Chapter 31: Mary-Anne

Thanks to her push to move up the schedule for the scanning prototype, Lecia is back at the cemetery fidgeting as she stands behind the operator and his laptop. Beside her are the rest of the engineering team, who just finished digging eight-inch holes around the cemetery's perimeter. Each hole contains a thin metal tube with intricate devices and wires leading to a controller the operator is hooked to.

It's been about two hours since they started, and some initial images are already flowing in.

For the team who isn't associated with the Stonehenge group, they just wanted to see the results of their efforts which would help future excavations. Of course, Lecia was also hopeful for the future of the product, but above all, she wanted to see anomalies; anything that might explain why the creature she and Mike followed disappeared at this place.

Sure enough, the engineering team explodes with cheers and clapping as the images load to show x-rays of bones and corpses appearing neatly in rows, proving that their scanning technology can cut through dirt, rock, and wood over a wide area. While the president shares their glee, she's too focused to cheer with them. Her pupils remain on the operator's screen, shifting back and forth between the various plots, wondering if anything might show something different.

And then...

"Wait, zoom in on this location!" she directs, pointing to an area on the screen.

The operator follows; an outline of the casket shows close to the perimeter but with nothing inside it.

"That's probably a metal casket that would block our instruments' waves. There are a few of them I noticed," the operator notes.

"Yes, but we can clearly see the inner space of the casket, right?"

The operator blinks. "Huh."

"Do a re-scan on this section, just in case," Lecia orders, although that's just an excuse as she heads over to the grave to check. Given the consistency of the scan and how all the other bodies can be seen so far, she doubts there's something wrong with the data. Even if a grave is empty, it still may not mean anything. For example, a family could have buried an empty casket as part of a proceeding when a body is missing.

But with much time waiting, there's also no harm in checking it out.

With the gravestone's letters coming into view, Lecia's eyes widen.

Amy Hart.

'That name...wait!'

Recalling the commissioned artist's last name, she wonders if it might be a coincidence. Although Rachel hasn't mentioned the name of her deceased friend's name, she decides to call the astronomer to confirm.

Flash!

"This is a wonderful setup, Mary!" Anne chirps as their connected hands push back against each other.

Referring to the small staging area surrounding them, Mary's small photo area has the basics with lamps, a clean backdrop, and a decent camera that can be triggered remotely.

The artist tilts her chin proudly. "You see why having a dedicated space for work is better?"

"Yes, but...isn't this a bit much if you're an artist?"

"Well, there's a reason for that, love," Mary begins, coughing shamefully. "You see, I actually tried to get into photography."

"Oh, tried? You don't do it anymore?"

Mary sighs. "Sadly, I foolishly invested into it thinking it would be easy; however, I ended up spending less time painting and more time performing digital editing, color corrections, and...well, let's just say I just didn't enjoy it that much. So now, while it's overkill, I mainly use my setup to capture references and play with ideas."

Anne hums. "Well, it's good to try new things! I know a lot about the universe through Amy, but I can't get a job in an observatory that easily. So being able to get into painting has been a fresh experience!"

"I remember Daniel talking a lot about his mother - he's very proud of her work. If you could get a job, re-assuming Amy's dream, would you?"

"Nope!"

Mary blinks. "Really? I would have thought-"

"Don't misunderstand, I love catching up on the latest findings, but Amy was very frustrated with the bureaucracy of it all. Plus, she regretted not being able to understand Daniel's passion until very late. As such, I want to help him with his work without regret!"

Mary's eyes warm. "I swear, love, you're too good for him. Still, don't feel like you need to help him all the time. It's okay to find new stuff that interests you, even if it doesn't interest your son."

"Hehe, I know! For now, I'm you and we're both artists! So, are we going to start painting?"

"No, no...that will be done on my own time. Besides, I want to spend time with you! The fact that Daniel gets to hog you is unfair!"

"Well, I am his mother."

"Well, as of right now, you're the sister I never had."

"Aw, Mary!"

The artist chuckles as she receives Anne's hug and bumps heads with her. Not wanting to waste too much time, she composes herself. "So, with that being said, let's take weirder photos!"

"Oh?"

"I was thinking, since we're twins, it'd be fun to pose as conjoined twins!"

"You mean like...my head on your shoulder?"

Mary nods, holding herself to avoid swaying out of embarrassment from her stupid idea. "Y-yes, or we could have our heads partially stuck together? Well, that would be an awful pose to hold. Anyways, what do you think?"

