Chapter 103: The British Reveal

Mary peaks into her rearview mirror, confirming that Marlin is still following behind after he obtained a rental car. Although she's curious as to her uncle's current thoughts as he drives through the city, she's glad to have some more time alone to figure out how to go about revealing everything.

Well, maybe not everything.

'Ignoring the shared sense of motherhood, I got back together with Daniel, and we're helping some cute slime girls that mean no harm to society. Easy!'

There might be too much bias and optimism in her thoughts, but Mary feels confident her uncle will adjust to matters of the slimy dwellers. If not...well, she doesn't want to imagine the sort of elbow grease needed to chug things along.

Heaving slowly, Mary pulls up to her studio. From the mirror, she sees her uncle already parked and exiting the car to grab his luggage from the trunk.

"It'll be fine, yeah."

She steps out with a smile. "Need any help, uncle?"

Marlin raises his hand, flexing back a weak smile as he takes out his luggage. "No, I got it. Is this the studio? How very fancy! You're paying for this in addition to your apartment?"

Mary tilts her chin proudly. "Yep! It's certainly more expensive and a lot to manage, but I don't regret having a separate place to focus. Anyway, let's head in, and I'll show you around."

Marlin follows his niece as she unlocks the front door, revealing the lobby with her best pieces up on display. She introduces a select few, her eyes lit up with excitement as she reminisces on her favorite assignments. Marlin can't help but warm up to see such passion in his niece's eyes.

'She's come so far. If my brother saw this, he wouldn't be so worried about her.'

Past the lobby, they enter a hallway leading to the work bay, but the artist stops her lead as the breakfast Viviane prepared wafts through the air. While she was momentarily lost in her works, Mary doesn't forget there's someone more amazing amid her art. Clearing her throat, she flips around to face her uncle.

"Right, enough about me. Hungry?"

The British man chuckles. "Smelling that, how can I not? You didn't need to go that far to make anything extravagant, Mary."

"Well, it's only right after your long trip. Besides, Viviane is the one who prepared it."

Marlin flinches. "Viv...wait, you don't mean..."

"Oh, you're back!"

Finishing right on time, the elder slime pops into the hallway while folding an apron she just removed. Her gaze studies the bald man behind Mary for a few seconds before she closes her eyes, smiling warmly.

"Why, hello there! I'm Viviane. It's nice to finally meet you, Marlin," the elder slime greets, joining Mary's side to extend a hand.

Marlin stares with an emptied mind at the silver-haired beauty, drawn in by her pale, but smooth complexion and silver eyes. Before he might be considered mental, he reels himself in and clears himself, remembering that she's the source of mystery Mary wants to understand better.

'Is she really a shapeshifter?'

"Right, Mary talked about you," Marlin begins, hesitating for a second before he takes her hand. "I'm not sure if I can quite believe it. How...?"

He halts, words interrupted by the cool temperature of Viviane's hand as it spreads through him.

'Huh?'

Viviane cocks her head as Marlin freezes. Before she can question, he releases her hand as Mary forms a cough.

"Ahem! Uncle, I know you have many questions and doubts. It would be easier for her to show you that she isn't human, but I don't want you to have a panic attack right after coming here. Maybe eat and relax first?"

Marlin furrows his brows, rubbing his hands as they warm up. "No, let's not delay. If you're telling me she's a shapeshifter, then please show me."

Mary thins her lips before glancing at Viviane. They lock eyes for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"To demonstrate, I'll transform into your niece," the elder slime announces. "Don't be too alarmed."

That's easy to say because, in a few breaths, Marlin stiffens. His eyes nearly pop out as dual images of his niece soon reflect in his gaze.

"Holy shit..."

...

..

.

Overall, the reveal wasn't too bad.

Marlin did nearly stumble in his footing as he swallowed the reality of seeing two Marys, but other than that, he remained relatively calm. Having mostly recovered himself, he now sits at the table detailed with plates of eggs, toast, and juice in the lounge area. The shapeshifter across from him returned to her standard form, further emphasizing how simple it is for her to transform.

Wary, the bald man hesitates to take a bite of the breakfast prepared by the silver being. By contrast, his niece digs in, showing the trust and familiarity of having an otherworldly guest by her side.

He swallows carefully. 'This is insane.'

