[Mary's Apartnt]
'Ugh... Yep, that was a trip.'
The cold, wet air of the fog still lingers in Daniel Hart's strained mind as he stirs, his heart beating to each steel blade he rembered whistling past him and Mary. Along with the tallic forges from a mythical enchantress, the howls of dark vestiges also echo rent-free in his head.
Yes, truly a pleasant dream that's sure to provide good fortune for the future.
'I wish,' Daniel snorts internally, stretching a bit only to find himself entrapped in a cool, gelatinous chamber. He expected this might remain the case as Mary and Viviane enveloped him as Mavi prior to entering the domain.
However, his gooey surroundings around him seems to line him up too well. Not only that, he also feels like he's sitting upright and holding sothing in his hand.
He shuffles a bit, wondering if he's mistaken.
Squish, squish~
'Huh? I... can't move?'
"Oh?"
A voice not of his own spills as his lips spread on their own.
Before he can completely register his state of being, he gasps. The squishy gel lining loosens around him, causing him to lean partially away in his disorientation before it pulls him back.
"Oh, my! I thought I felt a twitch. Awake now, sweet child?"
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Hearing Viviane's equally sweet voice, Daniel blinks a few tis, finally registering that he's been taken over by her again. Like thick dough being stretched but resisting its pull apart, he's similarly held in form within his sli mother. The weight of whatever his mother was carrying in their hand had disappeared from feeling as he slumped out of alignnt.
If he had to guess, she's been reading rlin's book, perhaps with better insight now. Before he can question what she had rembered and her "feeling" about Nimue, he works his jaw that's been freed.
"Ungh... morning, Mother," he greets, muffled. "I see you took inside of you again."
Despite being sealed within her, the artist breathes easily as Viviane pulls air for him. She sits on a lone chair in Mary's kitchen, casually paging through rlin's book with one hand. The left side of her face distends, showing the clear outline of her son. As he wiggles inside her extended blue mass, a warm smile touches her lips.
"Technically, you were already inside of Mommy," she reminds. "You were lying asleep in after Mary and I split, so I figured I'd keep my child cozy for a little while longer."
Daniel snorts. "How considerate of you."
"Hehe, aren't I?" Viviane's lips dip into a smirk before tapering off wryly. "But seriously, do you want out?"
"Why ask when you've gone out your way to dress?"
She raises her brow. "Is that strange? When I'm connected to you, I feel as human and exposed as you are. Of course, I'm going to wear sothing! Be honest, it's comfy inside Mommy, isn't it?"
Daniel clears his throat. "Well, it's not... um, unpleasant."
For better or worse, he's becoming accustod to being enveloped by his sli mothers. He might later co to regret giving into their squishy being, but right now, he can't deny how soothing it is as it eases him into another day.
"I need a complete answer, child," Viviane presses, her eyes narrow knowingly.
Daniel shuts his own. "A-alright! If there's nothing imdiately urgent, then we can stay together for little while longer."
Viviane beams to the sound of success, but abstains from wiggling. "Of course! I know you're worried about what we saw and learned, but take it easy, okay?"
She settles the Book of Isis in her hand down on their combined lap, then raises her arm to caress her son's extruding head. In doing so, Daniel feels parts of his limbs reconnecting with her. "It's a bit awkward to not have all your senses shared, so slide back into Mommy, please? I'll only loosely control your lips so we can continue talking."
Despite the request, there's nothing he has to do as she gently pushes his head back in. Tingles spread all over him as he feels the gel massaging him in.
"Ungh, Mother..." Daniel croaks, shivering as all the stress from their trip fades away for a few blissful monts. While slipping into her depths, Viviane coos, nuzzling against his leaving extrusion.
"Ah... yes, there we go..."
Once he disappears, she holds a hand to her chest, feeling her son's heartbeat as her own. "I love you so much, Daniel."
Daniel heats up, his heart pounding harder to hear his na being called instead of the usual 'child'. Reminded of Nimue again, he swallows before opening their combined lips.
"Although I've gotten used to it, I wish you'd call that more often."
Daniel feels his lips rising as his mother follows. "I'll keep that in mind, especially now that I've t my predecessor who considers her child."
"Well, at least we know where you got that habit from." Daniel clears his throat. "But, putting her aside, where is Mary?"
