Daisy jogged out into the caves, looking left and right before she spotted them. She cringed, seeing the other two cyclopses were there too. "Ced, I'm back!" She waved. "Are we having another gathering?"
"Hey, Daisy!" The first to turn was Tom, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. He rushed towards her with a wide grin on his face. "Olm's toy." He reached down for her. "Didn't think we'd see you again."
"Uh, yeah," she answered with less than full confidence. "I promised Olm I'd come play a game, and we did. I don't think I belong to him, though." She laughed tensely, hopping and skipping away from that reaching hand. "But he made up a whole new game! He made the pieces and everything! It's amazing. You should ask him to show you how to play it. It's a lot of fun."
"I'm not into little rat games," Tom said dismissively, his hand finally catching up to her. He picked Daisy up and lifted her so he could see her.
Daisy wiggled as she was captured, pouting a bit at him. "I didn't make the game. It's a cyclops game, not a rat game."
Cedric looked up at this. "Are you going to hurt her again?"
Tom laughed at this. "That wasn't hurting her. It was just a little roughhousing." He held Daisy up with one arm as he moved back towards his brother.
Daisy huffed softly. "The only reason I'm not hurting you is I'd rather you go play a nice fun game with Olm."
Cedric patted her shoulder gently. "She's my daughter now."
Tom stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. "What?"
"She's my daughter now," Cedric repeated, his tone more firm.
Daisy looked quite confused, saying nothing but looking quite confused.
Tom turned his attention to Michelle, who was sitting on Cedric's shoulder. "Aww, that's so cute!" He reached to pat Michelle's head. "She looks like she could be yours."
Daisy swatted Tom's hand with her free one, liberating herself with a soft slap. "Cut that out."
Michelle looked up at the giant and shied away from him.
Cedric smiled at this. "Yeah, my girlfriend gave me such a lovely child." He turned towards Michelle and nuzzled her softly.
Michelle purred happily at this. "Daddy."
Daisy's confusion broke with a bright smile. "Yes, I did. Now, we should be going. Our visit's all over, unfortunately." She nudged Cedric away from the cyclopses. "Nice to see you."
Cedric let himself get nudged as he waved goodbye. "Nice seeing you again."
"Bye bye." Tom waved as well with a grin on his face. "Come visit us sometime!"
Daisy hurried with her family off into the caves. "That was something, sheesh. I only have a specific deal with Olm."
Cedric nodded at this. "Don't blame you for not wanting to get involved with those other two. They're kind of dicks."
"They are," Daisy agreed.
Michelle giggled softly. "Watching you two deal with them was a little funny."
Daisy tapped her daughter on the nose. "You're funny. Seriously, you sound like the little girl you are, but your words don't quite match. Not a complaint, just saying."
Michelle pouted cutely as she crossed her arms. "I'm an old man on the inside." She looked up at Daisy and smiled. "But it's not so bad here. I'm happy to be your child, Mom."
Daisy hugged her daughter gently. "Not old anymore. So, how old are we talking? I've seen people start calling themself 'old' at thirty."
"Uhm, well, let's say that I've got more experience than you do," she answered hesitantly.
"I'm 44," Daisy offered. "Not saying you have to answer. Whatever you were in the old world, this one you're my daughter." She smooched Cedric suddenly. "Thanks for watching her."
"She's fun to have around. Not much of a handful." Cedric grinned as he put a hand on her head.
Daisy walked deeper into the tunnels. "Now, we have one more place to go. Michelle, want to meet your dad?"
Michelle blinked as she tilted her head. "My other dad? You mean Theo?"
"Nope, not him." She looked at Michelle, then at Cedric. "Did I tell you? The father's another brood mouse. Her name's Daphne, and we're headed towards her dungeon."
Michelle squeaked softly at this. "Oh, that sounds fun! I'd love to meet my biological father."
Cedric rubbed his chin. "Another brood mouse?" He grinned as he looked at Daisy. "I'm sure she won't be as fun as you are."
"I don't know how often you're going to get to see her." Daisy waved her hands. "Maybe just this one time. I think she stays hidden most of the time."
She led them to the dungeon, but parked right inside it. "She knows I came in, and she'll come jogging out eventually."
Cedric sat down near the entrance. "Alright, this should be fine." He pulled Michelle into his arms and held her tightly.
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Michelle giggled softly as she nuzzled his chest.
Daisy smiled down at the two. "I love seeing it." She ruffled both of their heads.
A moment later Daphne poked her head out of the dungeon. "Ah! Hi, Daisy." She looked over to Cedric, then to Michelle. "Oh! It's your child?"
Daisy waved to Michelle. "Ours, you mean. You were part of creating her. Roughly half, by my measure."
Michelle waved shyly towards the other brood mouse as she clung tightly onto Cedric. "Hi!"
"Oh, that's adorable." Daphne walked closer as she waved at her.
Michelle smiled as she leaned in to nuzzle against Daphne.
Daisy waved a hand. "I checked, she's not a brood mouse. I don't think brood mice are supposed to make more of themselves. We're special agents to keep dungeons working properly."
Michelle pouted a little as she looked up at Daisy. "Can you really be sure of that?"
"Yep." Daisy pointed at the window only she could see. "Says right there, mouse. Not brood mouse, just mouse. Not that being a mouse is a bad thing." She paused and put a hand under either bulky mammary. "It does mean you'll be smaller here, but that's normal for mice. I'm the odd one."
