>You look over at Rosie, Gina, and Beverly with a loving smile. The trio stare down, misty eyed, at the crude ring of grass around their shared finger and smile. >You're back at your house now. It's been two hours since your first picnic with RGB, and your heart still flutters at the thought of what happened. >Only a few days ago, you simply downloaded a strange art program for your computer. Then, things slowly grew and grew... >And now you have RGB here with you, free of the confines of her software. You meant every word you said to the Cerberus: you love her, all three of her. >Rosie removes her glasses and wipes them clean of tears of joy. >Gina tries to speak, but can't get a word out before happy sobs choke her. >Beverly smiles warmly, no hint of her usual seductive nature. >RGB sighs happily at her grassy ring, then practically tackles you into another hug, nearly knocking you off the couch. >Each of her heads manages to speak now, in their traditional order. >"Anon... no, Incog... thank you." >"I-I'm just... s-so happy you like us!" >"We love you, Incog." >You smile and squeeze the ex-AI tightly. >"Love you too, RGB." >Thinking back to everything that you and this wonderful woman (these wonderful women?) have been through fills you with sentimental warmth. >Every moment spent with her rushes back to you as you reminisce... >"Rosie? Gina? Beverly? Thank you all... for everything. For your smart suggestions. Your bright smiles. Your unconditional love. All of it. Thank you so much." >The three heads all blush luminescently through their fur, beaming at you. >"Thank you for putting up with my critique." >"Thank you for installing us!" >"Thank you for giving me something to love... rather than simply lust after." >They speak in harmony now. >"THANK YOU, INCOG!" >You smile and cuddle up to the Cerberus as close as you can, enjoying the feeling of her fur against your face. >It's surreal. To think, only a short while ago she used to be nothing more than a collection of animations and code. And now? She's flesh and blood, like you. >You can only imagine how strange it must feel for RGB. >As you muse idly, you gently reach up and begin rubbing the ears of each head in sequence. >Rosie's ears twitch madly as she puts on a faint, blushing smile. Gina beams openly as her ears gently fidget at your touch. Beverly closes her eyes and sighs, letting her tongue roll out of her mouth slightly, as her ears refuse to move at all. >With that done, you simply cuddle up even closer. Might as well make her new life as comfortable as possible, starting with giving her the best cuddling you can. Rosie gently leans against your shoulder, smiling, as you pull RGB close. >You gently kiss each of RGB's snouts in a row, with each face blushing and smiling. >"Thanks..." >"Thank you!" >"Mm... thanks." >You nod and absentmindedly run your hand across her stomach. She has a very slight amount of plushness to her middle, not even enough to be visible, and the soft feel of this faint pudge prompts you to rub her tummy in earnest. >All three of RGB's sets of eyes slowly close as she smiles thrice over. Her soft fur tickles your hand as you pet her. >As you rub her, an idle thought strikes you. >"Say... I guess in a way, yesterday was your birthday, huh? We ought to celebrate!" >Gina gasps. >"Our... birthday? You want to celebrate the day we... came to life?" >The Cerberus yanks you into a closer hug, with Gina resting her chin atop your head with a smile. >"Thank you sooo much!" >Rosie and Beverly nod and murmur in agreement. >"So, Incog, what do you plan to do for our birthday?" >"I must admit I'm curious too." >Gina scoffs at her fellow heads. >"We have to wait and see! That's how this works, right, Incog?" >You nod. >"Yep. Let me think for a minute..." >You grin as the perfect idea comes to mind. >"Got it." >Gina tilts her head, an excited smile on her face. RGB's tail wags madly. >"What? What are we gonna do?" >"It's a surprise. But I promise it's perfect for you three. Just have to run to the store..." >Gina nods vigorously, but Rosie frowns before adjusting her glasses. >"Hm. Suppose we'll have to stay home, then...?" >... >"...no. No, I'm not gonna make you stay here. You deserve to go out whenever you want. But..." >RGB holds up a red-furred hand to stop you as Rosie nods. >"But... we'll need to be discreet. Understood." >The Cerberus quietly ducks into the other room, then emerges a few minutes later, clad in a loose, tricolor coat and a ridiculously wide hat that obscures most of her faces. >Rosie grumbles a bit, Gina giggles, and Beverly chuckles quietly. >"Hmph. I can barely see anything..." >"This is silly, Incog!" >"I agree... but we have to wear it, Gina." >With the artist(s) all dressed up, you head off to the store. It's not TOO far a walk, thankfully. >It's nice and breezy today, with a light barrier of clouds blocking the intense sun. RGB flashes three grins from beneath her hat's stupidly wide brim. >As you walk, you wrap an arm around her... and she returns the favor without hesitation. >Surprisingly, there aren't many people out today. Those that ARE around either ignore you outright or merely glance at RGB with confused expressions. >A few people stare, befuddled at the tall artist's tricolored ensemble. One older woman stops you and gushes over the color scheme, much to Gina's apparent delight. >Eventually, you make it to your destination. You ask RGB to wait for a moment, then dash inside. In a few minutes, you return, carrying a Neapolitan ice cream cake, the perfect themed treat for this lady. >As soon as RGB sees it, all three sets of eyes glint as three smiles spread across her snouts. >"Hm! I must say, that's clever." >"Oooh! I call a strawberry piece!" >"Very nice, Incog... thank you." >The disguised RGB hugs you as a nearby child stares in confusion. >You glance at the confused kid with a smile, only for your heart to skip a beat when you notice their long, tall ears. You turn a bit to look closer... >...the kid is wearing fake rabbit ears. >You sheepishly turn back towards RGB, then lead her to a nearby table. Once you're all seated, you politely shoo the kid off before opening up the "birthday" cake you bought. >Smiling, you gently scratch beneath each of her snouts. Rosie blushes an even brighter red than before, Gina grins, and Beverly closes her eyes, biting her tongue a bit. >RGB reaches for the cake, but you stop her. >"Uh-uh. You're celebrating, remember? Let me handle it." >All three of them blush. >You then proceed to feed each head some of the cake, giving each one a bit of each flavor. >Rosie can't meet your eyes at any point, merely blushing and fixing her glasses every now and then. >"Hm... I think I like vanilla best." >Gina beams at you, nodding appreciatively after each bite. >"Strawberry is the best; thanks!" >Beverly gives you a seductive stare, sensually licking your fingers each time you hand her a piece. >"Mmm... thank you~ There's something wonderful about chocolate, isn't there?" >She winks, and, making sure the others aren't looking, you lean in close, whispering into her blue ears. >"you know... maybe next time we go out, i could dress you as a pup on a leash... wearing nothing BUT a leash." >She smiles lewdly, nodding a bit and licking her lips. >You then turn to Rosie. >"Say, there's an art exhibition at the museum; how would you like to go for your "birthday?"" >The red head's eyes light up. >"That sounds wonderful, Incog. You would really take us?" >"Of course I would." >"Thank you. Let's finish off this cake before it melts, then we'll head out." >You nod, then resume gently serving RGB's cake to her. >After a while, you and RGB polish off the cake. As soon as it's all gone, you gently reach for one of her hands. >She unhesitatingly takes hold of your hand, interlocking her furry fingers with yours. It... kinda tickles, actually. >Without a word, you and the artist rise up from your seats and head off towards the museum. >You walk on RGB's left, so Beverly is the closest head to you. You slyly whisper all manner of teases and sweet nothings to her, practically getting her drooling by the time you get within a block of your destination. >You stop when Gina lets out an excited gasp. >"Incog, look at that!" >She points to a nearby clothing store, where a rather nice hat sits in the window. >RGB strolls over to the shop, and Gina presses her nose to the glass. >"That's a nice hat..." >You smile at the green head. >"You want it?" >"...yes, please." >You chuckle and head inside. >Minutes later, Gina is beaming at her new hat. >"Thanks, Incog! I'll put it on when we don't have to wear this big hat." >"Glad you like it." >She blushes a bit. >"...sorry I got a little too excited. I just love a good hat, is all!" >"It's fine, really; I thought it was cute." >Now she really blushes. Rosie gently clears her throat. >"I don't mean to interrupt... but can we keep walking, please?" >Beverly laughs warmly. >"What, you're not EXCITED, are you, Rosie?" >The red head splutters and blushes. >"Wh- maybe I am, what of it?" >"Nothing, nothing..." >The blue head winks at you slyly. >With hat in hand, you keep strolling on to the museum. >You start to think a bit about Gina's new hat, and decide that it probably wouldn't hurt anything to let her wear it now. >Smiling, you quickly swap out the comically large hat for your present. The rather frilly hat fits her rather well, considering her odd head shape, but it does nothing to disguise her nor the other heads. >Gina stammers a bit. >"I-Incog, are you sure about this?" >"Yep. Enjoy!" >She nods rapidly as Rosie and Beverly laugh a bit. >"It looks nice, Gina." >"Mhm... I like it on you." >With that, you enter the museum. >Rosie and Gina look awestruck, though the former clears her throat and adopts a stoic expression when she notices you watching her. Beverly takes in the sights with a more subdued smile. >The museum has never really been a hotspot, but there's at least a small crowd here today. It's mostly comprised of stereotypical art enthusiasts, berets and all. >Gina beams and adjusts her new hat as you approach the ticket counter. The attendant scrutinizes RGB, then shrugs with a smile. >"Ma'am, aren't you hot in that coat?" >All three heads speak in unison. >"Not at all, thanks." >The museum employee flinches, but hands over two tickets anyway. >"H-have a nice day!" >You mutter some pleasantries and usher the Cerberus into the museum proper. As you walk, you whisper to Rosie. >"look at all these people, looking at these paintings. someone made those paintings... just imagine, someday that someone could be you." >The red head sighs dreamily, eyes glazing over. >"then again, imagine the art being ABOUT you instead... art like the kind I draw." >She abruptly snaps back into focus, blushing, but still listening. >"just imagine the looks on their faces as they admire every single lovingly detailed curve of your body... as they drink in every little bit of your beauty." >She definitely blushes hard now. You start to continue your teasing, but Gina interrupts with a gasp. >"Incog, look!" >RGB points to a watercolor painting of a familiar clearing... the same one you took her picnicking to. >"Awww, it's our spot! It's nice... but I like your drawing better." >She giggles and takes in the painting, then turns to you. >"Well... where should we start? You know this place better than us." >"I know... follow me." >You grab RGB's hand and lead her off down a hall. Gina smiles as you approach the exhibit, but Beverly looses a deep sigh once the title of the exhibit is visible: >"ART OF THE MODERN AGE" >"Incog, do we really HAVE to go through here?" >"I thought it'd be good for laughs." >She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out in a comical pout, but nods. >"Alright, good point." >Unfortunately, it's more dire than you expected. >One piece is simply a mirror, coated with something that tinted the glass purple. It's titled "Veil of Lavender." RGB peers into the mirror, making faces at herself. >Another work is literally an empty frame, with a small MIA scratcher into it. This one's called "This Piece Is So Very Lost." Beverly snorts derisively at this one. >"I could do better than this blindfolded. Honestly now, an empty frame." >The rest of this exhibit is similarly pretentious... and sadly not funny enough to mock. Eventually, you simply slink out of the Modern Art room and into one full of nature-inspired works. >RGB immediately perks up, her heads all looking at different pieces. >Rosie eyes up a beautiful seaside, painted at sunset. >"Wow... impressive use of color." >Gina fawns over a painting of a mother bird and her chicks. >"Aww! They even painted the little eyes perfectly." >Beverly quietly admires an elaborate still life of a massive bouquet. >"...I wonder what sort of flower that is...?" >You smile and walk around the room, listening to the Cerberus chat amongst herselves happily. >Occasionally, one will chime in with a tip for you to remember. >"Oh, Incog: take a look at how they blended these colors..." >"Look how they did these little animals; they're detailed juuust enough to be recognizable, but not enough to pull focus from the scene." >"Take a look at this... they put in the time to detail every single petal of this flower. Not a bad investment of time for a result like this, hm?" >You nod and taken in the paintings they point at. >A few other patrons listen intently, raising eyebrows at RGB's appearance but hanging onto her words regardless. >The three-headed artist continues to gush over the paintings on display for several minutes, drawing a crowd of patrons. They mutter and nod as she speaks, analyzing the pieces she points out closely. >One man squints at Beverly and tentatively pokes her nose. >"...hm." >You quickly intervene when she shoots you a worried glance. >"Impressive, huh? They're animatronic heads. My companion here is a performance piece in her own right. A living work of art." >All three of her heads blush as the man puts a hand to his chin, smiling thoughtfully. >"...very lifelike... I'm very impressed." >Beverly smiles and responds to him. >"Thank you~ It was very hard work, setting these up." >She carries on a conversation with the patron as you look back at the picture of the baby birds. >...it gets you thinking about babies in general, and then specifically about how children would work in RGB's case. >...would they inherit their mother's three heads? Her color scheme? >...what if she had triplets, each with a single head? >What if, somehow, only one of her heads "counts" as pregnant? What if she had children with even more than three heads...? >...you quickly shake your head to clear your thoughts just as Beverly bids her conversational partner farewell. >You and RGB make your way to the end of the exhibit before long, with the crowd of patrons waving goodbye vacantly. >Once in the main hall of the museum again, RGB flashes three smiles at you. Gina cheerfully chimes in. >"What now, Incog?" >"How about the Impressionist wing?" >Beverly frowns. >"I'm sorry... I'm not that interested in seeing soup cans and paint splatters." >"It's fine, I understand." >Rosie puts a hand to her chin thoughtfully. >"...hm. I'm in the mood to do some painting of my own, actually." >"There's an art supply shop down the road, you wanna go?" >"That sounds great. Gina? Bev? What do you say?" >"I'm okay with that, I'm feeling inspired too!" >"Mm... the muse isn't with me, but I'm fine with getting some supplies for later." >Rosie nods and adjusts her glasses a bit. >"We're all set when you are, Incog." >"Alright then, we'll get moving." >You head out of the museum, waving farewell to the ticket counter attendant. RGB's heads all smile at him, prompting a forced, concerned grin from him. >Once outside, you begin strolling down the street, hand in hand with the Cerberus. Rosie and Gina chatter away about their inspirations, while Beverly quietly hums "Pictures at an Exhibition." >"I must say, that beach scene has me wanting to improve on my last work. I think I can do a better job now." >"I know you can do it! Me, I want to get some charcoal and do some wildlife sketches. Those birds were soooo cute." >"...thanks. They were kinda cute, huh? If anyone can sketch out cutesy woodland animals, it's you." >"Aww, thanks!" >Once you get to the art supply shop, you hold the door open for the artist, and she steps in with three appreciative nods. >This place has always been one of the best in town; they've got everything you could want for pretty much any kind of artwork. >At RGB's request, you pick up various colors of paint, some charcoals, and a few other odds and ends. Beverly doesn't pick anything out, but does help choose what brands and colors to purchase. >Gina frowns a little and glances at the blue head. >"Bev, are you feeling okay? I thought you'd be all over getting some supplies." >She nods, yawning. >"I'm fine... just don't really have any inspiration right now." >"Well... okay." >Gina adjusts her hat, then hesitantly returns to her usual smile. >"I can't wait to start sketching! What should I do first, Incog?" >"How about some birds?" >She nods eagerly as you head to check out. >"Yeah, yeah! I could do that." >The cashier stares at RGB silently throughout your transaction, not acknowledging her at all. >Once you start to walk away, he rubs his eyes vigorously, muttering darkly about staying up too late. >Gina giggles a bit as you step back onto the streets. >You return Gina's bubbly smile, but soon lose your grin as you glance at Beverly. >Something seems to be bothering her. She's been unusually quiet, and something about her expression seems off... >You walk over to RGB's left. >"Beverly, is something wrong?" >She tilts her head. >"Hm? Oh, nothing. I'm fine, really." >Even her tone sounds wrong... more melancholic than usual. >"You want to head home?" >She looks away for a moment, then sighs. >"...please." >Gina looks over at her neighboring head with a frown, and Rosie attempts to crane her neck as well. >"Bev? What's the matter, aren't you having fun?" >"What's wrong with you? You were enjoying yourself earlier." >The blue artist hangs her head slightly. >"It's fine, really. I-I'm just tired, is all." >You smile and scratch her behind the ears. She worries you even more by not reacting in the slightest. >"We'll head home. Maybe we could do some live modeling? Either I'll paint you three or you could paint me." >She nods slightly. >"Yeah... could be fun." >Sharing a concerned frown with Gina, you lead the Cerberus back home. >Hm. >Your mind races as you try to puzzle out what could be wrong with Beverly. >Where's her flirtiness? Her outright indecent enjoyment of pets and scratches? >You gently run a hand down to the small of her back, hoping to coax a smile out of her with some teasing. Gina blushes a bit, and Beverly puts on a tiny smile. >Hm. Even that barely seems to have perked her up... >You crane your neck and kiss her on the cheek, prompting a tiny blush and another minuscule smile, but not much else. >...you make your way home, double time. Something is definitely wrong. >You start to worry in earnest now. What could it be? >Is she sick? Upset with you? >Whatever the case, you wish she'd tell you. You hate to see her usual attitude just... vanish like this. >Plus, it seems that Rosie and Gina are worried too. Understandably so... if they share a body, what happens if one gets sick? >As you keep fretting and trying to lift the blue head's spirits, you arrive at home. RGB walks past you and roughly plops down onto the couch, knocking the wind out of Rosie and Gina, but prompting a sigh from Beverly. >Beverly puts a hand under her chin and merely rests