[ Cottage Hideout ]
Of the two cottages, the selected home barely creaks to the steps of new visitors. Circles of phone lights overlap against the clapboard siding as Rachel enters the code Mike sent against the keypad.
The deadbolt clicks.
Switches are turned on.
"Oooh..."
A collective breath leaves everyone as they're greeted by the smell of cedarwood. Lamps close to their entrance reflect in their eyes, adding a haze of warmth to the immediate living space before them. Within, a cobblestone fireplace rests against the furthest wall, anchoring the room with a television and couch in front of it. The sisal carpet that maps the area eventually ends, opening up to a small kitchen on the east side with marble tiles. Further west, a stairwell rises past a hallway to another room. Punctuated throughout, various nature paintings mark the oxblood walls, complementing the roman clay finish.
The group spreads out.
In the kitchen, Rachel doesn't waste time, opening the pantry and various cabinets. Her lips rise to the abundance of canned and dried food for her to use. If the second cottage was similarly stocked, they would have a good supply for at least a month.
Meanwhile, Mary steps through the hallway, leading herself to the first of the bedrooms. Her eyes flicker, drawing to drawers beside the queen-sized bed. Sliding one open, she's met with neatly folded and stacked clothes ranging from small to extra large.
"Holy..." She pulls up an orange, v-neck shirt from the drawer, holding it to her chest. "There really is everything we need here."
Thumps reverberate outside as Marlin paces around the living room. He checks the various television connections, remotes, and finds a console table filled with router equipment, humming faintly with life. Any internet access seems to be provided by a dish somewhere above them.
Upstairs, Daniel creaks against floorboards as he rises to the two bedrooms. Like the one Mary found, it is similarly stocked with clothes. However, his eyes lock to a bathroom that aligns neatly with plumbing downstairs. While he wasn't particularly bad during the road trip, they hadn't stopped to many rest stops.
He "checks" the bathroom, then comes out, breathing easily as he opens the door. The toilet sings behind him as it refills.
'Thank god the water is working.'
About to proceed to the second bedroom, he flinches. Anne and Viviane have already finished the survey, sitting by the bed.
The latter grins. "So, I heard from Mary that you told her uncle that we're all in a relationship." She crosses her legs, her silver eyes twinkling. "Except, you haven't told him we're your mothers too. Are you so ashamed of our bond, my dear child?"
The familiar addressing tickles Daniel's spine now that they're away from the others. Unwilling to be teased, he clears his throat. "I just felt mentioning how you both adapted my dead mother would make things weirder than it already is."
Anne pouts, turning to her sister. "See, he's ashamed of his Mamas! Despite all the love and care we show for him, it's just weird to him."
"No, no, we are pretty weird," Viviane admits, shutting her eyes.
The wavy slime mother's cheeks pop as she squints. "You can at least pretend otherwise, miss vampire."
"Vampire?" Daniel repeats, raising his eyes.
"It's what Rose immediately thought because I'm... Ahem, that's beside the point!" Viviane waves her hand, opening her eyes firmly with a huff. "There will be no discussing your weird mothers here, understand? Rather, I want to sync between us four and..." She slows, twisting her lips. "Where is Mary?"
Anne knits her brows. "I thought I told her to come upstairs."
Thump, thump, thump!
After a few steps from the stairwell, Mary slides into the bedroom, her eyes bright. "Love, look at this!"
Lifting some hangers, the group's eyes draw down to decorated and netted lingerie that sells a purpose beyond sleep.
"Huhu, I don't know what Lecia was thinking, but apparently romantic nights are fair game in this hideout." She eyes her counterpart with grin. "I think with the whole threat of a cult hanging over our heads, we deserve to enjoy yourself while we can."
Daniel only stares at the night wear for a brief silence, then follows up to his girlfriend's eyes with a smile. "You'd look good in it."
"Ah?" Mary freezes before she lowers the hangers. "Well, uh, that's unexpected. Thank you? I thought you'd get upset at me for making great suggestions at a time like this."
"Great or not, you're always making suggestions."
"Tch, how boring."
"Let's not get crazy yet," Viviane reminds. "As I was saying, we should sync our experiences ahead before discussing anything further with Marlin and Rachel."
Her lips thin. "It will be a lot, though. That's not even mentioning what Anne carries of Rose, I've learned much of the past holders to the Book of Isis through Marlin. You'll find some surprises... and maybe fault."
'Fault?' Daniel's forehead creases by the elder slime's uneasy shuffles.
"Mother..." He calls softly, the title rolling off his tongue effortlessly. Whether that's due to the effects of their connections or not, it hardly matters to him now. "Are you blaming yourself because of Nico?"
Viviane blinks. "That's not—" She catches herself, wiggling her lips before lowering her gaze. "Maybe."
"Well, if this is about you trying to protect us, you shouldn't—"
"I'm not guilty about trying to kill a cultist," she cuts. "My problem is that I've fallen so easily to my instincts since being released."
She raises her hands, her lips sliding with disgust. "I spilled blood for the first time, and it felt natural, too. These senses only sharpened when I tried to fend off Nimue. I'm just worried that all of this will..."
"...effect us?" Mary finishes, and narrows her eyes. "Don't say you're worried we'll grow to become murderers?"
Viviane frowns, lifting her head to the artist. "I'm being serious, Mary. Nimue grew up to despise the Cult of Isis. When I was human, I was raised with that same mindset, along with the desire to protect Arthur's kingdom. Of course, violence was a constant back then. While this era isn't perfect, it's far more peaceful than I could have wished for."
