"Partner, are you really sure this is a good idea?" Yosuke whispered, edging just a bit closer to Souji, and away from the questionable contents that filled almost every inch of the little cottage. Everywhere Souji looked, there were strange things; jars full of eyes, lizard skulls all set in rows or hiding behind little bowls of teeth, feathers and dried flowers and herbs hanging from the ceiling and on walls, locks of hair dangling off table tops, little cloth and straw dolls in little wooden coffins, and vines and roots overtaking the floor, headless of the bitter winter outside. It felt like a place you could search forever, for anything, and one day you'd find it, after rummaging around, and displacing everything else. There was a chaos to it, the smells of incense, coffee, and blooming flowers, and the sound of the ocean's waves somehow lapping around the room. It was chaos, but a lived in, warm sort of place, that defied the cold outside, and the definition of space. A fire burned in the hearth, it's flames suspiciously normal in such a strange setting. Beside the fireplace, laid a white dog. It's red eyes glistened in the firelight, as it looked over at them inquisitively, but it did not get up from the pillow where it lay.
Next to him, Souji could feel Yosuke huddling closer, and could almost hear his partner mutter about their situation, his tone both condemning, and meant to encourage not only Souji, but Yosuke as well. Souji thought idly that perhaps he should have asked Yukiko to come instead. Knowing her, she might have liked this place. It was strange, and at the same time, felt otherworldly. In some strange way that Souji could not explain, this small, endless little cottage, seemed like it's own little world, made up of this and that, of odds and ends of any variety, all clumped together and stacked atop each other and bound in yellowing tomes made of once proud trees. It was a strange, unsettling place, but Souji liked it. He thought, that perhaps, if he was to ever stop, if he ever became lost, that perhaps this place would be good for finding himself again, among the clutter, the death and life, the varying smells and sounds and the undeniable warmth.
There were only two being inside of the cottage -if one did not count the plants that seemed to adore the place, and the occasional chirp of a cricket, or croak of a toad, both of which likely gained shelter in the warmth of the cottage- and those were the dog, and the magician.
The man was sitting in a corner, a blue blanket draped over his shoulders, which was made out of the same material as dog's pillow. He was curled around a book, dark hair listing to one side of his face, but Souji could not tell if it was because the man's head was tilted, or if it naturally did that. The man's delicate features remained impassive, his eyes moving slowly across a page, his thin lips sometimes parting to shape around sounds that did not come, or whispers Souji could not hear. All around the magician, were towers of books, and it looked like the man had unintentionally created himself a fort out of the tomes, stacking them around him as he went, till there was only a small entrance, and his head poking from the tops of the book towers. From what Souji could see, the books were on any subject he could imagine, and some in languages Souji didn't know. There did seem to be some sort of order to how they were stacked, until he would catch one that didn't fit with the others, and then it was not as apparent how they went together any more.
"Should we come back." Whispered Yosuke, his voice wavering, and the question more aimed at himself than Souji. Yosuke gripped the back of Souji's sleeve, in something of a silent question but Souji could not take his eye off of the man in the corner, his long fingers turning another page in the book he was reading. The magician did not seem to notice them, even though behind Souji's back, Yosuke kept muttering about 'dumb bears' and 'are those human teeth in that bowl' and 'those are dried animal guts, aren't they' over and over like a mantra. Despite Yosuke's concerns, it was hard for Souji to find this place uninviting, or dangerous. It felt safe, and the man curled in his book fort, was perhaps the most fascinating relic in the cottage, though why, Souji could not say.
One single bark split the air in the room, and every sound stopped, from the sound of the sea, to the crickets and frogs, to Yosuke's muttering behind him. It was a clearing of the air, and very apparent one. For a moment, Souji himself fell away from the haze that seemed to overtake his brain. They'd come for a reason, and a very good reason at that, one of dire importance. They'd been warned that the answers they sought might not be here, but standing in this place, finally clear headed for a moment, Souji was sure that there would be an answer here.
The next sound, was the soft closing of a book, and the rustling of cloth and movement, as the man in the corner rose to his feet. As only a resident could do, he effortlessly maneuvered around the books, the things and bobbles, and doodads that inhabited the area. It was only then, as he stretched his arms above his head after his lazing, that the mage noticed the two people standing in his cottage. The man's eyes were a deep watery blue, stunning and lucid, and Souji thought that they were certainly pools of great depth, but that there was no danger of drowning in them. The magician's posture settled back into something less strained, his slim shoulders sloping downward, and the book cradled carelessly in the crook of his arm.
It occurred to Souji, that he should explain himself, that there was a good reason he'd barged into this sanctuary, but he could not find the tongue in his mouth, much less make it work. His inability to say the proper thing at the right time often made him come off as stoic, or strong to his companions, but those blue eyes saw through him in an instant, and there was no hiding from them.
