Just Keeping Swimming | March Planet Mingle

[thespaceopera]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: Anywhere on Mafik
When: The month of March



[Welcome to Mafik, the water world! Hope you brought your best swimming gear and don't have a paralyzing fear of water, because that's all that's here! So get out those wet suits and enjoy life under the sea!

In other words, it's a mingle! ]

> System Information

Comments

[bythewaves]

Easy. [ He reaches out to snag her as she startles, but his eyes are grim ]

Aye. Have you made any progress as to the cause?

[dancingmd]

[When he reaches for her, she catches his hand and holds it a moment longer, for the comfort he provides.]

It's toxic poisoning, there's no doubt about that. It's attacking their vital organs, especially lungs and digestive systems... but I don't know what's causing the poisoning in the first place.

[bythewaves]

[ He squeezes back, eyes grave ]

That is bad news. I spoke to Doudanuki when he found me wandering outside - he saw a reference to 'visiting the Dark One' on one of the walls of the empty city. He thought that it looked like the illness happened after that visit, if that helps at all.

[dancingmd]

The Dark One?

[Beverly frowns thoughtfully. Thoughts of gods and spirits are not what first occurs to her - perhaps it is a description of the poisoning that left that moon so bleak.]

Perhaps I should pay a visit to that city, see if there are any other clues there. Do you know where it is?

[bythewaves]

Aye - he did not know what the reference meant, and had not been able to investigate further.

[ Maglor shakes his head ] My apologies, I was....not myself, and could not tell you where, but Doudanuki should be able to show you.

[dancingmd]

[Her brow furrows with concern.]

What do you mean, not yourself?

[Are the toxins spreading to the fleet now?]

[bythewaves]

I... this planet sings, Beverly.

[ He admits ]

And I have always been drawn to the sea. I... can barely hear myself think.

[dancingmd]

[She remembers all too well how loud his mind was, how penetrating the song in space was.]

Worse than the music of the stars is for you?

[bythewaves]

Yes.

[ He murmurs softly ]

I love the sea. I always have - the stars are beautiful, but they are... remote. Mostly uniterested in what goes on below, excepting one particular individual. But the sea... the sea holds my heart.

[dancingmd]

[She strokes his hand gently with her thumb.]

Is it... dangerous?

[bythewaves]

[ He shrugs a little ]

I... it makes me wander off, at times. I have ... been found outside the ships, just walking. Doudunaki stopped me walking into one of the temples.

[dancingmd]

Perhaps you ought to make sure you're with people then, until we leave. I don't want to see you get hurt.

[bythewaves]

I know. [ He smiles at her ]

Nelyo rarely leaves my side, at the moment! And Doudanuki is aware and keeping an eye out. Jim, too.

[dancingmd]

Good. And you can stay here in the hospital with me for a while too, if you like.

[She gives him a knowing smile.]

You're very good with children, you know. I'm sure they'd love to have a visitor.

[bythewaves]

[ He blinks at her shyly and ducks his head a little ]

I would like that, I think. I like children - they... are still so innocent.

[dancingmd]

I've never asked but... Do you have any children of your own? If you don't want to say, that's all right, but I have always wondered, especially after seeing how good you were with me.

[bythewaves]

[ Pain, chases itself across his face, a sad wistfulness, there and gone ]

I... not of my own body, no. My... wife and I... we never had the chance. But I had... two fosterlings, once, as dear to me as if they were my sons in truth.

[dancingmd]

[She sees that expression of pain flicker across his face and immediately regrets asking. Though they had Wesley, sometimes she can't help but wonder herself how many more they might have had if she and Jack had had the chance. And there's that were... are his sons gone now, like so many others in his family?

She squeezes his hand again, silently asking for forgiveness.]

I am sure they loved you.

[How could they not?]

[bythewaves]

They did. They should not have, perhaps but... we loved each other. [ Maglor squeezes back fonly ]

They were never mine to keep but I ... we did our best by them, Maedhros and I. As best we knew how.

[dancingmd]

Don't say that. [Her eyes search his face, reading the pain and the loss written there.] Of course they would love you. Whether you're their biological parent or not, you're still family.

Like you are to me.

[bythewaves]

[ He blinks at her, startled ]

Me?

[dancingmd]

Surely it's not that much of a surprise, how much I care about you?

[bythewaves]

[ Maglor ducks, shyly ]

Well... I... had thought we were friends, yes, but I did not know you considered me family.

[dancingmd]

Well... [She smiles, then leans in to give him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.] Now you do.

[bythewaves]

[ The flush crawls up his cheeks and he smiles at her shyly ]

Thank you, Beverly.