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["I want to be free of the ghosts to see. That is my wish: to not be burdened by them anymore."
"Unfortunately, I cannot grant that wish. But I can send you to someone who can grant it."
That answer gave Watanuki jack-all to go off of, though, and he was left standing in a field of pink flowers looking absolutely befuddled. How had he gotten there? Where was he in the first place? The flowers seemed to go on forever, and all that was around besides them was a floating tower in the sky.
Well, that seemed like Watanuki's best chance at getting an answer, so he tried to step in that direction, but found that his legs were tangled up in the flowers. He fount this out by tripping, somehow, and ending up face-first in the flowers with a yelp.]
What- why are they-
[Oh, to be tangled up in the Garden of Avalon. His sins weighed him down, and he didn't even know it.]
"Unfortunately, I cannot grant that wish. But I can send you to someone who can grant it."
That answer gave Watanuki jack-all to go off of, though, and he was left standing in a field of pink flowers looking absolutely befuddled. How had he gotten there? Where was he in the first place? The flowers seemed to go on forever, and all that was around besides them was a floating tower in the sky.
Well, that seemed like Watanuki's best chance at getting an answer, so he tried to step in that direction, but found that his legs were tangled up in the flowers. He fount this out by tripping, somehow, and ending up face-first in the flowers with a yelp.]
What- why are they-
[Oh, to be tangled up in the Garden of Avalon. His sins weighed him down, and he didn't even know it.]
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[An orphan with an average name and no social clout at all, arranged marriages are definitely not in his future. Or so he thinks. Who knows what the future might bring him, with all this power he's sitting on. Here's hoping his 'disaster bi' vibe doesn't kick up when people come to him with offers of marriage for strong offspring.]
-and why does that sound like a backhanded compliment anyway?
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(Oh boy, those offers. Merlin will scrutinize each and every one, look at how Watanuki's progressing in his lessons, and deem that any match will only occur once his student's gotten ahold of himself and not a second earlier. So maybe Watanuki won't have to contend with the adolescent phase of the disaster bi vibe.]
Oh, there's nothing backhanded about that - any beauty you find yourself drawn to shall be able to sleep well at night, knowing that they've entrusted their heart to a kind young man.
[Now, were he more aware of the link between Watanuki's kindness and predilection towards self-erasure, Merlin might've added something else to that last part that highlights his pupil needing to maintain his existence as a natural prerequisite..!]
With that disposition of yours, you may as well hang up your apprentice robes [surprise trailer material, that mention] and replace them with armor instead. How agreeable is chivalry to you?
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[Watanuki is no knight. While he does try to do the right thing, he is not chivalrous nor is he of a moral composure to follow the Code. He's just an average guy who wants to try to do the right thing, even if he sometimes doubts his ability to do the 'right thing'. Or, sometimes, his pettiness gets in his way of doing the right thing.
He crosses his arms in front of him, taking on a slightly defensive and impatient stance.]
I'm not going to find any beauties in this tower though, so we should probably get started with lessons for the day.
[Watanuki, insinuating that Merlin is not a beauty. It's his way of dragging Merlin.]
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[So, no full metal attire for Watanuki. Maybe an extra layer of padded quilted linen for protection, or a cuirass if the situation really requires it - and moving around in those is something that one must also do exercises for!
One step at a time.]
--- hey, that's a really lengthy way of saying I'm not your type, isn't it? [Merlin's not sure if he should even be bothered by his usual charm not working, and maybe it's not a loss at this point. Watanuki, after all, has yet to finish growing into himself, and so he's more gangly kid than adult.] But I suppose that's for the best if you must get used to speaking long-winded sentences.
So! [He reaches for the book.... and opens it two-thirds closer to the end, where the wordier incantations are. Pettiness exchanged in kind.] You can start here.
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And oh boy, look at all those words! It's going to take a lot of practice and Watanuki is sure his pronunciation is going to suck at first. He's not looking forward to the teasing there.
But he's not going to complain about it this time, not verbally at least. He still looks a little annoyed, but he takes the book and starts to read the first line. But he stops halfway through, suddenly thinking of something important.]
I should do this on the open floor below.
[Just in case he accidentally does a magic and blows up something. That area has plenty of room for running around.]
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However that turns out, Merlin's action should probably not be taken as a baseline.]
Wise choice.
Off we go, then!
[He taps his staff on the stone floor. It ripples and -
Disappears.