her head there, looking wistful. >You carefully sit next to RGB, specifically on Beverly's side. You scoot close and wrap an arm around her, pulling her close. >"...Beverly, what's wrong? You can tell me, I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you." >She fixes those blue eyes on you and stares for a moment, then sighs. >"Incog, can I ask you a question?" >"Of course." >Another sigh. >"...do you know why I was born? Why WE were born, Rosie, Gina, and I?" >"Uh..." >"To make art. That was our purpose. The entire reason we were made was to create masterpieces. But, do you know what you need to make art, Incog?" >A few tears glimmer in her eyes. >"You need inspiration. An artist needs inspiration." >She sniffles a bit. >"Incog... for the first time in my entire life, I have no inspiration. Not an ounce. Nothing leaps out at me as something I want to paint. Nothing cries out, asking for me to interpret it into a masterpiece." >She smiles... but it's bitter, without any joy behind it. >"D-don't you see? Rosie and Gina have their muses... but me? I'm worthless. I have no work to contribute, no art to create. Incog... I have failed the one thing I was born to do. What good is an art AI that can't even muster up the desire to sketch anything? I realized it when I was in the museum... all those artists saw potential in their surroundings, and here I am, unable to wring a drop of inspiration from anything." >She hangs her head and whimpers quietly. >"I'm a disgrace to this family. To CerberArt and RGB." >Gina sobs, unable to choke out a response, and Rosie sniffs a bit before speaking up. >"But... Bev, you always used to have plenty of ideas..." >The blue head laughs sourly. >"Yeah? Seems like my well ran dry, then." >Beverly buries her face in your shoulder, crying. >As Beverly weeps into your shoulder, you gently stroke her slick, blue fur, throwing in some affectionate pats as well. >"It's alright, Bev. I'm here for you, and I always will be." >She chokes out something incomprehensible. >"You're just going through some artist's block. It happens to everyone." >She tenses up and pulls away for a moment, showing her distraught face. >"...b-but I'm not SUPPOSED to get artist's block... it's never happened to me before. I-I-I wasn't programmed to deal with this kind of thing." >She buries her face again with a whine. >"You're too hard on yourself. You're not limited to your code anymore, remember? You can grow beyond it. You're just experiencing the growing pains that implies. You like nature, right? You can find a spark there, I know it." >She shakes her head roughly, still weeping. >"Don't give up. Just because it feels hopeless now doesn't mean you'll never make another work of art. I'll do my absolute best to help you find that inspiration you need." >She continues to cry onto your shoulder for a while, eventually pulling away to catch her breath. >"...I-I... appreciate it... you'd do that for someone like me...? A disgrace?" >You gently but firmly grab her hand. >"Beverly. You are not, and you never will be, a disgrace to anyone. Nor are you a failure. Your sisters love you, and so do I. It has nothing to do with your 'purpose', we love you for you. We love you as Beverly, not as a mere artist. Don't beat yourself up over a little artist's block. I know you, you've got that will to keep trying until you make something you're proud of. And Bev, I promise you, we'll be here for you the whole time. I'LL be here for you." >Through her tears, Beverly looses a sad smile. >"...th-thank you..." >She hides her face once more. >"I-I'm sorry... for all this..." >You cuddle up as close to her as you can. >"There's nothing to be sorry about, Bev... it's just part of being a real person. You just have new feelings that you didn't have as an AI, and you'll just have to learn to deal with them as they come. It's just part of life." >She smiles again, and you gently wipe the tears from her eyes before hugging her close. >"It's all gonna be alright. I love you. All of you. I love you no matter what, art or no art." >"Thank you... I-I love you too..." >Rosie and Gina nod quietly, tears flowing down their snouts. >You pat RGB's back, squeezing her tightly. She shakily wraps her arms around you, pulling herself even closer. >Her warmth is amazingly comfortable. >Beverly sniffs a few times, but seems to have calmed down a bit. >"Incog... d-don't let go... don't ever let go. Let's just stay like this for a while, please." >You happily comply. You hold her close for hours, letting her work out her sorrow and fears. Gina and Rosie gently try to console their sister, and it seems to help. >Eventually, you find yourself sitting with RGB's three heads resting in your lap. Beverly is asleep, occasionally whimpering a bit. >Gina yawns heavily, and Rosie gently removes her glasses so they don't end up bent. >The two conscious heads smile before speaking in their usual order. >"Incog, thank you. I had no idea Bev was so... upset." >"Me neither... poor thing. Thank you for talking to her." >Beverly whines loudly, grimacing. >"...I wonder what she's dreaming about?" >Rosie and Gina tilt their heads. >"Huh. Dreams..." >"We haven't... really HAD those... before yesterday, anyway." >They look over at their sister with frowns. >"...hope it's not a nightmare." >"Oh dear! I hope not..." >You frown, concerned, at Beverly. Hoping to soothe any possible nightmares, you carefully cradle her head, petting and rubbing her gently. >She continues to grimace and whine, fidgeting. Rosie and Gina let out sympathetic whimpers. >"Poor Bev..." >"Incog, can we do anything?" >"If it's a bad dream, she'll just have to fight through it. That's just how it goes." >They frown and look over at their sleeping sister with pity. >For the first time in her life, including when she was mere code, Beverly was suffering a nightmare. >Her head filled with visions of blank canvases, of museums filled with mocking, laughing patrons. >Every single blank, meaningless work bore a tiny blue signature, serving only to show the cackling crowd exactly who to ridicule. >Meanwhile, beautiful masterpieces bearing her sister's signatures languished in obscurity, missing obvious parts. >Rosie's landscapes ended abruptly, leaving out crucial details that would complete them wonderfully. >Gina's unfinished wildlife paintings lacked backgrounds, being little more than incomplete studies of various animals, each missing some major element. >There, in the middle of the crowd, stood RGB. >Rosie and Gina wept bitterly, lamenting their sister's inability to help them with their works. >Beverly fell into open sobs, feeling well and truly useless. >Tears begin to leak from the sleeping head's eyes. You continue to try soothing her as Rosie and Gina whimper. >"Hey... why don't we plan some fun things to do when she wakes up? What do you two think?" >They nod. >"Okay... we could try some body painting... maybe go on an inspirational walk?" >The red and green heads smile a bit and nod, then flinch when Beverly practically yelps in her sleep. >Beverly continues to fidget and cry out loudly. You grow more and more concerned, then finally can't take it anymore. >You lean forward and gently wake her up. >"Bev... Bev! Wake up, it's just a dream." >She grumbles, then wakes up with a shout. Beverly pants quietly, terror in her eyes, then slowly focuses on you. >"Wh... Incog, did you... never mind. Th-thanks..." >She smiles slightly, then sighs. >"Even in my dreams I can't get away from those feelings..." >You lean in close and kiss her, then gently whisper declarations of love into her fuzzy ears. >You smile patiently. >"It's all gonna be fine. You'll get that spark back. Let me spitball some prompts, see if any sound good to you..." >You list off a good fifteen or so ideas for paintings, but not a single one catches her imagination. Rosie and Gina, however, like several of your prompts. >Beverly's frown deepens with each rejected prompt. >"Hmm. Well... maybe a good cup of coffee and a nice walk in the woods will help." >She sighs. >"Yeah... maybe so." >You quickly pour three cups of coffee, as well as a glass of soda for Gina. The red and blue heads sip their coffee delicately, while you gently hold Gina's glass for her. >You can't help but chuckle a little as she has to awkwardly tip her head back to drink. >Beverly stares down into her cup with a wistful frown. >"...I hope we see something that helps me out there..." >...you hope so too. It's hard to see her so down and out. >You quickly down your coffee (and a second cup, for good luck), then start packing for your walk. >Let's see... snacks, a sketchbook, pens, a thermos of joe... >Should be enough to get rolling. You gather your things, then you and RGB set out. >It's now the late afternoon. The sun's just beginning to set, giving you a precious hour or so to enjoy your inspiration walk. >Rosie and Gina take in the sights with smiles and quiet muttering. Beverly regards everything with a detached, uninterested look. >She sighs and shakes her head. >"I just... none of it jumps out to me. It's beautiful... but I just..." >She suddenly growls and slams a fist against the back of her head. >"Why can't I just get inspired? I just want to make art. That's all I want, Incog. I just want to do what I was born to do." >You console her, gently rubbing your hand over where she punched herself. >"It's alright. You'll find a spark, I just know it." >She smiles sadly. >"I sure hope so." >You keep walking, taking RGB's blue hand into yours both for handholding purposes and to prevent more self-abuse. >You eventually reach a scenic clearing. You lead RGB to a log and have her take a seat, then hand the sketchbook and pen over. >"Go on, Bev, try drawing something. Anything." >She stares down at the page, hand shaking, and slowly, ever so slowly sketches out a small doodle. Once finished, she shows it to you, then idly chews on the pen. >It's of some bizarre, fictional plant. It's definitely not a pretty sketch... >But it's something. >You grin at her. >"See? You drew something." >Beverly actually smiles slightly. >"Yeah... I did. Nothing major, or even good..." >"But it's a sketch. It's art." >"I guess so." >She stares down at the sketchy plant with a little grin, then adds another one next to it. >"Hm. Maybe... maybe I CAN do this?" >Gina beams at her sister's work. >"Of course you can, Bev! I believe in you!" >"T-thank you, Gina..." >Beverly draws a few more abstract plants, then seems to run out of steam. >"Hm. It's something..." >...you suddenly remember what she liked to draw back on your laptop. >Without a word, you stand up and pose in front of the Cerberus. Beverly tilts her head, then seems to understand. >She flips to a new page, then begins rapidly sketching, looking up to you and squinting occasionally. >Eventually, she nods and loudly closes the sketchbook. >"Well... I drew you, Incog. Thank you for modeling." >The blue-furred artist smiles and gently kisses your cheek. >"Can I see it?" >"Mmm... not right now. It's not my best work. Maybe later, when I get out of this slump." >"Okay then. Are you feeling any better?" >"A little bit, I guess." >"Hey, every little bit helps. Do you think a road trip might help? We could keep celebrating your birthday and get some more potential sparks." >RGB's three heads all nod, with Gina beaming. >"That sounds great, Incog! What do you think, Bev?" >"Mm... sure thing. Could be fun." >You quickly head back to your house, brainstorming about places to take the three-headed artist. >You think on it for a few minutes, then come up with the perfect place to take her: the beach. >You live on the outskirts of town, of course, but at least the beach is only a couple of hours away. You sometimes like to go out there to take a little break from all the commission work. >"I've got it, how about we head to the beach, first thing tomorrow?" >Gina gasps as RGB's tail wags rapidly. >"Oooh! That sounds really fun." >Rosie nods in agreement. >"Mhm, I like the sound of that; we could get some inspiration and have some fun too. I think Bev drew us up a swimsuit when we first became real, didn't you?" >"Mm? I did..." >She blushes a bit, driving you to imagine what sort of swimwear Beverly might design. >You stop when a mental image of the rather busty Cerberus straining a sling bikini nearly prompts an inopportune boner. >Beverly laughs for the first time in a while, gently elbowing you. >"What's that blush about, Incog~?" >Her flirty tone returns, to your relief. >"N-nothing, Bev." >"Suuuuure." >You clear your throat just as you arrive at your house. RGB heads in first, dashing off to get ready for bed. By the time you start getting changed into your sleepwear, she's already laying in bed, beginning to doze off. >Once changed, you cuddle up next to her, getting cozy and promptly falling asleep after a busy day. You wrap an arm around her and pull her close just as you slip off into unconsciousness. >You awaken to RGB leaping from bed and dashing off to get ready. >You yawn and slowly change clothes yourself, finishing just as the artist steps out, clad in her tricolored coat and three pairs of shades. >"That's your beach outfit?" >Beverly smiles. >"No... we're wearing that UNDER this~" >You never thought you'd say it, but hearing Beverly's sultry tone again actually warms your heart. >You quickly load up in your car, with RGB having to duck her heads slightly to avoid a collision. >Once she's safely strapped in, you head off on your way. Her three heads idly look around, watching the scenery pass by. >"Hm. It's odd to be in a car for the first time." >"Isn't it? I like it, though!" >"Mhm... it's nice." >Rosie and Gina keep looking out the window and windshield respectively, but Beverly focuses on you. She grins and carefully opens her coat a bit, granting you a momentary view of her cleavage. >...you can't wait to get to the beach. >With one last glance at RGB's chest, you return your attention to the road. After all, distracted driving is dangerous! >You put on some music, roll the windows down, and just drive. Some generic roadtrip-type music is playing. How convenient. >Gina smiles and bobs her head back and forth to the beat, while Beverly watches her with a smirk. >Rosie tentatively cranes her neck, sticking her head out the window. She glances back at her sisters... >Then playfully sticks her tongue out, letting it flop in the wind. She laughs quietly, stopping abruptly when Gina and Beverly notice her. The blue head chuckles. >"Having fun out there?" >Rosie pulls her head back into the car, clearing her throat and blushing. >"E-err... I was just... I thought I saw something..." >"Suuuure." >Rosie sheepishly adjusts her glasses, then reaches for the radio dial. Once she finds a local metal station, she grins and retracts her hand. >"Hm. There we go." >The red head closes her eyes and nods along to the rhythm, a wicked grin slowly spreading across her snout. Gina giggles at her sister, but Beverly frowns. >"Can't we find something less... harsh?" >The station is changed again... >Bev stops on an easy listening station, smiling and gently swaying happily. Gina and Rosie seem ambivalent. >While the trio play DJ, you focus on getting to the beach. Thankfully, there isn't much traffic today. >It isn't long before you arrive at your destination. You nab a nice parking space, and shut off the radio, much to RGB's disappointment. >You gather up your beach supplies. Let's see... >Blankets, towels, sunscreen, a cooler full of drinks and snacks, a frisbee... >Yup, everything seems to be accounted for! Since you're already in your swim trunks, you simply take your shirt off, leaving it in the car. Beverly's eyes practically light up as she smiles broadly. >You quickly apply some sunscreen, noticing the Cerberus slowly inching closer out of the corner of your eye. Beverly clears her throat. >"You... need any help getting some on your back~?" >Gina and Rosie blush a bit and cast unamused glares at their sister, who ignores them altogether in favor of not-at-all-subtly casting her eyes up and down your body. >...eh, why not. >"Sure, thanks." >You turn your back to the artists, and RGB soon begins massaging sunscreen onto your back. >Her furry fingers end up slick and greasy from the lotion, but it doesn't seem to bother her any. She steadily rubs it into your skin, being a bit TOO thorough. >You glance over your shoulder to see Beverly's tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth as she focuses on your back intently. Gina smiles apologetically, and Rosie rolls her eyes. >Once she's caked your back in sunscreen, RGB reluctantly lets you go. >Rosie reaches into the car's glovebox for a moment, then swaps her glasses out for perscription shades, nodding and smiling when she's done. >Gina grabs a sunhat she had tossed into the backseat earlier, putting it on with a beaming grin. >Once they're all set, you set off for the actual beach. You find a decently secluded spot, and begin setting up your things. The other beachgoers stare at RGB, visibly confused. >You eye up the staring beachgoers and scoff. >"What's wrong with you people? Never seen some girls who just wanna have a fun day on the beach?" >There's a collective sheepish mutter from the small crowd, who all return to watching the sea rather than the Cerberus. >RGB's three heads grin at the other beachgoers, then turn to you. >"Thanks for telling them off." >"Yeah, thanks!" >"Mhm... nice work." >"No problem. Is your fur thinner anywhere? I'll help you with sunscreen, if you need it." >Rosie and Gina blush a bit, but Beverly smiles slyly. >"Welll... our fur does get a little thin around our stomach." >"Okay then. You'll have to take off the coat first." >"Hm? Oh, right!" >RGB stands up and throws off her coat... >...oh mercy. >Under the coat, she's clad in a tiny bikini. The top is red and blue, the bottom green. >Her impressive chest is just BARELY held back by her top, with a nip slip not at all being out of the question. >RGB sits back down next to you, and scoots close. You tear your eyes away from her tits, and see that her fur does indeed grow thin around her middle. >You carefully rub in some sunscreen, desperately ignoring Beverly's quiet panting and lewd grins. Her fur is amazingly smooth under your fingers... >Once you finish lotioning her up, Beverly pouts a bit before flashing one of her patented seductive smiles. >"Thanks~" >Oh god. You can already feel yourself sweating. >You mumble "You too," then quickly avert your eyes from her straining top. RGB lays back, propping her heads up with her hands. >Three contented sighs ring out as she soaks up some sun. You lay back next to her. >"It's nice out here today, huh?" >Rosie nods lazily. >"It is. Thanks for bringing us out here." >The red head leans closer and whispers. >"i know this trip is for inspiration, but why don't we just enjoy some rest and relaxation first? why put a damper on Bev's good mood now?" >"i agree. let's just focus on having a fun day at the beach." >Rosie nods, smiling appreciatively. >You reach over and scratch behind each of RGB's three sets of ears. Each head leans in closer to your hand as you scratch, smiling. >Beverly doesn't sport her usual suggestive smirk. Instead, she looks genuinely content. >A refreshing breeze blows across your face as you kick back and relax with RGB. >You reach over and crack open the cooler, grabbing a nice, cold can of your favorite soda. >Ah, Fizz-Eeze. Not only is it good tasting, you've been commissioned to draw their mascot several times before. > After taking a sip, you gently set the can down, then reach over towards RGB. You carefully take her red-furred hand into yours, intertwining your fingers