The Enchanted Ceiling (OPEN)

"Nay," he said with a falter in his smile and a shake of his head. "I 'ave nay 'ad the opportunity. I was thin'in' 'owe'er tha' 'e could see te the groun's o' another quiet duty instead o' teachin'. There be plenty o' thin's 'e can o'ersee tha' will ta'e pressure off o' ye an' the others."

Truth be told, Merrick was worried about Maximus. Ever since the battle of Dublin, the man had been vastly different. While he had always been the more reserved of the two, he was ever more so now to almost a scary point. He hardly spoke and picked at his food. If anything, Lady Hufflepuff's cooking would do him a world of good.

"I know I shoul' nay 'ave acted withou' ye permission firs' but, I be worried Godric," he said. "When all ye 'ave known be figh'in' an' ye lose yer closest ally, it does thin's te ye. I d'nay wan' te lose me brother." Merrick sighed and swept a hand through his messy hair, the worry clearly written all over his face. He was a caring individual, probably more sensitive than a knight should be but he was very dedicated to his family.

Godric didn't grimace when Merrick admitted that he hadn't said anything to the others yet. Technically, now that it had been brought to his attention, it was going to be his responsibility to do so. Then again, there was no guarantee Maximus would want to travel that far...

He snorted internally. Of course the man would. Maximus was well studied and if he thought there was a book out there that he hadn't read but would be of some important knowledge, he'd likely travel to the ends of the earth for the promised reward.

And yes, he knew how it felt to lose a companion in battle. They both did. He didn't know how it had affected Merrick but the man still seemed as merry as ever. And Godric put up a good enough front that no one ever knew the damage it had done to him to lose companion after companion. His brother-in-law had been a particularly hard blow to take, simply because he'd had to take the news home to his sister about the matter. And then lie to her and say that it had been in battle instead of by Shelton's own hand when he'd been cursed with lycanthropy.

So that meant bringing to to his friends' attentions and finding something for Maximus to do around the castle that wasn't too taxing and would let the man heal, if such a thing was possible.

"I understand your concern, my friend. Let me think on it a while before I take it to the others. If it were my decision alone, I would, of course, find a place for him but when it comes to a member of the staff, I cannot operate unilaterally. Not even for you.

"However, I will find a way to convince them if necessary. For your sake and his. This is supposed to be a sanctuary for all wizard-kind and I will just have to remind them of that. And learning never does stop, even at our age. Even if we have to fix him in the library, setting it up properly, there will be a place." It was a foolish promise but a necessary one. They needed their Astronomy teacher. Merrick was the most qualified wizard Godric knew for the task. It was why he'd asked him in the first place. For the sake of one, they would just have to make room for the other.

And if it brought Moira...

"Than' ye Godric. Ye 'ave always been a great friend and ally te me an' I will fin' a way to repay ye kin'ness," he said as though swearing an oath. He really hoped they would find something for Maximus but if not, at least he would get a chance to see the castle and see that it was properly fortified and would be suitable to teach their sister. If both brothers were on board, and Merrick already knew his mother wanted this, then their father would surely have to agree to send his sister here.

"In anycase, 'e'll get te see the school an' tell me Da' 'bout it," he said with a shrug of his shoulder. It was the very least that would happen and in that case, it would hopefully bring about the result they all wanted.

Merrick turned his gaze skyward again and studied his handiwork. He still couldn't quite believe he had gotten it so flawlessly. While Godric wasn't as versed in the stars as he was, he'd be able to pick up on the basics well enough to let him know if he had missed anything.

Guiltily, out in the greenhouses was exactly where Helga was at the moment. Feeling a necessary nudge from her mind to do one last check to make sure everything was healthy and doing well. She was just finishing up some mild weeding, if you could even call it that when she found not even a trace of one when Astrid entered the greenhouse.

 After a small conversation and a small worried piece of advice from the young woman about overworking herself sick, Helga quickly washed her hands and removed the dirty garden apron. She didn't take note of a small smudge or two of dirt on her cheek and forehead as she left to go find out what Merrick and Godric were up to in the dining hall. She knew Merrick was working on a charm for the ceiling, one that once he told her about she just couldn't wait to see how everything was going. A view of the night sky during meals, it was sure to draw attention away from student and teacher alike from filling their stomachs but she had faith the smells alone from her dishes would draw them back and maybe create a balance between taking in the view and eating a fulfilling meal.

