Jasmine felt much better the day after. The fogginess was gone, and she didn't feel like she was constantly on the verge of sleep. She could focus and think better; her senses were back to normal. Overall, she felt herself after that first day.
The only problem was her body seemed to crave the high she had that night. Every whiff of her lovers' smell or the thought of their cum made her whole body shiver. She could feel her brain beg for that level of pleasure again. Thankfully, she was incredibly disciplined. She held herself back at night, slowly testing her body's reaction to her lovers' seed. The next week, her nights were spent seeing how her body reacted to the quantity she allowed herself to indulge in.
And just like Lily explained, it was very much like drinking alcohol.
She could feel the buzz after a few of her lovers' loads. It was an elation she never truly got from alcohol, and it let her relax better. She could sleep through the nights she didn't have watch. Even her Sleep Perception skill seemed to turn off when she slept. All it took was limiting herself the night before, and she could wake up feeling more refreshed and relaxed than she had since she turned 18. She honestly forgot what it was like getting a full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
That week passed by quite quickly. The Scarlet Seraphs reestablished their traveling routines, finding things to do while traveling all day. When they could, they trained to make sure Elsie got Hannah's movement down better. Otherwise, they enjoyed their nights as usual.
The one issue that did scare her was the timing of this change. It was seemingly random. She hadn't leveled up during the goblin fight, she didn't feel different or sick, and none of her skills changed. Hopefully, Claire's Goddess will shed light on why this happened to her.
But, she's been silent since the Parenting Ritual.
It'd been 3 weeks since the Goddess reached out to Claire. She didn't even feel the tingling on the back of her neck when she usually would. Part of her worried, but the other part trusted Toni's words. Anka would say something if there was an issue. Claire just hoped that it was sometime soon; she really wanted some answers. Not only about Jasmine's change, but about any future changes that could happen with her lovers. Lily had her a bit paranoid that the twins might suddenly evolve like Jasmine did.
Thankfully, She did finally visit her dreams the night before they arrived at their next destination.
Claire felt a wave of relief the moment she felt the ethereal mana surrounding her dream body. It'd been so long since she'd been here that she had a bit of nostalgia flare up. It took a moment for her mind to adjust to the feeling, the weirdness she felt when she breathed. Then, she noticed her Goddess descending from the light.
Claire gulped. Her face was finally fully defined. No shadows were hiding the features on her face anymore. She looked like a normal human, had it not been for the hair. It floated in the air, unaffected by gravity. Claire was stunned for nearly a whole minute, not expecting this revelation.
"How do I look?"
Her voice sounded different. It wasn't penetrating Claire's mind like it normally would. She could feel it pass through her ears. "Uhh… Beautiful."
Even the Goddess's giggle felt so human. It was throwing her off.
"I'm glad," The Goddess smiled at her. She got close to Claire and studied her face. "Took my time choosing Daphne, Jessie, and Lyn's features. Though I wish I could take Daphne's arm muscles…"
Was that a blush? Was the Goddess really blushing?
"I guess I am," the Goddess smiled. "Did not know this form could do that."
Claire shook her head. She was bewildered entirely by this situation. "Form? Wh-what do you mean? I need you to explain."
The Goddess smiled. "I apologize. It took me so long to reach out again because of this. I needed time after the ritual to complete my physical form. You and your lovers created enough divine magic to finish my body."
Claire blinked. "So… this form. It's how you really look."
The Goddess chuckled again. Claire's awestruck expression and demeanor were truly funny to Her. "Is that all you have to say?"
"N-no, I just… wasn't expecting this."
"Would you prefer this voice instead?" Her voice changed. It messed with Claire's mind to physically feel her words previously, but not now. "I guess you are used to this one."
"I like the other one. You feel…"
"Human," the Goddess nodded. "Anka and Rava both said that."
Claire took a deep breath. She had questions she needed answered. She shouldn't be distracted by the pretty face before her.
"Aww," She whispered. "You called me pretty again."
Claire had to pinch herself to stay focused. She couldn't get distracted. "I did. But, please… I need answers."
The Goddess pursed her lips. She took a moment to think before speaking once more. "I can't answer any questions about the past. I am restricted from talking about that."
"Okay, that was to be expected." Claire sighed. She'd have to shelve the questions about Firewater, Silkie, and the Tyrant for another time. "What happened to Jasmine? Why did she suddenly change?"
"Ah, right," the Goddess did her best to hold back her smile. "That was Anka's idea, actually. She noticed how stressed poor Jaz was."
"So you changed her?" Claire asked for clarification. "Not some weird change like Lily theorized."
"I did," the Goddess nodded. "Though I do like Lily's guess. Let her know that your gift rewrites your bodies to include the male organs. I did not just place them there without thinking."
"So there won't be any more changes?" Claire asked, relieved that Jasmine's change wasn't a sign for what's to come. "Like the twins won't get drunk off our cum or anything?"
"Not unless you want me to."
The offer was kind of tempting. Claire had to really think about it before she shook her head. "Why the change?"
"Mother Jasmine broke her promise to you," the Goddess moved closer. She looked deep into Claire's green eyes. "Your lovers seem obsessed with punishments lately, so I decided to instill one of my own. Jasmine needs the sleep. She is not ready to be fully open about what bothers her."
Claire looked into the Goddess's grey eyes. "So there is still something stressing her out."
She nodded. "There is. However, it is not something of major concern. It is something Jasmine is slowly dealing with. When she's ready, you will be the first to know."
"I guess that means all I can do is wait," Claire sighed. Her shoulders slumped, and she felt a bit of sadness overcome her.
The Goddess wrapped her arms around Claire. She hugged the paladin tightly. "Unfortunately, that is all you can do for now."
Claire tilted her head. She felt something strange and different about the Goddess's embrace. She giggled in the divine's ear upon realizing what had changed. Something was pressing into her thigh, and it throbbed upon her noticing.
"Finally noticed it," the Goddess cooed in her ear. "You don't know how long I agonized without it. All those experiences you got to enjoy… it was torture."
"D-does that mean we-"
"Not yet," the Goddess cut her off. She took a deep breath and shuddered. "This form of yours. It is not "real" enough for sex. One day…"
"When?"
"I wish I could tell you," Her voice changed back to Her ethereal one. The Goddess let out a deep sigh as She continued. "Looks like my time is up. Not strong enough to keep that form yet."
Claire gripped the Goddess tightly. She didn't want her to leave again after not seeing her for so long. "Don't leave me for so long again. Please. I missed you."
"I will not," the Goddess assured Claire. She patted the back of Claire's head to calm the woman. "I was far too exhausted these past weeks. You are not the only one affected by Divine Fatigue."
"Aren't you an all-powerful Goddess?" Claire joked. She eased her grip on the Goddess.
"Not yet," the Goddess smiled in response. She leaned in and kissed Claire. "One day, though."
"Before you go," Claire slowly let go of the Goddess. She was a bit embarrassed to ask, but she decided to anyway. "Is it just Anka, or is Rava included?"
"Whatever do you mean?" The Goddess's smile widened, and she physically squirmed. Claire glanced down at her new edition and gulped. "Just Anka, so far. Rava… is in it for the cause."
"How is She?"
"That is something I will have to tell you another time. Or, She may tell Toni." The Goddess began to drift back towards the divine light behind her. She held tight to Claire's hand until the very last moment. "For now, I must go. Good luck with the Chimera."