Daphne jolts as the golden woman abruptly grabs Daphne's hand, stopping Daphne from touching her. There's a sudden breath of fresh air as Daphne's shaken out of her trance. The mist clears out of her head. She gasps loudly, eyes blown wide as her mind returns to her completely. The weight of the memory prison spell lifting off her shoulders. She's free.
Daphne stares at the golden lady in front of her in fear, but immediately averts her gaze upon realizing the woman is naked. She's covered in jewelry and it only barely covers her private parts. What just happened? What did she just do to her?! She looks down at herself and frowns when she sees she's wearing a white dress with an open back. Similar to the one she wore at the Halloween party.
"I had hoped you would fight me more than you did," the golden woman says, letting go of Daphne just as harshly as she had grabbed on.
"What?" Daphne rubs on the wrist the lady just held and stares at her in disbelief.
"You gave in. Immediately." The lady shakes her head and turns around. Gold dust falls down her shoulders and Daphne realizes just what she is. She's like Nuveth. But gold. She gasps quietly at her own naivety. She'd nearly touched her. She would've turned to gold!
"How was I supposed to know what you were doing to me?" She tries to defend herself. The golden sorceress scoffs.
"It is not a matter of knowing, Zephyr." Daphne shudders at the mention of the word. "These kind of spells are supposed to catch you off guard." The gold moves away from Daphne, who stays frozen in place. "This is about recognizing what is being done to you. That what is happening is not reality."
"Is this real?" Daphne asks quietly as she looks around the white space around her.
"What do you think, child?" The gold cocks an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not sure..."
"I am in your head." The gold nods and twirls once, her metallic dust covering the floor below her. She suddenly bursts forward towards Daphne, who yelps, but freezes. She halts right before Daphne, gently touching Daphne's nose with her own before pulling back again with a mischievous smile on her face. "But the rule still applies."
"I figured," Daphne mumbles. She bites her cheek and studies the gold woman. "Do you know Nuveth?" She asks quietly. The gold laughs once.
"Nuveth is my brother, Zephyr." Daphne's mouth opens slightly in surprise.
"He mentioned you when he..."
"Visited you?" The gold laughs softly, but her posture weakens. "We are twins," she says simply. "Both cursed to the same fate."
"The metal?" Daphne's faint reaction makes the gold chuckle.
"We learned to use it to our advantage."
Daphne purses her lips, still unsure to what extent she should trust the gold.
"What is your name?"
"I go by Ravir." Daphne blinks a few times as her mind connects the puzzle pieces.
"The sorceress who told Thor to practice his lightning strikes on earth?" This time the sorceress laughs out loud.
"I did not tell him that. All I did was inform him he is capable of far more than he thinks. I did not tell him to go to Midgard, and striking you with his powers was not something I intended him to do."
"So, you know what happened?"
"The one who made you allowed me to enter his mind to explain a vision to him. I may or may not have snooped around his memories a little bit."
"The one who..." Daphne's voice dies to silence. Loki. There's a beat as Daphne gathers the courage to speak. "What am I?" Ravir cocks her head.
"Did my brother not tell you?"
"He told me the name."
"I told him to tell you what you are."
"He didn't." Daphne scoffs. What a stupid conversation. Couldn't Ravir just give her the answers she needs?
"Oh, Zephyr," Ravir sighs, gold dust floating in the air as she shakes her head. She moves back to Daphne again, who presses her lips on top of each other. "He told me he did what I asked. I have not seen him much since then." Daphne closes her eyes when Ravir caresses Daphne's cheek with her golden hand. Daphne doesn't move, afraid she might lose her balance and initiate physical contact with Ravir. "He's enjoying his freedom, you see?"
"Freedom?" Daphne barely moves the muscles in her face. She doesn't dare with the gold still touching her.
"He was imprisoned for a long time. Freed only recently. Going to you was the first thing he did after 1200 years. Upon my request, of course."
"He mentioned you felt guilty."
"I feel guilty no more. I am here now to speak with you myself." A gold finger traces Daphne's cheekbones and curls around her hair, twirling it.
"Then speak."
"Hm?"
"Explain to me what a Zephyr is." She pauses before she stutters. "A-and tell me if the spell he put on me is really gone."
"The spell is gone," Ravir ghosts around Daphne, to her back. She holds onto Daphne's hair as she moves, letting the strands glide through her palm. "My brother should have known better. Your young Midgardian mind is not suited to carry a spell of that weight." Ravir's hands move to Daphne's crown and start pulling her hair back as she combs through it with her fingers. Daphne remains still.
"I noticed," she mumbles, recalling the headaches and anxieties that came with it. "And Zephyrs?"
Ravir's hands move skillfully, starting to braid Daphne's long ash blonde hair.
