oneandmikleonly | [SPELLBIND

[his steps slow]

...I don't know. If we could at least find out what's happening it would make a huge difference. I'm sure things are fine, but...

[he lets the sentence hang, unwilling to give too much voice to his worries]

Surely...a balancer of worlds wouldn't bring in people at the cost of those people's worlds.

[he'll say it if Sorey won't. someone has to.]

I don't know about that.

[he doesn't say it with any malice, just as a statement of fact; Qri's priorities aren't their priorities, and while he doesn't begrudge her that, he doesn't put any stock in her making sure that all of their worlds remain safe while they're gone.]

But I do know that we have some very determined friends back home. I don't know what it was like while I was asleep or how much of the land was purified, but I do know that Lailah and the others can prevent it from going back to the way it was before. If Maotelous is feeling up to it then I'm sure he could make a pact with a Shepherd too.

It's mostly that...I didn't want to put that burden on anyone else. I wanted everyone to be able to live peacefully, after everything. So it sort of feels like I left the job half-finished.

Yes, you definitely raised your hand up from the earthpulse and waved. Qri, I'm tired of sitting here to purify the Lord of Calamity, take me away from all this, you said. I told you your sleep-talking would get you in trouble one day.

[Mikleo is a bad friend]

[MIKLEO IS A BAD FRIEND!!! Sorey takes a swipe at him]

You know what I mean!

[Mikleo ducks it, making a threatening pokey gesture towards Sorey's sides]

My point is, you didn't ask for it. You were prepared to do what it took. We all swore we too would do what it took. So...don't just blame yourself for what's outside your control.

[Sorey skip-hops away from Mikleo's fingers, just out of reach]

The great and powerful Shepherd can't control everything? That's just crazy talk.

[he steps back in closer to throw an arm around Mikleo's shoulder. it's awkward to walk like this, but he manages without wobbling.]

...Thanks, Mikleo. I promise not to beat myself up about it.

[Mikleo snorts, just a little, and works an arm around Sorey in turn; they kind of look drunk, walking in tandem like this, but it makes the night a little warmer.]

Good. Anyway, even if it's gone that way, we'll deal with what we have to.

You're implying that Alisha and Rose wouldn't have everything fixed by the time we get back?

[he's going to remember that and make sure to tell them, choose your words carefully Mikleo]

[resists the urge to stick his tongue out at him]

You'll probably still have to deal with them scolding us a little.

Just a little. I bet they'll mostly be happy to see us.

[he slows as they reach the mansion and has to slightly untangle himself from their awkward walking in order to open the door and get them both inside.]

After said scolding, yes.

[Sorey gets the mansion door, Mikleo gets the library door, everybody wins]

We can handle a little scolding!

[he meanders over to a spot near a window without much aim; he can't read every book in the library, but it's still comforting to be surrounded by so much knowledge.]

[they still can't read most of it, but. there's probably enough to occupy them, still

even rereading settles their nerves, a little.]

[Sorey's started some sloppy translations of a few books and sets to work on that. it isn't taking up enough of his attention for him to actually make much progress on it, but it does help him relax.

it doesn't help the restlessness though, and after a bit he peeks over to see what Mikleo's reading]

[it's some sort of treatise on construction, something he can't actually read; he likes looking at the diagrams, though, trying to translate them into real structures in his head

he notices Sorey looking, after a moment, and offers it to him]

[he hands Mikleo his book in exchange, and when his eyes find one of the diagrams he raises an eyebrow.]

Are you looking to get into construction? I bet we could build this if you want to.

Not construction, really. I just think the architecture is fascinating. It seems like you'd need to use either artes or special materials to get those arches to work, but I can't tell which.

[squinting at the page and bringing it up to his nose to look]

Looks like an arte to me. I can't think of any kind of material that could manage that shape without the whole thing falling over. Unless there's something lightweight that they use...?

There could be. I don't recognize half of what's in there when you take apart, say, the electronic gadgets the Palai had.

[zestiria also doesn't know what plastic is]

[they will read a book on plastics eventually]

It's true that there are some materials that are lighter than stone or wood around; cameras are made out of all sorts of materials I've never seen before. But can they produce enough of it in high quantities to be able to construct with it? Maybe we need a list of building materials from other worlds first.

Who knows...? I suppose we could keep more of an eye out for that sort of thing on the next world we visit.

That's probably going to be sooner rather than later, come to think of it.

Yeah.

[slings an arm around him loosely]

Something to look forward to...?

[he can't help but smile at the thought. traveling to other parts of his own world was already exciting. traveling to other worlds is pretty up there, situation aside.]

Definitely! As long as no one's trying to kill us.

[SPELLBIND - IC CONTACT]

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