Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Apr 24, 2010 12:55:37 GMT -8
While Edith was being introduced to Archimedes, the old wizard was clearing the table, and making room for his guests. He listened to the conversation, and stopped what he was doing to look back to the young woman, after her comment regarding Archimedes. "Of course he has the ability to speak!" He then playfully leered to his feathered companion. "He's a highly educated owl, you know." Following that, he returned his focus to the table and finished preparing it for the two sisters.
"You may sit, if you'd like," he suggested politely to Edith. "I'll fetch the tea." He turned, stepped to his (antiquated) stove, and started to prepare a batch of tea, without the aid of magic.
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Post by moroboshi on Apr 29, 2010 18:18:50 GMT -8
"That's very kind of you," Edith said to Merlin.
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Archimedes
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Highly Educated Owl
"Pinfeathers and gullyfluff!"
Posts: 56
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Post by Archimedes on Apr 30, 2010 11:22:30 GMT -8
With a sigh, Archimedes just lightly rolled his eyes at Edith's astonishment. He may or may not have had any concept of just how rarely one meets a talking owl, but the reaction always did miff him as he received it every time he introduced himself.
Shooting an annoyed glance at Merlin, the owl quietly hooted to himself as he got comfortable within his small birdhouse. He briefly looked outside to see Merlin preparing tea, and smirked, thankful to see the old man actually doing something the way it was supposed to, without magic. The self-serving tea cups got rather ridiculous fast.
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on May 3, 2010 20:41:20 GMT -8
During the process of preparing tea, the old wizard (while under the watchful eye of Archimedes) looked behind him, to the sisters. When he was confident that he wasn't being watched by siblings, he returned his focus to the kettle. He leaned forward, brought his cupped right hand between his lips and the kettle, and whispered the words to a magic spell, which hastily boiled the water within the kettle, and therefore hurried the process altogether. Merlin hadn't realized that the owl was watching him, and therefore had likely seen Merlin's 'cheat.'
"All right, now!" the wizard exclaimed. He had straightened himself, and prepared to move the kettle to the table. "It shouldn't be long now," he said back to the sisters.
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Archimedes
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Highly Educated Owl
"Pinfeathers and gullyfluff!"
Posts: 56
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Post by Archimedes on May 12, 2010 16:10:50 GMT -8
Archimedes' grin almost immediately reverted to a scowl of disappointment, as he watched his companion from his birdhouse. The owl made an audible sigh of exasperation, shaking his head and bringing a wing to his face. Doing something as a normal human being would was just too much to expect from Merlin, apparently.
No use making a fuss about it though, for now, he thought. He just continued to sit there and watch the trio interact.
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Alice
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Genus Humanus Alice
"But, you see, Mr. Caterpillar said..."
Posts: 1,170
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Post by Alice on May 16, 2010 16:00:03 GMT -8
Alice covered her mouth, closed her eyes, turned her head and giggled softly when Archimedes reacted. Although the owl was perpetually cranky and often ill-humored, there was an undeniable charm to him. Alice didn't quite know what that charm was, but nevertheless she always enjoyed the company of Archimedes, as much as the company of Merlin.
After Archimedes was introduced, Alice cleared her throat and looked to Merlin. After he offered tea, she nodded happily, and stepped to the wizard's tea table. She pulled back a guest chair (not Merlin's), and gestured for Edith to sit on it. "Here, Edith," she politely said.
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Post by moroboshi on May 18, 2010 10:49:33 GMT -8
"Thank you, Alice," Edith said, as she sat down.
Then Edith thought back to the mouse that had kicked her out of the small hole in the wall.
"Merlin," she said, "I should probably inform you that there is a mouse living in your home."
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on May 24, 2010 23:01:15 GMT -8
Merlin rested the kettle on the table. His index finger slipped and touched a particularly hot spot of the kettle. He clenched his eyes shut, released the kettle once it was on the table, and repeatedly shook his burned finger in the air for a moment. "Ow!" he exclaimed. When the pain subsided, he opened his eyes, turned, and stepped to retrieve the tea cups and sugar jar. As he prepared, he clearly heard Edith's caution. He didn't look to her, but he responded.
"Oh, a mouse?" he repeated. "I'll see if I can trap him, and release him outside." Shortly after this response, he chortled meerily and looked to Archimedes with a playful smile. "Or the mouse could be Archimedes's meal later tonight! Ha!" The wizard continued to smile as he began placing the appropriate items onto the table.
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Alice
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Genus Humanus Alice
"But, you see, Mr. Caterpillar said..."
