Chapter 84: The Tide’s Desire

“So, let me get this straight,” Diana said, nakedly tossing another log onto their campfire while her bare breasts bobbed… breastily. “The Tide tried to fuck you with water tentacles, thinks you’re Eternia—who she happens to hate—and wants you to come back alone on the new moon. And you’re actually considering it?”

Grace hugged her knees to her chest as she sighed. The fire danced in front of her while their clothes, still damp from their insane, watery encounter, laid on a line above, drying.

“I don’t have much choice. The villagers will all turn into fish people if we don’t figure something out.”

“You always have a choice,” Diana countered, not bothering to cover up as she poked the fire with a stick. “Like choosing not to get tentacle-groped by a horny water demon.”

Grace’s face heated up just thinking about those cool, slick appendages that had wrapped around her legs. She’d never admit it, but there’d been something almost… pleasant about the sensation before Diana had come charging in like a topless barbarian.

“Okay, but—”

“No buts!” Diana leaned forward, her short black hair framing her face in a way that made her gray eyes look even fiercer. “I’m not letting you swim out to get molested by some ancient, watery pervert. There has to be another way.”

Meridian looked up from her scroll, eyes narrowing.

“Did you say The Tide believes Grace is Eternia?”

“Yeah,” Grace sighed. “She got really mad, started yelling about how I abandoned her for millennia. She’s convinced I’m Eternia in disguise or something.”

The scroll hit the ground with a soft thud as Meridian scrambled closer, practically vibrating with excitement. Her blue hair practically stood on end.

“This is unprecedented!” Meridian’s eyes were wide, her usual cold academic demeanor replaced with something disturbingly close to religious fervor. “An entity from Eternia’s time recognizing her essence in you? Do you understand the theological implications?”

“Uh—”

“The Ascended Choir has theorized for centuries that Eternia might return in a different form, but we never had concrete evidence!” Meridian was now way too close, her hands grabbing Grace’s shoulders. “You certainly looked like her b-but, I-I didn’t think… This confirms that you carry her divine signature at a fundamental level! Tell me, do you share memories? Dreams? Sensations?”

Meridian’s face was now inches from Grace’s.

“I don’t think—”

“Can you access her knowledge? Her power?” Meridian was damn near shouting now. “If The Tide recognizes you as Eternia, perhaps you may be able to draw upon her power! We must document this immediately! The implications for our understanding of divine transmigration are staggering!”

Diana stood up, walked over, and literally picked Meridian up by the back of her robes like a kitten.

“Bedtime for you, scripture-girl.”

“Unhand me!” Meridian protested, legs dangling ridiculously as she flailed her arms. “This is a theological breakthrough of unprecedented—”

“Yeah, yeah. Tell me in the morning when you’re not foaming at the mouth.” Diana carried the struggling scholar to the nearest tent and tossed her inside like a sack of potatoes. “Everyone needs sleep. Even weird… Choir nerds.”

Petriel, who’d been quietly watching the whole exchange while nervously fidgeting with her green hair, finally spoke up.

“She’s not entirely wrong, you know.” Her golden eyes flicked up to meet Grace’s. “If The Tide thinks you’re Eternia…”

“I’m not,” Grace said firmly, trying to ignore how cute Petriel looked in the firelight. “I’m just… me.”

Diana flopped back down by the fire.

“Sure, but, I gotta say, ’just you’ looks an awful lot like our missing goddess. I do agree that’s a bit weird.”

[…]

In truth, their suspicions were, of course, completely right. But, Grace didn’t want to have to deal with this right now.

“It doesn’t matter who she thinks I am,” Grace said, trying to steer the conversation back to the issue at hand. “What matters is figuring out how to stop her from transforming an entire village in four days.”

“And avoiding getting tentacle-screwed,” Diana added helpfully, grabbing her canteen and taking a swig.

Grace’s face heated up again.

“T-That too.”

“Let’s all get some rest,” Petriel suggested, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. “We can make a plan in the morning.”

Diana rolled her eyes.

“Fine. But if Grace tries to sneak off in the middle of the night to go skinny-dipping with her water girlfriend, I’m going to be pissed.”

As they settled into their tents, Grace couldn’t sleep. The Tide’s rage, her accusations, her…tentacles.

Grace tossed and turned on her bedroll, listening to the distant crash of waves. The sound was almost hypnotic, like the ocean was calling to her…

Sleep finally claimed her, pulling her into dreams that weren’t entirely her own.