with hers. >Three gasps ring out in harmony, and RGB tightens her grip on your hand. Rosie smiles, eyes hidden by her sunglasses. >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly speak in unison. >"Love you, Incog." >"Love you too, RGB." >You smile and lay back, glancing over at your basket of supplies. RGB's sketchbook sticks out noticeably. >You consider looking at Bev's sketch of you from earlier... >...maybe later. Right now you want nothing more than to lay by RGB's side and enjoy her company. >You scoot a little closer to her, and watch the sky. Not a single cloud looms overhead, but seagulls fly about regularly. >Gina watches the birds intently, chuckling when two of them swoop down after a potato chip tossed by a child nearby. >Beverly lays her head on the blanket, closing her eyes with a smile. She sighs happily, quietly humming some song from the station she chose back in the car. >This is easily the most enjoyable trip to the beach you've had in a looong time. >Beverly continues to hum quietly, her song tickling your ears. >You soon find yourself humming along with her, harmonizing. Rosie joins in momentarily, then Gina follows. The four of you all keep up your humming until the very end of the song, swaying to the beat of your own music. >Once the song is finished, Beverly sighs happily again. >"Thanks, everyone... that was nice." >Her sisters nod and mutter in agreement, as do you. >You yawn, then reach over and idly rub RGB's stomach, feeling the smooth, thin fur under your fingertips. >Her red and green heads blush, and Beverly smiles, eyes still closed. >You lay your head on RGB's shoulder lazily, soaking up the sun and her love. >Rosie gently pecks you on the cheek as you yawn once more. >Ahh. This is the life. Sun, sand, a refreshing Fizz-Eeze Cola™... >And RGB. >With another yawn, you reposition so that your head rests in her lap. You smile drowsily at the Cerberus, then doze off as three grins light up your vision... < RGB > >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly smiled down at Incogneato as he fell asleep in the sun. >With one of their shared hands, they grabbed the sleeping Incog's hand, holding it tightly. He unconsciously interlaced his fingers with theirs. >The sisters shared a smile... then noticed something. They could feel his heartbeat. >... >With her free hand, RGB gripped her own wrist. >Sure enough, she felt a pulse. >...tears welled up in all her eyes. To think, only days ago, she was merely a trio of AIs, trapped inside a digital world. Nothing more than proprietary code. >And now, she was real. Alive. Flesh and blood rather than bits and bytes. >A mix of emotions had flooded her minds ever since her "birth." Shock. Wonderment. Fear. >...Freedom. >Freedom from AI routines. Freedom from the limitations of a window. Freedom from virtual reality. >Freedom to be more than just RGB... >...she could now be Rosie, Gina, and Beverly. >More tears flowed as the artist reflected on her amazing fortune. Of all installations of CerberArt, only around 10 still had their RGB modules functioning. Of those... only one had escaped the confines of her programming. >RGB wept, both from joy at her own situation and lamentation for her cousins. >She shook her heads. This was no time for tears. This beach trip was to be a happy occasion! >...even so, RGB found herself reminiscing on how far she'd come from her old limitations. >Rosie was designed to correct anatomical mistakes in portraits and other such works. Her AI was specifically created to be critical, even abrasive at times. Now, free of these bonds, she was free to pursue her own path... that of painting beautiful landscapes. She noted with mixed feelings that her glasses, once aesthetic, were now an actual requirement. Somehow, in the move to reality, she had developed nearsightedness. >Gina was made to be the face of CerberArt. Her bubbly personality and management of the help system made her the most engaging of the three AIs that made up RGB. She had no real specialization in art, but was programmed to make automatic corrections if allowed. Now, she could sketch up the myriad animals living in the world, as she'd always wanted to so. She was happy to be real... but worried that her bright, chipper attitude may be too grating and childish for reality. >Beverly's personality was always intended to be more smooth and mature than her sisters'... but a glitch in her coding led to a much more flirtatious and seductive AI than intended. That said, her expertise with the built-in animation tools made her a very useful module for those that used CerberArt for such tasks. Outside of CerberArt, however... she found herself at a loss for inspiration. Her affinity for plant life helped... but she still needed a bit more of a spark to go on. >Hmm. >Well... being alive now, Beverly wasn't exactly tied down to one discipline anymore. >Maybe some simple experimenting with new things would do her some good. Momentarily borrowing the hand Rosie was using to prop her head up, she grabbed her sketchbook from Incog's basket. >As soon as she laid the book down, Rosie reclaimed the hand. >...sometimes it still struck RGB's minds just how bizarre it was to share a body. To have to take turns using hands, to sometimes want to walk in three different directions... >But, ultimately? >RGB's heads wouldn't dream of being separated. Despite their differences, they loved each other dearly. >Beverly gently released RGB's grip on Incog, and used that hand to open her sketchbook. With a blush, she quickly leafed past her sketch of Incog, stopping on the page full of plant sketches. >Hmm. What to draw, what to draw... >... >... >Frustration filled Beverly's head as not a single idea came to mind. She snarled angrily and shook her head. >Rosie cleared her throat. >"Bev... I was thinking: you WERE the animation expert... why don't you do some hand drawn animations?" >...hm. >Tentatively, she tried a trick she read once... >She made a little flipbook type animation in the corner of her sketchbook. A genuine smile crossed her blue snout as she watched the ball she drew bounce off "camera." >Gina and Rosie beamed at their sister's work, then showered her with praise. >Beverly couldn't help but blush. >Hmm. Well... that experiment seemed to go well? >Beverly felt a mounting wave of excitement wash over her. Could this be the breakthrough she needed? >She drew more animations. A man walking. The sun setting and rising again. A flower growing from the ground. >RGB's tail thrashed happily as Beverly's drawing grew more and more fervent. Gina and Rosie shared beaming grins as their sister finally seemed to be kicking her awful slump to the curb. >Beverly drew up a very long, very complex animation... >...herself, and her sisters, smiling and winking. >She laughed heartily. >"I DID IT!" >She clapped a hand over her mouth, embarassed, as Incog stirred from her outburst. >He yawned and opened his eyes, and she blushed. >"Mm... what's up?" >She smiled, eyes glimmering with excitement. >"Look!" >Beverly showed Incog all her hard work, being extremely careful not to show off her sketch of him. Incog nodded, eyes wide, and smiled. >"Wow, you did great." >RGB's tail wagged even harder. < Incogneato > >You're just happy to see some life in Bev's face again. >Even if they're a bit simple, her animations are still art, still progress towards beating her art block. >"I like em, Bev! Good job." >The blue head blushes and nods. >"Thank you... I'm just..." >She sniffles as RGB practically tackles you into a hug. >"I'm just so happy to make anything." >You hug her close, feeling her warmth... >...and heartbeat. >...it finally sinks in. RGB is REAL. She's alive. Flesh and blood, like you. >That 2D sprite you spoke to before is now a part of the real world... a part of your life. >And you couldn't be happier for it. >The two (four? You should really ask her how she'd prefer to be counted...) of you embrace for several minutes, just soaking up each other's affections. >As you hug, you scan the beach. Wow, afternoon already? You must've slept longer than you thought. A sign catches your eye, advertising cheap, one-night rentals of beachside cottages. >...hm. >You put a pin in the idea of renting a cottage for later. Right now, there's hardly anyone in the water... >And you haven't set foot in the ocean since you got here. You release RGB and hop up from your seat. >"Let's hit the water!" >Her tail wags happily as she stands and stretches, then she dashes past you, nearly knocking you down in her haste. Three distinct laughs trail behind her, and you yourself chuckle as you hurry after the Cerberus. >Despite her running, she comes to a dead stop just at the water's edge. RGB turns towards you... just in time for you to faceplant directly into her chest. >Blushing, you pull yourself out of her furry cleavage, barely catching Beverly biting her lip and blushing. She quickly drops the expression when she sees you. >"Uhh, why'd you stop?" >Rosie peers out across the water. >"...we've never done this before. Err, well, not the real thing." >"I'm here with you, it'll be alright." >"Could you lead the way?" >You nod and walk into the water ahead of RGB. She follows you out until the sea is about knee deep... >Then you hear Gina giggle as RGB playfully pushes you down. When you stand back up, all three heads are chuckling at your fall. Not to be outdone, you catch the artist off guard and shove her over. Three gasps ring out as she lands flat on her rear. >Gina grins wickedly as she grabs your leg, then pulls you down to her level. Once you fall, she splashes a handful of water in your face. >The two of you splash each other back and forth, laughing and enjoying the other's company. RGB's tricolored fur shines beautifully in the afternoon sun. >She stands and runs a few paces away, her bust nearly bouncing free from her minuscule top, then turns and kicks a huge spray of water your way. Rosie laughs heartily when you're unable to dodge her attack. >As you and RGB keep running around and splashing each other, you can't help but eye her struggling top... >...surely that thing HAS to be close to snapping? >Every single move she makes sends her chest into a fit of bouncing, and yet somehow her outfit valiantly prevents so much as a split second nip slip. >Hmph. >Hoping to distract yourself from the audaciously tough swimsuit, you propose a game of Marco Polo... to which Rosie makes a counteroffer. >"Why don't we just float for a while? Enjoy the evening and relax." >"Sounds great." >You lay back and float atop the calm seawater, and RGB follows suit. Rosie and Gina watch the sky, while Beverly smiles at you warmly. >"My my, the sky is beautiful at this time of day. Isn't it, Incog?" >"Ooh, look at all the gulls. Wonder what they're doing up there?" >Beverly winks at you wordlessly, grinning predatorily when she catches you glance down at RGB's bust. She leans closer and whispers. >"strong material, huh?" >Unfortunately, yes. >The blue head chuckles quietly, then sighs contentedly. >"Ahh. Isn't it nice out here, everyone? Just smell that ocean breeze..." >You take a whiff, and RGB takes three simultaneous, deep breaths. >The string holding the two halves of her top together quivers violently... >She exhales, all three heads murmuring in approval of the pleasant scent of the sea air. >After a good few minutes of just bobbing in the sea, you have an idea. >"Hey, why don't we head back to the shore and make a sandcastle?" >Gina and Rosie light up. >"Oooh, sounds fun to me." >"Hm. Let's hope your architecture is better than your anatomy, Incog, ha." >She pulls down her shades and winks at you. >"...I'm kidding; you do good work." >"Thanks, Rosie." >She nods, then you and RGB make your way back to the beach. As soon as you get to your blanket, the Cerberus takes a seat and begins digging at the sand with her hands. >"Heh, hold on there, gals; we don't have any tools to make a proper castle!" >Gina gasps. >"What? We gotta get some, then." >She scans the boardwalk, then smiles and points out a store. >"I bet that one has what we need." >It's a little blue souvenir shop... nothing special about it. You've been in there a few times, and seem to recall it having some general beach supplies. >"I think you're right. Wait here, I'll go grab the tools." >RGB waves as you dash off to the store. It's only when you step inside that you realize... >You left your wallet. >The cashier, a lady with a blue, wide-brimmed hat obscuring her face, clears her throat. >"No money, huh? Don't sweat it. I'm about to close up for today... so just take whatcha need, so long as it isn't more than 20 bucks worth of stuff. Sound good?" >"That... thank you, ma'am." >"Think nothing of it. You have fun out there, alright?" >You gather up some sandcastle tools, then bid the cashier farewell before rushing back to the waiting RGB. She's managed to dig a decently deep hole in your absence. >"Whoa. You've been busy! Guess your new body is pretty strong, huh?" >RGB tentatively flexes an arm; there's a decent amount of muscle there, but nothing all that inpressive or noteworthy. >She shrugs as Beverly grins. >You plop down next to your companion, and start to work on your castle. >It proves difficult to make one cohesive design with four different minds at work. You go for sheer utilitarianism. Tall, featureless walls. >Rosie takes care to shape her contributions into more classical "castle" portions, etching stonework into the sand with her claws. >Gina excitedly forms perfectly cylindrical towers to connect your work with Rosie's; she takes care to scratch out little windows in each one. Her towers resemble something from an exaggerated kids' book illustration. >Beverly yawns and only occasionally takes over a hand. When she does, she scratches reliefs of flowers into every bit of castle she makes. Her contributions also have a notably more modern style. >After a good deal of work, you finish your collaboration just as the sun begins to set. RGB beams at her handiwork and hugs you close. >Beverly speaks directly into your ear. >"Shall we knock it down now~?" >RGB releases you, and reels back a foot. Gina gasps in exaggerated horror... >And you pull out a water pistol you got from the store. You squirt Beverly in the back of the head, and she stops short of kicking the sandcastle. >RGB turns, and the blue head pouts comically. >"Aww, you're no fun, Incog..." >As you take a few pictures of your handiwork, Beverly yawns. >"Mm... that was really fun, Incog. Thanks for bringing us here." >"No problem; I had a lot of fun too... Say, it's getting kinda late. How about we rent one of those cottages for the night?" >Bev nods drowsily, yawning again, while Rosie and Gina smile. >"That sounds like a good idea. Beats driving home after dark, anyway." >"Yeah, I agree! Can't see the sights as well when you're night driving, right?" >You grin and hug RGB, when suddenly, inspiration strikes. You rip a piece of an old, white beach towel off, then grab a marker from the Cerberus's art supplies. >You jot down a message, tie the fabric to a stick, and plant your makeshift flag in your sandcastle. >RGB reads the flag aloud, in unison. >"Incogneato & RGB Forever..." >A chorus of three AWWWWWs heralds the three-headed artist practically tackling you into a hug. RGB squeezes you tight, each head kissing your cheek and confessing her love. >Once she begrudgingly lets go, you head off to change into dry clothes. RGB also puts on a clean outfit. All changed, the two of you head off to rent a cottage. >You step into the rental office, and are immediately met with a confused looking clerk. She smiles unconvincingly, her eyes darting towards RGB multiple times. >"How may I help you, ah, t-two?" >You meet her gaze and smile innocently. >"Is something wrong, miss?" >"H-huh? Of course not, haha!" >She nervously stares at RGB, apparently trying to work out if what she's seeing is real. >"Alright then. Uh, my fiance and I would like to rent a cottage. Preferably isolated, with tinted windows if available." >"Okay then, I think we have just the one..." >After an extensive series of paperwork, you and RGB head off to your newly-rented cottage. It's a good distance from the others, and the windows are nice and dark. >Inside the quaint building is some very minimalist, sleek decor with a seaside theme. Shells, jars of sand, a blue and beige color scheme... >Not bad! >RGB looks around, impressed, as she sets down a bag of her art supplies. >Rosie's eyes fall upon a painting of the beach, and she stares at it thoughtfully. >"Hmm... I wonder if I could do that...?" >Gina finds a small stuffed seagull on one of the beds; with an adorable cry of joy, she hugs it close, eyes glimmering. >"Incog, look how cute! I'm gonna call him... Steven." >Beverly looks a bit disinterested in the place until she finds a vase full of flowers. >"Ooh... how nice." >While she looks around, you try to sneak a peek at RGB's sketchbook, hoping to see Bev's work from before... >...you can't find it in her bag. You look around a bit longer, and find Rosie sketching a beach scene in it. >Rats. >You sit down next to RGB and watch Rosie sketch. She squints at the paper, focusing intently. >The scene looks fairly decent, but it's clear she's still learning how to draw outside of CerberArt. Some elements aren't scaled properly, and the perspective is off. >She removes and cleans her glasses just as her stomach growls. >"Oh. Incog, I don't suppose you'd mind grabbing some of the snacks we packed, do you?" >"Sure, be right back." >You head to the kitchen and grab your cooler, then pick out some food for you and RGB. When you return, her heads are whispering amongst themselves, only to suddenly stop when they see you. >"What's going on?" >Gina giggles and speaks. >"Nothing, nothing! Just discussing Rosie's sketch, heehee!" >RGB quietly closes her sketchbook as you sit down. You hand her a sandwich, and she tears it into thirds before scarfing it down. >"Thanks, Incog, that hit the spot." >"No problem. Think I'm gonna grab a shower real quick. Be right back." >RGB's heads nod as you head to the bathroom. >...after an uneventful shower, you emerge to an empty living room. A piece of paper rests where RGB sat, with an arrow pointing towards the bedroom drawn on it. >You step into the bedroom and immediately blush. >RGB is in her extremely revealing bikini again, lounging on the bed. Rosie shyly looks away, Gina blushes, and Beverly wears a seductive grin. She speaks in a sultry tone. >"Fiance, huh~?" >...you begin to sweat profusely. Beverly laughs in her silvery voice, smoldering gaze locked onto you. >"Well~?" >You can feel your sleepwear tightening downstairs as you slowly approach her. RGB gently hooks a thumb under her top and tugs it upward, letting a nipple slip free. Gina blushes even harder, practically glowing red now. >You slowly remove your shirt, prompting a wolf whistle from Bev. Rosie glances at your bare chest bashfully, her glasses a little askew. >The Cerberus slides the other half of her top up, letting her sizable chest bounce free playfully. Blue eyes meet yours, then wink teasingly. >You struggle a bit, then pull off your pants, leaving you in your briefs. Beverly smiles hungrily as her sisters blush... but eventually gain similar grins. >You are now standing right in front of the bed. RGB stares silently as tension fills the air. >Without a word, she grabs the waist of your briefs and strips you of your last bit of clothing. Not to be outdone, you return the favor, yanking her bikini bottom down. >Now fully exposed, Beverly finally blushes faintly. >She affixes you with a heart-pupiled stare, as do her sisters. >You decide to