(open.) sing it low or sing it loud

[courtmagic]

Who: Merlin and others.
Where: Sometimes the Temple, sometimes the forest.
When: Early September.
Rating: Just PG for now.
What: The Circle's gained a new wizard. He explores, and tries to not get ill.

[this is not a dream. a dream doesn't feel like this - he's trekked across enough of them in the centuries to know. and still, he wonders, because of how different it all is. that woman, and her beautiful eyes - Astoria, she'd called herself. he'd been half numb, struck and dazed when the world beneath his feet did not give. magic at the far reaches of himself, a memory halted in the process of becoming an action.

the world behind his eyes has gone silent, and he marvels at it. the sheer expanse of the unknown. Merlin breathes air utterly new to him, and cannot decide if this is for good or ill. it is, and he must adapt. freedom at a price, or the illusion of such. there is much to contemplate, but as ever, the only road ahead is forward.

--

of course, he explores the Temple. it's where they're supposed to be, after all, a place with rooms and beds and one he finds unoccupied with a single to lay his head. but beyond that, he wanders, peeking in at various areas. the kitchen is where a hopeful might look to find someone else doing the work of cooking that he can charm the result out of - why bother if he could simply get it for free? other times he's in the halls, seemingly searching for something. not someone, of course. that would be asking for far too much. but when evening falls, he heads to the outskirts, to watch the sky, a figure in pure white robes. as long as he can, he observes the stars, eyes as intent as a navigator as he traces where they are now.

but the illness is all too apparent. the sickness that infested the land cannot be lifted by hands that haven't been fully summoned, the flowers that could trail behind him not so much as sprouting. only their scent that clings to his clothes, and so he moves outward. can't stay in one place too long, trying to minimize his exposure, and the forest beckons. easy to wander, easy to take a rest nestled up a tree, where the sound of soft snoring gives away his napping, dozing with a few of the nymphs climbing on him. other times, he finds himself at the bank of water, sitting down and humming quietly a song he remembers to amuse himself, considering the plight of what's occurred. but as it happens, sometimes he is trying to converse with the sprites, so worked up are they. it doesn't seem to be excellently going, if his small frown says anything, but they'll notice a newcomer before he does, allowing enough time for greeting.]

[[ooc: please feel free to drop me a note if you'd prefer an individual starter! these can be any time, except for stargazing. choose your own adventure, and hit me with something else if it strikes your fancy!]]

Comments

kitchen

[bleps]

[There were an array of new faces at the temple, more than anyone could have expected after their return from the last mission. Welcome, really, these new hands and experiences — Connor could only see it as a positive development, that a larger “team” meant more tools and powers at their disposal. A far more adaptive Circle than before.

Or they would be, at least, if everyone wasn’t so prone to getting sick.

Connor’s come to fetch something out of the kitchen, likely for someone who’s growing ill, helpful as he wishes to be. His step is even and purposeful as he enters the area, casting a quick glance around and locking eyes with what he’s sure is a new face.]

Hello. [-he says, easily enough. Followed by:] You must be new.

[courtmagic]

[Connor shows up when Merlin's finished scouting out something someone left for the rest - quickly finished, really, with no one around to prolong the meal, and he's setting the dishes away.]

My my, is it so terribly obvious?

[swiftly, his eyes run over Connor, almost like he's assessing for something. but, blink and you'll miss it. he's smiling warmly enough.

not like he'd be able to tell a new Servant if there was one. was worth a shot, though.]

[apocryphas]

[ The sprites that Merlin is trying to converse with sense a calamity approaching. Like something bad in the air, they quickly disperse and retreat to wherever they came from. In their absence, the silence is filled with footsteps approaching Merlin from behind. Her walk is slow and she's in a slightly crooked mood, but that's usually her default state anyway. ]

Ahh, so it's the wizard bastard... I don't suppose you're here to cure us of the magic plague. Lucky for you, I'm already starting to feel healthier.

[ hey dude ]

[courtmagic]

[the sprites leave before he can get an answer - he'll have to track them down later again - and he understands it all from the first note of her words. there's someone he wasn't expecting to see - he'd have sensed her, if not so cut off. a dozen thoughts rise up in his mind, and he cuts them off with a breath by the time he turns around, same smile as ever on his lips.]