Following that thought, he asks, "So, if you're not human, what are you exactly?"

Placing her fork down, Viviane appreciates an expected question. "See, that's part of the mystery we want to solve. Physically, I guess the closest I can describe myself is as a slime girl."

"A...slime girl? What's that?"

Mary stifles a laugh. "Oh, uncle, you really haven't been scouring the internet much, have you? I mean...it's probably best you don't."

Viviane waves the dark artist off without breaking contact with Marlin. "I'm basically some kind of organic being that is made of...jello, let's say. I can split myself, transform, and reproduce some material that resonates with me. Let me show you my base form."

Shwip!

Her colors fade, leaving her blue and semi-transparent. Just as fast, Marlin's heart ramps up, jaw hanging to see the girl has indeed become jelly. If he was any older, he might have died from a heart attack.

"Ah!" Seeing the man's shock, the elder slime quickly repaints herself and plants a hand across her face. "Sorry, that was too much. I should've just shown you my hand instead."

"I...I don't...?"

Mary leans to the bald man's side, pressing a hand to his shoulder. "Just relax, take a deep breath, and collect your thoughts. I know this is shocking, but remember that you have a magic book by your side."

Meeting a new form of life can hardly be compared with his studies, but it does provide some ground to keep calm. Rather than making a leap forward into the unknown, this feels like he's being pushed to take a step.

His chest slowly rises and falls while his mind thaws enough for him to bury his slump.

Shutting his eyes, he groans. "I swear, Mary, what have you gotten yourself into?"

To that, Mary blinks, silently glances to Viviane, then back. She rubs her neck, sweating a little. "W-well...more than I'd like to admit. I know you're worried about me, but I assure you there's more at stake here than me."

Marlin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Wow, that sure makes me feel a lot better."

The girls hold their tongues, letting the bald man calm down. Blowing out slowly, he drops his hands, returning his gaze to the elder slime.

"So based on my calls with Mary, you were summoned through a green fire?"

The elder slime hums. "Yes, but there were complications. At the very least, I don't think I came into this world as intended."

"As intended?"

"As intended by Merlin."

Marlin stares blankly before he shakes his head. "Wait, wait! Mary mentioned that wizard. Given your name, does that mean you're 'The Lady of the Lake' from the tales?"

"Well, one of them."

"One of them?!"

"O-okay, I should start from the beginning," Viviane suggests, smiling bitterly. "While I'm missing a ton of my past, I remember..."

She goes on to cover the recent discoveries of her origin, how she was saved as a baby from being sacrificed by cultists in worship of Isis, what little she knew of her savior and mother figure, Nimue, and how she was trapped in an unknown realm. As far as the new information Daniel and Anne discovered this morning, she avoids mentioning it as she wants to confer with Mary privately first.

"Despite these memories that come up, I'm not sure what's true," she finishes, narrowing her eyes. "At least, they certainly don't match up to the tales."

Marlin blinks a few times. "Wow. I...suppose it would be a surprise if it were completely accurate."

Taking time to collect himself, he stares up at the ceiling with a weak smile. "I'm more shocked to have living proof there's a hidden history to my country."

Mary gasps and claps her hands, twisting to the elder slime with a grin. "Oh, that's right! I didn't consider it, but doesn't this mean you're technically British like us?"

"Uh!" Viviane's pupils shrink. As the idea persists, she quivers, looking down. "Oh, my god. As if I weren't cursed enough!"

"Pfft!" A hand slams down on the table as Marlin fails to hold in his laugh. The slime's played terror is an unexpected reprieve to his worries. As strange as it is, he's starting to feel better sitting across an otherworldly being.

Recovering himself, he smiles more. "Well, 'Lady of the Lake' or not, you're definitely not quite how I envisioned."

The elder slime raises a brow, then places a hand to her chest pompously. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm quite the elegant and mysterious figure, if you must know!"

"Until I rubbed off on her~" Mary adds, resting her chin on her hands with a cheeky grin. "Sorry~"

Narrowing her eyes at the artist, Viviane harrumphs. "Yes, you can partially blame your niece for being the way I am."

"I'm afraid I might bear some blame for my niece as well," Marlin admits.

Mary flatly raises her hand. "Yes, I blame myself too."