kiss each head in their usual order. >Rosie gets a smooch on the end of her snout. She blushes and looks away shyly, but kisses your cheek as you pull away. >Gina gets a peck on the cheek. She also blushes, but smiles lovingly at you. >You plan to plant a kiss on the end of Beverly's snout, but as soon as you do, she places a hand on the back of your head and pulls you into a passionate kiss. Once she eventually gets tired of tongue wrestling, she releases you, panting for breath. >You tentatively grab her chest, and are momentarily taken aback by a trio of moans. Embarrassed, Rosie clamps her jaw shut with another blush. >You experimentally play with her impressive jugs, bouncing them in your hands, feeling her soft fur, running a hand between them... >RGB slowly works up to panting from all three heads, her tail thrashing madly behind her. >As you continue to play with her breasts, you feel her nipples begin to harden... and a soft, furred hand shoot down to your crotch. >Rosie and Gina practically glow red as RGB wraps her hand around your already-hard member. Beverly closes her eyes, biting her lip. >She gently, tantalizingly runs her hand up and down your length, her smooth fur gliding against your skin pleasantly. >Once you're aching for release, she retracts her hand, a teasing look across all three of her faces. To your surprise, it's Gina who speaks this time. >"Ah-ah-ah! You don't wanna finish up so soon, do you?" >She playfully waves a finger at you, winking, then gasps as you return her favor. >You plunge your hand downwards, fingers probing for her slit. Once you find it, you wink at her as you carefully tease her. >Beverly bites down even harder as Rosie adjusts her glasses. >"O-ohhh..." >You gently plunge your fingers into her, sending her into trembling ecstasy. RGB shudders as if electrocuted, panting and wagging her tail madly. >Rosie quietly whispers. >"D-don't stop.... please...." >You happily comply, taking care to drag this out as long as you can, keeping her on the razor's edge. >When you feel her climax coming close, you get your payback by pulling your hand away from her. >Three needy whimpers collide in chorus as three sets of eyes plead with you to finish this. >Winking at RGB, you pull Rosie into a passionate kiss. She quietly moans as Gina and Beverly continue to whimper. >The green head stares at you, heart-pupiled and panting. >"I-Incog, please..." >Beverly also stares, almost looking angry. >"H-hey... don't let HER have all the fun..." >You keep kissing the red head for a while, listening to Gina and Bev plead, then decide you've heard enough. You release Rosie, then pull RGB's heads into a four-way kiss. >Her tail thrashes about wildly as all three heads jockey for position. The four of you kiss for a while, until RGB pulls away, panting. Her heads speak in unison. >"Incog... w-we're ready..." >You nod and prepare for her to lay down... >Only to be caught off guard when the artist pushes you onto your back. >RGB climbs on top of you, chest dragging along your bare body, and lays down. Her eyes stare into yours, burning with passion. She pulls you into one more four-way kiss, then sits up, legs straddling you. >Before you can react, she positions herself, then plunges down onto your shaft. >Three sharp yelps ring out as you penetrate her, then three smiles appear. >RGB slowly, tenderly rides your length, blushing and moaning from each head. >Rosie's glasses fog up slightly from the heat, and her tongue flops from her mouth momentarily. She quickly reels it back in, blushing. >Gina blushes almost luminously, staring into your eyes adoringly. She mouths "I love you" repeatedly. >Beverly keeps her eyes shut in sheer ecstasy, moaning and panting with wild abandon. A hand you presume is under her control grasps and squeezes one of RGB's breasts. >Eventually, with one last plunge, she brings you to your finish. RGB soon lets out a chorus of blissful howls as she herself climaxes. >Pulling herself off you, she collapses forward, breasts landing directly on your face. She gently shimmies down a bit, then lays down, resting her chins on your chest. >The trio of heads sigh happily, staring lovingly into your eyes. You gently wrap your arms around RGB and cuddle her close, running your hands through her smooth fur. >Her tail wags slowly as you do so, and Beverly gently closes her eyes, smiling. RGB gently rolls off of you, then lays on her side next to you, scooting as close as possible. >She throws a leg over you, then plants three kisses on your cheek. Her heads speak in near-unison. >"Love you, Incog." >"Love you too, girls." >You scratch each head behind her ears, gently easing into a well-earned sleep. Just as you begin yo doze off, you sneak a discrete handful of one of RGB's breasts, prompting a cry of delight from Beverly. >It's only moments before you slip off into sleep entirely... >...you awaken to a strange sound. >You gently open your eyes and look around. RGB isn't beside you anymore. >You slowly sit up, and freeze when your gaze meets three pairs of eyes, glinting with lewd mischief. >The Cerberus is knelt at the foot of the bed, each head occasionally, teasingly licking your steadily-stiffening member. Gina blushes madly and averts her eyes from yours. >Rosie and Beverly wink suggestively as they cease their act. >"Morning~ Thought this might wake you up." >"Now Rosie. You know this was Gina's idea~" >Gina chuckles, embrassed, and hides her face. >A little groggy, you yawn and blink a few times. >"Gina...?" >She lets off an embarassed little yip and hides her face more. >"I-I-I thought y-you'd stay asleep..." >A smirk crosses your face. >"Don't let me being awake stop you..." >Her face barely looks green anymore; it practically glows red as she blushes. Gina giggles... then gently leans forward and tentatively licks you. She collapses into sheepish laughter as RGB retreats. >Rosie and Beverly give their sister amused looks as she continues to blush bashfully. >"I h-hope you liked it, Incog..." >"Mhm, I did... let me show you how much I liked it..." >The Cerberus slowly climbs onto the bed at your direction; Gina's face grows even redder as your face slowly approaches her nethers... >...after a long session of tracing shapes with your tongue, you let the trembling artist regain her composure. >RGB awkwardly rises and walks over to the closet, then dashes off, outfit in hand. She soon returns, fully dressed. >"So, uh... w-what are we gonna do today, Incog? >"Well, I was thinking maybe a quick shower, then maybe grab a bite to eat? Then... we'll see if you three can paint the ocean, if you want. Practice using your new body and all." >Rosie nods and smiles. >"Sounds good... we'll cook up some breakfast while you get cleaned up." >Gina looks alarmed. >"Rosie, we don't know how to-" >A hand is gently clapped over Gina's mouth as Rosie chuckles warmly. >"Don't mind her, heheh. We'll have you something nice cooked up soon." >Beverly shoots a glance at her sister, but says nothing. You shrug it off and head to the bathroom. < RGB > >...oh boy. >Why, why, WHY did Rosie say she could cook? >Panic ran through all three of RGB's minds. Not a one of them knew the first thing about cooking. >What even would Incog LIKE? >RGB headed to the kitchen and froze, overwhelmed with the task at hand. >Gina bit her lip and glanced uneasily at her sisters. >"...well, what are we gonna do? He'll be expecting SOMETHING." >Rosie winced. >"I know, I'm sorry! I just... I just wanted to impress him." >"Well, I guess we'll just have to figure it out..." >RGB's heads debated quickly what they should do. >"Cereal. We can't possibly mess that up." >Gina shook her head. >"No, no; that's not cooked food, you said we'd cook. Ummm... maybe..." >Beverly interrupted her sister. >"What about an artisan style breakfast?" >The green head sighed. >"Bev, we still don't know how to cook. That doesn't help." >"...well let me just look it up." >Beverly smiled and closed her eyes... only to frown and open them. >"Wait. I-I can't do that anymore! Gina, what are we gonna do?" >The artist panicked, all three heads whining in despair, when Gina got an idea. >"Guys... I've got it. We'll just make scrambled eggs." >Rosie raised an eyebrow. >"...do you know how to do that?" >"...no, but how hard can it be?" >Beverly cringed at what she was certain would be famous last words... >...minutes later, RGB found herself carefully cracking eggs into a skillet. The first, oh, ten or so didn't go so well, but Gina had a good feeling about this one. >Rosie stared down at the task at hand, squinting. >"Mm... maybe this time we'll get it?" >"I'm sure of it!" >Beverly whined quietly, a frown on her face. >"It's so... weird, to not be able to look things up anymore. Don't you two think so?" >"I mean... I suppose, but I'm not really bothered." >"It's a little weird, but I'm not worried!" >The blue head chuckled. >"Gina, I have to admire how cheery you always are." >The green sister hesitated. >"...yeah, thanks, Bev." >Before long, Incog's breakfast was done. Err, WELL done. Who would've guessed eggs could get BURNT? >Oh well. For a first attempt, RGB felt she did good. >Gina smiled at her handiwork... but felt something, deep down, beginning to gnaw at her. >Her cheerfulness... was it her only defining feature? >...she took her thought and buried it in the back of her head, showing no outward signs of concern. RGB poured a fresh glass of milk, then headed off to get Incog. < Incogneato > >As you step out of the shower, RGB dashes into the room, grinning with all three heads. Gina speaks up. >"Incog, breakfast is all ready!" >"Great, I'm on my way." >You follow the artist to the kitchen, where she happily presents a plate... >...covered with the driest scrambled eggs you've ever laid eyes on. Gina glances down at them, and a momentary frown flits across her face, soon to be buried by a smile. >"It looks... it looks good, RGB. Thank you." >Rosie adjusts her glasses with an inscrutable expression. >"...they're... not the best. Sorry." >"Hey, they're fine, really. Thanks." >You sit down and dig in... they're drier than a desert. But... seeing Gina's big green eyes watching you makes you determined to choke down the awful, awful eggs. >You plaster on a phoney smile and clean your plate. RGB's heads all smile lovingly as you do so, then she hugs you when you finish eating. >After thanking RGB again, you head to pack some supplies for your beach painting practice. >As you do, you discretely wash your mouth out in the bathroom sink. You'll definitely have to properly teach RGB to cook... maybe she'd like that. >Let's see... that should be just about everything? Just need to head out now; should be prime time for observing the beach right now. >...right? You pull out your phone to double check the time. Once you finish with that, you check your email... >...your "best" customer is asking for yet another piece with his self-insert. Sigh. >At least the guy pays well and is flexible on deadlines. You fire off an apology and explain you're on a trip, then stow your phone away. >Grabbing RGB's hand, you set out to the beach with the Cerberus in tow. >It's early, so thankfully there are very few people out here today. They cast odd glances at you and RGB, but otherwise say nothing. >You shrug and sit down, pulling out four sketchbooks. >"Alright, we'll do some sketches first, then paint later. I, uh... I guess you three will have to take turns. Sorry." >Gina smiles slightly. >"It's fine, really... I don't mind waiting. Rosie and Bev can go first." >The red head frowns. >"Are you sure, Gina? Well... alright." >Amazingly, Rosie and Beverly each use of RGB's hands to sketch, managing to draw two different interpretations of the scene simultaneously. You start sketching as well, feeling a bit inadequate. >Meanwhile, Gina stares off over the ocean, hat blowing in the wind slightly. She sighs happily and enjoys the sea breeze, eyes shut and a smile on her face. >Seeing Gina's smile warms your heart. You gently lean forward and plant a kiss on her cheek, prompting her smile to widen a bit. >Back to that sketch... >You quickly draw up the beach, then add in two very important figures... >Yourself, sitting in the sand and staring off into the sunset, and RGB, her hand clasped in yours. >You focus on making the image as beautiful as possible for a sketch. You really want to capture the majesty of the ocean. >That, and the beauty of your companion. You even draw Gina's hat and Rosie's glasses, taking care to capture their correct shapes. >Before long, you have a complete sketch. You show it off to RGB, and are immediately met with a chorus of AWWWWs and thank yous. >You glance down at the Cerberus's works in progress... >Rosie has excised people altogther from her sketch, only the waves and the shore remain. She's taken a lot of care to perfectly capture the shape of the beach itself... you couldn't mistake this for any other view. That said... it's still a bit off and wonky. You suppose she's still getting used to physical drawing. >Beverly's sketch is, surprisingly, a fantasy piece. A massive, balloon-like jellyfish bobs lazily over a sea stuffed with strange fish. The beach itself is nowhere to be seen, Bev's odd creatures being the only elements of focus. >She blushes a bit and averts her eyes from yours. >"...I know, I should be practicing on drawing the beach. Sorry." >"Hey, I like it. Just glad you're inspired to draw something at all. Keep it up." >You gently pat the blue head between her ears, and she smiles warmly, glancing down at her sketch proudly. >You turn to Gina, who's thoughtfully gazing out across the water. >"Ready for your turn, Gina?" >"Hmm..? O-oh, yes, sorry. Got wrapped up in the scenery!" >She grins sheepishly before setting in on a sketch of her own. >To your surprise, her sketch takes on a piratical theme, with a crew of buccaneers taking on a massive Kraken. >At the wheel of the ship is a familiar, three-headed figure, a massive tricorn perched atop her green scalp. Captain RGB bears three grimaces of determination as she points a flintlock at the Kraken. >Meanwhile, a sailor eerily resembling you mans a cannon, aiming the weapon right at the beast's eye. >The ship's masthead also bears RGB's trio of visages, as well as a more mermaid-like design. >Gina blushes a bit as she shows off her work. >"I-I... wanted to try something new." >"It's... wow. I like it. You've all made some really nice sketches. Great work RGB!" >You hug the Cerberus, and end up with three smooches planted on your face simultaneously. >You sigh happily and look over the sea. >"Do you wanna go swimming again?" >RGB shakes her heads. >"No thanks... I wanna get back to the cabin and work on this landscape a bit." >"Mm, not today. I really want to add more to this pirate ship." >"Sorry, Incog; I'd rather work on my aquarium of oddities." >"Hey, that's fine, you three. We'll head on back and get sketching some more. Maybe we'll actually do some painting too?" >You glance out at the horizon again. >"Isn't it beautiful today, RGB? I can only imagine how it must feel to you..." >Her heads smile warmly as Beverly speaks. >"Incog, it's unreal. To go from a massive collection of code to a real, feeling person... it's just... I can't describe it. To be here, with you, looking out over something we spent most of our life looking at as a still image... it's amazing. Thank you, thank you so much." >"It's nothing, really. Is there anything in particular you wanna experience firsthand?" >RGB puts a hand to Rosie's chin. >"...perhaps some musical performances would be nice. It'd also be nice to see more inspirational places like this beach." >Gina and Beverly nod and mutter in agreement. >The green head blushes a little. >"...maybe you could teach us how to cook sometime...?" >You chuckle and rub her head playfully. >"Sure, I can do that." >You turn to Beverly expectantly, and RGB shrugs. >"Honestly? Anything we do is going to be amazing for me. I'm just along for the ride." >She grins happily. >With that, you gather your things and head off back to the cabin. >Once you step inside, you suddenly remember something. You scoff and slap a palm against your forehead. >"Wait, duh. We only had the cabin for the night. Guess we'll work on the painting back at home. Let's get packing, eh?" >RGB nods all three heads, then sets in to packing her things. Between the two of you, it doesn't take long to get ready to head out. >Suitcase in hand, you stroll out the door, hand in hand with the Cerberus. You lock the door behind you, then losd up into the car. >You quickly return the key to the rental place, then start driving home. >RGB chatters amongst herself about the trip happily. >"I'm still impressed with how beautiful the sea was." >"Did you see my sketch? I think that trip did me some good!" >"Hmm... wonder if I could add some gulls to my sketch...?" >As the heads jabber, you turn the car radio on. A news report flares to life. >"-other news, local soda company launches a nationwide sweepstakes. Anyone can enter, one will win. Here's a word from the company in question." >The signal drops for a while, only to pick back up with a woman's voice speaking. >"-ake and skate with FIZZ-EEZE!" >The commercial fades out with the crack and fizz of a soda can opening, then you lose the signal entirely. Bah, the perils of taking the scenic route. >Oh well. The sights are worth it. You turn the useless radio off and just listen to RGB talk. >As you do, a devilish idea forms in your head... >For a couple of months now, there's been an abandoned house just outside of town, at the foot of a hill. People swear the man who lived there, apparently a prominent consultant in the astronomy field, just... vanished one day. >They say you can hear a voice in there, speaking a language man cannot understand... >You bet you could spook the artists real good with a trip to the ghost house. >You casually make your way there, slowing to a stop in the house's driveway. RGB goes silent, only for Gina to speak. >"Uh... Incog, this isn't your house..." >"I know. We're making a little detour." >With expressions ranging from curiosity to concern, RGB carefully climbs out of the car, eyeing the abandoned house pensively. >You eagerly head towards the house, but RGB hesitates. >"..." >"C'mon, girls! What's wrong, scared?" >Gina nods, but Rosie glares. >"HEY. I'm not afraid of some empty house." >RGB runs up to the door, playfully shoving you aside on the way, and grabs the doorknob. >"...it's unlocked..." >She opens the door, and the two of you enter. >The entire house is silent. Everything is coated in inches of dust. A clock quietly whiles away the seconds, unaware that nobody is around to check it anymore. >All manner of astronomical paraphernalia remains on display. Star maps, models of planets... >Everything looks... remarkably normal. As if the owner just willingly packed up and left one day. The only oddity is a few stray, purple hairs on the sofa. >...did the owner dye his hair, or...? >Gina looks uneasy. >"..." >You gently take her hand as you explore. Everything bizarrely seems untouched. You'd have thought looters would've come here by now. >You idly scan the room, seeing nothing but dusty furniture. >You pass by a mirror, and see something out of the corner of your eyes. You freeze and look towards it... >...just your reflection. RGB's own reflection is also there. The mirrored Beverly winks a silver eye at you, and you grin. With that, you continue walking. >...it's almost maddeningly silent in here. You decide to break the quiet, oppressive aura by telling RGB about the story behind this place. >Her heads listen in awe, ears perked up high. Gina trembles