Asher’s dreamt of having dinner with his mom. But it wasn’t his mom, it didn't look anything like her, this woman was definitely a Lucidian. But in the dream, he had the sensation it was supposed to be his mom.

After looking at her for a while, he finally recognized her as the woman from the dream he had about a hospital. She didn't speak to him, nor did she eat the food in front of her, she merely waited occasionally looking over at a clock.

‘Why is she so familiar? I’ve definitely seen her outside these dreams but where?’ Asher thought to himself.

The dream roughly transitioned from a dinner scene to an office, Asher found himself peering through a crack in a door.

In the room he could see his dream mother having a conversation with a man. Asher was able to tell from his voice that he was one of the other Lucidians who appeared in his hospital dream.

“That's not my child.” She said to the man, “I never once considered that thing my child.”

Even though Asher knew this woman wasn't his mother, he couldn't help but feel betrayed. The more he sat with this feeling the more it became apparent that it wasn't even the fact that she didn't consider him her child that bothered him. He struggled with the sensation that she didn't even see him as a sapient creature, just some kind of animal or monster.

Asher was startled awake by his alarm. He felt suddenly overcome with the urge to call his actual mother. As it rang over and over, he began feeling paranoid, what if she's not my mother? The phone went to voicemail. What if she's already figured me out and refuses to answer? It went to voicemail again. What if she was never real in the first place? Just as it went to voicemail for the third time, his phone rang, his mom called him back.

“Mom…” He felt relieved that at least someone was on the other end of the line.

“Yes?” She replied.

“What if I’m…” He couldn't help but feel like he had to tell her regardless of the outcome. “What if I’m not Asher.”

“You shouldn’t let something like that worry you. You can be whoever you want to be.” She said brightly.

“No, I mean, what if I’m not your child?” Asher asked trying not to hold his breath.

“I gave birth to you Asher. It’s not that complicated.” She sighed.

“But what if it is…? What if my soul is different? What if I’ve been replaced?” Asher asked frantically.

“Does it matter?” She responded.

“Of course it matters.” Asher said shakily.

“Asher, or whoever you may be.” She stated calmly, “You have given me the chance to hear my son happy, for the first time since he was a child. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”

“O-okay.” Asher choked out.

“Even if you don’t think of me as your mother, I will always think of you as my precious child.” She continued, “I will love you no matter what.”

“I love you too mom. Bye.” Asher said as he hung up.

He knew he was reading into her response too much, but it felt like she knew something. It felt like she could see right through everything, like this entire time she was just going along with these lies just to humor him. Did anyone know who he really was? Because he sure had no clue anymore.

Asher started to cry and was loud enough to stir Orion awake. Or perhaps he'd been awake and just didn't want to get up, Asher wasn't paying enough attention to figure out which it was.

“Are you alright?” Orion wrapped an arm around Asher.

“Orion, I think… No. I need to tell you something.” Asher whispered.

“Are you pregnant?” Orion turned to look at him, he had a very serious look of concern on his face.

“Why is that your first thought, Orion?” Asher snorted, “I don't have the organs to do that. You know that right?”

“Am I pregnant?” Orion asked, his expression had not changed.

“Orion take this seriously.” Asher grabbed his face.

“I am.” Orion frowned, it was clear this was something that he was actually concerned about and not just a joke to lighten the mood.

“Right, shapeshifter.” Asher shook his head, it never even occurred to him that that was a possibility, “Well, you're not pregnant. I don't have the organs for that either. You can relax this is about me.”

“Then what is it.” Orion asked.

“The thing is… I’m not… Asher. I never was. I just... didn’t know that until now.” He closed his eyes and waited for a response.

“Well, you're you, aren't you?” Orion asked, “You've always been the ‘you’ I know, right? Even if you weren’t, you’re the ‘you’ I know now in this moment, isn’t that, right?”

“I guess?” Asher opened his eyes again trying to unscramble what Orion just said.

“Then it doesn't matter all that much to me.” Orion shrugged. “Does it bother you?”

“Of course it does. All this time I’ve been living a lie.” Asher cried, “I don’t even know who I really am.”

