nimue pulls away, thinning her lips. "It might not look it, but he treasures you just as much as I do." She shuts her eyes. "So, please, don't give up."

Viviane's face creases, lips burning with confusion and fear. Not knowing what else to do, she tightens her hold against Nimue. "I... I can't feel you anymore."

"I know."

"I'm scared. Will I live forever like you?"

"Possibly."

"But you didn't have to do anything. I wouldn't have been sad if you let me..."

"Stop," Nimue demands, clenching her teeth. "I know the risks of adding a remnant to the world, so I've always held back watching many of my children reach the end of their natural life, but you... it's too soon. You've struggled to the end while carrying more life than anyone I've seen in decades. The name I gave you isn't just for show."

"Mother..."

Nimue smiles weakly, cupping Viviane's pale cheeks. "I know it won't make up for my failures. You can blame me for turning you into something horrible, but even so, I want to see you grow just like the child I raised before you."

"O-oh..." Viviane holds back a choke. Although unsure how to feel at this moment of her transformation, she leans into her guardian to calm herself.

They separate after some silence. "W...who was the child you took in before?" Viviane asks.

A bitter smile laces the enchantress' face. "A boy named Lancelot."

"Lancelot? Then... my brother?"

Taken aback, Nimue raises a brow. "I suppose you could say that, but then you would have many brothers and sisters spread across time. Even Merlin would be considered your brother."

"Ugh!" Viviane visibly winces before glancing away. "N-nevermind then."

Nimue suppresses herself from laughing. While the mood improves between them, she can't stop her lips from bowing down as she remembers him.

The light in her eyes fade. "Up to when he came to me in a basket, evading all that would've destroyed him, in the end I... I couldn't protect him."

There it was — a small sentence of the past that echoed through the current Viviane, starting from Anne. This time, there's no mistaking the pain and voice of the mother it belonged to.

'Then, the basket I saw floating repeatedly in my prison...'

Was she experiencing Nimue's regrets this whole time?

Before the current Viviane can consider this development, her thoughts are broken to another hug. With it, her view fades to dark as she's enveloped by that of a mother rather than an enchantress.

"So please, forgive me, child," Nimue whispers. "Forgive me for being so selfish and wanting you to live."

Existing to modern day, Viviane clearly didn't have much of a choice but to live. She's not sure if she can forgive, having experienced her later imprisonment where death would've been better; however, the maternal care she sees resonates all too deeply for her.

More than forgive, she wants to move on and hold Daniel again.

Just as she was Nimue's child, he is her child. Extending Amy, she can't feel grateful enough that she was able to carry through the astronomer's love, to find solace in him and others beside her.

'But I don't understand, how could this woman...no, my Mother, be a threat that Merlin feared?' she wonders.

She won't get any answers as the memory fades away, but Viviane hopes more will come from within her. For now, she focuses on an artistic child who has become her anchor in this life.

Her love.

She hopes that, whatever happens by her existence, she can live to see the next day, providing the same or better love than Nimue and Amy showed.

...

..

.

"Vida? Vida?"

[ Mary's Apartment ]

Opening her eyes, said fusion inhales silently. "She" blinks a few times, returning to her true surroundings.

In front of her, squeezing herself on the couch, Mary smiles crookedly, a small relief guiding her lips.

"How do you feel, love? Any sort of stimulation that knocked some lost memories out?"

Taking a moment to appreciate the cool air of the air conditioning, she clears herself. "Ah, unexpectedly, a big one, but I don't have to explain since it's your turn now."

Mary wiggles her lips. "Oh? You're going to transfer to me so soon?"

Vida hums, drawing closer. "Yes. You don't mind if we cut to the chase?"

Standing up, the ebony artist cocks her head. "I don't, but... why the hurry?"

Vida snorts, her lips lifting with gratitude in her eyes as maternal love fills her. "You'll understand shortly, but right now, I want to hold our child...er, I want to hold me...no, that's not right, either. See, I knew I'd feel weird about this."

Seeing the hybrid grow flustered, Mary giggles, her eyes softening. "Oh, love, come here~"

She lifts her arms out half-way before pausing. "Wait, before that, can you hear voices in your head?"

Vida blinks and tilts her head to the side. "Um...no? Honestly, Daniel and Anne were practically invisible to Danne, even though they could speak and try to influence. I have no idea if that's happening right now."

Sadly, nothing is happening in Vida's head. Just like previous fusions, Daniel and Viviane haven't retained their individual subconsciousness.

Mary sighs. "Bummer." After straightening, she motions with her hands and big grin. "Well, I don't mind losing myself if it's for you, love. Come, come! Give Mummy all of you~"

Vida hesitates. "Actually, now I'm having second thoughts."

"And there's the Daniel speaking!" Mary growls. "Suppress him, suppress him!"

The fusion feigns a gasp, turning away. "H-how can I suppress him? I love him...er, me."

"Gah, I can't even... Then, stop delaying and take me so we can love him properly!"

"Alright, alright," Vida gives, sighing. She steps forward, entering Mary's arms, their chests squishing together as they wrap close.

When they're just a breath apart, they lock into each other's eyes. Vida feels conflicted, wanting nothing more to enjoy Mary in this form, yet more for Daniel than herself.

She can't have both.

So, she dives in, pressing her lips against the sweet artist. "Mmm..."

Humming into each other's mouths, they enjoy each other as long as they can before Vida inevitably loosens.

Splorsh!

"Mmpgh!" Mary moans into the fusion, feeling the slime layer spread. She shudders as the goo snakes around, sinking into her cells like water seeping into sands from an ocean.

She squeezes the fusion tighter, wanting more of this wave that envelops her. "Love...Mmm..."

Their tongues draw on each other, adding slurping noises to the movement of the slime. Slowly, but surely, the two are cocooned together, bound by their love.

"Mmmmrooogh....Oooaoah..."

They squirm, moaning in sync. Memories exchange between them as the slime connects both of them, but as a result, a dangerous thought passes.

Couldn't they join and be one like this? Who would they be?

They consider it, their minds growing foggier the longer they let the idea stir... stir them.

Splack!

However, a cooler mind prevails from Daniel, regaining some consciousness to stretch away from the cocoon.

"Holy fuck!" he shouts in his first breath, stumbling out of the slime.

Like that, Viviane and Mary come to their senses and allow Daniel free, letting him slip away as they continue molding together to become Mavi.

"Uwooh..."

The covered Mary and Viviane groan together in a blob-shaped human before the latter thins out across Mary's twitching surface. Before long, Mavi's features are crafted in a single ripple.

Daniel holds himself, watching Mavi's brown eyes come through among her long dark hair, carrying a patch of silver among her bangs. Once solid enough, the fusion smiles weakly.

"Well, that was... a little dangerous," she notes, flushing a bit.

Lowering his gaze, Daniel closes his eyes and coughs. "Yeah, um, it was. I guess we should separate before doing any transfer."

"But you had to admit it was exciting, right?" Mavi suggests meekly, stepping forward with warmth in her eyes. "I don't know if Nimue was in the right, but seeing how much she cares for Viviane, I feel like I need to cherish you more, love."

"I'm over-cherished, if anything," Daniel maintains. There is an urge to step back from her approach, but he resists it and allows her to hug him close.

His cock throbs as her large chest jiggles against him.

"You know Mummy's answer to that," Mavi counters, narrowing her eyes slyly.

Daniel snorts, sighing. "Yes, I do."

He wraps her close, and they lean into each other again, continuing their previous connection but without the risk of their minds swirling together. As moans resume filling the room, they make their way to the bedroom for what would be quite the physical and ethereal journey.

Notes:

Just as a reminder, higher res illustrations and extras can be seen on my DeviantArt (Censored), Pixiv (Less Censored), and Itaku (Uncensored). Consider following!

Outside of that, I'm trying to push chapter twice a week now that I only have work to contend with. We'll see how that goes.

Chapter 114: Fleeting Warmth

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Ah, love!"

The bed creaks.

Breaths exchange.

Daniel thrusts forward, pressed against the fusion mother, Mavi, whose slime-enhanced skin allows her to take her baby's desires with ease. That's nothing to say of the pleasure crashing over her as she tightens her hold against his cock, both the underlying Mary and Viviane working in perfect unison against him.

Indeed, he shudders to their warm, squishy body, his mouth collapsed over Mavi's even softer breast as she holds him. She gently brushes the back of his head in contrast to his unending drag against her inner walls below. With each push, his tongue swirls against the maternal milk that ejects for him in rhythm.

It's strange. Even though he nursed from Mary earlier, the milk does taste a little different with Viviane lining her; a little fruity, perhaps.

"Oh, love, you're so deep... so close, I can feel it~"

Mavi can literally feel him, her vaginal walls extending out with slime and connecting to the nerves of his cock, almost like a taste each time he hits close to her base. Of course, this cycles backs to him, increasing his momentum.

Yet, despite being lost in pleasure, somehow Anne's troubling words come to mind.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure neither Viviane nor I can have kids, so it's up to you two humans to paint some kids of your own so we can have grandkids!"

He pauses suddenly, sweating more than before. Besides Mary's decision, how can Anne be sure about themselves? He's cum in them many times, and although wanting to assure himself of their dissolving nature, can it be guaranteed?

"A-aanh!"

Mavi's sweet moan pierces through his doubts while her walls tighten around him. Knowing it's too late to second-guess his actions so far, he unlatches weakly, moaning. "Mum, I'm...!"

"Yes, I know! Cum in Mummy!"

She presses his face back into her breast and wraps her legs around, gripping with such vice. Daniel stands no chance, his eyes blanking as he stares into Mavi's warm, needy brown eyes.

Splurt... Splurt...

'God, I can't even hold it back...' Daniel groans, his body twitching as he pumps into her.

Quivering and whimpering, Mavi breathes out shakily as the cum dissolves thanks to the slime layer. Slowly, she eases into bliss with her son, leaning her head forward to plant kisses across his forehead.

Daniel closes his eyes to the affection.

"Muah, good boy... muah. I love you so much, Daniel."

"I...love you too."

For a few minutes, they relax into each other's hold. Mavi helps with Daniel's sweat along his back, spreading her hand and extending slime from her fingertips to absorb all the moisture while he suckles more gently, hydrating away his exertions.

"Love?" Mavi calls as she finishes. She slides her hand to his side. "I've thought of something."

"Hm?"

"The cabin that Viviane found herself in, I think that might be the same one Mary saw in the forest of her dream."

Daniel snaps his eyes open at her, raising his brows. He was synced up with what Mary saw during their fusion transfer, so he understands exactly what his hybrid mother is talking about.

"Are you sure?" he asks, unlatching.

"No, but it is a feeling," Mavi answers, moving her hand back to her baby's head and shuffling her digits through his hair.

"Then it's probably correct," Daniel supports. "It's unfortunate Mother didn't get to see outside."

"Did you feel weird? Unlike before, where we saw memories as one, it was just Viviane."

"It is strange how that memory didn't involve us as Vida, but maybe we weren't completely connected during the merge...or..."

"Or...?"

"Well, this was after she lost her human form. I don't know how she 'died' in the fight against the Saxons, but that could be related. In any case, I'd rather not look into it deeply before we see what she has in store when we sleep."

Mavi leans back and hums, staring at the ceiling. "Sorry, but her whole situation makes me wonder. Mary's clone is right now at the studio, and she's a copy that was produced by Anne. If she and Mary were to be joined while real Mary died while joined, do you think... that's what happened with your Mother?"

Daniel blinks, finding a hint of tremor in Mavi's eyes. It becomes clear that most of this hypothetical comes from an influence to his elder slime mother. Mary also probably shares some worry as the closest case to continue after death.

If there's no way to reabsorb the clone, then theoretically, Mary would live forever as a remnant.

And they know, according to Merlin, that being a remnant implies a connection to Isis, which in turn becomes a key to this Flood or "sea of flames", as the wizard called it.

Currently, Daniel doesn't want to think about any of those things. He squeezes her, smiling. "Mum, I know what you're thinking. To me, though, you're... you. That goes for Mary, Mother, and Mom. If Mother died and came back as a slime, it doesn't make her any less to me. The same goes if Mary's clone is here to stay and beyond, then... she's no less Mary either."

Tears well inside Mavi's eyes, emotions shared by the two that make up her. Cupping her son's cheeks, she gazes warmly.

"Love, thank you."

Daniel spills out of the nest to meet her, locking lips and breathing in between kisses.

After several exchanges, Mavi sighs and allows the tears to dry up. "You can be so good with words, you know?"

"I'm just saying what I feel," Daniel excuses, looking away.

"Hehe, and I appreciate it," Mavi whispers, patting his head. "Before we sleep together into this potential realm, can we... try something?"

Daniel flinches, his eyes locked away.

'Oh... oh no.'

Mavi pulls up a little and waves her hands, recognizing the horror on her baby's face. "It's something that you and Anne have already done! While we've enveloped you many times, I want to do a proper hold of you as my baby."

The artist remains solid before furrowing his brows, returning to her. "You mean the false pregnancy?"

"Y-yes, can we do it? I have to cover you anyway, so does it really matter how?"

Daniel exhales slowly and takes a few seconds for his heart to calm down. "I get it's symbolic, but it's just going to be like how I woke up inside Marianne."

Mavi pouts. "Hey, don't try to downplay! Honestly, representing your second and third mother here, I say it's downright awful that none of us has carried you like your Mama has."

"Haa... Yes, sorry," Daniel says, raising his hands lightly as he sits up. "So, what do you want me to do?"

Appreciating the flexibility, the hybrid slime mother also sits up straight across from Daniel, her eyes glowing with love and anticipation. She extends her arms out, and then...

Splick!

Her slimy layer that comes from Viviane opens up below her chest, revealing Mary's darker skin. The goo around wiggles in excitement while Mary motions with her fingers.

 

"Obviously, you have to come to Mummy and cuddle in with her~"

"This is so cursed," Daniel flatly remarks. Yet, it could be worse, so he doesn't complain further as he draws closer.

Mavi harrumphs. "Hey, it's the end result that matter! You'll be all tucked in and rounded about in no time!"

Daniel snorts, sliding between her arms. She hugs him close to her chest, allowing her slime to wrap around him.

"Curl up a bit, love," she whispers.

He hums, closing his eyes as he shuffles into a fetal position. The slime wraps neatly flows around him, pulling his head in until his forehead is up against the upper part of Mary's stomach.

Before everything goes darker for him, he slides a few kisses against Mary's skin.

"A-ah! He...hehe, n-none of that! It tickles~"

The slime around him ripples in protest, so Daniel chuckles, retreating. "Just don't make any sudden movements, okay?"

Mavi hums. Soon, the surrounding layer completes, and when the slime dyes itself, light ceases to reach Daniel's eyes.

Outside, Mavi rubs her ridiculous "belly" as she slumps down the headboard. Her eyes narrow with immense joy, recalling Amy's actual pregnancy with him. It would never be real like that, but it also doesn't have to be.

"Love, do you want to know something interesting?"

"Hm?"

"As I am right now, Viviane is extending Mary. If her mass pulls too far, then I stop feeling anything."

"Are you saying you can't feel me?" Daniel asks, his voice muffled but clear enough to make out.

"No, quite the opposite!" Mavi giggles, smoothing out the bulges, almost giving her baby a back massage. "I can feel you, your heartbeat, your breath."

"I think that's because I'm literally pressed against Mary's stomach."

Mavi thins her lips, shutting her eyes as the immersion is broken. "Well...okay, yes, but I can feel your back and my rubs. I'm not connecting to any part of you, yet it feels like you're within me. It's... difficult to describe."

"No worries. Not like I can see anything that can be described."

Sighing, Mavi shakes her head. "Babies really shouldn't be so witty early on."

They remain together like this in near harmony. It takes only a few minutes before Daniel feels his eyes droop being so close to his fusion mother, his body cushioned by gel, hearing Mary's heartbeat.

"Ah, wait! I just had an idea! Love, what if we brought the books with us?"

Daniel blinks a few times, trying to stay awake. "Huh?"

"Both you and I happen to discover we could actually sleep into a dream world with our clothes on, right? What about magical items?"

Daniel considers for a few seconds. "I don't know if we should, but... maybe the books will make better sense there?"

Or better trouble.

"Are you sure?"

Groaning, Daniel bites the bullet. "Sure, before I change my mind."

Straightening, Mavi grins. "Guess it's time to test my balance then!"

"Oh, no, you don't! Not this time!" Daniel firmly rejects, rustling within his slimy containment. "Either extend your arms with your slime to grab the damn books or let me out so you, or I can get them. It's one thing to be a slime, but I don't want to see Mary with her back broken for something as trivial as this!"

"Oh, come on!" Mavi whines. "It won't be a problem if I reinforce—"

"Please, Mum. I just don't want to see you, your parts, or I get hurt just so you can carry me around."

"Ugh... alright," Mavi gives, going with the former option. The slime around her left hand detaches from Mary's wrist, extending out the bedroom into the living room, where she's familiar enough with the placements of the room to maneuver blindly.

Sure enough, her goo appendage retracts with the books. As soon as they are in her hands, her rounded "belly" softens so she can stuff them in with her passenger.

Daniel finds the books lining his sides as he's cradled closer. Sighing, he shuts his eyes amid the darkness and heartbeat that reverberates around him.

Click!

Mavi nestles downward and extends another arm of goo to turn off the lights. She purrs, rubbing her baby with a rise of her lips.

"Let me know if you feel uncomfortable, love."

"Mmm..."

Taking his sleepy moan as a good sign, the fusion mother's eyes soften across the darkened outline of her form before her eyes drag down. She hugs her love closely as they draw into the night's sleep together.

The world slowly drifts into...

...

..

.

Nothing.

Viviane's eyes snap open, the warmth she shared with Mary and Daniel having disappeared. Instead, the air chills around her as a familiar fog spreads.

Her pupils shake, the mist choking her as she catches a vast lake still by her feet. With it, the gray waters carry an empty basket.

A basket that has haunted her for centuries.

She's back.

She's back to where it started.

And she screams.

Notes:

This illustration has an extended sequence! Check it out on DeviantArt, Pixiv, Itaku, or Aryion!

Chapter 115: Lady of the Lake

Chapter Text

[ Dream Realm - Viviane ]

"NO, NO, NO, NO!"

Viviane desperate denials pierce the thick air. Her knees buckle as her body collapses to the ground, partially degrading into its blue, gelatinous form. She shakes, hands twisting on top of her silver head as she tries to bend away from it all.

This place, a familiar, unwanted solitude, eats her as it has done for centuries. Although she wants to reject her presence within, she doesn't need a sense of touch to feel the prison she had been trapped in for the majority of her life, calling out to her like the devil.

How is it possible she's back here?

The surrounding fog chokes her while it dies the lake gray, taunting her with an empty basket always floats back, and worst of all, she can hear it again...

The wails of a small child, echoing from the distance.

Wasn't that just her past self calling out to her? She was saved by Nimue, so why does it keep calling?

Had she been living in a lie?

She holds fond memories of Daniel, Mary, and Anne, but her time on Earth seemed so short. Was it just a dream?

No, it couldn't be. The warmth had to be real, so what happened to it while she shared with Mary, holding their sweet child together in bed?

"P-please... Please... Don't let this be it... Don't let this be—"

"Mother!"

Viviane stops, inhaling. She doesn't care if she might be hearing things, her body solidifies instantly before she pushes off the ground.

She twists to the source. "Da—!"

Thankfully, he's already there, slamming into her back before she can fully turn, wrapping his arms around her with heavy breaths. In his momentum, Viviane stumbles forward, but they balance each other quickly. She stifles a sob, eyes narrowing with relief, as she claws over Daniel's hands on her waist.

"You're here... y-you're still here," she croaks.

Daniel shuts his eyes, recovering himself after his sprint. Taking a few more breaths, he nuzzles his face into her shoulders, squeezing her even closer.

"Yes, I'm here. It's okay... it's okay," he whispers.

He didn't have much time to think when he woke up, only separated some distance before he heard the elder slime's shriek. His heart throbbed, knowing how she would respond in such painful fog.

Viviane shivers, laughing dryly. "Yes, h-how silly of me to forget. This... this is just a bad dream."

Sadly, it's more than just a dream, but Daniel doesn't get technical. More than anything, he doesn't want her to forget her freedom, her new reality with them.

It does return to her as Viviane sighs, brushing his arm. "Oh, Daniel... My sweet child."

She rotates to him, slipping through his fingers thanks to her fluid form. In response, Daniel leans his head away from her shoulder, maintaining his hold across her waist while she moves to cup his cheek.

"J-just... let me connect with you for a little while. I need to make sure you're really here, okay?"

Daniel smiles weakly before nodding. Leaning forward, he presses gently into his slime mother's lips. Immediately, her goo connects to him, as does her hands gripping his back. She spills in micro-fashion around, inheriting his warmth. Needing it more than ever in this desolate gray world, her curves press against him, moaning into his cavity and hiding herself away from the surroundings.

Naked, Daniel's cock naturally revives, pressing against the elder slime's thigh. Her leg softens without question, engulfing his cock to compress against him further.

"Ooommgh..."

Groaning, Daniel tries to remain strong. Although he's become a pillar that Viviane relies on to move past her broken identity and loneliness, it doesn't mean they can ignore the past or surroundings.

His mother has to face this place.

After enough time passes, Daniel is about to break away, but...

"There you are! Okay, that's enough, you two!"

The elder slime snap-opens her eyes. Reluctantly, she pulls away, disconnecting from her child to meet Mary's approach. More relief washes through her to see the friend she was bonded to had come through.

"Mary..."

Smiling warmly, the artist receives her, burying her in the shoulder. "You okay, love?"

Viviane hums, closing her eyes as she hugs back her lovely host. "A little better now."

Mary's eyes drop. "It's my fault. I thought you'd have resolved yourself based on how we were feeling together."

The elder slime shakes her head, dipping away. "No, I thought I would be okay as well. I should have known that ending up here was a possibility, especially since you guys were surrounded by fog over in Anne's realm. I... I just hoped it would be even a little different from..."

Although left unsaid, Daniel understands, turning towards the water near them and narrowing his eyes. "So... this is the place, then."

Viviane hesitates before returning to the cursed waters as well. To her surprise, the basket had disappeared, and the baby's wailing had stopped.

Daniel had heard it as well. Glancing at her stunned silver eyes, he sighs. "Mother, if this is anything like what we saw, what haunts you will just reappear. I know it couldn't be helped, but it's important that you don't doubt what you have now," Daniel urges.

Shutting her eyes, Viviane lowers her head and clenches her hands. "You're right. I'm ashamed that I panicked so quickly."

"No, no, it's not like you were imprisoned for centuries or anything," Mary counters flatly, waving her hands. Switching to the lake, she huffs. "More importantly, how can this be the same place? I can't even imagine how that's possible, considering we're still out sleeping in the real world."

Viviane's forehead creases as she stares at the water with them. "I don't know how it all works, but this is definitely the same place. Everything from the shape of the lake to the ground is as I remember... or at least, from this angle, it is."

"Well, regardless of why, this is the first body of water we've seen in a fog," Daniel supports. "Within Mom, we didn't see any lake in the fog that appeared, although... there was a dried ditch that could've held water."

Mary groans. "Ugh, the one I fell in. Don't remind me about that." Straightening, she lifts to the sky, but the fog prohibits any visibility to know whether it's day or night.

She thins her lips. "Shame we can't see anything here. Do you think there's a magical tear above? There wasn't any in mine."

Daniel sighs. "Let's just focus on what we can see."

As they consider more of their surroundings, Viviane gasps, switching between everyone's hands. "Wait, what about the books? Did they come through?"

Daniel flinches. He was the closest to them within Mavi's "belly" but doesn't recall seeing anything on the ground. However, he also wasn't paying any attention, abandoning any awareness of his surroundings as soon as he heard his slime mother's cry.

"Shit," he mutters under his breath before knitting his brows. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention if they did. I only heard Mother as soon as I woke up and ran to her. I'm not sure how far I traveled, either."

"Well, I didn't see anything near me," Mary adds, but shrugs. "Look, it'll hard in this fog to find anything, so instead of looking for it, we should check out the lake in front of us. This has to be one of those memory lakes, right?"

"I would assume so," Daniel agrees, and turns his head to Viviane, who holds his arm with an anxious amount of jitter. "Mother, it'll be alright."

Viviane smiles weakly but lowers her gaze, trailing her fingers down to squeeze his hand. "I hope so, child, but I don't know if anything has changed. I've stared at the lake I was trapped against for centuries, but I never saw anything past the empty basket and wails."

"Something has changed, though," Daniel notes, chuckling. "You don't see or hear anything now, do you? And plus, we're here."

The elder slime widens her eyes for a second, lifting her gaze back to the lake and them. After staring for a moment, her eyes soften. "That's true."

Having resolved herself once more, Viviane draws closer with the two artists by her side. The sand softens their steps, filling the eerie silence of the fog. Indeed, it feels all too similar to be a coincidence.

The shape of the waters' edges.

The texture of the grains below.

She remains positive this is the same as her imprisonment, and yet, to Mary's point, it's also part of her domain. Is it possible to be trapped in one's self?

Viviane shelves these questions in her non-existent heart, hoping to find the reason for the solitude here. Upon the lake's shore, the three stare at its fill for the longest time. Daniel and Mary think of Viviane, believing it might conjure a wavy image, just as it did with other lakes.

Nothing happens.

The elder slime herself stares, but blank to it all. Instinctively, she senses a lack of belonging when she takes in the weak reflection of herself. Then again, she never held good feelings about it, so why should she feel any connection?

She furrows her brows. "Wait, what if..."

Daniel and Mary snap to the elder slime between them.

"Mother?" the former questions.

Silent, Viviane bends down and grazes the surface. She thinks back, recalling Nimue's words:

"Up to when he came to me in a basket, evading all that would've destroyed him, in the end I... I couldn't protect him."

The elder slime's pupils hold still to the visible range of the lake before them before inhaling silently.

"I see now... This lake was never mine."

The two artists raise their brows at the conclusion. Before either of them could ask what she means, a ripple grabs their attention...

Blub.

With water so frozen, it may as well be ice, nobody can overlook a change in its stillness. Both artists perk, leaning closer.

"Did you see that?" Daniel whispers.

"Yeah," Mary answers quietly, then knits her brows. "Why are we whispering?"

"I don't know, it feels kind of appropriate."

Is a memory coming into view? They all stare carefully, waiting for the nearby portion of the lake to speak to them as others had.

Sure enough, something is coming. A couple of meters before them, a swirling vortex of black and white churns against the water's surface.

Blub, blub...

Viviane's slowly rises back to a stand, her eyes widening in sync. Next to her, Mary wiggles her lips.

"H-hey, um..." she starts, unease gripping her voice. "Something seems different about—"

"Back, now!" Viviane's command abruptly rips through the air. Not waiting for them to register, her arms shoot out, shoving the two artists violently backward.

They stumble, breaths leaving them. There's no time to think as the area of ripple erupts, roaring out into a three-meter tower of force and pushing the nearby fog out. It sprays across the land, raining down more dressing than Viviane could've ever hoped to see within a familiar, dull containment.

Yet, amid the slow fall of the liquid pillar, a light shines through.

Viviane remains frozen in her outstretched form, staring it down as time slows. The light pulses, reflecting back growing intensity in her eyes amid the suspended droplets midair. Along the beacon, a silhouette forms behind the curtain of water that cascades down.

The figure doesn't wait, radiating forward in an explosive surge, bursting the water column open and spreading it further. From there, the source of the light follows from a glint flashing along the edge of a metal blade.

More blinding, however, is a lady bearing it, flowing along the water trailing her sword. Revealed among the thick fog, her dark hair swims forth, white gown floats, and blue eyes pierce as she streaks towards her audience.

Viviane can only stare as she is struck by the beauty that has come forth, both figuratively and very literally.

Splick!

The blade rings out before she can react. In a matter of milliseconds, Viviane's upper body floats upward while her bottom half stands, gooey strands stretching as it attempts to remain connected. She can hardly focus, her silver eyes immersed into the deeper blue ones of her attacker. It takes a quarter of a second further before Viviane registers the figure amid the droplets in the way.

Nimue.

The original Lady of the Lake, her caretaker, and remnant of Isis who saved her... transformed her. Viviane doesn't want to believe it, meeting her with more force than a memory had ever applied.

Possibly because this isn't a memory.

Viviane doesn't have time to process why her predecessor has charged them, nor how she exists within. She catches the dark-haired lady shifting her blue eyes towards Daniel after making her first cut.

Her body screams, jolted away from shock as her protective instincts flare. 'No!'

Molecular memory racing, Viviane's left arm lunges forward as her upper body descends. Her slime reattaches more quickly, preventing her from falling away.

Nimue's eyes briefly flicker, now recognizing the gooey nature of her counterpart. Although confused, her body moves on its own, sliding her sword vertically across her body, deflecting the shot of slimy appendage as it sharpens into a gelatinous, blue blade.

The sword cries out.

