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awashlogs2019-08-03 04:22 pm
[ Closed ] I put a spell on you
WHO: Artoria, Magilou, and Mordred’s bull’s eye Tristan
WHERE: Artoria’s place
WHEN: August 3rd
WHAT: A meeting between members of Magilou’s Menagerie! They need to deal with the problem child. Oh, and also certain spooky magical artifacts.
WARNINGS: Probably…nothing.
[ Most people who answer Magilou’s summons would likely do so with trepidation, never mind if said meeting was to take place in Saber’s territory. But Tristan, for all that he’d been in a dark mood since last month, is actually looking forward to it. Perhaps she means for her Menagerie to participate in Wuxian’s upcoming party! And that would at least be a good and honorable thing to do for the townsfolk.
So he arrives promptly at the appointed hour, knocking politely upon the door of that blue house. The moment someone comes to answer him, however, a rock comes flying out of nowhere to conk him in the back of the head. ]
…Ouch.
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We cannot do so without understanding their full nature. We are rarely given tools of true influence by town. We should destroy them when we are certain of their irredeemability and no sooner. Between you, Archer, and myself, we will be more than capable of dealing with any trifles that may arise in the meantime.
[ The basis of her confidence? Nothing but faith in the competence of her comrades, really. ]
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Nah, Saber's right. For all we know, that thing could be a harbinger of destruction just as easily as it could be our ticket out of our little monochrome prison. We just need to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, and hopefully the former possibility won't turn out to be reality.
[ Near the church, there's a path that leads to an empty patch, devoid of even grass. The ground juts out in odd places, the dirt uncovered and reburied over and over. ]
In the end, we'll just have to check it out first. If anything happens... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, right? Let's go see.
[ She kneels down and brushes her hands over the raised patch of dirt, right where a very foreboding trap door beckons them forward. She hasn't been to see it yet, but there must be something here. ]
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The wrong hands…
[ Ah, of course. That possibly had been in the back of his mind. Even if Mordred had returned his book during the expedition, he can’t ignore any potential danger to the town with her left unchecked. This goes beyond merely trying to cooperate with her. ]
There is a strong possibility that it could be used irresponsibly if left within this shrine.
[ He tries not to make eye contact with Saber as he says that, opting instead to move forward and open up the door for them, feeling the oppressive sense of malice from within settle about them like a dense fog. Hopefully Magilou will have some sort of magic to light their way through, since the closest thing he has to a light source is a strand of Mythra’s hair strung into his harp. ]
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She can imagine whom Tristan is referring to, eye contact or not. The majority of the town is thoughtful and orderly; there are only two people she can think of who might wield power for mischief, and she's pretty sure Tristan has a much higher opinion of Wei Wuxian than the other. Only one person tried to take the throne, raise an army of rebellion, and then steal Tristan's notebook and read embarrassing poetry out of it, after all. ]
You are thinking of Mordred.
[ It isn't even a question. Might as well be out and open about it... ]
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But the path itself is unbearably oppressive. There's so much malevolent energy that she half-expects to find a town infested with daemonblight at the end of the hallway. For such a painful amount of malevolence, it's incredible that it could be stored in such a small object like a book. And it's not even in sight yet. ]
Ah, the infamous Mordred.
[ She seemed to like that nickname, so Magilou is rolling with it. Her footsteps echo as she walks, each sound a punctuation on her thoughts. ]
Yyyyeah, about that. Is she the type to come in and steal something like this like she's... trying to prove herself, or something? Because if that's the case, we might need to get a little creative. You know her better than me - [ She's speaking specifically to Saber here, but Archer clearly knows a lot about her too, from the way he speaks, so her glance drifts to him. ] - so if we need a plan, I can come up with something.
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He flinches at hearing Mordred’s name, feeling quite guilty all of a sudden. But it’s true, of course. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t do all of those things, even if he’d laugh uproariously at Tristan’s poetry.
But that’s something everybody with any ounce of taste and class does]I…do not object to her using this quill for the greater good.
[ He’ll just quietly bring up the rear like a proper archer should, then. In any case, that makes it easier for him to avoid eye contact, and the oppressive atmosphere masks his embarrassment well enough.
Or so he hopes. ]
But I have never been able to predict her actions, and so I cannot be certain that such things would be safe in her hands.