Yosuke saved him the trouble. Even cowering behind Souji, his partner could not keep his mouth shut, and words spewed out in quick succession, from 'sorry we barged in' to 'we knocked' to 'we knocked a lot' to 'we came four times in the past two days and knocked' and then finally to 'we really need your help if you don't, ya know, eat people, like us'. It was not eloquently put, because Yosuke was kind and caring but the furthest thing from eloquent. The good part, was that Yosuke did get out what needed saying so that Souji wouldn't have to. If he had come alone, Souji worried that he'd never have been able to speak under the scrutiny of those sharp blue eyes. After Yosuke had stopped, and was holding his breath waiting for the magician to either eat or charm or help them, silence again permeated the room. The man continued to look at them, his gaze blank and unresponsive. When the silence lasted for too long, when it became unbearable to hear such an active place quiet, another bark rang through the cottage, and like a cannon being set off, Yosuke jumped, and started talking again.
"Our friend, he's bound, but he used too much energy, and now he's not, and we need your help, the man in town said you could help, but it's been two days and we don't know if he's even still here, so hurry up and just say something." Souji always wondered which was worse, using too many words, or using too little. He was more inclined to think too little was worse, since it was his own affliction, but sometimes Yosuke challenged his perceptions. Perhaps that's why they worked so well together.
The dog by the fire place wined, and raised his head towards the magician. Without another word, the man discarded the book on one of the many towers of books, and moved towards the dog. As those blue eyes feel away of him once more, Souji felt like he could breathe again, and he found himself out of breath, trying hard not to gasp in air, as if he'd honestly stopped for that short duration.
The magician leaned down, sat by the dog's side and settled his hand on the dog's head, stroking and scratching as the dog panted and closed his eyes in contentment.
"Name."
The voice was so soft, that Souji wasn't sure he'd actually heard it. It sounded so much like sea water retreating from the shore, pulling out of his grasp, and leaving only sand and salt in it's wake, but behind him, Yosuke whispered. "Did you hear what he said?" which was confirmation enough that yes, the magician had spoken to them. Once again, Souji found himself tongue tied. Yosuke, did not have such misgivings, and uttered a very well place "Huh?"
"Name." The magician said again, this time more clearly, but no louder than before. His hand was still on the head of the dog, as it nuzzled into his hand and licked at him. Souji could not help wanting those eyes on him again.
"Oh, uh. I'm Yosuke, and this is Souji, we're on a quest for-" The dog barked again, abruptly cutting off what else Yosuke would have said. It was probably smart for Yosuke to only say their first names. He'd heard rumors, that with full names, magicians could do a lot of damage, so it was the smart thing to do. Even knowing that, if Souji was being honest, he wondered what this little blue mage, holed up in his warm, safe little cottage with stacks of books and eyeballs in jars, would do with his whole name. If he would do anything with Souji's full name, or if it would just be one more little thing inhabiting this comfortable, timeless little place. Souji couldn't tell if that would be bad or not.
"Not your name," the magician said, turning his eyes away from the dog, to lay on them once more, flitting over Yosuke for a second, before landing once again on Souji. Souji's breath caught again, but he didn't show it, and he schooled his face to remain impassive, and steadfast.
"The bound." The mage clarified, his eyes looking over them more closely this time. Souji wasn't sure what the mage was seeing. Which facet this person wanted to see. Often, being around people was easy, because Souji was good at showing them what they wanted. Sometimes, he felt like a mirror, that he absorbed parts of everyone that looked at him, and that they always saw what they were willing, and wanting to see. With those blue eyes on him, Souji felt that perhaps his charade, his mirror metaphors, and his listening ears were all for show. It was unsettling, to feel like someone was looking at him truly, without the well placed words or the right timing, or all the intricate trappings and trimmings that Souji wrapped himself in to make people like him more. There were so few people in his life that ever had looked at him that way. The first time Naoto had looked at him, it had been like this, and sometimes, Yosuke would look over, and see all that there was, but that was it. This magician, this otherworldly man was looking at him, and Souji was afraid of what he could see.
"Teddie," Yosuke said, finally coming out from behind Souji. Maybe Yosuke could tell that it was Souji who wanted to hide behind him. He couldn't tell, but it was nice to have his partner standing next to him, as those blue eyes flitted between the two of them. "His name's Teddie. Sometimes, we call him Ted. He's a bear spirit, and he's our friend." Somehow, Yosuke had found his confidence, and he spoke without wavering, or without fear anymore. Souji felt the opposite, like he needed to run, but that he wanted to stay. It was conflicting, but he stood just as firmly as he ever did, trying not to to bite down too hard on the inside of his lip. "We need to know where he is, and if he's okay."
