"Still, I hope that it is not too late to introduce myself," I courteously bowed to what was essentially my elder. "My na is Narcissus, I hope that our first impression of each other won't prevent a further friendly interaction."
"Likewise," Viviane sighed.
The revelation of my curse and Viviane's unwilling—though begrudgingly insightful—help lingered in the air like a bitter aftertaste.
Despite her frosty deanor, I saw an opportunity in this self-righteous Lady of the Lake.
If the Neuro Alloy project was going to progress beyond our current resource limitations, having a water source as abundant as hers would be invaluable.
And if this water was connected to Viviane herself… well, then perhaps the Lady of the Lake wasn't just a poetic title.
"Lady Viviane," I began, my tone smooth as a perfectly drawn curve, "Is this lake yours?"
Her sharp orange eyes flicked toward , half-lidded in a mix of amusent and suspicion. "At least you're sharper than you look," she said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Of course, it's mine. This lake is not just my territory, Narcissus—it is a part of ."
Her words gave pause. Part of her? What did she an by that? I'd heard of fae beings being tied to their environnts, but this seed… literal.
Viviane seed to sense my hesitation. Her smirk widened as she leaned forward, the golden glow of the lake casting rippling patterns on her lightly flushed skin. "What kind of fairy are you, not to know this? Did they not teach you the basics of our kin before you were thrust into the world?"
I managed to suppress the urge to bristle. "Yes, I'm nothing but a young and oblivious fairy who knows nothing of this world," I replied dryly. "Enlighten ."
Viviane raised an eyebrow but obliged. "I am a water nymph," she said, her voice flowing like the very elent she embodied. "We are faeries tied to the waters, bringing life and fertility to the land. Wherever we settle, the soil grows rich, the air turns lush, and over ti, patches of water begin to form—small pools at first, then streams, and eventually lakes like this one."
As she spoke, I noticed sothing peculiar. Droplets of water ford on her skin, glistening in the soft light before sliding down and vanishing into the lake.
My mind raced. If this lake wasn't just her territory but an extension of her being, then the water wasn't rely connected to her—it was indeed her.
The thought hit like a thrown brick. This entire lake, pristine and massive as it was, was essentially a collection of…
Nymph sweat.
Goosebumps prickled along my arms. The realization was both fascinating and a little disturbing. But more importantly, it was an opportunity.
Viviane furrowed her eyebrows.
"...That look on your face, you just realized sothing obtuse, didn't you?"
"So," I said, keeping my tone casual despite the whirlwind in my brain. "This lake… it's not just part of you. It's made from you."
Viviane's gaze sharpened. "Observant," she said, her tone laced with guarded approval despite the implication. "Yes. The waters you see are the excess moisture from my vessel. It collects and gathers, forming what you and those mortals so quaintly call a lake. Why?"
"No reason," I said quickly, though my mind was already churning.
If Viviane was the source of the lake, then securing her loyalty—or at least her cooperation—was a strategic move.
Verina had noted earlier that the water might possess a psionic signature, but it bore no traces of magical influence from ohrtending or arcane sorcery, making it viable for Neuro Alloy production.
The potential here was imnse.
I clasped my hands behind my back and took a step forward, eting Viviane's gaze with a mix of confidence and sincerity. "Viviane," I said, "Have you ever considered leaving this lake?"
Her laughter was quick, sharp, and entirely unamused. "Leave?" she echoed, crossing her arms. "Why would I abandon my sanctuary for the chaos of Carcosa? Do you take for a fool, Narcissus?"
Continue your journey with empire
"Not at all," I said, holding up a placating hand. "But consider this. You ntioned that water nymphs bring fertility and life to the land. You create lakes, streams, and rivers. What if, instead of being confined to one location, you could spread that influence further? What if you could be part of sothing greater?"
Her eyes narrowed, skepticism written in every line of her face. "And what, pray tell, would that be? Your bastion?"
"Yes," I said simply. "Look around, Lady Viviane. Carcosa is a fractured, dying world. The land here doesn't need a single lake—it needs hope. It needs rejuvenation. That's what my bastion stands for.
"While not essentially remaining in your post, you can still act out your role as the Lady of the Lake without any hindrance from our side. We even might design our bastion with your lake in mind."