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But in this matter which potentially concerns all of Chroma and not just herself, she can't rightly overlook the risk that Mordred poses, nor can she make a decision for all of them. Tristan obtained the quill. If he's concerned about Mordred's behavior, then she has an obligation to help him address the problem. ]
I have rarely seen her cause trouble where you or I were not concerned, Archer, yet her compulsion for rebellion can indeed make her unpredictable in ways both small and large.
[ For Magilou's benefit, Saber elaborates. ]
Mordred takes pride in her title of the Knight of Rebellion. If you place a restraint on her, she will resent it. If she feels she is expected to rebel, she may instead rebel against expectations by conforming to the law. She has willfully made the act of being contrary her defining trait.
[ Excalibur's light runs up against a warped wooden door teeming with malevolence as if it's soaked up the ominous energy permeating the passageway. Undaunted, Saber simply opens it before continuing on. ]
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[ The deception comes so worryingly quick to her that she feels almost out of place here with such stalwart and true knights. But then, she's used to being the oddball in a group, and even more, bonding with fellow outcasts and outlaws, so she thinks nothing of it, brushing off any possible concerns with a wave of her hand. ]
Or something like that. Just an idea.
[ Once Saber opens the door, the malevolence that comes in a rush from the outside is almost nauseating. Like a fog rolling in to the countryside, the energy feels like it's clouding her vision and almost making it difficult to breathe. It's of a different type than the typical malevolence born from the hearts of humans that she's used to - but she's always been hypersensitive to it, thanks to high resonance.
Is the book in here, or even further down? It's a war of attrition at this point, so she's hoping it's not too far away. ]
Archer, is that quill reacting at all? If it's meant to only write in this book, is it tethered?
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And maybe add one more to that pile. That suggestion would involve deceiving not only Mordred but the rest of the town as well, after all.
So despite the outpouring of malevolence from that little room, Tristan feels some relief when Magilou changes the subject: ]
There is no response.
[ He holds up the quill for their inspection. Yep, perfectly ordinary. ]
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Soon, Excalibur's glow runs up against a second obstacle: a table not far from the door. Oddly, there are no chairs set around it or other furnishings which might suggest homeliness. There's only a single weathered, leatherbound book placed on top of it, squarely in the center. There is no doubt that this is the source of the malevolence that suffocates the area, so concentrated is the energy around it.
Saber sets Excalibur along the length of the table, letting it act as a handy desk light, before simply opening the book despite all the evil it emanates because this is just how Saber lives her life. Immediately, the book reveals its first curiosity: a page about Xie Lian. His basic history, physical attributes, preferences... it's quite the handy little cheat sheet. Saber frowns as she skims it, wondering what this might imply. ]
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It's like a total cheat sheet. That's not creepy at all. Was this book... or perhaps, whoever brought us here... collecting info on everyone in town?
[ It's a grim thought, being surveyed and surveilled all the time, so she sets that one aside, opting for peering closer. The malevolence is overwhelming - it's clearly not for any benevolent reason. ]
Hey, Saber, flip the pages. Anyone else in there? [ And then she turns toward Archer; they should be speeding this up as much as possible, because there's no telling how much time they have before that evil energy consumes them. ] And Archer - was this page there when you were testing that quill?
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Which he’d only just realized might pose a problem. To his dignity, at any rate. ]
Ye—Yes. I am not certain how it happened. The entire thing was blank when it was originally found.
[ And nobody had given him the memo that his roomie of all people had tampered with it like this! Just the sight of it makes Tristan feel sick. He’d lost two housemates already. If it had all been because of some mysterious malevolent entity living underneath the town… ]
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"I have got a dream
It came gently, like a moonbeam."
That is all.
[ She sure doesn't know what Tristan's handwriting looks like. Paper was expensive back in the day, and unless it was a document of law, messages were much more likely to be dictated to her than passed on by hand. That said, he did mention writing something inconsequential, so it stands to reason that this only specimen of handwriting is his. Also, this kind of meandering sentimentality is completely on-brand for Tristan. Saber looks at him... ]
I presume this writing is not referring to Xie Lian, so let us put the matter of his page aside for now.
[ She turns her attention to Magilou. ]
There is nothing for us to do but write and observe. What shall we try?
1/2
Archer.
She sneaks a glance over at him, completely unimpressed. The poetry is about as good as Bienfu's, which really isn't saying much. ]
Heavy stuff.