Hello to you too, Mordred.

[it wasn't a question about what mood she was in, but rather, why. did the illness concern her so?]

halls

[p_mortem]

[ It's hard not to notice the wandering eyes. Minato's caught himself doing much of the same upon his initial arrival, although his gaze often catches and lingers on whatever's gotten his attention, slow to move on, but it's alright, since he has nowhere in particular he needs to be. It's Merlin who's being watched for the moment; more specifically, his eyes that change its object of focus in a blink, moving on too quickly to really take in what's there.

There's a dog at Minato's feet, a white shiba inu who seems to sense Minato's hesitation and thus is the one to break the silence and trot up to Merlin with a bark. Relief briefly passes over Minato's face before he picks his feet up and trails after the dog. ]

Did you lose something? Koromaru might be able to help.

[courtmagic]

[the dog breaks his thinking with the bark - his surprise is brief, and he might have crouched down to pat them had the owner not so swiftly showed up. honestly, in this state, he could have passed by ten people and not known. but he recovers quickly, looking at the young man as though there was nothing to hesitate.]

It's a generous offer, but no, nothing physical. I was more calculating what a place such as this was liable to have hidden away - if there were any secret passages, or if there was something like a library.

[and this is the simplest way of stating the truth.]

kitchen

[extirpator]

[ the smell of stew drifts about the kitchen — it is thick and savory, bubbling in the pot for everyone to both hear and see.

nier cants his head, idly stirring with a ladle in hand. that is, until a visitor arrives. ]

Hey.

[ he says it gently, before drawing out a bowl and filling it to the brim. it's slid across the counter, no questions again. ]

It's important to eat in times like these.

[courtmagic]

So it is. Keeping your strength up and all.

[he takes the stew with a grin - so easy! and after some time wandering in the forest, he has something of an appetite. taking a bite, he nods in approval - it's good.]

Cooking so others don't have to? How thoughtful.

outskirts

[crystallomancy]

[ merlin cuts an interesting figure against the night; natsume, at first, wonders where he's going, and then the sky is what attracts him to stay outside. it isn't as if he's overly fond of stargazing the way a few people he's familiar with are, but there's always been something magical about constellations and the other patterns humanity has found.

speaking would interrupt the nice quiet here, but he's curious, too. ]

Are you looking for something familIAR?

[courtmagic]

...something grand, atop this land woven with magic. Or, well, it used to be. The past evident from what's been left behind, and the future in the heavens.

[he doesn't lower his eyes, but speaks as though he's in half a trance, half contemplation.]

The familiar can always be construed out of what is there.

Sprites

[teratias]

[The sickness is absolute and utter nonsense, although this kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later with world hopping. Random pathogens? If no one dies, it'll be a miracle.

Without many books to read or other interests to pursue though, Waver finds himself walking the grounds when the raging sneezing attacks allow him to. It also means that when he's walking past, he doesn't realize that there are sprites around until one of them is practically in his face.

For a moment, Waver is dazed, managing a quiet Whu... before his eyes go over to the other sprites and Merlin. Tilting his head, because god is he ever confused, he just looks at Merlin, gesturing to the sprites in the universal Do...you want help or something gesture.]

[courtmagic]

[they buzz around, coming to some conclusion before they fly away mostly. one remains, landing on Merlin's hair, and he seems blissfully unaware of their existence.]

Careful. You almost swallowed that one.

[invasif]

[ Being in the sunlight again is overwhelming. Too much light and color after so many thousands of days in the Void, where she had been curled up, restless and waiting. The magic all around her makes her hungry, agitated. The sickness beginning to take root in her body isn't helping. She thinks on the flamelord's dying days, sweating out his lifeblood as he suffocated. She feels heavy with grief, overwhelmed with choice.

She would inflict this on others, that was the Lady of Cinders' way. She would wrap up everyone in this temple in her grief and hate and strangle them with it, it would prickle pleasantly under her skin. Instead if festers inside of her with no outlet. Had she lost her powers to time, or to the witch who dared to call her here...