His laughter echoes in this newly-created shortcut as they fall all the way down, although the speed of their descent is slowed before they fall safely on the ground: feet first, in Merlin's case.
Ahh, but not all their lessons are as funny as this one. Time in the Tower may pass by differently, but it passes nonetheless. On the Surface of the world, the years proceed at their own pace. Romani Archiman adjusts to the paces at Chaldea and pours his heart out to Magi☆Mari. Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance genius, becomes the Doctor's confidant. Galahad is summoned and remains dormant in his new vessel.
And then -]
So it's like this.
[To get a closer look at this new development, Merlin's chosen to utilize a dream. Not Roman's for nightmare-related reasons, but one of the staff's. He makes himself comfortable in one of the lounge chairs, invisible to the slumbering human's awareness as they relieve and sort through the events of the day, including break room gossip.
Chaldea has a new director, and the general consensus about her isn't too favorable.
By now, he won't be surprised if his student somehow wanders in. Watanuki's progress with controlling his own powers has been satisfying, which means that Merlin's been explaining away his occasional check-ins to the Antarctic by giving fake excuses and avoidant answers.
It's not yet time to give away the King of Mages' sleight of hand. In the meantime, there is always "market research" for Magi☆Mari.]
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He'll do better, once he actually finds the focus he's naturally attuned to. Right now, he's working on finding the familiar meant for him. He's managed to narrow it down to 'something that can fly', but these weird butterflies keep appearing every time he does the summoning spell and they're definitely not his familiars. He's pretty sure it's something residual from a dream he experienced some months back, one of a city full of near-invisible spiderwebs, but magic from a dream should have worn off by now. It's weird that it's lingering.
Which means that, when Watanuki does stumble upon Merlin's viewings, it's while he's trying to escape a flock of bright blue butterflies.]
They're following me again!
[Though they do seem to hesitate at the door, and Watanuki will be butterfly-free by the time he reaches Merlin.]
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One more story to share to the dear lady come their weekly transfer of supplies. She might not give an outright answer, but Merlin does like her laughter.]
Popular idols can't help their fanbase, my dear Watanuki. You included. [Yes, he's made this comparison before, and he'll continue making it. Isn't it nice to be adored?] Now, hush for a moment. We're about to miss a juicy part.
[For in comes young Ms. Animusphere, flanked by Lev Lainur and Romani Archiman. While the three gossipers suddenly change topics to one television show or the other without missing a beat, Olga Marie shoots them a conflicted look of suspicion before skipping a few steps and catching up with Lev. From the sound of it, their tour of the facilities is about halfway done, isn't now a good time for a break before continuing?]
I might as well ask this now that you're here: what impression do you get from that young lady?
[Consider this as a training exercise! And a bit of a distraction. If Watanuki's focused on the young Animusphere, there's a better chance he might not accidentally see the true natures of what slumbers deep within the other two.]
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Complaints about flying fanbases will come later. Watanuki actually does focus when Merlin tells him to. At first Watanuki's gaze is instantly drawn to Romani- his 'bi disaster' vibe has started to reveal itself as at least partially a matter of 'can tell when someone is strong magically and feels inclined to pay attention to them', though Watanuki himself isn't quite aware of that yet. But when Merlin tells him to look at Olga Marie, his focus shifts to her and he frowns.]
She looks young...probably around my age. Why is she walking with those two older men like they're all peers? I know there's young prodigies sometimes, but she doesn't look like she fits in with them. She looks more...
[Unlucky.]
...I get the feeling she has a lot of expectations on her, and from a far younger age than she should have had them.
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And, hmm. While he likes that his student's instincts are getting sharper, having that little reveal now is ill-timed. Later, he'll tease Watanuki about being attracted to one of Mari's biggest fans ("Won't you make me strawberry shortcake? Mari can eat it on camera and the doctor can eat his heart out; it'll be great!"), but for now - yes. Good. It pays to have a student with a different skill set.]
Correct on both counts.
Would you like to see what else you can pick out, or shall I spill the beans?
[Of course, he'd rather Watanuki step up to the challenge. By now, the adrenaline from running should've died down, no?]
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Let me look first.
[This is a change too. In the past, Watanuki has practically demanded answers as soon as he was presented with a puzzle. But over the last three-ish years he has started to actually look at magic, to search out answers on his own first. He does still have to defer to Merlin quite a bit, but he often does so only after either having a guess of his own to verify or when he has completely exhausted all other options. Watanuki has always been a good student, but it's taken time for him to go from the 'sit and listen and just take all the answers from the adult' method of schooling he had been used to and grow into the 'experiment first, seek confirmation later' method that is more appropriate for studying magic.
