01 | Video

[aeoelingweard]

[There's a lot of staring. A lot of staring. It might be a bit obvious that whoever this lanky young man is, he has no idea what to make of the device blinking its light up at him. Eventually, after a good minute or two of silently eyeballing the foreign object in his hands, the blue-eyed boy rolls his eyes, sighs, and gives his Dreamberry another

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[seekingbody]

[ Here, Merlin, have a large suit of armor fill up your screen. And what's more, it talks like a little boy ]

Ah, are you new here? This is Somarium. It's a dream world. ... I'm afraid it'll be a little difficult to get back to Camelot.

[aeoelingweard]

[.......Well he was getting used to talking to people on this thing, but the sight of armour startles him enough that his poor Dreamberry falls and meets the ground again. The armour-boy gets a sheepish little grin as Merlin stoops to pick it back up.]

New? Yes. Yes I am. And don't take this the wrong way but I'd really rather not stay here. If.. If there's a way back to Camelot, I don't care how difficult it is. [Merlin's demeanor changes during that last sentence; he has to get back, to make sure Arthur's okay. He just hopes someone can help him do that.]

[seekingbody]

There are things that need to be done back home?

[ He understands. And he's trying to show you that he does with his voice, since it's kind of impossible to change the helmet's expression and all. ]

I'm afraid nobody has been able to figure out a way back... but! Time works a little differently here. Nobody back home will even notice you're gone, because there will be a 'you' there as well.

[ Er... he realizes he sounds absolutely insane, but he's really trying to explain it as best as he can. Really! ]

I know, because my brother has appeared here as well. From my future.

[aeoelingweard]

[Yes. Yes he does sound absolutely insane, and it's probably not hard to tell that from Merlin's completely befuddled expression.]

There's.. another me. Back home. [The sorcerer blinks, then shakes his head.] Look, I think I get what you're trying to do, but knowing there's someone parading around as me back home? That's not much of a relief. I have to return, so please, if there's something, anything, you know that might help..

[seekingbody]

[ Oh wait. That totally wasn't the impression Al wanted to give... okay, he'll try another approach. ]

A-ah! No! I didn't mean to say there were two of you. This is a dream world. So you're just asleep. And you'll wake up in your own world and go on with your day.

[aeoelingweard]

[Why is everything so confusiiing. Merlin rubs a palm over his face in frustration.]

You're sure of that? Nothing will have changed? It'll just be the morning after I went to bed?

[seekingbody]

Yes! [ something like that... ]

Unfortunately, nobody has figured out yet how to wake ourselves up naturally from this. But everything is fine and normal in your world.

[aeoelingweard]

[PHEW.]

Everything's good then. He's safe. I don't have to worry. [He can definitely relax after hearing that, knowing that Arthur won't be running off with some not-Merlin following after him that might not protect him. He manages a little smile at... well, whoever's behind that suit of armour.]

You had me worried there. I'm Merlin. What's your name?

[seekingbody]

I'm sorry! It's always hard to explain to newcomers just what exactly is going on. [ Doesn't help that he doesn't actually know for sure himself, but Alphonse won't let you know that... ]

I'm Alphonse! It's nice to meet you, Merlin.

[aeoelingweard]

Really, that's the best news I've gotten from anyone since I picked this thing up. [Merlin taps the screen of his device.] ..Can you see me through this, like I can see you?

[seekingbody]

[ Nods ] Yes! I can. There's a voice and text function on there too.

[aeoelingweard]

[There are so many questions he wants to ask, like what it's called when you communicate with a picture like this, and what a "funkshun" is, and how the thing in his hands even works, but there's something more important to ask about right now.]

Alphonse, do you know if it's some kind of magic that's keeping us all trapped in our dreams? ...Or if that's what makes this [he taps his dreamberry's screen again, unable to resist asking about it after all but not sure what to really call it] work like it does?

[seekingbody]

I'm not sure what exactly is keeping us here. I've been trying to do research on this world, but there's surprisingly little information...

As for this thing... it's apparently really modern technology. I don't have anything like this in my home world either. It works like a very advanced telephone. I don't believe it's magic, though. More like, very advanced science.

[ You at least have those, right, Merlin? ]

[aeoelingweard]

Research? Are you a scholar?

[S-so many words are going right over his head. Merlin's sure there have never been this many creases in his forehead from confusion.] Not magic. That's good, at least, but... What's a telephone?

[No. No he does not have those.]

[seekingbody]

A-ah... not really. I'm just an alchemist who likes to learn. [ That, and he has a lot of free time on his hands. ]

A telephone is... it's something that you can use to communicate with people over long distances in real time. We have them in my world, but those only let you speak to others, nothing this fancy.

[aeoelingweard]

Oh. We have.... letters. [He sounds maybe just a little bit sheepish about that, but it's really the first thing that Alphonse said that has Merlin's attention.]

We have alchemy in my.. world. [Heavens, it feels strange to say that.] Well, I've only really met one man that performed it, I suppose. He.. wasn't exactly a very nice person. [There's a frown on Merlin's face as he recalls Tauren.] You're.. Is that kind of sorcery not outlawed in your world?