[ Cottage Hideout ]
Chili was decided.
Specifically, it was decided by Rachel. She only intended to come upstairs to ask for the group's opinions, but ended up witnessing an unsettling union between two artists and their shared slimes. Suffice to say, she lost her appetite to start off something complex.
Especially with the two, complex fusions in front of her.
Now, along with Marlin, they watch Danne and Mavi at a circular table between the kitchen and living room. The serving bowl full of beans and canned ground beef simmers in the air between them, but a great loss dampens the color of the meal. The two fusions stare past, their eyes gray.
Marlin clears his throat. While his mind spins by their state, he holds himself back as he leans toward Rachel.
"Did someone die?" he whispers.
Rachel closes her eyes. "You could say that. You've apparently had a special person inside that head of yours."
"Dare I ask?"
"Leonardo Da Vinci."
Marlin stiffens, his pupils shrinking. He turns to the fusions, then back to the Rachel. "What? No way... How?! You're telling me that he's related to..."
"Hearing you guys talk about it only makes it worse, you know," Mavi cuts, breaking away with a heavy sigh. She reaches over to fill her plate with a big frown on her face. "Your bald head truly is a gold mine, uncle."
Marlin's eye twitches. 'This little...'
Mary's definitely in there.
He snorts, taking his first bite of his own bowl. "Well, clearly not anymore. I get why you guys are disappointed as artists, but how is he related?"
"Better for you to explain, Mavi," Danne urges, lifting her head from gloom to fill her own bowl. Currently, they haven't synced across, so she has access to Rose's memories while Mavi has more details to the Book of Isis's influence.
"Right..." Mavi clears her throat, adjusting her chair. "This will be a long one, but I'll start with the people who are most important in history..."
The darker-skinned fusion goes on to detail what Viviane learned of the holders, starting with Bedivere—a knight who was apparently out of range of Merlin's effects when the kingdom disappeared.
Nobody can hold onto their spoons too tightly as she retells some of the memories of travel with the knight. Naturally, neither of the Arthurian figures were able to figure out what happened to their home as it devolved into myth. In the end, Viviane left the book to Bedivere before she committed to sealing herself for the future. From there, the Book of Isis traveled between priests, merchants, mercenaries, and families.
"...Eventually, it landed into the hands of Francis II. That's where our current troubles start." Mavi shuts her eyes, her lips thin. "Let's just say... he decided to create a special group to help when Viviane would be released."
"Wait, you mean..."
"Yep."
"Seriously? Then the Order was originally designed to..." Marlin holds his breath, then leans forward. "But, you wanted to stop the Flood! Why would they..."
"Something changed their direction, but we don't know what or why right now. There wasn't a holder that recorded themselves in 500 years after Francis, and then came Leonardo. Apparently, he hid the Book of Isis after seeing a shift in the organization's mission. Viviane wanted to ask more questions of why they changed, but she wasn't able to get all the answers when Anne joined and alerted about Nico."
"Oh, dear..." Rachel's face creases. "This is... a lot."
"You're telling me."
"By the way, why are you referring to Viviane separately? Aren't you partly her?"
"Ah, yes..." Mavi giggles sheepishly. "I know it's strange, but I can't explain it other than I'm aware they're separate from me. It just feels wrong if I assume them."
"That's... strange?" Rachel questions, raising a brow.
"Er... relatively speaking." Mavi coughs. "Rather than me, Danne is the stranger one! Whatever happened to us when we decided to...well, cut loose, Anne and Daniel now get to speak inside of that head of hers while my parts are just muted. It's so unfair!"
Danne stares flatly. "To be clear, I don't hear them. I only know something has changed based on their individual memories showing that I'm being influenced by them, but..." She lifts up. "I can't tell. Even now, am I being influenced?"
Inside Danne's head, Anne hums. 'I feel kinda bad. We're already getting existential.'
'Because you're thinking it. Cut it out!' Daniel hushes.
Danne shrugs. "Anyway, it's not worth thinking too heavily about."
"No, wait, let's do a test!" Mavi claps her hands, grinning. "Say a number, any number!"
'Three.'
'Fifty-one'
"Fifty-one."
"Oh?" Mavi points with her spoon. "That had to have come from them, right, but you didn't think of two numbers?"
Danne cocks her head. "No, why would I?"
'No, why was my number ignored?' Daniel asks.
Anne harrumphs. 'That's because Mama knows best! You can't override me when I'm literally over you, silly~'
'Yeah, yeah. Instead of dominating, how about we both think nine?'
'Hmmm...thinking nine.'
"Although, if I had to choose a second number, it would say nine," Danne follows.
"Interesting..." Rachel squints. "You know, I wonder if being combined is like a..."
"Quantum state?" Marlin finishes.
The astronomer's eyes widen. She snaps to the I.T specialist. "That's... yes, exactly! She could literally have two speaking states, but only one can be observed at a time."
"W-whoa, whoa there," Mavi urges, raising her hands and smiling crookedly. "I think you guys are overthinking this."
"No, we're not!" Rachel huffs. "In fact, you're the same. Even if Mary and Viviane aren't aware as Daniel and Anne are, you're still influenced one way or the other by them."
Daniel internally sighs. 'As interesting as it is to self-reflect, we should start with our plans for the night.'
