[SPELLBIND - IC CONTACT]

[oneandmikleonly]

action 💧 telepathy 💧 other?

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[oneandmikleonly]

I'll bite. What do you see...?

[he's absolutely fascinated by Sorey's power, as necessarily little use as it gets in day to day life...]

[imsorey]

It looks like a grassy field overlooking the ocean. Pretty different from yours, right?

[the description is vague and it's obvious he's leaving some things out, but he doesn't offer any further details]

[oneandmikleonly]

Well, maybe, and maybe not. To me it's sort of like being in an ocean...or a river, maybe.

[looks up at ceiling towards the unseen ocean sky, mouth quirking]

Probably a river. It feels safer than an ocean.

[imsorey]

A river, huh? I don't remember seeing one of those around. They've got to be different then.

[a smile slips onto his face]

It feels safe?

[oneandmikleonly]

It makes sense. You protect us by being our vessel, after all.

[imsorey]

I'll remember that the next time you try to tell me I'm hopeless at something.

[behind his sass, though, he's obviously pleased]

[oneandmikleonly]

As if one has that much to do with the other.

[imsorey]

[ATTEMPTS TO ELBOW]

They've got plenty to do with each other! If I'm at least capable enough to act as a vessel then I'm doing something right. Even if I'm still learning.

[oneandmikleonly]

[doesn't stop him -- he'd have to get up for that, probably -- and winces a little; he's pretty sore]

...you didn't--stop, or anything. You were strong enough to be one even when you slept.

[imsorey]

[the elbowing doesn't do wonders for Sorey's bruises either and he slumps back into his seat, gingerly massaging at some stiff spots with his fingers]

...I wasn't completely sure what would happen while I was asleep. But if it's been holding then the purification should still be working. Although I don't know what'll happen while I'm here.

[oneandmikleonly]

We can't do anything but hope some measure was put in place to account for that.

[imsorey]

[nodding slow as he pulls himself away from that train of thought--what would have happened after he vanished, where Heldalf ended up, how they would have put something in place to prevent things from getting worse. they're things that ultimately he can't do anything about until they make it back home.]

It'll work out. I don't know how, exactly, but I'm sure it will. Maybe it's strange to say, but even after everything I don't think Heldalf would have just given up after that.

[oneandmikleonly]

[ah, there it is.]

...you really believe he's still willing to be purified somewhere, huh? Even him.

[imsorey]

[nodding]

Even him. He's still human, just like me or anyone else. The capacity for kindness is in there just as much as the capacity for cruelty. It's just up to him what he decides to do about it. And I think—

[pausing, shaking his head and correcting himself]

I know that the purification was having an effect. That's proof enough.

[oneandmikleonly]

...I trust you.

[it seems inadequate. he'd barely started coming to terms with Sorey being gone before they found themselves here, together. in the heat of the moment he had trusted Sorey to do what he had to do, but what's it going to be like having to do that all over a second time, when their borrowed time from Qri runs out?

they're selfish thoughts, but it's not like he's perfect.]

[imsorey]

That's high praise coming from you. I'll make sure not to disappoint you. Who knows, maybe everything will already be settled when we get back and we'll have nothing to do.

[his smile softens, touched even though it's something he already knows. it's still nice to hear it. there are plenty of unknowns to deal with whenever they manage to make their way back home, but trust doesn't have to be one of them.]

...Say, did Lailah mention anything to you? After everything.

[oneandmikleonly]

[sore arms or not, he reaches over to squeeze Sorey's shoulder, supportive and grateful.]

...what do you mean? That's kind of broad, isn't it?

[imsorey]

It was meant to be broad. I'm not really sure how to explain it. When Lailah and I tried to purify Heldalf at first we saw some of his memories, and I think we saw you.

[oneandmikleonly]

...what?

[what]

[imsorey]

The previous Shepherd had a sister, and she had a child that looked like you. She also had your circlet. But...they were both human, and they died when their village was caught in the middle of a battle. It seemed like too much of a coincidence for them to be completely unrelated to you.

[this is why Lailah should explain these things, Sorey doesn't know how seraphim are made]

[oneandmikleonly]

[what????????

no seriously he doesn't have a response for a minute]

[imsorey]

[falling silent for a minute, letting Mikleo have his thoughts to himself while he tries to put the story together in a coherent manner. it all happened so fast, with one thing after another piling up near the end, that it takes him some time to sort things into a chronological order.]

When we saw Heldalf's memories trying to purify him, we found out that he was friends with the previous Shepherd, Michael. Although at that time he'd already retired and was making a life for himself in the village of Camlann, along with his sister and the rest of the people there. Camlann was also where Maotelous was being kept in secret, and Michael had asked Heldalf, as a general of Rolance, to help keep the village safe. But Heldalf didn't keep his promise, and instead used Camlann as bait in order to attack Hyland. The village was used as a battleground and the people were caught up in it; their homes were destroyed, lives taken.

Michael and his sister Muse were caught up in the battle as well. Muse's child was inside of a burning building and Michael tried to rescue it...but it was already too late. He was overcome with rage and grief and used the child and himself as sacrifices to curse Heldalf to live alone forever.

[giving a little shrug as if trying to shake more memories out]

I'm not sure how it all connects, but like I said, it seemed like too much of a coincidence for it to be meaningless.

[oneandmikleonly]

[this is very sad, but also incredibly confusing. Mikleo puts a curled hand on his chest, an unconscious gesture of distress, then catches himself and lowers it again. he doesn't even have the circlet right now, it was taken from him, or lost between worlds...but...]

. . . Gramps told me the circlet was from my mother. I . . .

[a little distantly]

I did wonder why no seraphim we met ever mentioned having parents.

[imsorey]

[his eyes watch Mikleo's hand make the gesture and abort it, upset forming at the edges of his mouth. there was no option of not mentioning it once he'd thought of it, but the revelation didn't have to come as such a shock, and he feels bad about that.]

It wasn't something that ever came up when we were the only two kids in the village, and neither of us had parents growing up. Still...

[shaking his head]

How would a human baby turn into a seraphim one?

[oneandmikleonly]

How would a dead human baby turn into a seraphim one?

[that comes out harsher than he meant it to, and he bites his lip, his face mirroring the hurt expression on Sorey's]