Voice Testing a new (old?) part of a story and looking at Rekindle

[lytelcniht]

Young lord, I find little reason for your nervousness.

Know you not that a king stands before you? All will be well. No challenge shall best me with the blessing of the sword in my--

...The premise emphasises touch? You must not be serious.

...You are? Young lord- I think you must gravely misunderstand my role here.



[So this Saber is pre-canon, at the time King Arthur would have been a Feudal Lord. As such she will refer to herself as male and as "Lord Arthur Pendragon"! So she's about 15-16 here.]

Comments

[kingmaking]

Oh, they delight in touch, regardless of how we feel about the matter.

[lytelcniht]

I haven't time to sit about and make such contact with those I am unacquainted with! I am to lead my people and protect them, not idle about as I am being required.

[She makes no record of it, but you certainly seem familiar-- if not in the strangest of ways.]

[kingmaking]

[ as do you, though he's starting to understand why. being what he is has its benefits, sometimes. ]

You will have time, because you'll not have a choice. [ a pause, staring steadily, strange dark eyes narrowing in thought. ] --Arturus?

[lytelcniht]

...I am.

How do you know me to address me so familiarly, man?

[She doesn't seem angry so much as... confused.]

[kingmaking]

[ a tut. ] I've held you in my arms, a squalling babe. Some version of you, at the least. I would always know you.

[circuited]

... maybe, um, he wants you to make friends?

[ THAT DOESN'T SOUND SO BAD. ]

[lytelcniht]

[Oh cute.]

I fight alongside my dearest companions already. They trust me to act as their lord and I do act accordingly.

The manner in which this man wishes I behave is simply strange to me, young one.

[circuited]

Oh.

But it's not... bad, right?

[lytelcniht]

...I suppose, in the essence of the matter, no.

However, being that my preferences detail quite a different style of living, I'm not sure what on this holy earth he is thinking.

[circuited]

Umm... I don't really know either.

Couldn't you tell him not to do it? Since you're a king.

[smallspot]

Why wouldn't you want to come to Saeng Seong? I know you have to leave your family and friends, but Lady Irene says they won't know you are gone and they will send us back to them soon. You get to give and get lots of hugs here! What isn't fun about hugs?

[A bright-eyed though rather small dark-haired child gazes up at Arthur. While he does know a little about kings and lords, for whatever reason it's not hitting him that this person really is one. It's probably because all he's seeing is another child like him.]

On top of that, people carry me around a lot! That lets me see up high and that is a lot of fun too!

[lytelcniht]

[...Honestly, the number of small children showing up is very disarming for the king. Children are the future of a country, and thus are to be valued. She tries to explain as clearly as possible.]

That does sound quite enjoyable for someone your age, doesn't it? However, I have much to attend to-- and as king, I must maintain an image that such behaviour may make quite difficult.

I haven't much time to be so familiar with people.

[smallspot]

But kings and lords have to know their people! If you don't have time for them how can you be a good king?

[Diarmuid tilts his head at Arthur not sure if he believes the other is actually a king. After all, Arthur is still rather young.]

Oh! I get it! You pretending to be king! I am just starting to learn to be a knight, but before that I pretended to be a knight. Right now you are pretending so you know what to do when you become king!

[lytelcniht]

[She seems nearly struck speechless by both statements.]

I-- no! I am-- or well, I will be. For now I am but a lord, but upon my father's word or death, I will be king.

[She kneels, at least. Maybe she can explain better...]

I have already lead my knights in battle a few times. I am familiar with them in the way I am with my people-- touch like that is simply a bit too familiar. It... is improper. [And potentially compromising in the case of identities.]

But you are right-- a knight must know the people he fights for. Are you a squire, then?

[smallspot]

Why is it improper? The more you love your people, the more they will love you! They won't know you love them if you don't show them!

[Diarmuid gives Arthur a confused look.]

My father is a god and he touches people all the time. And he says that my lord will come visit when I am a little older and that he is a good man who touches people too!

[Though claps on the back or the shoulder are a bit different from hugs.]

What is a s-squire? I have never heard that word before.