—

Grace stood on a beach, but not as herself. Her body felt different. She was taller and her chest was heavier.

[Oh, another Eternia dream, huh?]

She was looking at the ocean. The ocean churned and someone came out. The Tide. She looked different somehow. Cleaner. Less ominous.

“You came,” The Tide said, sounding surprised. “I didn’t think you would.”

“I created you,” Eternia said, using Grace’s mouth. “Of course I came.”

The Tide’s face darkened.

“Created me to be your container. Your disposal. The place you put all your unwanted loneliness.”

“Indeed,” Eternia agreed, like it was the most obvious thing ever. “That’s exactly why I made you.”

The Tide flinched like she’d been slapped.

“At least you’re honest.”

“I’ve never lied to you,” Eternia said, walking closer to the water. Her hips swayed in a way Grace could never pull off in a million years. “I needed somewhere to put those feelings. They were… rather distracting.”

“Distracting you from what?” The Tide asked bitterly. “Your other creations? Your angels? Your precious Azrael?”

Eternia smiled. Grace felt her face move, and it felt weird as hell.

“From feeling alive,” Eternia said, winking. “From enjoying my creations.”

The Tide laughed, harsh and angry.

“So you dumped all your loneliness into me, and now I get to feel it forever while you play around with your other toys.”

“Not quite,” Eternia said.

She stepped into the water. Her robes stayed dry because of course they did. Goddess perks. Eternia walked right up to The Tide, who tried to back away.

“What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” Eternia asked, smirking back. “Is this not what you’re looking for? Oh, Tide, oh Tide, you’ve always been so needy.”

Eternia reached out and touched The Tide’s watery cheek. The touch made ripples go through The Tide’s whole body.

“I-I am not asking for your attention,” the Tide responded, though it was hard for Grace to believe that when she was leaning into Eternia’s touch like that.

“Really? Then I suppose I-” Eternia took her hand off and went to turn away and the Tide reached up and caught her, one of those tentacles wrapping around Eternia’s wrist. Eternia smirked. “Very well.”

Eternia’s hand moved down The Tide’s neck, over her shoulder, then straight to her breast. The watery boob squished under her touch.

“W-What are you—”

“Shhh,” Eternia said, pressing a finger to The Tide’s lips. “Let me take care of you, my dear.”

Her fingers slid down The Tide’s stomach, then right between her legs. The Tide gasped, her whole form shimmering.

Eternia shoved her fingers deeper, and The Tide moaned super loud. Her watery body arched like crazy. Ripples spread everywhere, turning The Tide’s blue form all sparkly.

[I can’t believe I’m watching this. I’m fingering water. This is so fucking weird.]

“Eternia,” The Tide gasped. “I—”

“I know, I know,” Eternia replied, looking smug. “Just… let yourself feel this.”

The Tide’s whole body pulsed as Eternia’s fingers moved faster. Water splashed everywhere, getting increasingly wild.

When The Tide came, she literally exploded back into the ocean with a giant splash before forming again. She looked totally different now—all soft and docile.

“Well, that’s that I suppose,” Eternia smiled. “Will you be getting back to work, darling?”

The Tide nodded, looking at Eternia like she’d hung the moon in the sky (which, well, yeah).

“Yes.”

“Good girl,” Eternia said. Grace felt her borrowed face smile.

—

Grace sat up with a gasp, her heart about to explode out of her chest. She was drenched in sweat, her thin sleep shirt sticking to her like a second skin.

[What. The. Heck. Was. That.]

She’d seen bits of Eternia’s memories before, but nothing like… that. Nothing so weird and intense and…

Grace sat there, completely stunned. Her brain couldn’t process what she’d just experienced. She could still feel the phantom sensation of The Tide around her fingers—Eternia’s fingers—and the way The Tide had looked at Eternia afterward, like she’d found salvation.

Golden text appeared in her vision, answering her unspoken question:

Reminder:

「You do remember this is a Love category mission, right?」

Grace blinked at the message.

[What’s that supposed to mean?]

The System stayed quiet, because of course it did. Grace was left alone with the memory of The Tide’s watery orgasm and a sneaking suspicion about what completing this mission might actually require.

She flopped back down on her bedroll and stared at the tent ceiling.

Her hand moved to the medallion at her throat. It was still warm.

No answer came.

But somewhere, deep inside, Grace could have sworn she heard Eternia giggling.

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