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[foundfate]

["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.]

Comments

[foundfate]

[That's actually a little disappointing, because Watanuki enjoys the atmosphere of a rainy day. But oh well.

He finally sits up, and he holds his hand out to take his glasses back. Assuming Merlin gives them back to him, of course.]

Don't you peek into people's dreams? How have you not seen that kind of thing before?

[myrdd]

[Here you go, Watanuki. Whole and smudge-free.]

I probably have, but things aren't always so well-defined, you know? Dreams are highly dependent on the sleeper's state of mind, so there's a great deal of subjectivity involved. In a tailor's dream, for example, you might be able to touch and feel the textiles they're working on to a hyperrealistic degree, whereas that same tailor might see themselves walking in a market and just know what a fruit stall is without much detail to it.

[Incidentally, that's why the priest's dream from last night is detailed: that man's spent plenty of time in that room in the waking world. Not that Watanuki remembers it!]

In any case, as an outsider peeking in, I still end up being more drawn to things that stand out in the dream. That's especially true if the sleeper's emotions are involved.

[foundfate]

[Time to put glasses back on!]

Or like how a monk would clearly remember their own prayers but not those for another religion, yeah?

[Watanuki absolutely did not remember the events of last night. But that didn't mean they left no impression on him either. 'The mind may forget but the body remembers', or something like that.]

I guess it would be hard to notice a water bottle, then. Most people don't think specifically about those, they just sort of exist.

[myrdd]

That's right!

[That, and the wonders of the subconscious mind.]

Then I suppose I'll have to borrow one sometime. [He won't say how.] In the meantime - if a water skin isn't up to your usual standards, will either horn or a metal flask do?

[He doesn't have to do this, strictly speaking, but he just feels like it.]

[foundfate]

It's fine, I can use this.

[Now that he's had time to cool off, both figuratively and literally, he felt bad about complaining about the water source. Merlin wouldn't poison him, so it was fine. Eve if it tasted funny.

He was going to finish off the water, by the way. And possible choke a bit because sucking down a bunch of water at once.]

[myrdd]

[This face. Because really?

He'll just lightly thump Watanuki's back before rubbing circles.]

Slow down. It's not going anywhere.

[foundfate]

I'm supposed to be going somewhere.

[He hasn't forgotten that he's got two more laps to run.]

And I'm not going to be so picky as to make you change water bottles right now.

[myrdd]

[Merlin snickers.

But really, what a thoughtful child. Or is it an unwillingness to inconvenience someone..? Arturia was similar in that regard, come to think of it.]

Well, don't let me stop you.

[He gestures back to the track.

By the time the two laps are over, the Bounded Field should be baked done.]

[foundfate]

[Hopefully it's not overbaked, Watanuki did take quite a break in the middle of those laps. And while he's not falling over again by the time he finishes those last two laps, He is definitely leaning up against a wall or something to keep himself propped up. Running is Suffering.]

I'm going to have to do this every day, aren't I?

[He says that with the resignation of someone who has accepted their terrible lot in life.]

[myrdd]

Yep!

[Until now, Merlin hasn't moved from the spot he sat down at. Care for more water, Watanuki?

The waterskin, by the way, now has a charm of sorts dangling from the strap. If Merlin's guessed correctly in that tiring Watanuki out might improve the boy's chances of sensing subtler magics, Watanuki might be able to feel a cool tingle from the charm.]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki doesn't see the charm at first, but he definitely feels the cold, and it gets him to go 'mmm?' as he turns the waterskin around to look at the charm. What is it a charm of by the way?]

Ah? These come with this kind of thing?

[myrdd]

[Well, this is promising!]

Not usually.

Just think of it as a reward for getting through all five laps before our next activity.

[He taps his staff with a finger to send a tiny bit of magic to the charm. It should help cool off Watanuki in increments, but not to the point that the temperature change might shock his system.]

[foundfate]

[Now that is something he feels too, and he shivers not from the cold but rather the shock of it affecting his body at all. He really should have expected something like that, but somehow he didn't.]

Well- er, thanks?

[This time he doesn't down all the water in the waterskin, he's Learning.]

So what's the next activity?

[myrdd]

[Deed done, Merlin stands up with the help of his staff and dusts himself off.]

Now, we step into the box.

[The courtyard returns to its original dimensions. What, you think he'd exert effort to walk that far? Of course not!]

Like the charm over here, I'll be showing you a few items. You're to tell me your first impressions about each of them.

[As Merlin steps into the Bounded Field, the pane of glass on that side dissolves. Here, the mana density is significantly lighter compared to Avalon, and he actually has to take a moment to adjust.

He'll continue speaking when Watanuki joins him.]

But first things first: what do sense about this space?

[To a normal human, it will seem as if the air's significantly lighter. Perhaps more breathable.

Not that he knows if the same will apply to Watanuki.]

[foundfate]

[It's a noticeable difference, and it makes Watanuki pause as he steps into the bounded field. He stops, blinks a couple of times, and then hurries to catch up and walk next to Merlin.]

