Ignis and her friends headed off to the Common Residential Floors earlier. This was so Frost and the others could dress up and surprise them when they arrived. However, this was the most difficult part.

The reason for this was because they were not going to dress up in the traditional sense.

“Hellen…? Where… did you get this from?” A shocked Frost stared wide-eyed into a basket full of pale, twig-like objects. They were not ordinary twigs but were in fact the snapped fragments of the White Rabbit’s tail.

A motherly Hellen remained seated on the couch, softly smiling as she answered with:

“My, an adorable bunny came along and left this at our doorstep. She asked if Alice could hand these to you when she had the chance.”

“The White Rabbit did? Really?” Jury was also puzzled by this, but nowhere near as much as Res who could not believe that they were about to use the power of Phantasia as a method to dress up.

“How about we don’t waste this and put it to good use? Did that ever cross any of your minds?”

“What Res said.” Frost agreed. “Why are we using this again?”

“Aaaaah. Why is it when we’re about to do something fun, it’s always you two that become such a pain in the ass?” Cer threw her arms across her chest, shaking her head with displeasure. “If the White Rabbit didn’t want them to be misused, then she would’ve given it to us directly. Or better yet, don’t give it to us in the first place.”

“Bzzt. Brrr. Bzzt… (That can be said for anything…).” Snap whined.

“Hmm. But Cer makes a good point.” Ber nodded, leaning into Cer’s antics. “What? Just cause I’m like this doesn’t mean I can’t play along with Cer anymore. Besides, aren’t you all overreacting? What’s the harm of using Phantasia to dress up?”

“Ok. Let’s put it this way. I end up manifesting as, I don’t know, a fucking Memory Bistro. What happens then?” Frost exclaimed as Res nodded. “Will I just end up killing everyone in the room? And sorry Hellen. I hope I’m not scaring you.”

“My, it’s fine.” Hellen laughed. “It’s so lively here~”

Jury on the other hand, frowned and thought otherwise.

“I think you’d be a kind and gentle Memory Bistro. The kind that wouldn’t allow this memory to disappear. If you’re afraid…”

Jury suddenly squeezed between Frost and the basket of Phantasia branches.

Her face darkened as her golden eyes emitted a dangerous, predatory glow.

“… Then I can make other permanent memories with you~”

“No, Jury. Don’t think you can seduce me to get you way!” Frost growled unconvincingly.

“Block your ears, Cer. This is not a conversation for you to overhear.” Nav said in a monotone voice.

“Tch. What the – Hey, give me one! Right now!”

Cer snatched a branch for herself while everyone was distracted. Various hands reached out to catch her, including Res’ lengthy tail. But Cer was far too cunning for them to even graze her.

“Heh, I’d like to see you all treat me like a kid when these puppies become bigger than yours Jury!” She triumphantly held the branch up high before plunging it into her mouth. “Behold the new me!”

“Dammit Cer!” Frost cried.

Cer stood in the center of the manor’s atrium, her form emitting faint golden particles of light. It consumed her, leaving behind a bright silhouette of the wolfwoman. It morphed like a giant blob of jelly before it hatched.

“Hah… hahahaha…!”

Laughter suddenly filled the room as the air around Cer darkly shifted.

“Ahahaha~!” Her snobbish laughter was no different from that of a prideful princess who stood before a crowd of kneeling peasants.

Cer’s body was slightly larger than normal. Her apparel was similar to the suit she wore as a Moon, only that this felt like it belonged to royalty. A long, beautiful coattail reached her knees. Golden chains drenched with blood ran across her chest, attached to various buttons. Epaulet chains were also found along her shoulders.

The pale shirt beneath was unbuttoned, thankfully not revealing enough where they had to redress her.

“Prithee, friends and honored guests. Thou art must hardly be comfortable near a noble pure blood like mine.”

Her hair was slicked back, making her look more like a young boy than a girl. A portion of her hair was dyed blood-red, and her pupils were shaped like an electric teardrop. She gracefully held a golden chalice in one hand, raising it to the skies as it cackled with electrified blood.

