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[ lo and behold, there is a knock on his door. should he open it, a particularly tall man will be standing a few feet away from his doorway.
in his hands is a small, wooden container. ]
Merlin, right?
[ there's a beat. ]
I made lunch, if you were interested. Rice, pickled radish and grilled fish...
[ he trails off because he, uh.
kind of just noticed the flora and fauna protruding into his room. ]
in his hands is a small, wooden container. ]
Merlin, right?
[ there's a beat. ]
I made lunch, if you were interested. Rice, pickled radish and grilled fish...
[ he trails off because he, uh.
kind of just noticed the flora and fauna protruding into his room. ]
[the tree that's growing through his room should be a cause for concern, yes...except that the floor has been smoothed, things rearranged so that the branches won't poke into them, and the ceiling reshaped in a way that embraces the tree instead of having it smash through or be smashed against it. the effect is strange, but it seems like it's always been like that. or well, it might not be, considering the overgrowth right now. but the tree has green leaves, seems healthy.
Merlin's staff leans against it, and the man himself has gotten the door, smiling as ever.]
Nier? That's really kind of you, you know, you didn't have to do that.
[except he'll absolutely take the box and step further into his room, a silent invitation for Nier to do the same. he sleeps alone, that's clear from the one bed.]
Merlin's staff leans against it, and the man himself has gotten the door, smiling as ever.]
Nier? That's really kind of you, you know, you didn't have to do that.
[except he'll absolutely take the box and step further into his room, a silent invitation for Nier to do the same. he sleeps alone, that's clear from the one bed.]
[ nier steps in, albeit a bit gingerly in spite of...his stature and the katana on his back.
that tree sure does look healthy! you know what that means. ]
Are y'sure you don't want me to cut it down...?
[ his eyes flicker around the room, noting its...hm. subtlety. it is a room intended for one man, but it fosters the growth of the flora no less.
how quaint. ]
Ah, it was nothing. If you have any favorite foods, it would be nice to know them.
that tree sure does look healthy! you know what that means. ]
Are y'sure you don't want me to cut it down...?
[ his eyes flicker around the room, noting its...hm. subtlety. it is a room intended for one man, but it fosters the growth of the flora no less.
how quaint. ]
Ah, it was nothing. If you have any favorite foods, it would be nice to know them.
Edited 2018-09-28 01:16 (UTC)
Well, I'll eat pretty much anything as long as it tastes good. Things I can savor, maybe?
[when one ate and the food didn't really offer nutrition, taste was the only thing to go on.]
But don't you dare cut down this tree. I already fixed the room around it to let it keep growing for now.
[and it would make his hard work go to waste, the room lit up from the efforts and the light the tree needs to grow. the room is pretty neat - his staff resting near his bed, a pad of paper and a few pencils off to the side, odds and ends from around the Temple that a person would need collected in, as well as procuring pillows from rooms not used. what, it's not like they'd be missed.]
[when one ate and the food didn't really offer nutrition, taste was the only thing to go on.]
But don't you dare cut down this tree. I already fixed the room around it to let it keep growing for now.
[and it would make his hard work go to waste, the room lit up from the efforts and the light the tree needs to grow. the room is pretty neat - his staff resting near his bed, a pad of paper and a few pencils off to the side, odds and ends from around the Temple that a person would need collected in, as well as procuring pillows from rooms not used. what, it's not like they'd be missed.]
That would depend on what you thinks taste good.
[ nier raises a brow for a moment, a hand resting against his hip as the tree...is spare a glance or two. ]
...Why did you keep it?
[ it's said softly, a genuine question more or less. ]
[ nier raises a brow for a moment, a hand resting against his hip as the tree...is spare a glance or two. ]
...Why did you keep it?
[ it's said softly, a genuine question more or less. ]
Because it grew here.
[that's the most honest answer he can give. setting the box lunch down, he turns to rest a hand against the bark of the tree.]
I could have erased it, transplanted it, or changed it, but sometimes it's nice to see things grow and flourish, isn't it?
