![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yumemory
Raws: Lucii1122, thank you!
Card Story: The Feelings Brought About by Words (Oz, Akira)
Card Episode: One Day in the Lounge (Shylock, Akira)
The Feelings Brought About by Words: Chapter 1
[Location: Oz’s castle, dusk]
Akira: Ah! I found it, Oz!
Oz: I see.
Oz took me to his castle in the North upon my request…
Because I noticed that I had lost the small memo pad I brought with me in place of the larger Sage’s Guide.
Akira: I’m glad… This memo is really important, so thank you, Oz.
Akira: (So I did drop it in his castle. I knew I was writing something down here, but that’s about as far as I can remember.)
Oz: If it’s important, be sure to take precautions to prevent yourself from easily misplacing it.
Akira: I will. Thank you very much.
I looked around the room, reminiscing the last time I visited this castle.
Akira: ………
Oz: Do you have anything else to look for.
Akira: N-No. I was just remembering the time we read Arthur’s plant encyclopedia and we watched the aurora from the balcony….
Oz: …Is that so.
Akira: Um…. Oz, can I write about this castle on your page in the Sage’s Guide?
Oz: For what purpose.
Akira: Of course I won’t force you to agree! But… I just think that this castle feels so much like you.
Oz: …Sage. I do not understand what you’re trying to say.
Akira: Ahaha… Sorry, I guess that was a little weird.
Oz: …Do not write about this place. It would cause trouble if the Northern wizards were to find it.
Oz: But if you hold interest in this castle, then I shall show you around.
[Location: Oz’s castle hallway, dusk]
Oz and I walked around the castle. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but the solemn construction never failed to take my breath away every time I laid my eyes on it.
Akira: You built this castle with magic, right, Oz? Did you decide on the placement and shape of these windows, too?
Oz: I did.
Akira: That’s amazing! I can see how you paid attention to the details.
Oz: I simply adjusted the windows’ placement and shape for the purpose of having natural lighting, that’s all.
Akira: But still, I think it’s amazing that you built this whole castle from scratch.
Akira: Oh, are you actually into architecture?
Oz: …Architecture?
Akira: (H-He’s mulling it over…. Maybe it didn’t ring a bell for him, since I asked so suddenly.)
Oz: ………
Akira: (I-I feel like I’m just bothering him. I should talk about something else….)
Akira: Um, then do you mind telling me about your favorite place in this castle?
The Feelings Brought About by Words: Chapter 2
[Location: Oz’s castle hallway, dusk]
Oz: I will not go so far as to call it my favorite, but I often spent half of my day in that room we were in earlier.
Akira: I see… It must be soothing to relax in a place that you like.
Akira: Did you spend most of your time with Arthur there, back when he was still living here?
Oz: I did, though I could not spend as much time there in those days.
Akira: That’s… Is it because Arthur was unruly?
Oz: Indeed. He often invited me to play hide and seek….
Oz: In which we agreed not to use magic.
Oz: I did use it, at first. But that resulted in the game ending too soon, so he asked that I refrain from doing so.
Akira: Considering your magical power, I can see how you’d find Arthur in a second. But it must have been quite troublesome to find him in this huge castle.
Oz: Whenever we played hide and seek, I would walk around my castle in search of him.
Oz: …And during those moments, I realized.
Oz: Exactly how massive, and expansive, this castle I built myself is.
[Location: Oz’s castle, night]
Akira: Thank you for showing me around, Oz. I’m happy to hear your stories.
Akira: I didn’t even notice that the sun already set…
Oz: There are a lot of rooms without windows in this castle. It makes it hard to tell the progression of time.
Oz: I told Snow and White that I was to return to my castle today. It should not be a problem even if we postpone our return.
I sat on one of the chairs, and a tea set floated its way towards me, serving me a cup of tea.
Akira: Thank you very much.
Oz: It’s nothing….
Oz’s gaze was fixed on the fireplace, and we both listened to the relaxing sound of the crackling fire as it rang throughout the room.
Akira: (...This castle is really just like Oz.)
