(Untitled)

[theravenboy]

[OOM: After Bran reclaimed his harp from the lake and went home, Bran and his da had a quiet holiday, and an interesting conversationHarpsong winds through the front of Milliways. Owen Davies holds open the door so that Bran can go through first, and follows after. Both men are dressed in their Sunday best

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[merrimanlyon]

The harpsong catches Merriman's attention, at his table near the lake door.

When Owen Davies follows Bran into the bar, a muscle in his jaw twitches faintly.

But he sits still, a chiselled statue in academical dress.

[owendavies]

The man in academical dress looks faintly familiar to Owen. After a moment Owen places him. "Reverend Lyon, is it?"

Bran glances between Owen and Merriman, controlling a sudden urge to laugh.

[merrimanlyon]

Merriman looks up and meets Owen Davies' mildly inquisitive gaze.

'Noswaith dda, Mr Davies.'

The pause before he speaks again might be overly long, but when he does continue, his voice is surprisingly gentle.

'They used to call me Reverend, once upon a time.'

[theravenboy]

"Did they? I did not know that," Bran says. "Da, this is Will's master Merlion. Merriman Lyon."

Owen jerks his chin up in brief startlement, but says slowly, "I did think there was something strange about you, back then."

[merrimanlyon]

Merriman inclines his head in greeting, and there might be the briefest twitch of an eyebrow at Owen's reaction.

'You would not be the only one to think so, Mr Davies,' he replies.

His gaze flicks to Bran. 'The situation here worsens, I regret to say.'

[theravenboy]

"I was afraid of that," Bran says. "What happened after I left, Merlion?"

[merrimanlyon]

'We were able to remove the spell from Puck. No small feat, but it was broken.' He has to resist the urge to tick things off on his fingers. 'I have also learnt the names of two others who have fallen under her spell: a girl named Mary and a man named Tim Hunter. She also seems to have adversely affected a member of Security -- a young lady named Faith.'

There is much that he is leaving out...but it is for the best, at the moment.

[theravenboy]

"Diawl," Bran says, ignoring Owen's reproving glance. "Is there anything..." --Bran hesitates over the pronoun-- "we can do?"

[merrimanlyon]

Merriman's grim, rather tired gaze travels between Bran and Owen. There is something similar in the set of their faces, so similar that is it almost easy to forget that they are not related by blood.

Though truly, such a difference is trivial at best.

'If there is,' he replies, quietly and with utmost sincerity, 'I will not hesitate to let you know.'

There is no question over the pronoun. The you is clearly plural.

[owendavies]

Owen meets Merriman's gaze directly, although the tight set of his shoulders reveals how hard it is for him to do so. "Thank you," he says.