[that's the most honest answer he can give. setting the box lunch down, he turns to rest a hand against the bark of the tree.]
I could have erased it, transplanted it, or changed it, but sometimes it's nice to see things grow and flourish, isn't it?
...Yeah.
[ the concept of growth, of the beauty in bloom, has not been lost on him.
or rather it was, if only for a fleeting moment. ]
You'll find that people appreciate flowers, even in a dying world.
I guess I thought you'd value your comfort more.
[ his eyes narrow, and this time he looks at the tree a bit more thoughtfully. ]
But it might have chosen this room for a reason, then.
[ the concept of growth, of the beauty in bloom, has not been lost on him.
or rather it was, if only for a fleeting moment. ]
You'll find that people appreciate flowers, even in a dying world.
I guess I thought you'd value your comfort more.
[ his eyes narrow, and this time he looks at the tree a bit more thoughtfully. ]
But it might have chosen this room for a reason, then.
[he only smiles to most of that, but his eyebrow raises at the last line.]
And what reason do you think that is? That it knew it wouldn't get cut down?
And what reason do you think that is? That it knew it wouldn't get cut down?
It knew it was in safe company.
[ a smile, soft and subdued, plays along his lips. ]
I've grown flowers and produce my entire life. They know more than you realize. Maybe a little too much. It can be annoying.
If you don't treat them with the right sort of care, they'll wither and die when you need them most.
[ idly, he runs his fingers through his own hair. ]
I'd like to hope that this tree was a good judge of character.
[ a smile, soft and subdued, plays along his lips. ]
I've grown flowers and produce my entire life. They know more than you realize. Maybe a little too much. It can be annoying.
If you don't treat them with the right sort of care, they'll wither and die when you need them most.
[ idly, he runs his fingers through his own hair. ]
I'd like to hope that this tree was a good judge of character.
[there's a hint of something else behind his smile when Nier says that, and Merlin looks to the tree instead, holding his tongue so that he won't know. safe company, as if Merlin could protect it. a tree's easier to look after than a person, but as for it being a judge of character? well, isn't it universal to know that he wasn't the most trustworthy?
flowers know too much. wasn't that perfectly fitting then, with him being who he was. witnesses to all, but blooming in their own time. if this tree makes flowers, what will they see of him? what did the flowers that bloomed in his footsteps think?
he lets his fingertips skim the bark before he drops his hand and looks at Nier again.]
I better make sure I behave in here, then! Of course, that's always a little hard to do...
[it's nothing. thoughts to be let go to fly away in the breeze. no longer important - like one of the countless days in paradise.]
flowers know too much. wasn't that perfectly fitting then, with him being who he was. witnesses to all, but blooming in their own time. if this tree makes flowers, what will they see of him? what did the flowers that bloomed in his footsteps think?
he lets his fingertips skim the bark before he drops his hand and looks at Nier again.]
I better make sure I behave in here, then! Of course, that's always a little hard to do...
[it's nothing. thoughts to be let go to fly away in the breeze. no longer important - like one of the countless days in paradise.]
[ there is a tension in this man's smile, taut and tight stringed, like it threatens to snap apart when he is alone. he recognizes it because it creeps into his own, every single day.
he steps forward, the metal of his boots clacking against the floor, as if to contrast the wood of the tree. ]
Purple violets.
[ thoughtfully, he cants his head, gaze meeting merlin's. ]
If I were to grow flowers for you, those are the ones I would choose.
[ and then rolls his shoulders, standing tall. ]
Give me a few days. You can consider it a housewarming present.
[ ... ]
Things grow better side by side. Trees and flowers. Apples and bananas. In a way, that applies to people too.
he steps forward, the metal of his boots clacking against the floor, as if to contrast the wood of the tree. ]
Purple violets.
[ thoughtfully, he cants his head, gaze meeting merlin's. ]
If I were to grow flowers for you, those are the ones I would choose.
[ and then rolls his shoulders, standing tall. ]
Give me a few days. You can consider it a housewarming present.