She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Hope? Rejuvenation? Big words for soone who's essentially building a fortress to keep the horrors out."
"True," I admitted, closing my eyes as I talk to make myself more vulnerable, and in return, trustworthy. "But what we're doing is more than just survival. We're creating tools, technology, and thods to rebuild a world worth living in. That includes resources like water. With your help, we could ensure not just survival, but progress. Growth.
"We might not be coming from the sa roots, but I'm also a fairy who mingles with humans and observes their antics with guidance and morality in mind." I opened my eyes to a soft glare. "Aren't we the sa?"
Viviane's lips pressed into a thin line. "And what's in it for ?"
"Companionship," I said without hesitation. "Purpose. You've been here for years, haven't you? Alone, judging the occasional mortal who stumbles into your waters. Is that fulfilling for the long run?
"We plan to move from place to place, traveling across nurous landmarks and civilizations in Carcosa." I snapped my finger. "You seem to be interested in the conduct of the mortals, since you're still maintaining your title as the Lady of the Lake, despite no mortals sighted in this closed region."
Her eyes flickered, a hint of sothing—pain, maybe—crossing her face. "And you think your little bastion can offer more than what my company offered if I'm about to be finger-pointed for leaving my post and duty for the sake of my own selfish rrint?"
Company…? What in the fae corporation was the faction that employed her to be a Lady of the Lake??
"I do," I said. "I'm building a community of ritocracy and loyalty, Lady Viviane. We're building sothing together, not just for ourselves but for those who co after us. You could be a part of that. You could make a difference.
"We are also delving into Theotechs and developing nurous exotic technologies. One of our ongoing projects might potentially include dabbling with the very freshwater that you naturally produced without even lifting a finger."
She didn't reply imdiately. The water around her rippled as if reflecting her inner turmoil.
Finally, she spoke. "You're persistent. I'll give you that. But if I were to entertain this idea—hypothetically—how would this work? I can't simply pick up my lake and carry it with ."
"True," I said, "But you wouldn't have to. Your presence alone would be enough. Your connection to the water could enrich any land we choose. And if we establish a new source for you, it would simply expand your domain, wouldn't it?
"Not to ntion, I have soone in part of my bastion who can store a huge quantity of the sa resource into her universal arcane pocket~"
Viviane studied for a long mont, her gaze piercing. "You're asking a lot, Narcissus. More than you realize."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But I'm offering a lot, too. A chance to be part of sothing bigger than yourself. To leave a mark on a greater scale that will last long after the sea dries and the mountain boils in anger."
Her expression softened slightly, though her guarded deanor remained. "You're ambitious, I'll give you that. But ambition can be dangerous, especially for soone as young as you."
"Perhaps," I said, eting her gaze. "But danger is nothing new to . I face it every day. And I'll face it tomorrow, too, with or without you. The question is, do you want to face the greatest enemy for non-mortals like us—otherwise known as 'ennui', alone in your blue shore?"
Viviane's lips quirked into a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're clever, Narcissus. Too clever for your own good. But you make an interesting argunt."
She fell silent, her gaze drifting to the lake as if seeking answers in its depths. The tension in the air was palpable, the weight of her decision pressing down on both of us.
"Your proposal," Viviane finally began, her voice slicing through the air like a blade, "Is as hollow as it is ambitious."
I blinked, the bluntness of her words breaking the fragile tension I had so carefully tried to maintain. My practiced smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but I quickly recovered, letting a thin veil of amusent take its place.
"Hollow?" I echoed, tilting my head with a feigned air of curiosity. "I assure you, Lady Viviane, my intentions are—"
"Transparent," she interrupted, her gaze sharp as glass shards. "Painfully so. Don't insult by pretending otherwise."
The air grew heavier with every syllable she spoke, the ripples on the lake's surface mirroring the growing discord between us. Viviane's orange-sunset eyes locked onto mine, unflinching and unrelenting, as if she were peeling back every layer I had so ticulously constructed.
"You stand there," she said, her tone laced with scorn, "Weaving pretty words and lofty ideals, thinking you can charm into compliance. But I've seen your kind before, Narcissus."
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