Chapter 10: Layers

Daniel has no words.

It's been twenty minutes after instructing Anne on how to mix colors and dilute pastes. She hummed and nodded throughout his explanation, but he didn't expect her to understand the first time, much less draw a good sketch. Yet, that's precisely what happened. Further, she did this without a photo reference, somehow knowing exactly how to draw her face and body. As a result, the number of details in her underpainting simply didn't match one of a beginner.

"This is so fun, Daniel!"

"Um..."

Daniel struggles to come up with a response. He knows she learns fast, given how much she could catch up with current events, but having the coordination to draw so accurately as if she had been practicing for years? There's no way this ability comes from Amy, who never held a brush in her life.

He coughs. "W-well done! How er...did you get your draft to look so good on the first try?"

Anne giggles. "I just took in how your first layer of those ladies were drawn, then figured I could stroke my brush similarly with the knowledge of how I shaped myself!"

'Seriously?'

That seems too far stretched, but considering Anne created her current human-like form by mixing what she saw in his paintings and Amy, perhaps there's a level of intuition. He's still not sure how she can easily translate that to a flat surface though.

'Maybe this is what they call an "intelligent life-form".'

"So, how long do I wait for the paint to dry?" she asks, her eyes shining to continue.

Her questions break Daniel away from his thoughts. Composing himself, he explains, "It'll be a couple hours. You should start on your next layer tomorrow since it's getting late."

"Then...do I get to be your assistant?"

The artist's breath nearly leaves him. "H-hold on, y-you've only done the underpainting!"

Anne pouts but accepts that she can't be impatient. Still, she feels pretty happy with her result so far. The more difficult part comes when she has to refine and add appropriate tones to her sketch.

"Colors...what color should I be?" she questions, narrowing her eyes at her sketch.

"How about...blue, like you are?"

The slime girl scoffs at her son's cheekiness. "No way! Mama is no blueberry!"

Huffing, she slides her hand around the edges of the canvas, taking in her ideal reflection. Considering the underpainting is only of one color and barebones, just like herself, she resonates with it. But, if a painting can be refined with layers, couldn't she add layers to herself for real? Doesn't being human also involve layers to their bodies and personality?

Her eyes close while her lips flatten. "Hmm...deep."

"Um...what?"

Anne giggles, opening her eyes. "It's nothing~ Anyways, it's obvious mama has to be the same skin and hair color as you! I know that Amy was a bit lighter, but I can take some creative liberties, right?"

Daniel snorts, placing a hand on her shoulders. "Of course, it comes with being an artist. That's why I think you should definitely paint yourself blue!"

"S-stop it!"

The artist suppresses his chuckles as his hand moves from her shoulder to head. "Regardless of how you decide to press forward, the painting should be a reflection of yourself. I don't mean that literally, but if your feelings and desires come through a piece of art, people will draw to it."

Anne lowers her gaze. "My feelings and desires, huh?"

Her troubles aren't quite visible to Daniel, who decides to check out. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to think on it. I'm off to bed, okay?"

Anne gasps. Before her son can leave, she snaps her hand back and attaches it to his wrist. "Wait! You won't try to sneak out of bed again, will you, young man?"

Daniel flinches at her needy eyes and glances away. "Well, last time, you did um...wet the bed."

The slime mother removes her hand and nearly sputters. "W-why do you have to say it like that?! It wasn't 'last time' either! Mama only melted once into the bed on the first night, remember? Since then, I've been fine holding myself together, so don't use that excuse!"

Daniel curls his lips in response but can't deny there haven't been any issues of late. That said, his bed isn't made for two, but seeing how his slime mother isn't budging on the sleeping arrangement, he acquiesces. "Alright, fine. I...I won't sneak out, okay?"

The slime girl beams and tilts her head approvingly. "Good! Mama needs Daniel close to snuggle, after all."

Her sweetness turns the artist a little pink. This part of Anne definitely does not come from his astronomer-mother. Perhaps it's just a developing trait of her own? Either way, he doesn't say anything since he secretly looks forward to it. Some of his worries are about suffocating, but he's found her cool membrane rather relaxing so far.

However, he can't admit that to her yet.

"Don't overdo it, please," Daniel warns with a clearing of his throat. He quickly takes his leave before his face becomes thoroughly flushed. As he does, Anne smirks and shivers with delight.

'He's so cute!'

Before joining him, she turns to his easel, which contains the two sisters touching foreheads. Considering that his client's painting should be mostly dry, she cannot help but check it out again. As she stares, her son's words carry through her figurative heart. What sort of feelings and desires comes from him while painting this?

In pursuit of answers, she gently traces the sisters' new skin granted as part of the second layer. She's hoping that by examining closer, she can receive inspiration on what it means to have a second defining layer for her portrait and understand her son simultaneously. As she does, tiny oil particles rub off on her, but not enough to damage the work.

"His strokes are so delicate."

It's as if the two girls in the paintings are Daniel's respected sisters or daughters rather than strangers. Such care fills Anne with jealousy, but otherwise, she can somewhat understand what he meant by feelings and desire.

'Then, I'll paint my layer as if it were really mine!' she thinks, lifting her arms together with determination. Unknowingly, her body processes the tiny oils on her hand differently than any food she had digested before.

Later during the night, Daniel breathes in deeply, finding himself spooned around  Anne and buried in her chest while his legs are intertwined with her slippery half. There's an apparent assertiveness from his slime mother for him to be in this position, as she wouldn't allow many gaps between them.

She hums softly, caressing his hair. "My baby~"

The artist gulps as he tries to accept the love of this creature. He closes his eyes, taking in the coolness of her breasts against his cheeks. However, his sleep plans are blocked as his lower half grows erect to his slime-mother's soft body. He curses this fact as his member pokes her legs.

"Oh, what is this?" Anne asks with a knowing hum. "Hard again? Mama will help you there."

Daniel lets out a shaky breath, wondering if he should stop her. Ultimately, he remains silent as she moves her hand from his back down to the waistline of his pajamas. Once in, she slides his pants down, and with his "little trouble" free, she presses her thigh forward.

Daniel inhales sharply as he feels his member line against her membrane, then submerge with some push. Her cool gel surrounds him, easing some of the tension around. With the slime's control, her insides begin massaging it.

There are no strokes as he feels the slime's inner mass kneading his meat in place, going from his base to the tip of the mushroom. He twitches to her control while building up.

"Unf..."

After a few minutes of silent pressure below, he can't hold out longer. With a muffled groan into Anne's cleavage, he slowly ejaculates once more. In turn, she shivers but doesn't expose her delight in absorbing her son's cum again.

Very quickly, Daniel relaxes as his cock softens inside her. His eyes flutter as his libido comes crashing down. At the same time, Anne extends herself a little to kiss him on the forehead. She keeps his cock nestled inside and secures her arms around his back again, locking him in place.

Eventually, the artist's breathing becomes steady, falling asleep in the comfort of Anne. Her eyes shine warmly in response, rubbing his back. While taking in her baby's breathing, she closes her eyes. While she's unable to fall asleep like he can, her mind floats back to the painting and how she can be more of herself in ideal form.

'I need to be more for him.'

She doesn't notice, but some of her body ripple slightly, turning a tad lighter. Only focused on the feeling of her son in her arms and thinking of her plans for her painting, she unknowingly undergoes a slight transformation with a layer of her own manifesting.