[heroofjustice]

A king, huh? That's cool. I'm a mercenary. Your Majesty. [Well, he might as well be polite.]

I didn't want to go there either, but it's not so bad.

[Yeah, Kerry's tough, he can deal with it.]

But I don't trust the people in charge. They've got to be up to something.

[Clearly there's some injustice going on, and he will get to the bottom of it!!]

[lytelcniht]

[What a polite child. Arthur seems almost taken aback, but also rather impressed. Still, his language is a bit strange to her.]

A mercenary, you say? You hardly look any older than I can be. [Does he mean to imply he is pretending as the other child did...? She isn't sure what to make of it.]

If the people in charge are endangering their captives in any way, I will have no hesitance in confronting them.

[heroofjustice]

Right. A mercenary. That's my job. [He says this matter-of-factly.] I'm eleven.

[Practically an adult, honestly!]

They're not hurting us, but the fact that they kidnapped us and are using us for energy in the first place is bad enough. Plus, people get sick if they don't want to touch anyone. It isn't right.

[lytelcniht]

[She nods, assuming he must be in training-- but that isn't an unfair assumption. After all, she herself is 16. She can believe he's training for such a job.]

I see. These captors may need aid, but they give you no choice in doing so. Such a deed is most dishonourable. Still, by what magic could one render such a need for touch? Surely its effects cannot be irreversible...

[heroofjustice]

[It's not an unreasonable assumption, and he is in training. Though he's learning on the job, so to speak.]

Exactly! They just take people from anywhere and anytime, and they know what they're doing. It's wrong. Dishonorable, right. It's never okay to kidnap people. And they take a lot of little kids who are scared, or people who really don't want to be there.

[He has strong feelings about injustice.]

I don't know how their magic works. I've gotten sick, but only for a little while. You feel better if you touch someone.

Not that makes it okay. But it could be worse.

I WAS THINKING THOSE ICONS LOOKED LIKE YOUR ART...!!

[onceandfutureknight]

[Excuse the momentary stare, she's a bit caught by nostalgia.

The caught look fades after a moment.]

These Writers tend to care little what our desires are in the end, I fear.

[But she still wonders...] Pray, how old might you be, child?

EHEHEHE I WAS HOPING YOU'D TAG ME...!

[lytelcniht]

It has become quite apparent.

[Arthur almost looks as though she is going to frown-- but catching herself, keeps her expression straight.]

I am no child. I am recently sixteen.

[But she is not so unobservant not to notice how similar Saber looks.]

How is it you speak with a face so like my own?

YES OF COURSE I can only expect this will end sadly.

[onceandfutureknight]

[Her expression breaks with a slight laugh.]

Still such a youth, not only in countenance. [It's not like she's aged much either or anything, so their faces are more or less identical. But something about the other's eyes made her wonder...

Oh right, not everyone has been introduced to the idea of talking to yourself yet.] Ah, that...is actually quite a difficult question to answer, and perhaps even more so to believe. In brief, it is because we are in fact the same, my assumption being that my time is far hence from your own.

[TL;DR, I'm from the ~future~.]

or at the very best, bitter-sweet.

[lytelcniht]

[The same? Arthur's curiosity betrays the seriousness of her face, and her mouth hangs open just slightly.]

You and I? The same? What unearthly spell is this?

--And what garb you wear, of such a strange composition!

That's sad that AT BEST it'll still be kind of ow in the feels. :C

[onceandfutureknight]

It seems to be the nature of this place, from what I can tell. Creatures from all places and times are summoned here, at the behest of their Writers. For what purpose, I can only guess. [For their amusement, is what she speculates, but perhaps it's best not to press that cynicism on one so newly arrived.

How to best explain the clothes? Her expression shifts, slightly melancholy as she remembers just how much has happened since she was that age. Too much.] I suppose the simplest way to explain is that I was summoned to the distant future, by people who had need of my help. This garb is what was given to me to wear, as it is more suited to their normal style of dress. [At least, going by what Irisviel told her.] The future is...very different.

[To say the least, but it's hard to really explain it concisely without ~magical Grail knowledge granting~ powers.]