“Thou art are in the presence of a defined Honored One~ Now then, which of thou will attempt to graze mine neck with thy teeth~?”

Scarlet Bloodgranter

Cer

< Persona: 2nd Generation Honored One >

“… Oh no. She’s a reverse Vampire.” Ber uttered. “Scarlet Bloodgranter. Isn’t that the name of that Vampire that gives people blood?”

“Are thou interested in devouring me aplenty –?”

Cer wasn’t even allowed to finish speaking, causing her to hold her pose like a statue.

“In short, Cer ended up manifesting something close to who she is?” Res should have seen this coming, but nothing could prepare her for this. “Who could’ve seen that coming? Geez. The Scarlet Bloodgranter’s a 2nd Generation Honored One. Quite dangerous, since some Honored Ones can bypass the level 200 Limit. I guess whatever power they have is exclusive to their blood. They’re nothing like Vampires.”

“– Especially thou, fine madam? Allow this one to name thou after a fond memory of mine; Mother –!”

Cer was interrupted yet again, this time, by Jury who swiftly pulled Frost into her arms possessively.

“Frost, you don’t know where her blood came from. What if it poisons you?”

“You’re one to talk about poison.” Frost murmured, nudging the tip of Jury’s tail with a thumb. It caused Jury to make an illicit sound, which was luckily muffled with a hand. “Is this how it’s going to be? We take a bit of Phantasia like it’s a drug and party? I’d rather that we keep it stored for another time.”

Frost was seemingly the only one who wasn’t on board with this. A myriad of things could go catastrophically wrong in the blink of an eye. It was a miracle that Cer didn’t transform into a giant cupcake and demand to be eaten. Alternatively, there was also the possibility of Cer being the one to devour them.

Then again, Phantasia retained the user’s personality traits, identity, thoughts and memories as well as new ones associated with the taken identity. It was like how Revy gained knowledge of the 1st Branch’s inner workings, although much of that memory disappeared in about a week’s time.

The only thing that remained were memories made in that moment.

“It could be worse.” Ber sighed. “Nothing like the type of stuff Elves tend to sneak into parties. Spiritas’ fruits don’t play around.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Oh my. The Elves can be quite dangerous because of that.” Hellen hummed, rocking left and right without a care in the world. She was just happy to be here.

“H-Hellen?” Res uttered, surprised that these words belonged to her.

“Hm? Yes?” Hellen beamed innocently.

“… Never mind. I won’t ask. Anyway, you can already see how far things will spiral out of control!” Res reprimanded them all, all the while Frost firmly nodded with a face that said: “Yes my child, tell it straight to them.”

At the same time, Jury’s tail snuck a branch from the basket. She withdrew her head into her coat and nibbled on the branch unbeknownst to them all.

“– That said – Frost – I fully expect you to punish the next person who takes a bite!”

“I agree. It won’t end with a simple wire-scrub bath.” Frost’s words caused the Honored Cer to gulp as she uttered “B-Bath…?” beneath her breath.

Suddenly, Jury emitted the same light that Cer did. Her overbearing form consumed Frost.

“Not you too Jury!” She cried, trying to break free from Jury’s silhouette until suddenly –

“– Oh, Frost. Didn’t you say you would punish the next one who disobeyed you~?”

Her tail seized one of Frost’s legs, trapping her in place. It was coiled like a spring, and the tip gently patted her belly with soft yet firm taps. Jury wore an elegant, radiant dress belonging to that of a princess.

It was torn in various places, exposing parts of her that unfortunately hypnotized Frost. It was clear that this apparel did not belong to the person Jury was. Upon closer inspection, it seemed like it was stolen.

A pair of tall, fluffy wolf ears folded as she lowered her gaze to match Frost’s.

“How about it? Would like to punish me~?”

Her arms hung around Frost’s neck, holding her close as the scent of roses and the ticking of her heart overwhelmed her senses. Her hair was unkempt but oddly clean, and she felt so much more… feral.

The Big Bad Wolf

Jury

< Persona: Tale of the Vengeful Red-Hooded Avenger >

“A-Ah…” Frost’s eyes began to spiral.

