Stick Together 1

Abraham sighed contently and sat down in a wicker chair, bringing a cup of coffee up to his lips. From his spot on his home's balcony, he had an excellent vantage point to survey the beautiful realm of Arum Sedis. In the distance, impressive towers and manors made of marble and granite composed the heart of the city. The great, domed structure at the center of the area was the

Scleratia Sophia

, the seat of power for Lady Ilassa, the Lilim that ruled Arum Sedis. Spreading out from the city were buildings of sandstone and adobe, making up the merchant and residential districts. Even in the early morning, the streets were beginning to fill with people, a testament to the liveliness and prosperity of the realm.

Abraham turned his gaze upwards. The sky held only a few, wispy clouds, and the air of the early morning was still cool. The sky seemed to shimmer with an unnatural, green light. It was like the Aurora lights he had read about, but they continued to shine even in daylight - proof that Lady Ilassa's demon realm was potent, indeed. Abraham took another sip of coffee and hummed to himself.

He quite liked it here. He and his wife Violet had been in Arum Sedis for several weeks, visiting on the recommendation of a close friend. The realm was beautiful, peaceful, and prosperous. The city had earned its reputation as the Jewel of the Desert, Abraham decided. The arts and sciences flourished in equal measure, and there was a degree of mutual tolerance among its peoples that surpassed any location in his memory. It seemed impossible that a realm with such a diverse population could stand. But not only did Arum Sedis endure, it thrived. It seemed that people here were willing to see beyond looks alone.

Abraham and his wife were both wandering scholars, with a shared interest in the arcane. They lived humbly, and few possessions, but their talents with magic made it easy to find work and lodgings wherever they went. Every village had odd jobs and requests to handle, after all. They had found each other during their travels, and fell in love. From that point on, they decided to wander together, their shared company making discovering new places that much more exciting. But wanderlust always returned, and they eventually moved on, eager to find the next great thing.

But for the first time, that hadn't happened. They felt no urge to leave Arum Sedis, and were in fact quick shocked when they realized that they were considering

settling down

. While the notion initially seemed ridiculous, they realized after a lengthy discussion that Arum Sedis would likely never bore them. It was a center of culture, a nexus of progress. There were always new developments, always new strangers and travelers bringing in new stories and skills.

And with a shared laugh, it was decided. They would stay! So they ventured out to the

Scleratia Sophia

, intending to go through the usual application process and find themselves an affordable place to live. Then they would offer their skills to the magical research guilds, and work their way up. But they soon found out that the process was anything but usual. They had expected to meet a wealthy estate merchant, or perhaps a Gyoubu Danuki or an enterprising Wight.

Instead, they were greeted by a succubus with a pair of white wings, wearing a casual, blue dress - Lady Ilassa herself, ruler of the entire kingdom. She was shockingly informal, greeting them with a smile, a wave, and a friendly greeting. As it turns out, Lady Ilassa liked to greet newcomers to her realm whenever possible. She saw it as an important gesture, a way for both parties to get to know each other. She also revealed that, in the early days of her kingdom, this process was far lengthier.

Unlike her sisters, Ilassa did not spread demonic influence through war, but peace. She built Arum Sedis from the ground up, converting a small village into a burgeoning tourist's paradise. Her ultimate goal was to convince traveling humans to stay, exchanging cultural practices and scientific information. And for her, there was no greater joy than convincing human couples to willingly undergo the monsterization process. She revealed the depth of research that she put into that process. She examined the couple's personality and preferences closely, taking great effort to pick the most compatible type of mamono for them.

Of course, that was all in the past. The program continued, but Ilassa no longer had the time to oversee it personally - Arum Sedis was not the small town it had once been. Still, she liked to take a case every now and then - and Abraham and Violet had been chosen.

It was quite the surprise. At first, the pair weren't sure if it was a welcome one. They preferred a quieter, gentler pace of life, and suddenly meeting one of the most powerful figures in the entire world and being asked to consider monsterization did

not

fit that agenda. Even so, they could hardly refuse her offer. They had met a few important figures in the past, even a handful of royal families, but none of them had seemed quite as...genuine, as Lady Ilassa. They accepted her offer, and she began to lead them on a tour through the city.