More chuckles erupt from the table, lightening the mood further. Marlin regains some appetite to take a bite from his plate. His worry still holds for his niece, regardless of how friendly this silver-haired slime girl seems. With that in mind, he turns to her.

"How did you two meet then? You weren't the one who summoned her, right?"

Mary waves her hands. "Of course not! You see, um..."

The artist hesitates, wondering if she should mention Anne this early on. The plan was to wait, but she's happy with how receptive her uncle has been. In any case, it definitely can't be hidden for long, so for ease of explanation, she decides not to delay.

"When Viviane mentioned complications, she actually came through another who we call Anne. It was right around when I got back together with Daniel that..."

With some twisting of the truth, Mary reveals the first slime mother and of the dream realm that contained Viviane and other memories. For good reason, she avoids going into how Anne came into being by consuming her boyfriend's mother, only saying that the slime girl felt a sense of connection to him. The more critical point lies with how Viviane's release coincided with a crack in the realm and the Al-Bali star's disappearance.

Marlin takes in all the explanation, just as he did with the Arthurian history. His brows deepening, he turns to Viviane. "So, she split from you, but you ended up part of her?"

"As far as I can tell," Viviane answers, smiling weakly. "I remember the fire actually pulling me in once I tossed what would become my sister, so it must've been related. Have you found anything like that in your observations with the book?"

Marlin scoffs. "Absolutely not! What you're describing is beyond my years trying to learn. If I didn't know an inkling of the properties of some of these colored fires, I'd call this story a fever dream. As it is now, I'm afraid I don't know enough to help, but I can definitely see how the book I was given is related to you."

Sighing, he switches to Mary. "With all of this, you'll have to introduce me to Daniel. I don't particularly like how he's involved you in this, if these beings came to him first."

"I involved myself," Mary corrects, glaring at him. "Don't try to be so protective and blame Daniel for my decisions. Besides, I was involved the moment I opened that book when I was young."

Marlin shuts his eyes. "Which I deeply regret. That bookshop owner had to have known you would read it if you were somehow imprinted with Merlin's message. I should've never left my curiosity out in the open."

Opening his eyes, a thought occurs to him as he looks between them. "Actually, you mentioned these lakes that hold memories. How exactly did Viviane receive this message if it was from Mary?"

Viviane hums. "Anne and I can copy memories from others we touch if we focus. So, I should clarify that I don't just have to copy a person's appearance, but I can replicate their personality as well."

Marlin's brows rise. "Seriously? So it wasn't a joke that my niece rubbed off on you? That's...terrible."

"Hey, I get I'm part of the joke, but there are limits to rudeness!" Mary huffs.

Left unsaid is how the reverse is true, but Marlin doesn't need to know that his quirky niece has become even more mentally inspired than before.

"Sorry, slip of the tongue," Marlin excuses, collapsing his hands together and pressing on with a reset of tone. "So you believe my book and your release were part of Merlin's plan?"

As Mary grumbles in the background, Viviane takes the lead. "More or less. My release was anticipated, but then we learned there could be implications for everyone else when the star disappears."

"So that's why you were asking me about 'The Flood'?" Marlin asks Mary.

Setting aside plans to get back at her uncle, the artist nods. "That's right. Layna Moore's study is the only thing we've found that mentions an event to come after the star's disappearance."

Marlin twists his lips to the side.

Layna may have known more, but she certainly wasn't able to continue after The Order got involved. Marlin doesn't know what means she was dealt with, but he doesn't want to find out.

Viviane lowers her gaze, clenching her hands. "Had I known that my release would cause a star to disappear and create this stir, I would've never tried to escape from my sister."

"I-it's hindsight now," Marlin assures, smiling crookedly while shelving the potential risks to his family. However, he doesn't disagree with Viviane. The Order believes in such a signal and thus has been ramping up activity. It's clear now that this shapeshifter is connected to The Order's agenda, being the one to cause the star's fall.

It would be easy to ask Mary to cut ties for her safety, but he knows she won't do that. Even without the elder slime, it might not matter without knowing Merlin's reasons for choosing his niece to be the messenger.

Hell, it may even be too late depending on what The Order knows about him and Mary.

'Shit. Is there any way to protect her from this?'

"U-uncle, are you okay?"

Seeing how his worry has drawn extremely on his features, Marlin snaps out and composes himself in front of the girls. "Sorry, I..."