Adrenaline gone, and his eyes are keenly scanning the image in front of him. He starts to talk through his thoughts, giving voice to them so Merlin can see what he's thinking.]
The girl is young, and her clothes look a lot like the uniforms from the Clock Tower. So she's a student, yeah? And probably all three of them are mages. Or wait, no, the red-haired one is probably just working with the other two who are mages. I don't think mages usually become doctors, and that guy is definitely a doctor.
The third...
[He trails off there, considering.]
...I'm not sure. But I don't like him.
[It's Watanuki's intuition speaking, and he's long since learned not to ignore his intuition.]
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(Similar to Chaldea's rayshift verification system, as it will turn out later.)]
The one you dislike is called Lev Lainur. He's a top researcher in this facility. [A pause.] Whether or not he does something actually despicable remains to be seen. At the present, that young lady's heavily relying on him for all sorts of things.
[Flauros has (yet?) to awaken. Merlin hopes he won't, but if Archiman is having those dreams...]
Dr. Romani Archiman - the redhead - is in charge of the medical division here. He might not look like it, but he's quite reliable. Even if he acts like a headless chicken sometimes.
[After all, who else was able to convince Marisbury to halt his more unethical experiments? It's rare enough to have the ear of a Clock Tower lord, but being a former king probably helps matters along.]
Lastly, we have Olga Marie Animusphere. She is, indeed, a student, but she's not here to study. This facility is owned by her family, and her father passed away only a few days ago. Now, she has to take on his mantle as both a Lord of the Clock Tower and the Director of this institute.
As you've already guessed, she's quite overwhelmed.
[That's an understatement. Olga Marie looks downright ill, and both Lev and Roman are doing their best to hide their concern and play it off as something normal. This is still a public area, not a private office, and they're only here for coffee and light snacks.]
We'll be joining them for the rest of this tour once their break is done. [Merlin holds out his hand and closes his fingers. One dream links with another, in a manner of speaking: several eyewitness testimonies, forming a more cohesive picture to one story. Thus, they have a better chance of walking around this Chaldea within the dream.] Observe the facility for now, but save the questions for when we get back.
[The underlying message is obvious: there's a conversation to be had, and it shouldn't take place in this staff member's mind.]
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Watanuki has seen enough movies to know that this setup isn't a good one. Even if Lev hasn't done anything yet, Watanuki's intuition is telling him to be suspicious. Maybe it will be for naught and everything will turn out fine. But then again, if this isn't important, then Merlin wouldn't be watching.
So Watanuki hummed in agreement and stood next to Merlin, watching as the dreams shift and the perspective slides from one person to the next. Watanuki does think it's odd that they don't jump directly into the dreams of one of those three, but there must be a reason for it. More questions for later, it seems.
There is one question that stays on his mind though, one that he does end up asking even though he was told to observe.]
Can we help her? Or is this one of those "watching things you can't change" moments?
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[He gestures around them, points at the blurred lines that betray the patchwork nature of this dream.]
This very moment we're visiting is a composite of memories. I am, after all, unable to see the before and after of the present. But as for what's actually happening now in Chaldea...
[He purses his lips.]
She may be too accustomed to others thinking the worst of her. In turn, that feeds into how you're seeing her act. I'm afraid the young lady's too reliant on her father's approval, and Lev over there seems to have become her substitute.
[Before he gets ahead of himself, he must ask:] So what do you plan on doing to aid her? I'd advise against anything too obvious.
[The three finish their break. Merlin goes with them out the door, expecting Watanuki to follow suit. It seems the Command Room is their next stop.]
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Watanuki follows along closely after Merlin, keeping up as they travel to the Command Room. It's as they step in that Watanuki offers his suggestion.]
What she needs the most right now is a friend. Is sending a familiar her way an option?
[A familiar might not be the same as a human friend, but they could be loyal and friendly if the right familiar was chosen. Maybe something cute and fluffy to stick around for a bit would help relieve some of Olga's burdens.]
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[So there's another challenge for his dear student. Also he might not have mentioned Cath Palug before, so - surprise?
At this point, Mash Kyrielight is still confined to her room, her health still deemed too fragile for her to wander about. Merlin already has an inkling that Watanuki will want to fuss over Romani's informally adopted child, too.]