Viviane could've tried restraining Nimue from there, but retracts instead, only wanting attention to remain on her. She succeeds as her body is given time to snap back together while Nimue holds her guarded position, eyes locked to her silver counterpart once more.

The initial attack, counter, and defense happens in a total of about three seconds between the two lake dwellers. With no immediate follow up, time resumes naturally in their minds. By now, the water tower behind Nimue finishes crashing down, and the two artists had managed a few involuntary steps backwards from them, their faces draining as their lives had flashed before their eyes from the swiftness of Nimue's blade.

Nimue's glare sharpens as she adjusts the grip of her sword into a stance of observance. "You...?"

Viviane shifts her feet along the sand, her face gripped with many questions, but perhaps the most important one when attacked...

"Nimue... No, rather, it would be Mother, right?" she asks slowly. "You recognize me, don't you?"

The enchantress' pupils waver. For a moment, her stance loosens, as does her expression. "...C-can it be?"

Those are the eyes of a mother, no doubt.

Before hope can rise within Viviane, Nimue resumes her grip in a switch, her expression darkening.

"No!" she rejects, angling her blade. "I can't be swayed by another invading memory. You'll disappear in the end, like everything else here!"

Nimue jabs forward, pulling the blade to cut from the shoulder. Opposite, Viviane has no time to counter in words beforehand, so she meets the blade inwardly with her blade-arm, throwing it off. With her mother open, Viviane takes the chance to press forward.

"Please, stop! We're not...ah!"

Shlip!

However, Nimue backs up before the successor can reach, except, not in the way anticipated. For the first time, everyone witnesses her human form regress into a blue, gelatinous outline. She thins into an arch, flowing like a fountain until she's gained a few meters of distance.

It was known that the first Lady of the Lake had to be a slime, but to see full confirmation of her gelatinous constitution doesn't make it less surprising.

However, something else breaks Mary out of her stupor as Nimue reforms.

"Guys... Is it just me, or did I just see her sword turn into goo as well?"

"No, I saw it. Her gown, too," Daniel adds, sweat building behind his neck.

They can't even imagine the implications as Nimue silently raises the sword in front of her face, the glow of her blue eyes radiating off from the edges of the blade that is more than it appeared.

Truly, a sword that is forged from within.

"I won't allow this corruption," she declares.

Splick...splick!

And now, there are three of these swords along with three guardians to hold them. It took no time for two clones to split from the original, like walking out of a door. The bridges of slime thin quickly between them as they spread evenly, their faces equal in determination to clear out the intruders.

With the lake behind them, these "intruders" tense to the triple dangers, watching the fog swirl ominously around them.

Mary swallows slowly, smiling crookedly. "Well, fuck."

That was an understatement.

"Run, both of you! I don't care where, just get away!" Viviane orders, breaking forward and splitting off her own clone. As she has only ever developed herself to maintain one copy, she regrets not taking more time to push herself in solitude.

She can only do her best now, meeting the third Nimue to her left, while her clone tries to hold off the other two copies.

Left behind, Mary doesn't dawdle, twisting towards her artistic counterpart.

"Daniel, we should go!" Mary shouts, grabbing her boyfriend's hand. In turn, the artist reluctantly follows, his face creasing as they head into the direction he came from. Farther into the fog, it doesn't take long for them to fade, but he can hear metal and slime ringing as if they're still right next to them.

Daniel squeezes Mary's hand firmly. "Isn't there's something we can do?"

"Not if this Nimue doesn't listen to any reason! Damn it, maybe Merlin was right about fearing her. Worst case, we'll get kicked out of this dream!"

That's not the worst case, but neither wanted to imagine what would happen if they got hurt.

Maybe only ten meters away from the fighting, however, a high pitch whirling sound tears through the air.

"I won't allow any of you to taint this land!"

Nimue's voice echoes through their souls. Before they might look back, a long string of slime with a sharpened curved circular blade at the end crashes into the ground a meter in front of them, spreading the fog out in equal distance for them to see their feet again.

The artists' eyes bulge out as they break, forced to take in the odd weapon that is thrown like a sickle. None of them had ever seen the amount of power that could be mustered from a slime girl, much less a being of British mythology; however, seeing the synthesized metal heavy enough to embed itself into the ground while also being whisked sends them cold.

Crick... Cling!

In their horror, Nimue's show of adaptable weaponry breaks out of the ground with a crack and retracts swiftly into the fog behind them in a blur.

Forget the cold, it would send them crushed and dead.

"AAH!"

Marked by their screams, Mary and Daniel resume booking it faster than before, dread fueling their instincts as one or more clone draws upon them. They can't be bothered to check, only knowing that at least one must have slipped past Viviane.

The area booms around them, sand and dirt spraying against them as the heavy and slimy whips cut close, inching them towards a pain neither wants to take on, especially naked. With each swishing sound, their hearts skip, having no way to tell where the lake dweller might strike and if when they'd be hit.

"Fuck this! Let's just wake up now!" Mary screams, her eyes shut tightly.

"Just keep moving!" Daniel urges through his teeth, his jaw clenched.

"Leave them out of this!"

Viviane's demand echoes in the distance as more clashes louder. It would seem the slimes had moved closer as the impacts of the far-reaching bladed throws have stopped.

Regardless, the two artists wouldn't stop running.

"I'm... Haah, I'm losing it!" Mary begins, panting as her legs hit their first stumble.

Or at least, that was the idea.

Daniel squeezes Mary's hand tighter, trying to help her keep momentum. At the same time, he feels they're only delaying the inevitable when Viviane is facing difficulties behind them. Against a being that has no need to breathe and can form weapons, they're just prey.

It's no wonder how the cult members were massacred to save Viviane in that fateful memory.

"Gwak!"

To that end, Mary finally breaks, tripping to the ground with a familiar squawk. As her hand slips away, Daniel immediately twists around, but shakes, seeing the silhouette of their pursuer already close behind.

"Shit! Come on, Mary!" Daniel urges, supporting the girl up. In his lift of her to one shoulder, he touches where she fell and inhales deeply. His fingers make out an unmistakable book that she caught.

Raising it along with his girlfriend, he finds it to be the Book of Isis that Marlin carried.

He's not sure of the chances or where the other book by Victor laid, but this shows items can be projected inside a realm. Sadly, it might be too late to figure out what it can offer as Nimue shows through the fog in a brisk step, sword ready as she enters the visible range of the two artists.

The fog around them wavers while Viviane struggles with the other clones some distance away. It's too late for the humans, however, as Nimue raises her sword above, her blue eyes steady.

"Begone."

Holding Mary on one side and the book on the other, Daniel has limited options to dodge. Gritting his teeth, he yells out, raising the book in front, just as Nimue's sword strikes.

The book erupts!

On contact with the swing, the magic book's pages flare to life with brilliant blue flames. A palpable force pushes outward, creating an unseen shield that deflects the edge of Nimue's blade, holding it suspended. The enchantress watches, her pupils contracting with familiarity as they reflect the magical fire and book.

"M... Merlin?" she whispers, her grip weakening on the hilt.

Her blade remains levitated against the leather cover, which rises higher in flames, shaking and brightening the area to a blinding degree. Against such vibrations, Daniel considers dropping it right there as he senses it reaching a crescendo.

Instead, it falls off.

In a disappointing hiss, the flames extinguish so suddenly, Daniel and Mary feel like they've been slapped as the surroundings break into silence. The two artists stare, dumbfounded, while Nimue holds, frozen in her own way. With the book in between, the three stare for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Mary snorts. "Well, that was sh...!"

THWOM!

The book finally hits off as if needing time to charge, leaving Mary's words to hang as an invisible force expels outward from its pages, carrying forth blue embers that rolled in the resultant wind of impact. It sweeps the fog in a circle a few meters wide around Daniel and Mary while throwing Nimue away from them, her body disappearing outside the clearing in a gasp.

Daniel and Mary remain unaffected, except shaken as their heads rebound from the sound and apparent protection. Despite the reprieve, their eyes hold empty in the direction where Nimue once stood.

The fog returns to silence, and not even slime clones can be heard fighting.

"Daniel, Mary! Are you okay?"

Fortunately, of the slime clones, Viviane call in the distance thaws them. She and her split race to them, spilling into the clearing and immediately moving to guard them.

One of them glances back, noticing the Book of Isis in Daniel's hand. "So it did come through! Then the sound we heard was because...?"

Daniel swallows and holds Mary closely. "Y-yeah, it... saved us, at least for now. What happened to your fight?"

"As soon as we heard the noise, the two clones I was trying to hold back just stopped and retreated."

Shlip!

It was too soon for a celebration. The group flinches as three shadows in the distance grow more prominent until they coalesced into one. Viviane and her clone raise their bladed arms again as Nimue returns to them, her sword pointed to the ground.

As the clearing regains its foggy cover, Nimue stares with mixed emotions twisting her face. Nobody says a word as she reevaluates everything, taking in Viviane, the book, and the two artists. After a long period of silence, she closes her eyes.

The sword she holds loses form, reabsorbed into her hand.

Her lips rise weakly to Viviane as she reopens her eyes, more softly.

"It seems... I've done you wrong again, my child."

Chapter 116: One's Origin

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[ Dream Realm - Viviane ]

Every life has a mother.

Whether that mother is good, bad, or gone is irrespective of the fact that one's origin comes from another.

However, a mother does not need to be a person. It can also be a concept, item, place, or time that settles within one's heart, nurturing them or corrupting them. Thus, one's origin is not merely the seed from a flower nor the soil of where it grows.

One's origin is not merely singular, either.

It is simply a beginning where a person finds themselves anew—changed. For many, that means having multiple "mothers" over the course of their life that greatly impacts them.

War, drugs, love, death...

God.

These are examples of "mothers" that forever change.

Daniel is in a special predicament where this stretched idea exists as a literal and conceptual web.

It begins with Amy, the loving astronomer who brought him into the world among her passion for the stars. He's fortunate to have her influence, as not all true mothers are engraved in people's hearts.

The next "mother" is art, a passion of his own planted by his high school teacher, Lizzie, that drives his path in the world. Without it, he might not have grown into the exact person he is today.

Sharing this art and Amy is Mary. The quirky British girl has become his "Mummy" by embracing these ties, although one could say she was already his "mother" before Amy was engraved. It might not ever be admitted, but Daniel's passion for art grew because of her. She nurtured his strokes just as he did for her, even when they weren't together. Now, she nurtures him in more ways than one.

Then, sharing Amy more literally, is Anne. This cheeky and slippery "Mama" started it all, opening Daniel's world further, for better or worse. Her slimy impact on him in such a short time could not be overstated. On the flip side, she too has a "mother". While Viviane started what would become Anne, it is Amy who becomes truly etched into the slime's figurative heart, igniting her origin to succeed the astronomer.

Finally, there's Viviane—a source of greater history.

She also engraved Amy within, thus becoming Daniel's "Mommy" in line with Anne. However, unlike her unintended split, the silver lake dweller holds another origin that broke amid her centuries of imprisonment.

Who did she originate from in the past?

Although unexpected, she now warily stares at the answer, both as the only real mother figure that held her close after birth and the one who had shaped her after death.

Nimue, the Lady of the Lake.

It's a title that Viviane carries as well, according to literature, yet she barely knows enough of her past life to feel it warranted. On the other hand, it feels more than appropriate for her predecessor, one who can actually manifest a sword with unwavering steps.

So, it's no surprise that Viviane and her clone raise their guard as they protect Daniel and Mary behind. Although she failed to keep up with Nimue, she wouldn't let it stop her from trying.

As the fog treads through their feet, Nimue raises her hands up in peace towards her understandably cautious daughter.

"I know this isn't an ideal meeting," she begins before smiling. "Still, it's good to see you, my child."

Viviane and clone open their eyes wider in sync before one of them grits their teeth.

"Good to see me? Is that all you have to say after—"

"Hoooah!"

The wary group stiffens to a bellow, reverberating from within the fog. Nimue doesn't bat an eye, instead only knitting her brows. Before anyone can question the noise, a silhouette of a person fades in within range behind her, holding what appears to be an axe, charging towards them.

There's little time to warn before Nimue shifts her eyes when the attacker pushes through, their form agitating the fog around. Instead of becoming clearer, they whisk through like a phantom, features undefined, with black smoke enshrouding as it jumps with its weapon.

Nobody has time to process the strange being as a sharp whirl cuts through, but not by its swing. Instead, a slime tendril shoots out from Nimue's back, cutting the creature in two before it can even reach. There's not even a cry that echoes as her charger's form dissipates into the fog before everyone's eyes.

The surroundings return to an eerie hum for a few seconds until Mary fills it.

"Wha... wha... What the fuck was that!?" she cries, stumbling away from Daniel's hold.

Perhaps it is good timing for her excuse, but Nimue regrettably lowers her head as her slimy appendage recedes.

"That is what I've had to normally deal with. Occasionally, there are these vestiges that slip through. It's obvious from before that you are all different from these corruptions, but I couldn't trust just appearances."

"C-corruptions?" Mary repeats, remembering she called them that. She switches to the two silver-haired slimes in front of them. "Did you see something like this?"

Blinking away from shock, one of the Viviane duplicates shakes her head. "I... I think I would remember."

Groans shake the surrounding air, chilling Daniel and Mary to the bone. It could be their eyes, but some areas appear to whirl more with gray, making it unclear where these shadows may lie.

Nimue's eyes narrow. "We've stirred them somehow."

She draws her gaze to the two humans, only briefly locking onto the book in Daniel's hand that repelled before focusing on Viviane. "I understand there's a lot to discuss, but we should return to the lake first. From what I've seen, they usually avoid coming near, but regardless, it might be easier to protect these two humans if you carried them inside of you."

Viviane's eyes flicker. "Is that safe to do?"

Nimue's lips rise. "Well, when you were human, I used to carry you inside me all the time, whether we were in my domain or out."

"That's..."

Another howl interrupts. This time, a shadow comes charging closer to the Viviane behind Daniel. The slime doesn't hesitate, extending her blade arm in the direction of the silhouette before it could even be fully seen. From the center, it explodes outward, disappearing into the air with a gasp.

"Or, we could all walk our way there," Nimue adds, raising her brows.

Sweating, Mary swiftly edges closer to the first Viviane, pushing against her back. "Yeah, no. Love, let me in! Let me in!"

The slime mother hesitates before sighing, her body loosening. Like quicksand, Mary sinks into her, filling her form like a suit.

Schlip!

The other Viviane opens up as well, twisting to Daniel, who remains more calm if not stiff. She especially wouldn't risk his safety, as her inner goo wiggles encouragingly. "Come on, child."

Daniel thins. "I-is this wise?"

"It's fine and cozy!" Mary is heard, muffled within the first Viviane.

"I have to trust it will be. Don't worry, I won't be connecting to you like we've done before. Just try not to resist my movements," the second Viviane assures.

"Well...alright," Daniel gives, moving to be wrapped with the book close to his chest. As he follows inside his slime mother and is snugly fitted in, Nimue doesn't miss Viviane's addressing for Daniel.

Her eyes smile sadly as she takes a moment to look upward. In this gray realm, time is undetermined.

But it seems a lot of it has passed.

...

..

.

Splick! Splick!

Daniel and Mary are pushed out of the two instances of Viviane as they return to a portion of the lake's shore. Indeed, fewer shadows and noises filled the fog as they moved closer. Although they were dispatched easily with a single whip of slime between Nimue and Viviane, the latter hadn't asked how these "corruptions" might harm as she struggled with other pressing questions and doubts.

Managing the juggle of emotions, Viviane draws her clone back, rejoining together as one with a flick of her arm. Once finished, she focuses on Daniel and Mary, forcing a light smile.

"Are you two okay?"

"Never better," Mary answers flatly, eyes dead to the area. She shivers, crossing her arms together. "I'm also never going to enter a fog again."

Daniel snorts. "I wish I could say the same."

"Okay, so maybe not anytime soon, but I'll at least never paint anything foggy again," Mary amends, although silently weeping.

Nimue faces them, aware to keep some distance before lowering her head. "Although it's not much, I apologize for the trouble I've caused."

Once raised, however, her eyes receive them warmly. "I am Nimue. May I ask for your names?"

Daniel and Mary hesitate. Besides being unable to forgive straight away, Nimue's lack of knowledge confirms she's more isolated as opposed to how Viviane was seen within Anne. Her actual presence within the domain is certainly suspicious, but there's an unquestionable aura about the Lady of the Lake that makes it challenging to complain. With her beauty and smile, she's not considered an enchantress for no reason.

One might even forget where they could've been pierced by bladed whips.

Mary clears her throat, deciding to take point. "Well, if you're not going to chase us anymore, I'm Mary, and this is Daniel. We're basically all one big happy family, you could say."

'Happy? Is that the right term?' Daniel doubts in his mind, squinting at his girlfriend.

Nimue switches to Daniel with a light chuckle. "Yes, I heard you're her child, so I suppose that makes me your grandmother."

Daniel flinches. Before he can respond to this worrisome expansion of the family tree, Viviane steps forward, clearing herself.

"That is not your decision. How are you even here?"

Unfazed, Nimue straightens before her eyes follow downward. "I'm not sure. At some point, I suddenly woke up from within this lake."

She lifts back to her daughter. "If you're here with others, could this be your domain?"

Viviane blinks a few times, lurching back. "I...yes? Shouldn't you know?"

"Ah..." Nimue's eyes widen before she shuts them. "I see now... you were sealed as well."

The area tenses around Viviane. Although physically cool, emotions boil as her gaze darkens. "So you do know what happened! Have you... have you any idea of what I've gone through?"

Reopening, Nimue's eyes soften with guilt. "Child..."

"Stop with that! Am I really your child after all this time?" Viviane snaps, her voice echoing through the thick air. At the same time, Mary and Daniel stiffen, coming to witness a family conflict that was centuries in the making.

Amid the silence that arrives, the silver lake dweller shakes, glaring through her stunned guardian. Until now, she never had any outlet to blame for her isolation. Memories couldn't talk back, yet here was someone who took her in—a lady that Merlin loved but a source of threat if his fears were right. Whatever problem Nimue would bring according to Merlin's cursed visions, Viviane rightly despises being involved in it all.

"Right now, being your daughter doesn't feel real enough when I've only begun to remember you," she continues, her sharp tone cutting her predecessor more than any actual attempt. "I was trapped in this place for ages, knowing only my name, constantly haunted by what I've recently learned was your loss, not mine."

Nimue winces, especially as Viviane triggers a prior child's cries to echo in the distance.

One that could've been a valiant sword that shines.

She shuts her eyes again. "Yes, that's right."

"Then, what about me?!" Viviane pounds, motioning with her hands. "I was lost too, but you weren't anywhere when I needed someone, anyone!"

No physical tears were needed to hear Viviane's spill it, adding to the distant wails of the past. Hearing such pain, Nimue forces herself to meet her daughter's resentment. If she had a heart, it would be in a twist about now.

"I'm sorry. Nothing more I say will ever be enough to make up for what you've had to endure... what came out of Merlin's desperation."

"His desperation?" Viviane scoffs. "Don't act blameless. I may have lost memories, but since being released, I've learned he sealed me to stop you. He said you would change and bring something bad for all of humanity. If he predicted wrong, then why was I even sealed? Why are you here within me?!"

"Because I shared a part of myself with you!" Nimue bursts back, the ache in her voice breaking the area into quiet again.

The fog brews to uneasiness.

Nimue slides a hand across her face, quivering. "Yes... you're right, it is my fault. None of this had to happen if I protected you better so you could live out your human life."

Viviane narrows. 'You could've let me die as well.'

However, she can't say that as much as she wants to. If she were in the same position, could she really let her child, Mary, or anyone in this life go?

She sighs.

"Just tell me, was Merlin wrong?" Viviane pivots, more leveled.

Nimue takes more time to recover herself before lifting her head to the sky. Slowly, she drops her hand.

"No... I'm not saying his fears were unfounded."

The two observing artists raise their brows unsteadily by this admission, all while Viviane lowers her own.

"Does this mean that you—"

"I don't know," Nimue insists, understanding the suspicions against her. With a bitter smile, she returns to meet her daughter's worried gaze. "The problem is that this lake and I won't reflect reality if I did undergo a change."

Viviane can't hold on to her frustration as Nimue's words seed worry. "What do you mean?"

"I only remember everything up to that last time you and I were joined."

Everyone's eyes flicker. Having merged and synchronized memories, they understand that a lake only carries up to that point before unlinking.

"The reason I know something changed is that Merlin once confessed what he saw to me," Nimue continues. "He said I'd bring a flood that would unite the world, but it would also eliminate any potential for humanity to grow on their own."

Daniel and Anne heard Merlin say he wanted to avoid revealing this to Nimue, so any confession had to have happened after the meeting at Stonehenge.

"Um...care to elaborate more on that?" Mary presses, swallowing. "Couldn't you have seen what he saw if you joined with him?"

Nimue shakes her head. "I tried, but he wasn't as open as I wanted him to be. As remnants, we carry flames of Isis that are unpredictable, even to us. Merlin was the first person to dedicate his life to studying our nature and the flames that we pass on. It's what marked him to visions, and even though I was the one who imbued him, I couldn't see past those flames."

She lowers her head and clenches. "I... I didn't know, Viviane. I trusted him to do what needed to be done for me, but he never told me that you'd be a part of this!"

"Or, as far as you know," Viviane adds.

Nimue shuts her eyes. "Yes, that's true."

Viviane lowers her gaze. So far, everything Nimue says sounds reasonable, but even if she comes before any darker change, how can she be trusted if she ends up posing a threat later?

Can she even trust Merlin?

As Viviane quiets in contemplation, Mary closes her arms together and sighs. "Well, that magic man certainly told us after the fact."

Nimue gasps, reminded of the book held in Daniel's hand. "That book... I can tell it's from him, but I don't recall ever seeing it, at least as far as my memories go. What does it say?"

"That's what we were hoping to...!"

Mary pauses as Viviane holds out a hand and shakes her head. She turns to her confused counterpart, her eyes firming.

"I want to believe you, but how do we know you're not lying?"

The enchantress blinks, then motions to her lake. "If my lake is here, you should have access to everything I know since I'm a part of you."

"Only of your loss," Viviane notes before snorting. "As I said before, I've only begun to remember since the seal was undone."

Nimue widens her eyes. "Oh dear..."

She stares into the whirling gray past the visible edges of the water. "I've never seen this fog before, but it must be the reason you're limited. Still, if you can remember even a little of yours and mine, then your lake must exist somewhere."

She perks and turns to the humans. "What about them? Surely, they've added to your domain for them to be here."

"I can access their memories fine," Viviane confirms, but her forehead creases. Although they are in a fog, Mary and Daniel's lake could exist outside, just like it does with Anne; however, she's hesitant to point it out and reveal her slime sister at this time.

"Strange," Nimue muses. "Well, it's even stranger that our lakes would even be here after centuries."

Viviane pauses. "Why do you say that?"

Seeing how much her daughter has lost, Nimue can only smile bitterly. "Because our lakes are supposed to dry up."

Her guests lock up, but Nimue continues as a matter of fact. "As a remnant of Isis, it's in our nature to change. In a way, it's also our only way of dying."

Pausing, Nimue switches her gaze to her still waters near them.

"You already know, but what do you think of these lakes, Viviane?" she asks anyway.

The slime mother joins the lady into staring at her lake, grimacing to be so familiar with it. "They represent the people we connect with."

"Yes, of those who are alive or dead. While we assume and retain these lives better than humans do, they will evaporate over time, mostly after a century or two. When that completes, we cease to remember those we connected with. If it's a lake we extend, then we cease to be that person. From there on, we have to assume a different identity or regress to find a new bond."

With open eyes, Daniel and Mary collectively recall the basin the latter stumbled into within Anne after Viviane left. Although it was found within the fog, now they can only wonder if there was a lake that had been a part of Anne or a leftover from Viviane?

The latter slime mother, although shocked, finds herself not as perturbed by the inevitability. Most would be gone from her life by the time she would be forced to change. It certainly beats remaining near identity-less for centuries.

"I...see," she says slowly, only somewhat sad.

"What I then shall raise is: Who shall you be?"

It's now clearer from a part of Merlin's message that he knew this would happen; except, she didn't lose herself completely, seeing how he also addressed her.

Yet, this nature of change only makes Viviane more worried about her guardian. She slowly knits her brows.

"Merlin said you'd change due to the greed of others. If you're meant to change for the worst, isn't this unavoidable?"

"No."

The firm answer causes everyone's eyes to rise before Nimue elaborates. "If it is meant to happen during Merlin's time, then that would make it too early to lose myself naturally. That being said, it's not impossible for us to change origins willingly."

"Change origins?" Viviane repeats.

Nimue nods, her blue eyes fading into a mellow acceptance. "That had been my case for how I started."

Silence follows for a while until she smiles weakly to Viviane. "It would be better if I showed you. Even if you don't trust me, and even if you don't wish to be my child anymore, I still want you to find your way. Through my lake and my words, let me help you remember. Perhaps then it will clear the way to your regaining your origin and its waters."

Viviane breathes in before wiggling her lips, conflicted.

Does she even want to open access to such waters? What will that reveal about herself?

"Uh, before that, what about those corruptions we saw?" Mary asks, raising her hand.

"Oh, of course!" Nimue switches between artists and Viviane before frowning. "Unfortunately, not all lakes dry out cleanly. There are old memories that refuse to fade and end up manifesting like you saw."

"So... like vengeful spirits?" Daniel suggests.

Nimue sighs, placing a hand on her cheek. "I wouldn't know. Not only are they annoying, they can be harmful to one's domain by eroding the lakes. Sadly, I have only my predecessors to blame."

Squinting, Viviane stares pointedly. "Meaning, I have you to blame."

Nimue freezes, her lips crooked as she glances away. Only with a feigned cough does she continue. "I will say, there are a lot more here than I remember. The fog might be helping prevent damage to you in that regard by hiding the lakes."

That doesn't reassure Viviane as she flattens her lips. Beyond troubling circumstances, she recalls one of Merlin's instructions from the last memory Daniel and Anne watched:

"Find the book that I will bury here, and of which will have unsealed you. By that time, I hope to have written a way to cleanse you."

'Wait... could this be what he was referring to?' she thinks.

It could also be Nimue herself.

Whatever the reason, it's obvious that Viviane is in an abnormal state with the fog, corruptions, and Nimue laying about within her.

Ignore her past with all of this? How silly of her to even consider it.

Resolving herself once more, Viviane sighs and motions to her lake. "Very well. Please show us what you remember."

Nimue's eyes hold steady as they soften. With a nod, she steps forward, holding on to the hope that she and Viviane will be able to reconnect after this.

Notes:

This chapter took way longer than usual to write. How many drafts did I go through? Yes.

Suffice to say, while I'm excited to dive into Nimue's past (at least up to a vaguely mentioned point), it will also take some time.

Chapter 117: Nimue's Origin (1)

Notes:

As a warning for this chapter, there will be blood and dismemberment written, but nothing in Berserk-level detail. To be fair, I probably should've enabled it long ago when Anne accidentally had a knife stuck in her stomach. Although she's a slime girl and was only faking the wound in front of Mary, I'm sure it was still uncomfortable to some.

Chapter Text

[ Dream Realm - Viviane ]

"Before we go over what I know, what year is it outside here?" Nimue asks her guests as they stand near the lake, their feet washed by the gentle motions of her waters while the fog continues to surround them.

Mary and Daniel glance at each other before the latter answers. "2021."

Nimue jerks, her eyes widening. For the several seconds, she stares blankly, taking into context how long it's been.

Soon, guilt redresses her lips before she turns to Viviane. "You... you said centuries, but you were trapped for almost two thousand years?"

The elder slime scoffs, shaking her head. "Makes you wonder, huh?"

Nimue frowns. "Chi—I mean, Viviane, I am..."

"Look, we've talked enough about me," Viviane cuts. "Tell us about you."

The fact that her daughter has forgotten much of their time together needles Nimue, but she nods. "Yes... very well. I don't suppose our history in Britannia is known?"

"Britannia?" Mary repeats before straightening. "Oh! Right, I guess it would be called that back then."

She clears her throat. "As far as I've learned in school, we don't have every record or detail, but I think people smarter than me figured most of it out. Then again, you and Viviane turned out to be actual figures in history instead of mythology, so maybe we don't know anything."

"Mythology?" Nimue cocks her head. "Were we written somehow?"

Viviane groans. "More than you know. As embarrassing as it is, it's helped to give me some clue to the past. So far, I understand that I was somehow Merlin's apprentice, he was supporting Uther Pendragon, and I was also... acquainted with Arthur somehow?"

She only recently learned that piece from the cabin memory.

Unexpectedly, Nimue smirks. "Is that so? I understand it as you having quite the crush~"

Daniel notably stiffens at this possibility while Viviane stares flatly. "Even if that were the case, I certainly don't feel it now."

Nimue shrugs. "Well, either way, I wouldn't know much about your time over at the castle. I made sure to avoid people in general, but against my advice, you wanted to help Merlin with his studies... ahem, if not to train with a certain boy."