Curious, Violet asked if it was normal for the ruler of the kingdom to walk around the city without so much as a single bodyguard. Ilassa laughed, allowing pride to slip into her tone. She explained that her city had exceptionally low rates of violent crime, and her heritage meant that she was more than capable of defending herself. With a wink, she added that she wasn't as alone as Violet thought, either. Tilting her head curiously, Violet was about to ask what she meant, when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ilassa' shadow

move

. Apparently moving of its own free will along the street, it waved at them, and then returned to being an inanimate shadow. Violet gasped, utterly captivated by the ingenious use of summoning magic. Ilassa must have disguised her familiar as her own shadow, giving her a bodyguard that could invisibly follow her anywhere!

During the course of her hour-long tour, Abraham began to realize just how impressive Ilassa was. Even during that short tour, she was subtly probing them, testing them. She was likely already forming conclusions about their personalities, and he almost shuddered as he realized that he wanted to hear her them.

So this is the true power of a Lilim

, he thought to himself. Ilassa's true strength lie not in physical prowess or sheer magical power, but her truly demonic charisma. She was a magnificent paradox. Part of Abraham felt unnerved and intimidated by her subtle gestures, and the other part was captivated by her open friendliness, already yearning to meet her again.

In the end, Ilassa's shadowy familiar had whispered something to her, indicating that she was out of time. She directed them to one of her officials that would help them find a home, offering an apologetic smile. Then she disappeared in a magical puff of smoke as she teleported away. Violet and Abraham were left standing there, blinking at the wonder of what had just happened.

Neither was certain how they felt about monsterization yet, but they couldn't deny that the idea, Arum Sedis, and Ilassa herself, were all becoming

exceptionally

interesting. And really, what more had they come here for?

**********

His wife's voice drew Abraham out of his daydreams.

"Good morning," Violet said sleepily, stifling a yawn. Holding her own cup of coffee, she sat down in an adjacent wicker chair and joined her husband on the balcony.

"Morning, Vi," he replied. "Sleep well?"

"Very well." Violet settled into her chair and took a sip of coffee. "Maybe a little too well. I thought I was going to be too excited to sleep."

"No second thoughts, then?" Abraham asked, raising an eyebrow. "We won't get many more chances to turn back."

Violet didn't immediately reply, turning her gaze out to the cityscape. After nearly a minute, she took another sip of coffee, hummed contently, and nodded.

"Nope," she said softly. "I'm convinced. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared, but...Lady Ilassa's research holds up. I think she's right."

"You only think so?" Abramham prompted.

"Could anyone be entirely certain?" Violet frowned. "It's an enormous decision. But yeah, I think she's right. We've only been meeting with her for about a week, but...she's demonstrated herself to be a very good judge of character."

"Besides..." Violet turned and smiled suggestively at her husband. "Don't play coy, I know you're starting to really look forward to this."

"You see right through me, as always," he laughed. "Yes. I'm looking forward to this, too."

"Good," she nodded. "Your participation is rather mandatory, you know."

With that, the two were quiet for a while, taking in the quiet peace of the morning together. After a few minutes, the coffee took its full effects, and they felt energized and ready to begin their day.

"We still have a few hours," Abraham said. "What should we do?"

"Well, normally we'd still be tangled together in bed," Violet giggled. "But, tragically, we have to restrain ourselves for the appointment, so...why don't we just take a walk around the city?"

Her husband smiled and nodded, and the two departed to stroll around, not heading to anywhere in particular.

**********

Abraham moved to knock on the door, but it opened just before he moved his hand down. Curiously, it didn't seem that anyone inside had opened the door.

"Come in," a female voice said.

Shrugging, he stepped inside, Violet following behind him. The door closed on its own. Abraham looked around the room, but didn't see their host. The room was one of several in the basement level of the

Scleratia Sophia

, which had chambers for both research and ceremonial purposes. The room was very dark, and neither of them could see much.