...and here we are. [The doors slide open to the Command Room, revealing CHALDEAS.] A replica of the soul of the world.
[Yes. This is the other thing he wanted his pupil to see. One more piece to the puzzle, even if the shape of the grid isn't discernible yet. Solomon's shadow is close to grasping the outcome of his plan. By the time Flauros awakens - if he awakens - the stage will be set.]
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[Yeah that's definitely news to him. He can't even imagine what Merlin's familiar would look like. Probably something fluffy and white, like Merlin himself is. Familiars tend to resemble their masters, after all.
(He will absolutely fuss over Mash as soon as he meets her, Merlin is right about that.)
Seeing CHALDEAS is quite a thing, though. Watanuki has at least learned a little bit about the Soul of the World, though he hasn't gone reading too much into it. It's another one of those topics that causes him headaches if he thinks about it too much. This leaves him with several concerning questions, but they are questions he has not yet asked of Merlin. Probably because he's afraid to hear what the answer might be.
So seeing the replica, it makes Watanuki's breath stop for a moment. And then, as soon as he remembers himself:]
What is that doing here?
[That much power in the hands of humans isn't a good thing. Humans are flawed, and they can use great power to awful ends sometimes. 'This is going to destroy the world' is his first thought.]
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[100% hard to miss, angry greeting included.
Now, that's a sensible reaction. Merlin's smile turns a touch enigmatic as he extends his hand. Time to exit the dream.]
In a moment.
Shall we?
[Whether or not Watanuki clasps his fingers, the dream will dissolve around them. Avalon's sun shines bright in the Reverse Side of the World. The Garden is in full bloom as always, and the air is clear. No electronic thrum of energy, no overly shadowed corners. Not a hint of sadness, despair, or grief.]
That is the face of one attempt to ensure the continuation of human history. Remarkable, isn't it? How one ordinary mage's ambitions can bring together the previously unthinkable marriage of magecraft and technology.
An end approaches. The full extent of its tie to the King of Heroes' vision remains to be seen. [For not even Merlin has caught on to the Alien God's descent, although he will begin to suspect something of that one's nature and their possible link to CHALDEAS once certain events unfold.] That facility houses the humans we will be helping out when the time comes, however indirectly at first.
Understand this: it's not often I meddle so closely with affairs on the Surface. Seeing as I'm about to lose my prime source of entertainment, however... well, let's not continue that thought.
["I am a being who can't exist without humans," he's mentioned at some point to Watanuki before, in a rare moment when he touched on what being a cambion means. But why should he not refer to those he watches over so glibly at the present? His general love for humanity remains an inhuman sort of affection... or so he says, ignoring certain inconveniences.]
Anyway! Our arrival at Uruk is already a foregone conclusion. What matters now is that we have a better notion of our deadline.
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He does let go as soon as they're in Avalon again, though. And then he listens to what Merlin says. As cheeky as Merlin is, Watanuki gets the importance of what he's saying. He wouldn't have said anything at all if it wasn't important for Watanuki to know these things, so Watanuki will nod and mull over those words.]
Is it an attempt to force the world to act to stop a threat? Maybe to summon Counter Guardians specifically?
[Being able to summon a Counter Guardian on command would be handy in saving the world, after all.
Though that last part, that makes Watanuki nervous. While he's improved over the years, he's still chronically unsure of himself and thinks he's nowhere near ready for Uruk. Watanuki is the type who is afraid to take that first step until he's forced to, though, so this isn't unusual for him. It might take 100 years for him to learn to stop doubting himself and to take a leap of faith.]
How much time do we have left?
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And. Aha! Always pleasant to hear - and see! - signs of Watanuki still recalling old lectures baked into stories.]
Good guess, but no - this is a direct intervention. A Counter Guardian may act on behalf of the will of either the planet or humanity, but that doesn't mean the results are immediately favorable for those they visit. [Cath Palug - Primate Murder - is one such manifestation.] I believe they plan to send Masters into the affected time periods and correct its course.
["They are the ones we will also be supporting" remains unsaid.]
A few more years, give or take. You'll have a better chance of sussing out an accurate timeline than I. [This is said freely: he's not as fond of prophecies as he once was, and he's lost interest in seeing the future long ago. Generally speaking. It does take the fun out of some things.] As for the three earlier...
[He pauses, his smile turning into something more thoughtful. Ah, how to put this.]