"Conjoined..." Anne repeats, then inhales. "Wait! I like it, but we can go further!"

"W-what?"

The slime giggles, placing a hand on her chest. "As you know, I know that I can make spaces within myself. That's how I was able to carry Daniel, after all. But I wonder if I can hollow myself out even more...like a suit!"

Mary silently gasps, seeing where her twin is going with this. A pleasant shiver travels down her spine at the thought of "wearing" Anne. However, she quickly tempers herself.

"L-love, that won't be necessary. I don't want to stress you out. You could just keep close behind me with your head on my shoulder."

"No, this is way better! Besides, I don't think I'll have any trouble making spaces inside me."

Mary gulps. "Y-yes, but...I'm going to draw us later anyways! E-even if it's an accurate reference, it would be a waste!"

"It's not a waste!" Anne assures, leaning forward to collapse their hands together. "It could be fun experience! Didn't you say we're sisters? Sisters should be closer!"

Mary shuts her eyes tightly while gripping back the slime's hands. She's extremely tempted, especially after seeing Anne carry her ex. That said, it's not something she could blatantly ask for.

"Please, Mary?"

At least, Anne is the one offering.

Mary hides her giddiness through a cough. "Well...if you insist."

"Yay! Let's see if I can do this."

Letting the artist go, Anne focuses on creating a space within as she had done before but allows that chamber to grow out. The goal is not to bloat but to compress her inner mass evenly against her outer layer so she can retain her shape. While the nature of her composition remains a mystery, even the slime expects to hit some physical limit to how far her body can stretch and compress. With such a chance to explore her limits, she slowly expands the space and visualizes her mass thinning to an inner layer.

One foot...

Six inches...

One inch?

One Centi-

'S-seriously?!'

The Amy in her screams at this blasphemy. To create such a dense layer with ease seems impossible without stretching out! Even a sponge cannot endlessly compress without growing outward!

Where is the law of conservation of mass?!

Without answers, Anne huffs in frustration, compressing her mass into a four-millimeter lining. She doesn't try any further out of fear. Fortunately, she feels comforted by a sense of resistance moving past one centimeter, meaning her body can't compress endlessly.

Still, it's baffling to become this thin.

"Love, are you okay? Is it not possible?"

Anne realizes she's shaking and closes her eyes, breathing out. "Mary, I'm...very strange, but anyways, I somehow did it!"

The artist raises a brow. "But you don't look any different?"

Anne grins. "Heh heh, I'll have to show you! This damn body of mine is ludicrous!"

"You sound like a mad scientist."

Despite Mary's unease, she can't deny a curiosity towards seeing her friend's changes and naked form...well, technically her naked form. Soon enough, fabric rustles to the ground until Anne is nude, her backside showing to the artist and her skin nicely shining from the lamps around.

Mary thins her lips. "Anne, you've made me...quite lean."

"Well, I don't know your body type, but I'll know it soon enough when you hop in. "

Just as Mary is about to question...

Splick!

Like a zipper, Anne's skin starts splitting from the shoulder down to her tailbone. Aside from residue slime that hasn't decided which side to let go of, the opening mainly reveals a dark, bluish space.

It's just as the slime mother claimed; she's hollowed out.

While the artist processes this sight, she reminds herself constantly about Anne's true nature to keep herself sane about this situation.

"Well, Mary? Let's become one!"

The artist gasps, shaken out of her stupor, before waving her hands. "W-wait! L-let me mentally prepare or something."

The slime giggles. "It's not scary! You should change out of your clothes first."

Mary wriggles with an increasingly crooked smile. She's primarily concerned for her well-being, but...there's something else. After all, She's about to be inside Anne: arm in arm, hand in hand, legs filling the slime's own. They'd be closer beyond any intimate experience she's done before!

'Aaah! Don't think about it! Stay calm!'

Despite her reminder, the artist can't prevent an anticipating twitch within as she takes off her clothes.

Anne snickers, seeing her face flushed and guilty pleasure written all over her friend's face. "Oh, Mary! I'm glad you're taking this so well. Daniel would be so much more reluctant than you!"

'I think he's right to be...'

Nonetheless, Mary takes it as a compliment.

Soon, with her clothes on the floor, the artist shivers and steps closer to Anne's back opening. She tests the waters first by pushing in her hand and feeling inside.

To her surprise, it's not gooey but firm like a gel pad. It's plenty cool as well.

"Don't worry about it getting warm. I'll absorb any sweat you make!" Anne reassures with a twinkle.