"Hello again, you two," their unseen host greeted. "Oh! Right, the darkness. Just a moment..."

With a subtle flick of her wrist, their host turned the lights on. Lanterns embedded into the walls and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling flickered to life, glowing with an ethereal, blue flame. With the room now bathed in sufficient lighting, they could at last see their host. She was June, a prominent magical academic. Having been a longtime supporter of Ilassa's endeavors, helping to establish the early Arum Sedis, she was trusted with a management position in her friend's transformation program.

And she was also a dark slime - a mass of purple, sentient ooze that was free to change form at will.

June currently resembled a tall, human woman with long hair - if her skin and hair were all the same color, and the same substance. She looked significantly more...solid, than the last time they had met her. Even so, her exterior shimmered faintly in the light, and her entire body was always gently churning and undulating.

Violet still couldn't shake the idea that she looked a little bit like boysenberry syrup.

Abraham took the chance to glance around the room. They had been introduced to June a few days prior, but this was their first time visiting her chamber beneath the

Scleratia Sophia.

The room reminded him of a wizard's tower that he had encountered some time before he had partnered with Violet. The sides of the room were lined wall-to-wall with bookcases, each shelf packed tightly with a wealth of information. Maps and charts lined what free space there was, a few tables cluttered with scientific and magical apparatuses. Even with only this cursory examination, he was certain that he could spend a great deal of time here.

At the far side of the room, there was an open doorway to another room, but that room was still dark, and he couldn't see what it held.

June clasped her hands together, which made a squishing sound that drew his attention back to her.

"Sorry about that!" she said, giving a small bow of apology. "I forgot that you two couldn't see in the dark yet."

"It's no problem, Miss June," Violet smiled politely. "Thank you for seeing us."

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal!" June beamed, placing her hands on her hips. "You can just call me June. And come in, come in!"

The pair shuffled forward. Abraham reached to close the door, but once again, it moved by itself.

"What did you enchant the door with?" he asked.

"Oh, that?" she asked. June absentmindedly started running a hand through the purple mass that mimicked hair. In an impressive display of dexterity, her hand and hair did not meld together, despite being the same material.

"I'd love to say that it was a simple trick," she admitted. "But really, linking a remote sensor spell with a directed telekinesis spell took

far

longer than I'd care to reveal."

"At least it works, right?" he suggested. "I'd like to learn that trick, sometime."

"And I'd like to learn that spell with the lights," Violet added.

"Of course!" June said happily. "But, all in good time, for we have a different purpose in mind today, don't we?"

June placed a finger to her lips, and her smile suddenly promised more than just friendship and magic lessons. Abraham swallowed nervously. He could see how June had become friends with Lady Ilassa.

"Indeed we are," Violet affirmed, nodding and forming a growing smile of her own. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes!" June said enthusiastically, pumping a fist into the air and breaking out into an excited giggle. "Oh, this is so exciting! Follow me to the back room, you two!"

June twirled around and started to walk to the dark room at the back. Abraham watched her feet curiously, wanting to confirm something he had noticed during their last meeting. When June's foot lifted off the ground after each step, no ooze was left on the ground. That confirmed his initial idea that a slime must be able to modify their solidity at will, and it also meant that they could avoid leaving a slimy trail everywhere they went, like a snail. He supposed it was rather silly that he didn't already know that. But then again, he had never met a dark slime before.

What Abraham

also

noticed was how each step was perhaps a little more forceful than it needed to be. The reverberations of her footsteps sent ripples up through her body, causing her legs and backside to jiggle alluringly. During their first meeting, Abraham couldn't help but stare at her body in wonder. Of course, she had noticed his gaze, and expressed that she was flattered when he stammered an apology. It felt...well, frankly it was absurd that his brain was interpreting a mass of slime to be attractive.