Follow your instinct and keep out of Lev Lainur's head. [The man has three personalities. In other timelines, most of which Merlin has not looked into, the self-termination of one led to the failure - or delay, who knows - of the Incineration. The time for whether that incident shall come to pass is not yet come, but close.] You can work on the young lady if you wish, but...
Watanuki. [There is more to this, he suspects, but he doesn't have all the pieces. Not yet. By the time Marisbury Animusphere caught his attention, much of that man's plans were already set in motion. Including any designs that may have included his daughter.] She is an unhappy child who, frankly, can find peace once she stops chasing after her father's approval. Getting too attached... might not be advisable.
[Are those words enough? He remembers trying to sway Arturia's heart to spare her, but his strong-willed king had simply carried on with a smile not meant for herself, but for the people.
If Watanuki's angry at him after all this for not saying enough, well. Merlin knows he's not blameless for plenty of things, however indirectly.]
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[Watanuki has matured some, but his sass is still there. He sees you, Merlin.
He does get more serious at those warnings, though. Merlin usually lets Watanuki stumble over his own mistakes, as learning from failure can be a powerful tool. And while a younger Watanuki would have taken those words as a challenge, this Watanuki knows just how strange it is to be seriously warned away from certain acts. He's also gotten good at reading between the lines, and he doesn't like what he's hearing.]
Something bad is going to happen to her, isn't it?
[Probably death. "Don't get attached" is the warning given when someone's death has been foretold. If only he knew how right he is.
He's not angry, just a touch morose now. He'snever been a fan of forgone conclusions, which fits right in with his state of being honestly.]
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[Hush, Watanuki. He's gotten good at having workarounds, but that doesn't mean he wants to cut straight to the extreme end with a prophecy!
Like, well. Their current topic. No visions of the future required: he knows a doomed individual when he sees them, and that's not something he wants to cement with words of power.]
Possibly. If she ends up surprising me, well - I'll be pleasantly surprised.
[And pleased with the surprise. His tone, however, suggests he's not putting much stock in that hope.]
However... ah, uncertain the road ahead may be, I'm sure she'll appreciate having someone's ear. Even if that "someone" turns out to be a mystery familiar.
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Still, there's a thoughtful frown on Watanuki's face as he considers his options. If he can't save her, then he would like to make her remaining time a bit more pleasant. Having someone to talk to who isn't judging her might be just what she needs.]
I'll try in my dreams tonight, then. Whatever I make, it might be able to get to her that way.
[Not only is Watanuki at his strongest in his dreams, but he has visited others in their dreams before too. Sending a familiar to Olga via dreamspace might be the easiest way to do it.
Don't remind him that he hasn't successfully summoned a familiar yet. Watanuki can produce some impressive results when he is working for the sake of others.]
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And Merlin will be unsure with how to handle that realization. Stare at it? Tell it to go somewhere else? It's a sign of attachment, he's sure, and he will not delve into it any further. He'd even toss that awareness out the tower if he could.]
Alright. [Whatever the grim circumstances, he can't help but want to know how his student's project will turn out. This effort, markedly, is no longer done for practice, and perhaps the results will be remarkable.] Shall I come along?
[In Merlin-speak, that's him actually popping up instead of lurking invisibly. Never mind that Watanuki's probably gotten better at sussing out his presence, in a way that only a very select few are even capable of.
Honestly, Merlin's proud. But it can be inconvenient or annoying depending on the situation!]
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[Since he visited Watanuki's dreams as far as Watanuki knows, which is an important distinction that Watanuki doesn't even think to make. He's not aware of Merlin peeking in on him at unexpected times, because he's sure he can catch Merlin when Merlin is peeking. Ah, teenage hubris.
Watanuki does leave the door open for Merlin that night too, in a manner of speaking. His dream is at its usual place, in the dark void with only the light of the cherry blossom tree to make things visible. This has become Watanuki's "lucid dream space", in a sense. He still has normal dreams sometimes, and he still has prophetic dreams too. But this is the space he can control, and it's where he comes when he's trying to dream travel. It's a starting point of sorts for him.
Today he's standing under the tree's lofty branches, trying to manipulate his magic into a solid form. The efforts are visible as a swirl of light blue energy in his hands, but they haven't quite taken shape yet. Eventually Watanuki will sigh and look up to Merlin.]
How do you manage it? I can get the magic to manifest, but not in a solid form.
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have more signs of wata's crush on gil surfaced between then and now?