"Let's not go there, at least not yet," Viviane pleads. As important as it is to understand her past relationships, understanding Nimue takes priority given she's already somehow existing within her.

The enchantress hums and settles down, motioning to the water in front of her.

"To start, I was born in a village in the South of Britannia during Roman occupation. We were Romans in that regard, but my father came from a long line of Druids that had lived on the land prior. He was the only one there to raise me since my mother passed away not long after my birth."

Everyone else perks up at this connection to Druids that have been mentioned before.

'If Victor's book talks about Druids as well, that's not just coincidence,' Daniel follows.

However, they don't trust Nimue enough to mention it, never mind whether they can even find the former professor's publication within this fog. It was either lucky or suspicious for Mary to stumble upon Merlin's book during their chase, but they can't rely on the same chances for that to happen again.

He tightens his hold on Merlin's book. Would they even get to see if it offers anything beyond being a shield?

It would all depend on Nimue as they keep silent, watching an image stirring in the lake by her reminiscing. Peering through the fog that clings to the water's surface, the group can see a heavily bearded man with dark gray messy hair, smiling warmly.

"Hehe, Father!"

A younger Nimue shouted happily from the liquid perspective, only slightly distorted as she rushed to hug him. He chuckled endearingly amid the glow of a rustic interior crafted between stone and logs.

The image disperses as Nimue waves a hand, continuing more sadly. "However, Druids were frowned upon in Roman society with the spread of Christianity, so my father had to keep his beliefs to himself. Still, when we traveled for trade, we'd stop by to these sacred stones that had been used by ancestors where he'd talk about the spirits in the sky."

Her lake follows, resonating with her father's voice. Notably, the scene shows the Stonehenge ruins as Nimue stood next to her father, watching the sparkling night sky while camping.

"My daughter, what do you think of those above?"

Humming, the past Nimue looked upward. Suddenly, her perspective adds color against the gray fog that muddies with the group's outside viewing.

"They provide... guidance?"

"I wonder about that," her father mused before snorting. "Once, our ancestors would have read the skies from this ring to help guide our way and others. On my way alone here, I would sometimes check, wondering if I'm raising you right, but... I wonder whether we're simply fitting our hopes on beings too high for us."

"Is Mother up there?"

"I'd like to think so, because that way I can always have something to look up to. Still, it's hard to know, Nimue. If we reincarnate back to this world one day, she may have already long passed through and descended into a new life."

The young Nimue's hands enter the lake's image, reaching to the sky. "Either way, I hope I get to meet her!"

"Ha ha, even as a cow?"

Huffing, Nimue's hands dropped as she returned to her father's soft eyes. "No way! D-don't even say that! I... I'll stop eating meat then! You're not allowed to hunt!"

The father laughed more heartily as the fire crackled between them. "Right, don't worry, child. In the end, we all return to nature. Trust that your mother is around, ever changing. She and I love you very much."

Daniel shuffles, finding the father's words hitting all too close to home. Although he's no druid, he likes the symbolism of believing Amy was somewhere in the stars she studied. However, in some sense, one could say her spirit has gone through a cycle back to Earth, shared between Anne, Viviane, and Mary.

"I don't know what to believe about the nature of life and death, especially since I turned into a remnant. I might lose myself and become another given time, but nothing of that sort is how humans envisioned being reborn," the present Nimue adds as the image of her father fades. Once the lake returns to normal, she closes her eyes. "What I do know is that there is something greater than us. Our existence is proof of that, but it also becomes a problem, seeding the beliefs of people to extreme degrees."

Opening her eyes, they narrow sadly. "Those beliefs are what killed my father."

The sound of a wooden bucket dropping came from the lake. Within it, the memories continue to surface up, showing a greater fire crackling, illuminating many homes on fire. Amid the flames, shadows of men chuckled, hollering with shameless power.

"Father...? Father!" the past Nimue cried, shock etching a more mature voice as she ran from the bucket of water she dropped. Her view shook as she pushed forward through smoke, tears dimming the perspective.

"Oh ho, what's this?" one of the raiders raised with a tricky tone, stepping in front with a sword dragging along the dirt. His features are barely visible thanks to the fire behind him, but the intent was plain. "You the old man's daughter?"

"Wh-where is he?! I don't know what you want, but we don't have anything of value!" Nimue shouted, joining the nearby chorus of screams in the distance from other houses.

"Yer father? Ha, ain't it obvious, lass?" the raider chuckled, motioning to her home. "I'd say we're just passin' through and in need of food, but we got a special request to clean up this place. Have ta do god's work sometimes, ya know?"

"Especially if god pays well!" one added.

"Ha ha, right?"

Amid the dark chuckles of the past, the lake ripples as the emotions held by the past Nimue stir its waters.

"N... No... Why?" she croaked.

"Aww, I wouldn't worry about that now. Besides, I see some value right in front of me. Don't resist, and maybe we can make it a good value for you too, huh?"

The other raiders burst out laughing again, drunk of any empathy, as more cries mixed with the flames, neighbors and friends slaughtered without reason. It pushed the girl to falter, breathing heavily to the ground as her knees buckled.

"Father... Please... Please, what do I do? What do I do?" she mumbled weakly, watching the raiders tread closer with eager eyes shining from their shadowed faces. Her view wavered as she tried to lift a little, knowing she should run at the very least, but an invisible weight held her down.

How could she even live if her father was gone?

"Now lass, let's not be so dow—"

The teasing voice of the raider halted abruptly as a sharp wind passed between them. Just as abruptly, a line of blood slowly trails down the man's neck, his wide grin stuck. Even looking to her memory on the outside, the changed Nimue can't follow the swiftness of the cut that had been, but her younger version was too distraught to even analyze. Her eyes are locked on the man, following more lines of red down his body before it sprayed across her and the ground like a fountain.

Her body was stiff to the fresh blood, stunned silence marking her and the other raiders beyond the distant pains and flames. The sliced man soon dropped, his head toppling down his body like a boulder falling from a crumbling mountain.

"What the hell?!" one raider shouted, causing all the nearby that witnessed their fallen to raise their guard.

Watching this sudden decapitation from the lake, Mary is the first to breathe in sharply between the group, holding herself as she cups her mouth. "Urp..."

The current Nimue doesn't say anything, having revisited this moment countless times in her head. What could she have done differently to save her father? Perhaps even live as a human?

She doesn't know. At this point, it was so long ago, she feels like she's watching a different person.

As for her past self within this swirling replay, Nimue's vision turned fuzzy, moving in and out while raiders turn their the attention to a crunch of grass.

"Who the fuck are you?!"

Ignoring the surrounding warriors, the new presence breathed. "Are you Dervacus' child?"

Nimue stiffened. With people dying around her and seeing more blood than she had ever seen back then, she was practically a stone. Even so, she managed to shift her eyes to the back of a robbed woman who faced the raiders.

Shoulder-length, ash blonde hair flowed with the embers in the air. With the first dead invader nearby, she was clearly the one to protect Nimue, but oddly, there wasn't a sword on the protector, much less one that could've lobbed a man's head so cleanly.

A crow echoed through the black smoke, gliding its way and perching across the woman's shoulder. She doesn't react, although neither Nimue nor anyone watching this scene could see any other features than her hair.

"I asked: Are you Dervacus' child?" the woman repeats without looking behind, her gaze focused on the raiders.

"Y-yes!" Nimue somehow blurted out, her throat hoarse as she leaned forward. "H—help! M-my father, he's...!"

"Yer going to pay for that, you bitch!" one of the men interrupted, not bothering to wait for an answer as he charged towards them with an axe.

No time for conversation, the woman raised an her hand and two fingers. In response, the crow perked, cawed loudly, and pushed off her shoulder, flying towards the man with swift speed.

The interfering bird caused the charger to hesitate for a split second, but by then, it was too late to even throw a curse. In a single swoop, the crow swiped smoothly across the man's neck, its wings cutting through flesh like butter.

All observers, including everyone watching the memory in the present, widen their eyes. By then, none of the raiders could do anything as more birds flocked out from the woman, their seemingly feathered bodies forming out of her arms in a rise of blue slime before solidifying into black, splitting off.

WIP/Preview


Watching this from the lake, everyone finally understood.

"This is... your predecessor," Viviane whispers with stun, locked in as crows filled the already dense air in front of the younger Nimue.

"Yes," Nimue simply answers, a slight bitterness drawing from her eyes.

Her younger self watched, unable to breathe. Each invader across the village screamed, one by one, cut to pieces by special crows they didn't have time to anticipate or understand.

As the dying raiders filled the air in place of their victims, the predecessor of Nimue brushed one crow that flew to her side, twiddling across her hand.

"I owe your father a great debt, but unfortunately, my time dwindles," she speaks , unbothered by the unfortunate air. "I couldn't save your father, but if you're his child, then you are also mine. The least I can do is help protect you... and trust you to succeed me."

Nimue couldn't register anything of the woman's words or relationship before her mind failed, passing out to the ground before she might see her savior's face.

Was it saving? In truth, the current Nimue questioned whether it would've been better to die.

The predatory call of the crows still picked at her heart, whether she had it or not.

Chapter 118: Nimue's Origin (2)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[ Viviane's Domain ]

Daylight had broken, shining through the ash and dying smoke that filled the air of the village that had been raided. With it, not a single life could be heard except one, which shuffled against the grass with a groan.

As blood and burnt flesh wafted through Nimue, she snap-opened her eyes in a single breath, providing a view to her future watchers that only confirms the chaos that eroded her village.

Dead bodies lay everywhere: strangers, friends, and enemies alike.

The mysterious crow woman? Gone. In her place, only her brown robes were left to signify her effect.

But more importantly, what of her family?

Nimue sharply inhaled with that in mind, pushing off the ground quickly and skipping over any bodies she could as she stumbled her way into the ruins of the home before her. Blackened stones outlined the perimeter, while broken wooden pieces of furniture and roofing filled the inside.

Yet, even among the rubble and smoke, she could easily see her father, Dervacus, lying in the center of it all.

Charred.

"A-ah... ah...!"

It took several moments for the girl and her stunned whimpers to subside before the reality of her father's death burned into her eyes. She shook, her face twisting slowly in denial, yet it was plain to see the what the raiders had done.

The well broke.

Tears flooded down as she finally screamed into the smoky air, crawling desperately toward her only family.

Watching this scene of Nimue's hands clinging to the crisped man, Viviane thins uncomfortably before looking away.

"I'm sorry."

The current Nimue only shuts her eyes. With it, her past cries fade, reclaiming the lake to a uneasy calm.

Several seconds of silence pass before the enchantress breathes out.

"Even though I feel the same, time does make it seem like I'm looking at a different person," she says, then reopens her gaze softly. "But, as you heard, my father was a Druid named Dervacus. At first, I thought it might've been the Christians who directed the raiders to our village to kill him, but only later did I learn that they were paid by the cult of Isis. My father was once a high priest people looked up to within the Druid community, but I had no idea how renowned he was until after his death. Even with Christianity spreading fast, the followers saw it as easier to eliminate someone like my father with opposing values compared to Christians."

"Values?" Viviane questions.

Nimue hums. "Both Christianity and those who worship Isis believe in a higher plane, even if they disagree about how it looks and who is responsible. Compared to them, Druids believe everyone will reincarnate back into the same world. Such a notion is an affront to the promises from their goddess, so they would be buried sooner than other beliefs."

Although it would've been seen as extreme in the present day, it matches up with the history of the low tolerance between competing faiths. Right now, Viviane's own view matches those of modern people thanks to Amy, but she wonders how she would feel about it back then.

"And your predecessor?" she follows, shelving such matters of beliefs for later. "It didn't look like you changed."

Nimue snorts. "It's pretty obvious with the tears, huh? Well, that's because I was still human... or at least, partially."

Everyone else raises their brows, but Viviane quickly flickers in recognition. "She joined you! But then, how did you remain yourself?"

The only case they had seen of a slime and human remaining the same is when a clone is split from a remnant, as it had been done between Mary and Viviane; the former being accidental under alcohol while the latter intentional after death.

Had this predecessor done the same?

"Indeed, we had become one," Nimue answers. "However, the changes weren't immediately obvious for several years because my predecessor had changed her origin for mine."

The group holds themselves, finding the lady's explanation a little different from the cases they know.

Viviane furrows. "You said that before, but what does that mean?"

Expecting such confusion, the enchantress smiles bitterly, dragging her gaze back to her body of water. "I've told you that our lakes are supposed to dry up, and so do the memories that are associated with them. Well, it turns out we are not bound to the water itself, but the location."

Pausing to let this notion seep through, she switches back to Viviane, staring into her silver eyes before continuing. "What my predecessor did was refill her diminishing lake with me instead of forming a new one."

The silver lake dweller stiffens before she and the others lock to the enchantress' waters again.

"We... we can choose where the memories we gain go?"

Viviane knows how to prevent some memories from being transferred to others. It's how she filtered Amy's memories of Daniel's father, but this flexibility isn't something she can explain other than being aware of the memories when synchronizing. She's not even sure when or where she learned this control as it came to her intuitively.

Perhaps being able to entirely direct the flow of memories rather than filter them is the next step.

"You have to be aware of your domain, and that might be harder to do when everything is covered in fog," Nimue notes.

It frustratingly itches the existing question on the purpose of the fog. Viviane can connect with new people, but whatever happened to her after Merlin's sealing makes it difficult for her to connect with the past.

She shakes her head, not wanting to get sidetracked. "How do you know she didn't give you a piece of herself like you did for me?"

Having held similar doubts about the changes, Nimue motions to the lake. A new image forms, and with it, the screams of the village raid return to fill the fog. This time, instead of showing it from Nimue's perspective, it showed a different hand, molding a crow out from within. As the bird flew out to aid in its peers' slaughter, the new view turned to Nimue's unconscious body.

It cuts out with a sudden hiss. While the observers flinch at the noise, they watch steam rise and the image warp with bubbles before fading away.

"This is part of the reason. On top of having never seen nor heard from my predecessor again, this is the only memory I have left of her. As you see, it's part of me, yet it behaves unsteadily unlike any other memory," Nimue explains, not waiting for her guests' surprise to clear. "When I woke, I didn't even have access to this or any sense that I became a remnant. It's only after learning of my changes through sleep that I attempted to piece together what was left. Later, when I experimented and found I could direct the flow of memories, that's when I realized she had to have given herself entirely to me. If my predecessor's time was really limited and her lake was low as I've seen with others, any knowledge and memories held would've been diluted to almost nothing when refilled, making it difficult to piece any memory together."

After a pause, she shuts her eyes. "I really wished I had obtained some meaningful knowledge from her, or even better, a name, but she essentially drowned herself with me, leaving me with nothing but her debt. Obviously, I had no choice in the matter."

Mary swallows, having recovered her stomach from the massacre she watched again, but this idea of committing identity suicide doesn't settle well either. She takes a slow breath of the misty air. "So, uh, any guesses as to why she would do that?"

Nimue glances at the dark artist. "Our sense of self will always be tied to one lake where our tendencies are derived, but when that lake dries up, we have no control of which lake we might extend to next. That chance could result in becoming something more... detrimental."

Viviane holds herself for a moment, recognizing the issue. "So rather than risk that chance, your predecessor decided to replace her lake with you — the daughter of someone she trusted."

"That is what I believe," Nimue confirms. "Still, I feel it was foolish to choose me when she only knew my father. After his death, I wanted nothing more than revenge against the cultists everywhere on Brittania."

Yet, she sighs, continuing more softly. "However, I eventually recognized the bigger problem of my existence and the ones who came before."

"Which is?" Viviane presses.

"That we are figures that can be misrepresented, spread, and worshiped."

Silence draws between them before Daniel fills it, understanding her meaning.

"Is that how Isis spread?" he suggests.

The enchantress smiles weakly. "So, you're aware. I don't know when or where we truly originated, but Isis provides the earliest written evidence of the flames we carry and spread to others. She is either the same as us...or more. Regardless, we called ourselves remnants from her given the possibility that she started it all. From that point on, various incarnations accumulated followers by the trails and connections left behind."

"Wouldn't that mean our predecessors were to blame for creating the cult that killed your father?" Viviane raises.

"Yes, funny, isn't it?" Nimue's eyes twinkle sadly. "We're fated to eventually lose ourselves and change, and yet, these groups persist beyond each incarnation like a leech. Unfortunately, it goes beyond them. Druids may have also been a product of remnants, especially considering my predecessor knew my father. Although I do not know how she was related, I suspect I was only her child as a following."

"Wow..." Mary breathes, her mind reeling as she begins doubting anything about the history she was taught. "Doesn't this mean any religion could have been influenced by past remnants?"

"It's possible, but I don't know where exact influences lie or how far back it goes. It was only when I met Merlin that I took more time to understand how our nature evolved through others." Nimue lowers her gaze. "Sadly, I have no memories to draw from any of my predecessors to their impact. Had I known better, I would've at least absorbed my father to see what he knew of the woman who changed me, but, well... I wasn't aware nor in the right mind for some time after his death. What became clear over time, though, was that not all the lakes accumulated or assumed were of good people."

Mary snorts, crossing her arms. "I'd say that's pretty obvious by the shadows we saw."

Such debt that carries through each generation only weighs Viviane down more when it comes to the future. She curls her lips, uncertain. "Nimue, I understand why you showed us how you became a remnant, but how would this prevent Merlin's prediction about you?"

The enchantress is saddened, hearing her name addressed instead of being called 'Mother' like she was used to. Still, she masks herself with only a weak smile.

"I'm not saying filling a lake with another prevents anything. Keep in mind, I'm only what's been copied from our last joining, so I have no idea what really happened to me or you beyond that point. Even so, I'm certain that if I were to change for the worse as he predicted, I would've abandoned myself to prevent becoming anything problematic, just as my predecessor did."

"Who would you have chosen?"

"Either you or Merlin, but considering I had already turned you into a separate remnant, I would've replaced myself with Merlin, as he understood how important our influence had to be kept from the world."

Nimue tilts to the side and narrows her eyes. "He only confessed of his visions after I had turned you. With your experience being sealed, I wonder if that was within his predictions too."

"I know from memory that Merlin was the one who brought me to you when I was dying, right?"

"Yes..." Nimue sighs. "All of this is just speculation. I can't trust the flames, and by extension, I can't trust the visions he was seared with. Rather than go on my outdated knowledge, you need to find out what actually happened, beyond the prediction of a madman."

Mary raises an eyebrow. "You would call him mad?"

"Because he is! It's mad that he would trust these predictions that burned him more than me!" Nimue huffs, surprising her guests. The upset doesn't last long on her face before being replaced by guilt. "It's all my fault, really. I should've never taken him in when he was a child, but at the same time, I..."

Eyes soft, Daniel steps in after it becomes clear the lady can't finish laying out her feelings, obviously betrayed by the man she loved.

"I know this is hard, but it would help to know the man from you," he requests.

Nimue shuts her eyes for a long moment before opening them. "I could show you more, but knowing how these domains work, you all are sleeping, correct?"

Daniel and Mary nod.

The enchantress snorts, smiling weakly. "Then, it's unclear how much time you all have left here before you wake up."

She takes a moment to glance at the book in Daniel's hand. "Tell me, did you intentionally bring Merlin's book here from outside to read it?"

It's worrying, but seeing how Nimue understands enough of the situation, Daniel nods, gripping it closer.

"We did," he admits.

"It's not a book I remember, so it must carry later research and notes he wrote. With whatever time remaining, it would be better to read it now rather than me retell the past."

Daniel twists his lips to the side. Truthfully, it's a blessing to have Nimue as a living source of information, even if her presence within Viviane is concerning. That said, she's right that they probably don't have forever to go through her life.

"How do you even know the book is from Merlin?" Viviane asks.

Taken aback, Nimue blinks. "Really? Can't you sense the flames that would belong to him?"

"Wha... No, of course not!" Viviane growls, increasingly annoyed. "I thought that would've been clear after I lost access to myself."

From the shared memories between Anne and Daniel, Viviane does recall Nimue's words to Merlin when she approached him using her daughter's appearance.

"Oh my, Merlin, very impressive! You've gotten better at distinguishing the flames in us."

Victor Grayson was also able to tell these hidden flames. Unfortunately, other than knowing Merlin's first message came from the book, she has no way to tell if it was from him.

Nimue raises her hands up in defense, chuckling nervously. "Sorry, sorry! I'm just not sure how much you've retained."

Clearing herself, she lowers her hands and continues. "But, don't worry, it's not something I could sense either when I started. I might be able to teach you again later, but just know that I can tell the book has Merlin's markings. Not only that, it's drawn to you if what I'm feeling is correct. If Merlin intended for it to be read by you, there must be something in it that would explain the reality of why you were sealed and what happened to us."

Viviane hopes that's true. She feels familiar with the strange letters on the paper, but neither enlightenment nor messages came when reading it outside the domain. How would it be any different here?

If it is, the problem is whether she can trust to reveal Merlin's knowledge to her predecessor.

Sensing this distrust, Nimue raises her hands and steps back. "I realize you're all wary of me, but unless there's a different domain, this might be the only chance you'll be able to read his words."

"Why do you say that? In fact, you can't keep throwing random knowledge at us as if it's common sense!" Viviane counters flatly. "Nothing is common about this!"

This time, the lack of awareness stuns Nimue as she widens her eyes.

"Wait..." she starts slowly before narrowing. "Does that mean you all haven't noticed?"

The two artists eye each other, starting to share Viviane's annoyance. However, Daniel volunteers to take the bait, sighing.

"Notice what?"

Seeing the clueless faces, Nimue inhales silently before turning away and lifting a hand to her chin.

"Could it be that we are all speaking Latin then?" she mutters.

Latin?

Only English has been spoken thus far, but that seed of doubt is enough to start the gears in everyone's minds. Mary is the first to fill the odd silence with a gasp, her pupils shrinking.

"Wait a goddamn minute!" she shrieks, throwing her hands to her head. "How is it possible that we can even understand you!? Not only that, but the memories that were shared from the past were also heard in... English?"

Daniel stiffens, mentally slapping himself as well. As far as he knows, modern English couldn't have existed back then, so why can they recall memories and understand them so easily?

He swallows slowly, eyes locked on the confused enchantress. "Are you saying we're speaking Latin to your ears?"

Nimue refocuses on them, nodding. "Yes? If I'm to understand what you said, you are speaking this... English?"

"That's right," Daniel answers and sheepishly rubs his neck. "I'm ashamed we didn't realize this until now, so how can we understand you and the memories shared?"

"That's the unusual part of our nature that even Merlin was confounded by. Any people we connect with not only bring their language, but their experiences are stored in a way that can always be understood by others. When you enter a domain that's part of us, anything you bring can benefit from being read better.

"No language barrier, huh?"

"Merlin took advantage of this, creating his own secret language that wouldn't be understood except by him within our domains. That's why I believe you should be focusing on reading that book right now."

Everyone hesitates, so Nimue steps back. "I won't pry. Really, you shouldn't reveal anything to me if you think it will create a problem."

Holding the book, Daniel thins his lips for a moment before turning his head to Viviane.

"Mother..."

Leaving it up to the secondary Lady of the Lake, Viviane groans, placing her face into her hands. After a few breaths pass, she drops her hands and squints towards her predecessor.

"Take a few steps back."

"Ah...okay."

Nimue sadly follows her daughter's order.

"More."

The enchantress flinches, her lips turning crooked. "V-viviane, my dear, I swear, I won't..."

"More."

"Uuuuh..." The enchantress pitifully weeps at her daughter's distrust but abides, increasing the distance until she's partially hidden under the dense fog.

It may have been overkill, but Viviane didn't want any chance of her guardian finding a way to peek. Huffing, she leans toward Daniel. "Open it."

Mary joins in as the group huddles closer with the male artist in the middle. When he opens it to the first two pages, however...

Blank.

"Motherfucker!"

Clenching her teeth, a fed-up Viviane throws her hand into a fist, barreling straight into the opened book before her son can react. Under the frustrations of his slime mother, Daniel only remembers the counterforce that repelled Nimue earlier.

Viviane wasn't there to witness it.

"Wait, don't...!"

Thump!

But she would experience it soon.

Notes:

Sorry for the longer wait! Work and trips slowed things down. Here, share your upset with a pouting Anne:

 

Chapter 119: Truth to Visions

Chapter Text

[ Viviane's Domain ]

"Ah?"

The world has become a silent, violent blur. One moment, Viviane pounded the book in Daniel's hold with nearly instinctive displeasure; the next, a colossal, unseen fist slammed back in response. While it cannot bear any physical pain to her, it still adds insult by the mocking blank pages that trail her pursuit of the truth.

Did she overreact? Maybe.

In her defense, not many people would face magical books that can discriminate based on the reader.

Or hit back, for that matter.

Because of it, though, Viviane blinks, inches away from Nimue's lake before her inevitable impact against the liquid surface. She couldn't have known the extent of the protective properties of Merlin's book, but it's certainly clear now.

'I swear, these damn magicians. One day, I'll—'

Her vow is choked off in a splash, the waters rising as it had once done with Nimue, although not nearly as elegantly. Watching her daughter's drop, the enchantress rushes to the shore.

"V-viviane!?"

Not far, Daniel and Mary hold themselves with thinned lips, having caught the slime mother's entire trajectory. Stranger, the book somehow remains steady in the male artist's hands despite the invisible force that expelled out of it. Taking into account the earlier pushback against Nimue without any recoil, they can safely say the book's defenses only apply to those who attempt to damage it.

'Good to know,' Daniel thinks, sweating.

While Nimue receives her wet daughter trudging out of her lake of memories, Mary clears her throat and returns to the first blank pages before them. "Sooo... yeah, let's not hit magic books by a famous wizard. What about the next page? Don't tell me every everything turned suddenly blank for us?"

Quite literally the opposite of what they were hoping for in this dreamy domain.

Seeing how his slime mother is fine other than being pissed, Daniel swallows before refocusing. "R-right, um... let's see if... Oh?"

On the next page, English words pave the surface of the book with no sign of the ancient symbols it replaced. Before he might read it, he snaps his head urgently to his slime mother.

"It's not blank! There's text that's actually translated on the next page!"

Coming back to the shore, the water fades off Viviane's pale form as she scoffs, her eyes half-lid. "Great. Just great."

Nimue wiggles her lips into a frown. "Dear me, I have no idea why you did that. Merlin's protection activated similarly while I was chasing your friends, you know?"

"Not like I could reach them because of certain someone! Anyway, why didn't anybody tell me it could do that?" Viviane raises, straightening in posture to everyone around.

Daniel shuffles awkwardly. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to swat a book."

If only it were just a book.

Yet, Viviane groans, unable to find that much of an excuse. "Alright, touché. Still, if it's only hidden to me like the other one, I'll..."

"Other one?" Nimue interrupts, cocking her head.

Catching herself, Viviane swiftly shuts her mouth and steps away, waving her hands. "Oh, sorry! Don't worry about it."

The enchantress frowns but doesn't press. "Whatever you mean, do be careful with the one here, please?"

Hammered by the worry in her predecessor's blue eyes, it's hard to see it as anything but a mother concerned for her child. Being that child, Viviane is conflicted because she understands that feeling, having assumed Amy's memories of Daniel; however, her memories are too limited for her to feel a connection to her predecessor.

Regret lines her smile to the enchantress. "We will, but listen, there's a lot missing for me, so don't take our caution about you personally. I don't know if things can go back to the way they were, but meeting you so far, I want to believe Merlin's visions about you are wrong."

"I think anyone would," Nimue adds, snorting softly. "Don't worry, even Merlin used to be my child in a way, so how can I expect everything the same as it used to be? For me, it feels sudden since I don't have the memories leading to your sealing or what happened to me, but... you're doing the right thing by being careful."

"I assume you'll have plenty of stories to tell us when you two met?"

Chuckling, Nimue's eyes light up sadly. "Oh, more than you know. He was my anchor, someone that kept a girl like me feeling human. Just keep in mind that whatever fault lies with him for your isolation, I share more blame for entrusting him and turning you."

Viviane hums, twisting her lips before leaning away. "I suppose we'll see, but at this point, it is what it is."

Nimue nods without further comment, then watches her distant daughter rejoin her companions with little time to waste. From there, she waits patiently, looking deep into her lake as her guests review Merlin's book more privately.

Fortunately, Viviane's eyes flicker to see plain English letters as she lines to her son's side, sandwiching him between her and Mary. Finally able to read something, she relaxes a little, but clamps down on loosening her guard, not knowing what more the wizard has to say or if someone will catch on fire spontaenously.

However...

If anyone is able to read these symbols, I am Viviane — daughter to Nimue, apprentice to Merlin, and perhaps, the last remnant on Brittania.

Well, maybe not the last. At least, I haven't found evidence of others like me and my mother.

The readers stiffen, taken by the claimed voice that unexpectedly streaks across the first page. Of course, out of the all of them, the pale slime mother widens the most, her gelatinous structure quivering.

'That's... me?!'