[ ... ]
Things grow better side by side. Trees and flowers. Apples and bananas. In a way, that applies to people too.
[this guy...it's almost a shame to take advantage of him. he's so earnest. but Merlin takes the easy way out, folding his arms.]
For me? You'll end up making me blush one day, you know?
[still, growing flowers for him...it seems his title will always follow in his shadow. it's not like he's gonna turn it down.]
For me? You'll end up making me blush one day, you know?
[still, growing flowers for him...it seems his title will always follow in his shadow. it's not like he's gonna turn it down.]
Of course.
[ his voice is soft — yet firm in its conviction. like he wouldn't even question it. the tree holds his attention, and he steps closer, the distance between merlin and him lessening.
slowly, surely, their arms brush together, the fleeting warmth of another being pressed against him in the smallest of ways. it happens within an instant.
and tha t inst an t i s eno ug h f o r th e world t
fall
a p art
[ his voice is soft — yet firm in its conviction. like he wouldn't even question it. the tree holds his attention, and he steps closer, the distance between merlin and him lessening.
slowly, surely, their arms brush together, the fleeting warmth of another being pressed against him in the smallest of ways. it happens within an instant.
and tha t inst an t i s eno ug h f o r th e world t
fall
a p art
[ the tree — the very tree that stands before them, towering over the room like a flower in bloom, remains. from it, darkness sprouts, thin, needle-like branches that threaten to consume the world whole.
in due time, it does. the familiar walls of the coven, in all of their white, and all that surrounds them have vanished into nothingness. even the tree itself crumbles into dust. they are swimming in a void — in oblivion. what a sensitive, delicate thing, the touch of another being. the touch of life. ]
grandma
Black. Pure darkness. Painted over everything.
Words. Scattered here and there across the blackness.
Kind words. Difficult words. Amorous words. All sparkling in the dark like jewels.
Nier: What...
Nier: How the hell does this keep happening?
Do not question it, Sleeping Beauty. We take what we have lost, and we take what we must.
Ni e r: I do n 't un
The man disappears. Again, he will be Sleeping Beauty. He speaks, humbly, voice echoing against the constraints of a fruitless world.
...
It is a bustling kingdom, but for all of its people, for all of its glory, it lacks a direction; a future, a prospect it can seize with certainty. There is a boy. He is without a father. His feet ache against the cobblestone. The doves that tear through the muted blue of the sky cry out for him, as he finds that no one else will.
Crimson stains his fair cheeks, a crimson unlike that of a ripe apple's, but instead like the velvet that lines the most precious of roses. When he closes his eyes, he sees something only he can understand — it is the galaxy, the stars, desires and whims that have either been answered or abandoned by the world entirely. He sees loss, and he sees success. Both carry a weight that threatens to break his back.
A guard stands tall and proud, the sun's rays beating down against his greatsword. The boy's head reaches his waist at most. Women and men surround them, faces twisted with a quiet fear — or is it disgust? Perhaps he does not know the difference, Sleeping Beauty thinks.
Oh, Sleeping Beauty crows. This is quite the predicament. What a vulnerable memory we have stumbled across this time...
This is a ritual. This is merely the reality of the boy's life. And it is the reality that he, in this moment, must survive.
in due time, it does. the familiar walls of the coven, in all of their white, and all that surrounds them have vanished into nothingness. even the tree itself crumbles into dust. they are swimming in a void — in oblivion. what a sensitive, delicate thing, the touch of another being. the touch of life. ]
grandma
Black. Pure darkness. Painted over everything.
Words. Scattered here and there across the blackness.
Kind words. Difficult words. Amorous words. All sparkling in the dark like jewels.
Nier: What...
Nier: How the hell does this keep happening?
Do not question it, Sleeping Beauty. We take what we have lost, and we take what we must.
Ni e r: I do n 't un
The man disappears. Again, he will be Sleeping Beauty. He speaks, humbly, voice echoing against the constraints of a fruitless world.
...
