Truly Outrageous

There was silence between them for a moment and Merlin found himself worrying. What if the other didn’t believe him? Would he run? Would he attack? He was more worried about the latter, but there was one possible way to avoid it all. Merlin knew better, though, than to reveal his magic to somebody so abruptly. He had taken so much care to hide it all these years that he couldn’t shatter all of that progress in one single moment.

Merlin let out the breath that he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in when Taric finally told him that he believed him. A small smile crept back onto his face, but he remained silent, letting the other think things through. It was the absolute least that Merlin could do, after all.

“I suppose that all depends on how near to Camelot you plan on venturing. The further you are from the city, itself, the safer you are. There are… very many in hiding,” he said. ”In the forests, in the caverns…” Within the heart of Camelot, itself, he told himself silently, his gaze flickering distractedly to the side. Quickly, though, he looked back. ”Unless you associate with dragons, I suppose there is little more to tell.”

#heart-of-camelot #I fully expect them to do it wrong #I'm just hoping for Arthur Knows anyway. xD

At Merlin's last words, Taric chuckled, replying half-jokingly "Do half-dragons count? I'm pretty sure I got the smell of dragon-fire off of my armor this morning, but I suppose with a good enough nose it might be possible to tell."

Jokes aside, he considered his options; the caverns were likely the safest, especially if he could find one with precious metal or gems in it. He would likely be safe there until the Summoners found it, particularly if he didn't associate with the outside world much...but then, surely it couldn't be so difficult to blend in that he couldn't risk a bed somewhere? It had been a very long time since he had last been forced to make camp anywhere uncivilized.

Yes, that decided it. "I don't suppose there's somewhere safe that would have an actual bed?" Grinning apologetically, he quickly elaborated, "I don't want anything too fancy; I'm just not accustomed to the forest or caverns as a home. I'm sure I could peddle off a few gems somewhere to pay for a room and maybe some more suitable clothes for your world."

Merlin’s gaze hardened slightly, glancing down to the forest floor as his words finally registered in Taric’s mind. It was a sad thought, just as it always was, and Merlin slowly nodded his head. Suddenly, though, Taric gave the warlock a wary look and the young man knew what was coming next. He pulled his lips to a fine line, widening his eyes for a moment and then quickly shaking his head. ”No! No… I wouldn’t do that,” he assured him. ”I swear of it.”

#heart-of-camelot #at this point though #I'm almost expecting Merlin to confess to Arthur in his dying breath #and I'll be pissed as hell if that happens #/still holding out for an Arthur Knows ending

Taric narrowed his eyes for a moment, trying to decide if the other was lying, then visibly relaxed. He had no reason not to trust this man, after all. If Merlin had wished harm on him, it would have been far easier to simply not inform him of the local ban on magic and allow him to get caught on his own. "Alright, then, I believe you."

Taric closed his eyes, checking his magic again to see if he could feel the pull of the novice Summoner who had sent him here. Nothing. If it was taking this long, chances were the novice Summoner had been forced to find help, and he would likely be stuck here for a while.

Looking at Merlin once more, he asked, "Is there anything else you can tell me about your world? The more I know, the better I can fit in."

It was like watching himself in a mirror. It was like watching his own inner thoughts at work, here in the flesh. Because, really, howcould one not see magic for its beauty, just as the other had said? It was almost refreshing to see this sort of a reaction from somebody. After all, most who came around these parts were well aware of Camelot’s laws and so if they did not stay away, they simply kept to themselves.

“I know,” he commented, nodding his head. ”Uther did have reason,” he admitted, a frown tugging at his lips. ”But it could not even hope to justify everything — all of the lives which have been lost over the years.”

#heart-of-camelot #btw #any bets on whether we get a magic reveal ever? xD #also #as ever #sorry for lateness

Taric had been just about to launch onto another rant about magic being banned (because really -- who did that? Even if Merlin did say he had a reason) when he caught the implications of the warlock's last words. "...'lives lost'? People are killed for having magic? How does that even make sense?"

Suddenly, it occurred to him that if magic were indeed a death sentence, he had already admitted enough to put himself at risk. Glancing at Merlin warily, he asked, "Are you going to turn me in?" Given his greater muscle mass and the fact he had some degree of combat magic (and Merlin likely did not), he was pretty confident he could beat the other man in a fight, barring surprises. If he could avoid conflict entirely, though, that would certainly be preferable.

