[ ic; contact ]

[pratentious]

[This time, the recording starts with a long, drawn out sigh. Then, surprisingly, it's still Merlin's voice that rattles off the voicemail in tones of long-suffering.]

Hello, you've reached King Arthur Pr--Pendragon. He isn't here to answer your call because he's incredibly important and busy. If you leave a message here with me, I'll make sure he gets it because I am a good servant--and friend-- [he adds the last bit in a rush, accompanied with a thwap!, an 'ow!' and an 'I heard that,' then forces the rest of the words out through gritted teeth] and will do anything my master asks of me.

[A couple seconds pass, then Merlin speaks again, this time sounding a bit further away, like he isn't speaking into the bracelet anymore.] There, happy now? If you ask me, the other one is still better-- Shut up, Merlin. It's time to do yours next. Wait, what --

[ click! ]

Comments

1/2

[dragonspeak]

＼(｀0´)／

It looks just like you.

text

[dragonspeak]

[Cementing his point by drawing in a speech bubble with the word MERLIN!!! in it.]

See?

Day 352 - Voice

[kuramaless]

WHAT THE HELL?

WAS THIS YOU? DID YOU DO THIS?

THE STUPID BASKET OF--

WE. AIN'T. DA- Go-- ANYTHIN'! Y'HEAR?

[pratentious]

Excuse me? What are you on about this time?

[voice; the day before everyone heads off to hippiedom]

[daddyissues]

[ He sounds pretty amused... and who wouldn't be, with that message? ]

Hey Arthur, it's Connor. I need a favor! If I could meet you somewhere before you guys leave, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks.

[voice; eeee, yay! sorry for lateness!! <3]

[pratentious]

Connor. It would be my pleasure. Have you anyplace in particular in mind?

voice; sometime after Arthur's post about the Citadel

[faithful_servant]

Hello, I'm Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and I am contacting you in regards to your request for instructors at your Citadel. I've only just arrived not too long ago, but I have an extensive background in a number of weapons.

I'm in Odin House; I'm unsure of the House etiquette in this place. There are a number of people here who can vouch for--

[Except they all remember him as the stuck up English guy who can't take a punch]

Spike can vouch for me if you need some form of recommendation.

voice;

[pratentious]

[ There's some measure of amusement for the formality of it; usually he's the one trying to remain professional while everyone else is just dicking around. Points. ]

A pleasure, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. If House alliance is something you've taken an interest in, I am predictably of Heimdall's, and so it is generally understood where my loyalties lie.

[ That is to say, with his peers. You don't need a voucher, bro, we coo'. ]

Is there anything in particular you'd be interested in teaching with us?

[Video Message] after the clean up event, it's quest time!

[dragonspeak]

Arthur. [What's this? Merlin's serious face? What could be wrong now?]

I think I'm going to be going out of the city for a couple days. To er--bring someone back to the city. They told me he's wounded himself badly after the lady he was courting turned him down.

[A flash of hesitance here and there while he's explaining is nothing to worry about, right? Obviously, he's just worried about his patient.]

Gwaine's already said he wants to come along. What about you?

[pratentious]

[ Arthur makes a disgruntled face, for a multitude of reasons. There's the supposed urgency, Merlin's hesitance, and not least of all - ]

I want to know why you informed Gwaine before you told me.

[ Most important matter at hand. ]

Where is this scorned fool of yours?

text;

[gymnast]

I just wanted to let you know that I'm back (or awake again, I guess?) and will be returning to work at the Citadel in a day or two.

[ Normally she'd jump right back into things, but she feels like she needs some time to just... Avoid people. Hence why this is text instead of voice or video. The fewer people that see her face, the better, especially people she looks up to like Arthur. She doesn't need them seeing her weak and pathetic like she is. (If she were anyone else but herself, she wouldn't see crying over her mother's death and her break up with her boyfriend as pathetic, but...) ]

[Voice Message]

[dragonspeak]

[He's not going to use video this time, not when he's still struggling to let this sink in himself.]

Arthur...Gwen's back. I think she's even further in the future than you are, actually. I just...thought you should know before I bring her back to the house.

[ voice ]

[pratentious]

[ He knows what the lack of video means, you little shit. Arthur takes a second to think about it, to tamp down the little flare of excitement that will be too easy to extinguish when everything else comes down on his head. They have to do it right this time. ]

Are you with her now?

Day 374 || Action

[madcuriosity]

[There's a knock at the door in the afternoon, however, should Arthur answer it, there is no one there. Only a big and bright golden gift box. Inside is a very ornate cloak and fur lined leather gloves. Attached to the ribbon itself, is a tag.]

text. private. backdated to the first day she got to asgard c:

[extraordinarie]

[ guess who is doing her check-ups! ]

Looks like they pulled me back. How's the Citadel going?

first game tag in a month weeps

[pratentious]

[ And it takes time to come, his response, because at first the message makes no sense. Many people ask about the Citadel all the time, but so few should have reason to say they'd come back - and from where?