“Or, are you doing this on purpose so that someone…”

Jury reached far behind Frost’s back. Then, she deliberately dragged her finger up her spine, ending at her nape before she brought her face close. Her warm, fragrant breath caused Frost to shudder as Jury inhaled her sweet scent.

“… can punish you instead~?”

Frost was no more than prey to this feral version of Jury. She didn’t know when it started, but she always found herself helpless in the ministrations of Jury. Back when she was a man, there was never a moment she had thought that she would be on the receiving end of a relationship.

And here she was, completely entranced by what had to be a Condition.

But no, it was just her.

“On second thought… this might not be too bad after all. G-Give me a branch.”

“Frost!?” Res exclaimed, feeling betrayed. “Tch. Consider a CognitO Filter to protect yourself against Jury next time.”

“Do I really need to be protected?” Frost said in a daze, clearly not thinking straight.

“You’ll find out soon enough~” Jury hummed, plucking another branch. She took it into her mouth and gently placed it into Frost’s.

Once she chewed it thoroughly, Jury went in to for the kill and plunged her lips onto hers.

“Oh my~” Hellen hummed.

“Here of all places!? Isn’t Ignis about to arrive!?” Ber exclaimed, pretending to look away.

“It’s different from the books I’ve read. Oh! I remember now!” Nav hammered a fist into her palm. “It’s closer to the stories from your collection, Anna.”

“I-I don’t have anything like that!”

“You’re right. This is far tamer –!”

“Aaaaah. Stop talking Nav!”

“Truly, thy displays of such passion does cause this one much envy. Arachnid. Art thou willing to consume mine whole?”

“Bzzt… brr… (This one has lost her mind.).” Snap retreated behind Nav who promptly took a branch of her own.

But she did not consume it, and neither did Anna.

“… Playing as fictious characters is but only a dream.” Nav whispered.

“Yeah… I think so too. It’s nice but… I’m happy with what I have already.”

Frost proportions were slightly enhanced, giving her a motherly aura. The Coat of Prejudice was replaced with an oversized, white robe that was so fluffy that Jury’s hands disappeared into it.

Her eyes were sealed like she was asleep. A single glance at Frost invoked an overwhelming sense of drowsiness. This came from the calming aura she emitted. From afar, it was easy to mistake her for Demi-human sheep-girl.

But beneath was as human as human could get, and it all belonged to Jury.

The Mother of All Birds

Frost

< Persona: Mother (Healer) >

“Aren’t you greedy~” Frost hummed at Jury with a motherly voice, matching that of the Mothers from the Asclepein.

It was so close in fact that the Sleepy Frost, who rested silently on a distant couch, peered over the backrest with sparkling eyes as she whispered: “I wanna sleep there…”

Not only that, but her motherly aura was so powerful that the feral Jury could not help but to tone down her aggression, and instead, plopped her face into Frost’s bosom.

“There there. Are you tired? Shall I sing you a lullaby?”

“Mmm.”

Res shook her head in denial.

“Ber, we should try to fix this before this gets even more out of hand –!”

A flash of light emitted from somewhere next to her, causing her to frown.

“– Never. Mind.”

“Res~! Look! Does this remind you of anything~” A happy, high-pitched Ber hummed as she hopped around the room wearing a fluffy, brown-bear onesie.

The hoodie flopped off, revealing a pair of round ears atop her head.

“Grr~! Or, is the sound: “Garr~! You tell me, Res~!”

The Stuffed Teddy Bear (That Loves Children)

Ber

< Persona: The Stuffed Teddy Bear >

“… Even Corrupted can be taken? Huh. At least that’s useful… Geez… Haaaaaaah…”

Res, after a long, begrudging moment of resisting the urge to join them out of her own professionalism, finally broke free from her cold shell and sighed.

“I guess one branch won’t hurt anyone. At least you’re all happy. I’d paint you all a portrait to remember this, but I wouldn’t want to get this room messy. Plus, we have you Snap. Excuse me, Hellen, are you going to have one yourself?” Res offered, only for the woman to decline with a gentle smile.

“My, I’ve already tried one.”