It's...thinner? Like the difference between using half-and-half creamer in a recipe versus skim milk.

[Leave it to him to use a cooking metaphor.]

[myrdd]

Yes. [The warmth in his tone is rather obvious in his delight.] This is closer to the atmosphere of your time.

[Once he reaches the center, he retrieves three pouches from his sleeve, each about the size of his palm, and holds them out for Watanuki to take.]

Without opening the pouches, describe what's in them based. No manhandling them either.

Here's a hint: the first thought or sensation you might get is probably a good clue.

[The first pouch is green. In it is a conjured mirror set in carved wood.

The second is an ordinary potato. He got this from the ingredients Yuuko sent over.

The third is more museum artifact than antique item: a scrap of cloth he found on his person after he arrive in Avalon and hasn't rotted away. It would have absorbed some of the magic from its original owner: a young woman whose body is unable to age, and the strength of her spirit shone with dignity and strength.

His conversation with Watanuki yesterday might've been a factor in its selection.]

[foundfate]

[Watanuki takes that warmth as faint praise, and now he's embarrassed. He hides that embarrassment by keeping a straight face and trying to focus on the task at hand. In this case, taking the small pouches and holding them.

The first one, interestingly enough, gives Watanuki the most trouble. He frowns in concentration, holding it and looking down at it intensely as if that would let him see in the bag.]

...it's...flat. A picture frame?

[It's the first thing he could think of.

The second is easy, and as soon as he takes it he says:]

This is a potato.

[He casts a glance in Merlin's direction, like he's trying to see if Merlin is messing with him or something.

The third bag also gets an instant answer, but it's technically a wrong answer:]

This one is empty.

[Merlin's magic lingers on the bags, and Watanuki's own magic is not trained enough for him to tell the difference between the two Merlins. Hence why he thinks it's empty.]

[myrdd]

Well, that's one out of three. [He extends his palm.] Hand over the potato.

[He won't get the other two yet, instead exchanging the potato for one more pouch.

In it is a glass ball that might look empty. Using a particular kind of sight, however, one might see a faint glow - it contains a dream Merlin plucked from a professional swimmer as they dive and go through laps in their sleep the night before a contest.]

[foundfate]

[He hands over the potato and takes the new pouch. That one gets him to frown.]

It's a marble, but it's cold. Like it just came out of a river or something. That wet kind of cold.

[He wasn't quite getting the actual dream, but his connection to the dreaming world is showing itself.]

[myrdd]

Oho.

[He doesn't say what it is, though his grin might be a clue that Watanuki touched upon something right.

For the last time, he reaches into his sleeve.

Unlike the mirror that he prepared beforehand, this new item is something he conjures on the spot: a comb. The kind he usually uses on his own hair, although it's an ordinary one once's he's finished.

So the question is: will Watanuki be able to sense that draw of magic before the object itself is formed?]

[foundfate]

What did you do to that comb?

[The accusation is in an irritated voice, because he definitely felt something happen. He doesn't realize exactly what Merlin did, but he's sure it's something stupid like it'll make Watanuki's hair turn red or something.

But interestingly, he felt a pull of magic that is vaguely familiar to him, which he has identified as 'magic is happening'.]

[myrdd]

Just made it.

[The smugness with which he waves the comb is disproportionate - but the reason why will be clear shortly.]

Now, open the pouches.

I can tell you this: you have the potential, at least, to tell when magic is being cast and to differentiate the energy signatures on various objects. What you can stand to improve on, however, is to identify how a regular object is different from a conjured one.

[He'll have to borrow a couple of things from Yuuko, although he has to wonder if he'll be charged for them.

This, too, he doesn't say: there's only a select few who can tell when Merlin casts his magic when he's trying to not be obvious about it.

Why, he'll have plenty of fun teaching his new pupil. Maybe this time, it won't backfire in a similar fashion to Vivian using what she learned to construct the gate that Merlin cannot pass.

...it will be out there in the Garden, should Watanuki wander far enough and find the boundary. Those words that immortalize the weight that has yet to leave Merlin, even though he doesn't think of it as often these days.]

[foundfate]

[There's no telling what Watanuki's magic will lead to him doing. But he certainly is vindictive enough to pull a Vivian. Maybe.

Watanuki will immediately open a bag he thought was empty, only to frown when he finds the scrap of cloth. That's the one he's inspecting closely.]

Is that why you put this in one? Because it's light, and you wanted to see if I could tell it was even in there from magic feelings or whatever?

[myrdd]

[After what Merlin's doing to help - how cruel!

Let's face it, though - Merlin has a track record of students who end up being vexed. Also see: Caster Arturia.]

Yes. [There's a pause here - well. There's no harm in mentioning this.] It's something of Arthur's. An accidental souvenir, if you will, that I found on my person after we last parted ways.

[foundfate]

King Arthur?

[Well that's surprising. But then again, it really isn't. Merlin was Arthur's advisor, after all.]

You must care a lot for him, to hold onto it for so long.

[A souvenir meant he cared, right?]