Helga turned a corner, running through the list of things to do in her mind as she made her way to the dining hall. Her pace slowed down a bit as she neared the room and she heard the tale end of a conversation between two male voices. Assuming it was the pair she was looking for Helga continued on, a warm smile forming on her face.

"You know Godric, if your still hungry your better off trying the kitchen for something to eat not the dining hall until the scheduled meal times. Granted at the moment with dinner not very long away things are a little hectic in there...right....now" Helga said looking between the two but when her eyes caught sight of something above her the words began to fade as the sight of the ceiling drew her full attention. "My word, Sir Raine. This is absolutely breathtaking! Its far more beautiful and spectacular then I could have pictured in my mind when you proposed the idea" she continued after needing a moment to collect her breath again.

Godric wasn't surprised to see his friend arrive to see the wonders of the ceiling. Even less surprised that she would think he was here looking for food. That was the purpose of this room, after all. And least surprising of all, he was hungry but with the coming feast, he figured that he should wait as the others must. There was always bread and cheese in his rooms to tide him over if need be - a necessity after the hard days he'd been having over the last week. Simple fare but then, he was used to such meals when on the road. He could hardly say he was too good for it now when it had sometimes been all that sustaining him for years.

It only made him more thankful for the times that he spent at home in Wessex or when visiting his friends.

He would have responded to Helga's gentle reminder but then she noticed Merrick's masterful work, improving their already quite magical castle. It was just another wonder for the students to enjoy; one of majestic beauty unlike anything else found within these fortified walls.

"I was in here, admiring the magnificence of Merrick's work as well," he told her, a smile on his face. Yes, if Helga was impressed after all she had seen in her years building this place, then Merrick should be particularly proud of his accomplishment. "An excellent complement to all of Lady Ravenclaw's hard work."

There was only slight issue with the change, though he had every confidence that Helga would know a way to efficiently light the room now that it was considerably darker with the ceiling shedding darkness from above. Currently, he was starting to notice eerie shadows in the Great Hall that might make students a little nervous to be in here. Perhaps candelabras on the tables. It would take up space that could be used for food but if that was what was necessary...

He did not want to bring it up in front of Merrick, however, not wanting the man to feel any criticism after all his hard work on such a masterpiece. 

Merrick's chest swelled with pride as Lady Hufflepuff expressed her awe over the ceiling and his grin returned though a bit bashfully. "I be glad ye approve Lady 'ufflepuff," he said politely. "I 'ave ne'er attempted it on such a scale befer, se tis a small wonder it came ou' se well."

"Though," he paused, as if reading Godric's mind, a prior thought came up. "Tis a wee bit dar' in 'ere now an' will o'ly be gettin' more se the later in the evenin' we get."

For the life of him, he couldn't think of a solution that didn't involve more candles on the tables or around the room, but that didn't seem very magical and took away from not only room for food but from the majesty of the ceiling. Perhaps Godric or Helga could come up with a better solution to the problem before it was brought to the attention of the other two, far pickier, founders.

"You have more than my approval. I dare say you have done a great honor for putting such a beautiful and magnificent feature in this room. Thank you so very much Sir Raine for doing this. Its simply incredible" She said, turning away just long enough to give Merrick a warm thankful smile then turned back to look up at it a little longer.

Like the two beside her Helga too couldn't help but notice the shadows creeping in around the walls of the room and that was simply something she could not allow. For a room that was supposed to be warm and inviting, a familiar comforting embrace of sorts, it couldn't very well let worries and nervousness sprout up, not in this space.

She had to think for a moment how to take care of such a problem though. While there were six or so grand fireplaces spread out between the two long walls the light from them wouldn't be strong enough to clear up the shadows and anything to bright and big in the ceiling would cover away Merrick's hard work on the charmed night sky.

A passing glimpse suddenly sprouted an idea in Helga's mind. She was sure there would be enough in the store room for what she wanted to do and it would be a matter of enchanting them to last forever rather than need replacing once they were gone. Well while she had the two of them here maybe a second and third opinion would help with the decision. 

Helga tugged her wand free from her pocket. She gave it several flicks then a wave summoning several large crates from the storeroom a floor below them up to the dining hall in a cleared space in front of them. With another flourish of her wand the crates opened as the lids popped out with a mild groan and dozens of candles flew up into the air from inside the crates. They hovered in the air roughly halfway between the enchanted ceiling and the top of tables. She gave several more flicks of her wand and a flame bloomed to life on each of the candles. From what she could see, there was just enough candles in the air that you could still clearly see the sky above but now the shadows in the corners were all but gone in the new forms of light illuminating the grand space.