So, now what? Does he tell them about The Order he's joined? As a lower member, he's only gained the benefit of accessing old records they've shared in their worship of Isis, which he used to help propel his studies of his magic book. Most of them weren't that useful.

No matter what, he can't ignore their presence. If some members are already here in Keystone, he'll have to meet them according to the Italian man's address he was given.

'No, not yet.' He decides. 'I can't risk exposing myself without knowing The Order's plans here...or what they might know of me.'

"...It's nothing," He excuses, rubbing his temples. "Just tired and overwhelmed."

"I wouldn't expect any less. Why don't you get some rest first, uncle?" Mary offers, smiling. "I already set up a bed in this studio. We can talk more later tonight."

Marlin sighs. "Sure, but before that, have you learned who triggered this summoning?"

The girls glance at each other again. With the summoning and blue flames, this connection may be the most important yet. Nodding to each other, Viviane returns the bald man's gaze.

"Lecia Bowden."

Blinking, Marlin takes a second for the name to register before perking up. "That name...She's the president of Sights Open! I heard she used to be an archaeologist at Stonehenge, too."

"Do you know her?" Mary asks, leaning forward.

"Hardly. I've seen her name pop up in the news, just like anyone would, but my company also did some consulting work on their I.T. systems before they moved on. That was years ago. More importantly, why do you think she's the one?"

"Well, coincidence or not, Daniel was approached to work on a commission piece of Stonehenge with a special fire in the center," Mary answers. "Guess what color?"

Marlin snorts, shaking his head. "No way...Why would she even put herself out there? Then she had to have known—"

"Oddly, I don't think she does," Viviane interrupts, her eyes firm. "Maybe this is naive of me, but Anne and I have both met her, and she hasn't seen past our human appearances. The strangest thing happened this week, though. I met her at the Keystone library, then took my chance to speak to her."

Taking a moment to recall the blue flames that surrounded the former archaeologist, she continues, "She was engulfed briefly by blue flames when she started reading a book by Victor Grayson."

"...!"

Quietly, Marlin's stomach sinks while his body stiffens. He weakly raises a chuckle. "What?"

Viviane only mentioned Victor because of the relevancy of the blue flames, hoping Marlin might be able to add to what occurred in the library yesterday. Beyond that, she and Mary felt it was better not to go into details of the "dead" professor until they had Daniel.

Catching the shift in her uncle's eyes, Mary leans forward. "Is there something you know? Maybe about the author?"

Marlin swallows carefully, then shakes his head. "I'm...afraid not. What is surprising is that you witnessed another fire outside what I've shown. If these blue flames covered Lecia, and are anything like what happens when I try to damage my book, it sounds like she's been put under some sort of protection, perhaps set up by this author."

"Protection?" Both Mary and Viviane raise at the same time, their eyes wide.

Given what Mary saw from Marlin's demonstration on the phone a week ago, it makes sense it would be related to protection, but then, why would Victor seek to protect Lecia while rendering the pages blank for Viviane?

As the girls consider this detail, Marlin hastily rises and clears his throat. "I definitely need to clear my head and rest after this. Perhaps later tonight, we can talk more?"

Blinking, Viviane gasps. "Ah, of course! With all that we've discussed, I know this has been overwhelming. Before you leave, I heard you brought copies of your book for us to examine. Will it be alright if I take a look while you're resting?"

Marlin's eyes narrow uneasily. "I would prefer if we looked at them together."

Mary stands by her uncle's side and hums. "Agreed, let's not rush this. Given what we know, I'd be worried if this was also part of Merlin's plans and something might happen to us whether we look at it now, copy or not."

'Something definitely will happen!' Marlin mentally groans, shaking. He's already accepted that he might not be able to hide the book in his luggage for long, although that doesn't mean he won't try, as long as it doesn't teleport again.

However, a larger problem has reared its head that adds to his worries.

Victor Grayson.

In truth, Marlin has heard of this person.

While publicly known he was a professor in Egypt, he's one of the few names Marlin heard of past council members that guided the cult. Of course, this was decades ago. It was never clear if the man ever left at some point, passed away, or was dealt similarly to Layna Moore.

Either way, between Lecia, Victor, and these gooey summons, it's clear he and Mary are in more risk than he thought.