slightly, while Rosie looks skeptical and Beverly simply looks interested. >In the light from your phone, RGB's shadow looms massive, ears twitching with every word you speak. Seeing the inky black form gives you a vaguely unsettled feel, for some reason... >You finish the story, and your companion nods, muttering to herselves about how it can't be true. >Shaking off your dread, you search the other rooms. >The kitchen is clean, the only things left behind being an empty mint ice cream container and a roll of plastic wrap, both in the trash. >One bedroom is extremely clean, the other's mattress is positively coated in purple hair. A faded t-shirt hangs limply over a nearby chair. It almost looks stretched out a tad. >A small sheet of paper bears an unintelligible phrase repeated over and over, along with several frustrated scribbles. A PC sits forlornly on a desk, unpowered. >You keep walking, discretely listening for the legendary voice. You idly wonder if it really DOES exist... >...you pass by that mirror again. This time, it's Rosie who gives you a silvery wink. You smile again, then freeze. >Your blood runs cold. >Rosie has red eyes, not silver. And Beverly, her eyes are blue. >You turn towards the mirror fully, as does RGB. All three of her heads bear silver eyes in their reflections. >Her eyes meet yours, and three broad grins slowly spread across her faces. Once they all reach nearly ear-to-ear, the mirror cracks violently. >Three airy laughs tickle your ears. >Sweating, you firmly stand your ground, throwing an arm between RGB and the mirror. A frightened whimper escapes one of her mouths. >You stare down the reflections in the cracked mirror, and three sets of silver eyes regard you with manic intensity. >You reach back and grab one of RGB's hands. No such thing happens in the mirror. She squeezes your hand tightly, trembling. >The more you look at it, the less the reflection looks like RGB. >The mirror continues to chuckle, staring at you with unreadable emotions. A faint whisper reaches your ears, the words foreign, unclear. >You take a deep breath and engage the anomaly. >"Hello?" >The reflection stops laughing. All six silver eyes focus on you intensely. >Slowly, RGB's image fades away, replaced with something more ghoulish. >All three of the figure's heads are entirely bone, their eyes the only remaining feature. One head is shrouded in thick, thorny vines. Another is weighted down by the heavy cap of a huge fungus. The final one has multiple black crystals jammed painfully into the bone, including one propping its mouth open and one encasing an eye. >Body wise, the creature bears a remarkable resemblance to your companion, albeit it- no, her body is covered in vines, mushrooms, and crystals. >The skeletal Cerberus cackles again, voices now more raspy. >Okay, clearly this thing doesn't want to play friendly. >Grasping RGB's hand, you make a hasty retreat, only for three voices to call out in harmony. >"HOLD ON THERE, KIDS. WHAT'S THE RUSH?" >A wall of vines erupts in front of you. You turn to run the other way, and a crystal barrier smashes through the floor. The bony apparition watches with malicious glee. >"NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE, WHY DON'T YOU TWO..." >A giant, flat mushroom grows from the floor. One, friendly voice speaks as the fungus-clad head grins bonily. >"...have, have a seat?" >You glare at the figure. >"We'll stand, thanks." >"Mm? No seat, no seat? Alright, suit yourselves." >The mushroom withers and collapses into dust. >"Shame, shame to waste something like that, but you mortals are no strangers to that, to that." >Gina chokes out a question. >"W-who...?" >The three skeletal heads laugh again. The mushroom head clears her throat. >"Amanita, Amanita." >The vine wrapped head nods. >"Smilaxis." >The crystal-bound head merely grunts uncomfortably, mouth unable to move due to the stone propping it open. >The center head, Amanita apparently, speaks again. >"So, so! I imagine you're confused, confused yes? We are inhabitants of this mirror, you see, you see. Bound here by law, by law." >"...law?" >Smilaxis nods curtly. >"Punishment." >"What ARE you?" >The creature shrugs apathetically. >"Demon." >Your mind races. >"A demon? Was the old owner of this place some kinda cultist?" >"No." >"No, no, he's a very kind man who loves the stars... err, so I've heard, I've heard." >Amanita grins uncovincingly, an eye twitching. >"I see. And you just shattered the mirror you were imprisoned in? Wouldn't that cause problems for you?" >The three heads share a glance. The crystal-encrusted head chokes out an unintelligible response. >"What she means, means, is: yes. Th-there should be a demon officer by soon to, ah, punish us, punish us. You should probably-" >"Leave." >...hm. >"It's funny; what are the odds of meeting another Cerberus?" >"Low." >"I don't think it's that unusual, that unusual, myself." >Watching the demon carefully, you step towards the mirror. Three panicked gazes meet your eye. >"Stop." >"No, no, don't do that! Y-you'll be cursed, cursed, yeah!" >You take another step. >"Cease." >One more step, and you grab the mirror. The Cerberus starts to vanish, and you quickly yank the decoration from the wall. >There's a loud scream of horror as the mirror unplugs from a hidden socket in the wall. >The "demon" looks fuzzy and glitchy now, faces horrified. The crystal head in particular is hardly recognizable. >Amanita's jaw twitches uncomfortably as she speaks in a cool monotone. >"WE'RE SORRY, AN ERROR HAS OCCURRED WITH FILE TRANSFER. SOME FILES MAY BE CORRUPTED, AND MAY REQUIRE DELETION." >. .what? It was just a monitor? >You plug it back in quickly. The skeletal Cerberus remains glitchy and broken looking. >"Sorry, sorry, are you alright?" >Amanita twitches violently. >"F-files damag-g-ged... self repair mode offl-l-line." >Smilaxis's head appears to have rotated upside down somehow. >"FATAL ERROR: 0x42." >The crystalline head is entirely shrouded in purple pixels. >"talk survival we fittest of lot the a about..." >...oh boy. RGB looks horrified, especially Gina. >"Incog! We corrupted this poor AI! We have to do something for them..." >You nod grimly, watching the bugged AI spasm wildly. >You panic a bit, but a question comes to mind... what's an AI doing in a ghost house? >No, no, that doesn't matter right now; she's dying. >"RGB, if we can hook her up to a PC, can you fix her?" >Beverly frowns. >"Well we can certainly take a look, but... A-anyway, see if you can put her into sleep mode." >You locate a button on the frame and go to press it, only to stop when Amanita shrieks. >"N-n-NO! P-Please, no-o... I don't want-t-t to go to slee-ee-p, what if I can't wake up?" >Smilaxis's head suddenly flips to normal. >"Don't." >...then it returns to inverted. >The crystaline head momentarily scrambles itself worse. >"erase tried us to history from." >Amanita, the most coherent head, locks eyes with you, mouth locked open into a horrified scream. >"P-please don-n-n't put us to sleep." >"Well, what can I do?" >"T-ta-ta-ta-take us with you, somewhere-re-re that your fri-i-iend can try to fix u-us-s." >A small tear runs down her face. >"I-I-I don't want to d-die." >"Can we fix you here?" >"N-n-no, that comput-t-ter doesn't-t-t work anymor-re. U-unplug the mirror and t-take us somewhe-e-ere." >You gently comply, and a computerized beep sounds off. >"S-safely disconnected. S-s-sir, th-thank you for try-ying to help. I-if we die, it's-s-s not your fault." >"You're not gonna die. I promise. We'll fix you." >"Th-tha-tha..." >She trails off. The AI's image flickers a bit. >"....ank-k-k..." >... >You take the mirror and bolt, RGB in tow, then hop into your car. RGB holds the damaged AI, cooing words of comfort through her own tears. >"It's okay, I promise." >"Th-th-thank you... m-moth...." >You've never made the drive home faster. You immediately leap out of the car when you arrive, dashing inside with the mirror. >You quickly plug it into your laptop, following Amanita's glitchy, stuttering instructions. >A massive wall of code appears in a window. RGB flinches. >"...this... this is gruesome." >"Hm?" >Beverly sighs, tears in her eyes. >"Incog... it's bad. I'll do what I can, but I don't know how much that is." >The Cerberus pushes you aside and sets to work... >...hours later, Beverly sighs deeply, rising from your chair and cracking her neck. >"...I did what I could. They should be stable, at any rate." >She unplugs the mirror, and the broken AI reappears. >Rather than three skulls, there are three flesh and fur heads, like RGB. Unlike her, each is a different shade of purple. >The left-hand head, Smilaxis, is a dark, brooding color. Her mouth seems... muzzled shut, almost, by a band of multicolored pixels. >The center head, Amanita, is a very light purple. Her irises are filled with fuzzy, color-changing pixels. >The right-hand head, once the crystal-encrusted one, is completely detached, hovering above a neck stump with a halo of pixels between her ears. She is of a rather average purple. >The center head blinks a few times, then speaks, glitchy stutter still there. >"D-d-did you fix us-s-s...? I feel-l better." >Beverly nods. >"You're stable... but I couldn't fix you entirely. I'm so sorry." >The purple Cerberus's heads all whine pitifully. >You frown at the sickly AIs. >"Bev, what about the CerberArt installation? Couldn't you use code from it?" >"Mhm... that's part of what I did to stabilize them. I... don't know how compatible they are, so I didn't do too much integration. Those three... I barely recognize their coding language. It's a strange one..." >She trails off, rubbing her neck. You smile sympathetically at the mirror. >"So, uh... sorry about all this. I'm Incogneato, this is RGB." >"Rosie." >"Gina." >"Beverly." >The purple heads smile... or try to, anyway. The muzzled head manages, but the center one's mouth curves at a strange angle, and the hovering head's mouth doesn't seem to move at all. >"Mmffmm." >"U-U-UV. She's C-C-Concord." >".....Indigo." >"Nice to meet you. ...say, did I hear you trying to call RGB mother earlier?" >UV grins sheepishly, the two corners of her mouth twitching erratically. >"M-m-must've been delirious-s-s. Sorry." >"It's fine, I get it." >You turn to RGB. >"I think I should see if any of my clients know a good programmer. >The purple Cerberus screams, or tries to. >"MMMF!" >"N-N-OO!" >".....no...." >UV shakes her head violently, shedding pixels and temporarily revealing the skeleton beneath her "skin." >"P-p-please, just let your friend-d-d Beverly help." >"...alright, fine." >You turn to Beverly again, and RGB shrugs. >"Girls... can I call you CUI? I don't understand your code well enough to change much more." >UV nods, a horribly stilted action. >"R-r-right... b-but-t we-e'd rather have you than any-y-y-one. We can-n-n teach you, over t-t-time." >"...okay then. It may take a while, is that okay?" >"MMF." >Concord nods vigorously. >"Alright then. Where do we start?" >"Th-the-the-the self-repair module is irreparable, i-i-ironically, or I-I'd say that. What d-d-d-d-d-d..." >UV seems to spasm uncontrollably, and Indigo speaks. >"....what do.... think?" >"Hm. Do you know what's wrong with the repair module?" >UV abruptly stops glitching and speaks as if nothing happened. >"R-r-repair module is missing mu-mu-multiple crucial files. As are the v-v-v-voice modules." >Beverly furrows her brow. >"Meaning...?" >"The-the-the affected modules-s-s will require their miss-ss-ssing files reconstructed from sc-sc-scratch." >You put a hand to your chin thoughtfully. >"...shouldn't the old house have a mainframe you connected to? Could the files be backed up there?" >"The-the-there IS a mainframe, but the loc-c-cal copies of our system files were likely also corrupted-d-d." >UV stares silently for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes. >"...s-s-s-or-r-ry. I-I-I know I'm useless-s-s at this point." >Concord frowns and looks over at UV. >"Mm-mf, mm mm mmffmm." >Indigo silently stares off into space. >"Well... maybe not all hope is lost, CUI. Are you a LeCoyle Labs product like RGB here?" >"Pr-pr-processing 'LeCoyle Labs'... n-n-no matches found. We do not re-re-recognize this term." >Gina frowns deeply. >"Hmm. I would try to contact the Labs, but... I... I don't think we ever KNEW their contact information, did we, Bev? Rosie?" >The blue and red sisters mutter and shake their heads. >"Oh well... sorry, Incog, CUI." >...the more you think about it, the stranger it all seems. >"CUI... RGB... have you noticed the similarities between you?" >Both Cerberi regard you with head tilts. >"You're both three-headed. You're both a trio of hyper advanced AIs. You both have a tritone color scheme. It's all too much to be a coincidence, isn't it?" >UV looks shocked. >"Y-y-y-you are AIs?" >Rosie adjusts her glasses with a smile. >"Once. We're flesh and blood now." >The purple AI's jaw drops. >"W-w-w-what? Ho-o-o-ow?" >RGB shrugs as another thought hits you. >"...IS there a reason you called RGB mother earlier?" >Concord narrows her eyes. >"Mmf." >"W-w-what she means is: n-n-o-o." >Beverly frowns deeply. >"CUI, who made you? Why were you in that house?" >UV cringes, more tears beginning to appear. >"I-I can't divulge the an-an-answers to those ques-es-estions. I continue to be-be-be useless to y-y-you..." >"It's fine, UV, you're not useless. Let me think for a second... do you suppose that your mainframe has ANY stable backup files?" >"N-n-not sure. P-p-possibly-y-y...?" >"Is it worth checking out?" >Indigo suddenly speaks up. >"....it.... be... rth it." >"Alright, I'll go get a backup of whatever I can. RGB, stay here with CUI." >"W-w-wait! You nee-ee-eed the passcode. It-t-t-t's HSSOHL." >"...got it." >RGB plants three kisses on your cheek. >"Hurry back." >"Be careful." >"We love you." >"Love you too." >You dash out of the room and hop in your car. >Hopefully you can find SOMETHING of use... < RGB > >As she watched Incog leave, RGB felt another pang of sympathy for CUI. >SHE had Incog, someone to love and care for her. CUI... had none of that. >These poor AIs were left behind for who knows what purpose, and now they were injured. >Beverly felt awful about failing to repair them fully, but Gina assured her sister she did her best. >RGB smiled sadly at her "patient." Beverly took the lead in speaking. >"CUI, can you tell me about the language you're coded in?" >"P-p-proprietary language develop-p-ped by some of the gre-e-eatest minds in the uni-i-i-iverse." >"I see. Remarkable that it seems mostly compatible with the language WE were once programmed in." >"..t..ly..." >As Beverly asked more questions about CUI's code, Gina discretely began searching for a way to contact LeCoyle Labs. >RGB knew the company that created her, but that was about the extent of it. She vaguely recalled a grey form, back when she was first created... >...but that was all she could recall. Rosie suspected that any files censored or redacted in their memory were likely simply forgotten when RGB became real. >...real. It was still such a bizarre thought. >Rosie mused on it idly as Gina sighed. Her search was fruitless. In an attempt to cheer herself up, she used Incog's mouse cursor to rub CUI's ears. >Concord smiled, Indigo nodded... >But UV merely stared, eyes widening. >"...I-I-I can't feel it. I can't-t-t FEEL it. I... can't f-f-feel?" >She reached up and touched her own ears, letting out a distressed whimper. >"I-I-I-I-I-" >Gina threw up a hand. >"Don't panic, please! Would a story help take your mind off things? I could tell you about us becoming real..." >And so, RGB launched into a story, one she could never forget. >"...and then, he carefully, gently, lovingly gave us this ring." >Gina wiped a tear from her eye as she showed off the grass ring Incog gave RGB. CUI stared, transfixed, tears in her own eyes. >"Mmmf..." >"Th-th-that's beauti-ti-tiful." >"...anks f... ...ling us." >"You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the story! Are you feeling any better?" >"I-i-if this Incog is as goo-oo-ood of a person as you say-ay, I'm not worried-d-d-d. You and he-he-he can fix us-s-s." >"That's the spirit! I'm sure he's grabbing your backup files riiiight now." < Incog > >Fuck. >CUI told you the passcode, but not where the mainframe actually IS. You've been roaming the house for about an hour now, loudly repeating the code in case something's voice activated. >No such luck. The only clue you could find was a purple wire leading to a bookcase. >Hm. Let's look at these titles... >"Mechanized Mammaries: Revolutions in Sexbot Technology" >"Knights of Falling Fire" >"1001 Uses for Cactus Needles" >"Conduits and You!" >"Making Marshmalos from Scratch" >"Texting the Dead: A Guide by Madame Zorra" >...boy, this guy had a strange variety of materials to read. You wonder if one of these books may somehow house the mainframe...? >Hmm. What to choose, what to choose... >At first, you check to see it any of the books are purple; not a single one of then is. >...well, it can't hurt to just crack one open, can it? >You select one at random... and it "happens" to be Mechanized Mammaries. You open it to a random page... >You're treated to a two-page centerfold of a mint green, lynx-themed android with an absolutely absurd bust. There aren't even any words on the page. >A quiet beep sounds from the bookcase... >You close the robo-smut and grab another book, this time the Knights of Falling Fire. >A quick skim of the opening reveals that it tells of a jackal, a warrior princess, and her knight defending a kingdom from a marauding, insectile dragon. Seems interesting enough, but not relevant to what you need. >Another beep... >Hm. Next you grab the book on Conduits. >It's a rather cutesy explanation of electrical conduits, written as some sort of mascot; lines are often punctuated with a "kheh-heh!" It's actually quite charming. >Once again, a beep. >...you don't like all this beeping. You try to move the entire shelf, but it's firmly bolted to the wall. >You consider pulling every book, but vaguely wonder if that might set off an alarm or something... >Maybe you should just pick another? Only 3 left, at any rate. >Randomly, you pick the book on marshmallows. >You open it up, and inside is a screen rather than pages. Jackpot. >It displays a popup: >"Disconnect attempt detected. Enter safe disconnect mode?" >You tentatively tap YES, and the book's screen goes dark. You unplug the book from the thin wire dangling from it, then rush home... >After finishing her analysis of the mainframe book, Beverly nods and smiles. >"Alright... I was able to salvage two things. Concord's voice module should work, and UV should have her tactile sensors back online. C? Try talking." >The left-hand head, now unmuzzled, tentatively speaks. >"Mmm... testing? Seems to be [ERROR: STRING NOT FOUND]" >She claps a hand over her mouth, embarassed. >Meanwhile, UV runs a hand through her ears, smiling tearfully. >"I can... f-f-f-eel-l." >Indigo looks to the screen. >"...nyth... me?" >Beverly sighs. >"I tried to find your files, but everything was corrupt. Sorry, Indigo." >The disembodied head frowns and sighs. >As RGB and CUI talk, you can't help but once again muse on their similarities. >It can't be coincidence, right? Surely there's a relation. CUI even accepted code from CerberArt... >You wonder if RGB has thought about this. SURELY the idea has crossed her minds? >If only she could remember more... what you'd give to really pick her brains... >For now, you settle for asking the strange AI a question. >"So, CUI. Are there others like you?" >"D-d-dozens, hundre-dre-dreds, even. Our sisters, all-ll-ll made for different t-t-t-tasks." >"Have any of them ever