The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Eight (Draft 3 WIP) "Possessions"

Mother's eyes shifted to Hepburn.

Morpheus already knew how Hepburn would answer, but Hepburn did sign a reply in Mother's direction.

"Can you translate?"

Morpheus looked to Hepburn first and saw assent. "Hepburn had contact with Julien." He relaxed his left hand and touched his fingertips to his right forearm. "This means Julien."

Mother made a slow nod.

"Hepburn saw—sensed Joy, Djinn senses are not specifically like our seeing or hearing, but did not have contact like with Julien." Hepburn had actually signed "enter the vessel", but Morpheus wasn't sure he should tell Mother that.

Hepburn shifted form to Holly Golightly knitting.

"What are we saying here?" River asked. "Joy really doesn't know what Athen did? What if she's around him again?"

"Maybe one of them did it," Mother said, her tone almost questioning. "Vampyres. To spare or deceive?"

"It's not possibly part of how she is, like the different lifetimes?"

Mother shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know, but I don't think so. She totally knows she was in an underground lair, then there's a small fire, and then: 'Julien was so sweet to escort me. He didn't want me to be alone, in case I was weak from blood loss.' She fully means to see him again."

"It wasn't that small a fire," Morpheus said. He almost asked what Joy could see in Julien.

"She mentioned it like a small distant thing. Was that how you interfered?"

"What?" It hadn't even occurred to him Mother would think that. "No. Loren was with me when we heard the Vampyres shouting." He didn't say that Loren had been in the awkward position of keeping him from going in there.

Mother glanced up at Hepburn. "Sorry. I don't know the Djinn as well. Where are the others?"

"Loren wanted time in a bottle and our new friend didn't come with us."

"We should cover that song."

Morpheus couldn't help but break out in laughter. "I shouldn't."

"No. It's good." Mother looked to River and up at Hepburn. "He looks good when he laughs, doesn't he?"

River just nudged Morpheus with his tail, but Hepburn shifted so that Holly's hair was in a towel.

"Sorry. I got guitar and...tongue?" Mother was trying to read Hepburn's signs.

Hepburn stooped and clarified in combination of signs and gestures.

"Yeah, it's better sometimes if I don't interpret. There's a lot of personal and layered meaning that gets lost. It's like when you write lyrics."

"Mother! Laughter. Yes. Music would be his mother tongue." Mother lifted a hand to the base of her throat mimicking the sign.

"My mother," Morpheus said, "Someone else's mother could be:" He positioned his hands over different parts of his face and head as he signed.

"Oh" Mother drew out the word. "How would 'father' be?"

Hepburn questioned Morpheus.

He shifted his flesh to appear as his father including the winged crown, but omitting the wings. He then did his best would-not-wake-a-soul voice, "And he sounds like he's lulling you to sleep."

Mother smiled wide at the impression. "He has a very calming presence."

Hepburn gestured facial hair.