"So that's why I bolted!"
Fleeing Dimitrescu's castle after provoking her into a dragon-fueled rampage, Eveline arrived at the grand Beneviento manor beside a massive waterfall. There, Donna Beneviento and her doll Angie were hosting a tea party with an assortment of puppets.
"Veee! What a mess!" Angie cackled. "Talk about bad luck!"
"The bad luck's on Dimitrescu's side, isn't it?" Donna said softly. "But, um, welcome, Eveline."
"Yay! I love Donna—you feed me!" Eveline chirped.
"Yes, yes, I'll get it ready," Donna replied.
With a wave of her hand, Donna conjured an illusion of tea, scones, macarons, cookies, and biscuits. Eveline dug in gleefully, and Donna smiled. While Heisenberg meshed best with Eveline's personality, Donna's powers were her perfect match. Eveline, a faint aggregate of mold as a remnant consciousness, could interact with Donna's illusions—created by pollen from her special flowers—allowing her to touch and taste them. The catch was crafting the flavors precisely, but seeing Eveline, who reminded Donna of her late sister Claudia, enjoy herself made it worthwhile.
"So good!" Eveline exclaimed, munching. "The Baker house only fed me nasty organ slop…"
"That… sounds rough," Donna said cautiously.
"Self-inflicted, right?" Angie teased.
"Exactly! My fault, sure, but still!" Eveline laughed. "Three years of that junk—come on! And lately, they've been calling me Grandma and force-feeding me like I'm in a nursing home. Cruel, right?"
"Grandma Eveline… I kinda want to see that," Donna mused.
Intrigued by the idea of Eveline aging—unlike the ageless lords, thanks to their Cadou implants—Donna watched as Eveline, scarfing down a scone, pondered deeply. She closed her eyes, sat cross-legged, and clasped her hands, extending only her index fingers in a pose resembling an Eastern ninja's hand seal. Donna and Angie tilted their heads in unison.
"What's that?" Donna asked.
"What a dumb pose!" Angie jeered. "Veee!"
"Dumb? Rude!" Eveline huffed. "I'm bodiless, so I thought focusing might let me change my form. This pose boosts concentration! (Kinda.)"
"Um… your underwear's showing," Donna said hesitantly.
"Eek!"
Blushing, Eveline uncrossed her legs and clutched her skirt. Floating constantly, it was only natural her skirt would lift if she wasn't careful.
"Bear panties? No shame?" Angie mocked. "Veee!"
"They're Zoe's hand-me-downs!" Eveline protested. "Not mine! Marguerite got them when I was still this kid form!"
"But that's your default look, so you must like it, huh?" Angie pressed.
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Eveline snapped, then muttered, teary-eyed, clutching her skirt. "Once I can change freely, I'll be a grown-up with sexy lingerie… I saw Mia's, so I can copy it…"
Her childhood and elderly phases dominated her existence, with her brief adult phase a fleeting dream she longed for. Chasing Angie, who floated away, Eveline raged until she calmed down, sulking.
"I like you just as you are, Eveline," Donna said gently.
"Really? I love you, Donna!" Eveline beamed, trying to hug her but phasing through. "Ugh, can't hug!"
"Chump," Angie muttered.
"Didn't hear that!" Eveline said, covering her ears.
Sipping tea, Eveline glanced at Donna with an upward gaze. "Hey, Donna, question."
"What is it, Eveline?" Donna asked.
"Your illusions—you set them up in your mind, right? How's that work?"
"Donna's a genius who does it by feel!" Angie boasted. "No use asking! Veee!"
"Shut it, ugly!" Eveline snapped. "I'm asking Donna!"
"Who's ugly, you bear-pantied brat?!" Angie shot back. "Think a bride outfit'll get you a date? Flower-brained much?!"
"What's that, you creepy doll?!" Eveline retorted. "Think you're a beauty?!"
"Say what?!"
"Wanna go?!"
Sparks flew as Eveline and Angie bickered, the air crackling with tension. Donna flailed, panicking. Even if a fight broke out, Eveline couldn't touch anything, but seeing her dear friends clash brought tears to her veiled eyes. Noticing, Eveline and Angie stopped glaring.
"Sorry, Donna," Eveline said. "No more fighting, promise."
"Yeah, no point scrapping with her," Angie said.
"What's 'with her' mean?" Eveline growled.
"Did I misspeak? Ahyahaha!" Angie laughed.
"Stop it, both of you!" Donna pleaded, stepping between them.
Even Eveline and Angie quieted, unwilling to upset Donna further.
"Eveline, if you want to know, I'll tell you," Donna said. "I set things up vaguely, like 'this way, that way.' For things I know, I recall every detail. For unknowns, I imagine how they should be. That's the trick."
"Got it! Hmm!" Eveline nodded.
Closing her eyes, Eveline focused. Her form warped, shifting into a wrinkled old woman in a wheelchair. Donna and Angie gasped—she looked nothing like the young Eveline.
"Yes… I did it!" Eveline wheezed. "This form's familiar… ugh, my eyes are blurry… so tired… joints ache…"
"A granny?!" Angie exclaimed.
"Your body's influencing your mind!" Donna said. "You recalled too much—can you change back?"
"I'll try…"
Eveline's form warped again, reverting to her girl self. The trio sighed in relief.
"Now try an adult form!" Donna said, excited. "I'm curious!"
"Okay, here goes!"
Eveline closed her eyes again—posing wasn't necessary, but it felt right. She pictured a curvy, bombshell version of herself. …No dice. Having spent three years seeing only Mia, Zoe, Marguerite, or her own elderly self, all she could imagine was a slender frame. Defeated, she teared up, but rallied, settling for a form she could manage.
"Transform! Ta-da!"
She morphed into a slender woman resembling Mia, wearing a larger black dress and boots, her long black hair covering one eye. Donna and Angie clapped in unison, but Angie's eyes caught a detail.
"Donna's got a bigger chest," she muttered.
"Exactly!" Eveline wailed, tears streaming.
"Uh, um…" Donna stammered, embarrassed by her own assets.
Determined to study and surpass Donna's figure, Eveline vowed to keep observing.
Word reached Miranda, who muttered, "Eveline's adult form… Eva's grown-up form? I… kinda want to see it…" torn by conflicting feelings.
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