((I DID IT! I FINALLY DID IT! I GOT A PENTA KILL! AND! IT WAS ON MY FAVORITE CHAMPION. <3 /squealing with glee))

#league of legends #ezreal

+ askpinktaric

[Joshua frowned a bit as Taric talked. What wasn’t there for him? Nearly everything a jeweler was here, and if it wasn’t here, then one would just need to cross the street and look in another store. Joshua listed off all the things he could get in his head, the stocks of the stores popping up. He governed over this city and no matter his opinion of it, there was something for everyone. The reason he gave made a bit more sense, remembering the game he played and how hard it was for new players to adapt and find their special ability—except for Neku; Neku didn’t need to look;Neku didn’t count—

[Clipped; click for full post]

#composingtheworld #your strikeout is beautiful #don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise #I have a love-hate relationship with Joshua's hair btw #love how it looks #hate drawing it #same goes for frilly dresses #and lace #and bows #and stockings #x_x #also oops I'm really really late #sorry

Taric blinked, looking at Joshua vaguely as the other man listed off names he didn't know. Natural Puppy? Lapin Angelique? What in the name of gems were they?

...Ignoring the distracting names, however, the idea of Joshua in a dress was intriguing. 'Perhaps a lighter color, to emphasize out his eyes,' Taric decided, momentarily lost in his enthusiasm over thinking up what kind of dress he might design. 'Something simple, but elegant. Probably not many, if any gems, more's the pity. Something that would, as he said, look good and feel good. Something--'

At Joshua's words, he startled out of his reverie. He had been so wrapped up with the challenge of a dress that might work well that he missed half of what Joshua had said. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I'm afraid I missed the beginning; my apologies."

Merlin squinted his eyes a bit, eying him. It was just the reaction he would have expected from a sorcerer in the dark regarding Camelot’s laws. It was his own reaction as well, all of those years ago. Of course, he had been warned ahead of time. His mother had, after all, been well aware of his uncanny magical ability. That had not made watching his people suffer any less difficult, though.

The servant remained silent for a couple of moment, letting Taric properly absorb the information and express himself. Finally, though, he nodded his head in agreement, his gaze shifted to the ground for a moment. “Our former king was… was immutable in his hatred toward magic.”

#heart-of-camelot #Mkay. :)

Taric was still recovering from the shock of Merlin's words, even he had regained his composure outwardly. Magic was such an important part of Taric's life that he couldn't understand how anyone could hate it. He could understand disliking branches of magic -- no one in their right mind liked necromancy, but to outlaw magic as a whole..?

"Why?" he finally brought himself to ask. "Why -- how can one not see magic for its beauty?"

peachsticks replied to your post: ((OOC note))

why are you apologizing for pain?! go to the doctor and make sure you didn’t sprain anything :|

((I'm sure it'll be fine, given rest. I have a pretty pathetic pain tolerance level, so half the time when something FEELS bad to me, it's just minor. For now I'm just gonna cut back on drawing and playing League, and if it's still bothering me in a week or two, then I'll go to the doctor.

Oh, for the record, it was more apologizing for "oh shit I fucked up and now I don't have pretty pictures for RP replies sorry T_T" than for the pain itself. xD))

#peachsticks #ooc

Merlin hesitated for a moment, a frown tugging lightly at his lips as he glanced off to the side. ”Well,” he started, looking back. ”In Camelot, magic is against the law. It’s not something you can… speak freely of there,” he asked, eying him carefully.

#heart-of-camelot #it's cool #I don't exactly draw him very masculinely #and I don't know how I'd keep RPs straight if I was doing as many as you are #xD #oh btw #out of curiosity #is there any rough point in the Merlin timeline this is in #any particular season or anything? xD

Taric gaped at Merlin, mouth hanging opening shock for several seconds before he recovered his dignity. "Magic is outlawed? Why in the name of Gems would anyone do that? That's -- that's just.." He trailed off, struggling to find the words to describe just how wrong that was.

After several moments, he ran a gloved hand over his eyes, rubbing them as if to get rid of a headache.

His expression darkened as he spoke next, "I've heard of my fair share of absolutely brainless laws in my day, but outlawing magic? That has to be the crown jewel of them all."

askpinktaric started following you

Annie laughed.

“Pet? Hardly.” Pet didn’t even begin to describe what the Emolga meant to her. “Momo is my best friend, my brother, my battle partner, my companion. Way more than just a friend. The same can be said for any of my Pokemon, though….”

She shrugged, a little sheepish, but smiling.

“Momo especially. I’ve had him since I was eight.”

He squeaked and smiled at her. They’d been through everything together- sweet victory, bitterest defeat, traveled the world, fought other trainers, Pokemon, bad guys…. He was the other half of her soul.

#wheredreamsandadventuresawait #*snuggles back* :D #sorry for delay #been a bit obsessed about marathon Supernatural'ing #turns out 2 seasons in 3 days doesn't leave a TON of extra time xD

Taric chuckled softly, "My mistake; I chose my words poorly. You reminded me of someone else who shares your name and has a partner like you do, though they don't speak nearly as expressively as you do."

He reached over to pet Momo as a peace offering, hoping that the Emolga would allow him to. "My apologies if I have offended you, Momo."

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him, "Say, you mentioned he was your battle partner.. I'm not entirely certain how that's done in your world, but would you care to see the process here? I have the rest of the afternoon off, but I could show you some old, recorded matches if you'd like."