She smiled then felt the room begin to spin wildly and she reached out a hand to steady herself before she ended up on the floor. No doubt it was from her non-stop work mode catching up with her after using so magic all at once but she knew the feeling would pass in a moment or two. Helga managed to find Godric's upper arm beside her and leaned a bit against him with her hand on his arm as she waited for the room to stop spinning, hoping her friend wouldn't mind her steadying herself with his help for just a moment.

"How does that look? If it takes away from the ceiling too much we could shrink the candles a bit or thin the numbers. They would need to be enchanted with a charm or two so they never melt away and dig into the supply of candles we have for the rest of the castle but if it looks ok and doesn't harm Sir Raine's masterwork, I could have a few house elves get to work on it right away" Helga asked, looking up at the ceiling then to both Merrick and Godric once the room wasn't spinning so much.

Godric looked at Helga, concern blooming on his face as she took his arm after casting the spell to light and levitate a few candles. It was a good touch and perfectly fitting for the setting. Just another incredible addition to this truly marvelous monument to magic. He would give it more attention, had he not been so concerned about his friend who had likely run herself ragged again.

He reached underneath his jerkin for the hidden pocket where his flask was. A thick, heavy ale would fortify her. But to cover for her ridiculous behavior, he took a drink and then shifted it into Helga's hand. "Just take a drink. I think you need it right now." He mumbled before raising his voice and adding, "To Sir Raine's achievement. While we shall celebrate more tonight, of course, every new work of art needs to be toasted properly!"

"Merrick, would you run down and grab some bread from the house elfs? I know they're rather busy but I think dinner is going to be a little too far away for my taste." He smiled broadly at the knight, hoping to cover Helga's own weakness. Wouldn't do to have anyone thinking she was a frail woman prone to weak spells. She was just a little too hard working, something that they were going to need to keep an eye on as she couldn't do this in front of their students.

Merrick watched as Helga levitated and lit a bunch of candles about halfway up in the air. The lighting was perfect. It didn't distract from the skyscape while at the same time providing just enough warm light to keep things cozy and less spooky. He looked over just in time to see Godric pulling out his flask, whispering something to Helga who looked a little pale, and then toasting him with a quick swig.

At his request for bread, Merrick nodded. "O' course. I'll return pos' 'aste," he said as he took his leave to head down to the kitchens below. He was fairly certain he remembered the way Lady Moore had shown him that morning. He got turned around once or twice but eventually, he came upon the picture of the pear.

Helga felt something being nudged into her hand as she heard Godric whisper quietly to her. She smiled, knowing she was in for a worried lecture. Quite possibly two if he passed word on to Rowena and her best friend swooped down on her in a worried state. Helga just couldn't help it sometimes and it was one of her flaws, putting others before her own needs and going blind to her own state of health in the process. She hadn't let herself get this bad in a long while but wanting to make sure the castle and everything she wanted to contribute to it was nothing less than warm and homey, she may have overdone it on herself over the last few days. Definitely well deserving of a lecture from her worried friends but it would be worth it seeing the happy and excited faces of their students.

Taking the flash, she raised it a little in a similar toast toward Merrick and then took a small sip. Right away she felt the ale perk up her tired mind and sent a jolt through her nerves to reawaken her body, however she resisted making a face as she handed the flask back to Godric. She was no stranger to an assortment of ale, making her mission to sample everything in order to improve her cooking charms and dish recipes. While this wasn't one of the worst ales she had tried before it wasn't to her liking either. She made a note to find something a little better at wetting her whistle upon her return to the kitchen in a little bit, meaning no offence to Godric's taste but one sip was more than enough for her of his secret flask stash.

Helga wasn't quick enough to respond to Godric or Merrick when the request was made for some bread, knowing she could have better directed the young man to the right house elf who could help him collect some bread. Oh well she thought, it would take a few seconds longer but they would make sure Merrick left with some bread. She glanced at Godric a moment then up at the ceiling. She really should extinguish the candles and lower them back down to the boxes. The longer they were lit the more the wax would melt away before she had the chance to enchant them with the long lasting charm but maybe that was best left for when she felt a bit more stable and balanced on her feet again.

"Thank you Godric for providing me a cover, I must have overdone it with so many complex spells all at once just to float burning candles in the ceiling. I'm sorry for troubling you, I'll be alright now" she said. Helga gave his arm a soft squeeze with her fingers then slowly lowered her hand away as she straightened herself now that the room had stopped spinning and had settled down for now.