eachdraidh | 1: Video (Seelie)

[ Kevin Regnard is seated at a desk. Several books are open before him: thick volumes with heavy vellum pages intricately decorated with illuminated lettering. It’s darker in this part of the library, the Restricted Section, to preserve the ancient tomes. Fairies float about in the air, lending their light; Kevin would be more grateful for this, except they keep making off with his quills. He has been taking careful notes, and has already covered over a stack of parchment papers with his cramped handwriting.

His face, when he looks into the locket, has that pinched look of too much reading, and his shoulders are raised and stiff; clearly he hasn’t moved from this spot for hours. His expression is dubious, conflicted. He glances away from the locket almost as soon as he activates it, as if he were going to shut it off again without saying anything.

But finally: ]

My lords and ladies. Gentlemen; gentlewomen. I am given to understand that any skill we learn here, we might bring back to our lands after this war is won. Thus I… I beg your assistance. If there is any among you with knowledge of magical healing…

[ Now he looks up. His single red eye bores into the locket, burning like hellfire. ]

I wish to learn how to raise the dead.

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[This is Complicated, to say the least. Where she comes from, that could mean any number of things, and not all of them happen out of grief.

But, she's never been one to assume the worst of people, and he hardly seems like he's asking because of some sort of power trip. Then again, the wizards didn't seem that way, either. Appearances can be so deceiving.

...

In the end, her voice is very kind and nothing else, yet.]

I'm sorry, if you mean for people, this is not anything I can do, but I would ask why, if I may.

[ Ever since arriving in this golden, fairy-lit land, he has had the sensation that he does not belong here. It's a strange thought: to "not belong" to a place, when one had been forcibly kidnapped. Yet everyone here seems to have a light within them; whereas he feels in his heart, by turns, uncertainty, hope, guilt, and bleak despair.

This lady seems light to him, even through the medium of the locket. ]

I —

Because —

[ How to even explain? How dark he feels. ]

I may not need it. It may not be... necessary. But I must be prepared for every eventuality. I was careless before. I won't ever be, again.

[Some things can be helped, but some things must be laid to rest, but she doesn't know which this is.

She might be able to understand, either way, but what right does she have to ask to know for sure? She doesn't.

Her voice maintains is kindness, and while she tries not to overstep, she doesn't hesitate with her words, either even if she does her best to be gentle with their delivery. What she has to say may not be what he wants to hear, but he should hear it, and she wants him to listen.]

Where I come from, sometimes death can be...a little complicated, because of magic, but at others, it isn't, even if that doesn't make things any better. I'm sorry, but might not find what you're looking for.

[ "I'm sorry." He'd heard that after they all died. Murmurs at the funeral, in the street. And then everyone melted away. The intensity of his suffering was too deep. And nobody wanted any association with a family who had all perished in such a violent way.

Empty words. So much so that when Albus whispered to him that he might be able to change fate, he'd leapt at the chance without a second thought.

It's enough to make him furious. ]

You are not. You are not sorry. You have no idea. None at all!

[She starts a little at the fury, not having expected it, but she's hardly surprised either.

She knows this anger, not from herself, but from someone else, and it's in knowing that that she's able to regain her composure with a sad calm.]

You're right, I don't. I don't know what happened to you, and I won't ask you to talk about if you don't want to. But you want to know this for a reason, you believe yourself responsible, and you're hurting. I am sorry for all that, and I want to help you if I can, but I don't want to give you false hope, either. I've seen what happens when it's lost.

[In her case, an actual hope, one that was quite literally stolen away.]

[ He inhales through his nostrils; and then lets it out again. Breathe. He's still angry; but it's unknightly to shout at a lady. Still, his voice is cold when he asks: ]

If you sincerely wish to help, then tell me what you know on the subject. On raising the dead.

[ And then, because it's important that she know this: ]

Don't worry about upsetting me. You won't.

[ He is totally not rash, high-strung and emotional, okay???? ]

[Yeah he seems like he's in an A+ mental state no worries here!!! 8D

Not. B(

But she does sincerely wish to help--getting him off this course, that is.]

I know that you shouldn't do it. There were three witches who had stolen a power and raised the dead with it, but they were changed into monsters of rot and darkness that only wanted to destroy everything that was in their path. They weren't human at all.

[That was a fun year.]

If someone was killed with a curse and turned into ghost or a spirit, something might be able to be done about that, but that is only if magic was involved, and breaking it might mean that they'll pass on, if it can be broken at all. If there wasn't any, well....

[Well, there's the Dark Gift, but to be honest, she's debating very heavily on telling him that. She might, but that's something else all together.]

But nothing good comes of it or trying to, especially if there is more than one person you want to raise.

[ Zeroing in on the important parts of all that: ]

So what you are saying is... it's dangerous, but possible. How?

1: Video (Seelie)

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oh my god beren i'm so sorry i thought this went through on that one day!!

No worries!

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