{audio, december 4th, afternoon.}

[courtmagic]

[thankfully the network is online, so he doesn't have to communicate his wishes in a string of hopefully sent emojis. instead, he can speak into the watch, calm, direct. not betraying the tiredness that comes from having just spent the better portion of a day, a whole night, and the entire morning on this project.]

Something relating to this supposed king was brought to my attention. There is a spell of great, ancient power written in the walls of his cell in runes. It's a very elaborate, highly dangerous form of teleportation, but there is a section that still eludes me despite my best efforts - the final outcome of the work. Unquestionably, if this can be figured out, we have a better chance of figuring out where in this ocean he should be.

A few more sets of eyes and minds should do the trick, if you understand things about arcane energies and magecraft well beyond your common tricks and illusions. I'd appreciate the help.

[there's half of a stifled yawn before the feed cuts out. he hadn't been able to stop, once he started - once Merlin actually got to work, he was going to get things done.]

[[ooc: plotting comment.]]

Comments

audio;

[nogoldenmirror]

[...Ahh, lovely. This voice. And here a part of her had hoped he had somehow managed to get eaten by that overly large sea creature. Or the ice swallowed him up. Maybe then he would have found some semblance of chill. (She surely hasn't.)

But ancient powers? Runes and teleportation magics? Shit. That's right up her alley. So, cue one very unamused response.

A sigh.] I suppose I could help. There was something in my dear mother's tomes on teleportation magics.

[Among other... things... Best not get into that.]

[courtmagic]

[it'd take more than a sea creature to put this annoyance down, Morrigan. and as if on cue, his response is much warmer, a blatant contrast to her own.]

You only suppose? It'd be a shame to put you to all the trouble of coming out to take a look, if you're not entirely certain.

[the tone of his voice says exactly what kind of smile he's wearing.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Ah yes, she is well aware of that exact type of smile. She gives it to others often enough, when the situation calls for it. And at this point, she is very certain he is doing this simply to goad her.]

Do you want assistance or not? [She asks, somehow managing to keep the ice out of her tone. A feat she will ponder at later. She glances at the flasks on the table she is at right now, and sighs.]

I was working on something of my own, though far be it for me to deny the sharing of information.

[She is going to kill him one day. Mark her words.]

[courtmagic]

[she'll have to take a number for the murder business.]

How close are you to the library in the palace? Close enough to come drop by?

audio;

[juniberries]

[it isn't the runes that interest her, but the mention of arcane energies that does. that, and her habitual desire to help.]

I possess some understanding of magical energy where I am from. And here I am able to summon a creature that is the protector of knowledge...

[yet she sounds, uncertain. hesitant.]

I would like to help.

[courtmagic]

The protector of knowledge, hm? Sounds fantastical. You've got my interest from that alone.

[it wasn't as though he was asking for experts. just people who could understand if he started talking on about the opposing forces and harnessing the energy from a rift across distance. people who weren't going to scoff.]

[juniberries]

Well, I'm not entirely sure if it will be of actual help, [dipping into that self doubt some more....woops.] but I do know I wish to uncover more about this king. Especially having spent time in the Palace.

There may have been some books in the library that could help.

[courtmagic]

...Let me put it very simply. Do you want to lend your mind to understanding this magic?

[he could be gentler, if he tried. but he's also running on less than three hours of sleep and too invested in what this could be to be less blunt.]

If the answer is yes, then you can be of help.

( locked to allura )

[unpatriarchal]

Why are you hesitating?

[ it's not accusatory, or blunt, or even overly harsh. and, after that, lotor continues, seemingly assuming why allura is hesitating: ]

You would be of massive assistance, with your talents and knowledge. You should take pride in that.

( audio )

[unpatriarchal]

[ #pinged ]

Do you have a photograph of it, or are you able to show it via video feed?

[ he sounds curious. ancient magic and runes are his area of expertise though voltron may argue otherwise, and he's interested, that such things exist here. and teleportation? even better. ]

video.

[courtmagic]

[in answer, Merlin switches the feed to video to showcase two small piles of parchment in the library. they're covered in words - theorizing, questioning, writing down definitions and diagrams. unerringly, his hand plucks one piece out of the pile, and it has some of the runes on it - though he angles his hand deliberately to conceal the rest of the page.]

There's more. A lot more. I don't really feel like posting pictures of all of it in these communications.

[their network wasn't the most secure, and anyway, if he can get people as curious as himself involved, they'd want to come and see the whole thing, anyway.]

video.

