Daisy awoke, nestled between Cedric and Theodoren. She felt warm and comfortable, and was in no hurry to go anywhere. She had her family, and there was nothing she wanted more. Cedric stirred first. Without a moment of delay, he slid to the ground and got dressed. He was busily going from place to place in the room, clearly preparing, but saying nothing.

She watched him intently, but still, no words. "Good morning?" she ventured. "Where are you going so quickly?"

"Oh!" He jumped with surprise. "Daisy, um, hi." He waved sheepishly. "I have to get to work, then class, then work again." He held up some books. "I've got to keep my grades, or the university won't let me stay. I'll be back when I can." He came close and gave her a kiss. She took the opportunity to pull him onto the bed and into another kiss before releasing him.

Theo snored softly. She smirked at his prone form and waved Cedric off. "Good luck, and carry my love with you."

— Mother's Blessing

It came up in the same window and font as any other power she had just used. She hadn't even meant to use it, so it could be passive. She felt something drain out of her, not a large amount of energy, but some. Cedric lit up, a gentle glow running over him that was visible only for the briefest of moments.

Cedric wagged his short bunny tail. "O-oh! I will. I'll come rushing back when I can." He dashed from the room, cheeks pinkened.

She turned towards Theodoren as he started to stir. She rolled over on the bed, pressing her muzzle into his cheek. "Good morning."

His eyes opened, looking confused a moment. "Why are you in my bed?" It came to him. "I'm in your bed. Which is my bed. It's, wow." He sat up, clearly dazed. "We really did move in together?! Wow!"

Daisy smiled and cupped his face. "I'm glad you remember that part, but do you remember the other thing?" She kissed him gently.

His ear perked and his cheeks flushed. "Um, do you mean that we're suddenly in a little family of sorts? You press-ganged me! I didn't give any 'I dos'" He pushed at her, but there was no spirit behind it. In fact, he looked rather smitten.

Daisy laughed. "Well, I'd like to know. Do you want to be a family? We're a little group now."

He shrugged. "Well, if you're insisting?"

"I am." She leaned back against the head of the bed. "And you're agreeing if you want to get at these, which I already know you do." She folded her arms to exaggerate those assets she knew he looked at often.

Theo grumbled and squirmed where he sat. "Can we actually just do that? I'm feeling the urge to try a mouse."

Daisy wriggled her whiskers. "If you mean feeling, sure. You're a boyfriend, so these are open season for you, in private. Barring when I'm busy. I'll tell you if you reach at a bad time. If you mean drinking, I remind that I'm a mutagen source. Sipping at me means joining me as a mouse. I'd still love you, but you wouldn't be a fox anymore." She slid a claw down his body. "Not sure if you'd like that." She kept going until she reached the top of his pants. She pushed her hand in and groped him. He was warm, and he gasped as she squeezed.

"But, as Cedric reminded me, today is a work day. Neither of us can lay here and waste the day away groping at each other." She slipped her hand out, and gave him one last kiss before getting up. "We both need to get dressed. We'll play later."

Theo grumbled, sitting on the bed with a scowl as she threw clothes on. He was naked as well, but unlike her, he was slow getting dressed. "You can stay if you want, but Cedric and I know to get to work. You'll be all alone. No one to tease."

Theodoren groaned. "Oh come on!" He flopped back on the bed. "Fine, I'll get dressed and do my job." He looked away. "But, after class, I call dibs."

"Dibs on what?" Daisy smirked at his expression as she pulled on her skirt. He wasn't going to explain his thoughts, so she left him there while he got dressed. He did indeed rush right past her and out the door. She would get no answer, not that she felt she needed one said. With a parting laugh, she was out the door and on to class.

On the way, she ran into the teacher that had sent her to the undead dungeon. He gave her an approving nod. "I'm happy it worked out." He pulled out a stack of papers. "I've assembled a list of a few others that may interest you."

Daisy took the stack with a nod and flipped through the first few. This time she was paying attention to what was being offered for these. They weren't quite the same, but the ones in this stack seemed to have a consistent theme. "Feels like I'm shaping up to be a paladin."