Daphe snorted at that. "Hey, I like them." She shook gently, making her wobble about. "And you're my daughter, huh. Never had a kid before." She leaned in, noses almost touching. "So why's she already talking if she's so small?"
"She was a guy in another life," Daisy explained.
"That makes sense, then." Daphne turned her attention to Michelle. "She is kind of cute, though. Can I have one?"
Daisy huffed at that. "You'll need to get a proper mate to make that happen. I already made one with you. I feel like my own mates deserve the next." She picked Michelle up into her arms. "You seem to know about otherworlders. Can you tell us more about them? Like who is plucking us up and dropping us here, in this world?"
Cedric put a hand on Michelle's head as he looked at Daphne. "It's an important question for her."
Daphne shook her head. "I don't know anything about that. I just know there are otherworlders, and I know they're harder than normal to run my dungeon for, which is a pain." She put her hands on her hips. "And I don't need to get a mate to have a child, not if the right lady adventurer wanders into my dungeon and I'm in the right mood."
Daisy squinted a bit at that. "You realize, right now, you are a woman. You could host a child yourself, with less possible complications really."
"Yeah? I could?" She rubbed her stomach a moment, seeming to consider that.
"You could," Daisy said encouragingly.
"Ah! Why did you have to say that?" She pouted as she looked at Daisy with a little huff. "Dang it, now I'm curious. Did it hurt? Tell me what it was like." Daphne got to prodding at Daisy. "You just did it, tell me."
Cedric chuckled softly as he watched the two brood mice interact. He hugged Michelle close as they sat together.
Daisy gently grabbed those hands. "I don't know if you'd call it pain. But it did hurt a little, but so do most things that take effort, like a good long run." She drew Daphne's hands closer, cradling them between her own. "You have to open up more than usual, it's a magic feeling, but hard. When you're all the way, that's when the child comes. You push, the child works with you, and then, a child. Does it hurt? Yes, but worth it."
Cedric nodded at this. "Yeah, I'd imagine it hurts." He looked down at Michelle and ruffled her ears. "It's nice that she's already so much bigger after only drinking a bit of your milk."
Daphne drew her hands back with a new smile. "I bet you were thinking of her being bigger as you fed her."
Daisy blinked. "Well, yes?"
"You're growing her." Daphne reached out, poking little Michelle. "No wonder she looks big for her age. She keeps guzzling away at you and she'll be a girl, than a woman, no just a little while. Just as fast as her body can manage it."
Daisy stared at Daphne, a moment, then laughed out loud. "That's crazy, but then again it sounds about right, this world. So, I'm changing her just like I'd change anyone else that took a sip." She placed a hand gently on Michelle's head. "Sorry. If you're mad, tell me."
"Hey, I think she's cute at any size." Cedric smiled as he rubbed her back.
Michelle giggled as she nuzzled Daisy. "It's alright." She put her hands on her sides and wiggled. "I want to be bigger. I want to be an adult. This world is made for adults, obviously. I can't do adult things while I'm this tiny. So keep it up."
Daisy hugged Michelle to her chest. "You are adorable." She rubbed her back. "And, I think that's our cue to go home. Daphne, thanks for the chat, it was enlightening."
Daphne held up a hand. "Hold it. Sneaking out of here like that." She pointed to Cedric. "When you brought the solution to what I wanted with you?"
Daisy waved her hands rapidly. "This isn't the time or place for that." She grabbed Cedric by the hand. "But, if you're around the next time I visit, well, we can talk about it."
Cedric laughed as he followed Daisy out of the dungeon. "That was fun—" He walked right into a wall, the way out blocked.
Daphne followed them at an easy pace. "This is my dungeon. I make the rules. You, the one with the great stats. I'm borrowing you. If you want to leave here, that is."
Daisy thrust an arm in front of Cedric. "I will not let you rape my husband!"
Cedric colored sharply. "I'm your husband?"
Daisy's rage fizzled. "Um, boyfriend? Mate? Whatever! No!"
Cedric smiled fondly at her. "Well, I'd be honored to be called your husband. Just saying."
Michelle giggled at this exchange. "You two are silly."
Daphne tapped a foot. "Charming, but I still want him. Daisy, I've let you get away with a lot, but I am borrowing him. I'll bring him back afterwards. You don't have to stand around and watch, though I figure you'll want to."
Daisy growled low in her throat. "Ced, how are you feeling about this?"
Cedric rubbed his chin. "Well, um." He looked between the two brood mice. "I don't want either of you upset."
Daisy softly groaned, sinking back against the new wall. "This is a different world. In this world, cheating isn't a word that really exists. So, Cedric, I am trusting in you to make the decision that makes sense for you, and only you. Go with her, or say you don't want to and I'll fight her without hesitation."
He looked down at Michelle for a moment. "It's up to you two, then." Cedric turned to Daphne. "I don't want to upset you, but I'm also curious and excited about what this could be like."
Daisy swatted Cedric powerfully, sending him staggering towards Daphne. "That was answer enough." She buried her face against Michelle, concealing her eyes from the scene.
Daphe wrapped him in her arms and drew him away. "I'll play nice, come along."
She pulled him into the depths of her dungeon, and all Daisy could hear was the sound of them moving further away.