Tales From The Myst Update: Touching Grass

So, my game this week has been creating a bit of a bromance between Guidry and Morgyn. Nothing flirtatious, just a lot of autonomously hanging out. Guidry was not in the original save that set up The Myst story, so this is a bit of a retcon to explore his friendship with Morgyn. Sorry about the pics not being the best. I was having camera problems tonight.

Morgan Ember trudged wearily up the stairs to his bedroom on the second floor of his home in Glimmerbrook, exhausted from three straight days of meetings with the Council of All Magic.

They were meeting in preparation for The Mystic Assembly, attempting to get ahead of some of the issues that were bound to be presented. The Council spent long hours reviewing sheaves of documents on everything from allied nation status for merfolk who don't live in Sulani (and how do you even appoint an ambassador to that position?) to development of guidelines for crossing the “border” between The Myst and the neutral zone of San Myshuno. Morgyn wasn't a voting member of the Council, but as the last Mage, his presence was required at all meetings. He also held the Right of Privilege which could override a decision and send it back into review. It was a lot of responsibility and he took his job seriously. But right now, the only thing he wanted was rest.

Morgyn changed into his most comfortable sleepwear, a silky muumuu a friend had gifted him for Winterfest, slipped between the sheets and quickly fell into much needed and yearned for slumber. Which is why he was not amused to be awakened an hour later by loud banging and the sound of a spectral voice.

“Ghosts,” he muttered into his pillow. “No sense of personal boundaries.”

Morgyn grabbed a large cushion and pressed it over his head to drown out the sound of the things that go bump in the night. You get used to this kind of thing in The Myst, so he wasn't alarmed. Visiting spirits generally meant no harm, although they were prone to break things. Morgyn figured he'd just stay where he was and clean up any messes they make in the morning. After a few minutes, things finally became quiet and Morgyn was about to doze back off when a familiar voice whispered his name from just beside the bed.

“Morgyn?”

Morgyn groaned. “Guidry. Please.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes. You can go away.”

There was a soft chuckle. “You know this is not happening.”

Morgyn sighed and pulled the pillow from his face. Guidry sat on the floor, arms resting on the bed, his chin propped on one hand.

Guidry smiled. “You look very peaceful when you are asleep.”

“Great. Go away and I'll become positively angelic.”

Guidry shook his head. “No. There are things to do...”

Morgyn sat up in the bed and surveyed his visitor who was now pacing a bit aimlessly around his room. If there was one thing he knew about his ghostly friend it was that Guidry, in spite of his devil may care attitude, was driven by a profound need to be helpful. 

“Well, there's the trash...” Morgyn began.

“Bagged it up and took it out.”

“The kitchen counters...”

“Polished.”

“The cat...”

“Fed, brushed and litter cleaned. You need a new kitty dazzler.”

Morgyn sighed. “You have a strange way of haunting a house, my friend. Really, there's not much mess. The only thing I've done this week is read.”

“Books!” Guidry boisterously exclaimed. “I'll pick up all the books!”

As Guidry disappeared from the room, Morgan sank face down into his pillows and closed his eyes, thinking this last effort would surely satisfy his friend. He was wrong.

“Morgyn?”

Morgyn resignedly rolled over and sat back up, noting a change in his friend's usually jaunty tone of voice. Guidry was sitting perched on the side of the bed, his brow furrowed in thought.

“What?” Morgyn asked.

“We are friends, no?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Morgyn's association with Guidry went back to before The Myst was formed, even back to before The Purge. In fact, The Purge just further cemented their already amicable friendship. When Morgyn found himself on the run, trapped in the bogs of Willow Creek by President Bragg's Spellcaster Assimilation Squad , it was Guidry who found him and gave him shelter until he could get to the safety of Silvan Glades. In return, when Guidry found himself on the wrong side of the Paranormal Hunters, Morgyn used his influence and fast tracked Guidry's application for relocation to The Myst. So yes. Of course they were friends, even if one of them did like to show up at inconvenient hours to clean house.

“So, since were are friends, you would not mind giving some advice?” Guidry seemed uncharacteristically hesitant.

“No. Not at all.”

After a moment of silent thought, Guidry continued.

“So. Let's say you aren't very important. I mean, not you. You are important. But, somebody...not you...is not very important.”

“Okay.”

“And, let's say this somebody has to do an important thing.”

“Yes.”

“And, let's say this important thing could make a big difference to others who aren't important, either.”

“Of course.”

Guidry pressed on, determined. “What advice would you, an important person, give to this unimportant somebody who does not want to mess this up?”

Morgyn hid a smile. After three days of reviewing documents, he knew exactly which “important thing” his importantly “unimportant” friend was referring to. The Spirit Rights issue was a tricky one. Relocation to The Myst had been a bit haphazard, due to the emergency nature of the circumstances, and unfortunately spirit inclusion and ghostly needs had been something of an afterthought. Add in centuries of conditioned fear, and the situation became a bit more touchy. Correcting those mistakes would take some time, re-education, and bit more insight into what those ghostly needs actually are. But, the Council was willing to take the initial steps if the Assembly could be convinced.

Morgyn leaned forward. Catching his friend's gaze he gave him his most reassuring smile. “I would tell “somebody” that we are all important in our own way, and I would suggest maybe his focus should be on the simple fact that we all just need to be needed.”

Guidry blinked a few times. A smile began to play over his lips and he did a little spin around the room as he mulled over his friend's words. 

“Yes! Of course! That is the real issue, isn't it?”

“I think so.”

“Because, it's not about the houses or the things... is it?”

“Uh-uh,” Morgyn drowsily managed.

“It's about being a real part of the community.”

“Mmmm.”

“Valued. Needed.”

“Umm-hmmm, “ Morgyn muttered, as his eyes began to involuntarily close.

Guidry stopped his roaming to regard his friend. With a frown, he shook his head and wagged his finger. “You know, you should really get some sleep. You don't look so good.”

At that, Morgyn roused up, pillow in hand, and launched it across the room. He watched as it sailed right through his non-corporeal friend and landed with a thud against the wall.

“Mind picking that up?” he asked.

“Sorry. I can't. I must go. I've got a speech to write,” Guidry happily replied as he drifted toward the door.

“But, Morgyn?”

“Yes.”

“That's a very attractive gown you have on.”

Morgyn growled, hefted another pillow, then thought better of it. He'd just have to pick it up and would have one less soft spot on which to lay his head. Guidry chuckled at his friend's reaction and with a jaunty tip of his hat and a wink, faded back into the walls and out of sight. 

With an exasperated grunt, Morgyn sank back into the blissful comfort of his bedding. Pulling the blankets over his head, he was gratefully...finally... going to get some much needed peace and quiet.

“Ghosts,” he thought, as his well deserved rest finally began to claim him. “No boundaries. No boundaries at all.”