He perked at that. "Where did you learn that word? I didn't think you'd be aware of the monicker."

Daisy blushed faintly. "Oh, I think it was Cedric who used the word." She kept quiet about her otherworldly ken. "Thank you, Sir." She went to move past him, but his arm was in the way. "Hm?"

"I was serious." He angled his head back. "Further learning of the arcane won't help you much. You're better off enjoying what you have and are. You are a paladin, and that is an excellent thing to be." He gave a slow smile. "Staying in class would be purely out of curiosity and nothing more. Your choice."

She shrugged. "So, wait. Did they send me to get my spell just so I figure out my warrior subclass and get out?" She paused, noting his amused look. "That is exactly why, isn't it. Dang it." She threw up her hands. "I'm not the first warrior you've had in here, I gather?"

He gave a nod. "Exactly right."

"What the heck, man!" She laughed despite herself, giving him a friendly shove. "I feel like an idiot." Her voice was full of joy.

Daisy looked at the list of places and frowned. "Before I go rushing off to any of these, I really should check in with her. I bet she's upset her research subject wandered off in the first place." She nodded one last time and made her way directly to Elina's office.

Elina's door was closed, as it always was, so Daisy let herself in without knocking. The woman inside looked up from a pile of papers. "Oh, Daisy. I haven't seen you in some time." She steepled her fingers together. "And you're still a brood mouse, fantastic. Today's a lovely day for some investigation. Come on."

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She gestured for Daisy to sit in a chair as she pulled out her instruments.

"Actually, I have a question for you." Daisy crossed her arms. "I need an answer before we go further."

Elina laid out her various tools. "I'll be looking first, but go ahead and ask, no harm in that."

Daisy nodded. "First, pretty sure I was just graduated and kicked out at the same time. I'm a paladin now. Second, I have a family. Not married or nothing, but a family. Two of them. Theodoren and Cedric? Met them?"

Elina nodded absently. "I've heard of them, yes. I want to see your tail first."

Daisy held it up and dropped it on her desk. Elina looked it over, not making much expression, but she was paying close attention to it. "But you said you have a family? That's a big deal for a brood mouse. Tending their broodlings, and keeping their mates close, is their primary motivator." She patted the table. "Hop up."

"I have a question about that, actually." Daisy sat on the indicated table and let Elina continue looking over her tail. "I've gotten some new powers out of it. Mother's Blessing is one, I think it's a buff I can do. Not sure of the effect."

Elina gestured to her chest. "Give a sample of the milk."

Daisy pulled up her shirt and was quick about getting a sample. Elina caught it in her beakers, always ready. "Mother's blessing, that sounds familiar. It may be something like, well, mother's milk is good for a broodling, and your power is good for your mate."

"Maybe." She kept her tail still while Elina looked over the length of it. "My tail isn't very different from a normal mouse, I'd think?"

"It's larger and softer, with more loose fur than most mice." Elina held it gently. "I've been doing some research into what you've become. Brood mice are a very old species, and they're hard to get a quiet conversation with, unlike you. Hence the research." She looked up and folded her arms with a tapping of her foot. "And you've started brooding. That's going to prompt changes, I imagine."

Daisy cocked an ear in reply. "I'm not going feral, if you're worried about that. I'm still friendly, and open to being looked at."

Elina nodded. "That's a relief. Your tail is fine." She waved Daisy off the table. "You're an excellent study. But there are other things."

Daisy slipped from the table and smoothed out her clothes. "Keep on looking then. Now, I have a family. Is that enough to be 'brooding'."

Elina cocked a brow. "I feel certain you are being sexually active with them. So, yes, you are brooding. I see a litter in your future, maybe more then one. Since you're here, and coherent, allow me to ask. What made you select the ones you selected?"

Daisy shrugged, rubbing her arm. "It felt right." She tapped her fingers together. "Cedric, besides being a generally nice person, also has, um, very good numbers. I knew he'd be a great partner, when that time came. Theo, on the other hand, has meh numbers."