It is a bustling kingdom, but for all of its people, for all of its glory, it lacks a direction; a future, a prospect it can seize with certainty. There is a boy. He is without a father. His feet ache against the cobblestone. The doves that tear through the muted blue of the sky cry out for him, as he finds that no one else will.
Crimson stains his fair cheeks, a crimson unlike that of a ripe apple's, but instead like the velvet that lines the most precious of roses. When he closes his eyes, he sees something only he can understand — it is the galaxy, the stars, desires and whims that have either been answered or abandoned by the world entirely. He sees loss, and he sees success. Both carry a weight that threatens to break his back.
A guard stands tall and proud, the sun's rays beating down against his greatsword. The boy's head reaches his waist at most. Women and men surround them, faces twisted with a quiet fear — or is it disgust? Perhaps he does not know the difference, Sleeping Beauty thinks.
Oh, Sleeping Beauty crows. This is quite the predicament. What a vulnerable memory we have stumbled across this time...
This is a ritual. This is merely the reality of the boy's life. And it is the reality that he, in this moment, must survive.
[there is a numbness in his chest as he is made to follow the guard, small steps. they need no chains to convince him to follow, for he is quiet, only raises the edge of a rough cloak to make the red go away. everything hums in his head - too loud, too loud, it's everything, the brightness of the sun if looked at head on, the vastness of the sea - and it's why he had raised no hand to defend himself. they would always jeer at the weakest, the strangest. grown bored of a silence meant to protect, they took it as haughtiness, and it's why his head aches, above the ears gawked at - they are children. what do they know but their world?
father is not here. mother is not here. there is only him, walking the border.
did they know? would anyone?
the king, in all his glory, so large. a man in rich clothes and a face carved from stone, with his wise men positioned like statues. a man that could crush him with a hand, whose eyes look down without sympathy or pity. Vortigern, whispers the knowledge in his head, and where fear would have come from uncertainty - he can see it cold and certain, in the grand tapestry ever woven, what was happening. thinking, logic that was not a child's but his all the same, and he sees the slit eye pupils of the dragons under the hill -
(they see him back, and in their low rumblings, there is a curse - to know, to have to adhere. a prophet cannot change the course of fate. such work is for the unknowing. this is his life. this will be his life. this is a task, and a name. this is a future, and chains, and freedom.)
he wants the hills and the grass and flowers and play and to be safe - these are human wishes, human dreams. he has been brought here because he is not. because his blood, they think, will hold up their tower, if it covers the foundations. because he has no father, and in this world he walks alone.
when the boy looks at the king, he has the eyes of a sage. when he bows, he has the clumsiness of a child. what he wants is folded away and left on a shelf. there is only what will happen if he does not speak, and that is all that is important.
he has asked for an audience, a wish of the condemned, and they were obliged to grant it.
Merlin speaks, and they cannot see him falter. they cannot see him cry, they cannot see him tremble. they must only hear the inaccuracies of their predictions - there is nothing that will stop if he dies. there are dragons under the hill, and their fighting is what causes the tower to fall. look for them, and they will be there, in your seeing stones and your water. he sees their reflection in the king's eyes.
the dragons are the spirits of the peoples. the invaders, and the ones who call this home. the war continues. there is so much.
wait, he says, and the red dragon will triumph. wait, and you will triumph.
he wants to live, and so he must not be a child.]
father is not here. mother is not here. there is only him, walking the border.
did they know? would anyone?
the king, in all his glory, so large. a man in rich clothes and a face carved from stone, with his wise men positioned like statues. a man that could crush him with a hand, whose eyes look down without sympathy or pity. Vortigern, whispers the knowledge in his head, and where fear would have come from uncertainty - he can see it cold and certain, in the grand tapestry ever woven, what was happening. thinking, logic that was not a child's but his all the same, and he sees the slit eye pupils of the dragons under the hill -
(they see him back, and in their low rumblings, there is a curse - to know, to have to adhere. a prophet cannot change the course of fate. such work is for the unknowing. this is his life. this will be his life. this is a task, and a name. this is a future, and chains, and freedom.)
he wants the hills and the grass and flowers and play and to be safe - these are human wishes, human dreams. he has been brought here because he is not. because his blood, they think, will hold up their tower, if it covers the foundations. because he has no father, and in this world he walks alone.
when the boy looks at the king, he has the eyes of a sage. when he bows, he has the clumsiness of a child. what he wants is folded away and left on a shelf. there is only what will happen if he does not speak, and that is all that is important.
he has asked for an audience, a wish of the condemned, and they were obliged to grant it.