A small puff of air escaped the magician's nose, as he focused back down on to the dog, petting the animal's neck, as it crawled into his lap, and reached up to lick at his chin. The animal whined once, and then poked it's wet nose against the magician's ear. For a second, the mage shifted, trying to keep the dog's cold nose away from his ear, before shaking his head, his dark hair splaying around him for a moment before settling again. "He's here." The magician looked up at Souji again. "The Star. Your Star. He's here."
Yosuke looked between Souji and the magician for a moment, confusion on his face, before turning back to the mage. "Teddie?"
The man nodded once. "He's weak, the bound vessel is too much for him. In a month he'll recover, but he might passing on if completely unbound." The magician looked in a different direction, at perhaps something outside his window, or something sprawled upon his haphazard tables, before returning squarely to Souji. "Do you want him to pass?"
The dog barked again, but Souji hardly heard it. They'd known this would happen one day, just as Souji knew that one day, he, and everyone he loved would die. Teddie would have to pass on eventually. They'd all been afraid it would be now, but for Teddie, would that be so bad? Souji didn't know. The selfish answer was to keep his friend here, and away for his next life, but that really was 'unbearably' selfish, as Teddie himself would put it.
As if noticing his conflict, the mage's voice washed over him in a warm, comforting way."He wants to come back." Souji managed to look back over at the magician, and those blue eyes were no longer unnerving. "He doesn't like being alone." The magician mentioned, almost offhandedly, his hand still rhythmically petting the dog in his lap.
"Then that's enough for us." Yosuke answered, smiling over at Souji, and being characteristically reassuring, before looking back at the magician. "We want him back too. Can you help us?"
A large yawn split the magician's face, his whole head rolling with the force of the yawn as he covered it with his hand. The dog reached up to lick at the underside of the magician's chin, and the man kept petting the animal. One simple nod of the head confirmed that indeed, the mage could be of assistance. "There will be a price." He stated, his eyes lingering on Souji again.
"We'll pay it." Yosuke said, his resolve and good cheer once again noticeable on his face.
The mage nodded again, before he patted the dogs head, and the dog hopped off of his lap. He then rose from the floor, groaning as if he was an old man and the effort was too much trouble. The magician then shuffled over to the far side of the room, to one of the many tables in the cottage. Souji could hear bottles clinking together and things tumbling over, and all manner of small fragile shuffling sounds, before the mage stopped, and retrieved something before turning back to them.
In the magician's long, slender fingers, was an old, worn toy bear. It's fur looked soft but aged. One of it's ears had starting to fall off, and there was a definite place on it's arm, where the imprint of a small hand had likely held on to it for years. It looked old, kind, and well loved. The mage shuffled back across the room, and headed straight towards Yosuke. To his partner's credit, Yosuke only flinched back a little, looking once again sheepish, before the magician handed him the bear. Hesitantly, Yosuke took it, and blinked in confusion at the toy.
"It's warm..." Yosuke said, his eyebrows muddled together.
Delicate lashes blinked, as the mage nodded once more. "Keep him warm. Bound cannot stay in cold vessels. Someone must sleep, and carry him for the month he is recovering. Physical contact may heal him faster. After the month, he will return to his former vessel."
Yosuke and Souji looked down at the stuffed bear, before Yosuke held it up to eye level and glared at it for a few moments. "He's already in there?" Yosuke then held it up, inspecting the toy from various angles. "Ted, if you are in there, don't ever pull that shit again! You had us worried sick, you hear? And you are not sleeping with the girls, so no scoring for you! You're stuck with me and Kanji this whole month as punishment!"
Lovingly irritated, in that particular way that only Yosuke could do, his partner kept nagging at the poor stuffed toy. He wondered how Teddie, in his proper form, would respond. Probably with something illogical and silly. The thought made him smile, Teddie was going to be okay, and he wanted to stay with them. It was just one less thing he had to worry about, and Souji let himself breath a sigh of relief. While Yosuke kept up his antics, Souji turned back to the magician, and their eyes met again, before Souji had to look away.
"The price..." Souji found himself mumbling, and he was ashamed to realize it was the first thing he'd said the whole time they'd been in the cottage. Trying to dismiss the thought, he reached down into his satchel. There was a pouch of gold coins there, the earnings from their quests so far. It wasn't all his money, but it was most of it. Even still, having Teddie back, and safe, was invaluable. If the mage asked for all of it, he'd get it all.
Souji was looking around his bag, wondering if he had anything else of value that the magician might want, when he heard that soft voice reach him again. "A song." At the statement, Souji looked up in confusion, his eyebrows stringing closer together, but the magician only looked at him impassively, his gaze just as inviting and frightening as it had been the whole trip.