Nobody comments aloud yet, their eyes continuing along her apparent record.

For ten years, I've tried to ignore this damn book Merlin wrote for me, yet it always find its way back to me. Despite studying with him on the fires mother and I carry, the full breadth of his designs continue to allude me. It adds to how little we really knew of him.

It's frustrating.

With that, I must air my grievances as this might be the last chance I can do so.

Why hide your burdens until now, only to leave words behind? Leave me behind?

You've set this book to follow me, then unduly expect me to follow in turn without any consideration. It makes light of everything we've spent together, everything you've advised while planning behind our backs.

So, how am I supposed to sympathize with you? Trust you?

You knew what was going to happen, accepted your fate, but couldn't rely on us enough to help change it. How are you so sure of your visions when they're symptoms of the exact flames we shouldn't trust? Flames of which I carry, and that which we haven't fully understood?

I admit, the visions you describe in here are convincing. The changes in the neighboring kingdoms are quickly occurring, especially when a void of power has appeared with Arthur gone. Even I can see that the Britons will eventually fall in a few decades.

However, that's no excuse to what you've done.

When you brought me to mother when I was dying, implored her to turn me into the same as her rather than letting me pass on, was that truly out of love for me?

I always found it odd that you'd allow a new remnant to be born, but now it makes sense.

You took me in as your apprentice, not to see me grow and help you, but for this exact moment — a means to an end. An end that you can't live through to see and change on your own!

So, you dare to call me a friend in your notes knowing the burden you've placed on me?

Fuck off with that.

I wanted a father, not a friend. Even if not in name, you were the closest to one I had. Worse, you knew exactly how I felt.

Guess I'm the fool for expecting such love.

That was the first page.

Daniel, Mary, and Viviane curl in their lips in as if they ate lemons, freshly squeezed by the heavy dose of resentment that rises from the page. Despite being written by her, Viviane feels like all of her prior frustrations have been sucked dry by her past feelings that feel so foreign.

A few uneasy moments of silence fly by before Mary breaks with a clearing of her throat. "Well, that was... enlightening."

She glances at Viviane, then winks. "I guess it's lucky that you haven't remembered any personal memories with him."

Viviane's brows knit as she brushes her hand along the page. "Is it really lucky?"

"Ah..." Mary's eyes briefly widen before she lowers her head. "Sorry, love, I shouldn't have said it like that."

"No, it's okay. Although, I'm worried what it means that I already read this. Even more so, what happened to the kingdom I was associated with?"

Keeping close to her, Daniel slides a hand over hers in comfort along the page. "Mother, do you want to continue?"

Viviane closes her eyes. "I'm fine, just trying to soak it all in and see if anything rings for me." After a moment, she reopens, hardening her gaze. "Please, let's continue."

Daniel nods.

'I don't think I can complain about missing out on a father anymore,' he adds in his mind.

Before continuing their traversal, he briefly peaks at Nimue, watching her body lightly fogged at their current distance. Even so, her blue eyes pierce through, taken in by her lake as she waits for them.

If she ever learns of her daughter's feelings, she'll probably be less happy about her lover. Not wanting to presume too much at this stage, his hand flips to the next page.

Whew.

I'm sorry, that's a bit dramatic, but I do feel better now. I remember a maid once told me it helps to write your feelings out.

That's not only why I'm doing this, but I have to agree, especially considering this might be the last time I'll ever write. In the end, my choices are to either remain in this world and hope my successor will find the truth to Merlin's fears, or preserve myself among stars using the ritual he wrote in here, then come to face it myself.

I suppose my decision will be obvious if I've successfully been released in the future as he intended. Although, it's not reassuring coming from someone who's blinded by these visions.

Viviane narrows. 'So it's true...'

They had already considered the possibility that she sealed herself, but her past words provide that confirmation. More surprising is how the ritual lies in the depth of this book.

Suddenly, she doesn't quite want to read through it all.

Guess I'm blind, too.

Or desperate. I think being desperate is the better alternative here.

While I don't want to follow my teacher's expectations, I've exhausted attempts to find answers as to what really happened in the castle. In particular, what went on between Merlin and Nimue. Indeed, he describes his and my mother's fate in this book.

He foresaw my mother undergoing a transformation, becoming a catalyst in which she would flood humanity. Through this flood, she would consume everyone, creating a paradise using the nurtured fires that were spread by predecessors over ages.

I wish I was making this up.

Before that can happen, Merlin knew he would die by her hands while sealing her away. She would be released eventually, but there's hope that by arriving there, I might be able to stop this growth.

That's Merlin's hope, anyway.

As much as I don't want to believe it, though, my mother's change might be true.

I only know that when it could have happened, it was sudden. One night, nearly everyone vanished in the castle after I left my study. Scouring, I went int the throne room. Whether I was supposed to be there was never mentioned in Merlin's descriptions.

However, I saw them.

A crack booms in the distance, breaking everyone's focus away from the text.

Daniel stumbles, Merlin's book folding in as it slips out in his hands, disappearing into the misty ground covering their feet. Seconds after it hit with a damp thud, all except Viviane snap to the source of the interruption.

The silver-haired lake dweller remains unmoving, locked into place with shrinking pupils.

"I... remember."

Supporting that statement, two silhouettes stand in the distant fog, one male and the another female. The male holds still against a sword that the female plunges into him. Emanating a red aura, the female shadow resembles Nimue, meaning the other had to be...

"... Merlin?" Nimue questions weakly, her blue eyes shaking in recognition.

Hearing enchantress stunned whisper behind them, Daniel lets out air before he shifts to his slime mother. "Mother, snap out it! Is this your doing?"

Viviane blinks, the faint bits of memories repeating in her mind that hit right when the throne room was mentioned. Despite her disorientation, she forces herself to catch up, facing the shadows that is nearly as foggy as it came to her.

"Y-yes, I think so," she answers. "I... I just saw a little of when it happened, and then..."

The slime mother struggles to finish as the shadow Nimue moves, pulling out her sword from the memory of Merlin. They hear a soft grunt before he falls to his knees, almost at peace. Without much fanfare, his body disintegrates in front of his lover like shredded cloth.

The female shadow remains, swiping downward as if to remove any residue before facing them.

Mary gulps. "Uh, are we sure that's just a memory or...?"

She doesn't need to finish as the shadow draws to them in a slow walk, lifting its sword while its red aura rises like flames to undesired intent.

"That's a corruption!" Nimue shouts, burying her shock. While the memory is undoubtedly triggered by Viviane, this is the first time she has seen a corruption manifesting out from one.

What does that say about her and Merlin?

Viviane holds similar questions, but responds to the threat first seeing how she can't disperse the memory from her mind. Stretching her arm out, she pushes Daniel and Mary back first. "We'll discuss this later! We need to—"

In a switch, the shadow bends, bursting forward at Viviane before she can finish. Its pitch black features are unreadable as it directs the shrouded blade at the silver girl like a snake. Viviane responds better, pulling a morphing arm up more quickly to block.

Thwoom!

But, they barely meet. A ball of blue mass hurls to the side of the corruption in a blur, throwing it off. No screams come out of it as the shadow disappears into the fog before any of them can breathe.

Viviane holds her bladed arm closely as she and the others turn their attention to Nimue, who threw the mass; however, the enchantress narrows past them to where she pushed the shadow, her arm stretched with slime. While stepping closer, she retracts her mass back, reshaping it into a sword with a whip of her hand.

"It hasn't dispersed yet," she warns.

The artists stiffen. Daniel wants to ask how she's able to tell, but the whirling of their surroundings silences him. Meanwhile, Viviane tenses with uncertainty toward her predecessor.

"Nimue..."

"Tell me, did I really kill Merlin as we just saw?" the enchantress asks without looking at her daughter, her eyes alert to their surroundings.

Viviane's gaze follows similarly with bitter line of her lips. "I don't know."

Nimue's grip on her hilt tightens. "No... What do you mean by that? You clearly remembered something that showed...!"

She stops herself, catching the slightest tint of red near a stun-locked Mary. Without another word, she twists and grabs the ebony artist's shoulder, pulling her back.

"Ah!?"

Mary squeaks just in time when the corruption leaps into view from the fog, rising along with its sword. From behind, the artist's whole expression sinks, watching the lake guardian in front of her meet the corruption's blade.

They mirror each other, their dark and light metal blades ringing out, sending crisp echoes that cause the nearby lake to ripple.

"Stubborn!" Nimue hisses.

She wants to reject it, desperately.

Viviane doesn't wait to follow up, extending her bladed arm out to hit the shadow's side. In turn, the shadow tries to pull back again, but Nimue presses forward with her additional appendages rising from her shoulders. With a metal blade and multiple slimy protrusions upon it, one manages to puncture shadow's shoulder before it can retreat.

Shlick! Shlick! Shlick!

Then, a few more. There's no escape as its dark blade is thrown off, dissipating in the air like smoke while the rest of its figure is skewered. Like before when it was smashed away, there's barely a cry as it hangs by multiple sharp poles of slime, but it does warble weakly.

The shadow's featureless face stares back at Nimue for too long, causing her to grit her teeth in disgust. Having left more meaning than she'd like, she watches it dissipate along with its red aura, returning the area to its gray state.

Slowly, the fog regains its ominous silence.

"No."

Whirling with doubts about herself, Nimue looks to the ground where she saw Daniel drop Merlin's book. At this point, she's lost patience on waiting for the truth, so she extends her arm out, snatching the book through the misty layer.

"W-wait!" Daniel sounds, snapping out of his stun of the fight. He reaches out to nothing before the book is in the enchantress' hands. Before he can object further, Viviane pulls forward with a hand out.

She shakes her head. "It's fine, child. Let her read it."

Daniel furrows his brows and scoffs. "Read it? But we don't know if she—"

"I know it's strange after seeing that memory and corruption, but she's not the threat," Viviane cuts, then glances at her. "At least, not at her current state. I can say now that she's really what's left of my mother when we synced in the past."

"How do you know that for sure? Have you suddenly remembered everything?"

"No, I haven't, but... I'm feeling much stronger about her now."

"Well, I don't!"

While they argue, Nimue is already reading the first two pages, her face slowly breaking as she takes in her daughter's words.

"O-oh... Oh..."

Hearing her strained guardian, Viviane frowns. "Sweetie, you'll understand once you finish reading, but the scene we just witnessed wasn't... exactly that."

Although she doesn't remember the entire book, she recollects the last bit she added before they were interrupted.

However, I saw them.

I couldn't reach them, but I could see a sword held by my mother, plunged into Merlin.

He was smiling at her while she cried without tears, trying to pull the sword out of him. Before I knew it, they were fading away right in front of my eyes, hugging each other in vain.

I was helpless to do anything, only able to watch until this book drop from him as they disappeared

It wasn't just them that faded that day. Honestly, it scares to me think what kind magic using the flames used.

It might very well be the effects of the sealing I'm about to perform.

Viviane shuts her eyes.

"Merlin's visions might all be true, but he can only assume what he sees in those parts," she explains, feeling the sadness that traveled inside of her as she inscribed the same language Merlin used into the book. Opening her eyes, she shifts to Nimue, who tightens her eyes as she holds the book close to her forehead, anger and loss swirling in her lips.

"It would be different if I hadn't seen it, but now I can understand why I don't want to believe she killed him," she continues.

Daniel thins his lips, rightly confused. He wants to understand better what his slime mother means, but at that moment, he sees their forms fading as time runs out in this domain.

"Of course, it had to be now." Snorting, he drops his head and sighs. "Look, if you say so. I'm just worried about the future now."

"I'll explain better when we wake up, okay?" Viviane assures, smiling weakly. She returns her attention fully to Nimue. By now, she and the others are half-faded.

She grazes towards her side. "We'll come back!"

The enchantress gasps, pulling up from the book. Her lips wiggle before she hums, forcing down her emotions. With it, her eyes firm at her daughter. "Y-you have to find out what happened to us, my child."

Viviane hums. "Now I know, that was always the plan."

Nimue sends a strained smile before clearing herself. "A-also, your sense of control and reaction is quite... bad. Before you might get into trouble, we need to fix that."

The silver slime flinches. "Ah... Is that necessary?"

"Ha, it most certainly is. Even if you don't remember our time together, I'm still your guardian, so I would know how you should move. Come back as soon as you can, okay?" Nimue urges.

Stunned, Viviane blinks a few times before she relaxes with a snort. "Yes, one should listen to their mothers, I suppose."

She gives one last smile, but to her past in mind. 'She hasn't disappeared yet, Viviane.'

The guests fade into the fog, leaving her alone like before.

Hoping it's not a simple dream, Nimue squeezes the book closer to her chest, taking in its presence as if Merlin was with her. However, after a few seconds of silence, she raises the book up in realization, eyes widening.

"Wait, this book hasn't disappeared with them?"

She doesn't forget Viviane mentioning there was another book around here, too.

Chapter 120: A Squishy Morning to a Lost History

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[Mary's Apartment]

'Ugh... Yep, that was a trip.'

The cold, wet air of the fog still lingers in Daniel Hart's strained mind as he stirs, his heart beating to each steel blade he remembered whistling past him and Mary. Along with the metallic forges from a mythical enchantress, the howls of dark vestiges also echo rent-free in his head.

Yes, truly a pleasant dream that's sure to provide good fortune for the future.

'I wish,' Daniel snorts internally, stretching a bit only to find himself entrapped in a cool, gelatinous chamber. He expected this might remain the case as Mary and Viviane enveloped him as Mavi prior to entering the domain.

However, his gooey surroundings around him seems to line him up too well. Not only that, he also feels like he's sitting upright and holding something in his hand.

He shuffles a bit, wondering if he's mistaken.

Squish, squish~

'Huh? I... can't move?'

"Oh?"

A voice not of his own spills as his lips spread on their own.

Before he can completely register his state of being, he gasps. The squishy gel lining loosens around him, causing him to lean partially away in his disorientation before it pulls him back.

"Oh, my! I thought I felt a twitch. Awake now, sweet child?"

Hearing Viviane's equally sweet voice, Daniel blinks a few times, finally registering that he's been taken over by her again. Like thick dough being stretched but resisting its pull apart, he's similarly held in form within his slime mother. The weight of whatever his mother was carrying in their hand had disappeared from feeling as he slumped out of alignment.

If he had to guess, she's been reading Merlin's book, perhaps with better insight now. Before he can question what she had remembered and her "feeling" about Nimue, he works his jaw that's been freed.

"Ungh... morning, Mother," he greets, muffled. "I see you took me inside of you again."

Despite being sealed within her, the artist breathes easily as Viviane pulls air for him. She sits on a lone chair in Mary's kitchen, casually paging through Merlin's book with one hand. The left side of her face distends, showing the clear outline of her son. As he wiggles inside her extended blue mass, a warm smile touches her lips.

"Technically, you were already inside of Mommy," she reminds. "You were lying asleep in me after Mary and I split, so I figured I'd keep my child cozy for a little while longer."

Daniel snorts. "How considerate of you."

"Hehe, aren't I?" Viviane's lips dip into a smirk before tapering off wryly. "But seriously, do you want out?"

"Why ask when you've gone out your way to dress?"

She raises her brow. "Is that strange? When I'm connected to you, I feel as human and exposed as you are. Of course, I'm going to wear something! Be honest, it's comfy inside Mommy, isn't it?"

Daniel clears his throat. "Well, it's not... um, unpleasant."

For better or worse, he's becoming accustomed to being enveloped by his slime mothers. He might later come to regret giving into their squishy being, but right now, he can't deny how soothing it is as it eases him into another day.

"I need a complete answer, child," Viviane presses, her eyes narrow knowingly.

Daniel shuts his own. "A-alright! If there's nothing immediately urgent, then we can stay together for little while longer."

Viviane beams to the sound of success, but abstains from wiggling. "Of course! I know you're worried about what we saw and learned, but take it easy, okay?"

She settles the Book of Isis in her hand down on their combined lap, then raises her arm to caress her son's extruding head. In doing so, Daniel feels parts of his limbs reconnecting with her. "It's a bit awkward to not have all your senses shared, so slide back into Mommy, please? I'll only loosely control your lips so we can continue talking."

Despite the request, there's nothing he has to do as she gently pushes his head back in. Tingles spread all over him as he feels the gel massaging him in.

"Ungh, Mother..." Daniel croaks, shivering as all the stress from their trip fades away for a few blissful moments. While slipping into her depths, Viviane coos, nuzzling against his leaving extrusion.

"Ah... yes, there we go..."

Once he disappears, she holds a hand to her chest, feeling her son's heartbeat as her own. "I love you so much, Daniel."

Daniel heats up, his heart pounding harder to hear his name being called instead of the usual 'child'. Reminded of Nimue again, he swallows before opening their combined lips.

"Although I've gotten used to it, I wish you'd call me that more often."

Daniel feels his lips rising as his mother follows. "I'll keep that in mind, especially now that I've met my predecessor who considers me her child."

"Well, at least we know where you got that habit from." Daniel clears his throat. "But, putting her aside, where is Mary?"

Viviane hums, brushing the cover of the book. "Mary left to check in with her clone and uncle at the studio. Last I heard, he's awake, but she wants us to stay put until she hears from him first about his... er, cultist ties."

Daniel twist their lips, his stomach churning in turn. He already was forced to open up to Rachel, and in doing so, he has to deal with Lecia's group with said leader missing. Having a cult looming on top of that is just cruel.

Viviane frowns. "I can feel you worrying, child. It's worrying me."

"Ha, isn't that to be expected? Seeing how we've obtained Merlin's book from him, and it's meant to follow you into the future, I'm guessing involving him was unavoidable."

"You're probably right. Merlin does seem to hold great confidence in how the visions would play out, especially seeing how I willingly sealed myself. While we may have been playing into them thus far, I have a suspicion it wasn't Marlin's choice to bring this book."

The slime lining squishes as Daniel raises his brows. "Why do you say that?"

Viviane glances down to the book. "Because, from what we read, Merlin designed it to not only to be durable across time but also find its way to me. Something must have happened for Marlin to bring the real thing with him when he was hesitant to do so. I mean, why risk bringing something as big as this overseas?"

"Guess he'll have to tell us. But, if you're reading the book now, does that mean you're able to understand it?"

Viviane shakes her head. "Unfortunately, it's reverted to its symbols. When I remembered how I wrote the first pages we read, some meanings to the strange symbols opened up to me, but they're too scattered beyond the first pages to make any sense. Maybe with Marlin's studies, more will come to me, but I think we'll have to revisit Nimue and my domain to read it properly."

At mention of the problematic enchantress, Daniel sighs. "Right, let's talk about her now. Despite triggering a vague memory resembling your guardian cutting into Merlin, then becoming a corruption to attack us again, why would you suddenly become more trusting of the one within you?"

Expecting such confusion, Viviane closes her eyes. "I know it was sudden, and I'm not saying Merlin's fear is unfounded. When I remembered the rest of what I added into this book, I also remembered what I saw of them before they disappeared."

She pauses, opening her eyes half-way before continuing. "I don't know why a corruption sprung out of that memory, but in reality, something was off between Merlin and Nimue. I felt it back then and regained that feeling now. While the memory was initially hazy, I think it's become clearer now."

"Can you show me?" Daniel asks.

Viviane snorts. "I was about to say."

Her body shrugs as Daniel takes his turn, spreading a resigned smile. "Look, we're already sharing enough as is, so it's not like more will kill me."

"I... do wonder about that, but close your eyes and recall what we saw in the fog."

Daniel stiffens, but follows, wiggling their lips. "Y-you know, I could've done without hearing you doubt."

"Mommy's just being honest, sweetie~"

"Ugh, saying it endearingly just makes it sound worse. That's too honest!"

"Yes, yes, just hush now, child. Focus."

Breathing out in a huff, Daniel lets his mind rest. The fog returns to him showing the silhouettes of Merlin and Nimue embracing each other in a... less than welcoming manner.

'No, but seriously, how can anyone trust a person that carries such an obvious red haze? It literally screams—'

Shlick!

Daniel's thought is cut off as Viviane attaches to his head for a brief second. A wind blows through his own memory, lifting the fog. By then, he holds himself, eyes wide as if he were there.

It's utterly silent.

Daniel can't tell if that's intentional or because the memory is incomplete, but he takes in the unnatural green flames that surround the lovers amid an empty throne. They writhe and lick at the air, casting an eerie emerald light on the two figures at their heart, slowly consuming them.

The man, Merlin, is in a simple brown cloak, but for the first time, his hood is down. Daniel leans into the memory, trying to finally see the face of the man who had been nothing more than a cloaked enigma in every prior instance, but the memory resists. Merlin's features blur and swim behind his dark, pony-tailed hair, refusing to resolve into a clear image. All Daniel can discern is the ghost of a light, calm smile on his lips. He seems utterly at peace as her blade pierces cleanly through him.

He knew his fate, of course.

Even in literature, it was told he would die at the hands of the Lady of the Lake. Some authors claim it as an apprentice seeking to overthrow the master while others say it was out of jealousy. The name between Viviane and Nimue blurs between different tales, masking where truth lies.

Daniel is witnessing the truth along with the closest one can call magic.

Yet, Merlin's tranquility makes Nimue's expression all the more devastating. Daniel can understand why Viviane feels there's more to her guardian's supposed threat with horror crossing those blue eyes.

Nimue frantically searches to an unknowable wizard as she tries to pull back, but is held close by his hands collapsing around her own. This doesn't seem like the reality she wanted to be a part of, so what could have led to this?

Daniel figures the flames rising around them as their bodies fade is the sealing magic, seeing how it's similar to flames that appeared to Viviane when she was released. If that's the case, then is Nimue horrified of the flames released to seal them together, or by striking her own lover?

More than that, was it even her decision?

The memory ends with a fade to darkness, just as the two lovers fade out of existence, connected to each other as they once were. At that moment, he sees Viviane's hand reaching out, and her cry breaking through the silence but never reaching the ones who raised her.

Shlick!

 

Daniel inhales sharply as Viviane separates from his mind. Any longer, they would have become the fusion, Vida. In addition to the memory, the rest of the page he hadn't finished reading also comes to him, mirroring what his slime mother had seen.

He swallows slowly. "So they just... disappeared like that?"

Viviane nods, keeping a loosened control over his lungs to let him recover as he wants. She brings their combined arm to rub their thigh soothingly.

"And you weren't able to find any answers as to what happened back then?" Daniel adds.

"Only as far as what I wrote, but I haven't regained any memories of what I did during that time. That said, I'm also worried about the extent of the flames we saw. Do you remember what I wrote about Arthur?"

"Right, something about Arthur being gone. I assume he fell somehow? No, wait..."

Catching himself, Daniel recalls his slime mother's notes further:

I only know that when it could have happened, it was sudden. One night, nearly everyone vanished in the castle after I left my study. Scouring, I went into the throne room. Whether I was supposed to be there was never mentioned in Merlin's descriptions.

...

It wasn't just them that faded that day. Honestly, it scares to me think what kind magic using the flames was performed.

Daniel widens his eyes. "They... they vanished just like Nimue and Merlin did!"

"Exactly."

"But then, many should've noticed! Why haven't archaeologists and historians uncovered the truth of his rule beyond tales? Surely there's more solid evidence."

"I've been wondering that as well," Viviane supports, lifting their combined hand to their chin. "Then, I remembered what happened to you at the clinic. We've seen how Victor did something to make them forget about you and him, no?"

"Damn... If that's true, then you're thinking the seal also wiped out a portion of Britain's history and the people in it!"

"W-well, I don't want to go that far," Viviane holds, chuckling nervously. "I mean, I find it hard to believe that everyone in the kingdom disappear, but a memory wipe? Maybe. Then again, we don't know much of these magical flames."

"How would we have loose tales, but not any real accounts?"

This time, Viviane shrugs, but winks, causing their lips to rise. "Who knows? It could be the result of a certain someone roaming the land, trying to find answers."

With only guesses to play off, Daniel resets their expression with a light breath, shaking their head. "Didn't know you could be so inspiring."

"Hey, what's with that tone? You know that's a possibility!" Viviane growls, puffing up to the derision.

Before Daniel can respond, the sound of a phone ringing echoes into the kitchen. At first, Viviane thought it was hers, but seeing no such activity in her pocket, it immediately follows that it has to belong to her son's device.

"We can speculate for later," Daniel urges, slightly grateful for the interruption. "Can we see who that is?"

Viviane blows out, grumbling to her sometimes rude host. She takes control, pushing off the chair and stepping back into Mary's bedroom where Daniel's phone was left on the night-stand. Pulling it up, she sees the caller ID from Rachel.

'Oh, shit,' Daniel thinks, sweating. He had left her with Anne, but she was quite upset with him, especially learning of their unusual relationship. Although he can't avoid her, he wished Anne called ahead instead.

"Let me talk with her," Viviane suggests, causing Daniel to flinch. "She knows everything, right?"

"Ah, yes, but..."

"It's okay," Viviane cuts gently. "I should at least introduce myself before we properly meet."

Daniel hesitates, but ultimately nods. His silver-haired slime mother carries the same familiarity with the astronomer, and while it may not link as closely as Anne, it's still there.

He hopes that will be enough. Shameful as it is to allow his slime mother to literally shield him, he's not in any mood to front Rachel's frustration and disbelief if it hasn't subsided.

With that, Viviane takes more control of Daniel's face as she closes her eyes to a smile. "Good morning, Rachel. This is Viviane speaking."

Quite the gathering would soon come.

Notes:

If you're following DeviantArt, Pixiv, or Itaku, then you may have seen a nude, preview of the first illustration. In the end, I decided to incorporate the moment here, so look out for a sequence when that's ready. 

Chapter 121: The Committee of Twin Nieces

Chapter Text

[ Mary's Studio ]

While one man is covered and controlled by his slime mother a few blocks away, another sits in the studio of his niece with no such protection or guidance.

It's been said before, but...

'I should've stayed in London,' Marlin thinks, drawing a slow sip of his coffee while he faces a committee of sorts.

A committee of two and the same, to be precise.

On his left across the kitchen table is Mary, burrowing her eyes to him like a hawk after arriving from her apartment twenty minutes ago. It's not pleasant to be received by a family member like this, but expected given the circumstances.

Then, to his right, is also Mary. She's identical except for the choice of wear and expression. Rather than carry the same drape of suspicion, her lips thin bitterly over the entire situation, especially as the one who was forced to oversee him after he passed out. For the most part, he's calmed down despite lingering anxiety over his mind being pursued through gelatinous means.

"S-so, which one of you is the original?" Marlin asks, a silent drop of sweat sliding down his neck from his shining head. His hands cling to the round edges of his mug, but it won't save him from the unexpected twins' stare.

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking questions first, uncle," the left Mary warns, squinting her eyes. "Not only did you leave us hanging by saying you joined a cult, but you were also tried to hide the fact that you brought the actual book!"

The right Mary sighs. "In his defense, we did make him pass out."

Even so, Marlin shuts his eyes, regret creasing his uneven face. After he woke up and found they had searched his luggage, it only emphasized that he couldn't hide his troubling membership and studies. He thought he was careful, but in fact, he bit off more than he can chew.

Taking a deep breath before swallowing, he lowers his head. "I'm sorry, Mary. I thought that maybe there was a way to help distance you from all of this, but I see now that you are..."

"... beyond help?" the right Mary finishes, raising her brow.

Marlin snorts, his lips rising sadly. "Maybe, but really, I'm the one beyond help right now."

The tension in the twins' gazes eases. Before they might understand what kind of mess their uncle has become involved in, the left Mary leans back in her chair, sighing. "Well, we do have the British curse."

The right Mary groans, rolling her eyes.

"Is this really the time for jokes?" she asks before turning her attention fully to her human twin, eyes narrowing. "More than that, bet you find it so funny leaving me behind for uncle-sitting, huh?"

Her twin blinks, raising a brow. "You're upset about that? I mean, I would be too, but it wasn't all sunshine on my end either. You'll know soon enough once we recombine."

"You had Daniel!" the slime Mary snaps, pointing finger at her mirror. "There's no way you didn't play around with him!"

Reflecting back, the accused flinches before glancing away. "C-come on, who do you take me for?"

Her slimy clone only stares back flatly in silence. It doesn't take long for Mary to break, her lips twisting crookedly.

"Okay, point taken."

"Uh..." Marlin's uncertainty breaks between twins. In a jerk, the two straighten with the human taking point, clearing herself.

"So anyway, care to explain about this cult you joined? Perhaps the cult of Isis?"

Shoulders slumping, Marlin takes a deep breath, keeping his hands cupped to the mug as he stares into it. "It's not called that, but yes. They're known as The Order."

The two in front of him blink, cocking their heads together. "The Order?"

Marlin hums. "It was a few years after I received the book when I found a lead into a modern-day group that worship the goddess. As I was trying to decipher the symbols, I took a risk in joining the group to see if I could learn more."

"Then, you're not a fanatic?"

"I'm not!" Marlin insists, lifting his head to the girls. "I swear, I only joined to access the resources to learn about this book, but..."

"...but?"