Viviane hums, brushing the cover of the book. "Mary left to check in with her clone and uncle at the studio. Last I heard, he's awake, but she wants us to stay put until she hears from him first about his... er, cultist ties."
Daniel twist their lips, his stomach churning in turn. He already was forced to open up to Rachel, and in doing so, he has to deal with Lecia's group with said leader missing. Having a cult looming on top of that is just cruel.
Viviane frowns. "I can feel you worrying, child. It's worrying ."
"Ha, isn't that to be expected? Seeing how we've obtained rlin's book from him, and it's ant to follow you into the future, I'm guessing involving him was unavoidable."
"You're probably right. rlin does seem to hold great confidence in how the visions would play out, especially seeing how I willingly sealed myself. While we may have been playing into them thus far, I have a suspicion it wasn't Marlin's choice to bring this book."
The sli lining squishes as Daniel raises his brows. "Why do you say that?"
Viviane glances down to the book. "Because, from what we read, rlin designed it to not only to be durable across ti but also find its way to . Sothing must have happened for Marlin to bring the real thing with him when he was hesitant to do so. I an, why risk bringing sothing as big as this overseas?"
"Guess he'll have to tell us. But, if you're reading the book now, does that an you're able to understand it?"
Viviane shakes her head. "Unfortunately, it's reverted to its symbols. When I rembered how I wrote the first pages we read, so anings to the strange symbols opened up to , but they're too scattered beyond the first pages to make any sense. Maybe with Marlin's studies, more will co to , but I think we'll have to revisit Nimue and my domain to read it properly."
At ntion of the problematic enchantress, Daniel sighs. "Right, let's talk about her now. Despite triggering a vague mory resembling your guardian cutting into rlin, then becoming a corruption to attack us again, why would you suddenly beco more trusting of the one within you?"
Expecting such confusion, Viviane closes her eyes. "I know it was sudden, and I'm not saying rlin's fear is unfounded. When I rembered the rest of what I added into this book, I also rembered what I saw of them before they disappeared."
She pauses, opening her eyes half-way before continuing. "I don't know why a corruption sprung out of that mory, but in reality, sothing was off between rlin and Nimue. I felt it back then and regained that feeling now. While the mory was initially hazy, I think it's beco clearer now."
"Can you show ?" Daniel asks.
Viviane snorts. "I was about to say."
Her body shrugs as Daniel takes his turn, spreading a resigned smile. "Look, we're already sharing enough as is, so it's not like more will kill ."
"I... do wonder about that, but close your eyes and recall what we saw in the fog."
Daniel stiffens, but follows, wiggling their lips. "Y-you know, I could've done without hearing you doubt."
"Mommy's just being honest, sweetie~"
"Ugh, saying it endearingly just makes it sound worse. That's too honest!"
"Yes, yes, just hush now, child. Focus."
Breathing out in a huff, Daniel lets his mind rest. The fog returns to him showing the silhouettes of rlin and Nimue embracing each other in a... less than welcoming manner.
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'No, but seriously, how can anyone trust a person that carries such an obvious red haze? It literally screams—'
Shlick!
Daniel's thought is cut off as Viviane attaches to his head for a brief second. A wind blows through his own mory, lifting the fog. By then, he holds himself, eyes wide as if he were there.
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It's utterly silent.
Daniel can't tell if that's intentional or because the mory is incomplete, but he takes in the unnatural green flas that surround the lovers amid an empty throne. They writhe and lick at the air, casting an eerie erald light on the two figures at their heart, slowly consuming them.
The man, rlin, is in a simple brown cloak, but for the first ti, his hood is down. Daniel leans into the mory, trying to finally see the face of the man who had been nothing more than a cloaked enigma in every prior instance, but the mory resists. rlin's features blur and swim behind his dark, pony-tailed hair, refusing to resolve into a clear image. All Daniel can discern is the ghost of a light, calm smile on his lips. He seems utterly at peace as her blade pierces cleanly through him.
He knew his fate, of course.
Even in literature, it was told he would die at the hands of the Lady of the Lake. So authors claim it as an apprentice seeking to overthrow the master while others say it was out of jealousy. The na between Viviane and Nimue blurs between different tales, masking where truth lies.
Daniel is witnessing the truth along with the closest one can call magic.
Yet, rlin's tranquility makes Nimue's expression all the more devastating. Daniel can understand why Viviane feels there's more to her guardian's supposed threat with horror crossing those blue eyes.