Merlin speaks, and they cannot see him falter. they cannot see him cry, they cannot see him tremble. they must only hear the inaccuracies of their predictions - there is nothing that will stop if he dies. there are dragons under the hill, and their fighting is what causes the tower to fall. look for them, and they will be there, in your seeing stones and your water. he sees their reflection in the king's eyes.
the dragons are the spirits of the peoples. the invaders, and the ones who call this home. the war continues. there is so much.
wait, he says, and the red dragon will triumph. wait, and you will triumph.
he wants to live, and so he must not be a child.]
Edited 2018-09-29 05:16 (UTC)
[ children are the buds of this world. they are to be treated with care, sowed into the soil and nourished until they bloom into the fruits and fauna that give meaning to the earth's existence.
this boy, the one who carries the knowledge of universe underneath his eyelids and leaves flowers in his wake, the one without a father or a mother, does not know this care. he does not know the tenderness of being a mere child.
Sleeping Beauty's heart aches on his behalf.
the king is relentless. or perhaps he is merely pragmatic. his eyes are alight with promise, with indignation at the prospect of their kingdom crumbling to dust, and above all—
fear.
adults are so often trapped by their fear. so they know only how to trap others in turn. the boy cannot escape with his prophecies intact. he cannot separate them from himself, or leave them at the king's feet as a tribute. instead, the guards enter, ironclad and heavy footed. their blades cross before his eyes, clacking against one another for all to hear. hands grip his shoulders roughly. he is not a child, nor is he a flower.
he is nothing more than the weight he carries — and the divide between glory and despair. ]
...He's only a child...
[ Sleeping Beauty calls out from the darkness. Leave him. the tree says, in all of its old age. There is nothing to be done. ]
...
...Don't..hurt..h—
[ but yet again, he is lost within the shadows of another man's memories. ]
this boy, the one who carries the knowledge of universe underneath his eyelids and leaves flowers in his wake, the one without a father or a mother, does not know this care. he does not know the tenderness of being a mere child.
Sleeping Beauty's heart aches on his behalf.
the king is relentless. or perhaps he is merely pragmatic. his eyes are alight with promise, with indignation at the prospect of their kingdom crumbling to dust, and above all—
fear.
adults are so often trapped by their fear. so they know only how to trap others in turn. the boy cannot escape with his prophecies intact. he cannot separate them from himself, or leave them at the king's feet as a tribute. instead, the guards enter, ironclad and heavy footed. their blades cross before his eyes, clacking against one another for all to hear. hands grip his shoulders roughly. he is not a child, nor is he a flower.
he is nothing more than the weight he carries — and the divide between glory and despair. ]
...He's only a child...
[ Sleeping Beauty calls out from the darkness. Leave him. the tree says, in all of its old age. There is nothing to be done. ]
...
...Don't..hurt..h—
[ but yet again, he is lost within the shadows of another man's memories. ]
[he thinks he hears someone. someone who isn't these men weighted down by their fear and their suspicion, and he looks around - where are they? where is the one face who speaks with compassion?
nowhere. he must have been dreaming, and he withdraws into himself so he might continue.
the verdict is handed down. that if his words are true, then he will be allowed to go. and if they are not, then the original plan goes forth. until then, he will be kept under watch.
because why go to all that effort to find him, and give him any chance to escape, if he is only lying?
he will be marched away from the room, and his face is blank, eyes down. those in the castle look at him - they will no matter what. he is a that, not a him, not a child deserving of pity - but he knows he speaks truth. can see it still, the dragons entwined in their furious fight.
the red dragon will win.
the white dragon's eyes will film over with death.
they turn the corner, and it goes black.