[unpatriarchal]

[ fascinating. and, really, a proper method to get out of here would be an excellent thing indeed . . . which may not be what this is, but a cursory glance at the runes and the symbols . . .

he needs to see them in person, and the only way to do that seems to be volunteering for this stupid group project. at least merlin seems similarly disinclined to make friends. ]

Then I will come view them in person. I'm certain you already have people on the way.

[ including allura. #awkward. and, in a little bit of a drier tone: ]

I'm assuming there are no prerequisites to assisting other than an eagerness to help and a semblance of knowledge on the subject of magic or alchemy.

[courtmagic]

None at all. I'm taking whatever help I can get, at this point. It's preferable that you know things about more ancient magic, but that can all be negotiated.

[he didn't have years of experience teaching as a sage for nothing.]

I'll look forward to seeing you.

audio

[intoningly]

... Why the fuck do you sound so tired?

[ not even addressing the actual meat of this, oops ]

[courtmagic]

[there's a voice he hadn't entirely expected on a call for magical assistance.] I'm fine, I promise. Just stayed up a little late. [or all night...sleep sounds amazing, but there's a fire stoked in him instead.]

[intoningly]

[ a pause that goes on for a second too long ]

Like I care about a grown man's sleep schedule. I'm not your fucking mommy.

[ ... ]

So you're being useful for once, huh..

[courtmagic]

Just for now, I've forsaken my usual habits and gotten serious. Don't get too used to it.

[he'll be back to being useless and frivolous as soon as he can. as soon as this problem's been worked on and straightened out. but with magic this old, this powerful? well, you need the best. and he is the best.]

But it really is interesting...if he wasn't so hidden away I'd be pretty intrigued at what's going through this king's head. What sort of things he knows.

[idle dreaming, that's what this is, as he takes his first break in who knows how many hours. and here he is, chattering away as though nothing had passed between them but a bit of time apart.]

It's very much - [he yawns into his sleeve to try and hide it from the watch.] - not a work for anyone who's not certain in what they're doing.

video;

[cakewitch]

[ Oh hey gorgon face. ]

That's very exciting! I do have to say ancient runes were never really my forte, I always preferred the modern stuff. Teleportation isn't really my business either, but if we need a potion made I'm happy to help.

[ She laughs warm and frivolous. ]

Or tea, I suppose. I've just about mastered infusing some of the kelp into a little pocket bubble. Sometimes it still spills out before you can drink it, but c'est la vie.

[ God she talks so much. ]

[courtmagic]

[ah, now there's a voice he remembers, though not that specific face. he keeps to audio for now, and there's a chuckle.]

Potions...if you had shown up sooner, I would have asked your help in combating the illness that struck the Circle. But that definitely could still come in handy, since you never know what you're going to come across, what you'll need to dispel, and a drink's a lot faster than casting a spell, anyway.

[beat.]

...does that tea actually taste good? [or just. you know. like kelp.]

[cakewitch]

I think that would have depended upon the illness, really. The garden variety I'm sure I could have sent Belphoebe to find some herbs, but that's just hedge witch business. Curses and plagues and the like are a bit more complicated, I'd need to access my magic. Which I certainly can't do here, it's very inconvenient.

[ A small huff. ]

I keep gesturing for things to come to me and of course nothing happens. Why summon a witch if you won't let her craft, that seems silly to me. But yes, some of the kelps are quite floral.

[courtmagic]

In that case, I'd like to humbly request a sample for myself.

[flowers? he'll do anything to bolster that Mage of Flowers title.]

But I can understand your frustrations in the very same manner. There's so much more I could have done for them then, so much more I could do now, if our summonings weren't, in essence, incomplete. A drain on power's to be expected when called to a new plane, but even then, this is lacking...

video

[teratias]

...Is it the language of the spell, a portion missing, or something else that's making it a problem?

[Waver's not going to claim he can solve any of this, but at least trying to figure out a spell would be much, much better than trying to do anything else down in this watery land.

Because guess who relies on fire for their magic! And you can't start a fire under water!!]

audio ->

[courtmagic]

Other parts. They need to link together in certain ways, and I believe that it'll take some experimentation to discern. Components that need to mix in the proper ratios, or something like that.

[teratias]

Well, what do you want me to help with then? I'm am alchemist, components would be easy. But you know my...other strengths too. So who's already helping, and where do you need gaps filled?

/private./

[courtmagic]

[switching the channel, Merlin's voice grows a little more serious.]

I want to entrust you with something of a mission. Will you meet me? Today, soon if possible. I hold no illusions on how safe this network is.