we can't have amnesiacs: remembrance day is coming up!

[realitymods]

[It isn't a matter of waking up or being put anywhere. The hosts don't give grace periods or ease people from one stage into another. One moment, you don't know who you are. The next, you do. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you remember now.

Of course, you also remember everything you did and saw over the last two weeks. We hope you didn't get too traumatized.]

[That's a lie. We really hope you are.]

[You can return back to your world now if you want. But you may want to have a few conversations before you do.]

[ooc: Octoberplot is officially over. Feel free to backtag and backdate as much as needed. You can use this as a mingle post for miscellaneous aftermath threads if you like, but you are of course welcome to make new posts/logs.]

Comments

[prattish]

[So, things went down that were...disorienting and confusing to say the least. The top of that list is room 806, or what's left of it. It's still charred in places, and Arthur is checking out the debris, turning over items here and there]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana returns to her hall the moment she remembered herself. She knows now why she was so frightened, and she is angry with herself at those fears. Her wrists are almost healed from the burns, but still not wholly. But she knows she has to speak to her king.]

[Morgana stops at the stairs of the hallway on seeing him.]

Arthur?

[She hates to speak so softly.]

[prattish]

[he thinks he hears something, but doesn't piece together that it's Morgana, the voice is so soft. He does turn around though, to see who it is. He relaxes when he sees it's Morgana. He keeps his distance though, out of both respect and uncertainty.]

Morgana. You've returned to yourself?

[he stops himself from cringing at the phrasing, but he's also not sure there is another way to ask. This is why enchantments are dumb, the awkward morning after]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

I... remember everything now.

[She approaches him and stops before her room. She certainly wrecked it.] I'm sorry for how I acted.

[She glances at him, a little cautiously.] Tauren's sword. You recognized it too, didn't you?

[prattish]

[he steps out of the room, meeting her halfway] Don't apologize. It's the work of this place.

[he hesitates before he finally nods] I was unsure why at the time, but - [he looks at a spot beyond Morgana for a second, before returning his attention to her] but I understand now. It just shows the cruelty of this place, that someone would leave that in your rooms for you to find.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana looks away. Her eyes shut. She knows Arthur has misunderstood her distress. He must think that it is the same as his own. She hates that she is not as good as he thinks her to be.]

[She finally looks up.] Arthur... I will leave the country, if that's what you wish. We can fake my death. You will be free to make another match, one that stabilizes the kingdom--Mithian of Nemeth would match you well, and I have only heard good of her.

[prattish]

[Arthur stares at her dumbfounded, because...what?]

What in the world are you talking about? Why --- what?

[ex_oneiromancer912]

You spoke of wandering Druid communities. You're right. The Queen can't break the country's own laws. I will leave to a land that will accept my magic. I am sorry I lied to you for so long.

[prattish]

You're talking nonsense. There's no reason for you to do anything. Whatever happened was an effect of this place, the same thing that was responsible for us forgetting ourselves. Nothing more.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She's incredulous now, so much that she doesn't take the escape out of this he just offered her.] Arthur, you saw me use magic. It hasn't left me. It has never left me.

[prattish]

I saw you use magic while under whatever enchantment this place had cast on us. We were not ourselves. No one was.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

We were ourselves, perhaps even truer versions for all that we did not know about ourselves. Look. [Her eyes glow gold, and a flame appears in her hand. She twists her palm to make it disappear.] I was born with magic. I haven't had nightmares all these years; I have had visions. I dream the future. I dreamed what these hosts did to us, a month before they did it. And when my room caught fire those years ago, that was my magic gone out of control.

Arthur Pendragon, your queen is a witch.

[She should lie, or hide, or go with Arthur's belief, but she is so sick of hiding this, so sick of the guilt of lying to him, she is so tired and it had taken so much to talk of it that now it seems imperative that he believes her though no one has.]

[prattish]

[he stares in disbelief, his mouth open in a very unbecoming way, before he shuts it and watches her]

The nightmares...so you have known this since we were children?