(in reality, Merlin's eyes fly open, and his expression has gone as blank as the child's was.)]
nowhere. he must have been dreaming, and he withdraws into himself so he might continue.
the verdict is handed down. that if his words are true, then he will be allowed to go. and if they are not, then the original plan goes forth. until then, he will be kept under watch.
because why go to all that effort to find him, and give him any chance to escape, if he is only lying?
he will be marched away from the room, and his face is blank, eyes down. those in the castle look at him - they will no matter what. he is a that, not a him, not a child deserving of pity - but he knows he speaks truth. can see it still, the dragons entwined in their furious fight.
the red dragon will win.
the white dragon's eyes will film over with death.
they turn the corner, and it goes black.
(in reality, Merlin's eyes fly open, and his expression has gone as blank as the child's was.)]
[ The words burst into the air, like petals from a blossom tree, like colonies of stars and light. The tree scoops up this memory and carefully stores it within itself. Etched upon it is a single word: Destiny.
Light filters through the darkness. They came in streaks, as if stripping the void bare until it resigns to becoming what it once was.
nier opens his eyes. he blinks.
and he takes a step back, expression soft, hands at his sides. ]
...
[ his brows lower, sympathetically. ]
I'm sorry.
Light filters through the darkness. They came in streaks, as if stripping the void bare until it resigns to becoming what it once was.
nier opens his eyes. he blinks.
and he takes a step back, expression soft, hands at his sides. ]
...
[ his brows lower, sympathetically. ]
I'm sorry.
...That's some pretty interesting magic you just used.
[fold it up. put it away. as far from his reach as he can get it. something in the long distant past that he doesn't want. away. that was so many years ago, it doesn't matter. just memories, and he has so many of those. over fifteen centuries worth of things to think about, if he wants to consider the past.
(flowers blooming in the meadows of Avalon. the night sky, clear as winter, soothing as autumn. spring breezes and summer splendor.)
he doesn't look at Nier. there is nothing to say about that. there's something mechanical in his movements, as he breathes deep, pats the tree, goes back to tidying his room. as though nothing happened. as though it was nothing at all to linger on.]
Are you conducting experiments with it?
[fold it up. put it away. as far from his reach as he can get it. something in the long distant past that he doesn't want. away. that was so many years ago, it doesn't matter. just memories, and he has so many of those. over fifteen centuries worth of things to think about, if he wants to consider the past.
(flowers blooming in the meadows of Avalon. the night sky, clear as winter, soothing as autumn. spring breezes and summer splendor.)
he doesn't look at Nier. there is nothing to say about that. there's something mechanical in his movements, as he breathes deep, pats the tree, goes back to tidying his room. as though nothing happened. as though it was nothing at all to linger on.]
Are you conducting experiments with it?
Edited 2018-10-01 06:06 (UTC)
No. I'm not.
[ he speaks firmly, maintaining a distance in between the two of them — he does not want to hurt this man. not when he was sorely lacking in the luxury of living in a world that hadn't hurt him from the very beginnings of his existence.
his fingers curl into his hands. ]
You don't know me, and I don't know you. But—
[ his eyes flicker down, and then back towards merlin. ]
I was an orphan who grew up in a dying world. Everyday was a struggle to survive. And everyday was an attempt to make ends meet. All the people could do, at the end of the day, was watch.
A part of me...hated that. And I hate...what they did to you, too.
[ what they did to a child with nothing but his own prophecies.
he reaches for his blade again, fingers running along his sheath. it isn't long before the katana itself is drawn out, coveted in between his hands. ]
I wasn't able to protect that child. But I've decided that so long as I'm here, I want to protect the man he has grown into. I swear by this blade.
[ his fingers tighten around its grip. ]
I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise...that too.