"Zephyrs carry very strong magic inside them, but they cannot use it themselves." Ravir frowns slightly, lost in her thoughts and focusing on the braiding process. "Sorcerers can forcefully take this magic from them, to fuel their own power. Taking from a Zephyr can result in the Zephyr dying." Daphne flinches slightly, but composes herself. She can't risk touching Ravir. "The Zephyr can also give their power to a sorcerer willingly, which does not hurt. It just drains. The energy can be restored by resting." She caresses Daphne's temple, grabbing a stray strand of hair. It tickles. Daphne just listens with her eyes closed.
"Some sorcerers collect Zephyrs. Strip them of their free will, or spell them to fall in love with them so the Zephyr will give them everything they want." Daphne frowns, not yet truly realizing the gravity of what this means for her.
"Is that why you put me under that trance? To use me?"
"Zephyrs do not enhance my magic. You have nothing to fear from me. I spelled you to prepare you." She tugs a little harder at one strand, causing Daphne to move her head slightly. She didn't recall relaxing her neck. "Exposing you to this kind of magic on a regular basis can go one of two ways. In any case, you will start recognizing the magic as it befalls you."
Ravir's hands leave her head as the braid continues. Daphne feels herself relax more under Ravir's attention. The little tugs at her hair. The gentle massaging of her scalp... "However, you then need to hope you either become resistant or are able to fight it."
"Or...?" Daphne asks quietly and carefully.
"Or you will become more susceptible to it. Fall even easier every time it happens, until magic is no longer needed and you will just follow out of your own accord. Not really having a mind of your own anymore." Ravir's voice is soft and sweet and Daphne replies with a mumble.
"I don't want that."
"You are right. You shouldn't want that." Ravir finishes the braid and starts twisting it into a bun on Daphne's head.
"You're doing it again," Daphne mutters. Her eyebrow twitches. She feels sluggish. Not in control of her body.
"Oh? Am I?" Daphne hears Ravir smile, but her eyes are too heavy to open them. She suddenly feels Ravir's breath on her ear. She whispers: "And what are you going to do about it?"
"Mmm..." Daphne sighs as her head nearly drops forward, but she catches herself. "...don't know..."
"I could tell you... If you want." Ravir moves from one ear to the other, tickling all Daphne's senses but her sight.
"I... I want..."
"Tell me what you want, Zephyr." Daphne squeezes her eyes shut and frowns. She doesn't want this. She doesn't. In a split second of clarity, it hits her. Ravir is asking her what she wants. Daphne's initial reaction would be to reply, not with what she wants, but what Ravir wants her to want and that's exactly what she shouldn't say. She needs to say what she wants. For real. What keeps her grounded? What keeps her mind from going foggy? What keeps her from falling further? Who.
"Peter-" she whispers breathlessly. "I want Peter."
"That boy?" Ravir scoffs behind her, untwisting the braided bun and re-twisting it the other way, like an endless spiral. "I can give you so much more than he can."
"I don't want more. I want h-him." Daphne takes a breath. "Peter B... Benjamin Parker."
"Why not forget about him? He's just a silly teenager. I'm an immortal enchantress. Am I not the most beautiful creature you have ever seen?"
"I don't want you. I want Pe-Peter."
"You should just give up, Daphne. You are far from winning this battle." The mention of her name has Daphne twitching slightly, but she keeps fighting.
"M'not," Daphne pushes out. "I... I want to dance the pas de deux with him. I want to sit next to him in class. I want to eat pizza with him and give him all the veggies I don't like. He's-" Daphne scoffs into a chuckle. "He's a living trash can. Eats everything." Daphne feels fresh air on her face, as if she's waking up in a tent on a cold day. "I want to watch cheesy movies with him. Do my homework with him. Make silly jokes and hold his hand." Daphne's eyes shoot open when she says: "Kiss him."
She gasps for air as Ravir lets go of her hair. It falls on Daphne's shoulders, untangling slightly. She steps forward, collecting herself as she pants, regaining control over her body. Ravir scoffs once.
"Kiss him," Ravir repeats. The tone in her voice belittling. Daphne flinches, embarrassed. "You really are only a child." Ravir moves so that she's in front of Daphne, her golden dust falling everywhere. "I suggest you keep practicing with the one who made you."
"I'm not sure if I want to go through that again." Daphne squints her eyes shut. She's still slightly bent forward in order to gain enough oxygen in her lungs.
"It could make you stronger." Daphne finally looks back up at Ravir with a cocked eyebrow.
"Or it could make me more- what did you call it? Susceptible? I'd rather just... Not find out which one of the two I'll end up gravitating towards." She waves Ravir away with one hand and stretches her back. Ravir nods, her long dreadlocks dancing around her.
"I understand."
Ravir waves her hand and the white surrounding them ripples as if a single drop fell into a glass of water. A room appears around them. A familiar one. It's the Avengers Tower guest room Daphne spent the night in after the Halloween incident. Daphne frowns when she sees herself in third person. Her other self is lying in bed, her head bandaged. She's asleep. Her attention immediately drifts to Peter. He's sitting on the floor next to the bed. His arms and head rest on the mattress and his hands hold onto hers. The muscles in his face are relaxed, but his sleep seems rather restless.
"I do agree that he is very sweet," Ravir says with a courteous nod.