+ askpinktaric

[Joshua smirked a bit at Taric, proud of his deduction skills. He continued talking while moving about the store, trying on bracelets and rings, holding up necklaces to his skin to see how well they looked.]

I see you’re impressed. Pavo Real tends to do that. If only they’d branch out and do something other than accessories. Ah well, at least they produce high quality. Hence the price tag. Don’t worry about that though, I’m paying.

Just have some fun and look around.

#composingtheworld #ah #okay #also #sorry this is late #Supernatural has been eating my soul #and I'm a dumbass #so sorry D:

Taric grinned at Joshua from across the store, taking a long look at a jewelry set designed around a rose theme, before heading back to the other man. "I don't expect to find anything for myself, honestly." He glanced away for a moment, a far-off look in his eyes as if reliving a memory, "Others' craftsmanship tends not to tune well. I've tried in the past, but never gotten any positive results."

He blinked, then shook his head, grinning widely at Joshua. "The reason I love seeing others' work is that it's truly inspiring. True artisans are few and far between,and it's refreshing to see others with the same passion as myself."

((OOC note))

So on Saturday I was watching Merlin and decided to draw a ton of pictures and just generally doodle without a care in the world, even through mounting wrist pain because I thought the pain would go away.

Long story short, I can't draw for long periods of time currently. I've been trying to just endure the pain and draw through it, but it's come to my attention that may not be the healthiest way to go about things.

What does this mean for askpinktaric? Well, I'll still try to get drawings done for RPs, but they may be less detailed or smaller, and some replies may not have one. Hopefully my wrist will stop throwing a bitch-fit soon and I can get back to regular drawings, but I'm not 100% sure when that'll be.

I'm really sorry to anyone this lets down. ._.;

- Tiger

#ooc #apology

Merlin remained silent as she spoke, tilting his head slightly to the side while he listened. Honestly, most of what she said went straight over his head. The definition of a Summoner was, of course, quite self explanatory, but nobody spoke so freely of magic so near to Camelot’s edge. For the moment, though, he kept his mouth shut to see just where she would take the conversation.

“Trust me, you’re not the first to be so disoriented,” he said with a warm smile as he reached out to shake her hand. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Taric.”

He paused once more, almost hesitating when she brought up the next question. Finally, though, he nodded his head a bit. ”Nearest to us is Camelot, but you must be aware of the laws there,” he added, eying her uncertainly.

#heart-of-camelot #just for the record #Taric is male. xD #though I can easily understand the confusion #also #sorry this is late #Supernatural has been eating up all my time.#whoops

Taric blinked, once again unsure of himself. "Er, no, not really. I've never been there." He paused, then asked warily, "Is there something I should know?"

As he spoke, he searched through everything he had said and done, trying to figure out if he could have broken a law already, though nothing jumped out at him.

Dancing Striker Ezreal gif by me to raise publicity (and maybe hopefully get a red post) for my Striker Ezreal 2k Upvote thread. If you have a chance and a League of Legends account, could you please throw an upvote my way? I'd really, really appreciate it. :)

(Also, any non-negative posts will enter you into a contest for a $20 Visa gift card. No limit to posting so long as you don't spam the forums)

#made by me #ooc #ezreal #league of legends #queue

cheeeeeeeeeeeeeen

#not mine

askpinktaric started following you

“It’s pretty, but it’s a pain in my ass.” Annie sighed. Momo chittered back at Taric, sniffing him curiously. “I still don’t know shit about it, so be careful. It’s not stable. I’m really hoping it’s not radioactive or something, considering it’s strapped to my throat.”

Thanks a lot for that, Arceus.

“Momo here is the first Pokemon I ever had. We’ve been through a lot of battles together.”

#wheredreamsandadventuresawait #sorry for tiny doodle again #feeling derpy and wrist starting to hurt again #and blah I suck sorry xD #also #I sorta OOC assumed it wasn't radioactive #if I'm wrong and godmoding I apologize

Taric laughed outright at Annie's words, "I suppose I can sympathize with that. I'm rather more used to predictable and cooperative magic from the gems I work with." He paused, considering for a moment, then continued, "I'm not sure what radioactive is, but I'm assuming it's bad. If that's correct, I think you have nothing to worry about; I sense no malevolent energy from it."

As Momo sniffed his finger, Taric grinned, "Oh! So Momo is like your pet, then?" He directed his gaze to Momo, then said with a chuckle, "I must say, you're not quite as terror-inducing as Tibbers."

+ askpinktaric

Hee hee…This seems to be your place then.

You seem like a Pavo Real man. Follow me.

[Joshua walks through the streets, easily sliding past the crowds without looking back to see if Taric is following, though never getting out of his view. He seems to know without looking when the distance is too great and slows down accordingly. He opens the door and leads Taric in. The store is filled with jewelry, all very simple and stylish, made of the finest materials. Joshua looks at the pendents, glancing at Taric.]

Go on, look around. There’s sure to be something for you. If not, well, there’s something for everyone in Shibuya.