[ he speaks firmly, maintaining a distance in between the two of them — he does not want to hurt this man. not when he was sorely lacking in the luxury of living in a world that hadn't hurt him from the very beginnings of his existence.
his fingers curl into his hands. ]
You don't know me, and I don't know you. But—
[ his eyes flicker down, and then back towards merlin. ]
I was an orphan who grew up in a dying world. Everyday was a struggle to survive. And everyday was an attempt to make ends meet. All the people could do, at the end of the day, was watch.
A part of me...hated that. And I hate...what they did to you, too.
[ what they did to a child with nothing but his own prophecies.
he reaches for his blade again, fingers running along his sheath. it isn't long before the katana itself is drawn out, coveted in between his hands. ]
I wasn't able to protect that child. But I've decided that so long as I'm here, I want to protect the man he has grown into. I swear by this blade.
[ his fingers tighten around its grip. ]
I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise...that too.
Put away your sword, Nier.
[his voice is soft, and Merlin takes a deep breath, before fixing him with those eyes that know too much, that carry the weight of the stars.]
You don't have to swear anything. That is not your burden to take on, nor your story to tell. There's nothing you have to protect me from.
[not his story to hate, either. all they did was what they knew how to do. and he's alive now, isn't he? proof that he was correct. a true mage. a seer. in the end the boy was freed and given praise and he started to become valued. a happy ending.]
Like you said, you don't know me, and I don't know you. But I'll let you in on a detail of the story that you're missing. The child knew they were looking for him. He could have run away, and kept running. But he chose to be caught.
[his voice is soft, and Merlin takes a deep breath, before fixing him with those eyes that know too much, that carry the weight of the stars.]
You don't have to swear anything. That is not your burden to take on, nor your story to tell. There's nothing you have to protect me from.
[not his story to hate, either. all they did was what they knew how to do. and he's alive now, isn't he? proof that he was correct. a true mage. a seer. in the end the boy was freed and given praise and he started to become valued. a happy ending.]
Like you said, you don't know me, and I don't know you. But I'll let you in on a detail of the story that you're missing. The child knew they were looking for him. He could have run away, and kept running. But he chose to be caught.
I know.
[ he doesn't want to — but delicately, in spite of the nature of this movement, he sheathes his katana. it settles onto his back, and his eyes flicker down for a moment. ]
Sometimes letting someone hurt you is the only way you can survive. [ his jaw tightens. ]
That doesn't make it right, Merlin.
[ and so he turns, approaching the doorway. he knows he's overstepped his boundaries. merlin is right in that respect. nier simply fine with being wrong to start with. ]
Your memory is safe with me. Whenever you want to get even, you can.
[ he doesn't want to — but delicately, in spite of the nature of this movement, he sheathes his katana. it settles onto his back, and his eyes flicker down for a moment. ]
Sometimes letting someone hurt you is the only way you can survive. [ his jaw tightens. ]
That doesn't make it right, Merlin.
[ and so he turns, approaching the doorway. he knows he's overstepped his boundaries. merlin is right in that respect. nier simply fine with being wrong to start with. ]
Your memory is safe with me. Whenever you want to get even, you can.
[ this will be an ongoing thing, because i hate both of us. ]
[ the temple's ongoing overgrowth is certainly in his favor this time. at merlin's door, there will be a very slender glass vase. in it are approximately 12 purple violets, and 8 white heathers.
attached is a piece of parchment, delicately folded: ]
Did you know that all flowers carry a meaning to them?
These two always sold well in the springtime.
attached is a piece of parchment, delicately folded: ]
Did you know that all flowers carry a meaning to them?
These two always sold well in the springtime.
[he's not going to reply. Nier's actions still resonate in his mind - he has nothing to really say to him.
but flowers? flowers didn't do anything. he carries them inside, and sets them down somewhere that when he lays down to sleep, he can smell their sweet scent.]
but flowers? flowers didn't do anything. he carries them inside, and sets them down somewhere that when he lays down to sleep, he can smell their sweet scent.]
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