Posts: 1,170
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Post by Alice on May 24, 2010 23:12:37 GMT -8
Alice flashed a polite smile to Edith as the older sibling sat on the chair. "You're welcome, Edith," she replied. She released her grip and stepped away from the chair, to find a seat of her own. She moved her large skirt so she could comfortably and daintily sit down at the chair. After she sat, she listened to Edith and Merlin's conversation about the mouse. Without thinking, Alice nodded and said aloud, "Yes, Merlin. Edith and I saw the mouse when--"
Her eyes widened, and she tightly pressed her right palm against her mouth, as if to force back the rest of that sentence down her throat. Still covering her mouth, Alice looked deeply apologetic to Edith. But instead of allowing herself to remain suspicious, the girl uncovered her mouth, pressed her palms against the table's surface, cleared her throat, and spoke directly to Archimedes, from her chair.
"Mr. Archimedes," she said, "you wouldn't kill that poor mouse, would you?" Alice's blue eyes were locked onto Archimedes, and her red lips pressed together. She was concerned about the mouse's well-being, but she was also trying to change the subject as quickly and undetected as possible.
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Archimedes
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Highly Educated Owl
"Pinfeathers and gullyfluff!"
Posts: 56
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Post by Archimedes on May 25, 2010 18:09:29 GMT -8
The moment the word 'mouse' was uttered, Archimedes jerked his head up, suddenly very attentive to the conversation going on below. His wide yellow eyes, now bright and alert, gazed down at the trio as they spoke of the hidden rodent. When Merlin joked about letting Archimedes have the mouse and looked at him, the owl tried shrugging it off by just looking away and clearing his throat, trying to keep his cool in front of Alice and her sister... but he really was curious about that mouse's whereabouts, now.
Archimedes hadn't even noticed Alice's nervous demeanor as she almost made a slip of the tongue. When she suddenly spoke to him, however, he flinched a little, rather taken aback. What a dilemma... having known that eating the mouse would upset Alice so much made it near impossible for him to get himself to do so, now.
"Erm, well..." he stammered and awkwardly cleared his throat again, struggling to come to terms with his carnal desire for rodent flesh. He just couldn't deny innocent young Alice such a request. "I... you have my word that I won't lay a talon on that mouse, Alice," he finally managed to force himself to say, closing his eyes and standing astutely on his perch, like a knight swearing duty to his mistress.
Oh, how it pained him to say that, though...
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Alice
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Genus Humanus Alice
"But, you see, Mr. Caterpillar said..."
Posts: 1,170
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Post by Alice on May 25, 2010 20:56:55 GMT -8
Alice felt slightly guilty for putting Archimedes on the spot the way she did. "Oh, dear," she said in a downcast tone. "I'm sorry, Archimedes. I didn't mean..." She tried to think of an excuse for speaking to Archimedes that way, and she managed to snatch one idea. "It's just that the poor mouse probably has a family. What if he were killed, and his family was left alone? I wouldn't want to think of that, Archimedes," she explained with her collected voice. She looked to her older sister and asked her, "Do you agree, Edith?"
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Post by moroboshi on May 27, 2010 11:20:48 GMT -8
Despite being frustrated at the mouse for booting her out of the hole earlier, Edith did not want to upset her sister and take revenge on the mouse.
"I agree," Edith said.
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Jun 13, 2010 22:11:50 GMT -8
Merlin didn't catch Alice's near slip of the tongue. He did, however, listen to Alice, Archimedes, and Edith as he made the final preparations. He was seating himself when he started to laugh. "Hah! Hah-hah!" The mouth behind his thick beard grinned to Archimedes. "Alright, now!" he said, changing the subject. He looked to Edith and he locked his aged fingers together, resting them on his beard. "Would you care for some sugar?"
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Post by moroboshi on Jun 14, 2010 23:28:34 GMT -8
"I'd be delighted," replied Edith.
Edith calmly smoothed her dress out and spread a napkin across her lap. She was relieved that Alice didn't accidentally reveal to Merlin what happened while he was gone. She began to feel confident that Merlin would never find out about her misadventure.
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Jun 20, 2010 17:20:47 GMT -8
Merlin glanced at the dormant sugar bowl, and clapped his hands together twice. "Sugar! You heard her, Sugar!"
The sugar bowl was animated by magic. Its handles served as arms and hands, as the sugar bowl picked up a spoon and held it like a noble guard with a musket. The animated object hopped three times to make his way to Edith. The sugar bowl made appropriate noises every time it made contact with the table's surface. Once the enchanted object was at Edith's cup, it opened its lid with one handle, and with its other began to load sugar into Edith's cup, just as it was ordered.
