|OW| Lin 102: Not Really a Love Letter

Ah yes....the runes. How could he have forgotten about those? Glancing at his notes from earlier, Clement elegantly sketched the rune that Razik had shown above the first line. It was a little shaky, having been drawn by an untrained hand, but he hoped that it would fulfill its purpose-- compelling a person to read this letter from start to finish.

^{I'm not sure how many I will write into this letter...runes are foreign things to me. But if you would, please let me know what they do. I can't promise they will do what I expect, so my apologies in advance should anything....unfortunate arise. Ah- but this isn't why I'm writing to you. Well, it is, but there's more to it as well. If I am to be blunt, it seemed an opportune moment to share my thanks with you. This goes beyond a simple "thank you for allowing me to eat your nightmare". Not that I am ungrateful of your generosity. With my hunger gone, it is much easier to focus on other, more important things. It's a wonderful feeling.}

Clement sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This....wasn't taking the direction he hoped. His eyes narrowed as he took a shaky breath. What a weak introduction into what was supposed to be a heart-felt and emotional letter. Not that the doll had much experience with his own emotions, so at least he had his reasons.

^{Let me try this again. I'm not....very good with words. I'm not very good with emotions either, but ah, I'm better with them than words. At least in cases like this. ....I wish you could just take a look inside my head. That would make this confession much easier.}

"Could I use a rune here?" Clement pursued his lips and his eyebrows knit together, as he tapped the pen against his cheek. It made a hollow sound, like something knocking on wood, and was more distracting than it was helpful. All it did was remind him of what he was: not human. One more distraction Clement didn't need, especially when we was already having enough trouble wrapping his head around runes, their meanings, and uses. They were all so foreign.

No wait, that's not entirely true. There is one rune he was familiar with...

<sup>Too bad there is no such thing as "reverse dream-eating". Er, well, that's not really what I mean, because this would imply that you give people dreams, and that certainly isn't what I mean.

The short of it is, I've been in your head; I almost wish you could somehow catch a glimpse of what's in mine.....But then I suppose that my writing this letter would be pointless.</sup>

Reaching over to the crumpled pile, Clement grabbed a piece of paper and pressed a hand against it, smoothing the crinkled surface. When it's flat enough, he took his pen and started to sketch frantic lines. Only once he's satisfied does he drop the pen and pause to examine his scribbles. They were all similar, with each of the illustrating the same rune in combination with others.

Since this rune was part of his name, Clement had done a fair bit of research on it for his first assignment, but it wasn't these initial discoveries that drove him to use it. He understood it on an intimate level, having used it for years yet never knowing its purpose. It is Laguz, the rune of dreams.

Clement knew dreams, and understood them as well as a person could. If there was any kind of magic he could understand, that he could manipulate, this would be it. But for the purpose of this letter, it would have to be combined with something else. Picking up his pen again, Clement continued to write. The rune would come later, when he had an idea how to use it.

<sup>Look at me, getting off topic. At this rate the letter's going to be pages long, and that's not something I want to bother you with. It's about time I got to the point.

I know I've said it plenty of times, but thank you, Drake. It may seem a little...strange to be grateful for something so small, but perhaps that's just a part of who I am. It's the smallest things that sometimes count the most. When I first enrolled into this school I was without hope. Now, I'm not sure that I still feel the same way.

Thank you for all the laughter, and yes, I even thank you for turning me into a flustered mess. You've given me some confidence, and I hope that one day I can do the same for you.</sup>

<sup>If this tree has the chance for a bright future, then surely there's also hope for you.

Sincerely, your friend (at least I think we're friends, though you're free to correct me if I'm wrong),

Clement G.</sup>