People knew Oz as the world’s strongest wizard. Standing stalwart over the North, his castle must have been an embodiment of fear itself.
But if one were to peek inside, they would find a room with a fireplace that radiates warmth. That’s what Oz is like to me.
Akira: When… When I first met you, I thought you were scary.
Oz: ……
Akira: But through the time that we spent together in the Wizards’ Manor, I discovered your kindness… And I noticed that you’re much more than just a scary wizard.
Akira: I’m happy that I got to learn about your castle and your favorite things. Thank you so much, Oz!
The Feelings Brought About by Words: Chapter 3
[Location: Oz’s castle, dawn]
Akira: Nn… Huh…?
Akira: (...I fell asleep in the middle of our conversation.)
Akira: (I wonder where Oz is…?)
[Location: Oz’s balcony, dawn]
I found Oz standing on the balcony, and he slowly turned around when I called out to him.
Oz: You're awake.
Akira: …!
I gulped at the sight of the man in front of me.
Oz was standing with his back facing the rising sun. That very view was intimidating, beautiful, and majestic all at the same time.
And all around him, the diamond dust1 in the air sparkled like stars.
Oz: What is it, Sage.
Akira: G-Good morning, Oz. Are you watching the diamond dust?
Oz: I am.
Akira: The diamond dust here creates a wonderful view. I understand why you like it.
Oz: ………
Akira: …Oz?
Oz: …Before you asked, I had never sat down and thought about what I am fond of, or what I loathe.
Oz: The diamond dust is but a part of my mana area, and this castle is but a place to reside in. Those things were never anything more than that.
Oz, smiling: …But, perhaps, I’m more fond of them than I thought.
Akira: …Huh?
Oz: You ask me about things that have never once crossed my mind. If it weren’t for your inquiries, I would have continued living my life without realizing them.
Akira: So… Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Oz: I cannot tell you. But it wasn’t unpleasant.
The diamond dust dispersed with the reflection of the morning sun. Soon after, we were greeted by the breaking dawn and a sky as clear as day.
Taking the bright sky as our cue, Oz held up his magical staff.
Oz: Let us return.
Oz: …Sage. Why are you laughing.
Akira: …Ahaha. I’m sorry, I think I’m just… happy to hear you say all that.
Oz: …You’re very strange.
Oz sighed in exasperation as the words fell from his lips. But even so, the sound of it made me happy.
[1] A weather phenomenon that occurs in very low temperature, where a cloud of tiny ice crystals forms near the ground. Read here for more.
Card Episode: One Day in the Lounge
[Location: Dining hall, evening]
Akira: Oz, you have a fireplace both in your room here and in your castle in the North. What’s your opinion about the fireplace in the manor’s lounge?
Oz: Opinion on what, specifically.
Akira: Uhh, like how comfortable it is…?
Oz: A fireplace does not automatically make a place more pleasant. That room is loud and crowded.
Akira: (Well, yeah, Oz doesn’t really like noisy places…)
Akira: But I saw you sitting in front of the lounge’s fireplace yesterday, though?
Oz: That is only because the Central wizards told me that Riquet was going to read a book aloud and that I should wait there.
Oz: I declined, but they listened not, and they disappeared immediately after…
Akira: I see, so that’s why you were there…
Oz: Not long after, Mithra came along and ruined the atmosphere.
Akira: (Ahh…)
Akira: So did you two fight in the lounge?
Oz: I am not violent as he is. I teleported him to the North. When I did, Murr and Shino came by and started a conversation with me.
Akira: And so you couldn’t relax…
Oz: The fireplace in my castle provides serenity to my heart more than the one in the lounge.
Oz: …However, I don’t think the one I have in my room is anything displeasing.
Akira: (So in general, fireplaces are comforting to him…)
Akira: I’m glad to know that there’s a place in the manor that can give you comfort, Oz.
Special Home Screen Line
Oz: We wizards live for eons, and you will be gone within a blink of our eyes. A day will come where we forget your name, and even that voice with which you call our names. …Regardless, whether you can carve a change in our hearts or not is up to you, Sage.
TL: yumemory | Proofread: Alle