She is standing with her arms crossed, staring angrily into the water when she hears the humming. Her head turning with a dark, heavy gaze. It is an imperious look, imposing in her dark clothes and carefully coiffed hair. The heaviness of her gaze does not change, but the fury at least lowers to a subtle simmer. She approaches, head tilting. ]

Your mood seems pleasant.

[ She can be envious of that too. ]

[courtmagic]

[he isn't cowed by her look, when he meets it. blonde hair and dark clothing, and eyes that all wrapped into an impression of Morgan, though she looks far different beyond that. it was a time for revisiting ghosts, he supposes, with who he's run across and the time to contemplate the past.

it's a careless sort of happiness that clings to him, the unpleasantness of these circumstances sinking to the bottom to be dismissed in time. challenges to be overcome, things to discover. it wouldn't be half as fun if it was all easy.]

And yours as dark as clouds across the sun.

[tears were a sorry sight on any woman. but anger? now that's intriguing, if you aren't the source of it.]

water

[airgetlarm]

[The Magus of Flowers is here. For Bedivere, it is a paradoxically comforting and disturbing thought that only brings little relief. He had already passed through the haze of confusion the moment he found himself in the Temple, without his Servant abilities although his right arm remains, dormant and without its holy light.

The knight approaches the great mage (and there are faint memories of something similar happening before, where Bedivere had approached him in his moment of need- no, this is different).]

Merlin...

I'm afraid you are one of the only friendly faces I recognize here.

[I haven't found my king.

I haven't found my Master.

His worried eyes say everything without him having to add any more.]

[courtmagic]

[there's flickers of different emotions flying across Merlin's face - it's enough to do so, when he's still processing this place. he thought, apart from Mordred, he was alone. and here Bedivere is before him, with many questions that this time, Merlin cannot answer so easily.

he leans back on his hands, settling into a neutral expression for now.]

Sit, Bedivere.

[pacing around in search of what isn't there is only going to wear you out.]

( the outskirts! ; let me know if this works or not. )

[sunborne]

[ singing could be heard in the distance.

it's a little off-key, all but blaring out the singer's inexperience in the art, but they make up for it in the sweetness in their voice, the confidence in their song about the stars and finding home. they seem to be coming from the direction where merlin is observing, emerging from a collection of shrubberies and maybe ruins from wherever they were before and-

-and even in the cool darkness of the evening, it's impossible to deny the height of this new figure. or the strange red-and-gold armour they wear over their frame.

or the bright, bright blue of their twinkling eyes(?) that matched the surprised but happy smile of theirs when they register the appearance of someone else here. ]

...Oh! Hi! [ daylight's golden winglets perk up in excitement, pleased to see one of the new faces who joined the circle.

he thinks they're new. daylight knows he has difficult telling humans apart thanks from how small they look at his vantage point, but he thinks he would remember a memorable appearance like the one before him. ] I didn't see you there. Sorry- Am I, um, ruining your view of something?

[courtmagic]

[his first impression is remembering what Connor had said about rescuing robots - was this someone who had been retrieved? the second and third are shock and calculation, veiled under a raised eyebrow and walking closer, lacking any kind of fear as to who this is. answers could only be found by seeking, after all.

besides. this one was singing, and he appreciates that.]

If I knew what I was really supposed to be looking at in the sky, then perhaps, but I'm not going to mind a break.

[a smile for a smile.]

I liked your song.

[the what are you can wait until a better moment to interject, after he's gotten the initial thoughts out of the way.]

kitchen

[isaz]

[ There's a merry fire going in the kitchen, trailing out smell of woodsmoke and roasted meat. It's a bit hard to tell what exactly the meat is from, but it smells good enough; with the fat inside the haunch melting with spices to give a strong but not overpowering scent.

Boreas is next to the makeshift grill, dressed in attire more suited for winter, wiping sweat from his brow. When Merlin comes in, he turns to give the mage a once-over - his eyes are gold, a bright crystalline colour that is entirely unnatural. ]

Looking for something?

[courtmagic]

[strange attire and eyes is all par for the course - this is a man swanning around in robes, after all. instead, the look in his eyes is more like someone angling for something very specific - the mischief of someone who'd steal a taste when you weren't looking.]

