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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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[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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[Ahh, Watanuki. You'll get there eventually.
Upon arriving, Merlin's first act is to gaze at the cherry blossom, a habit acquired from his many visits to this space. Unchanged as ever, is it? Or has it grown (in vibrancy if not in height) over the years? He suspects - although he could be wrong - that this tree's health is a good indicator of Watanuki's general stability, existence included.
He may also have napped under it a few times, but shhh. The petals that form a carpet at its roots are comfortable, okay?]
It just does. [Unhelpful? Yes. Excuse him while he sits down at the roots and makes himself comfortable before projecting the first thing that comes to mind: a branch that looks like it's from this tree, but the mana is all Merlin's. Hmm. How does one explain instinct?] Think of it as, oh, guiding yourself through a dream. Instead of being carried along, you're directing your own actions. For that to happen, you must know your hands are solid and your feet can move. You must be aware that where you can interact with the objects around you, the reverse is also true.
[In other words, it's not that different to projecting a dream where Merlin's concerned, and he's able to do that on reflex. However, his student does have a different way of understanding things, and he idly taps his chin with the conjured branch.]
Close your eyes first. You might be distracted by seeing it form, and thus forcing it. Then feel the shape of whatever it is you're trying to create. It can be light or heavy in your hands. It might be soft, or feathered, or rocky, or brittle. Exercise care if it's sharp, resist the temptation to press down your fingers if it's malleable. Cup your hands if it's that small, or open your palms to let its elongated form lay flat.
That make sense to you?
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Like I'm guiding myself through a dream, is it?
[He does follow Merlin's directions, and he holds out his hands and closes his eyes. Let the magic lead him, know that his hands are solid...
The magic seems to react to those thoughts. It's still not quite coporeal, but the swirls of magic start to take on an actual shape of their own. Something small- Watanuki cups his hands together to account for that- and soft. Feathery. Something that chirps.
Watanuki had been right: it is a flying creature of some sort.]
It's...a bird? Is it there?
[His eyes are still closed so he can't quite see it, he just feels it in his hands.]
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Being this delighted with magecraft is a rare occurrence these days, and he'll savor every moment of it. So, sorry, Watanuki - instead of answering outright, Merlin goes straight to cooing at the tiny bird.]
Why hello there, little one. Aren't you the cutest thing?
[If he sounds like he's talking to a baby, well. Once upon a time, he may or may not have said the same words to a month-old Arturia when the time came to whisk her away. Uther could never understand his court mage's delight at taking in his daughter, caught up as he was in having a male heir.]
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It moves about like a real bird might: adjusting its wings, tilting its head at Merlin, hopping around in Watanuki's hand. This gets Watanuki to perk up more, because he can feel it moving around. And this is also when Watanuki finally cracks one of his eyes open to look at it.]
I did it?
[He sounds so surprised by the results he has gotten. Even if it's not a complete success yet- it needs to be able to manifest without being made of flowers- it's still something. And it's really cute, just as Merlin said.]
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Of course you did. [He still hasn't looked away from the newborn familiar. Look at it! Merlin delightedly rubs the underside of its chin, if it'll allow him.] Now you get to bake a cake for yourself and this one.
["Congratulations to me" and "happy birthday to you" rolled in one. Also, "feed me" from Merlin.]
What's its name?
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I don't know, I can't really feel it. But you know, I kind of expected this thing to be yellow-
[Right as he says that, it gives enough reality to his mental image that the sakura petals suddenly burst off of the bird, revealing a yellow canary underneath. Watanuki has to fight to keep from scaring the bird away when he's startled by the sudden explosion of petals.]
Gah!
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And there you have it: nice, fluffy and yellow.
What do you mean by not being able to feel it? This one's name?
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W-well you don't just assign a name to a familiar like that! They have their own names! Part of making one is figuring out their name!
[Where in the world did he get that notion? Though it's probably a good thing that he's treating his familiar like a living creature deserving of respect, rather than as a tool.]
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...hmm. More instinctive knowledge, then. Perhaps he shouldn't be surprised: they are, after all, in Watanuki's corner of the dream realm - no, calling it a "domain" may be more applicable in the near future.
There's a tenderness concealed in the way he lets his fingers touch the young man's forehead. Do come back and calm down.]
Now, now, I just wondered what you meant. There's no rush for either you or this little one.
[The only deadline there is, so to speak, is when Watanuki plans to have hsi familiar fly off to Chaldea.]
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A couple moments later, Watanuki speaks again, this time without reacting so emotionally.]
There isn't, no. I'll figure it out.
[There's a confidence to his words too. Even if he doesn't know now, he does believe that he can find it. And belief is half the battle when it comes to magic.]
Will it be safe here if it just stays in the tower? I know the gardens can be a bit riskier.
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I'm sure you will.
The tower will be safe. [It'll be easy to seal off a few meandering passages for a small newborn bird.] The garden has no predators, either. The only risk to this one going down there is if its wings aren't strong enough.
[That's a long flight from the ground to the Tower's lowest window!]
Not that it'll be an issue if you accompany this one for a bit of a walk. I can bring you back here once you're done.
[The scenery might not change, but it's still quite beautiful. Plus, the little one may as well start acclimating itself and absorb more ambient mana. It'll need all the energy it can get should it be loaned to Chaldea.]
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[He could see if the flowers will grab at him again, at least. And there's the added mana benefit, though Watanuki isn't thinking about that specifically.]
Alright, I'll try it. Maybe the name will come to me then too.
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Time to wake up~!
[He extends his hand. If Watanuki takes it, he and the bird will find themselves on the ground, exactly below the Tower's spiral base.
What Merlin does take for granted is that they're in his student's dream space, not his own. He fully intended for Watanuki to have that walk on his own, but will Merlin's consciousness somehow be brought along for the ride?]
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Dream shenanigans definitely mean Merlin can come along as well, as they explode into the flower bed with a flurry of cherry blossom petals.]
...eh? You wanted to come too?
[He's assuming Merlin came on purpose.]
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Merlin looks quite flummoxed until he hears Watanuki's expression, to which he responds with a reflexive smile.]
Ah, I had no specific intention in mind. This is all you.
[There's an odd twist somewhere in his chest and tingling on his skin. Ohhh, this sensation of surreality. Marvelling at Watanuki's progress will catch up to him later once he's wrapped his mind around being down here in some capacity.]
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Watanuki is sheepishly apologetic about it at least, and Merlin will get a mumbled apology.]
Sorry, I still keep doing that don't I?
[It's almost like a kid holding onto a security blanket, in a way. Watanuki still hasn't learned to let go and stand on his own.]
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Merlin ruffles Watanuki's hair. Far easier to focus on compared to the sensation of being out and about in Avalon.]
Chin up. You're making yourself look shorter than you actually are.
[In Merlin's eyes, his student's increasing confidence does, actually, make it apparent they're the same height. In some instances, Watanuki even seems taller than him. Must be all that sincerity acting as a growth booster.]
I don't mind if that's what you're worried about. Rather, finding myself outside the Tower like this is unexpected.
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have more signs of wata's crush on gil surfaced between then and now?