Nimue frantically searches to an unknowable wizard as she tries to pull back, but is held close by his hands collapsing around her own. This doesn't seem like the reality she wanted to be a part of, so what could have led to this?
Daniel figures the flas rising around them as their bodies fade is the sealing magic, seeing how it's similar the flas that appeared to Viviane when she was released. If that's the case, then is Nimue horrified of the flas released to seal them together, or by striking her own lover?
More than that, was it even her decision?
The mory ends with a fade to darkness, just as the two lovers fade out of existence, connected to each other as they once were. At that mont, he sees Viviane's hand reaching out, and her cry breaking through the silence but never reaching the ones who raised her.
Shlick!
Daniel inhales sharply as Viviane separates from his mind. Any longer, they would have beco the fusion, Vida. In addition to the mory, the rest of the page he hadn't finished reading also cos to him, mirroring what his sli mother had seen.
He swallows slowly. "So they just... disappeared like that?"
Viviane nods, keeping a loosened control over his lungs to let him recover as he wants. She brings their combined arm to rub their thigh soothingly.
"And you weren't able to find any answers as to what happened back then?" Daniel adds.
"Only as far as what I wrote, but I haven't regained any mories of what I did during that ti. That said, I'm also worried about the extent of the flas we saw. Do you rember what I wrote about Arthur?"
"Right, sothing about Arthur being gone. I assu he fell sohow? No, wait..."
Catching himself, Daniel recalls his sli mother's notes further:
I only know that when it could have happened, it was sudden. One night, nearly everyone vanished in the castle after I left my study. Scouring, I went into the throne room. Whether I was supposed to be there was never ntioned in rlin's descriptions.
...
It wasn't just them that faded that day. Honestly, it scares to think what kind magic using the flas was perford.
Daniel widens his eyes. "They... they vanished just like Nimue and rlin did!"
"Exactly."
"But then, many should've noticed! Why haven't archaeologists and historians uncovered the truth of his rule beyond tales? Surely there's more solid evidence."
"I've been wondering that as well," Viviane supports, lifting their combined hand to their chin. "Then, I rembered what happened to you at the clinic. We've seen how Victor did sothing to make them forget about you and him, no?"
"Damn... If that's true, then you're thinking the seal also wiped out a portion of Britain's history and the people in it!"
"W-well, I don't want to go that far," Viviane holds, chuckling nervously. "I an, I find it hard to believe that everyone in the kingdom disappear, but a mory wipe? Maybe. Then again, we don't know much of these magical flas."
"How would we have loose tales, but not any real accounts?"
This ti, Viviane shrugs, but winks, causing their lips to rise. "Who knows? It could be the result of a certain soone roaming the land, trying to find answers."
With only guesses to play off, Daniel resets their expression with a light breath, shaking their head. "Didn't know you could be so inspiring."
"Hey, what's with that tone? You know that's a possibility!" Viviane growls, puffing up to the derision.
Before Daniel can respond, the sound of a phone ringing echoes into the kitchen. At first, Viviane thought it was hers, but seeing no such activity in her pocket, it imdiately follows that it has to belong to her son's device.
"We can speculate for later," Daniel urges, slightly grateful for the interruption. "Can we see who that is?"
Viviane blows out, grumbling to her sotis rude host. She takes control, pushing off the chair and stepping back into Mary's bedroom where Daniel's phone was left on the night-stand. Pulling it up, she sees the caller ID from Rachel.
'Oh, shit,' Daniel thinks, sweating. He had left her with Anne, but she was quite upset with him, especially learning of their unusual relationship. Although he can't avoid her, he wished Anne called ahead instead.
"Let talk with her," Viviane suggests, causing Daniel to flinch. "She knows everything, right?"
"Ah, yes, but..."
"It's okay," Viviane cuts gently. "I should at least introduce myself before we properly et."
Daniel hesitates, but ultimately nods. His silver-haired sli mother carries the sa familiarity with the astronor, and while it may not link as closely as Anne, it's still there.
He hopes that will be enough. Shaful as it is to allow his sli mother to literally shield him, he's not in any mood to front Rachel's frustration and disbelief if it hasn't subsided.
With that, Viviane takes more control of Daniel's face as she closes her eyes to a smile. "Good morning, Rachel. This is Viviane speaking."
Quite the gathering would soon co.
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