“Wait. If you don’t know who you were, how do you know you aren’t Asher?” Orion shifted to sit more upright. He still looked exhausted, like he was barely staying awake despite how coherent he sounded, “Did your mom say something to you?”

“No, I found out from… something else.” Asher admitted, “I just had a weird dream about my mom, and I started spiraling, I guess… I feel better now.”

“That's funny I also had a weird dream about my mother. Well, I wouldn’t say she is my mother. There is only person I actually considered as my mom and that was back when I was still AB.” Orion explained, “but she’s definitely Freyaa’s mother…”

“What does she look like? O-out of curiosity.” Asher looked at him.

“Well, uhh…” Orion pulled out his phone and after a moment he pulled up a photo of Freyaa and his ‘Mother’.

Asher instantly recognized the person in the photo as the ‘mother’ from his dreams. He definitely hadn't seen this woman before despite how familiar she seemed to him in the dream.

“Hey, um…” Asher began feeling his nerves again, “I’ve never really had enough powers to really care about it but what kind of powers does a succubus have?”

“Why are you asking me?” Orion raised an eyebrow.

“I dunno, you knew about the aura thing, so I just thought you might know more than I do.” Asher explained.

“Usually like aura manipulation, being able to charm people and like being supernaturally attractive or whatever.” Orion answered, he looked like he knew something or just figured something out.

“What about dreams?” Asher asked, it suddenly felt really obvious that the dream must have belonged to Orion instead.

“I think it's rare but sometimes succubi can have dream-walking powers.” Orion responded monotonously.

“Mmn… That’s what I was afraid of.” Asher muttered, “So like, hypothetically, what if me using my aura manipulation as much as I have is actually making my powers stronger… and I maybe… accidentally… keep invading your dreams…?”

Asher closed his eyes and braced himself.

“Asher.” Orion responded with a sigh, “I don’t know what you saw. But I am not going to talk about it.”

“You’re not mad?” Asher stared at him.

“Asher I’m more concerned than mad. How could you not know something like that?” Orion shook his head. “Are you sure you even knew you were a succubus?”

“Of course I knew that. If you ever do meet my mother…” Asher cringed. “You’d understand.”

“Is there anything else you’d like to share before I go back to sleep?” Orion asked sleepily.

“There’s something else I should probably tell you.” Asher paused, “I don't think I have much time left in this body.”

“Oh.” Orion said.

“Oh? Is that all you have to say about it!?” Asher grumbled.

“Well, what do you want me to say?” He hugged Asher tight, “If this isn't even your body, then surely, we can find a way to get you a new one.”

“That’s not the point. What if once I leave this body… I stop being me?” Asher hugged Orion back.

“What do you mean?” Orion asked.

“But if reason I’m even Asher is because I have Ashers memories than what’s going to happen to me when I’m not Asher anymore? Asher is all I know. Am I really a person at all outside of that?” Asher felt his eyes beginning to water again.

“Asher is Asher.” Orion nuzzled into Asher's blonde hair.

“What?” Asher looked up at him.

“Think about it, Orion is Orion and Spork is Orion. Katz is also the “Orion” you’ve come to know. Even if he doesn't answer to the name.” Orion listed off, “The only logical conclusion is, Asher is Asher, no matter who Asher might actually be. Even if you look different, call yourself by a different name, hold different memories or feelings, you're still the person I love. Just like I am to you. I don’t know if any of that made sense.”

“What if I’m too different? What if I change too much?” Asher asked anxiously.

“You've adapted yourself to me, isn't it only fair for me to try to do the same.” Orion pressed his forehead against Ashers.

“But what if I don't love you anymore?” Asher quivered.

“Then that's just how it is.” Orion sighed.

“You’d just accept it?” Asher asked dryly.

“Oh, I don't intend to give up that easily. I will do my best to seduce you.” Orion asserted.

“So, you plan to rick roll me again?” Asher teased.

“If it comes down to it, yes.” Orion laughed, but his laughter quickly fell into a sleepy silence leaving Asher alone with his thoughts once more.