"Uh, that's...something to be proud of, I guess."

Feeling nothing that puts her off as a liberating artist, Mary takes a breather and plunges her left arm into the same component.

"Ooh!" Anne sounds. "I can't feel you, but I tell that my body is getting heavier! Here, let me help you!"

Her body splits further before a tentacle shoots out from within, sending Mary's mind into a panic.

"H-holy fuck! S-stop! D-don't...Ah!"

Contrary to the naked artist's expectations, the appendage gently laces over her back and uses her as leverage to pull more slime over her. With it, the splits along Anne's legs open up and wrap neatly over the artist while pulling everything except the other arm.

The tentacle recedes back, and Anne jiggles around her, eagerness overflowing.

"You're nearly in now! Just put your other arm in so I can close up!"

Mary feels the exit for her legs and feet is already gone, so there's no path left but to continue. Still, she needs a moment after that surprise.

"F-fuck! D-don't just pop a tentacle out like that, love!"

Anne curls her lips. "Ah...sorry, I got too impatient!"

The artist huffs, allowing her heart to calm before sliding her other arm and the rest of her torso. Now completely fitted beside her head, Anne's back lining closes around Mary, sealing her within.

Requiring some adjustments, the inner gel wiggles around Mary, helping to get her fingers into the correct matching spots.

Mary stifles a grunt in response, feeling Anne's compressed mass jiggle around and shift against her nether regions. To much shame, she can't stop herself from growing a little wet over the slime's movements.

"Ugh...A-anne, d-don't move around so much!"

"Sorry, just adapting to fit you snug...and there!"

Mary feels the slime mother pull up her neck, diminishing in grade so that her skin blends nicely. However, there's one problem...

"Erk, my neck!"

Unfortunately, Mary cannot fully appreciate their combined form as she has to share the same shoulder space with Anne. As it stands, her head is pushed sideways.

"Oh no, Mary! I was trying to keep us symmetrical, but it looks like I have to expand our shoulder. Sadly, this means you'll have to abandon my left arm."

"I-it's fine, just do it! Urgh..."

Anne slowly expands the torso, causing Mary's arm to slip out. It then sinks back into the main body and becomes clipped to her real side. While no longer even, Mary breathes out with relief as her neck straightens. Although she's still touching heads with Anne, she can finally look down to appreciate their combined form.

"H-holy shit..."

From the neck down, Anne blends in perfectly with Mary, making it unapparent for anyone to tell that the slime girl is just wrapped around the artist. They look like conjoined twins that might only exist in a million.

"How does it feel, Mary? Comfy?"

"It's...unreal. We're really joined together, aren't we?"

Anne giggles. "Of course! Now we're conjoined twins! Try moving!"

Mary hesitates before taking a step forward. Surprisingly, she can carry the slime's added weight as she walks and moves her right arm.

"Good! Now let's see if I can move as well!"

Mary halts, and not because she wants to. Her eyes widen, struggling a little as Anne turns in a different direction and takes a few steps away from the photo area.

After that test, the artist exhales while relaxing. "So you have final say over our movements, huh?"

Anne hums. "It seems so. When you were walking, I tried not to resist and that seems to be key. Was it difficult to move?"

"Not really. It's strange - you were light before and then you suddenly became heavy and stiff."

"Hehe, we're learning so much about me, Mary!"

'Myself as well,' Mary adds silently with a blush, finding it particularly soothing how Anne is wrapped around. At the same time, the idea of Anne being able to control her movements at any time, altogether leaving her defenseless, causes her heart to thump and her groin to twitch.

"Mary, is something wrong?" Anne asks, noticing her shivers.

The artist quickly straightens. "N-no, not at all, love! A-anyways, we should wear one of our clothes."

Anne frowns, looking at the fallen articles. "Except, we don't have anything to wear since our shoulders are wider now."

"Ah..."

Mary knows she has shoulder-less dresses to wear back in her apartment but understands the issue is that they would have to leave the studio, undoing their current state.

Not wanting to waste time, she waves her right hand dismissively. "We'll just take a nude photo and I'll draw in some clothes for the painting when the time comes."

"Okay!"

Anne takes back control and moves back to the stage. While Mary gets slowly used to Anne's cover, they discuss dynamics that would be interesting to capture.

Later, a tingling sensation runs through Anne' while walking around and measuring each other's flexibility.

The slime girl doesn't think much of it, assuming it's the usual dull feedback she gets when shifting her mass; however...something is changing.