“You did? Really? What did you manifest?” Res wondered.

“Ah, just a memory. Hm… My, it wouldn’t hurt telling you. Would you mind hearing my story?” Hellen asked, patting the space beside her.

Res took a seat.

“I wanted to know what it was like to be my father. He changed the world of music as we know it. But I wanted to know if it was genuine. It really was. His love for music was everything to him.”

“… You won’t take it?” Nav quietly asked as she offered the branch to Res.

Res politely declined after hearing Hellen’s story.

“No. Maybe not. I think I should stay as the most responsible one of us here. Frost isn’t cut out for it sometimes.”

Frost went around embracing everyone she passed, including the Sleepy Frost, the Little Frost, the Star Child, and even the Hired Arm who could not help but turn a soft shade of red as if unable to resist her motherly aura.

“Oh? What made you refuse?” Hellen hummed.

It took a short while for Res to answer. Hellen was one of the few humans she felt like she could trust. Besides, they were also one of the few humans that were associated with Frost as well.

Plus, she confessed her story to Res. No one would reveal such a personal story if they didn’t trust the other person. This was why Res felt like she could trust her.

“I just wanted to remind myself that it’s over. I think… it would be a bit tasteless to tap into the persona of a person I said my farewells to.”

“I see. I hope you have fond memories of them.”

“It’s mixed, but she was always with me. Always here to protect me. She made a lot of terrible choices in her life. My mother wasn’t always there for all of us.”

Hellen didn’t utter a word of comfort to Res. It was not because she didn’t care. It was quite the opposite. Hellen’s eyes widened for a moment as if reminiscing an unwanted memory. Then, after several knocks came from the door, she finally spoke to Res.

“… Mothers don’t tend to make choices that harm their children easily.”

She began as Snap took a branch for its own, right as Nav and Anna opened the door for Ignis and her brigade of friends.

“It hurts them more than it hurts their child, and it doesn’t extend to just their blood-related children.”

Ignis and the others were overwhelmed by the costumes everyone wore. Frost was the first to greet them after Nav and Anna, and she embraced them all equally like they were her own children.

“Even children that aren’t their own must be loved unconditionally. They’re not always perfect, and it can be difficult to share that love equally. It can be distressing. There’s rarely a person for them to share their burden with. They can only take it out on the world.”

It felt like Hellen wasn’t speaking about mothers in general.

But rather…

“… I guess I’ll never know what was on her mind. But it’s probably as you said. It must not have been easy for her. Mm… Yeah. Even if I were to put myself in her shoes, I wouldn’t know even one percent of it.”

“That’s how it is I’m afraid. My, we’re all special in that way.”

“Yeah. That I can I agree with.”

Res stared up at the moon past the glass ceiling of the atrium. The moonlight reminded her of her mother and the days she spent by her side, as well as the color of the CognitO Filter that had stayed by her side for as long as she could remember.

She was pleasantly surprised by Hellen’s calmness. A part of her expected the human to tremble or at least tread carefully with her words now that the triplets were the strongest Moons of the Nexus, and the equivalent of Gods to humans like Hellen.

But the woman treated her like she would with anyone else in this world.

Somehow, the people that associated themselves with Frost were always like this, just like Ayel Aun Canvas and his Objet D’ Art.

Her long tail rapidly wagged, painting the air with wonderful colors matching the joyful state of her heart.

An androgynous, human-shaped Snap who had long, golden hair and golden eyes struggled to walk around on their two feet. It was like looking at a newborn taking their first steps.

Their apparel was nothing more than a thin layer of fur, which immediately caused Frost to dive across the room and embrace her, concealing her body properly from prying eyes.

Ignis didn’t know whether this was a trick or a treat, but between the comedic characters that her friends – no, family played on this night of fun, and the Frost who took her and the others into her arms the moment she came through that door – she knew right away that this was the best treat she could have ever received.

Even if all the candy they amassed from their bucket-shaped pumpkins were put together, then it would only be a fraction of the sweetness of this treat.

“Trick or treat~” Ignis hummed with beads of tears in the corner of her eyes.