Video

[servant]

-Oh no.

[The video is washed out, too bright underneath the generic lighting of the even more generic passenger's quarters. Merlin's face slowly eclipses it, eyes wide and a little concerned. With a little trial and error, he's managed to master the device's functions faster than a medieval boy probably has a right to. But technology hasn't come up with an answer for clumsiness. Yet.]

All right?

[Merlin picks the communicator up, sighing in relief before he starts to grin.]

Are we really up there? Up in the stars, I mean. I know everyone keeps saying it, it's just hard to imagine. To think that a servant could be among the stars. I really used to look up to them.

[Merlin presses his lips together, quite possibly the only person amused by that. Arthur's always told him that he shouldn't try to be funny. This would be why.]

Has anyone ever been up here before? Do you think if we stepped outside the ship, it would be like falling out of a tree? Except that there are no trees in space, because there isn't any dirt.

Which makes me wonder...where do we get the apples?

[Merlin finally has the decency to look sheepish about his ramblings and odd questions.]

Sorry. And I've already heard about there being no air and space radiation, so I won't actually be trying to get out there. My guardian just always wanted me to take more of an interest in science. I guess this was one way of doing it.

[Merlin glances off-screen, and there's a hesitance with his last question that the others was lacking.]

Uhm, it is science, isn't it? And not magic?

Comments

[watashinonamaewa]

In a way... [ She doesn't quite get what it is, but the theory is something that she could grasp. Besides, there were all sorts of forces in her own reality that were used to change things — technological forces, at least. ]

I would think something like that to be an incredibly wonderful gift. For it not to have been placed medically and come naturally with inheritance, I mean. They must be very resilient genes.

[ But he mentioned two opinions about it, didn't he? ]

Do you believe your friend's stories? Or do you think that it is an unnatural thing...?

[servant]

You don't think that someone born that way is, say, a monster?

[watashinonamaewa]

No. I feel it would be wrong to judge someone in that way. What they are is not what defines them, it is what they do.

I hope that is understandable...

[servant]

It is to me.

[More than he can say.]

There's none at all where you're from?

[watashinonamaewa]

Not that I know of. [ Humans are rare in the City. It would just as hard to find one with magic as it is to find one with the Net Terminal Gene. She doesn't think to tell him that though — she's too interested in the thing itself. ]

Do you know anything else about magic? I'd certainly like to know more.

[servant]

I could probably help - since my guardian was around before the great purge. What would you like to know?

[watashinonamaewa]

[ There's so much to ask and without a true grasp of what magic really was, she can only respond one way. With a smile. ]

Everything.

[servant]

[Merlin blinks before laughing.]

I doubt that I could tell you everything, but - I'll try?

[watashinonamaewa]

I'm sorry if that was a broad request... I'll begin with something more specific.

[ Give her a second to think of where to begin. Okay, let's go. ]

You said that magic was born into specific humans. Does that mean the types of capabilities vary with each person who is capable of it, or is it a common energy harnessed by everyone with a connection to it?

[servant]

I don't know that it varies as much as the connection is just stronger for some people. I guess. I've never really had to explain it before.

[watashinonamaewa]

I understand if this is too strange for you to explain.

I'm incredibly intrigued, but I know that there may be some things that are not easily explained with words...

[servant]

Did you know that there's sorcerers on this ship? Some of them prefer to be called wizards, but it's all the same.

[watashinonamaewa]

That's what they are called? I didn't know that. Perhaps I would be able to meet one of them.

[servant]

You should ask. Seems there are often laws on worlds where magic exists, ones that don't apply here. They'd probably be happy to be able to show someone.

[Like he would. Except his secret remains.]