That got Elina's attention. "But you took him as a mate anyway?"

"He's a bit of a jerk too." She rolled her eyes.

Elina prodded at Daisy with a pen. "So why did you take him?"

Daisy thought for a moment. "Honestly? I like him, and he's cute." She shrugged. "And I trust him, and Cedric likes Theo as well. They're my boys." Her smile spread wide. "And I'm not just saying that because I'm still brooding." She colored faintly at the thought. "Theo may be a jerk, but it feels like he's my jerk. He would fight to keep what is his safe, and he considers us part of what is his."

Elina tapped her pen on the desk. "Interesting. My research indicates brood mice are picky. They will only take mates they believe will add strength to the brood. The broodling is the only thing that matters." She wagged that pen. "You took Cedric as the primary, the source of the actual broodlings, and Theo is good for the group, but you probably won't have children with him. This is all absolutely enthralling. I've never been able to watch a brooding creature from this close before, and to be able to ask questions." She made a few new notes. "You're worth the money, Daisy."

Daisy huffed at that. "I'm glad I amuse you."

Elina put down her pen. "That wasn't meant to be an insult. I like to learn, and you're letting me do so. This is about discovery, not amusement." She took a slow breath. "Now, your turn. New broodling, do you have questions I might be able to answer?"

Daisy blinked at that. She hadn't really thought of any questions on that note. "I guess, what's going to happen next? What's the progression of brooding?"

Elina looked through several books and picked one from the shelf, flipping it open to a specific page. "You will become a mother, probably joyfully." Her eyes ran down Daisy. "You're already built for it. Those wide hips aren't just for show. You already know your breasts are ready. You'll become a mother, and the sight of your young will rewire things."

Elina took off her glasses. "Brood mice exist to birth more of their kind. That is their sole concern, and everything else is secondary. While brooding, that will be your primary need."

Daisy shrank back, cheeks dark. "I'm a warrior, a paladin specifically."

"Congratulations." Elina brought her hands together. "If you were a feral creature, you'd use that to protect your brood and not worry about too much more. But you're not." She tapped Daisy's nose with that pen. "So you get to decide. Are you going to adventure with your young? Leave them at home? Your calls."

"I don't know what I'm going to do." She rubbed her nose where the pen had poked her. "Do I have any new instincts? Will it be different? Something."

"You've told me some things already." Elina scratched out a new note. "This is new territory. I can only tell you what other, similar, species have reported. You'll find yourself more focused than before, more aggressive, and less likely to tolerate things you disagree with." She looked over her notes. "I've never interviewed a brood mouse. I would love to be able to continue speaking to you while you experience this."

Daisy swayed her tail in grand arcs as she rocked on her feet. "I don't like the idea of being agressive to anything that isn't already being aggressive at me. I'd ask you to call me out if you see me acting out. I'm a thinking creature, so I can make mistakes, but learn from them too. I want to stay the same."

Elina gave Daisy a slow nod. "I will do that. But, as much as I love the chat, I need to get to more research. And you need to get back to learning, and brooding." She paused suddenly. "Ah, one question. You mentioned you felt more powerful, forming your little family unit. If you do go out before you spawn, report the actual effects. I'd be curious to record that."

Daisy laughed at her wording. "I will, promise." She waved and closed Elina's door behind herself, walking down the hall in thought. She rested a hand on her belly as she walked. "You don't get to make the shots, you elastic bag."

She spied Cedric busily sweeping a hallway and drifted towards him. "Any rules saying you can't get help?"

Cedric looked up, blushing lightly. "Hey!" He leaned his broom against the wall. "No, nothing says I can't, but it's my job."

Daisy shrugged. "And, you being my boyfriend, it's my job to help when I can. Point me at a broom and we'll work it together."

Cedric grabbed his broom up. "That does sound better, thank you."

She smiled and took up a spare broom from the closet, getting to work sweeping beside him. He was clearly happy for her presence, talking quietly as they went about their task.