As per usual, Yosuke saved him from speaking. "A song? You want a song? That's it?" Souji and Yosuke shared a look with one another, both confused and befuddled at the odd request. Then Yosuke turned back to the mage, and those blue eyes shifted to his partner. "We have a bard in our group. She's excellent, and her songs hold special properties. Her name is Rise. We can bring her here to sing for-"
"No." The magician's statement was surprisingly curt, but it still managed to sound fluid and nonchalant. The statement stopped what Yosuke was going to say, and then those blue eyes were back on him. Souji once again had to remember that breathing was a necessary bodily function. "You."
Then breathing really was difficult, as the air got caught in his chest, and his lungs sputtered. "Him?" Yosuke's tone mirrored his surprise. "But Rise is a really great singer, and her songs can be spells and-"
The mage simply shook his head, and settles his eyes back onto Souji. "You," he restated. As if in encouragement, the dog barked once, and when Souji looked over at it, the animal looked more friendly than before.
Yosuke looked over at him in concern, and then back at the magician. "Uh, I could do it, if you want? I'm not great, but I know a lot of songs? I-if you want it right now or something.." It was kind of Yosuke, to notice how uncomfortable the request was making him, and volunteer to do it instead. But Souji knew it wouldn't be enough. He only had to glance over at the magician's face, to know that there would be no substitutions for this request.
Souji took a deep breath, thought about how this was for Teddie, and how maybe this wasn't so bad. If he had to sing in front of anyone, it would be least embarrassing if it was in front of Yosuke. He knew his partner wouldn't judge, or tease him about it. But inevitably, Souji's thoughts went to the mage, standing solemnly in front of him, and he wondered why it was so frightening to sing a simple song in front of the other man. No matter how he looked at the question, the worry and insecurity, Souji could not come up with an answer. So, he simply opened his mouth, and sang.
If asked after the fact what he had sung, Souji wouldn't be able to say. All he knew, was that it was something fundamental, something that had hollowed him out, and gave him chills of excitement and dread. He remembered listening to Rise once. She'd said that when she needed a song, it came to her. She knew what she needed, when she needed it, and the song was somehow already inside her, waiting for her need. He hadn't really understood it then, because most music didn't work that way. There were few with true musical talents like Rise. She could learn about a person through a song, or help to bring someone back to life. Her songs were special, each one unique and masterful. The song he sung was something like that, not the fumbling sort of hymn he might have sung with Nanako, or the sweet little songs he thought mothers sang. What he sang was guttural and honest and rending, and it was both freeing, and painful in the same stroke.
When he had finished, when he was exhausted and the song was done, Souji almost collapsed. Yosuke rushed to his side, wrapping one arm around his back, and the other reaching up to feel his forehead. The stuffed bear was now wrapped in his partner's red scarf, and placed in his satchel, so that it's head poked out the side. Souji caught a glace at it, as it's little button eyes looked up at him. "You're burning up, partner." Yosuke sounded concerned, and with his best friend there beside him, Souji felt relief hollow what else was inside him. With Yosuke, he didn't have to worry. His head slumped onto Yosuke's shoulder, and for once, his partner didn't admonish him for being too close.
Souji let his eyes slide shut for a few moments, just listening to the sound of Yosuke breathing beside him, and the sound of the small cottage. As he'd sung, everything else had stopped, and there had been no sound but his own. Now that he was silent, it was like the world wanted to compensate, and every little thing that could make sound, was doing so. He could feel Yosuke beside him, his breath a steadying point, and his warmth so very inviting and comforting. Souji heard Yosuke's voice, but it sounded so far away, and he had to concentrate to hear it. "What did you do to him!?" There was accusation, and anger in his partner's tone. He wanted to tell Yosuke that he was fine, just tired, just needed rest, but when he opened his lips, he found sound would not come.
He managed, through sheer force of will, to open his eyes, and focus them forward, on the magician, his hair listing to one side, his head tilted, and the gentle slope of his shoulder. Finally, he settled on those deep blue eyes, as they gazed at him. When the mage spoke, it was as if a dear friend was whispering in his ear, soft and sweet, laced with comfort and understanding.
"When you need, and you will need, return to this place to find what you seek. Time and distance will no longer impede you, for you have left a part of yourself here, that will remain forever. This world, and it's guidance, will now, forever, be at your disposal. I grant you, the Universe Arcana." A heaviness started to settle into his bones, as if gravity was suddenly returning, and not even Yosuke's support could keep him upright. In a sudden rush, Souji fell to his knees, unwittingly dragging his partner with him. Slowly, he felt his eyes shut, and the world fade away from him, Yosuke calling his name again and again. But before he lost all sense of the world, he heard one more whisper in his ear.
"Use it well."