"Say when, dear," Merlin said to Edith, directing her to tell the sugar bowl when she had a sufficient amount of sugar. Secretly, Merlin was genuinely surprised that the sugar bowl tended to the guest first.
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Post by moroboshi on Jun 22, 2010 9:05:04 GMT -8
Edith giggled slightly at the sight of the moving sugar bowl.
"That will be all," she said to the sugar bowl.
Upon hearing Edith's words, the sugar bowl stopped filling Edith's cup with sugar and scurried back to the center of table.
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Jun 25, 2010 19:23:43 GMT -8
Merlin chose not to have any sugar for his tea. He took his time to sip from his cup, and rested it on the table again when he was satisfied. "My dear, have you had any schooling?" he asked Edith. If Merlin were one to make judgments based on appearances, he'd wager that Edith was more educated than Alice. That would make sense.
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Post by moroboshi on Jun 26, 2010 11:43:42 GMT -8
"Why, yes," Edith replied. "I have extensive knowledge of England's history, and I am capable of speaking French."
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Alice
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Genus Humanus Alice
"But, you see, Mr. Caterpillar said..."
Posts: 1,170
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Post by Alice on Jun 27, 2010 22:15:10 GMT -8
Alice had watched her sister talk to Merlin. She was happy that the two were already forming good terms. But Alice was so distracted that she didn't notice that Merlin's enchanted sugar bowl had made its way to Alice's tea cup, and began to pile on sugar incessantly. It wasn't until thirty or so seconds later that Alice decided to drink her tea. Without looking, she tightened her grip on the handle and brought the tea cup to her lips as she watched Edith and Merlin. She looked down to the cup when it was too late; a large pile of sugar pressed against her face, and she gasped lightly.
"Goodness!" she exclaimed when she realized her mistake. She didn't notice the sugar bowl, and let him know when to stop. The lower half of her face was practically smothered with sugar, and there was a ring of sugar from where Alice's cup was rested.
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Post by moroboshi on Jul 6, 2010 9:34:31 GMT -8
Edith giggled slightly at Alice's accident. She then turned her attention to Merlin.
"How long have you been living in these woods?" Edith asked the old wizard.
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Alice
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Genus Humanus Alice
"But, you see, Mr. Caterpillar said..."
Posts: 1,170
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Post by Alice on Jul 22, 2010 0:59:33 GMT -8
Alice cleaned her face with her baby blue handkerchief and laughed at herself. She probably would have been embarrassed if she were in front of her parents, but Edith and Merlin were far more understanding. Alice tapped the sugar bowl with an index finger and smiled playfully.
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Post by moroboshi on Jul 22, 2010 7:48:26 GMT -8
"What sort of lessons do you teach, Merlin?" Edith asked.
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Jul 22, 2010 15:05:20 GMT -8
After seeing Alice's accident, Merlin held back a laugh but he pointed and scolded the sugar bowl. "Pay attention next time, sugar bowl!"
Afterward, the wizard answered Edith's questions. "Archimedes and I have lived in these woods for years," Merlin replied. "My magic is used mostly for education purposes. And that is why if you wish to improve your learning, you could accompany Alice when she visits me, from now on. I don't mind." He mischievously leered to Archimedes. "And Archimedes wouldn't mind, either! Heh!"
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Archimedes
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
Highly Educated Owl
"Pinfeathers and gullyfluff!"
Posts: 56
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Post by Archimedes on Jul 23, 2010 14:46:45 GMT -8
"Who? Huh? What what?" the owl muttered in response to Merlin, just as he was beginning to drift away from the humans' conversation. Cocking a grouchy eyebrow at Merlin (just what was that buffoon insinuating?!), his eyes briefly darted down to Edith. "Well, er, I suppose not... she is Alice's family, after all." Archimedes spoke with sincerity, but made sure to stay aloof about it all, only passing brief glances from his perch towards Edith.
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Post by moroboshi on Jul 29, 2010 10:44:03 GMT -8
"Very well," said Edith. "I think I will become your new pupil."
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Merlin
Fantasmic Kingdom Member
The World's Most Powerful Wizard
?There! You see? I'm an ugly, horrible, grouchy old man!?
Posts: 412
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Post by Merlin on Jul 29, 2010 14:04:53 GMT -8
"Well, then!" Merlin happily exclaimed as he raised his tea cup. "Very well! From now on, you can learn with your sister." She smiled warmly to the sisters, before taking another drink from his cup. THE END
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