"Oh, Mio's fine."
Ackster opened his overshirt to reveal Mio snuggling inside a pocket like a kitten. Ackster hadn't seen the slime sleep before. Mio sometimes entered a kind of stasis whenever they consumed a piece of him. But this time, it actually seemed like they were sleeping.
Ackster even felt like it looked like Mio was dreaming.
"That's a relief."
"Did you grow attached?"
Mio had, after all, been stuck with Wilma for over a year. It wouldn't be strange if Wilma also made a connection with the cute and intelligent slime.
"Maybe. You're free to leave Mio with me the next time you're off to die."
"Sure."
Wilma looked at the sleeping Mio with a warm gaze before looking at Ackster again.
"...Grandma said you died. I refused to believe it. But what happened?"
"I did."
Ackster nodded as he closed his shirt to let Mio sleep undisturbed.
"?"