She snorts, shaking her head. "Yet, here we are. I hate that you all are at risk when you could've been embracing your art and each other in peace."
"..."
Mary steps forward, a slight chuckle breaking the sad silence. "Love, you know well that I'm happier than I would have been. Whether our nature changes or not, isn't it normal to fight so we can continue being happy?"
Anne shuts her eyes. "I.. I also want to help defend too! Not only that, but I was wrong to make you hesitate back then. If it weren't for me, Nico wouldn't have escaped."
"There's no guarantee, Anne, but goodness, you guys..." Viviane sighs, palming her forehead. "Somehow, I knew you all wouldn't be deterred, but I had to say it anyway."
She lowers her hand, eyes firm. "Just promise me, don't let the feeling that you have to fight take over. Please."
Everyone nods. Viviane smiles weakly, only a little satisfied. However, such promises don't hold weight when it comes to reality. She can only hope she remains the only one who has to embrace the burdens of her past.
She clears her throat, straightening. "Anyway, who should start first?"
Anne raises her hand. "Let me start, but... do we want to merge as well? We promised Marlin and Rachel we'd show them our combined states. Might as well do that while we're syncing."
"Ooh!" Mary's eyes brighten. "Then, merge with Daniel, please! I want to see!"
Daniel lightly groans. He turns to Viviane, who shrugs, before holding his gaze in front of his slime mother's equally shining eyes.
With a sigh, he slumps. "Fine."
Anne hops to her feet. "Yay!" She opens her arms to her baby, motioning with her hands. "Come to Mama, sweetie! Let's see if we will hear each other like back then."
Daniel snorts, but can't deny the same curiosity. He steps into Anne's reach, her arms slipping tightly around his back with a giggle. Her olive eyes match his as she softens.
"Mama is so glad you're okay."
"Me too, mom. Me too."
They lean in close before their lips lock. She hums into his cavity as she begins seeping, taking his lips as her own. Before long, they breathe their last as their face merge together, blue goo fading in from Anne's pigments as she loses her form to his.
Her clothes fall off as she seeps through Daniel's shirt. "Mmmph...Mooah..."
Viviane and Mary hold themselves, the latter shaking. While it was strange state to be in when Viviane merged with Daniel to become Vida, Mary is most excited by the possibility of retaining individual consciousness.
Perhaps that night of wine, regardless of kinks, was a much-needed crack.
Knock, knock!
"Excuse me, but do you guys...!"
Viviane and Mary flinch to a sharp inhale. By the open door, Rachel peaked in just in time to see the squishy, writhing form of Anne and Daniel, moaning with blue slime flowing around them.
Her face drains of blood.
"Shit! Mary, why didn't you close the door when you came in?!" Viviane hurries past the groaning, standing blob.
Mary blinks out of her shock. "M-me?! How would I have known we would be doing this so soon?"
Viviane doesn't pay further heed, placing an arm around the astronomer's shoulders instead. She steadies the woman just before she might wobble to the ground.
"Easy, Rachel."
The astronomer swallows, lifting a finger as her pupils shake. "Is...is that..."
"Yes, that's Daniel and Anne. We thought it was best not to show you and Marlin the process, but I didn't expect you to come upstairs from the kitchen so quickly." She looks at the merged being with her. "Right now, Anne is overlaying Daniel while exchanging memories. It usually doesn't take too long, but this is only the second time from what I understand."
"Anne... Anne told me it was a little disturbing, but to see it... Are they really okay?"
"They are... or at least, I think so."
Fortunately, the writhing stops. Any doubts are cleared as the fusion's new skin finishes with one final ripple just as Viviane and Mary expected. Not long, Anne smooths out across Daniel as their facial features form.
"Haaa..."
In a soft, broken sigh, the fusion, Danne, opens her olive eyes, which contract immediately.
"Whoa..." Mary whispers, taking the fusion's features, especially the signature curls of Anne as toned-down side bangs. "That's Anne and Daniel, alright. How are you feeling, love? Danne was the name, right?"
The fusion doesn't respond, blinking several moments as the room goes quiet. She raises her hands, looking at them before her lips curl.
A single tear spills out from one side of her face.
"Huh!?"
The room stiffens. Mary immediately snaps to the fusion's side, squeezing her arm. "Love? What's wrong?"
"M-mary..." Danne croaks, barely hanging on as she turns to the artist. "We... we missed the chance... of a lifetime!"
Mary furrows her brows. "What?"
Meanwhile, Danne's unique wine-induced mentality rages wildly.
'WHY DIDN'T YOU TWO SAY ANYTHING? YOU MET FUCKING LEONARDO DA VINCI!'
'S-sweetie, calm down! There was a lot going on, and this goes beyond Leonardo.'
'GAAAH! I COULD HAVE ASKED SO MUCH IF I JOINED YOU TWO! WHERE IS HIS MEMORIES ANYWAY? I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS FREDERICK OR BEDIVERE GUY!'
'There wasn't time! Let's get a hold of ourselves, or we'll split!'
Despite the earthquake thoughts, Danne seem to be stable otherwise. However, her gaze darkens as tears continue to stream down her cheek.
Yes... why does she need to even exist like this? She can't be the only one full of regret.
Looking at Rachel and Viviane by the door, then back to Mary, she reaches up and grabs the artist's shoulders. Danne's eyes are devoid of any life as her voice lowers closer to Daniel's range. "Merge with Viviane. Now."
Mary's neck runs cold.
"L-love?"