Marlin's brows knit together as he looks down. "But, I underestimated what I joined."

The pair hold themselves, waiting for their uncle to elaborate. After a few breaths, he laughs weakly, shaking his head.

"I guess that's my mistake since they're not considered a cult for no reason. For one, they don't take kindly to members who pry into their goddess from outside. I thought that if I stayed low and not dig too quickly in their records, I could avoid eyes while advancing studies to the book in between my usual job.

"However, last week was the first time I learned they assaulted an outside group in Egypt who were looking into matters related to Isis. Knowing that you were also looking into the goddess, I couldn't help but worry whether you were either related or add to their radar."

"An assault in Egypt?" one of the Mary raises. "I can tell you for certain we're not part of any group. It's been only been me, Daniel, Viviane, and Anne."

"Problem is, you are related. What I gathered from the pub last night is that same group found in Egypt was likely associated with Lecia."

His nieces flinch, their eyes widening in sync. It doesn't take much for them to figure out the rest.

"Then, her accident on the news..." One begins.

"... was a hit by this cult?!" the other completes, leaning forward.

Marlin nods, displeasure weighing down his face. "My initial goal was to figure how much you've learned and try to dissuade you from this dangerous path you're set on." He closes his eyes. "Turns out that was naive."

The human Mary scoffs, glancing to her twin, then back to her uncle. "What, because you know we wouldn't abandon Daniel and these ancient shapeshifters? Well, yeah, that would be naive."

"We're just too stupid, even with this danger, you see," the clone supports, closing her eyes pitifully.

"Hey, don't speak for us even if you are me!" the original growls.

Marlin stops short of a crying. Somehow, he's getting used to having two nieces, and by that, he's developing a headache twice over.

'There's really no way out of this, is there?'

On the outside, he tries to appear calm. "Regardless, they have eyes on us now. The reason I visited the pub you tailed me was because I didn't feel like I had much of a choice. Before you picked me up, I bumped into follower named Nico at the airport. Despite not telling anyone except your father where I was headed, he somehow knew, then extended the invitation to that pub."

"Nico...." the human Mary whispers the name before shuffling. "You don't think Dad might have...?"

Marlin shakes his head. "I highly doubt it. No disrespect to your father, but you know he's not great with technology. If he was working for them, he'd have to be comfortable with communication tools and some manual decryption."

"Yeah, that's unlikely."

"That being said, anybody can find information on us if they spend enough time. It seems my efforts to conceal my tracks weren't enough."

Mary's clone crosses her arms. "So basically, we're now caught in the crossfires between Lecia's group and The Order. What were you doing alone in the pub, though? When I followed you yesterday, you were just sitting still at the bar. I didn't see anyone approach you."

Earlier, they hypothesized that he was in a similar state to Daniel at the clinic by the hands of Victor, but it's hard to say considering they didn't see any magical fire.

"Well, that's because...!"

The front door to the studio lobby buzzes, pinching their conversation to a halt. After a second passes, Mary lifts.

"That must be Daniel and Viviane if someone's going to ignore the closed sign. Let's continue after I introduce you to the former. They should also be bringing back the book, so we'll have plenty more to talk about."

"Should we recombine?" her clone asks.

Mary grins. "Uh, uh, not yet! Don't tell me you dislike our dynamic apart?"

Her clone harrumphs, turning away. "I wish I could! So far, what I dislike is how I'm already getting the short end of the stick!"

Guilt treads through Mary. As the second buzz rings, she doesn't hesitate, motioning to the hallway.

"If that's the case, how about I let you have the opportunity to greet our boyfriend? Later, I'll even give you to him next time as compensation."

"Or, we could — you know — carry that time together?"

"What's the difference now or later? It'll be me in the end anyway."

Sighing, the clone stands, shaking her head. "Whatever. We really are too free with our thinking."

She passes by her human self to receive the visitors. Meanwhile, Marlin stares, finally registering the implications of having a slimy clone.

"So, um... does this mean your boyfriend acknowledges both of you?" he asks, wondering if he wants to know the answer.

Mary blinks before settling back down to the table. "Well, she is still me, so yeah."

Marlin shakes his head and takes a sip of his coffee. "Poor guy."

Chapter 122: Mama’s Sacrifice

Chapter Text

[Mary's Studio]

A wind howls through the air, adding to the whirling of cars that pass by. Standing in front of Mary's studio that's walking distance from her apartment, Daniel lifts his head as he and Viviane wait for Mary to open the door for them.

"A bit chillier than usual," he remarks.

It's just a small sign of the larger seasonal changes to arrive as Summer nears its end within Keystone. Of course, being in the North Dakota, warm temperatures only last a few months compared to the states in the South.

Viviane hums neutrally as she looks into the distance where mountains trail behind the haze of morning pollution. Somewhere in the vicinity, the observatory that Rachel works at should still be there. Thanks to her first call with the astronomer, she can't help wade into memories of Amy's time working with her.

However, she quickly reigns herself in, harrumphing to her son. "I'd be able to relate better to the temperature if someone let Mommy keep their body."

Daniel slumps, shutting his eyes to a wry smile. "You just had to say it like that, didn't you?"

"It's true, no?" his silver mother hits back, her eyes annoyingly sly.

"Yes, but let's not claim being anyone's mother in front of Marlin. It's bad enough that Rachel knows."

"Really? I think our call went pretty well!"

That's a bit subjective.

While Daniel kept silent within his mother during the call, not that he had much of a choice, he felt Rachel was more surprised than anything. She had been caught up on Viviane's background by Anne, but struggled on whether to treat this slime mother like her friend or as a literal figure of Arthurian mythology.

He had to admit, it was amusing to hear Rachel fumble initially when she expected him to answer the phone. Beyond some confirming queries, she mostly wanted to know when they'd come over to align on next steps, especially since she has updates from Mike.

However, she insisted any discussion could wait until they meet in person. The wait only serves to whip Daniel's worries.

He sighs. "In any case, I was thinking we'd drop by her home, so why did you have to invite them over here?"

His slime mother huffs. "What do you mean 'why'? It's only natural to come together when we have Marlin and Rachel in the know."

"Ugh." Daniel wishes he could refute the rationale. Beyond having to deal with more people, he'll also have to put up with more of Rachel's disapproval over his current... arrangement with his slime mothers.

"Mom really let it slip," he mutters.

"Let's not beat the past more than once, child. You know very well your Mama was pushed to the limits with her connection to Rachel."

"I'm aware," Daniel gives, closing his eyes. "I'm glad she's accepting of you guys despite everything, but I wish she and others didn't come with strings attached."

"Child, where does an existence like me and Anne go that doesn't come with strings attached?"

"That's...true."

She slides her hand into his. "So, we'll pick apart these strings, those that threaten our connection and those that do not. If any strings cause a problem..."

Her eyes close to a smile. "I'll just cut them!"

Daniel shivers. Before he can follow up her meaning, the door clicks.

"Good morning, love!" Mary chirps as the door opens. The burst of her arrival shakes her expected friends, but they can't respond as she suddenly resets, her smile fading and eyes narrowed at Daniel. "Also, thanks for leaving me behind last night, you jerk."

Said "jerk" raises his brow. "Last night? But you were with u—aah!?"

Gasping, Viviane loses her hold on him, snatched away as Mary swings him inside. Ignoring the silver slime mother's indignant grumbling, Mary flashes a grin. "Here's a little something to clear the confusion."

With that declaration, her lips locked onto his. Daniel blinked, mind momentarily blank. The kiss was unnaturally cool, sucking away his warmth as her hands traveled around him. Feeling more drop in temperature than the outside weather, the familiar sensation does clear his confusion. Pushing all other thoughts away, he leans into the now-identified clone, inhaling Mary all the same.

A few apologetic squeezes and moans later, the clone pulls back, giggling. "That's somewhat better, although I wish I could feel you, love. Damn it, this is all my self's fault!"

Catching his breath, Daniel cocks his head. "I thought you and Mary would have rejoined by now?"

"You would think." A huff of annoyance ripples through her gelatinous form. "Anyway, did you guys bring the books?"

"...Hrmm." Viviane steps into the lobby with a pout. Ripped away from her sweet artist, she refuses to greet the third slime, only turning to show the Book of Isis and Victor's textbook tucked in her arm.

Daniel lets out a soft sigh as she clings back to him. "Rachel and Anne will also be joining us shortly," he adds.

Unfazed, the clone whistles. "A party, huh? Looks like we'll have quite the lunch later. Before that, let's introduce you properly to my uncle."

Daniel can't help but swallow. "I know you're fine, but what's proper about this? He's part of a cult."

"Ah, well... the good news is that he's only a member on paper."

"... Okay? What's the bad news?"

"The... the cult. There's still a cult."

"..."

"And they're here in Keystone now."

"...!"

At Daniel's silence and soured lips, Mary's eyes and body creak sideways. "Look, it's better if you hear the rest from him."

"I...I don't think I want to anymore."

"Well, that's too bad."

Daniel groans, but understands there's little choice in the matter. With a reluctant nod, he and Viviane follow the clone into the hallway from the lobby. As they turn into the lounge, he catches the original Mary's back. Her posture straightens as she senses them behind her, then waves.

Opposite, Marlin doesn't react, his eyes distant in his own thoughts. Creases along his face weigh the man, more distressed than Daniel saw of him in the shared memories. Only after a few seconds pass does the uncle's eyes flicker to finally notice Viviane and Daniel standing by the door as well. He quickly rises to meet them.

"You must be Daniel," he says, forcing a smile as he extends a hand. "I'm Marlin."

Daniel edges closer, his lips forming an equally rigid line as he takes the offered hand. "Yes, I'm Daniel. It's nice to meet you."

The handshake is brief and understandably stiff. As they all find their seats, Viviane settles the books on the table. Marlin’s gaze falls on them, recognizing the "gift" that began all of this trouble for him. He's curious as to what they could've discovered on their own.

For now, he turns to his niece. "I assume your boyfriend here was shared memories too?"

Mary crosses her arms. "Only up to last night, so he knows about the pub visit and what my clone saw, but that's all." She glances from Daniel back to her uncle, the nudges forward. "Please, tell him what you told us. About 'The Order' and their recent attacks."

Daniel stills. 'Attacks?'

Marlin tenses as well, his hands clasping on his mug. "Right." He takes a deep breath, staring straight into his Daniel's eyes. He has plenty of reservations about the man who brought this risk of otherworldly slimes into Mary's life, but he's in no position to cast stones.

He's not the one part of a cult, after all.

"As I was telling Mary," Marlin begins. "I joined a group a few years ago called 'The Order'."

Watching Viviane and Daniel, he lets the name settle in their heads before continuing. "They're followers of Isis, so naturally, they hold exclusive archives. I only joined so that I could use them to understand the book I received, but as you might expect from a cult, they don't play too nicely. I'm afraid to say, I think I ran out of luck now."

Viviane scoffs. "You don't say? I'm concerned what they know that would've been helpful to you, but more than that, what of these attacks?"

Marlin thins his lips. "Well, for one, they're responsible for Lecia's 'accident'."

Lighting strikes Viviane and Daniel, their pupils contracting. As their faces fall to the implications, Marlin doesn't wait to recount the past week. He details everything from the assault on Lecia's men in Egypt to being approached by Nico at the airport. All of this twists Daniel in his seat, fully recognizing this group to be the culprit Mike was searching for.

'God damn it. Of course, it would turn out like this.'

His slime mother recovers better as she leans forward. "From what I've read, the driver that hit her car had a heart attack at the wheel. Unless there's a cover-up, how could that crash be coordinated?"

"We shouldn't follow standard logic here," Marlin reminds, directing his stare back into the dark liquid he holds. "While I don't know how they organized the crash, it was evident to me yesterday they have people higher-up who can conjure the same flames I've tried studying."

A collective tension snaps through the room. They know so little about these flames, so hearing that there's more people like Merlin or Victor raises the temperature in the air. The latter did warn Daniel of this case, but nobody expected the reality to hit so soon.

"By yesterday, you're not referring to when you visited the pub, are you?" Mary asks.

Sadly, Marlin nods, resuming where he left off with her. "Since your clone was watching me, you know I ordered the suspiciously-named cocktail at that bar. I figured that would be the sign for someone who works there to come."

His eyes fall as he snorts. "Well, someone did come, but not before it felt like my senses were ripped away. Whether it was real or in my head, a woman was sitting beside me before I knew it."

Lifting back to the four, the lines on his face deepens. "She introduced herself Morgan, a member of the council."

The four listening raise their brows together.

"A... council?" Daniel questions.

"Yes," Marlin answers, his gaze weary. "The Order is led by a group, but I don't know much about them. Beyond hearing about names from the past, she's the first one I've had the pleasure to meet."

"Doesn't sound like it," Mary observes.

Her uncle's lips twist into a grim smile. "No, of course not. I was scared shitless!" Gathering air and some composure as he recalls the dark eyes that suffocated him, he resumes. "Morgan is able to use the flames that I've studied for so long, and it became clear there are deeper secrets to this cult than I thought. Not only is she aware of Merlin's existence, but she knows that I had been given by something related to him. They were... waiting for me to have answers."

Daniel pales. "That's not good. Did you tell...?"

Marlin shakes his head, glancing to the Book of Isis. "No, something caused her to be kicked out of my mind before I could be pressured to reveal any of you guys or my findings. It was a small touch on me, then a blue fire enveloped her. It happened too quickly for me to react, but she wasn't surprised at all. I'm certain this won't be the last time I'll see her."

"Sounds like you were protected. In fact, this is almost like how Lecia was enveloped after touching Victor's book."

"Perhaps." Marlin's eyes shift to the other one on the table. "I assume that's the one?"

Daniel nods. "It's not the same one as the library copy, but it demonstrates the same behavior for Viviane. Both the library copy and this one show blank for her."

The uncle blinks before switching the slime. "You didn't mention that part. I only recall you saying blue flames surround Lecia when she read it."

Viviane sighs, half-slumped. "That's largely because I can't make sense of it. Outside, everyone, including Anne and Mary, can read it fine. While his report might be relevant to me, it only goes through what's already known in history, so I don't understand the point."

Marlin hums. He does have to tell them the truth about Victor, a name that used to be associated with the council, and one that Morgan labeled a 'traitor'. It's possible there are clues to help understand Lecia's current whereabouts, but he doesn't want to get ahead of himself.

Right now, he's more worried about his and Mary's safety.

"Well, as far as this strange fire, I don't remember seeing it envelop me," Marlin continues. "It could've happened without my knowledge, but no matter reason, it's clear the magic goes beyond physical protection."

Knuckles whitening, he grits his teeth as his voice grows hoarse. "Still, I don't know if it'll help me next time. Morgan and others know that I'm visiting Mary, so we're not safe here. At the same time, if we try to leave hastily, it'll be..."

"Uncle, uncle," the real Mary whispers softly, leaning forward to collapse her hand over his. "Breathe. Don't believe we're trapped yet."

Is that true?

Marlin can only hope so, shutting his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Mary."

"Please, uncle. What else does this Morgan know?"

The bald man inhales slowly. His hands on the table relax as he forces his gaze to Viviane. "I asked about the Flood. To be honest, this is a prophecy that is well known within The Order. She seemed to be anticipating your arrival... or maybe Nimue's arrival based on what you told me from your encounters with Merlin."

Viviane holds herself calmly, even as her gelatinous fill shakes. "How so?"

"While I don't think she's aware that you're being housed here, she described exactly as you had..."

"A seal has come undone from the stars, and with it, we should have the first trickle upon us. The remnant of our goddess will fill in the key to changing this world, so everyone may become equal and loved."

"Remnant," Marlin repeats after relaying Morgan's words. "Is that what you are?"

Viviane snorts, drawing her eyes to the Book of Isis on the table. "It hardly explains what we are, but yes. With what we learned last night from the book you were hiding, I'm afraid she might not be wrong."

"Wait... You were able to understand it?!" Marlin shouts, lifting slightly.

"Not here," Viviane clarifies quickly. "We entered the dream realm I've held for the first time. Not only can I bring people within me while we sleep, but I was able to bring the books as well."

A pause lingers as Marlin waits with bated breath. Viviane smiles bitterly, thinking back to her own words before resuming, "In these dreams, this book can be read as if it were in English. Problem is, we didn't have time to digest it all. From the first two pages, though, not only did I receive this book in the past, I even added to it."

Marlin and the clone of Mary blinks, the latter having been separate from herself. With this revelation, however, she can't wait any longer.

She snaps up and lifts the original by the arm. "Enough! We join. Now," she demands, growling.

Mary shivers, her lips crooked. "O-okay, okay! Jeez, why am I so scary?"

The clone harrumphs and drags her host away from the lounge to privacy. It wouldn't be long before the two would become one again.

Marlin clears his throat. With the table down to three temporarily, he returns to Daniel and Viviane. "For the record, I never intended to bring this book along. It was supposed to be left in a safe at my home, but it... I can't explain it, but it suddenly appeared out of the airport scanners at the London airport without any warning. After that, I had no choice to bring it along."

Viviane and Daniel's eyes flicker briefly. The former lifts a hand to her chin, repeating the words she wrote back then.

For ten years, I've tried to ignore this damn book Merlin wrote for me, yet it always find its way back to me.

Her mouth opens slightly. "Oh... So I meant that literally."

"What do you mean?" Marlin follows.

Bzzt!

The air shifts. Daniel is quick to stand to the doorbell's interruption. Especially now, he desperately needs the opportunity for fresh air. "I'll get it."

Shoving his questions about Viviane's understanding of the book, Marlin turns his head between the artist and slime. "W-wait, who's joining us now?"

The slime smiles weakly to the increasingly worried man. "Ah... well, I thought we should all come together. You'll meet Anne as you've heard. Unfortunately, we... also had to disclose ourselves to another close friend to us. She happens to have even closer ties to Lecia and their group."

"What?! I didn't hear anything about this!"

Viviane claps her hands together. "S-see, isn't this wonderful? We can sort out our differences and secret groups in one go."

"Let's hope it goes as nicely as it sounds," Daniel mutters before leaving.

His slime mother forces a cough, then waves at the sweating bald man. "It'll be fine... I think. If it's any consolation, Rachel hasn't met me before. We're all going to get our story straight, okay?"

There's not much room to be secretive anyway, so Marlin has no choice but to nod. "If you say so. There are... more things I've kept that needs to be addressed. In particular, it's about Victor and Layna Moore."

To that, Viviane's smile falters, her brows knitting together.

Further away in the lobby room, Daniel swallows as he sees Rachel's silhouette past the frosted glass entrance. Taking his time to calm his beating heart, he tries to put on his best smile as he opens the door.

"G-good morning."

Sure enough, Rachel is standing there, her short-cut gray hair fluttering with the breeze as she sports a simple yellow, long-sleeved shirt. Her unimpressed blue eyes study the boy who she helped raise with Amy before sighing.

"Dear, why didn't you answer my call?" she asks, shutting her eyes. "It's already enough on my head that Anne is here, but having to suddenly talk with an ancient being who is also a mother figure? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Ahaha... S-sorry, I was in the shower," Daniel lies, his lips cracking. "Viviane told me everything, so I hope things are okay behind the scenes."

"I wouldn't say that," Rachel answers flatly. She looks up. "Anyway, is this Mary's studio? I don't believe she had this place last I saw you two together."

"That's right. Um, before that, where's Anne?"

"I'm... I'm here."

Daniel blinks, hearing his slime mother's voice below. Slowly, his gaze drifts down until he meets a small round face carrying familiar curls on the sides. Her lips turn downward just like her olive eyes, unable to make eye contact to her towering son. Yet, shoulders slumped and tiny hands fidgeting, she can still feel many questions burning from his dead eyes.

"Uuuuuuu... I didn't want you to see me like this," she whimpers, her own eyes narrowing with defeat. If she had water in her head, the "tears" she might spill would surely be enough to kill someone.

Unsteadily, Daniel lifts his gaze back to Rachel, who then closes her eyes to a smile. "Anne and I ate out to a nice restaurant for breakfast."

"Okay, but how does that—"

"Kids eat free."

"Ah."

With that understood, Rachel holds a hand to her mouth and clears herself. "That aside, I won't question the odd relationship you have right now. As long as it doesn't get in the way of me reconnecting with your mother and others, I've accepted it's none of my business."

Daniel can't quite feel relieved as Anne's hand tug his pants, her eyes shaky as she looks past. "Let it be known, M-mama has made sacrifices for us."

The astronomer giggles and pats her derived friend's head. "Oh, dear, you're being so dramatic. This was lovely! I hope we can do this again."

"No!" Anne snaps, lifting her eyes to her demon friend and slapping her hand away. "Give me back my regular clothes already so I can grow to normal size!"

"So impatient. Amy had plenty of fun at my expense, you know?"

"Urgh."

Yet, Rachel isn't the least disappointed by her time with Anne, humming as she digs through her bag on her shoulder. She takes out Anne's previous wear, but the slime mother doesn't hesitate, extending her arms to snatch it away. Without another word, she dashes past Daniel into the studio to change.

It won't be easy.

"Anne?! Oh my god, you're so cute!" Mary's voice squeals in the distance.

"NOOOO! GET AWAY!"

Words fail to describe how empty Daniel feels right now. So, ignoring the struggles of Anne behind him, he refocuses on Rachel.

"Before we head in, I need to warn you that there's another person you'll have to meet."

"You're talking about Mary's uncle, Marlin?" Rachel raises. "Don't worry, Anne already told me about him, and that he's relevant to helping you learn about your mothers. I won't speak of their roles to him, either."

"I appreciate it, but there's another detail about him that's more relevant now."

Rachel cocks her head.

Breathing in, Daniel hesitates for a moment. "He had no part in it, but he's associated with the group that caused Lecia's accident."

The astronomer's pupils freeze. "What?"

Chapter 123: Squeaky Probe

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

[Mary's Studio]

"How can this be okay to you? We're talking about a cult!" Rachel fires, her voice a hushed fury as she drags Daniel toward the main work area. "Putting the man's personal involvement aside, isn't the recent danger clear enough?"

Daniel winces, leaning away from her glare. "It's not okay, but what do you expect me to do? We had no idea of his affiliation until last night."

"Exactly! The timing of this whole thing is too weird. Even if he means well, how can we be sure we're in better hands with him?"

"We were in no less risk before," Daniel counters. "At the very least, we have a source. Isn't that better than not knowing anything at all?"

"That's—"

"Is everything okay here?"

Mary's voice breaks their argument as she peeks in from the hallway, an uneasy smile on her face. Once her gaze lands on Rachel first, she shuffles awkwardly before nodding to the scientist. "Um, hi! It's good to see you again, Rachel."

Rachel inhales, the hard lines of her anger softening as she properly takes in the British artist. "Mary!"

Guilt flashes in the artist's eyes, but her posture remains firm. "I'm sorry about my uncle, and what happened with Lecia. I can't promise everything will be fine, but please, at least hear him out first."

"Hear him... Wait, that's the wrong order here!" Rachel declares, her voice trembling with recognition. Mary stiffens, but isn't able to react as the elder woman closes in, lifting and holding their hands together.

"Uh?"

Holding the surprised girl's hands warmly, Rachel's lips twist regretfully. "Dear, I'm the one who should be sorry. We haven't met in such a long time, yet here I am, barging into your workspace without a thought!"

"What? I-it's fine!" Mary pushes, squeezing the scientist's hands earnestly. "I'm just glad we can finally meet again."

"Honestly, I should have reached out to you sooner. The fact that your relationship had to be hidden, though, it's infuriating!" Rachel leans forward, tapping their hands. "I know there's a lot to catch up, but I need to know, are you happy about all of this?"

The artist blinks before squinting. "You're going to have to be really specific given what's going on now."

"Ah..." Rachel clears her throat. "I meant getting back together with Daniel, and... well, sharing him with others."

"Oh, that." Glancing at her rigid boyfriend for a second, Mary returns Rachel's concerned stare with a flat snort. "Admittedly, I didn't expect to be embroiled in magic flames and cults, but, even so..." Dragging a long pause, her shoulders shift. There's no time to prepare as passion erupts in her eyes like a lion's roar. "I'm fucking elated! Tell me, where else am I going to experience two adorable slime girls in addition to my humdrum college love!?"

Daniel slumps. "Of course you had to take a jab at me, but why use humdrum of all words?"

This is of no surprise to him, but Rachel creaks sideways to the burst of energy that is too vivid for her aging mind. Luckily, she doesn't need it to recognize that this British artist is the same as ever.

Her smile softens before she breaks into a light chuckle. "Right, I forgot you're like this, always eager to try new things."

"Which has caused its own set of problems between Viviane and Anne," Daniel adds sadly.

"Hey, cut me some slack! I had no control over certain events." Mary huffs before resetting back to Rachel. "Speaking of adorable, how did you get Anne to agree to shrink for you?"

Rachel's brows rise for a second before the corner of her lips follow... not so nicely. "Oh, let's just say, Amy owes me a lot for involving me in her troubles, not withstanding all the times I helped her with Daniel. Much of that debt would've been lost after she passed away, but since Anne inherits her, I'm only taking what's due."

Mary whistles. "Wow, but also, I get it."

"Huhu, I figured you would understand! Anne told me you and Daniel have been shared memories from Amy and each other, right?"

Daniel and Mary share a glance before the latter beams while the former sighs. "Yep! That also is helping our relationship. I feel more closer to him than ever before." Yet, Mary's heartfelt expression gives way to a menacing twinkle in her eye. "He can't escape now. I know all of his dirty little secrets."

"Oh my." Rachel turns to Daniel, closing her eyes to a smile. "Dear, I see you're truly back in good hands!"

"Thanks," Daniel draws out flatly.

Mary titters. "It's not just him. I feel closer to you too, Rachel. I know the feelings and memories come from Amy, but it makes me appreciate... well, just knowing you more."

The astronomer's eyes glisten. "Oh, dear, stop it. Since learning that it's not only Anne that carries my friend, I realized it's pointless to worry about the nature of your relationships."

She pauses to wipe her eyes then lowers them. "That said, I'm a little conflicted. It feels like my friend's legacy is being cheapened by being split between all of you."

"Not at all! None of us can replace that legacy," Mary urges and tilts her chin. "She inspires me if anything! I'll admit though, it's not bad that I feel a little smarter without having to do much."

"Debatable," Daniel injects with a smirk.

"Shove it, love! Like it's any different for you," Mary growls, rolling her eyes back to Rachel. "Putting me aside, Amy gives Anne and Viviane a sense of life! Can you imagine if our slimy friends extended some other random grave? I've heard some wild histories to some names buried here in Keystone."

Rachel shudders. "No, you're right. Let me clear, I am grateful that something good came out of my friend's death." She fixes to Daniel, tapping her hands at her side. "But, as we see now, it's not simple and might not remain good in the long run, so I'll reserve my judgment after meeting Marlin, but I expect a decision on our next steps."

Daniel forehead creases. "Getting an update on Mike would help with that."

"Ugh, alright. I swear, that man..." Rachel mutters, shaking her head. Taking a moment to breathe, she shuts her eyes. "He's already on a plane to come here."

Daniel flinches. "W-what?! I said I would talk with him, but a phone call would've sufficed. He has a family, right? Isn't coming here a bad idea?"

"It is," Rachel answers, more annoyance lacing her grave tone. "He was already boarding when I told him you were willing to speak to him again. At some point, he situated his family, then made up his mind to come in person regardless of whether you agreed to meet or not. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't budge. I think hearing that I wasn't in any danger from you helped cement the decision."

"The suspicion is understandable, but still, man..." Daniel drags a hand down his face, groaning. After a moment of wallowing, his face snaps back as he sighs. "When does he get here?"

"Sometime tomorrow. He isn't flying directly in, so I don't have an exact time. As a precaution, he's driving the rest of the way from Denver."

"He's really serious about this?"

"Of course. Whatever concerns you have, don't doubt how much he cares for Lecia. Their relationship is... complicated, from what I understand."

"Story of my life." Daniel snorts. "I guess I'll have to meet him in person. It's not like we have better choices now."

Rachel blinks. "Are you sure?"

"Not really, but what can I do?" Daniel follows. "You told me to trust the circumstances. Well, the circumstance is this 'Order' has been waiting for the Al-Bali star to fall, they've been expecting Viviane's release, and seem to be more familiar with these flames of Isis than any of us. Along with their assaults on your group, that's a lot more damning than someone who discovered a book that Merlin bet on being dug up."

"Uh...fair enough." Rachel shuffles. "Anne mentioned the last part, but I still can't wrap my head around it. Is he really a figure who could see the future?"

"As far as we know, but we don't know the full extent," Mary answers this time. "All I know is that he had some role in setting up my uncle with the book and expecting my involvement."

"That's even more reason to hear your family out." Rachel draws deeply. "Since we don't know how much more exposed we can get, it's best not delay."

Daniel and Mary nod and hum in sync. With that, the three head back into the hallway. As they near the lounge, another discussion fades in from their absence.

"Are all remnants female?" Marlin asks, steady between two slime sisters. "Because, so far, that's all I'm seeing."