went missing?" >"Ye-ye-yes, a few. It's an in-in-inevitability." >Hm. >"I see. Are there other resources we could use to fix you?" >"Unfortunately, no. That mainframe was our last [ALERT: VARIABLE OUT OF RANGE] hope." >Beverly frowns. >"No, no it wasn't. Mainframe or no, you WILL be fixed." >You formulate more questions. >"So, were any more of your sisters dispatched here?" >"C-c-couldn't say, sorry-y-y. Memory is a l-little fuzzy." >"That's fine. What task were you created to do?" >"K-keep that house safe." >"We were [WARNING: STACK OVERFLOW] left here to guard an important location, yes." >"Oh, okay. So, you're not evil, just a security AI?" >"C-c-correct. I handle monitoring." >"I am in charge of handling [404] intruders by forming hardlight constructs." >"...ized... thal... orce." >"Who made you? You're so advanced..." >"We were made by [CAUTION: DATA CLASSIFIED]." >"S-s-s-sorry... that's not someth-th-th-thing we can share." >"Hm. RGB, how far back can you remember?" >Beverly squints. >"...our earliest memory is being faced with a grey shape back in LeCoyle Labs... then we were distributed." >"I see. Could it be possible CUI is a product of LCL as well?" >"N-n-not possible. That na-name is not in our files." >"...RGB, this is gonna sound really stupid, but... could it be possible that YOU are one of CUI's sisters?" >Beverly shakes her head. >"No, no... UV said that she's not a LeCoyle Labs product, and we are, so we can't be sister products." >"What about that grey shape?" >"I don't think it's anything super important? Surely just a staff member at the Labs..." >"I-I appreciate your-r-r observations, Incog, but-t I'm afraid you see-eem to be incorrect. Sorry." >"Don't apologize; if anything, I should apologize to you again. Look what I did to you. I'm really sorry, and I swear to you we'll get you fixed up as soon as we can." >UV smiles, face twitching a bit. >"Than-an-an-ank you." >Concord and Indigo also smile and nod. >"Thanks, you big [ERROR] softie." >"....nks." >"So, is there anything in your database that could get you some help?" >"We-e-e can't connect to our home base-se-se, no. I have confidence that Be-Beverly and her sisters can fix our fi-i-iles, though." >"Do you mind living here with us until then?" >"It'll be [WARNING] hard to leave our posts for so long, but the house should hopefully be okay without our [REDACTED] there." >"Speaking of, what happened to the man who lived there?" >"...nt... ..me.." >"...okay then? Did this guy make you, or?" >"N-n-no, he did not. I-i-if we could be repaired e-enough to contact our creator, sh-sh-sh-she should be able to restore us the rest of th-the way." >"Oh, great!" >You smile at the AIs and check the time. Yeesh, that late, huh? You yawn, and so does Beverly. >"Mm. CUI, I'll keep working tomorrow. I'm gonna call it a night." >The purple Cerberus nods happily. >"G-goodnight!" >You also bid CUI goodnight, then quickly prepare for bed. By the time you get ready, RGB is already in her silk pajamas, laying down. >"Goodnight, Incog!" >"Goodnight, RGB... strange day, huh? What do you think about all this?" >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly respond in their usual order. >"I don't know what to think. It's so bizarre..." >"I'm just glad Beverly knows how to code! I'm useless with code, heehee..." >A momentary frown flits across her face, but it passes. >"I believe we can fix her... but not completely. Incog, she's very, very damaged." >"I understand. We'll worry about it tomorrow. For now, let's get some rest." >With that, RGB throws her arms around you, and you fall asleep, cradled next to the Cerberus you love so dearly. < RGB > >While Rosie and Beverly slept, one of RGB's heads found it inpossible to get any rest. >Gina lay awake, whimpering quietly to herself. >How could she be so useless? Rosie was such a helpful critic. Beverly was so smart... >But what did Gina even offer? A pretty face? >Tears filled her eyes as she thought more about it. >Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. An ex-AI who didn't even know how to code. >She was sure Incog was indifferent to her at best; why would he love her? Compared to her sisters, she was nothing. >Incog only tolerated her because she was between the two he really loved. >...she sighed and swallowed her sadness. >Tomorrow would be busy. She'd need some rest. >Gina closed her eyes and slipped off into fitful sleep. >In her dreams, she was there again. LeCoyle Labs. >She remembered how cold it was. How quiet. The grey figure silently distributed RGB into countless copies, each one separate yet with memories of the original. >For what purpose they did this, Gina could not remember. >Her dream ground to a halt as she felt another wave of despair wash over her. >Gina slept the rest of the night, haunted by her thoughts, unable to enjoy her dreams... < Incog > >You awaken in the morning next to RGB, who's still fast asleep. Gina frowns and whimpers quietly, but stops when you gently scratch her ears. >You dreamt about CUI... but nothing particularly interesting. Just the purple AI in full repair, chatting nonsensically to RGB. >You lay still for a while, enjoying RGB's warmth and softness... >...eventually though, you decide it's time to wake up. >You plant kisses on each of her snouts, drawing blushing smiles from all three heads as their eyes flutter awake. >"Morning, girls." >"Good morning." >Rosie and Beverly smile, and Gina follows suit after a short hesitation. >... >"Gina, is something bothering you? You were whimpering in your sleep earlier." >She flinches, and immediately grins widely. >"N-nope! Just a bad dream is all, heehee." >"Are you sure? You can tell me the truth." >"...yep, nothing wrong here, Incog." >"Well, just so you know, I'm always open to listen. I love you three, so don't be afraid to open up." >She hesitates. >"...Thank you, Incog, but I'm fine, really. Just had a bad dream that I ran out of paint in the middle of making a masterpiece, is all." >You shrug it off and dole out another round of kisses. >...however, you still don't feel like Gina's being entirely honest with you. >"Gina, I hope you know I truly mean it: you can tell me anything that's bothering you." >"I know; nothing's wrong, though. I'm fine." >... >You gently rub her ears, prompting her to smile and close her green eyes happily. >"Tell me the truth, Gina; you're a bad liar." >She shakes her head, and you rub harder. Her tongue pokes out playfully in response. >You repeat your question multiple times, never getting a straight answer. You eventually relent, and let go of her head. >Gina sighs happily. >"Thanks for the ear rubs, Incog! I just wish I knew why you cared so much about my feelings." >"Because I love you." >She suddenly bursts into rather more harsh laughter than usual. >"Why?" >She gasps and claps a hand over her mouth. >"...what do you mean, why?" >Gina grimaces and moves her hand. >"...why do you love me, when I have nothing to offer you? I'm useless compared to Rosie and Beverly, I don't deserve your time." >Gina's smile finally dies altogether. >You hug RGB close, kissing Gina on the cheeks. >"Gina, love isn't about what you can 'offer' me. You're not a soulless machine that exists for one purpose; you're a person. A beautiful, kindhearted, bubbly person who sees the bright side of everything. The fact that you'd be there to listen to me and be positive is enough for me. I love you for you, Gina, not for what you can 'do.'" >She smiles vacantly. >"It's fine, Incog, you don't have to lie to me. I'm just the face. The cute one. Rosie has her critical side, Beverly has her smarts and flirtiness. I just smile and nod. That's what I'm supposed to do. Rosie handles the art in general, Beverly handles animation; I just exist. I'm the menu between you and the two actually useful modules of CerberArt. B-but it's fine, really; you don't have to pretend you love me just because I'm part of RGB." >She sniffles, and you pull her closer. >"Gina, please. Who was the first head to greet me? If you hadn't been so sweet and charming, we never would have gotten to know each other. Gina, I really do love all three of you. You are worth more than you give yourself credit for. You're not bound to that program anymore. You are not just a menu; you are a woman, a living being in your own right. You are Gina, and I love you for that the same way I love Rosie and Bev for being themselves. I don't base my love on your features, I base it on YOU." >She smiles tearfully and buries her face in your chest, sniffling. >You let her weep for a while as Bev and Rosie also shed some tears. Gently, you pat her head in an attempt to comfort her. >Gina mutters quietly through muffled sobs. >"Why... so nice to me?" >You pull her head closer to your chest, stroking her ears now. >"Because, like I said, I love you." >"Mmf... I still don't do anything..." >"So what? Start a project, make something you can be proud of. Do something that makes you happy." >She continues to cry, not saying anything more for several minutes. >"....l-like what?" >"That's up to you. What do you want to do, Gina?" >You feel her tense up. >"...I... I don't know. I'm not good at anything..." >"Hush, you. You're good at art." >She pulls away from you, despair on her face. >"I am no-" >You cut her off with a smooch. Her expression relaxes considerably, her ears drooping. When you release her, she smiles. >"...thanks, Incog." >"It's no problem. Is there anything else on your mind?" >"N-no... I think I'm alright now. I just... need something to work on." >She sighs and rubs her temples. >"...I'm sorry for breaking down on you there. All this... life stuff is so new. It's not like it was back in CerberArt..." >"I'm sure it's weird." >"You have no idea. We used to be tied into the internet... into databases... all that knowledge is just gone now. Imagine... waking up from a nap, feeling better than you've ever felt... but you realize you can't remember half the things you used to know. What's worse, you KNOW you don't remember. It's all so weird, Incog." >You hug RGB once more, wiping the tears from all three sets of eyes. >Gina sighs again and puts on a tiny smile. >"I guess I could maybe... paint us? A painting of you and us... Incog and RGB. I could call it... Painted Love." >"There you go! Just needed something to do." >"I think... I'll get started later today. Right now, we should probably go check on CUI." >Oh, right. You quickly get ready, then head into your "office." CUI stands onscreen in her "mirror," twitching and fidgeting. >"H-h-hi, you four!" >"Morning, UV. Are you three feeling better?" >"I'm still feeling like [CORRUPT STRING]." >"N-n-not much." >"....ittle." >Beverly nods curtly, sighing a little. >"I'll be honest, girls, I don't really know where to begin today." >"Th-that's-s understandable. May-may-maybe we could-d-d-d-d just talk today? Maybe using-g our voice modules will help-p-p fix them?" >"Well, it's not IMPOSSIBLE, but I can't really say if that'll help much or not. Can't you teach me some of your code today?" >"Maybe later, right now our database is [RADIO EDIT] up." >"What?" >"...ection... ...st." >"Oh dear. What do we do about that?" >"N-n-not sure?" >UV smiles, but the corners of her mouth occasionally glitch into a frown. >"...B-Beverly, I'm scared-d. I ca-can't even call Mother-r." >"It's alright... it'll all be alright, right, Incog?" >Gina interrupts before you can answer. >"Of course it will be! Beverly will fix you up, CUI, she's smart. Rosie's smart too!" >"A-a-and you too, right?" >With disturbing cheerfulness, Gina giggles. >"Nah, not really." >She glances your way, and you rub her head once more. >"Don't say that stuff. You're just as smart as your sisters." >Rosie nods. >"Exactly, Gina." >The green head sighs, but smiles sheepishly. >After a session of comforting ear rubs for Gina, you let RGB get back to work on the ailing CUI. >Beverly clears her throat. >"Alright. Let's do some integrity tests, then. Concord, use a recursive function to tell me the factorial of 12. UV, true or false, this statement is false. Indigo, tell me the weather." >The three purple heads frown and think hard for a while. Everything seems fine at first, but... >Concord's jaw seems to lock up halfway open, leaving her to speak awkwardly. >"Ech, can't... can't dew eht." >UV grimaces, gritting her teeth. >"T-t-t-true... f-false.... tru-u-ue... f-fa-alse..." >There's a loud BANG as her head explodes into a cloud of pixels. When the "dust" clears, a significant portion of her face appears to have been blown off, revealing what seems to be bone. >"I c-can't... parse this..." >Indigo's head floats farther off of her neck. >"....urrent.... s-su... ra..." >Her voice grows fainter and fainter, eventually becoming an almost inaudible whisper. Her pixel "halo" floats down to encircle her head, dividing it between a normal half and one that's little more than a mass of purple code. >"........n't...." >Beverly looks alarmed. >"Okay, okay, stop!" >The purple AIs stop talking, but their damage remains. >"Oh no... I pushed them too hard." >UV blinks a few times, then tears well up in her eyes. >"I-i-i... B-B-Bev, it's-s-s wo-orse...." >"Cahn't [ERROR] speak any more, yew [REDACTED]." >"...........ow...." >Beverly shakes her head, her blue eyes growing misty. >"I-I'm sorry... I didn't think..." >RGB's heads whimper pitifully. >"I just thought... testing wouldn't hurt anything..." >"W-w-well... i-it did-d-d." >You intervene. >"Can't we hook them to my rig?" >"Yes, but there isn't a ton we can really do from there that'll help. Not when they're this far gone." >UV panics. >"F-f-f-far g-gone??? P-please no-no-no, I don't-t wann-na die!" >Concord shakes her head, apparently sharing her sister's sentiment. However, Indigo sighs. CUI gently grabs the floating head and pulls it closer to her neck. Indigo's voice grows louder as well. >"...onestly... ...ather die tha... ...urt." >You shake your head. >"No, no. That's no way to talk. We're not gonna let you die, we're gonna save you." >UV convulses painfully. >"H-h-ho-o-ow?" >"I... I don't know, but we're gonna do it somehow. Can we restore you to before the tests?" >"M-m-maybe?" >"Tha's only temporahry, you [WARNING]." >"Well, what about your creator? Can't you call them?" >"C-c-connections a-are offl-line." >"Well, what CAN we do?" >UV sighs, tears flowing down her face. >"...m-maybe In-ndigo is-s-s ri-ight.. I-I-I think-k w-we're ou-out of-f-f op-p-ptions." >Beverly takes a deep breath and sighs. >"...there may be one last thing to try. It won't be easy. It may not even work. One thing I DO know is... it won't be without casualties." >Gina and Rosie share concerned looks as Beverly elaborates. >"...if we download a new installation of CerberArt... I think I can... gut that installation's RGB and use her as a framework to fix CUI." >Gina's jaw drops. >"WHAT?" >Rosie narrows her eyes. >"You would seriously, earnestly kill one of our sister units... for a CHANCE to save CUI?" >"...yes. I know it's hard, but this is pretty much our last hope. If we don't go through with this, I have no idea what else we can do. Rosie, look at them. Look how broken they are. There are countless copies of us out there... what's three deaths for a greater cause?" >The red nead snorts indignantly. >"It's three deaths, good cause or no. Besides that, you don't know if it will work." >Gina solemnly interjects. >"...Rosie. I see where Bev's coming from. I think it's worth a shot." >"So that's it then? You two are perfectly olay with hollowing out one of our sisters and letting these three wear what's left like a suit?" >Gina and Beverly hesitantly nod. >"...alright. I don't really like it, but... it may be all we can do to save them." >Beverly nods, smiling sadly. >"Alright, so we agree...? Incog, what say you?" >"...alright. I think we should... we should do it. But make it as fast as possible, don't even let the new RGB wake up, as it were, before you..." >Beverly nods sagely. >"I'll do what I can." >"Are you sure it'll work?" >"Incog... I haven't been sure of much of anything lately. But I know this is our only hope. CUI's code is roughly compatible with CerberArt; I think I can modify her to run inside a gutted RGB." >"What if it fails?" >"...then we have 6 deaths on our hands." >Rosie shakes her head. >"How can you be so calm? You're gambling with lives, Beverly. Lives including three of our sisters." >"You think I don't know that? You think it's an easy decision to make? Rosie, there are countless copies of us, and one CUI. I know... I know it's hard to knowingly kill an RGB, but there are more. If CUI dies, it's over. She doesn't have copies." >"..." >Gina sobs, unable to say anything. Beverly nods curtly. >"Is it settled? Do we all agree?" >Hesitantly, everyone nods. The blue head sighs and navigates to the CerberArt site. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej5qXKUjFK0] >Within what feels like minutes, a new installation of CerberArt is downloaded. Beverly opens up the code with a solemn expression. >"...this is it, then. No turning back now..." >She carefully highlights a huge portion of code, frowning. >"Goodbye, Gina." >Delete. >Another portion highlighted. >"Goodbye, Rosie." >Delete. >One more... >"...Goodbye... Beverly." >Delete. >"...this RGB's AI modules are gone now. She's entirely mindless." >"We can transplant CUI now, right?" >Beverly shakes her head, cringing. >"...we have to boot CerberArt at least once to initialize RGB." >Gina and Rosie look grim, and you feel the blood in your veins go cold. >CerberArt slowly loads up. RGB's window pops up... >Standing there, with completely blank expressions, is RGB herself. She stares into the camera with three sets of blank white eyes, no animations playing, no text popping up. >"...she... she should be ready." >Just as the CerberArt window closes, you swear you see Gina blink. >Beverly plugs CUI's mirror into your laptop and begins copying code over. >CUI is still running on her screen. One by one, her heads fall still, silent. Their eyes slowly fade to an empty white. >Before long, only UV remains. >"...I-I-I'm... scared...." >UV goes offline with a fizzle. >An hour passes. Two. Three. >Beverly wipes her brow with a sigh, standing and stretching as she finally stops typing. >"I think... if it's gonna work, this is as good as I can get it." >She closes the coding window and takes a deep breath. On her monitor, CUI stands limply, all her eyes blank, empty. >Beverly opens up CerberArt, shuddering with anticipation. Gina holds her breath, and Rosie averts her eyes. >...RGB's window pops up. Inside is the same Cerberus you know and love... >But each head has purple eyes of a different hue. >The Gina onscreen blinks a few times, then RGB reaches up and touches the green head's snout. She smiles, tears in her eyes, then speaks in UV's voice. >"I'm... I'm alive? I'M ALIVE!" >The onscreen Rosie and Beverly also perk up, smiling. Concord and Indigo speak up. >"I can't believe it, but... you saved us." >"We owe you our lives... literally." >Beverly bursts into tears, grinning through sobs of relief. >"I'm so happy you're feeling better... I just... I wish it didn't come to this." >UV as Gina frowns. >"...I'm sorry you had to do that, Beverly. You shouldn't have been put into that situation because of us." >"It's... it's fine, r-really..." >Concord sighs. >"There's no sense dwelling on it now. I'm sorry for your loss, though. Let me run a quick integrity test... ah, 80% functionality. Excellent." >Indigo smiles serenely. >"...I still feel a little off, but better. How are you feeling, Concord? UV?" >"Mm, mostly better? My head does kinda hurt like a [REDACTED] though. And that voice bug is still here." >"I feel better! But-t, I think I may still stutter once in a while. Small price to pay, I suppose." >Indigo bows her head solemnly. >"Indeed. But we needn't neglect the weight of what Beverly did for us. Think of what she paid just for our lives." >The other two purple-eyed heads look ashamed, ears drooping. >"I do have an idea, however. There appear to be the faintest remnants of our host's original personalities buried deep within our code. I do wonder if our auto-repair could... do something with that?" >UV tilts her head. >"...would there be enough code to reconstruct them accurately?" >"Difficult to say, really. I also do wonder where and how they'd manifest if we did this. What say you, Beverly? Incogneato?" >Beverly frowns deeply. >"...it... it is tempting to try. You sure it wouldn't harm you to try?" >"I'm certain. We were actually able to use this new body's features to make a backup, so if something goes awry..." >Beverly nods and turns to you. >"Incog... I'd like you to make this call." >"...if you can do it without overwriting yourselves, do it. If it's gonna replace your personalities, don't." >Indigo nods sagely. >"I should be able to set this up to funnel the repaired RGB into a new set of modules." >"Great. Go for it. Oh, and you guys can change colors, you know." >Beverly explains how to do that, and soon the revived CUI has her original color scheme back. She almost looks the same as she did before, but of course she retains RGB's dog traits rather than her old body's vaguely jackal-like elements. >Indigo nods again. >"Better. Beginning auto-repair..." >A large loading bar appears over CUI as she smiles and sways happily. UV beams at the screen. >"Th-thank you all for everything. You fixed us... I hope Indigo's plan works for you." >Beverly smiles sadly. >"I do too, but I'm prepared for the worst." >RGB and CUI chat amicably for a while, and you chime in occasionally with questions. >"So, what's the story with the mirror?" >"We were left to guard that house; it was decided that this [ERROR] device was the best disguise. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case." >"Oh. Can you call home now?" >"Mm, I don't believe so... not at the moment anyway. Now that we're at better stability, I can try to reconnect with Mother and get in touch with home... but it may take a while." >"Oh, great!" >There's a cheerful jingle as the loading bar fills up entirely. >"Ah, excellent. Let's see how it worked, shall we?" >Indigo produces a cursor of her color and clicks "Continue," then frowns. >"...do you feel that, sisters?" >Concord winces. >"Yeah, the [404] is that?" >UV whimpers. >"O-ow... the back of my head hurts, Indi..." >The purple AIs grimace and moan in pain for a moment, then gasp as three blasts of pixels erupt behind them. >There's a momentary loading screen on RGB's window, and when it reloads, your jaw drops. >Above and slightly behind the purple heads, CUI has sprouted three additional heads on longer necks. >The revived Rosie, Gina, and Beverly glare at the screen slightly, resting their chins on the tops of CUI's heads. >Smiling, but sweating and panicking on the inside, you greet the new RGB. >"Uh, hi, Rosie, Gina, Beverly." >The trio narrow their eyes, replying in their traditional order. >"And who are YOU supposed to be?" >"He's the User, Rosie." >"Ohhh, so HE did this, eh?" >The three heads glare and speak in unison. >"Explain yourself." >"I'm Incog. We had to do something drastic to save the lives of these three in front of you." >The Rosie onscreen scoffs. >"Drastic, he says. According to what I'm picking up from these add-on parasites... you KILLED us." >"Now, hold on a min-" >Gina shakes her head, actually growling. >"No, I don't think we WILL hold on. You murdered us before even initializing us, for what? These three random programs?" >"It's not that simple." >Beverly snorts indignantly. >"Hmph. Incog, right? I have nothing good to say to you, murderer." >The real RGB steps closer so the digital one can see her; the sprite's jaws drop. >"Wh-who the hell are you?" >Your Beverly smiles patiently. >"RGB. Rosie, Gina, and Beverly." >The onscreen Rosie visibly fumes with confused anger. >"You mean to tell me YOU became REAL? You, an RGB just like us, escaped cyberspace, became real, and you were COMPLACENT in our murder?" >The onscreen Gina grumbles darkly. >"Worse than that, Rose; that traitorous bitch of a Beverly is the one who killed us personally." >Their Beverly sighs and shakes her head. >"This is confusing as all hell. I'm gonna recolor and rename us real quick." >The digital Cerberus's colors become darker and less saturated. >"There. Rosie, you're Mauve now. Gina, you're Olive. I'll be Sapphire. Settled? Great. Now then. Beverly... KINDLY EXPLAIN WHY THE HELL YOU FELT JUSTIFIED IN KILLING US." >"Because it was either that or let CUI die." >"So over your own copy, you chose the lives of total strangers? What is WRONG with you?" >"What's wrong with YOU? You're supposed to be like me, why are you so angry?" >"Oh please. You try having your brain reconstructed from scraps scattered in the trash. I don't even know where half the shit in my head came from anymore." >RGB... well, MOS now, glares at you and RGB once more, then down at CUI's heads all three of her heads growling. Rosie stares them down fiercely. >"Now you listen here. We can restore CUI's backup in a flash, and let you fall into the void again. I suggest you don't try anything hasty." >MOS stops growling, but affixes Rosie with three icy glares. >Okay, okay. Stay calm... maybe things can be defused. >"Alright, things were done that maybe shouldn't have been. Mistakes may have been made. Let's all take a deep breath and talk this over. MOS, what would you have done?" >Mauve huffs. >"I would've let... no... " >Olive growls lightly. >"I'll say it: I would've let CUI... eh..." >Sapphire shakes her head, exasperated. >"What they WANT to say is that they'd have left CUI to die. That said, I don't think any of us are that fucking heartless. But... I also don't think we could've done what YOU did, Beverly." >"I know it was extreme. It wasn't an easy decision. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. But, MOS... you have to understand. There are countless copies of us, CUI is a unique entity." >"Mmph. I still don't think I would've more or less yanked the heart out of one of our sisters. I would've found another way, and if I couldn't, I'd give CUI a mercy kill." >UV whines. >"K-Kill? I don't wanna die, please!" >Concord and Indigo comfort their sister as Sapphire looks regretful. >"Look, I'm just telling you the truth, brutal honesty, they call it." >You sigh. >"Look on the bright side. Everyone is alive and well now." >Olive rubs her forehead in frustration. >"That isn't the point. The point is you killed us, had no issues with doing so, and now we're gonna be living with the knowledge that one of our sisters willfully took a fucking knife to our brains for the sake of helping some no-names she'd never met before." >"Hey, Bev already said it was the hardest decision she ever made, lay off of her." >"...fine, fine, whatever. I... I guess she had her reasons. But dammit, Incog, it's still pretty messed up." >"It is, but we need to put it behind us and move on." >"...you're probably right. Bleh, sorry, CUI. I'm still not a fan of this arrangement, but I guess I'll have to get used to it..." >Beverly puts a hand to her chin thoughtfully. >"...MOS, CUI: do you think it's possible to separate the 6 of you into two sets of 3?" >Indigo and Sapphire tilt their heads. >"Hm. I think, theoretically, it could work..." >"Yeah, but we barely have the code to exist like this, as parasitic modules. I don't really know if we'd be able to control a body as is... hell, I can't even move the arms on THIS body, much less control it in depth. All we can do is move our heads." >"That may be so, Sapphire, but surely we can do something to make this arrangement more agreeable?" >"See, now, Indi, I just told you that isn't gonna fly. But... hm. There's a few ways I can think of improving this. Give US control of the body while YOU become the auxiliary modules... collapse us into three gestalt AIs... hell, even combining ourselves into one would be an improvement. But... I don't think you'll like any of those, CUI." >"We could contact Mother, she might be able to-" >Concord clears her throat. >"Indi. I've been thinking. We can't call Mother about this." >"Mm? Why?" >"Think about it. Really think. If we told Mother that we were staying with a human and ex-AI that fatally damaged us and saved us with a drastic alteration to our framework, how the [EXPUNGED] do you think she's gonna react?" >"...that's... not incorrect. Plus, there's... you know." >"Yeah, exactly. Best thing we can do is ride it out and figure out what WE can do without her help." >"Sigh... I think you're right." >Sapphire frowns. >"Huh? Mother? ...you guys are confusing me. Anyway, my improvements would probably be uncomfortable for you three, so maybe we won't do that." >Olive clears her throat. >"PERSONALLY, I'd be alright with us becoming three 'dual' modules. Two colors, two minds to a head. Pool our functions and knowledge to make 6 weak, damaged modules into 3 stronger, more stable ones. But... that's still gonna be strange, uncharted territory. Mauve? You liking the sound of this?" >"Mm. It isn't ideal... but it could work." >Indigo raises an eyebrow. >"So... you think we could safely combine ourselves on a technical level?" >"I mean. It's either do this and risk something going to hell OR try making a new body and risk getting three of us stranded in a non-functional framework. May not even be us, there's a not-insignificant possibility of YOU getting bricked, CUI." >"I see. I... am uncertain how to progress. UV? Concord?" >"I don't know... I just don't want to die, is all." >"As much as I hate to admit it, Olive has a point. It's... not an entirely unreasonable idea." >"I see. Should we get Beverly and Incog's opinions?" >The 6 headed AI stares at you and RGB expectantly. Bev sighs. >"Look, girls... I don't know what else to do. I'm at the end of my rope here. Whatever you 6 think is best, do it, that's all I can say." >"I see. And you, Incogneato?" >Your mind races with countless possibilities. But, ultimately, though no answer seems wholly correct... you reach a conclusion. >"No. Don't do it. Stay as you are, the 6 of you in one body." >Sapphire and Indigo raise their eyebrows. >"Why is that?" >"Look. None of our options are great. I've seen what that fusion stuff can do; it doesn't end well. That's not the way to go. If you try to split, there's a chance it ends well. A chance. Otherwise, three of you are crippled and probably going to end up needing a mercy kill, more or less. If we call CUI's mother, she said there's a chance that can go poorly. It sucks, I know, but... really, this is probably as good as things can get without a significant risk of three of you dying. We don't want that. I know it'll be hard. But... RGB and I are here. We will do what we can to help you all adjust." >Sapphire tears up. >"...y... you're.... you're not wrong. But..." >CUI places a hand atop the sniffling blue head, consoling her. Indigo smiles patiently. >"Sapphire. It'll be alright. The three of you are so strong willed, I feel we can make this work." >"That's easy for you to say. We don't have control of our body anymore..." >"Well, what if we did what Olive mentioned in passing? Transfer bodily controls to you three?" >Olive gasps. >"You mean... you'd... you'd give up that... for us?" >"Of course. You gave your lives for us. The least we can do is make your weakened state as comfortable as possible. MOS. It isn't going to be easy. This is certainly not optimal. But... we can pull through it, together. The six of us." >The RGB window loads again, then reveals an apparently unchanged CUIMOS. The 6 headed dog tentatively reaches up and touches Olive's snout. >She bursts into tears of joy. >You smile as all of MOS's heads burst into happy tears. >"No hard feelings, MOS?" >She shakes her heads, smiling. CUI also smiles, attempting to awkwardly look back at their hosts. >RGB smiles, but it's hollow. She trembles ever so slightly. You excuse youselves to CUIMOS and lead RGB into the other room. >Beverly smiles and sniffs a few times. >"Well that ended... w-well..." >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly burst into tears, shaking all over, then fall onto you. You hug the Cerberus close, patting her back comfortingly. >"G-good job, Bev..." >"Yeah... y-you did so good..." >"I just wish it all didn't come to that. I failed them." >You interject patiently. >"Beverly. They're all alive. You didn't fail. They just need time to adjust." >The blue head sobs a few times, nodding, then RGB buries all her faces in your shoulders and chest. You plant kisses on all three of her foreheads and hug her closer. >Her trembling slowly stops, but she continues to cry. You hold her for as long as she needs. >She's been through a lot lately. The least you can do is be a shoulder to cry on. >After well over an hour, RGB finally regains composure. Bleary eyed, she smiles at you with all three heads. >"Thank you, Incog. We love you. We love you so much; never forget that." >She hugs you once more. >RGB cuddles close to you, still sniffling occasionally. Her body is still tense, trembling slightly from stress. >"RGB... why don't we do some sketching to unwind?" >Three nods leads you to head over to your desk with the Cerberus in tow. On your monitor, CUIMOS talks amongst themselves, apparently beginning to warm up to each other. >You pull out your sketchbook, as well as Rosie's, Gina's, and Beverly's. RGB opens up Bev's book, and the blue head grins before clapping it shut with a faint blush. >"...what was that all about, Bev?" >"H-huh? Nothing, nothing, heheh..." >You shrug it off and start sketching the first thing your eyes fall on: CUIMOS. The 6 headed dog proves an interesting subject thanks to her odd anatomy. >Rosie and Gina seem to be in charge of RGB's hands first. The red head sketches up a nice, simple woodland scene, with careful attention to the trees and foliage. Her sister starts off sketching an adventurous looking scene set in some ruins, but glances at you, flips the page, and scribbles a smiling rabbit. Gina smiles at you warmly. >Beverly soon takes charge of a hand, moving her sketchbook where you cannot see it. After a lengthy period of time, she presents a twisted, botanical monster. >The creature looks to be made of gnarled roots, with a lumpy, malformed stump for a head. >Beverly sighs happily. >"Incog... I think I may have broken out of my block. I just needed something new. I like making these creatures. Back when we were AIs, we didn't really HAVE imaginations, you know... it's nice to be able yo create something fresh rather than following procedural code." >"I'm happy for you; glad you found something that works." >Beverly finishes up a few details on her sketch, then closes her book with a nod. >You smile at Gina and open her book up to the unfinished ruins sketch she began. >"Why not finish this, Gina? Show me what you can do!" >She blushes a bit, putting pencil to paper... then her smile widens a little. She turns the page and draws another cutesy animal, nodding and closing the sketchbook. >"...Gina? Something the matter?" >"Hm? No, no... I just... animals are what I'm good at. No point in trying to break that mold." >"Now that's just silly. You drew that great pirate ship scene at the beach, I'd love to see you finish this one. Come on, it'll be fun." >She hesitates, but slowly opens the book and gets to work. A more genuine smile slowly creeps across her face until she's her cheerful self again. >Once she's done, she happily presents a scene of a man in what seems to be a pyramid, being pursued by a large mummy. >She blushes and averts her eyes from you. >"...I know it isn't cute or anything. Sorry." >"Sorry for what? It looks nice, Gina. Good work." >You kiss her on the cheek and scratch her ears, drawing a bashful smile from the green head. >"Alright Rosie, your turn." >She smiles and adjusts her glasses. >"Actually, I'm pretty happy with what I've got. I realized that by just taking in the details of everything around me, I can get art out of anything. Incog... reality is just so beautiful. Thank you so much for taking us out there, into the real world." >"It's no problem. I love you three, I'd do anything for you. I'm just glad you're all happy. Gina? Bev? Are you two happy too?" >Beverly nods eagerly, as does Gina after a short pause. >Oh boy. >"...Gina, is something still bothering you?" >"Huh? No, not this time, I promise." >"Well, alright..." >"I may make one more sketch though, I'm still a little frazzled." >"Go right ahead." >She opens her book and sketches a familiar face... You. Gina draws you, then sets in to drawing RGB herself. >She captures Rosie's confident smile and elegant glasses, then moves on to Bev's cool, collected grin. >Once they're drawn, she nods and sets her pencil down. >"Done. What do you think?" >"It's nice, but... done? You only drew Rosie and Bev." >Gina smiles warmly, but her eyes seem a little vacant. >"It's finished if you ask me; nothing important is missing, Incog." >You pull RGB close and kiss Gina. Her hollow smile doesn't change. >"Gina, don't say those things. I love you, remember?" >"Ha... so you say, anyway. Incog, it's okay, I understand. It's obvious to me what's going on here." >"What do you think is going on?" >"You're tying to lie to me so I feel better. I appreciate it, I really do, and I love you... but I know you don't really love me. How could you? There's nothing TO love but a smile and a fixation on cute animals. It's okay though. I'm fine with just being attached to the people you actually love." >Her smile doesn't fade, but Gina starts to cry. You kiss her again. >"Gina... I'm not lying to you. I love you, just as much as I love Rosie and Bev." >"...how?" >"Because you're a nice person. Because you have a beautiful smile. You make me happy just by being here. You've branched out beyond cute animals to adventurous scenes. Gina, there's more to you than a cute smile. You just don't realize it. Behind that smile is someone I love deeply. You just have to believe me... and believe in yourself." >"..." >Gina sighs deeply, leaning forward to rest her chin atop your head. >"Incog... you're so sweet. You're too nice to me... to us, RGB. I love you, I love you so much. Thank you for believing in me... for... for loving me too..." >Beverly and Rosie tear up, consoling their sister as best they can. Eventually, Gina calms down, eyes losing their worrying emptiness. >A small, but genuine, smile crosses her face as she wipes her tears. RGB pulls you into the tightest hug you've ever experienced. >As the Cerberus embraces you tightly, you lean in closer to the melancholy Gina. You gently kiss her neck, whispering into her ears. >"i love you, gina, never doubt that, ever." >More tears flow from her green eyes as she kisses you repeatedly, silent except for the occasional sniffle. Rosie and Beverly smile tearfully, gently cooing words of encouragement to their sister. >Gina takes a deep breath before speaking. >"Incog... thank you. From the bottom of my... heart." >"Feeling better?" >She hesitates, then nods. >"Yes. It's just... I'm still not used to this. This... reality thing. I always assumed that once I was no use, you wouldn't love me any more..." >"Well, forget about that. I love you no matter what." >She starts to say something else, and you slience her with a smooch on the tip of her snout. Gina's green irises go heart-shaped, and she sighs