It smells good. I had to see what was cooking!

outskirts

[lumberlady]

[None of the stars here were the ones she knew. No archer, no fox, no snake, and no horse... nothing to tell her what season it was or what direction home was.

She still looks sometimes.

This time, there's someone else, though. The white stands out in the dying light, and not one to stick to herself when there are other options, Konoha can't help but approach, her hooves a soft sound that blends with the rustling of leaves and tall grasses that tickle her lower equine chest as she moves closer.]

Are you trying to find your way home... ?

[courtmagic]

[she's certainly different, he thinks, when he turns his head to look at her. but it reminds him more of someone out of myth than anyone else, and the staff against his shoulder doesn't budge.

the question gets a soft chuckle, and a minor shake of his head.]

That'd be pretty difficult, since I couldn't even guess what direction that would be. No, I'm engaging in the timeless tradition of trying to discern what messages the stars have for us.

outskirts / up a tree

[digestive]

[Merlin casts a striking figure. His robes are eye-catching, a spot of brightness in an ailing landscape. For Mikuni, who can't quite get comfortable in his assigned quarters (which, for all of their relative comfort, just aren't at all like home), a quick look outside provides something far more interesting to investigate than the insides of these stone walls.]

[But by the time he's made his way to the outskirts of the Temple, the figure in white is gone. Which--he thought he kept an eye on it. Puzzled, Mikuni squints out into the darkness, arms crossed over his chest as his tail twitches nervously.]

[And then there's a snore. Mikuni lets his head fall back to look up into the branches above--not the most dignified look he's ever worn, but it certainly gets the job done. There are those robes again.]

. . . I could shake you onto the ground right now, if I wanted to. [It's said with a smile, but he sort of means it.]

[courtmagic]

[Merlin's answer to that is another snore. he'd gone out to look at the sky, but then being tired had happened, and trekking back inside for a simple nap was foolish. instead, he made peace with a spot in the tree that cradles him and his staff, to sleep and hopefully dream something new. secured like this, he could sleep all night, but no, the sky's changed again from last night...

it's a ridiculous sight, all told.]

sprites

[baguablade]

[ Cain's not exactly eager to be tricked by the sprites again — being buried alive by vines wasn't how he liked to wake up from his naps — but they're the only denizens of the forest who seem to have enough intelligence to actually offer any insight to the sickness plaguing them, and he's not so easily put off. Besides, this time, he's come prepared. The picnic basket in his hand is full of little delicacies he's managed to scrape together in the hopes of tempting the sprites into something resembling cooperation.

It may be a vain hope, but hey, it's still worth a shot.

Cain slows his steps as he sees someone else already engaged in conversation (or what passes for it) with the sprites, though. He cocks his head to the side and offers a wry grin, noticing that marked lack of success as he lifts his hand in a wave. ]

Yo~. The reinforcements have arrived.

[ Yep. All one of them. ]

[courtmagic]

[the sprites - confusing little creatures that just want to do their own thing - mostly fly off, except for two that dart into the thicket of Merlin's hair. he looks somewhat put out by that, and pulls part of it over his shoulder to try to dislodge one, when the voice of someone else reaches him, and he brightens up.]

Perfect. What dialects of fae do you know how to speak?

[might as well try whatever comes to mind. please help him get these things to stop making nests in his locks.]

water

[intoningly]

[ She'd hoped to be alone– she debates walking a little further, seeing if she can find a patch of grass near the water that's mostly away from other people. But this mutant flu or whatever it is has left her tired and listless. So she sits down a bit aways from him, and gets to work– pulling the cape off her shoulders and then the strap that holds her left arm in place.

The din of clunky metal accompanies his singing, and she can't help but ask– ]

You sing?

[ Her focus stays on pulling her prosthetic off, but she sounds distantly interested at least. ]

[courtmagic]

[he's close enough to the water to reach out, touch it with the tips of his fingers, and he has been when she speaks. the music stops then, and Merlin looks to her with an interest - she's a unique one, and his gaze rests on the flower for a fraction of a second longer than he should.]

When I feel like it, yeah. You?

[he's no closer to unraveling the illness, but he's met a host of people. this Circle - it was as eccentric as could be hoped.]