"I don't think so, but it does seem biased," Viviane answers. "Nimue told me within my domain that if she were at risk of regressing, she would have picked Merlin to succeed her."

Anne, who has returned to normal size, leans back, groaning. "I still can't believe what I'm hearing! So just like how you were inside me, she's been within you?"

"I don't know if it's the same," Viviane rejects. "She's completely disconnected in the fog within me. Literally, she showed us memories she could pull in her lake, but none of which I can access—"

"Ahem, I see that you all have gotten acquainted!"

The silver lake dweller stiffens to her son's call. Slowly, she locks to Rachel, who reflects with a weak smile.

"Hello, dear," she greets. "You must be Viviane?"

"Rachel..." Viviane stands up hastily, but stops herself from closing in too quickly. Hesitating long enough, she fakes a cough. "Sorry for reaching out so unexpectedly this morning with you."

"Oh no, not at all!" Rachel waves her hands. "It's a lot for me to take in, but I can't deny how fascinating this is. I hope to get to know you, regardless of whether you possess my friend or not."

Viviane's lips rise as her eyes soften.

"That said..." Rachel holds, a tense gaze floating to Marlin. In response, the bald man jerks to a stand and raises a hand to his chest.

"I'm Marlin, Mary's uncle," he greets, forcing a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Is it?" Rachel counters, her voice hardening.

A suffocating silence covers the lounge before Mary chuckles nervously and motions to the elder woman. "Uncle, as you heard, this is Rachel. She's a friend of Daniel's mother, but more importantly, she's..."

"A member of Lecia's organization," Marlin finishes, his brows knitting together while Rachel grips her bag tighter. The discomfort doesn't go unnoticed as he lowers his head even more. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Viviane and Anne filled me in, but all I can say is that I wished I had known their plans sooner."

The lounge is quiet for another second too long as Rachel's brows deepen. "Would you have leaked it?"

Marlin thins his lips. "To be honest, I can't say I would've unless my niece was at risk."

"Family first, I see."

"I know it's not an excuse, but I deeply underestimated what I joined." Marlin's eyes narrow bitterly to the book in front of them. "I needed to know what this book holds. That curiosity has caused all sorts of problems. In the end, it seems I'm just the messenger in Merlin's plan."

After a pause, Rachel lowers her gaze to the table. "I suppose that's the same for Lecia... or really, any of us." She locks onto a book with a strange symbol. "Is that it, The Book of Isis?"

Marlin's eyes flutter to the book and back to the astronomer. "Yes. As I told Viviane, I didn't intend to bring the original with me. It holds magical properties, perhaps similar to what Lecia found. What I didn't know is that it could teleport to me miles from my safe at the airport."

Viviane claps her hands to break the line of conversation, then turns to Marlin. "Sorry, as much as we can discuss magical books that hold these strange flames, can you tell them what you were hiding to us about Victor and Layna."

Marlin sighs. Without much complaint, though, he explains to the group what he revealed to Viviane while they were left alone in the lounge. Although he doesn't know the specifics, the fact that Layna had been "dealt" in some way by The Order, and Victor used to be part of the council, adds a layer of depth to the connections.

Daniel exhales slowly, drawing his eyes to the ground. "So part of the reason The Order is here is also because of Victor?"

"Yes," Marlin answers. "Based on Morgan's tone and how he approached you and Lecia, he's certainly not in good hands with them. I'd bet even more now that he's protecting Lecia."

Rachel inhales silently. While the possibility is welcoming, she doesn't want to rise too optimistically. Tampering herself, she twist to Anne. "Dear, you said Rose had connections to Victor and Layna Moore as well, right?"

The wavy slime mother nods, wiggling her lips. "It seems so. I mean, her being a student of Victor and remembering Layna was in the same class is pretty big, even if she can't remember."

"She never told us of anything like that. I mean, I knew she studied in Egypt, but..." Frowning, Rachel tilts away, sliding a hand across her chin. "She was the only one who left the team. Now I'm wondering if there's more to it."

"Why don't we just ask her now?" Anne suggests, raising her phone.

Viviane motions her hand down. "Not yet. First, I need to understand more of this Book of Isis. Given what Marlin has seen, however, I don't think it's enough to hear from him."

Everyone widens their eyes while the man in question shuts his own. "So in the end, you still want to probe me."

"It's the best way now. If there are members that have eyes on you, I don't think we'll have time to go over years of your studies."

Marlin swallows. "Will it hurt?"

"There... might be a lingering headache. It depends on how much of my collective memories leak into yours, but I have some control to prevent that."

"Some? You don't sound very confident."

Viviane shifts her eyes. "Well, my memories are locked behind a fog, so I don't know what capabilities I had before."

"Urgh, I don't like it, but I agree it's the best way," Mary adds.

"Again, you were the one who originally threatened your uncle with this forced exchange," Viviane reminds flatly. Following with a snort, she looks to the others. "Any objections?"

Everyone shakes their head except Daniel, who rubs the back of his neck, eyes unsteady on his slime mother as his lips thin. "Just be careful."

Viviane smiles sweetly before coughing. "I will... I mean, we've already done this countless times between the three of us, so I believe it will be fine."

"J-just do it before I have second thoughts," Marlin urges.

"Very well."

Viviane steps behind the British man and lays her hand on top of the man's shiny head. For a moment, the elder slime hums and narrows her eyes.

"..."

Squeak, squeak.

Marlin's jaw loosens as his bald head is felt unusually. "Um, is this part of the process?"

Viviane flinches, breaking herself out a different fascination. "Ah! Ahem, yes. Just...finding a good spot."

"Pfft!" Mary barely holds back at the sight.

While she's left snickering in the background, Viviane settles and closes her eyes. Her fingertips loosen to its more gooey form as she dives into the uncle's head without further delay. Her limited senses to the studio dampen in a snap.

She expects a flood of Marlin's memories to come crossing in, but...

Nothing?

"Huh?"

Viviane reopens her eyes. "Hold on, something is wro—"

Her words are choked off as a large double, wooden door stands before her. Past the trims, stone walls spread across in each direction, leading into a hallway that seems to go on endlessly. Embers of torches light her vision, providing the only sense of life to what seems to be a castle.

The slime mother blinks several times before she smiles crookedly, her shoulders half slumping.

"I don't know if I should be surprised anymore," she mutters.

Notes:

A\N: Hi! There's a bonus image/view of small Anne posted on my galleries from the last chapter. Additionally, an extended sequence of Viviane's gooey covering of Daniel in chapter 120 has been posted. Consider following for more illustrations!

Bluesky
Itaku
Pixiv
Aryion

Chapter 124: Keepers of the Book

Chapter Text

[ Unknown Castle Hallway ]

"Waaah~ Of course it's a loop!" Viviane cries, exasperation bouncing off the stone walls as she skis across the smooth tiles with partially melted feet. The flames of the torches lining the hallway stretch to her slippery passage before crackling calmly, as if they would burn for eternity.

It's not exactly the same for Viviane. Having passed the same ominous entrance for the fourth time, she reforms her legs to a halt, skidding before the only door in a huff.

"I swear, if this was planned in any way by that uncle, I'll...!"

The slime catches herself. A moment of silence brews before she draws a slow breath, closing her eyes and swallowing down her annoyance. The exercise helps recollect her foggy mind, a more habitual human trait than a need for air.

"No, no, calm down," she insists aloud. "Why would Marlin even have an infinite castle hallway for me instead of his memories?"

Her gaze drops to the ground in thought. "If I had to guess, this is some sort of mental space that intercepted me. Is this like the dream realm?"

The crackling torches are the only noises that answer.

She shrugs. "Well, regardless, it's better than where I was cooped up."

There was no rule saying only remnants could hold a mental landscape. After all, Daniel and Marlin were isolated respectively by Victor and Morgan. Whatever the case may be, she doubts Marlin created this space intentionally to trap her. The man was reluctant to even being probed.

Lifting her head, her focus returns to the entrance, specifically to the two mirrored, golden symbols on its red surface. They shimmer in the torches' glow on each side of the door's wooden trim.

"That's one of the symbols I've seen in the Book of Isis," she notes. "This place is probably related, but is Marlin aware of this?"

With no knowledge or bald uncle beside her to confirm, she holds herself in silence, staring blankly before wincing. "Damn it, if only I had been able to understand a little more."

There's no helping it. Sighing, she straightens, thinning her lips toward the doors. "Alright, whoever or whatever is responsible for this place, you win. Clearly, I have to go through this, right?"

Stepping forward, she reaches out along its surface. Despite its size, the entrance opens rather easily, creaking with expectation. Without much force, it swings open from her momentum, flooding her vision in a bright light.

Viviane grunts, shielding her face while her eyes adjust. Soon, they reflect a large, circular chamber supported by pillars around. The light fades, and the air deepens with strange embers. Tracing these, she locks onto a raised, marble pit with a large violet fire burning in the center.

Her pupils contract, but less so by the magical flame.

Beside the pit, a faint image of herself in gray robes stands, hovering her hand over the fluttering energy. The recollection lasts a little more than a second before fading completely. However, there's no mistaking what she saw as the fire defogs a little more of her past.

"I... I was here before?"

Her shock sends a silent tremor through the chamber, flicking the nearby flames. In a short breath, her legs wobble uneasily before they muster a hesitant step forward. She scans the details of her surroundings, hoping to remember more, yet each footstep she takes receives a lonely echo.

"H-how?"

Despite the small proof of her past, she remains utterly lost as usual when she reaches the fire. Roughly standing in the same place of her past self, she stares into its royal depths, feeling as if the wavering peaks are endlessly teasing her.

'Victor showed Daniel a similar fire that took him out of the clinic. If it's the same, could this fire be why this place exists?'

She knits her brows, checking her surroundings again.

There is no other door in the chamber except the one she entered through. Surprisingly, it remains open to the infinite hallway. She half-expected it to close behind her.

'But, how could I have been here in the past before Marlin was born? Unless...'

Her gaze shifts back to the fire, matching its intensity. "Unless this place can be passed on?"

She waits, hoping someone or something reveals itself to confirm her theory in dramatic fashion, but... nothing. Her shoulders slump as she snorts, shaking her head.

"It's all on me, huh?" Sighing, she steps in, edging her hand closer to the fire. Having seen her ghostly past self about to touch the flames, she figures she must do the same.

It doesn't stop her from gulping. "Ugh, I'm going to regret this."

Just as her fingertips touch the bright waves...

FWOO!

"Whoa!?"

Viviane jumps back, her hands up as the flames react, highlighting violet against her pale form. She watches as the waking fire weaves in and around itself. She considers retreating, but stiffens as a silhouette forms within the deepest parts of the magical source.

"What the hell?" she whispers, taking another step back.

When the crackling of the fire dies down, Viviane faces the bust of a featureless male, hidden within the wrappings of a forgotten magic.

"I am Sir Bedivere, former knight of the roundtable," he begins, his voice crunchy, distorted by the flames. "Today marks 30 years since my friend sealed herself for the future. Alas, my mission to continue her search for answers to the kingdom's disappearance has gone nowhere. I have yet to find anyone else who was far away from Merlin's effects."

Viviane's mouth hangs as she listens. 'Wait, is this some kind of recording?'

Bedivere's outline slumps, head lowering. "Viviane, if you are listening to this, please forgive me. You entrusted me with the Book of Isis and created this place so that we might aid you in the future, but I'm afraid I won't be of much use aside from passing the book onto those who are worthy."

The flames slow, simmering. "In the end, I never got to return the sword you gave me all those years ago. I hope that one day, there is better peace for you among the bloodshed that has tainted this land."

His outline fades, and the wrapping fire diminishes. An uncomfortable silence lingers before Viviane lets out a weak laugh. "Holy shit..."

A literal knight from King Arthur's famous round table. With all the figures she's met so far, she suspected that part might be real, but hearing evidence shakes her gelatinous being.

'So, I wasn't completely alone in my search?' Viviane twists her lips as she looks around. 'What kind of magic did I have to perform to create this place, though?'

FWOO!

"Again!?" Viviane squeaks, jerking back toward the fire. As it rises to cut through her thoughts, she has no time to process the changes before another featureless male silhouette appears within, but thinner.

A sharp inhale cuts through, then...

"This damn knight, leaving me with such a blasphemous burden! You didn't even bother leaving a message for me!" the man shouts, the new voice booming through the chamber with equal fire in his gravelly tongue.

Viviane stares dumbly, watching the peaks of the flame recede as the recorded man cools down in a huff. "Forgive me, I greet the remnant of a false god. I am Gildas Badonicus. Following your precious knight's wishes, he entrusted me, an abbot of all things, to safeguard this dangerous accumulation of knowledge with his dying breath."

He snorts before continuing, "I will admit, this unnatural fire that was bestowed upon me is of great temptation. It would naturally make anyone question their current faith. Yet, I understand this is not something any man should wield. Bedivere made it clear you wished your existence and this magic be hidden, a folklore at best. Perhaps that's why he trusted someone like me to secure it."

"It won't be easy, though." His body tilts away. "A sickness plagues our land, tearing us through greed and disregard. I've criticized kings, acting in their own interest just as Merlin wrote they would, but in these trying times, it's not enough. There is no telling how we will change and twist in our faith, especially if more people discover this book."

His heavy sigh shakes the flames before he returns to face her. "I am not suited to help find answers for the future you seek to stop. I can only do what I have always done: serve God. What I wish to impart is some guidance, if you ever happen to hear my words."

By this point, Viviane listens carefully, clenching her hands together.

"Understand the perspectives of others, even those you despise. Even I, with what little I have seen in comparison to Merlin, can see a benefit of the Flood that promises to unify us through all the blood and sin. Perhaps that will arrive as the second cleansing of humanity. God only knows whether that can... or should be stopped."

The monk fades away with these parting words, and the flames quiet.

Viviane frowns after some time. "If only I could be certain of what Merlin saw instead of these ominous wordings," she mutters.

Shaking her head, she rests a hand on her hips and motions toward the fire. "Well? Surely there's more. Go on then."

Viviane doubts making demands is the right approach, but the fire responds all the same, surging upward to shape itself into a succession of new figures. She hopes that some of her doubts will be cleared.

"Greetings, my lady." A third bows. "The name is Caelan. I carry this book as Gildas commanded, away from the ruin of Britain. The sea rages and the heathens swarm our shores, but this history I will protect. May God forgive me for it."

Viviane twists her lips. 'A bit dramatic.'

After a brief update on the state of the world, a fourth keeper follows, then a fifth...

"I am Aesc! It is an honor to be added to the keepers of this book. Like those before, I promise..."

"The son of Theuderic now speaks, adding to the ghosts of the past. The followers of Isis are becoming rarer every day. Although I don't know if the crusades have helped, we shall..."

"Flavio Octovia is the name! Like others before, I will..."

It doesn't take long for the pledges to blur together, all promising to protect and hide the knowledge contained within the book. While their voices and temperaments differ, the core message remains the same, a litany of responsibility that adds little to her understanding of remnants or the Flood.

'T-this is good, but... how long does this go on?!' Viviane cries inside.

However, with each new keeper, there is a slight loosening of caution, until finally...

"I've listened to these old men ramble so much. It's also a shame so much time was wasted in hiding instead of preparing for your return."

"Huh?"

Viviane blinks, her mind breaking away from numbness. Was it the thirty-first or thirty-second person? She lost track from all the updates, but this new voice nudges her eyes back to life. Perking, she returns her attention to the flames, except, it hasn't peaked with an outline.

Did she imagine it?

Fwooooooo~

Squinting, she takes a second look at the fire until noticing it is stretched. Following its flow with a tilt, Viviane's eyes snap wider as she sees a full, humanoid man of flames formed separate from the central fire.

Viviane takes a step back, converting her arm into a slime blade. "Who are you?!" she growls.

The man only hums, patting himself down. "Huh, I don't feel any different. Am I projecting myself correctly using the flames?" he questions, his voice light and whimsy. "Aah... this is so embarrassing! Ever since I discovered the Book of Isis in the pope's library, I've visited this magical place every night, trying to understand how to control the fire this book has passed onto me. What if I'm making a fool out of myself in front of the Lady of the Lake?"

Viviane holds her sharpened arm close, but relaxes her shoulders with a breath. "Wait, is this still a recording?"

It seems to be the case as the outline sighs. "Well, for all I know, you might not ever see this if I've messed up. At the very least, I hope my efforts in this era will properly lay the foundation for your return."

'Foundation?'

The man clears his throat, as if aware of her thoughts. "Sorry, this is unbecoming of me. In case you are seeing me in the future, I am Frederick II, king of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor."

'Oh...'

An unexpected escalation of power.

Frederick lifts his chin, and Viviane can almost imagine the king grinning behind the highlights of his flaring form. "I realize I am, quite literally, playing with fire here, but is there any other way? To survive, I've dedicated my life to knowledge. Yes, I've read Merlin's warnings many times about the risks, that his fire must not spread to others. Still, if you are to be released, it will spread one way or the other, no?"

Viviane frowns. Of course, the spread seems that to be the case with users such as Morgan and Victor.

"In any case, we must prepare!" Frederick shouts, snapping his arm forth. "Your existence and others have already been leaked onto the pages of history, great 'Lady of the Lake'. The past keepers were sloppy in handling it. For example, Geoffrey of Monmouth's work on the history of Brittania has grown popular, embellishing half-truths to your time there. We must counter this information!"

'Hold on, I've read about that man!' Viviane shakes in disbelief. 'So this stupid title of mine... He's really the one who spread the folklore? Which asshole left the book open to be read?!'

While stunned, Frederick chuckles. "No fear, my lady, I am using my power to ensure there are alternative studies to circulate. While that is going on, I have also set up an organization that will run in the shadows, awaiting the time to aid you in preventing humanity's next flood!"

If Viviane had a stomach, it would sink by now. "Oh no... Please tell me it's not..."

"I call it simply, The Order," Frederick declares with pride. "I promise it will serve you well!"

The elder slime promptly shuts her eyes, burying her face into her hands. The flames seem to waver as she silently screams.

Chapter 125: Council of the Order

Chapter Text

[ Council of The Order ]

While one violet fire holds the past, another carries the present.

FWOO!

This fire ignites above a raised stone platform in an otherwise alien darkness. It flutters, holding steady for a few seconds before exploding outward, showering embers in every direction as it roars.

Spitting and crackling, a dark outline emerges within its fiery depths. The flames peel back, soon clinging to the refined edges of a woman, highlighting her shoulder-caped dress that matches her ginger hair. Against the violet glow though, her pupils are unaffected, absorbing all light like the surroundings.

"Here we go again," Morgan mutters, folding her arms. Her gaze narrows as she scans the area, watching the other raised platforms that join her in a circle. Almost immediately, more purple flames flicker above the nearby stations, growing until robed figures flare into attendance.

Thwoom! Thwoom! Thwoom!

Eleven more figures complete the ring, spread across platforms that rise high above unknown depths.

"Good. Looks like everyone is here," one male opposite of Morgan declares, his voice trailing into the center pit. As with the others, shadows obscure his features within the cowl, but he places a hand to his chest in a slight bow to Morgan. "I realize this isn't your favorite stage, madam. Even so, please explain the situation."

The French woman's brows rise. She gestures dismissively. "The situation? For one, I find myself surrounded by people hiding themselves in this mental space. I didn't get the memo that we would be meeting like the old cultists."

A few cowls turn, hiding stifled chuckles.

"This is only because of you!" growls a person to the right of her. "After orchestrating the 'accident' but without any results, you find it acceptable to be so carefree? For all we know, you might be compromised!"

"Oh, please, monsieur." Morgan tuts, shaking her head. Silence weighs for a moment as she takes a breath, then her eyes lock onto the man. "Do you think you should be talking about time to me? Better to be carefree than a hasty bastard who thinks raising his voice makes him more important."

"You—!"

"Enough," the first voice cuts. "Morgan, there is no question you are the most experienced with the goddess' flames out of all of us. Knowing that, I expect you to realize the stakes here. Lecia's disappearance is unplanned, so we have to be more cautious, which is why we appear like this. Now, tell us, what do you know?"

Morgan stares flatly. "Lennard, you do realize projecting yourself cloaked in this space won't help you? Beyond that, it just makes us look more of a cult than we already are."

Lennard coughs into the awkward silence. "It wasn't my idea, but that's beyond the point."

The French woman suppresses a snort and shrugs instead. "Well, regardless, Lecia's obviously being protected somehow. Our search indicates it has something to do with our little friend, Victor."

The council holds a collective breath. Then, murmurs fill the void. Morgan closes her eyes, cutting any follow-ups before they can begin. "We looked into her possible movements. She visited the Keystone library the day before. The book she checked out was related to our former council member's studies as a professor in Egypt."

The murmurs swell into frantic, overlapping whispers.

"Then, is it possible he's still alive?"

"No, he must've planned this prior to his death just as Merlin had. This could be a trap!"

"Troubling, but if Victor has interfered somehow, the chances that the remnant exists is much higher."

"How can we not say this is within Merlin's foresight though? He must know something we don't!"

"Some order, please," Morgan calls, her voice cutting through the whispers. "Now, let's be realistic here. Did we think that through all our preparations, things would be easy? Rest assured, we're tracing steps of the group, looking for more of the people who worked with the archaeologist. We will find these answers soon."

"What about the main book we believe Lecia possesses?" A figure to her immediate left asks. "We've always suspected she found something during her excavation days at Stonehenge that might be related to Merlin's plans. If she truly was the one to perform the release as the sorcerer intended, surely she would have something?"

"Even if that was the case, she and her followers are far too smart to leave something that important. That said, I believe we may have a better lead within our ranks."

Every hooded head perks. The air crackles with unspoken questions, but Morgan snorts. "I will not say who. Not yet."

"Are you kidding me?!" roars a man above the others. "Baiting us... Do you think we're a joke?"

"Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you can just leave us in the–"

FWOOO!

The flames around Morgan erupt into a pillar of light, snuffing further protest. Her glare, intensified by the violet fire, sweeps everyone into knots.

She snarls. "By all the pompous derrières that I've tolerated in the history of this Order, I do, in fact, find most of this body a joke."

Many flinch by the venom in her voice. They offer no rebuttal with the roaring crackle of her flames daring them to speak. Letting the silence and her disappointment hang in the air, her features reset into a new smile. With it, her flames lower to a simmer as she eases off the council's back.

"Now, then..." She claps her hands together. "It's been a while since we've gathered, but time has clearly dulled your minds. Let me remind you all, what is our purpose?"

"Ugh..."

"Oh, come on, not this again."

"My dear council, I am asking you a simple question, no?" Morgan presses, her gaze still.

Hooded figures shift, avoiding her direct stare until one female clears her throat. "To... to embrace what Merlin feared. To aid remnants in their part so they may flood the Earth and unify us all."

Morgan hums. "Yes. Granted, we don't know what that will look like. Only Merlin has ever seen such a conclusion in his visions. Despite this man's effort to control these flames, he is also the same one who constantly worked against our mission out of fear. These recent events should be a reminder that some possible influence remains."

She pauses, scanning the assembly. "So, you can forgive me for withholding some information this early, lest we make ourselves more known by premature decisions such as the ones ordered in Egypt."

Awkward shuffling ripples through the circle, but Lennard holds steady. "You've made your point, Morgan. While attacking the group in Egypt wasn't sanctioned by the council, what's done is done. I expect you'll give us more information on your lead when the time comes."

"Of course," Morgan answers, flashing a smirk. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a search to conduct. I'd rather not waste my time being searched by you all."

Shifting, she waves a hand to others. "Although, feel free to talk behind my back. I wouldn't expect anything less for people who have it out for the French."

Some snort, but nobody raises any objection. They watch as Morgan's flames shrink, her projection fading until she becomes a mere flicker in the darkness. Once the tiny fire is snuffed out, a sigh passes through the remaining members.

"As they say in France, enfin!"

"Why is that woman even part of this council?" mutters another. "There's no telling if she might have another agenda that could..."

"Xavier."

Lennard's disapproval cuts off the man's suggestion. While he looks just like any other cowled member, his softer tone carries an authority that commands their respect.

"She's a pillar of this order, ever present," he reminds, then searches everyone that remains. "As I'm sure all of you are aware, Frederick II's creation of our brotherhood was to aid the coming of the remnant. We originally were meant to prevent the flood, but later down the line, it became apparent that it can't be prevented. Some aspects of previous followers to Isis were right, and Morgan is part of that shift, whether some of you like it or not."

Xavier scoffs, crossing his arms. "I've heard the stories. It would be great if her worth was better documented though."

A few hums in agreement.

"At this point, it is all by the will of the goddess," Lennard says and faces the void below. "With our goal so close, I just hope we will all live to see it."

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[ Mary's Studio — Lounge ]

Thirty seconds have passed since Viviane attached to Marlin's shiny head.

So far between Daniel, Mary, and Viviane, their exchange of memories had been extremely quick. That doesn't seem to be the case between the uncle and slime as the lounge sits at an awkward silence.

Marlin swallows. Aside from the uncomfortable gooey strands from Viviane's fingertips, he doesn't feel anything except the stares of the group in front of him.

"Uh, so... is this normal?" he asks.

Mary twists her lips, humming. "It's certainly taking longer than we experienced. Also, as far as I'm aware, you shouldn't even be responsive."

"I shouldn't be what?!"

Marlin would have jerked away, but Viviane's hold on his head is surprisingly firm. He shuts his eyes, cursing his luck.

"I'm getting worried now," Daniel says, his brow furrowing.

"Can we pull her off?" Rachel asks, her eyes narrowing.

"Hold on, let's be patient," Anne urges with a strained smile. "Maybe Marlin is a difficult person to sort through."

The uncle sighs, slumping. "I really don't know how to feel about that assessment."

"Hrm..."

"!"

All attention snaps to Viviane as she suddenly grumbles, her eyes tightening bitterly. For better or worse, her lips wiggle into the biggest frown anybody has seen.

"Huh..." Mary smiles rigidly. "Well, there's some movement. That's good, right?"

"That face does not scream 'good'," Daniel counters.

"W-what is it?" Marlin asks, sweating. He can't even turn to look at the connecting slime without worrying about breaking something, himself included.

"Ahem, just relax, uncle!" Mary reassures, forcing a beam. "There's... I don't know, probably something about you that she really doesn't like, that's all."

"That's not very relaxing!" Marlin cries.

Rachel squints. "As I thought, we can't trust you."

Marlin groans, weeping silently. "Can I please have some benefit of doubt?"

Bzz!

The front lobby buzzer interrupts the liveliness out of the lounge. Everyone holds themselves for a moment before Daniel turns to Mary, his lips thinning.

"Don't tell me there are more guests."

"Of course not!" Mary huffs, then waves. "Just ignore it. Some people just can't take a hint when the door says closed. If it was a client, they would've called."

Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

Mary's eyes twitch. With a sigh, she pulls up her phone. "Good thing I installed cameras a year ago. Who the hell is ringing the door?"

"Secret admirer?" Daniel raises lightly.

"Love, this is not the time," Mary shuts down, swiping her phone. Upon receiving the feed, her hand tightens instinctively against her phone, watching a tall man in a navy coat, sporting sunglasses and a fedora hat.

"Who the..."

Before she can finish, the man removes his hat and tilts his head, meeting the camera with a polite smile lining his square frame.

"Salve, I presume it's Mary? I am Nico. Apologies for the disturbance, but your uncle and I are business partners. I missed him last night, but I saw that he has his car parked here. I hope you won't mind an impromptu visit for him and I to catch up."

Sweat drips from Marlin's neck to hear the familiar Italian voice leaking from the phone, full of static. With everything discussed of the cultist, stomachs twist at the table.

Mary is the first to open her mouth as she shuts down her phone quickly. She glances at everyone, noting Rachel's risk of exposure to the strange image of her uncle tied down by the silver-haired slime behind him.

She lifts her lips dryly.

"Fuck."

Chapter 126: Italian Issues [Illustration]

Chapter Text

[ Mysterious chamber (within a bald man) ]

Unaware of the looming plight outside the time-skewed mental walls of a shiny-headed uncle, Viviane drags her hands down from her face with her own related problem.

Specifically, an overeager medieval king who founded the Order, the same one that wishes to help bring about the Flood.

"I swear, my lady, if only you were here. Humanity has grown to be so full of potential, yet we're constantly limited ..."

Viviane tunes out Frederick's words as his flaming declaration of duty turns into a rant about his enemies, politics, and difficulties with the state. With barely any history to remember Britannic kingdoms, she can't exactly relate.

"Damn it..." Viviane mutters. Turning away from the flaming monologue, she lifts a hand to her chin. "Let's see here..."

Sometime in the past before she sealed herself, she created this stone domain by some magic involving colorful flames.

'That's kind of cool, actually. So, I'm not limited to my own. It's something that can be created.'

However, this smaller domain has been passed down to others through the Book of Isis like a shared journal, waiting for her return.

'I wish I knew what I was thinking back then. If I can read more of it, though, I'd probably find the answers.'