Thus, Danne waves her hand. "Let's move on from this, please. We need to discuss our next steps. Right now, finding Victor and Lecia should come first before we try to understand the Order's motivation."
"And, whatever this Flood entails," Mavi adds, crossing her arms. "If that's the case, we'll have to bring the books with us to one of the dream realms again."
Rachel twists her lips for a moment. "Can we join you? If I recall, Anne told me it wasn't necessary to merge."
Mavi grins. "No, but we'd have to gobble you up."
"W-what?"
Danne elbows her fellow fusion. "Cut it out. What she means is that we'd still have to take you in us as you sleep. That's just not something we should try right now."
Rachel frowns. "Dear, I want to help."
"Do you want three or even four people squished together in the same bed, wrapped in our goo?"
"Ahem, then again, it would be better to have a good night's rest," Rachel reverses, closing her eyes. The table chuckles a bit before she reopens her gaze. "Still, I would like to meet this Nimue. I don't mind if I have to be wrapped by your...um, bodies."
"It's actually quite soothing," Mavi insists lightly.
"Why do I get the feeling that's something Mary would say?" Marlin raises, narrowing his eyes.
The fusion flinches, and looks away. "N-not at all!"
"Huh..." Marlin makes a mental note to trust any combination involving his niece as much as he trusts her alone.
Which is, as Mavi said, "not at all".
Full of intrigue and concern, time passes as they exchange and review all that they know. By the end, chili filling their bellies, Marlin and Rachel warm up rather quickly to the new fusions and their perspectives. However, despite reservations, the two less-touched humans are ready to leave the fusions alone, knowing the privacy they'll need for the night.
Rachel pats Mavi's hand by the front door. "We're right next to you, so if I don't hear from you in the morning, I'm barging in, regardless of what activities you guys are doing!"
"It'll be fine~" Mavi sings lightly.
The astronomer stares past to Danne, who glances away with thinned lips.
"...Right. Well, good night, you two... er, four?"
"Hehe, good night!"
Marlin and Rachel follow out while the door shuts behind them. They're left with crickets chirping around them and stars twinkling down them.
Staring up, Rachel's gaze soften. "It just occurred to me... there could more false stars like Al-Bali, just products of a flaming magic."
"Are you disappointed?"
Rachel shakes her head. "No, it just makes the universe even more mysterious."
Marlin stares at the star-loving scientist, unable to help smile at the wonder in her eyes. He looks away. "Then, let's get some rest to find these mysteries. If the other cottage is anything like this one, I'll stay in the bedroom downstairs."
Rachel blinks. "I see... Trying to make me lower my guard by giving me space, huh?"
"What?! How is-"
Rachel closes her eyes to a chuckle, patting the man's shoulder as she steps ahead. "I'm kidding. Still, if you're going to be downstairs near the kitchen, I'll expect you to make breakfast."
Marlin stares blankly as he watches her descend the patio stairs. Slowly, he sighs, rubbing his bald head. "She got me."
...
..
.
Alone together at last, Danne doesn't even get a moment to breath. As soon as the door shuts, she widens her eyes, freezing in place behind Mavi.
'Alright, it's time to regain our individual space! Mama needs to hold her baby again.' Anne declares.
'So no real space, then.' Daniel counters flatly.
SPLICK!
He doesn't resist as his slime mother tears away, spilling off him through his clothes. Breathing out, he stretches his shoulders while his slime mother reforms to the side, the usual bridges of goo lingering on him.
Hearing the noises, Mavi turns toward them, her brows rising. "Already back, love?"
While Anne takes her time reshaping with sweet gurgling, Daniel nods his head to the side. "I'll admit it wasn't that bad. Although Danne couldn't tell, Anne and I remained conscious, so I didn't feel like I was having a maternal crisis."
"That sounds so much better! Hehe, maybe we should have another night of wine~"
"How about we don't?"
Anne finishes reforming, immediately growling at the fusion. Naked, she presses closer to her son, her chest squishing against his arm. "He's right, we don't need the wine! Instead of that, we're close to ending the day without ever having fed him. This is a travesty!"
Mavi feigns a gasp, raising her hand to her mouth. "Goodness, you're right!" Her gaze steadies on her fellow boyfriend and son, grinning. "Love, it's our important ritual. You're not going to skip out and let your mothers' chest get sore now, are we?"
Daniel spills a weak smile. "Funny, you all seemed to be handling yourself well enough."
"That's just your imagination. We were really hurting, you know?"
"Uh huh..." Daniel straightens for a moment, then pats his sides. "Well, I guess we're safe enough. Not like there's a cult out there searching for us or anything."
"Love, just say you're thirsty already." Mavi's eyes lower to his crotch with a smirk. "I can see you're hotter because of all that chili Rachel made. People usually like to dial it down with some cream."
"You mean sour cream?"
The fusion flinches. "Uh... sweet cream."
"Pretty sure it's called sour cream. Nobody puts sweet cream on that chili. That's disgusting."
"..."
Mavi's eye twitches. Somehow, all her smirk had been stolen by her lover. As he snorts triumphantly, she crosses her arms and clicks her tongue.
"Anne, lead this smartass away. If he wants sour, we're going to give it to him!"
Daniel pales. "Wait, wait, wait, wait—"