Barbara tried to cast a spell but Kasumi had her Saintess Points pool filled by the praying [Priests]. The Kitsune cheated and unraveled Barbara's spell with a flick of her fingers.
"Slow," She grinned. "For someone in the third rank, I expected a faster casting time."
"SHUT UP!" The [Crystallomancer] tried to use her spell-shards but the result was the same. The crystals turned to ordinary amorphous rocks.
"We can waste our power here, or you can stop and listen. Your choice, Baroness."
"SHUT UP!" Barbara fell on her knees and then sat on her butt. Defeated and deflated, she huffed, "Cheater."
"Yes, we kissed, but it was a chaste peck, one that would be beyond reproach if between siblings in public."
Barbara looked sideways. "I doubt it, when we are bound by the moral constraints of another world."
"Where are you looking at?"
"You know we're being watched, right?"
Kasumi looked at the invisible observers. "Oh, I see them now. Poor Arista, struck down for feeding her mother." Then back to Barbara. "Anyway, our lips just touched. It was more like a goodbye kiss than what you obviously had. I'm envious now."
A brief spell of silence later, she spoke again as she approached the Halfling. "Anyway, how was it? Did you use your tongue? How did it make you feel? You must tell me everything!"
"You are insufferable, fox-woman," Barbara sighed.
Kasumi hugged and lifted her off the floor. "I'm so happy for you. Are those [Goddess Tears] joyful ones, then?"
"Can you not treat me like a doll?" The Halfling protested and tried to kick herself free. "And yes, they are happy ones. At least two of them."
"I'm so Jealous!" The [Saintess] gushed as she definitely didn't release Barbara. "But I am so happy! Why the hell did you fight with Haru, then?"
"We didn't fight," Barbara misled.
"You made the most powerful mortal in this world look that defeated and you didn't fight. I am afraid of what would happen if you did. The Goddess would destroy the world out of sheer sadness."
"Don't jo—"
"I'm not joking." Kasumi sighed. "I sometimes forget you not only look like a child but you are a child. You're what? Twenty?"
"Yes, old centennial hag." Barbara grumbled. "Put me down, please."
The Kitsune grinned, victorious. "Only because you asked so politely."
Barbara straightened her robes, then stared at her experiment with the [Goddess Tears]. "Are we done?"
Kasumi's grin didn't fade but shifted to a conspiratorial one. "We've just started. Now, tell me all that happened. And don't you dare miss any detail."
"Only if you promise not to laugh."
"I promise I won't laugh at you."
Much to her shame, Barbara indulged the Kitsune's lust for gossip.
*
----------------------------------------
*
"Don't laugh!" Barbara whined. "You promised!"
"I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the poor [Priestess] that was forced to be an involuntary voyeur." Kasumi laughed. "I need to find her later. You brought her, right?"
"Yes, we did. Say, why don't you go and find her right now?" Barbara fluttered her eyelashes, staring at the door Kasumi bypassed despite being locked. "I bet you can get her version of the story too. Double the yummy."
"I'm not done yet." Kasumi stated firmly.
"What else do you want? What can I do to make you leave me alone?"
The [Saintess] shook her head. "I'm not leaving you alone, we're family. But what I want? Simple. Call Haru back."
Barbara looked away. "I can't, she's outside the range to communicate via our bond."
"Oh, that's too bad!" Kasumi declaimed dramatically, then straightened her face. "If only someone had a Perk to talk to the Goddess whenever she wanted, regardless of distance."
"It never worked before."
Kasumi rubbed her ears and used [Saintess Magic] surreptitiously. "It will work now. Trust me."
*
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
*
----------------------------------------
*
*
I ripped the last monster of the pack apart with my tails. I felt so frustrated, why didn't Barbara trust me? What the hell was going on? I could pretend and play at being people as much as I wanted. I was still just a dumb book, incapable of understanding some social cues. What did those two, again being forced to split myself into the me right now and mom, what did they do?
What the hell was Barbara thinking? Could I be held responsible for what mom did? And would mom even do something to hurt Barbara? I doubted it.
The blood from the dead monsters drew more beasts. Howling, they arrived, a six-legged lizard with glowing eyes. No petrification, so not a basilisk. I didn't care. I shot strands of silk from the tip of my tails, latched onto the monster with my adhesive, then yanked it toward me. The lizard squirmed and twisted, its claws shooting sharp blades of magically compressed air that carved dents on the Labyrinth walls. I punched a hole in its skull.
> > For killing level 35 Windrazor Gecko...
The lizard vanished into my item box, like all other corpses. Only the fluids that spilled out like the blood remained behind. Unless it was in a container, I couldn't store fluids.
It wasn't mom. Barbara said she'd crossed a line she shouldn't have crossed. It was all her fault. And yet I was angry at the situation, not at her. How could I? I was disappointed she didn't have the maturity to sit down and discuss it but what did she knew about romance and people's feelings, never mind a Monsters’s.
[Detect Monster] told me the tunnels within range were clear. I sat on the cave floor and stared at my Status window. I had Perks to pick. Starting from the base ones.