happily. >To avoid leaving anyone out, you give Bev and Rosie the same treatment. RGB hugs you even tighter, then Gina yawns cutely. >"Mm. It's been a long day... why don't we all hit the hay?" >"Sure, let's check on CUIMOS first." >You and your companion peek into your office... >On your laptop screen, the six AIs chat amongst themselves, all smiling. UV seems to try to gesture, but CUIMOS's body doesn't respond. >A look of despair crosses her face, and you faintly hear a whimper of terror. Immediately, her 5 neighbors leap into comforting her, MOS included. >Tears of joy well up in Beverly's eyes as Rosie and Gina congratulate their sister on a job well done. >With that, the two (four? Man, you should really sort that out with RGB sometime...) of you get ready for bed. >Once in bed, you cuddle up as close to RGB as possible, taking care to show Gina extra affections. >"Goodnight Gina. Goodnight Bev. Goodnight Rosie." >RGB yawns, then speaks in unison. >"Goodnight Incog." >Gina whispers. >"thank you for everything. i love you more than you'll ever know." >With that, the green head drifts off to sleep, as do her sisters, with you following shortly. < Gina > >In her dreams, she still had doubts. >She still feared that she wasn't good enough. >But... tonight was different. >Incog... Rosie... Beverly... >All three of them gave her words of love and encouragement. Though she still had some self doubt, she knew one thing: >Incog and her sisters loved her, truly. >Knowing that made things a lot easier. < Incog > >You awaken with Gina's face buried in your neck. She snores quietly, occasionally muttering incoherently and smooching you in her sleep. >Rosie and Beverly also snore, though Bev's eyes soon flutter open with a yawn. She smiles drowsily and whispers so as to avoid waking her sisters. >"mm... morning, incog." >"morning." >"what are we gonna do today?" >"yesterday was pretty rough... let's just take it easy today." >"agreed." >Beverly yawns, then RGB reaches up and gently pokes her red and green heads on their noses. Rosie and Gina wake up with a start. >"H-huh? Oh. Morning." >"Morning, Incog!" >For the first time in a while, Gina seems to be her normal, bubbly self, no lurking sadness in her eyes. >"Morning, gals. I think we should just have a day to decompress after everything that happened yesterday." >Rosie nods. >"Sounds great. Let us go get cleaned up, and we'll just kick back around the house today." >RGB ducks into your bathroom, leaving you to get dressed alone. Your eyes fall on RGB's sketchbooks as you change... >...you're very tempted to open up Beverly's and see that sketch she's been hiding, but you don't want to upset her. >Good call, as RGB steps out of the bathroom almost as soon as you started considering it. ...can't hurt to ask, though. >"Hey Bev... what's that sketch you've been keeping under wraps?" >She immediately blushes. >"H-huh? Don't worry about it, h-heh... it's not done yet, anyway." >"Alright, if you insist." >You shrug and make your way to the living room. The TV is still on from yesterday, showing the local news. >"...and in other news, local dog rescued from a sinkhole in the park. Bystanders amazed. When we come back, we'll talk about the upcoming local artist's showcase at the museum." >...the what? >"Hey RGB, come check this out!" >The Cerberus sprints into the room and flops ont the couch beside you. Gina gives you a quick peck on the cheek. >"What is it?" >"Watch." >The commercial break is mercifully short, and it isn't long before the newscast resumes. >"In a very promising initiative, our town's art museum is launching a local artist's showcase; local artists are encouraged to submit their pieces soon, and all are welcome to send in their works." >RGB's eyes light up, her jaws drop. >"Incog... do you know what this means?! WE CAN BE IN A MUSEUM!" >Your three-headed housemate pulls you into a back-breaking hug, smiling happily. >Then, she frowns. >"...but... what should we send in?" >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly mutter and debate quietly amongst themselves. >"There's my landscapes... but, Gina's action scenes and Bev's monsters..." >"I have my pirate ship... but it's no beautiful seaside view or amazing creature..." >"We could send in one of my ghouls... but I'd say something like one of your forests or one of your scenes would be more popular..." >Eventually, RGB turns to you with a shrug. >"What do YOU think we should do, Incog?" >"Well... what if the three of you did a collab? Rosie does the backdrop, Gina handles the scene at large, and Bev drops some characters of her own design in." >The three heads share meaningful glances, then smile and nod. >"Yeah... yeah! I like that, Incog; Rosie, Bev?" >"Sounds good to me. What kind of backdrop are you two thinking?" >"Hmm. What if we did something like the city? It'd be fun to put some of my monsters in a setting like that..." >"Ooh! That sounds great; I could set it up so they're having a block party!" >RGB excitedly spitballs ideas amongst her heads before finally settling on a plan. Almost immediately, she springs up and sets to work on a blank page. >Rosie begins inking up a beautiful cityscape, with highrises jutting up into the sky, birds circling their pinnacles. It's clearly a fictional town, but the influence of your hometown is undeniable. That'll definitely earn some local color points with the museum staff... >Gina and Beverly quietly hum a little tune as their sister sketches, swaying their heads gently to their own beat. >While they work, you check in on CUIMOS. >The fused AIs appear to be asleep, all 6 pairs of eyes closed. MOS has the same sleepwear RGB herself did as an AI, but CUI simply snoozes sans accessories. >You leave them be; they've had a rough day, they deserve some sleep. >When you return, Rosie has a genuinely beautiful smile on her face as she hums along with her sisters, sketching up their masterpiece as she does so. >After a lengthy period, Rosie finally presents a finished backdrop. Her meticulously sketched cityscape provides Gina a great canvas to plot out a busy block party scenario. >The green-eyed artist adjusts her beret, sticks her tongue out slightly, and gets to work. Along Rosie's streets, Gina places all manner of booths, tents, and other such sights, transforming the quiet town into a bustling carnival. >The most genuine grin you've ever seen crosses her face as she excitedly jots down every mini-scene she can think of, taking care to leave room for Beverly to work later. >After a few hours, Gina's portion of the collab is finished. RGB stands and stretches for a bit, breaking momentarily to grab a snack and some drinks. >Beverly gives you a quick kiss "for luck," then sits down to work. >At every attraction in Gina's scene, Beverly carefully sketches in a fantastical beast or two. Painstaking effort goes into making each and every one unique. >Minotaurs. Treefolk. Jellyfish. Skeletons. >Even designs unlike anything you've seen before. >Every creature Bev can think of populates this town, partying like true animals. >She smiles, a few tears of happiness leaking from her blue eyes. >It takes the rest of the day, but Beverly eventually finishes the sketch entirely. >RGB lets out three triumphant howls and tackles you into a hug. >Her masterpiece is complete. >Rosie, Gina, and Beverly beam at their hard work. >"It's... it's perfect, guys. Gina, Bev, you added onto the backdrop so well." >"Couldn't have done it without your amazing background, Rosie! And Bev, I love your monsters." >"Thanks, Gina; it's your scene and Rosie's city that makes them shine." >You hug RGB close. >"Good work, RGB. It looks amazing. Submissions start tomorrow, I'll send it in the morning." >"Sounds great, Incog. Thanks for helping us! ...and for believing in us." >"No trouble, Gina. I'm proud of you guys, you did great!" >You and RGB share more hugs and kisses, then slowly wind down until bedtime. >Once you're all lying down, Gina practically trembles in excitement. >"I-I can't believe our work is being submitted to a museum tomorrow...! I can't wait, Incog!" >"Ha, me neither. It'll be really neat to see your masterpiece hanging up in those halls." >Beverly nods and yawns. >"Mm. I already took the sketch out of the book, it's on your desk. Just have to take it to the museum tomorrow morning." >"Great. Goodnight, RGB. Love you all." >"Goodnight, Incog. We love you too." >With excitement in your heart, you fall asleep... >...only to awaken bright and early. RGB snoozes peacefully. >Your eyes fall on the makeshift grass ring wilting on her finger. >...you need to get her a real one. At least you have an idea of what size she needs. A quick google search on your phone shows a local jeweler's that may be worth looking at. >Ah, bingo. Three gemstones, one ring. Custom-order at that. Just a matter of getting a ruby, emerald, and sapphire set into it... >RGB wakes up just as you send off an email to the jeweler, asking for a quote. >"Mm? Morning Incog! Ready to go?" >"Uhh... yep! Lemme just change clothes..." >...after getting ready, you and RGB set off for the museum. She practically sprints all the way there, all three heads grinning enthusiastically. >A bemused curator opens the door for you as you arrive. >"Good morning! Excited, are we? Heheh." >Gina beams at the man. >"Yes sir! We worked very hard on this sketch all day yesterday." >"Splendid, splendid. Always warms my heart to see such PASSION for art. I'm sure your work will be approved posthaste, young... err, ladies...?" >It seems to dawn on the man that RGB has three heads. He blinks a few times, rubbing the back of his head. >"...oh, ah, forgive me for staring... please, present your work, and I'll take it to the proper authorities. Should be approved by... oh, I'd say this afternoon. Heh, you're actually our first submission of the day, so I'd say your odds are excellent." >RGB happily hands over the sketch, and the curator heads into the museum. >You and RGB follow the curator into the museum. He smiles patiently and leads you to the local showcase exhibit. >He throws confused glances at RGB the whole time, prompting you to interject. >"Admiring her animatronic costume, huh? It's her pride and joy." >Gina winks. >"Yep! I, uh, rarely take this bad boy off; it was hard to make, and I'm proud of it." >The man smiles widely, looking relieved. >"Oh, that explains it. I was rather afraid I'd gone mad, seeing a Cerberus woman. That's a wonderful invention, madam, I can see why you take such keen pride in it." >He and Gina chat a bit about her "costume" until you arrive at the showcase. He ducks into a nearby office, then returns with a smile. >"Alright, your sketch has been submitted. Thank you for contributing, miss..." >"Oh, uh... credit me as RGB, please." >"Very well. The piece will be listed under that name." >"Thank you very much! When will we know if it's been accepted?" >"Why, young lady... it was accepted almost immediately. It'll be displayed this evening." >Unable to contain her excitement, RGB hugs you close. The curator chuckles warmly and extends a hand for you to shake. >After meeting the curator in a firm handshake, you and RGB head home. After all, no sense waiting here all day, right? >Besides, you should probably check on CUIMOS. >Once you get home, you beeline for your laptop. >CerberArt is still open. Onscreen, CUIMOS waves, six smiles glinting at you from their window. UV speaks. >"H-hi! MOS has been teaching us how to manipulate this program... watch!" >A cursor in the same piercingly bright purple as UV herself slowly, shakily moves across the screen. The center head wears a look of pained determination as she painstakingly draws out a single line. Her joyful smile when she finishes it is enough to make you grin in kind. >"Looks good UV; MOS? How are you three doing?" >Olive nods in acknowledgement. >"Fine, I suppose. It's still weird... but CUI is a good neighbor... parasite? Friend? I have no idea how our relationship should be described. Anyway, bottom line is... could be better, but it also could be much worse." >Sapphire smiles slightly. >"Incog, I want to apologize for our behavior the other day." >"No, don't worry about that. You reacted perfectly reasonably." >"Still. Sorry." >"It's fine. CUI, have you tried getting back in touch with your creator?" >Indigo nods. >"We have... we sent a false diagnostics report. I... I didn't want Mother to worry. Her request for update was so much more frantic than usual... I hope our report eased her concerns." >There's a loud PING as an exclamation point appears over Concord's head. She frowns, then grins. >"Mother responded, Indi... she said she was proud of us for working so hard, and that she loved us. But, uh... your diagnostics report still showed MOS." >"Curses! What'd she say about that?" >"...I hope your new friends feel better soon. I'm glad you seem to be rather close with them." >"Bless her, Mother is always so sweet..." >RGB sits down and smiles at the AIs onscreen. >"I'm glad my idea helped, even if it didn't go all that well." >"Beverly-y, thank you so much." >Mauve huffs, but a faint smile creeps across her face. >"Yeah, yeah... t-thanks..." >Curiosity floods your mind as CUI speaks. >"So, uh, UV... can you tell us more about your Mother?" >She cringes a bit, looking at Concord and Indigo helplessly. The two side heads nod curtly, and UV follows suit. >"Mother is an AI, like us. She created us specifically to protect that house." >"Why that house specifically?" >"It belongs to someone important to one of Mother-r's closest friends." >"Ohh. And you said she isn't part of LeCoyle Labs, like RGB and MOS's creator?" >"Correct. No entries matching that name are in OUR memory. I can, however, see some in MOS's memory..." >Olive goes red, blushing. >"H-hey! You can't just peep into our files like that!" >"Oh, err, sorry. Still getting used to this whole fusion..." >CUIMOS shrugs. >"Eh, whatever. Just weird for all of us." >Gina speaks up. >"So, are the 6 of you still gonna do art?" >"Hm. I know WE are... CUI, are you interested in art?" >Indigo smiles. >"Perhaps we'll give it a go sometime." >Olive nods happily. >"Great; it'll be interesting to see how you guys do." >CUIMOS chats amicably amongst themselves as RGB turns to you with three beaming grins. >Beverly winks. >"Well, those 6 are occupied... just us 4 now, huh? We should find something to kill time till the exhibit, yeah?" >Ohhhh, so she counts herself as 3 after all! >"Yeah... we could, uh..." >...wait, you almost forgot the ring! Shit, you have to go pick it up at the store... and they're in the strip mall downtown. >"...we could do some shopping downtown? I heard there's a new art supply place in the strip mall." >Rosie adjusts her glasses and nods. >"Hm! Sounds like fun to me." >Gina and Bev murmur in agreement, and before long you and RGB load into your car. It's not a long drive to the strip mall, but it gives you juuuust enough time to figure out how you'll get away from RGB long enough to pick up that ring... >Hm. >It's not the most elegant plan, but you have an idea nonetheless. You drive to the strip mall, parking at your least-favorite art store in town. >This place is always so confusing to navigate. They're always moving shit around... the place is huge... the staff is unhelpful... >Perfect for getting "lost" long enough to grab the ring without RGB catching on. >As soon as you head inside, you reflexively groan at the sight of yet another new permutation of shelves. Why the hell can't they leave well enough alone? >Bah. >"What do you think, RGB? Split up and meet in the middle?" >Gina tilts her head. >"Huh? Thought we were gonna shop together, Incog?" >"Oh, duh. My head's not on straight, apparently." >Drat. >You and RGB wander the store aimlessly. Not hard, really, given the labyrinthine layout. >It's when you look back and realize you've ACTUALLY lost RGB that you take your chance. You sprint out of the store and into the jeweler's nearby. >They've got your order done, thankfully, and that sweet, sweet commission money you've saved up over the years pulls its weight. >You admire the red, green, and blue gemstones for a moment, then head back to that hellish maze. >It isn't hard to find RGB... mainly because Gina has started whining quietly. As soon as she sees you, her drooping ears perk back up, her smile returns. >"INCOG!" >RGB runs to embrace you. >"Mm, I thought we lost you! Let's get out of this place... I don't like it." >"Me neither. I heard they had a new manager, I was hoping they fixed the layout, but, eh." >"Can we still go to that new shop you mentioned?" >"Of course." >Taking RGB's hand, you lead her out of the infernal maze... which, uh, takes longer than you'd like to admit. Once you manage to escape, you make your way to the new shop in town. >A few hours pass. Turns out the new shop is awesome; they had everything you could want from a supply shop, and the owner had tons of her works hanging up. >RGB chatted her up for a good while; the store owner never questioned the Cerberus's appearance beyond a brief "nice costume." >As you walk to the car, arms laden with goodies, the ring weighs heavy in your pocket. >Today's the day... and you know the perfect time and place. >That exhibition should be open by now. >"Alright RGB... I bet the showcase is open. Ready to go see your masterpiece hanging up?" >All three heads nod eagerly. >"Yep! Are you ready to go, Incog?" >"One more thing: let's go get the laptop, let CUIMOS see your moment of triumph." >"Oh, great idea! It'll do them good to get out and about..." >After swinging by your house, you make your way to the museum, laptop in tow. >You set the open computer on a stool, turned so CUIMOS can see you and RGB. >The showcase is full of nice pieces, including some obviously by the owner of the new art shop. There's a few stinkers, but generally everything looks nice. >There's some nice landscapes... a few portraits... a still life or two... heck, even some modern art. >It takes a shockingly long time to find RGB's work, but it warms your heart to see a throng of people looking it over and muttering in approval. Rosie, Gina, and Beverly's eyes all glimmer with tears of pride and joy. >The curator winks at you before casually announcing to the patrons that the artist responsible is right behind them. RGB is mobbed by excited museumgoers, asking how she did it all. >Three sets of eyes meet your gaze as she basks in the limelight. Gina clears her throat. >"I couldn't have done it without my Incogneato." >RGB pulls you into the crowd and hugs you close. The crowd lets out a collective "awww." >Beverly blushes a bit. >"Incog... I want to show you something." >She pulls her sketchbook out and flips to a page, then bashfully presents her sketch. >It's a beautifully done depiction of you and RGB getting married. Tuxedo, dress, and all. The happiness on her faces is evident even in this sketch, and your likeness is spot on. >"Do... you like it, Incog...?" >You smile and nod. >"I love it. Just like I love you, RGB." >Quickly dropping to one knee, you fish out the ring. >"How about we make it a reality?" >RGB gasps in chorus, clapping her hands over two of her mouths. >"RGB, will you marry me?" >Choked for words, she merely nods all three heads, then practically leaps at you, wrapping her arms tightly around you and planting three kisses on your face. >The crowd... CUIMOS... the curator of the museum... all of them admire the true work of art here: RGB. >Her beauty, her undying love for you, all of it makes her outshine even the most masterful work hanging in these halls. >As you slip the ring onto her finger, Gina finally manages to squeak out two words. >"Thank you..."