"Please, don't snoop around in my head." Daphne bites the inside of her cheek, not taking her eyes off Peter.
"I do not need to snoop around to know what he means to you." Daphne presses her lips on top of each other. Her eyebrows curl up into a frown.
"All I do is worry him."
"For good reason," Ravir adds. Daphne turns her head to look at the sorceress. "He knows." It takes a second for Daphne to realize what Ravir means with that.
"He... knows?"
"As do the Sorcerer Supreme and the-" Ravir pauses to chuckle. "-other metal man."
"Iron Man?"
"Correct." Daphne's shoulders droop.
If they all know what she is, why didn't they tell her? Ravir places a hand on Daphne's arm and squeezes it slightly. Daphne doesn't respond, trying to find any reason as to why they would keep this from her. She bites her cheek. This explains Tony's protective behavior. She suspects he doesn't even like her for real. He just does all this for Peter.
"The sorcerer felt he could draw from you when he first met you," Ravir says simply. The look on her face makes it seem like she's recalling it as if she was there. Doctor Strange did act rather odd when he checked if Loki had put any spells on her. He stared at her like she was an object he needed to assess and he had left the room without saying anything of value to her. She thought he was an ass. Maybe there was more to it.
"And Tony?"
"The sorcerer felt tempted when he was with you in that room. He immediately told Tony, so there would be one person out there who would know. Someone who would keep him grounded and tell him off should he ever want to use you." Ravir lets go of Daphne and pulls at her own jewelry. "They kept it a secret for your sake, hoping you would never have to find out."
"A lot of shit happened after that," Daphne says with a frown. "There were enough opportunities for them to tell me."
"And they still decided not to." Daphne looks back at Peter, who stirs. He must be dreaming.
"The boy only found out recently. He learned about what you are himself."
"How?"
"The westerly wind." Ravir saunters towards Peter and Daphne keeps a close eye on her. Wary of what she might do with him.
"Zephyrus," she mumbles.
"Your kind was named after him; Zephyrus." Daphne scoffs at that and can almost hear Peter say the word 'fructifying' again. To make something more fruitful or productive.
"How did he find out?"
"He stole books from the Sorcerer Supreme." Ravir's hand ghosts over the mattress around Peter's arms. "There is not much literature on your kind, as even most sorcerers do not know about Zephyrs. One Encyclopedia entry was enough, though."
"But he didn't tell me..." Daphne stares at Peter's relaxed features.
"He was going to." Ravir pauses her movement to look back up at Daphne. "But then the other boy- the reason why you are in this state- attacked your father."
"I- eh... Could you maybe stop by Avengers Tower? I'm with Mr. Stark right now and we... I want to discuss something with you." He sounds worried, which concerns Daphne. Something is definitely up. She stops walking for a second as Avengers Tower is the opposite way and she looks down at her feet.
"Yeah- yeah, Pete, of course. I'm not far, I'll be there in five. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just... It's important." Daphne's mouth goes dry. What does he want to talk about? Why does he sound so out of it?
He wanted to tell her. He found out and he immediately wanted to tell her. And then so much happened. It made sense for him to not want to bring it up at that point. She's sure he would discuss it with her another time. When they would both be ready for it.
"Fucking hell," Daphne mutters. She was still angry with Tony though. She is going to have a word with him when she wakes up. Daphne didn't register that Ravir reached out to Peter's hair, though when Ravir touches it, Peter jolts awake and looks around feverishly. She immediately lets go of him and takes a step back. There is obvious surprise on her face. She did not expect him to wake. His gaze rests in the general direction where Ravir stands, but it's clear he can't see her.
"He's just a human boy," she mumbles. "Yet he senses me?"
"He's... Enhanced." Daphne doesn't know how else to say it.
"I am aware of that. Though, I did not expect this."
"He's very sensitive."
"So, it appears..." Ravir cocks her head, intrigued. "He's certainly gifted." Daphne purses her lips and chuckles to herself.
"25 tons."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
They both look at Peter, who finally looks away from Ravir and back to the Daphne on the bed. The real Daphne, not 'mind' Daphne. His expression is soft, yet worried. Daphne takes a step towards him and Ravir makes her way back to the ballerina.
"I suppose it is about time I wake you."
"What? No- I have so many more questions!"
"Not all questions should be answered by me, Zephyr." Ravir caresses her arm with her other hand, wiping excess gold dust. "I do advise against telling anyone else about what you are." She brings her hand with the extra dust to her mouth and blows it at the floor beneath Daphne.
"Is it reversible?" Daphne asks quickly, hoping Ravir could turn Tao's silver hand back to normal, or maybe at least tell her how she can help him. Ravir doesn't answer her question, though, which only frustrates Daphne more.
"It was lovely finally meeting you, Zephyr. Daphne." She holds her hand in front of Daphne's face, pressing her thumb and middle finger together.
"No, wait- please!" Ravir snaps her fingers, gold dust flying off it like electricity sparks. Daphne feels the floor under her feet disappear and she falls into a dark hole.