But that thought had been swiftly pushed aside. Absurdity was too often used as an excuse to brush something away without proper consideration. Would he ridicule and dismiss something, just because it didn't fit into his obsolete understanding of the world? No, of course not. Shortly into their first meeting with June, Violet and Abraham had decided to embrace the absurd, to explore it and find what it held. And now they were here, on the threshold of one of the most important decisions in their lives. The time for blushing and looking away was long past.

"Right?" Violet whispered, leaning over and smiling conspiratorially. "For a mass of living goo, she has an incredible ass."

Abraham laughed and pulled his wife in for a brief kiss, then started to follow June into the back room, holding Violet's hand.

**********

The room at the back turned out to be a bedroom. June illuminated the room with more magical lighting, revealing the rugs, wardrobes, and dressers held within. Violet found it odd that June's room even had those, considering slimes were essentially always naked. The two notable features of the room were a large, rectangular mirror that rested along one of the walls, and a huge, four poster bed with luxurious, red fabrics. The bed was large enough to easily fit all three of them at once, and looked incredibly comfortable.

"So here's how this is going to work," June explained, taking a seat at the edge of the bed, the lighting in the room dimming slightly as she did so.

"You two need to...get 'warmed up', before we can really begin. Violet here needs to be in the appropriate state before I can work my magic on her. Besides, what's the fun of jumping right into the main event, right?"

The couple nodded in understanding, Violet more enthusiastically than her husband. She noticed his hesitation and leaned over, squeezing his hand affectionately. He smiled at the gesture, and nodded again.

"Now this is probably kind of irrelevant," June continued. "But it's worth clarifying, just in case. Violet and I are going to get to know each other

very

intimately, but there are three of us here. So, Abraham, if you want to set limits on anything that you aren't comfortable with, now is the time."

He took a deep breath and placed a hand under his chin before answering.

"We've already discussed this amongst each other," Abraham said. "We don't want to add any unnecessary boundaries - you should be fully involved."

"We've both been looking forward to this," Violet winked. "Besides, I know he's been

burning

with curiosity to see what you can do."

Abraham laughed nervously, but didn't deny it. Not being able to be intimate with your partner caused the mind to...wander to certain fantasies.

"I'm very glad to hear that," June said professionally. "And I should add that you're under no obligation to continue any sort of relationship with me after the fact, though I certainly wouldn't object if you wanted to. Whatever you want to do is the way it will be. Okay?"

Both of them nodded, and June tittered happily.

"Would you believe that this is the first time I've gotten to do this part myself?" she said, flicking a wrist. "You have

no

idea how long I've been waiting to do this!"

Soft, slow tones began to fill the room, somehow emanating from every corner of the room at once.

"Ooh!" Violet exclaimed. "A sound spell! Oh, I've always wanted to try using one to play music, but I could never get the hang of it!"

"Just a little something to set the mood," June smiled. "Now, why don't you get started by undressing each other? I'll watch from the sidelines until you're feeling ready for me to step in."

With a mischievous grin, Violet turned and embraced her husband, pulling his head in close and kissing him. It was a far deeper and more passionate kiss than before, and demonstrated just how eager Violet was.

"And here I thought you would want to take your time," Abraham panted when his wife finally pulled away.

"We've waited too long for this," she said breathily. "Arms up."

He loved it when Violet was assertive like this, when her eyes shone with that perfect mix of lust and love. He complied with her demand, allowing her to rustle his shirt off him. She hastily folded it up and tossed it onto one of the nearest dressers.

She leaned back and smiled appreciatively, taking in her husband's upper body. Neither of them were exactly athletes, but traveling as much as they did kept you in good shape. She ran a hand over his chest, feeling the texture of his skin and muscles, before tilting her head up to kiss him again. This one was gentler, softer, yet it carried no less passion than before.

"Now take mine off," she said softly, raising her arms. He lifted her shirt off her, casting it next to his own. Abraham took his turn to admire her, holding her close and rubbing her shoulders. Her skin was soft, lightly browned from weeks under the desert sun.

"And your tan was starting to come in so nicely," he sighed. "It's kind of a shame."

"I'll trade a nice tan for the ability to alter my entire being any day," she countered, nuzzling her cheek against his.