[ex_oneiromancer912]

I didn't know until a year or so ago. That is... I think a part of me always knew, but I didn't want to believe it. [She didn't want to feel that alone and that scared, so she tried to pretend. But it would not be denied.] It grew too dangerous to lie to myself about it. People here on the Plane have helped me learn how to use it safely and control it.

[prattish]

Gaius was around before, he practiced before. We'll talk to him. [because, dude, Arthur needs a grown-up right now as he's not sure what to do with this information]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

Talk to him about what, Arthur? I warn you, I will leave willingly and without argument, but I won't submit to execution.

[prattish]

[quieter than usual] Why would -- [he looks beyond her again before looking at her. he clears his throat, and his volume is where it's usually at, his tone more official than anything else] -- you said you needed help with safety and control. We have known Gaius our entire lives, and I do not trust the people here.

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She speaks with insistent earnestness, almost beyond fear now. It is too late to look back.] I do trust these people, and they have helped me more than Gaius's potions ever did. Gaius is not a sorcerer. He can't help me learn to use my magic. The people of the Plane have done that, and more. They've made me feel accepted for my gifts. Gaius can't.

[prattish]

But he may still know people.

[he feels weak and at a loss, not sure what to do or say]

Does Guinevere know? Does anyone know? And anyone does not mean the people from this place. [there is a hint of anger and resentment in the last sentence]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana's eyes widen as she realizes she may have put Gwen in danger as well.] I made Gwen swear not to tell you. You can't hold her to account for it, she was only protecting me. Merlin wouldn't have told anyone if it were you.

[prattish]

[a long pause. When he speaks, his voice is detached and official]

Neither you nor Guinevere need to worry about banishment, imprisonment, execution, or any other punishment you fear from me.

Now, you will have to excuse me as I have affairs at home to attend to. You can return whenever you see fit.

[and with that he drops from the Plane and back to Camelot]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[Morgana is left staring, aghast at being left so quickly. She instantly follows after, grabbing him in one of Camelot's halls by the arm.] That's it? Arthur, I'm--[She looks around, paranoid even now, and yanks him along into a private room. She shuts the heavy wooden door.] Arthur, I have broken the law. The penalty for practicing sorcery is execution. You can't leave it like that.

[prattish]

I was under the impression I was the king. I can do anything I like.

[he sighs, sounding bored and as if he is giving in to a small child] If you really wish to have a trial, we can do that and I will publicly pardon you. I'm afraid that if you have some sort of death wish, you'll have to indulge that another way. Otherwise, there is nothing left to discuss.

[he detaches himself from her and moves to get out of the room]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She doesn't let him go, grabbing his arm again.] You can't do that, Arthur. You can't have one law for me and one for everyone else. If magic is to be outlawed, then I must be punished as well. If I am to be free, then so must all who have the gifts I do.

[Morgana doesn't know what has made her so bold, but she knows what is right. It isn't right that she be spared when others are not.]

You have been a just and fair king in all things but this. Do not let it be fear of magic, of me, be what ruins your goodness.

[prattish]

[he tries to remove her hand again, not to leave the room, but just to get her off of him]

You've known this since before we married, before you became queen?

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[She does release him, but he better not try for that door.] No, it was perhaps half a year after our marriage that I was sure.

[prattish]

It's clear you lived in fear for a very long time, and I am truly sorry for that.

I'll take into consideration lifting the ban on magic, and will discuss with my advisers. Is there anything else?

[ex_oneiromancer912]

No, no there isn't anything else. [She isn't sure how she feels. Relieved, maybe? She almost wants to cry.]

[Morgana leans up and kisses Arthur on the cheek.] Thank you, Arthur. Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me.

[prattish]

[he gives her a tight smile] There is no need for thanks yet. It's only being discussed. But I will do my best to push it forward. For the stability of our kingdom if nothing else.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to get to.

[and he will be stepping around her to get out now]

[ex_oneiromancer912]

[So overwhelmed as to be oblivious to Arthur's own emotions, she nods and moves away so that he can leave. She does feel like crying, and she doesn't want Arthur to see.]

[prattish]

[and he leaves Morgana to it, closing the door behind him as he goes to do his work of the day.]