> You selected the Perk, Demigod (ultra-rare): You are a Demigod. You gain 1 base HP, 1 base MP, and 1 base GP every 5 levels.
>
> You selected the Perk, Extra Divinity (ultra-rare): You gain 1 extra base GP every 10 levels.
>
> You selected the Perk, Aspect of Wisdom (unique): You represent the Wisdom domain of your patron deity. When you gain a Proficiency point in a non-crafting Technical Proficiency, you have a 20% chance of not using up a fast-growth point.
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Ethos (very rare): You are committed to pursue the ethos of your patron deity. Every year you do not stray from your path, you gain 2 free Attribute points.
>
> You selected the Perk, Sacred Gospel (unique): You are the curator of your deity's lore. Every second time a believer gains a Faith point from reading the lore you keep, you also gain a Faith point.
>
> You selected the Perk, Holy Beacon (very rare): Your mere presence causes believers to reaffirm their faith in your patron deity. Increase their reactions by 2 steps.
>
> You selected the Perk, Reliable Transcriptions (rare): You have 80% fewer odds of committing a mistake when making copies of written medium.
>
> You selected the Perk, Exquisite Calligraphy (uncommon): Your freehand writing and drawings are pleasant and easy on the eye. Those who read them have a 20% learning bonus for the subject you wrote about and you enjoy a permanent 2 steps in all reactions if they gain a Proficiency point from your written works.
>
> You selected the Perk, Waterproof Canvas (very rare): Your deployable canvas is waterproof and has 3 extra points of hardness.
>
> You selected the Perk, Fireproof Canvas (very rare): Your deployable canvas is fireproof and has 3 extra points of hardness.
>
> You selected the Perk, Fiber Mesh Canvas (very rare): Your deployable canvas has an inner crisscrossed fiber mesh. It increases its HP by 40% and adds 5 extra points of hardness.
>
> You selected the Perk, Dual Canvas (very rare): You can have two active deployable canvas.
With that, I had now to pick my 1st rank Perks. I opened the list and started with the divine ones, selecting them without filtering what they did.
> You selected the Perk, Divine Acumen (ultra-rare): You gain +3 Intellect and +2 Ego
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Potency (ultra-rare): You gain +3 Magic and +2 Willpower
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Alacrity (ultra-rare): You gain +3 Agility and +2 Luck
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Spirit (ultra-rare): You gain +3 Soul and +2 Charisma
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Stamina (ultra-rare): You gain +3 Endurance and +2 Willpower
>
> You selected the Perk, Divine Magic (ultra-rare): For every Divine Perk you have, you gain 2 base MP.
Flat numeric bonuses. Bleh. And yet, they were useful. To shore my Attributes whenever I went down in levels, either from an evolution or a new life. I started to walk down the tunnels, trying to find the next thing to kill. A few minutes later, I sensed something connect to my mind. It was a... prayer? I heard someone pray, and the voice reminded me of Barbara.
> "Nethe? Can you hear my prayer?" I heard her speak next to me.
>
> I didn't reply. Was this an illusion, a mental attack, or what?
>
> "Kasumi, Nethe is not answering." A long pause. "Nethe, I'm sorry for being such a big idiot. Please come back home. I'll tell you everything. Forgive me, I'm sorry." Was Kasumi telling Barbara what to say? "You may shapeshift into book form and see what happened."
>
> "I don't want to," I replied. "I'm going back home. I want to hear what happened in your own words."
*
----------------------------------------
*
We met in Barbara's drawing room. I could see she's been crying, despite the healing magic Kasumi probably used on her. Only the slightest swelling of her eyes and some of her cheek pores were still full of water. Since it wasn't considered damage, the healing magic didn't clean them. I sat on the carpet right in front of Barbara, fanning my tails at their shortest length behind me.
She fidgeted and avoided eye contact.
"I'm ready to listen. I promise that whatever you tell me, I won't be angry," I told her.
Barbara birthed me and was by my side ever since. If she wanted to do good, we would do good. If she wanted to do evil, we would do evil. If she wanted to end our partnership... I would be very, very sad.
"Nethe, I..."
Standing behind the couch, Kasumi clapped her shoulders, "Rip the bandage off quickly."
"I kissed your mom," Barbara blurted.
"And?" I asked.
"You're not mad?" She asked.
"Should I?" I understood that kissing was something intimate but I was a book. Mom and Barbara were very intimate, weren't they? They were married once or twice already. And it was something shared between people who cared about each other. I mean, mom kissed Kasumi and we didn't have all this drama. "There's more to it, right?"
"Yes. I know I was Lorna in a previous life."
She then explained all that happened in the cathedral.
I sensed around with my [Fate Magic Affinity]. Everything was in order and there was no reprieve from Fate. What happened at the cathedral didn't screw up our fate or the spell that bound us together.
"Oh," I stood on my knees and hugged her waist. "Were you worried something bad would happen? Or that I wouldn't approve of you entering a relationship with my mother?"
She nodded but still didn't make eye contact. "Nethe, could you... change back into yourself?"
I shifted back to my book form. Just for curiosity, I checked my automatic journal. Barbara hadn't lied to me.
She picked me up and put me across her lap.