Then, at some point, a great, overachieving king decides he must take point, not only learning the goddess' flames, which should have been limited from spread, but creating a secret Order to welcome her.

...

A pause lingers before Viviane drops her head. Opposite, the king is still going in the background, his flames bursting with energy.

"What a mess," she mutters.

Frederick's abrupt gasp pulls Viviane's attention back as the chamber falls silent. Before the slime can raise a brow, the king clears his throat and shuffles his feet. "Sorry, I've gone for too long! I apologize, my lady. Unfortunately, you've designed this to only capture our voice once per guardian. We don't know when you'll be released, so I didn't want to leave anything out."

"Thank goodness," Viviane adds flatly.

Blind to his listener's dismay, Frederick lowers his head. She can almost make out an earnest smile behind the curtain of flames. "In any case, I wish you well in the future. May our efforts shine in these dark times."

The featureless king disperses with his final bow, fluttering away in small crackles back to the center fire. Once gone, Viviane's shoulders droop. She stares into the fire pit's depths.

"..."

It waits for her.

Viviane shuts her eyes. "What do you want from me? Next!"

FWOO!

It really does respond to her will.

'Please don't be another king. Please don't be another king,' she begs, pressing her palms together.

Perhaps her wish is being received as the flame does not rise as high this time. In fact, it doesn't even bear a silhouette. Opening one eye, the elder slime's forehead creases.

It's faint, but she can hear something mixing with the crackles.

"Urgh..." Pursing her lips, she draws closer to check.

"...Elessi... v'sha... v'sha... thul... m'na... oru... oru... s'lath'iel..."

Making out a language of a sort, Viviane's eyes quiver. Despite lacking senses, she can somehow feel the weight of each pronunciation like a heart beating within her.

She considers retreating, but as soon as the thought crosses, the fire and its voice sputters to a halt.

Swooo...

It flutters like a breeze passing through, but before Viviane can register what's happening, it abruptly snaps back, shifting into a yellow hue like a card flick from a magician's hand.

"!"

The exchange is immediate. Viviane inhales silently, finally taking a step back. She blinks a few times, processing the abrupt change.

'Is this my doing or...?

Regardless of fault, the change feels rather... empty. After the build up of some sort of spell, she expected more, but it's as if all the liveliness of the fire had been whisked away...

"I must say, history has failed to describe your delicate shades, mia signora."

...To someone behind her.

Viviane's breath hitches, her shoulders tensing before she twists around to meet a new voice and another fire. There is no flaring entrance, no firework, but her pale form is nevertheless marked by the previous violet hue.

Except, this new guest is completely removed from the pit's now-yellow fire.

He's also completely visible.

No longer an outline, every feature of a man can be seen through the purple flames. If Frederick was a jump in form, this man is a leap. His blue eyes shine through, yet shadowed within his long flowing brown hair as he receives her stunned gaze while standing in colorful garments.

A long silence drags between them before he lowers his head, a hand to his chest. "It is an honor to be faced with such a dazzling canvas. I greet the remnant of Isis."

The slime holds still, taken off balance by the strange compliment. She expected him to continue by himself like the previous voices, but the man straightens, cocking his head with a chuckle. "It would appear I am not so expected?"

The Italian accent lacing his deep tones shake Viviane to attention. Fumbling, her mouth hangs for a moment before she points. "Wait, you're real?! You can hear me?"

The man raises a brow, then glances at the stone surroundings. "Real? I believe I am no more real than what you see."

Viviane's finger twitches in place before she snorts.

'Why should I even be surprised?'

"Please, don't test me." She lowers her hand and huffs. "I hardly have any clue what's going on! I came to learn about The Order and the current holder's studies. Instead, I find myself locked to these stone walls."

The man closes his eyes solemnly. "Your confusion is understandable, signora. Much has advanced in our practice of the goddess' fire since Frederick II founded the Order. While I am able to speak with you better than any other, rest assured that I'm still a memory."

Viviane stares flatly. "Color me skeptical because I've seen a lot of 'living' memories." She sighs. "Real or not, who are you?"

"Ah, yes, apologies." The man bows once more. "The name is Leonardo da Vinci, at your service."

...

Viviane's lips rise crookedly. "C-come again?"

While the elder slime wonders whether she misheard his name, the Italian raises his head, offering a patient smile. "Leonardo." He repeats, unaware of the weight to his name. "I assume you have already heard from the king and others before. Since the founding of The Order, the Book of Isis was sealed away and left untouched for five hundred years."

"Five hundred years..."

A big skip between guardians, but Viviane can't really focus on that.

Is she really talking to the Leonardo da Vinci, the famous polymath of the High Renaissance era?

Daniel and Mary would have absolutely dropped to their knees.

Leonardo hums. "Indeed. Frederick intended to be the last one you saw. Sadly, I stand before you because the Order has..."

He stops, his brow furrowing while he turns to the fire pit. The sudden, deafening silence in the chamber pushes Viviane to set aside her many curiosities to Leonardo's history as it appears he has caught onto something troubling.

Viviane shuffles. "What is it?"

Leonardo shifts his eyes back to her. "Forgive me, but do you not sense the fires outside this domain?"

"Fire? Oh, so you can see them too?" Viviane recalls how Victor, Merlin, and Nimue can sense the goddess' fire in others. She smiles bitterly. "You see, that's the thing. Since I was released, I've been kept from my memories, including any knowledge of how to control these flames, much less detect them. There are others that I've connected with, so they might be what you're sensing."

The Italian man lowers his gaze, humming. "So, it's true."

Viviane frowns. "Care to elaborate?"

"The Book of Isis has been studied by many in order to better prepare for your return. As others progressed upon Merlin's teachings, though, some found oddities in the ritual you performed. It felt as if it were... incomplete."

He snorts, a wry look on his face. "I have my fair share of incomplete works, so I would know, but it also felt like Merlin's design for you was intentional."

"That's my thought as well." Viviane thins her lips. "I don't suppose you know how to fix me?"

Leonardo's smile is tinged with regret. "Even if I could, it isn't in my right to change how one is painted."

Viviane groans. 'What did I expect? He's an artist, alright.'

"But, you are not as lost as you think if you are here, signora," Leonardo adds before waving. "Let's put that aside for now. I recognize that you have followers that share your fire. Everyone who has been passed on the Book of Isis also shares in your light, but I'm not talking about us. There is another that just recently appeared that does not share your flame."

The elder slime stiffens. "What?"

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[ Outside of Marlin ]

Mary clears her throat before raising her hands. "Okay, let's calm down. I'll meet this guy and politely tell him to shoo. What can he even do in broad daylight?"

"A lot!" Daniel cries, barely able to keep his voice down. "Based on Marlin's experience with Morgan, and my own with Victor, we don't know fully what these guys are capable of. Let's just ignore him. If he doesn't leave, we call the cops."

Anne folds her arms, shivering. "I... I think that would be for the best."

Marlin shuts his eyes while Viviane maintains her hold on him from behind. "No. If I don't meet him, it'll look suspicious. Even if he leaves, we're not safe here anymore."

"How can you even meet him like that?" Mary gestures to her uncle's head.

"I don't know, but maybe someone can try removing her already!"

Bzzt... Bzzt!

Mary stands up, huffing. "Okay, enough! This is my studio! If a guy can't ignore a closed sign, then I have every right to tell him to fuck off. Rather than waste time debating, someone can at least stand behind me."

Daniel snaps his hand forward to grab his girlfriend's arm. "Mary, don't be hasty!"

She harrumphs. "Love, if he's as capable as Victor or Morgan, then he could very well come in here on his own, but he's not. Now, are you going to support me or not?"

She doesn't wait for Daniel's answer. Her slimy lining on her arm softens, causing Daniel's grip to slip off as she pulls away.

Stumbling forward, he catches himself and grits his teeth. "Damn it, Mary!" He takes off to join her.

"Wait!" Marlin calls, then tries to join them, but Viviane's hold doesn't budge. His chair squeaks uselessly as he strains against her.

His eyes frantically switch between Anne and trembling Rachel before settling on the former. "Anne, please, you need to remove your sister."

The slime mother hugs herself, twisting her lips with uncertainty before looking to Viviane's frown-laden face. "I... I don't know if I can... or should."

"Just try anything! Can't you cut her arm or something? That wouldn't harm her, right?"

Rachel's stomach clenches at the prospect, but she takes a deep breath, turning to her friend. "Dear, while I don't know much, it's already been long enough. Something must be done if we're sitting ducks."

Anne lowers her gaze before nodding. "You're right."

Swallowing, she steps to Viviane's side, her arm forming into a gelatinous blade. It helps to know that her sister had already demonstrated cutting herself without any problem, although, the idea is still a cold comfort.

Regardless of her feelings, she steels herself, steadying her blade-arm between the two. Shutting her eyes, she swipes down. "I'm sorry about this!"

Shwomp!

Sure enough, Anne cuts through, a clean line spreading on Viviane's pale arm. A second later, it completely fades.

"...Oh."

She figured.

Marlin blinks, feeling the same level of grip on his head. "S-she's still holding me?".

"Cutting her isn't going to break the connection," Anne admits. She moves to focus on the uncle's shiny head, pressing her lips into a line. After wavering for a second, she rests her hand on his head as well.

Marlin flinches. Rachel's hand flies to her mouth. "A...Anne?" Marlin calls.

"Sorry, but this is the only thing I can think of. Maybe I can meet her within you."

Rachel snaps up. "Dear, let's not try going that far!"

"No, do it," Marlin concedes with a scoff. "What's one more person violating my head anyway."

Anne raises her brows, her expression apologetic. "Sorry about this."

Marlin holds his breath as Anne's fingers sink through.

Chapter 127: The Fire Within [Illustration]

Chapter Text

[ Outside Mary's Studio ]

'Nico Vitali is a vulnerable man.'

Nobody would immediately think that of a large Italian standing at 6'10", dressed in a black coat while sporting a confident, yet slightly stiff smile lining his square face.

However, everyone is vulnerable, especially those that join a magical order.

Pressing the doorbell again to Mary's studio, Nico shifts uncomfortably, his mind drifting to more ancient bells ringing back home. Within the capital, Rome, he'd watch tons of tourists and locals fill streets, buzzing and eating among the historic architecture rich with culture.

It's not without its shame in its history and modern struggles.

At eleven, he had no choice but to be part of that shame. Kicked out by an alcoholic father, he would watch the streets on top of a blanket with others similar to him, far removed from travelers who were better secure in their life. He'd feel their stares even as they tried to avoid eye contact, but their shift in posture and brief flicker says it all.

Who is weaker: the one who already lies bare, or the one concealing themselves?

Regardless, Nico didn't blame them for their discomfort. He just wished he was in a better position to shield himself like them. Sadly, he was only a drop in the bucket to a wider disparity in the world.

"I see there's quite the fire in you, monsieur."

Of course, she came to him. Hand out, her ginger hair flowing by the air forced between buildings, she offered a future where he didn't have to feel exposed or cower.

Just to be.

It helped that Morgan's words weren't metaphorical either. Even if the ideal future never came in the aftermath of the prophesied Flood, his worldview has widened significantly thanks to the goddess' gift. Morgan mentored him how to bring it out, and above all, offered him a home in which he could find sanctuary again.

For him, that's enough. However, anyone that threatened this sanctuary and connection with Morgan, he would gladly risk revealing himself again if it meant he could ensure he had a place to return to.

'Will you recognize your fortune by this flame, Brother, or...?'

Nico hangs up his thoughts, narrowing his eyes at the door as it opens slightly. Straightening, his smile widens as Mary peeks out, her single, visible brown eye squinting through. If he didn't know any better, he would have never guessed Marlin and Mary were related.

"Good day—"

"Excuuuuse me, mister," Mary cuts flatly, then motions with her eye to the right signage that is clearly marked "CLOSED". "I don't suppose you see that? Whether you know my uncle or not, he's not feeling well right now, and I'm busy with work. Kindly leave us poor British alone and actually schedule time properly if you two really are 'business partners'."

Firm, but more polite than she wished. She was going to give him a better piece of her mind, but...

'Why is he so fucking huge?! Uncle, you didn't mention this!'

It's one thing to view from the camera mounted above, but another to stare up from the ground. Her sharp gaze is only a front to less than confident legs behind the door. Luckily, Daniel is concealed by her side, squeezing her shoulder as her support.

Except, she can feel his fingers quivering as well.

Some support, then.

Nico's brows lift, his expression softening as he lowers his head. "Yes, and again, I do apologize for the disruption. If he's not feeling well, then can you at least pass this message along?"

He lifts his hand, palm facing up in front of the artist. In turn, she cocks her head, frowning at the empty offering.

"Sorry, but what exactly—"

FWOO!

Mary's lips immediately seal shut. Illuminated by a violet hue, the so-called "message" reflects in her gaze, fluttering in a neat package within the man's hands. She stares at it for a long second.

With a blink, she lifts her gaze to meet Nico's, whose questionable grin is further highlighted by the flame below.

She looks down to the violet light again.

Creak...

Mary backs away slowly, closing the door with her own crooked grimace. "Ahaha... very nice trick, but I think you're better off giving him your message later. Good day."

The door shuts, but not her nerves. With a sharp breath, she snaps to the deadbolt lock, twisting it closed while her neck starts dripping.

Heartbeats quicken between Daniel and Mary as time catches up in their minds to the gravity of their situation. Although Daniel couldn't see the flame while concealed to the side behind Mary, the familiar noise provided more than enough context to raise hairs. He pulls his fellow artist in tow a few steps back hastily.

"I knew we should've called the cops!" Daniel cries in a hushed voice.

"Would that even help us!?" Mary counters, leaning against him as they steady themselves. Their glances waver at the silhouette behind the frosted glass of the door, now dithered with a violet glow.

The fact that this Italian cultist went ahead and showed some strangers the secret magic is more worrisome. What was he thinking?

"A-anyways, love... um, he's not leaving," Mary notes. She swallows, forcing down a rise from her bubbling stomach. "You saw the violet flame from Victor as well. You don't think reality is going to distort for us now?"

...

Silence.

With no response, Mary frowns and turns behind before her breath stops. Her boyfriend is gone, and with him, her short hallway has stretched far into the dark for no reason.

Click!

"Hieek!"

In her jump, Mary twists back to the front entrance, now warping in her view. She can see the deadbolt lock rotating on its own, and with it, the door flies open.

The outside has disappeared along with Nico, but in his place and the flame he held, a larger conflagration mixed of red and white stands in a human shaped outline. It steps in, ducking under the trims of the entrance while Mary stares, frozen.

"Hmm... strange. It looks like she's finally under, but how did she ignore the effects for that long?"

It's a little distorted, but Mary's pupils shrink to hear Nico's voice coming from the figure.

'What the...?'

Now identified as Nico in some form, the flaming man draws closer. Mary can barely move, only able to watch the swirls of the energy on his outline like those that sprout from the sun. Whether this is part of the intended "effect" or her artistic sense of vision has come back to haunt her, she doesn't know.

But in her frantic thoughts, he passes her, entering the hallway without adding harm. He sighs bitterly. "I'll have to erase these two's memories later, just to be safe. This is already far more troubling than expected."

Mary's breath hitches, but with the man behind her, her mind races a little more easily. It's clear Nico only intended to disable them. Further, Daniel must also be somewhere next to her, even if she can't see or feel him. If it's anything like how Victor approached Daniel, she and him must be standing around with an incredibly dumb look.

'But... I can see and hear him? No, forget that! I need to stop him from doing anything to uncle! Just move... Move, damn it!'

And then...

SPLICK!

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[ Mysterious chamber | One minute before. ]

Only starting to become aware of a problem outside this secondary domain, Viviane stares blankly at Leonardo after his claim.

Her brows knit together. "What do you mean another that doesn't share my flame?"

The master artist closes his eyes. "It's as I say, signora. The flames of Isis evolve in a person as time goes on, but their essence remains close to the remnant that granted it. Any person you have directly connected with, and those that embrace the book would have been spread the flames you and Nimue represent."

"Urgh..." Viviane winces. "So, if I understand correctly, there's another person nearby that isn't linked to me. Are we in trouble?"

Leonardo frowns. "Perhaps. You mentioned you wanted to learn about the Order? Does it exist in the current time?"

"It does, and they're not here to help me prevent the Flood as far as I understand." Silence hangs in the chamber. "Wait, are you saying that someone right now could be..."

"AAH!?"

A sharp cry interrupts, shaking the chamber and pushing the torches and primary magical force to flutter in chaos. Viviane and Leonardo's head turn toward the entrance to the infinite hallway where Anne suddenly stands, gaze wandering around with her jaw hanging.

The elder slime blinks a few times before her shoulders jerk forward. "Anne!?"

Said slime mother stiffens to attention, focusing on her sister and a fancy-dressed man covered in violet flames, all while standing near a marble pit with yellow fire.

...

Naturally, there are a lot of questions.

But, Anne shakes her head to clear most of them. Assuming that Viviane is okay, she breaks from her stun and rushes into the chamber.

"I should've known something was up!"

Viviane internally groans, squeezing her eyes shut. "You connected with Marlin."

"I had to!" Anne huffs. "You were gripping the poor man's head so tightly in the last few minutes. That's longer than any memory exchange we've had, and now I see why!"

"M-minutes?" Viviane sputters. "I've been stuck here more than an hour!"

"O... oh?" Anne turns away slightly, raising a hand to her chin. "Hmm... No wonder you had such a grumpy face outside." Not to be distracted longer, she clears herself and takes in the chamber more, ending her gaze at the colorful blaze. "So, care to explain what this is?"

Shoulder slumping, Viviane forces a sigh. "It's a domain, similar to what we carry. Apparently in the past, I created this place which passes onto every holder of the Book of Isis. That includes Marlin, apparently."

Anne stares blankly. After a long silence, taking in the fact that there can be extra realms outside of remnants, she rigidly faces the glowing man and points. "And... who is he?"

Leonardo smiles and holds a hand to his chest. "I am Leonardo da Vinci, one of the past bearers. I haven't mentioned it, but I should also be the last one who has been imprinted to this domain."

Anne freezes, her gaze shaking once more. "Leo... Leo... Wait, you don't mean... "

"Just give her some time. What do you mean the last one though?" Viviane asks while her sister is reeling.

Leonardo hums. "You must have heard me within the flame before the change in color, no? I took measures to prevent further voices. In case the book fell into the wrong hands, I wanted to ensure none would try to influence you."

"How very thoughtful." Viviane scoffs. "Anyway, going back to The Order, you seem to be aware of a problem with them."

"Sadly." Leonardo's gaze lowers. "In my time, there were already signs of division. Some started to believe that the Flood would be inevitable, just as the old cultists once believed. History, unfortunately, repeats itself. At the very least, Frederick had the hindsight to ensure The Book of Isis was kept hidden, and only a person within who had enough clues would be able to find it among the many records."

"And that happened to be you after five hundred years."

Leonardo nods. "I presume afterward, my real self gave it to any trusted pupils of mine."

"I don't know if 'trusted' means much. It nearly got rediscovered, you know?"

"Ah!" Anne finally snaps out of her shock, twisting to Viviane. "W-wait, this is not the time for autographs!"

Lurching back a bit, Viviane blinks. "Who said anything about autographs?"

"N-no, I mean... F-forget I said that! We have a problem! Speaking of the Order, Nico has shown up at our doorsteps for Marlin! I don't know how much danger we are in, but Mary and Daniel are approaching him as we speak. We shouldn't be here!"

Viviane inhales sharply before grabbing her sister's shoulders. "Why didn't you stop them?!"

"You know very well Mary jumped on it first while Daniel followed. That's how she is!" Anne snaps back, her lips wiggling. "I was hoping to wake you up quickly!"

"... Damn it," Viviane mutters, letting go before turning to Leonardo. "Now we know who you sensed, and it's not good. I can't be trapped here any longer."

Anne's pupils swirl. "Wait, we're trapped?!"

"State calme, mie signore," Leonardo urges with one hand. "You are not trapped."

His gaze shifts to the central fire. "This domain is ultimately a part of you. It is worth taking it back especially if you have to confront a member of The Order."

Viviane sighs, forcing her mind to calm under the pressure. She doesn't even want to imagine the worst case scenario. "Okay, then... How exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"That's only something you would know."

"Oh, great."

Anne twists her lips, switching between the two. Her gelatinous memory races to help. "I... I know I'm late to the party here, but if this place is part of you, maybe you can absorb the flame like you do with your clones?"

Silence fills before Viviane gasps, and focuses on the center fire. "Wait... maybe? I... I never thought to try."

There isn't a better idea, and it makes sense considering anything she split would carry her essence anyway. "Well, let's see."

Leonardo and Anne back away to watch Viviane raise her hand, edging carefully against the yellow flame. As their forms are highlighted between violet and yellow, the artist leans closer to the younger slime mother. "I wish to confirm, but are you also a remnant? My understanding was that creating new ones was to be avoided."

Anne flinches. While swallowing her inherited sense of artistic delight, she nods a few times. "Y-yes, um..."

"She was an accident," Viviane fills, taking the moment to collect herself in case something goes wrong. "I sent a piece of myself out when I saw a green flame from where I was sealed, then something changed because I was taken inside of her somehow."

"Hey, you could have said that more nicely!" Anne protests with a pout.

Leonardo chuckles. "However it happened, these unexpected variables might be what's needed in this time."

"I hope so," the elder slime answers before breathing in. Having hesitated long enough, she jerks her hand forward, letting the colorful waves envelop her.

FWOO!

The flame pillars high in a flurry, crackling in response. Although the elder slime can't feel pain, part of her wanted to pull out right there, but she doesn't back away.

If the fire responds to her will, then...

'Return.'

Marked by her choice of word, the chamber rumbles with tiny pieces of rock falling from the uncertain depth above. Torches running along between pillars waver in an instant, their flames bending towards the central blaze as air circulates around.

Anne watches, holding herself like time has stopped. This scene oddly matches what she has seen of Merlin clearing out in the replica of Stonehenge with Daniel. Soon, the magic fire shifts back to its violet form, shrinking.

"Uh, is this normal?" she asks towards Leonardo.

There's no response. Turning her head, she stumbles back a bit, mouth open to see the master artist gone. Her gooey mass sinks inside of her. 'I... I had so many questions!'

Fwish fwish fwish!

Such questions would have to wait or go unanswered as the air pressure builds, snuffing out the previously immortal flames from the torches. Their castle-like surroundings darken out of existence, only maintained in a small circle by the violet light.

Even then, that would disappear as well. Viviane can't stop even if she wants to, her body shaking as the voices from all the past bearers overlap in her head with their messages, their success, and their failures.

Fsshhh...

Then finally, the center pit extiguishes, ending the mental space, and opening up to Marlin's memories.

If only a little, Viviane has regained more of what she lost.

Chapter 128: One Second Later

Chapter Text

[ Viviane's Domain ]

As the fog drifts through her feet, Nimue stands by her lake, flipping a page from the projected Book of Isis that remained after her guests left. She isn't sure why it didn't disappear with them, but she is grateful she can do something other than wait for their return or defend against shadowy corruptions.

If they didn't want her to read it, well... too bad. Supposedly, there is another book, but she hasn't been able to find it among the fog. Normally, that would be expected.

'Is this intentional, Merlin? I don't remember us ever being able to keep materials in our domains for long.'

If only he were here, manifested in some form to give her answers.

And to slap him, of course.

Her hands grip tightly against the book cover, and she snorts with a wry smile. Because her current memory stops at when she and Viviane last bonded, she naturally longs for the ever-busy wizard she once knew.

'How did I ever fall in love with that asshole?' She huffs to herself. Striking the great Merlin should be a grace after all he's hid from her and manipulated, but would a more recent version of herself feel the same?

Would she even exist in the same way?

Once again, Nimue swallows down her sense of existential dread and shame, trying to cling onto hope instead. Despite Merlin's prediction of being cut down by her—which is supported by her child's account—there's clearly more to the event. From the notes, it sounds like she was forced to strike down her lover.

Or, could it be her daughter is in denial about what she saw?

Whatever the case may be, something clearly changed, if not her. Maybe it can't be simplified to losing herself or "turning evil", but the fact that a whole kingdom disappeared from public memory shows there's a threat.

Except, not everyone disappeared.

'Bedivere' Nimue repeats, glancing over her child's notes again. 'I've never talked with him personally, but according to this, he was the only knight of the court that was on a diplomatic mission to Armorica. Whatever Merlin performed while I struck him, it seemed to have been limited to those in Brittania. This knight was farther out than anyone.'

Still, the wipe was enough to drag the kingdom's existence into mythology. As far as Viviane's travels go, hunting cultists of Isis while seeking answers or blame, Bedivere was the last piece of her home she found.

"Strange."

Breathing out into the dense air, she continues reviewing Merlin's notes and ritual designs, trying to understand his intent. Unfortunately, she is not as proficient with fire as he is, despite being its granter.

If not Merlin, surely there's someone else who has already studied it better?

Brr..

When everything is so eerily still, the ground rumbling ever so slightly is enough to shake Nimue out of her thoughts. While the bellow lasts only a second, her body instinctively shifts, closing the book in her left hand while liquid metal shoots out from her right palm, solidifying into a blade to hold.

Sword ready, she scans her surroundings, checking for any changes or danger—usually both. However, there isn't any screech or shadow suspect that she's familiar with. After a gentle breeze runs through her dark hair, a rare feature in this suffocating gray, her gaze locks to the potential source.

A darker-than-usual patch lies in the distance.

Nimue narrows her eyes, pulling away from her waters to see what has settled itself into the area. Luckily, she doesn't have to move far as the patch stretches out and darkens fairly quickly within a hundred steps.

She keeps a tight hold on her sword in case anything comes that is less than friendly, but her mistaken assault on her daughter and connections reminded her to be more open rather than to assume the worst. So far, nothing rushes at her, but she starts to see a pattern among the growing area.

Soon, her face drops as she makes out stone bricks. The white misty air clings to the edges of what appears to be a cylindrical building with a single, large, double wooden door. As far as she knows, it's not a building she remembers, and it definitely didn't exist until now.

"Child, you have a lot to explain for when you visit," she mutters, assuming this event was triggered by Viviane somehow.

Whatever the case may be, Nimue steadies her blade, her gown fluttering as she takes firm steps toward the entrance. Touching its wooden grain, it easily opens inward without much force, revealing a chamber. Pillars line along the edges with torches lit between. Her attention eventually settles on a man standing next to an unlit marble pit at the center.

Layered with colors she has never seen, she takes in his long brown hair and blue eyes as he stares at the pit, his expression empty. If she had to guess, her new guest is some sort of nobleman.

Nimue shuffles inside, enough for the man to flicker to life, widening as if he had just woken from a dream. Turning toward the entrance, he meets her stare, and notices the previous infinite hallway has been replaced with a dense fog.

"Mio dio," he whispers within his breath.

Knitting her brows, Nimue lifts her sword more, her voice equally sharp. "Who are you?"

The man checks his hand first, finding that he's no longer shrouded by the violet flame. Many questions race through his mind, but he composes himself, facing the guarded lady.

It would seem his fate continues, long after death.

With that in mind, he closes his eyes and bows. "Salve, I am Leonardo. Could the place outside be what remains of Viviane, mia signora?"

══════════ ∴ ══════════

[ Mary's Studio ]

For Viviane, the amount of new information swirling in her may as well be the raging seas under a storm.

Lightning strikes. "Stay the starboard! We're almost there!"

Wise men scoff. "He wants my head? What an idiot. A king who cannot take criticism is not a king that will grow his kingdom nor himself."

A father supports. "We tread a fine line, my son, being responsible for a source of unimaginable truth. Don't ever lose sight of what we must protect."

An uncle is teased. "Mary, did you just draw swirls on my head? ...You brat, I'm sending you back home!"

And...

"My lady... Do you have to do this? You don't owe the world anything, you don't owe your mother anything, and you certainly don't owe Merlin. What you would do is to simply extend yourself to a new time, but putting yourself through more suffering, possibly to see it end."

A friend.

'Bedivere.'

Viviane's eyes snap-open as her past self is heard whispering his name.

At the same time, Marlin's shoulders tense as he feels tingles on his head. Before he can question or panic, the two remnants' hands peel away, not even a full second after Anne had joined. From the abrupt removal, his mouth hangs slightly as all the tension drops. It's as if he's been thrown into cold water.

Tiny bridges of blue slime thin away from the confused uncle as Anne and Viviane step back with a silent breath. Reflecting their whiplash, Rachel shoots up from her chair, rushing to the slimes side.

"Goodness, that was fast! Are you two okay?" she asks, eyes glazing with concern.

Anne blinks a few times, regaining her footing before turning to her friend. She forces a smile. "I... I think so?" Then, she glances to her sister. "Viviane?"

The elder slime doesn't answer, her focus swimming around.

When the domain collapsed as she retook the millennium-old flame, the holders of the book, including Marlin, crashed over her with their histories like a dam breaking. With it, she finally obtained Marlin's memories, and can now relate to his research, technical knowledge, and personal life.