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Saber's looking at her, so she has to come up with something. Something simple that they can see the results of right away, that won't have a huge impact on either the town or themselves. Something small, without grave consequences. ]
How about writing better poetry for Archer? If he gets famous, we'll know what to thank.
[ No, that'd take years. Is it even possible for this book to do something like that? She tries again, less joking this time than she is whimsical. ]
Since there's a weird info sheet in there... What about changing a physical attribute of one of us? Say, changing the number of books I have, or our heights.
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He’ll just turn his gaze away from the majestic light of Excalibur in a vain attempt to hide his furious blushing because what is his life.
He almost doesn’t want to speak up, honestly, but feels that he has to, when Magilou proposes such a risky thing like that. ]
Perhaps we might test that idea on an inanimate object first?
[ He doesn’t want to risk anyone in here!! Even Mordred!!! ]
Such as a piece of clothing, or…
[ Or would it be too much to make this place less oppressive and evil-seeming? ]
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Y... Yes, an inanimate object would be best. Let us try the books first.
[ The books are part of Magilou's clothing... technically? And it shouldn't hurt to tinker with them. Saber holds a palm out toward Tristan for the quill (before Magilou can get her hands on it). ]
Magilou... Whose height were you thinking of adjusting?
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[ Look, Archer towers over them both... They could even out the playing field...! But fine, Saber has the quill now. Alas, her evil scheme cannot come to fruition. ]
Fine, fine. You guys are no fun. Try messing with something inanimate, then. A book, or...
[ She goes quiet for a moment, finger to her chin. It takes a moment for the thought to form, but when it finally does - could it really be that easy...? ]
That book. Can you just... get rid of the malevolence by writing it out in there?
[ That's not how malevolence works where she's from, but nothing here works like it should. ]
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Conflicted… ]
It might, but…Xie Lian…
[ Dare they risk it? What if they accidentally eradicate his poor roomie instead?! ]
1/2
Anyway, this is more waffling about than Saber likes, so she makes an executive decision and starts writing in the book with a deliberate, elegant hand:
The book described in writing its properties, powers, and functions.
Seconds later, her writing disappears as if rejected. To support that notion, a strong sense pops into her head that this isn't what the book is for. An explanation of what it is for isn't forthcoming, of course. That would be too easy.
Undeterred, she tries again. It might be too early to alter the book itself, but they can probe its limits in a harmless way...
Suddenly, Artoria Pendragon held in her arms twenty fluffy, delicious obanyaki pastries as might be found in Fuyuki, Japan's Miyama shopping district: five filled with egg custard, five with chocolate custard, five with sweet red bean paste, and five with coconut cream. ]
2/2
Saber's composure doesn't completely dissolve, but one would be hard-pressed to find it as it takes a backseat to pure wonder. She stares at the sudden bounty piled in her arms with her mouth slightly open and a wide-eyed gleam to rival Excalibur.
She gets the sense that she's currently limited from doing much more than this, but she ignores it for the moment. Just look at all this obanyaki!!! ]
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...It's probably a safer one, but come on! There's a lot of things they can do with this quill, apparently - creating something from nothing is a pretty big deal. Saber's experiment was actually a pretty decent one, and now everything smells like pastry dough. If they can use this somehow... ]
Write in more pastries! Some sweet strawberry soup, or slices of cake or pies! Let's see what the limit is!
[ They were supposed to be using this for good? Sorry, Archer. At least the know what the book does. Unfortunately, that glint in Magilou's eyes is too suspicious. She reaches for an obanyaki in the meantime - please feed her again, Saber. ]
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[ There’s no need to hide their relationship now that Magilou knows her True Name, after all. But also he’s filing away these obanyaki flavors for future reference.
Just in case. ]
Wait.
[ He can’t say he likes the look of that suspicious glint in Magilou’s eye, but both these women outrank him, after all, and his first duty is to serve. Much as he’d love to leave the strange food magic to them, he can’t help being a worrywart still. ]
They might be poisonous. Or turn to ash the moment you bite into them.
[ The recollection of having received various foodstuffs as quest rewards come back to haunt him. A perfectly normal Christmas cake. Valentines chocolates with weird flavors, a pack of soda…
…
Is this where it all came from? ]
I…please be careful.
1/?
Of course. Allow me to try the first one, Magilou.
[ Before Magilou can protest, Saber deposits the entire pile of obanyaki into Tristan's strong, pack animal-like arms before picking a single one out for herself. And then she takes a bold, knightly bite out of it!! ]
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