acatalepsy_logs | (open.) sing it low or sing it loud

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(open.) sing it low or sing it loud

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!]]

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[ 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.

[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.]

[ A place like this— foreign and uncertain- definitely hints at secret passages, but Minato is surprised to hear that what Merlin is looking for is a library. It's the furthest thing from his mind, whether he'd just turned up here or in the many years of schooling he's had and very rarely finds himself in a library. Bookstores are a little different, but libraries...

He rubs at the back of his head, slowly shaking his apologies. ]

I wouldn't know about either of those. I guess a library's easier to find, though... if you look for a book first, and ask someone where they got it. [ That's assuming nobody carries books around with them. Who does? Nerds. ]

If it's history or something you want to research, asking somebody would be easier too, wouldn't it? [ Someone other than him; sorry he's so unhelpful, and he realizes this, dropping his hand and returning it to his pants pocket. ]

Would it? I don't think that anyone here knows the history that might draw my eye. But I don't care about that right now - there's a lot of other things you can find in there. Oh well!

[he shrugs, not actually bothered.]

There's a lot to see, regardless. An old ruin like this...

[ Was he wrong about Merlin wanting a library to look up the history of this place? Considering their situation, it was the logical course of thought, but if Merlin is keen to move on, Minato gladly will. ]

Yeah. It's sure... old. Lots of stone. Not enough metal.

[ Not enough plastics and electronics and all the modern conveniences Minato is used to, and he's never been one for camping out in caves and forests and old ruins that civilizations should have moved on from long ago. ]

Guess I'll keep a lookout for both those things, and— [ The dog barks again, as not to be left out of the conversation. ] Oh. This is Koromaru. He says he'll help too. I think. [ He can't speak dog. ]

[he chuckles, looking down to the dog.]

I thank you for your assistance, then.

[wouldn't do to make him feel unwanted in this conversation. but something Minato said plucks at his mind. not enough metal.]

City boy, aren't you? Far flung from the more rustic side of life?

[ He breathes a laugh, because he didn't think he'd be that obviously out of his element out here where the floor is stone and dirt instead of concrete and asphalt. ]

Yeah, I used to live in a pretty big city. It's a lot different from here. Noisier. [ Lots of other things too, but what strikes him most at the moment is the lack of familiar sounds, not only the number of people, but the honking of cars in heavy traffic, and howling of stray dogs late at night. ]

Did you use to live in a place like this?

Something like that.

[stonework and magic is as familiar to him as the back of his own hand, in truth. it's the sheer freedom around him that's new.]

But I've visited cities enough - such endlessly fascinating places. I'd never be bored if I lived there, to take in the sights and sounds and people...

[ The freedom is apparent, but the cost of a happy life is the length of it... Minato still isn't too sure what to make of the illness that seems rampart in the area, but for somebody like him who's here on borrowed time, he can't find it in himself to speak up about it. ]

A place like this definitely isn't boring either. Even our arrival... magic like that is pretty interesting, I think.

It says quite a bit about the one who brought us here that she pulled it off at all.

[a lesser mage would be burned up trying to pull over just one person, after all.]

Astoria... was her name, right?

[ He'd only seen her once, though she wasn't speaking to him directly- but rather, to a group of them at large, wary and suspicious and her explanation didn't help alleviate either of those. ]

She said something about bringing us here to "save the world," [ the last few words spoken slowly, as if he isn't sure that's the whole implication of it. ]

Says something about the rest of us, if she thinks we're capable of that.

Oh, I'd say she likely knows you're capable. Why waste energy and time bringing over someone you're uncertain of, in such a high stakes mission? It's stupid!

[brightly.]

Why waste energy bringing over a hundred someones, though...?

[ It's saving the world, yes, but does it really require so many people? ]

Because saving the world is a gigantic task, of course! What, you think someone could do it singlehandedly?

[the world savior he knew may have been the only Master, but countless other souls had helped the journey. to save just one world, everyone's stories came together into one.]

...Nah, I needed everybody's help too.

[ He's still kind of amazed at the "miracle" he pulled off, but it all had to do with the strength he was able to draw from everybody supporting him. With so many people here, that power would compound from person to person...

It's a hopeful thought, but the reality is that he has no idea what to do, whether as a cog or as a key player.

He points up at the sky, stretching his arm up as high as it will go, and frowns slightly at the tip of his finger. Nothing happens, but he didn't really expect it to, so he lets his arm drop again. ]

...Dunno what the first step would be, though.

[almost too quick to be seen, Merlin's eyes study him, taking in those words. there's a long history behind those words. not something to be said in these halls, interrogated out of him. charmed, rather, until Merlin can enjoy the results of the story and this one can believe telling it was his own choice.

he shrugs.]

We're already here. That's our step one. She may be on step thirty five already.

[ He imagines he can feel Merlin's gaze rather than seeing it, off Minato's face when he glances over and leaving him a little self-conscious, shoes scuffing the dirt as he shoves his hands in his pockets, physically pulling himself back together. ]

If that's a step in the right direction, I'm feeling a bit better already. And if she has a plan...

[ He mirrors that shrug ]

Then I can go back to literally chasing ghosts, rather than metaphorically doing so.

Oh? A researcher of the paranormal?

[sounds fancier than "ghost hunter", really. and a bit more broad. a step into that opening up.]

Ha... I wouldn't say "researcher," really.

[ "Ghost hunter" might actually be more accurate, as all he's doing is simply being on the look out for them and following, rather than actually learning anything. That is the plan, though, to eventually learn something, somehow. ]

Last time I had to "research" ghosts, I mostly just asked around for what others know. Can you give me any insight on them? The ones here.

The ghosts?

[and now he looks a bit at a loss.]

I...wouldn't know about this place. I haven't been here two weeks yet.

That's about as long as I've been here, if that. You can come sit in the garden with me sometimes; I'll point them out to you.

[ It might take several hours for one to show up, though; he's tried following them, but they keep phasing through somewhere inaccessible and he can't tell where they come from or where they go. ]

I'd like that.

[Merlin grins - he's got nothing but time to spend, and it'd be a change of pace.]

Should I keep an eye out for you?

Yeah. If I'm not in the kitchen, or my room, I'll probably be there.

[ He's a homebody at heart, but the garden is a nice place to be, ghosts or no ghosts, and being as sick as he is, he doesn't quite feel up to exploring the place or delving into the woods just yet, so it's a safe bet he'll be there. ]

[with a nod both to Minato and Koromaru, Merlin turns away to depart. the tapping of his staff against the stone is a steady rhythm as he goes away, no longer searching quite so hard for something secret.

spirits here. what a delightful surprise. he really does want to see them.]

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(open.) sing it low or sing it loud

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