However, those pieces pale in comparison to the past holders. Beyond each person's words that she had to listen to, snippets of their lives flashed in her mind, painting an incomplete picture of their time.

One stands above the rest, filling her own canvas.

'Bedivere...' Viviane repeats the knight's name.

She can finally place a face to the first outline she saw within the violet fire, but not of his prime. With growing white on his receding hair, creases by his temples, she can vividly recall his plea to reconsider her self-exile.

Her response?

"Be that it may, my dear knight, I owe it to myself because change is inevitable. If there's a chance to make the world better, I'll gladly take that, predictions be damned."

Viviane snorts. 'That was a lie. If I stayed, I might have tried to extend him selfishly just as Nimue did to me.'

In the end, he had limited time, and she had far more. With no answers to their kingdom's disappearance, she couldn't bear to see the last reminder to pass on before her.

"Viviane!" Anne calls again, breaking her fellow slime's thoughts. "Please, answer! We don't have much time. We need to catch up with our so—I mean, Daniel and Mary!"

The elder slime flinches before facing her sister, smiling weakly. "Sorry, I'm fine. There's just... a lot for me."

Anne raises her brows. "Well, you did absorb a magical fire. Still, I only have Marlin's memories?"

"Really? We'll have to discuss that later."

Before checking on bald man, she glances at the books on the table briefly. Oddly, she doesn't recall anything from Leonardo, but he was presented differently from the others. At the very least, she does have some knowledge from Frederick. Having the founder might prove useful with a member at their doorstep.

Knowing that, she claps a hand on Marlin's shoulder, breaking him from his own daze. "Marlin, are you okay?"

The uncle blinks, exhaling slowly as he comes out of his daze. Being able to turn his neck is a huge relief as he jerks up to meet her. "Viviane, finally! Nico has..."

The elder slime holds up a hand. "I know, and I'm sorry for taking so long."

Although she wants to blame Marlin for trapping her, his past proved he never once visited the mental plane nor was aware of the Book of Isis' special inheritance.

For now, it's enough that Marlin is responsive, so she turns back to her sister. "Anne, go ahead and take him and Rachel out the back, just to be safe."

The slime mother balks. "Wait, what are you planning? I'm not going to leave the others behind with another cultist!"

Beep Beep!

By now, Mary has opened the lobby entrance slightly amid Daniel's hushed protests. Hearing the standard chime by the security module, Viviane dashes away, partially melting to the floor. "Just trust me on this! Hurry before he might see you all!"

"But... ugh, damn it!"

Clenching her fist as her fellow slime slips away in her view, Anne switches to Rachel and Marlin by her side. The latter hastily pushes out his chair as he moves to follow.

"Wait, I'll—"

Anne snaps her hand to his shoulder, pulling him back. "No you don't! I don't like this either, but we have to trust her. If I had to guess, she's probably going to impersonate you."

"I'm... impersonate me? How the hell would that..."

"Listen!" Anne cuts. "Neither of us would let any harm come to Daniel and Mary, but if... if the worst does come, Viviane is better suited to..."

She doesn't finish, but the implications are clear, weighing down the lounge.

In the moment of silence, Rachel inhales shakily, then forces herself to straighten. Staring at Marlin, the thins her lips. If there's anything good about this man outside his questionable life choices, and her own, it's that his love for his niece is no different from her love for Daniel.

For that reason...

"Let's trust them, Marlin. We'd only get in their way otherwise."

Marlin's brows tenses before shutting his eyes. "Fuck... Fuck!"

By the second curse, there's no more delay. They follow the slime mother out of the lounge, taking the books with them in their swift steps. While unable to look back at hallway as the rear exit door expands in their view, their hearts pound while their Italian visitor would soon step through on his own.

Anne's eyes narrow, her gelatinous body squeezed. 'Daniel...'

Chapter 129: Smoke and Mirrors [Illustration]

Chapter Text

[ Mary's Studio ]

The studio sits quiet.

Only the paintings on the wall stare back at Nico. He ignores them, eyes narrowed to the artists by the edge of the hallway. Their eyes drift without focus, lips slack, shoulders slumped as they wander about in their own minds.

Yes, this is what he expected.

"What a mess. I'll have to clear their memories of this meeting."

Except, the violet fire's effect was unusually delayed.

Daniel and Mary should have completely blacked out as soon as the violet fire flared near them. Instead, the latter managed to close the door on him and retreat as if were nothing. Fortunately, they didn't get far in their free steps, but it was bad enough that he had to use the goddess' fire more than usual to pay a visit.

He studies Mary for a bit. 'She must have a strong fire in her.'

The average person carrying the flame is not uncommon. Various remnants across history roamed the planet, spreading their fire to the people. Such burns carry down to descendants, weakening, but always present. While the majority of people would never know about the connection to the goddess they carry, there are those like Morgan who can hear the crackle within them.

Some are louder than others.

Nico hasn't developed this sense, and likely never will. It's such a rare trait that even a few on the council could possess. When he considers the chances, he's lucky to have been even heard by Morgan.

It's for that same reason, he wants to ensure she doesn't waste time on people who will only cause trouble. While Mary's resistance might be an indication of an inherited value in Marlin's family, it can also be a threat.

For now, Nico can't make any judgments yet. His gaze shifts to Daniel. 'What about him?'

He's not sure of the male artist's relation or his inner fire, if he has any. As he was hidden behind Mary, the female artist could have dragged him back while he was taken out immediately by the flame.

With one too many witnesses to deal with, Nico shakes his head, passing the artists with a heavy sigh. 'All this trouble you're putting me through, are you going to keep hiding, Brother?'

It could be very well Marlin is sick, but this isn't the first time members made excuses, especially once the fire behind the Order is exposed.

SPLICK!

Three steps in from his impatience, Nico skids to a halt. A wet noise behind him pierces his ear, sending his eyes wide. He's about to look back at the artists until...

"You... What the hell are do... ah?"

Ignoring the noise, Nico snaps his attention forward to catch "Marlin" stepping out from a room farther down the hallway. Rather than meet him, the bald man's eyes waver past his large body to the frozen couple behind.

Snorting, Nico tilts his hat. "I didn't get to properly introduce myself at the airport. As you are probably aware from Morgan, I am Nico. I apologize for the intrusion and... measures I've had to take, but you'll understand I couldn't wait to follow up after missing you at the pub."

"The... pub. Um... yeah..."

Seeing how he's still looking past him, Nico closes his eyes. "Rest assured, your niece and the other man behind me are... how to say, asleep. You should be well familiar with the state after your visit to the pub."

Marlin, or rather, Viviane, swallows down her shock. She looks to Nico, then back to the standing artists.

Does he not know?

In her view, Mary's gooey clone stares back, tight-lipped, holding herself partially stretched from the waist down over her human host. The cultist is only a turn away from noticing as she keeps silent, her pupils shrunk. Like Viviane, she also switches between the back of the intruder and her "uncle".

'Ah? Uncle is free? Wait, no... where is Viviane? Also, w-why did I only split away instead of moving? What is happening?!'

It's amazing Nico hasn't noticed the silent turmoil. His gaze waits on "Marlin", confident that the two behind him are locked up, isolated in their own minds from hearing them.

Less isolated, Viviane quickly adapts, thinking back to Victor and the clinic. Not only did the sudden memory wipe of the staff not affect her, she was able to "wake" Daniel out of the mental conversation with Victor. If the gooey Mary is similarly unaffected, maybe Mary and Daniel aren't in any real danger.

Yet.

'How stupid of me! I should've gone straight to them instead!'

She thought there was enough time to leave the lounge, slip into Marlin's suitcase, and shapeshift into him. If Nico was waiting for someone to answer the door, she figured he didn't want to draw too much attention and wouldn't do anything extreme.

Clearly, she misjudged. In less than a minute, Nico put the artists out of commission like Victor did to Daniel. If it weren't for Mary's slimy pull, she might have broken her cover and lashed out at the cultist in their defense.

Nico steps closer, his chuckle breaking her concerns. "Brother, you're understandably tense. Try to relax. After this, I'll wipe their memories of my arrival, and we can go on our way."

Viviane smiles crookedly. 'So, it's exactly like how Victor manipulated himself into the clinic.'

It's no wonder how The Order managed to persist silently throughout history.

"Right... of course. Why don't we discuss in here?" she suggests, motioning to the emptied lounge. At the very least, she's thankful Anne listened, leaving her to only have to worry about the artists.

"Actually, I'd like to check out more of your niece's work while we talk." Nico closes his eyes to a more easy smile. "You don't think she would mind?"

"Not at all," Viviane answers, wiggling her lips. A quick, pointed glare to the slimy Mary urges her to hide already.

The clone stiffens. Although she does mind, she can't say much. With a nod, she eases back over her human host swiftly, but with precision. The subtle wet noise that trickles from her movements is enough to raise brows, but by the time Nico actually glances back, the slime has seamlessly disappeared into Mary, leaving her and Daniel in the same position as before.

He hums, scanning around. "Is there a leak somewhere?"

"A-ah..." Viviane's inner goo shakes by the close call. She rubs her now-bald head, chuckling weakly. "Maybe? I'm not too familiar with this studio or town, really."

The Italian man hums again, scanning the area behind him before facing the uncle. "Well, it's the same for me. I'm sure it's been quite the day for the both of us, so let's see to it that we can enjoy more of this city later, capisce?"

'This fucking guy,' Viviane mutters in her head while her forehead creases. "Capisce."

With the lovely greetings out of the way, Nico follows the false Marlin into the main work area. As the man's heavy footsteps fade against the tiles, Mary's human eyes tighten before peeking one eye out.

'Huh... I'm back?'

Her shoulders loosen once the two disappear around the corner. She slowly breathes out. 'That was close, and it seems I can move again. At least I've broken from whatever spell Nico cast. Is it because I reconnected?'

With memories synced, it appeared the studio continued to warp from her human perspective, crushing the air like she was a part of a horror movie. Any will to escape only affected her slime part.

'So this is what Daniel experienced. But, what were those flames? Nico disappeared once my clone separated. Not only that, but there was a bright white flame I saw in uncle too.'

She twists her lips to the side but ultimately stashes these questions away. When her uncle and Nico are far enough where their echos are distorted, she steps in front of Daniel, drawing her hands to his temples.

'If I connect to him just like I did to myself, that should wake him... oh?'

Glancing at the rest of his form, her eyes catch an unmistakable tent poking out from his pants below. Her mouth hangs before her fingers retract briefly. 'Wha... what the fuck, love! Are you serious?! What are you seeing in this situation?'

She thins her lips before gulping, swallowing her disbelief. Regardless of what she might find, she can't leave him be. Refocusing, she wills her slimy layer attach to him.

The muffled voices between Nico and "Marlin" grow even more distant.

SHLICK!

Their minds connect, and in an instant, Mary finds everything pitch-black instead of the usual memories that would transfer. Before she can panic, Daniel's shaky voice shatters through the void along with... herself?

"M-mary, please, this isn't the time! Nico might have left for now, but your uncle is still stuck with Mother!"

"Love, forget about them. It just occurred to me that we could possibly be blown up by all this magic. Since life is short, let's try making babies, right now!"

"You're overreacting! S-stop... ah, y-your slime is..."

'GYAAAAA!' Color drains from the real Mary as she jerks away, her slime abandoning the strange mind of her boyfriend. She shuts her eyes, barely restraining herself from slapping him right then and there. 'What the hell are you imagining, you idiot!'

She clenches her fist instead, right by his head.

Fortunately, the quick intrusion and scream into his mind springs Daniel out with a sharp gasp. Before he can question the unexpected cut from the false reality, Mary removes her slime quickly, sliding over to seal his mouth with a hand.

"Mmph?!"

With her other hand, she raises a finger to her lips, checking the hallway to her work area before dragging him into the corner of the lobby where they wouldn't be seen. She isn't sure what will happen when Nico finds out they're free, but they can't play statue without a clue either.

"Damn it, and you call me strange!" Mary blasts in a harsh whisper. "Put aside your fantasies, love. Nico didn't leave, and we were caught in his illusion just like how Victor swept you away. Right now, my uncle is alone with him, so we need to pull ourselves together!"

Daniel's pupils shrink, his face flushing red. After a few seconds processing his fellow artist's words, he weakly nods, his heart cringing with shame. Mary removes his hand as he clears his throat. "J-just for the record, I have no idea why the illusion turned out that way. I really had thought he left after you shut the door, but I should've known something was up when you suddenly pushed up against me."

Mary stares flatly. "Suuure."

Daniel coughs. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. What about Mom and Rachel?"

Mary squints at him for a moment before huffing. "Fine. I'm guessing they must have fled, seeing how uncle suggested having a talk in the lounge."

Daniel hums, and glances to the hallway entrance. "Okay, but what can we do to a large guy who can bring up who-knows-what magical flames?"

"You're the Harry Potter fan, love. Maybe think with a proper wand, and I don't mean the one down there."

"Okay, give me a break! You're the one who was so excited about the possibility of learning magic from oh-so-great Merlin. Forget about helping, we'll only put ourselves into more trouble at this rate!"

SCHLIP!

The artists stop their inflamed strokes against each other. In the next breath, they turn their gaze to the frosted door where a blue slime spills in from the bottom. They can't even question before Anne's head pops out of the puddle, her gelatinous eyes flickering with relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! Quick, both of you should join Marlin and Rachel outside. I'm going to stand by for Viviane, if I can."

"Mom?" Daniel calls, but blinks. "Wait, did you say Marlin is outside? But Mary said that..."

He turns to her, but the dark artist's eyes widen. "Oh... So that white flame was..."

Chapter 130: Weight

Chapter Text

[ Mary's Studio ]

In the main work area, Nico's footsteps crinkle the plastic floor sheets. Various stacked paintings, collapsed easles, and holding tables scatter around him, eager for his eyes. He hums flatly, though, sliding a finger across the edge of one canvas. "I see your niece likes to paint in a variety of styles."

Viviane stands a few feet away, sadly bald and breathing out as Marlin would. By now, she hopes the two artists have broken out and joined the others. Her gaze lingers towards the hallway entrance before clearing her throat in front of the giant. "Well, she has always been the type of person to try new things."

"Is that so?" Nico halts in his survey, returning to the false man. "Would that also involve the book you've been studying?"

Viviane stiffens. Her eyes briefly widens before she snaps forward. "No, of course not! I'm well aware to keep these kinds of matters closed in the Order, and that includes my research."

Behind the bald appearance, however, her gelatinous mass shifts uneasily. 'Did they find out about Mary's freeze when she was little? No, that can't be right. It was only yesterday Marlin let it slip about studying a book!'

While Viviane's mind runs through possible scenarios, Nico holds out a hand, chuckling. "Easy, brother. I'm only asking because your niece resisted the flames I set when she opened the door. On top of that, you were able to cut the meeting with Morgan short yesterday from what I heard." His smile falls. "Strange, isn't it?"

"Strange?" Viviane repeats, frowning. 'Could it be related to the clone?'

Regardless, she straightens. "I feel that's my line, um...brother. While I don't know what happened to me at the pub with Morgan, I clearly saw that you were able to subdue my niece. So, what are you saying?"

Sillence fills between the two as Nico studies her. Finally, he snorts, shutting his eyes. "Well, it's better to show you. Besides, it would be a good test to see if you'll resist similarly."

He extends his hand. After a small pause, his palm immediately bursts out with a violet fire. Once more, Viviane transformed brown pupils shimmer as the intense hue highlights her.

"Now, you should still be able to hear me. What do you see?" he asks.

"Ah...well..." Viviane glances around, examining the detail of her surroundings.

Mary's work area remains a colorful mess.

Which is to say, nothing has changed.

"Brother?"

"Y-yes, it's gone dark for me!" Viviane hurriedly lies. It's the best she can assume as while her head races with her apparent resistance..

'So, just like Mary's clone, I'm unaffected as well. Although, what's the difference from this fire to the mental chamber I was pulled into?'

Nico hums before closing his hand, snuffing out the flame. "I see... That was only a smaller version of what happened to you at the pub. As for your niece, she didn't withdraw into her mind as easily when I set out a more serious cast." He narrows his eyes. "I hope that makes my surprise clear. That's not something I'd expect from someone outside our Order."

'He's not questioning my view.' Viviane's unsure whether she should be relieved as she shakes her head. "I still don't know how that could have happened with my niece."

The Italian stares for a moment before tilting away. "Either way, I want to be safer than sorry, so I will be clearing her memories. For something as short as my visit, she won't even know it, I promise."

'Like hell I'll allow that.' Viviane smiles crookedly. "How is that even possible? Is it done with the same type of fire you showed?"

"More or less." Nico hums, glancing away. "Admittedly, erasing isn't be the best term. From what I've seen, it's more like a...masking."

'Masking? ... Wait a minute.'

Could that be similar to the fog in her domain?

"With more advance rituals, we can even create shared mental spaces to connect with others," he continues. "It may sound incredible, but it's not without its toll."

"How so?" Beneath the composure, Viviane's inner goo is swirling to learn all of this so quickly. 'That sort of ritual might explain how I created the chamber! Should I be happy or worried he's telling me all of this?'

"Many within our circle lost their lives, especially in the early days," Nico answers. "How it can kill depends on how it is used, but in many cases, we've had people who go mad, while others who lose any sense of life. Not quite brain-dead, but... it may as well be that."

"But it doesn't burn, does it?"

"It's not a fire that burns in the physical sense. The reason we keep this fire away from public knowledge is that more harm will come than good. Like any normal fire, you have to keep it contained."

"Right... Morgan told me similarly."

Nico claps his hands. "No doubt, you'll learn more with us, but it's my turn to ask some questions."

Viviane thins her lips. "Sure."

"We're aware you've been studying a book for the past three years. Speaking of Morgan, you were able to block her out at the pub, so I find it hard to believe you knew little of the goddess' fire." His pupils reflect sharply. "What have you learned?"

Sliced through by the Italian's steady eyes, the elder slime's lips fall a bit. 'I can't completely lie to someone who might be more familiar with the flames. Let's see...'

"To be honest, I did have some clue," she begins. "It started by a book I found in my attic by the previous homeowner, written with these strange symbols and blank pages. Something drew me to it, but... it's hard to say what. Between your records and history, I eventually discovered there were connections to Egyptian rites where similar colored fires were mentioned."

"Symbols and... blank pages, you say?"

Viviane shuffles while Nico considers her mixed truth. She doesn't dare to reveal the book's name or how Marlin got it, but she can't avoid everything if she wanted to spur enough out of this cultist.

"That is... troubling, Brother," Nico begins after heavy breath.

Viviane forced smile completely cracks. 'Shit. Did I say too much? If they can use the fire, surely that's not surprising.'

"Is... Is there a problem? I know Morgan told me what I was studying could be related to Merlin or his followers."

"Answer me first. What have you learned specifically of these fires by your studies?"

The air hangs as Viviane feels his gaze under his hat. It's too late to pull back her claims, so she tightens her hands behind her back.

"All I've managed to conclude was that blue flames indicated some form of protection or blessing, green could summon people and objects, and violet... well, at first I thought it could shape lands based on the symbols and some history, but now I understand it's more than that."

This is all accurate to Marlin's knowledge. Behind her British mask, she can't help feel some regret for him. The uncle spent three years studying the symbols, partially figuring out their meaning. Then, suddenly, she takes it to be plainly translated within her domain within minutes. Adding more insult, the real value might have been the mental construction he had been completely unaware of.

'Sorry, Marlin.'

Nico draws a long hum after his own thoughts. "So, you figured these types of flames all on your own? I did hear you work in I.T."

"Is there anything you aren't aware of?" Viviane throws out a weak chuckle before swallowing. "Yes, and I did end up creating a computer program to help classify these symbols. Do you know what they are?"

"If we're talking about computers, then the symbols are like a code designed by Merlin, allowing us to 'speak' with our flames. As far as what influenced him, that's anyone's guess. The Order adopted them, using them in various records and experiments."

Viviane slumps. "So, in the end, I've just been lagging blindly behind you all."

Nico footsteps thump against the wooden floor as he steps closer. "Honestly, you shouldn't have stumbled upon a book as you've described in the first place. What's more concerning is that you're seeing blank pages."

'Oh?' Viviane keeps still as her vision is overshadowed. "What do you mean?"

"In our Order, there are no blank pages unless it has a purpose beyond a simple glance, all imbued by the fire we carry. It could be a hidden message that only your fire can unlock. To another, it could be a trigger." He squints his eyes, glancing down for a moment. "That must be how you were able to push Morgan away without knowing it.."

Viviane's eyes shake. 'A...a hidden function? No, wait, that's what Mary and I saw, didn't we?'

She recalls the Book of Isis was originally blank to Marlin before Mary read it. Later, Mary and Viviane received special notes from the wizard within Anne's domain.

'If Victor's book was designed to show me something special, what is it?'

By the same book, what did Lecia see if she was enveloped by blue flames?

"Here's the problem, brother," Nico begins, cutting away at her thoughts. "Our control of information isn't perfect. You may have heard of someone named Layna Moore."

The elder slime flinches. "O-of course."

"There have been plenty of outsiders like her who discovered our records. Some were pieces laid out by Merlin prior to the Order's founding. It turns out, Lecia holds one such piece which we're trying to find."

Viviane's eyes flicker. 'So they haven't found it yet.'

"If you had discovered a leftover by one of our members, that would've been fine," Nico assures. "Unlike Layna, you haven't published a book to the whole world about our beliefs."

Vivianes slimy mass shifts within. "I'm sensing a 'but' here."

A sad smile lines Nico's lips.

Without warning, he plants a hand to her shoulder. "But, it seems Morgan's insight about you is correct."

Viviane shakes. "What?"

"If you are seeing blank pages, it's unlikely you've found a record that we've seen before. The only way that can happen is if you're involved in some way with Merlin's followers, those that still believes the Flood can be stopped. That means, any effect that may have been placed onto you is a...well, risk we can't afford, especially now."

"Ah..." The elder slime holds herself, taking in the disappoint laced on Nico's lips, the regret in his eyes. It's obvious the decision he's come to regarding "Marlin".

'Seriously... Just because I mentioned blank pages?'

She frowns. "Brother, I swear, I've only been loyal to the Order."

"Hmm..."

Inside, Vivivane winces. 'Fuck! Why did I say that? Claiming loyalty is even more suspicious! What can I...'

She pauses, then blinks. 'Wait... There's no weight to his hand?'

Why should there be? Despite the large man's size, Viviane and the other remnants lack the senses to determine what is heavy or not. No matter how big of a human that towers over her, it wouldn't make a difference.

"..."

... Yes, that's right.

Is there a weight that would matter to her, even in the face of fire?

At that moment, Bedivere's face and voice rings through her head, carrying impossibly more weight than the one in front of her.

"Do you feel anything, Viviane?"

"No," she'd answer.

"Haha, I'm not talking physically, my lady. Is there weight on your mind to those we kill? To those that simply follow the wrong path, cultists of Isis or otherwise. What even is wrong? You knew Arthur better than anyone, grew up with him like siblings, followed him. He's better than his father, for sure, but... we'd be blind to call him a completely just king."

"Bedivere, just stop talking. Only weight I'm feeling is your drunk breath."

"I thought your kind couldn't smell."

"Fuck off."

There is a weight that matters.

People.

Specifically, the people that she carries with her.

She is following a path like anyone, but shaped by others, imprinted with many feet that slowly fade away.

Except, her feet don't fade but continues to morph in shape.

Indeed, the path of a remnant is a lonely one, but it always comes with new memories, new lives, new love, new roles..

In her case, perhaps old purpose.

Who is right or wrong matters little when time changes people and remnants alike. What matters now is that this Italian man, a product of an Order that she never intended, threatens her path and the people she connected with.

It's ironic, really.

Various cults for Isis were created as a result of previous remnants. It would seem she's just added to the list indirectly by entrusting the book to Bedivere, leaving it in the hands of time.

Viviane grits her teeth, lowering her gaze. "Okay, fine. If I'm such a risk, does that mean you're going to erase... no, sorry, 'mask' my memories as well?"

A pause comes with no answer, so she lifts her head, her eyes firm. "Or, are you going to whatever what was done to Layna Moore?"

The Italian's brows rise. Slowly, his lips fall with unease. "To be honest, we don't even know what happened to that girl. She disappeared long before the council could acquire her."

Viviane' pupils shrink. "...What?"

"That will be the end of questions. I'm sorry about this, Brother."

FWOO!

His hand on Viviane's shoulder ignites again, emphasizing the violet intent behind Nico's eyes. "While Morgan wanted to observe you longer, I'm afraid that wouldn't be in our best interest to leave you or your niece alone. I mustn't have the councilwoman waste their time."

The flame pulses, licking dangerously close to the elder slime's cheek. Still as a rock, he waits for her eyes to gloss over, loosening just as Mary and others he had to subdue.

"Rest assure, we'll find your book and continue your work. For now, just rest and settle into—"

"Yeah, no."

Viviane's hand shoots up. Shaking off her surprise, her eyes lock to him with a greater focus, lifting his hand off her shoulder.

"W-what?! How are you—"

"Just shut up already."

Crick!

Nico's eyes snap wide. A sharp spike of pain washes over to him from his arm.

"AAGH!?"

He bucks down to one knee, his size and flame utterly ignored by the elder slime's squeezing grip. Tiny bones crunch audibly between her cold fingers as her gelatinous mass increases with density.

He screams, piercing the studio, adrenaline pumping through him. He tries to jerk away half a second later, leaving the fire in his breaking hand extinguished, but the elder slime's hold doesn't sway.

"You think I'll let you do whatever magic you want while you intrude on my family? Just thinking what you could have done if I hadn't woken is... infuriating!"

Nico can barely listen or think, winding his shoulder with a grunt. His hat falls off as he throws a punch from his free hand into her stomach in a desperate cry to push her away.

Thump

Nothing.

Viviane absorbs the impact, and there's even a slight bounce back from her hidden slimy structure. Before he can try another pound in panic, she tightens her hold further, causing him to twist in abject horror.

Crick!

"GAAAAH!"

His other knee slams into the ground. Tears line the Italian's bewildered eyes while his other hand clench against the wood flooring.

"S-stop... H-how are you... How..."

Viviane's eyes narrow. She doesn't know what else Nico and other members of the Order can do, but trying to break him now to get more information out of him would be...

"Risky."

With that decided, she raises her other arm, extending it with a blue, sharpened blade from her mass.

Nico manages to lift his head up before his mouth hangs immediately, catching her transformed arm shadowed by the ceiling lights above. Any pull of resistance he could muster completely falls apart to the inhuman sight.

"Viviane, wait!"

The elder slime halts.

A step from swinging down, she tilts back. Her eyes widen to see Anne stepping out of the hallway, a hand to her chest.

A second passes before Viviane growls. "Anne! Why did you come back? I told you to leave with the others!"

The opposite slime mother tightens. "They're... they're far enough away, but...I couldn't leave you!"

"Yes, you should!" Viviane's voice cracks into her normal range. "As you can see, I have everything under control! Just turn away and make sure everyone is safe!"

Anne's face creases. "Are you really going to..."

"Gh...Slia...duf..."

FWISH!

A hiss breaks through along with Nico's strained words.

Viviane twists back to Nico in a breath. Parts of her transformed body spikes up in alarm as she catches tiny green flames trailing from his hand on the ground. With haste, it spreads around him while he mutters an unfamiliar incantation.

"Fuck!"

Viviane doesn't know what Nico is specifically planning, but the green flames are enough to tell she shouldn't wait any longer. Ignoring her slime sister behind, she swipes her bladed arm across, aiming for his neck.

The green fire ring finishes.

FWOOO!

There's no warm up. In a flaming roar, Viviane ends up slicing through a pillar of green light that emerges from the ground, evaporating the Italian man. As his darkened form dissipates in a snap, the flame continues to rise up, spreading across the ceiling like a fountain.

Viviane jumps back immediately, wary of being swallowed by the energy like she had been when was released. Other than that, she and Anne are forced to watch, waiting for the worst to come.

Shwip!

But, it just dies, just as quick as it sprang.

Silence hangs in the studio.

Anne blinks a few times before snapping out of her shock. Her gaze draws back to her slime sister, who stands motionless.

"Viviane!"

The elder slime, breaks out of her stun as well, only wobbling slightly. Marlin's clothes hang loosely around her as she shapeshifts back into her pale female form, her silver hair growing out from her head and falling like a curtain.

She stares at the ground where she had pinned Nico, but nothing remained of him. If this were a normal fire, at least a burn should've been left on the floor. However, any trace of the goddess' fire remained only in their minds.

"Viviane..."

No, there was something left behind.

Spurred by her sister's weak call, her gaze follows past to where the Nico had been. Slowly, her eyes expand as a streak of red spreads across the floor, adding itself in speckles to Mary's paintings along the walls.

"Viviane, Anne!"

Worried cries follow from the hallway, but the two slime mothers stand still. They take in the additional layer of red that has stained Mary's in-progress works and studio.

It may have been the final touch added.