Arthur checks the name attached to the message before responding. It's both a good thing and a terrible, bad-for-his-health, heart-stoppingly wonderful thing, that the good King of Camelot has to stop and wait a moment before he can respond, lest he make himself to be a damn fool.

Still, though. Despite his standard casual smirk, the mirth in his eyes is undeniable when he turns on the video feed just to cross his arms and be a prat. Business as usual. ]

Katherine Beckett. Did you really think a text message would suffice to say you'd returned?

Day 391||Video

[madcuriosity]

[It took her a long moment to finally do this, if Arthur is observant enough, she looks off, as if something is... well, it's hard to say. She doesn't say anything for a while and then she finally speaks.]

Sire? Sire, I would like to... speak with you, please.

[pratentious]

[ The absence of something would be impossible to notice, though whether it's simply her bubbly air or something else - ]

Alice. How many times must I tell you to call me Arthur?

[ It's not said unkindly; his smile is small, though, because he doesn't think now is the time for joking. ]

You may always speak freely with me as you please.

action (take four billion)

[dragonspeak]

Arthur!!

[Arthur might get a split-second warning from the sound of feet pounding on the ground before his training session gets interrupted. Merlin bursts in, ignoring the startled students and stops at Arthur's side.]

The SOS thing on the bracelet--there's been an emergency and they need a healer. [Merlin gets the words all out in a rush, already looking back toward the door, like he's itching to leave (which he is).]

pets your face

[pratentious]

[ Arthur had already been surprised out of the lesson by the SOS signal going out, and he's watching the video when Merlin bursts in. He only spares a brief glance to the students before closing out if the network and clapping a firm hand on Merlin's shoulder. ]

Go. I will be close behind if they've need of it, but you should go now.

[ One firm squeeze of Merlin's shoulder before Arthur gives him a light shove back towards the door. But before he can leave, Arthur adds quickly ( rather embarrassingly, in front of his class like this ); ]

Merlin?

action

[dragonspeak]

[Merlin's just dusting about the room (rather shoddily, but what can you do), when he finds something unexpected in Arthur's desk. The colourful book catches his eye first, and he lifts it to get a closer look. There's some paper underneath it with writing in his very familiar messy scrawl--he'll have a look at that later. First, he holds the book up as he looks over at Arthur.]

What's this? "The Big Book of What, How, and Why"?

[Curious, Merlin opens it and flips through the pages.]

don't mind my rambling, I just like the idea of them domestically cleaning around each other ...

[pratentious]

[ Arthur's sitting on his bed polishing Excalibur, his hunting blades already cleaned and sheathed in neat rows across the sheets ( for all that he bullies Merlin into it more often than not, there is something soothing and almost cathartic about the task that Arthur has privately taken joy in since he was a boy; mindlessly falling into it alongside Merlin moving about the room as he pretends to clean is nearly rote by now ). The sound of Merlin's voice only earns a noncommittal hum from the King until he hears paper being flipped. His head snaps up - ]

What the Hell are you doing in -

[ Oh. It's just the book. There are - other things - in that very same drawer that don't need found, thank you very much. Arthur scowls and sets Excalibur down on his bed, joining Merlin at his desk to shut the drawer with his hip and fold his arms across his chest.

Smooth as fucking butter. ]

It was a gift. [ A beat; his lips tighten, and his voice comes quieter. ] From Conan.

Video

[tinypink_crane]

[Kimberly's in the back room of where she works, so there's boxes of tea, baking goods and other things that require dry storage. She's actually taking this on her break]

Hi...Arthur Pendragon?

My name's Kimberly. I was told you run a sort of training school for hand-to-hand combat and weapons?


[She keeps her voice down so she doesn't disrupt the other workers here-even though some of them are either grey or faceless and it's creepy. There's also the slight hesitation she has to telling her secret-they've been keeping it for years now.

[asgardsbeauty]

[In honor of the Earth holiday centering on love, Freya sends out a little gift around this time.

A small box containing a piece of chocolate will appear on your pillow during the day. When consumed, the chocolate’s magic will lift your mood for a short period of time. It’s accompanied by a note.]

Where love might bring about sorrow, it also welcomes joy.

backdated to Day 400

[asgardstricks]

[ In honour of the god centering on love being a giant frilly prissypants, Loki sends his own little gift just a few hours after hers.

His box of chocolate will look, smell, and taste exactly like Freya's did, appearing right next to where Freya's was or is if you haven't picked it up yet. The only difference between the two is that Loki's won't lift your mood; it'll give you loud and embarrassing flatulence for the next three hours.

It's also accompanied by a note. ]

Where joy might bring about yearning, it also welcomes wonder.

before ginnungagap

[dragonspeak]

Arthur?

[Merlin waits until after they've eaten dinner, and they're alone in the room before he nervously pipes up from his bed. He fidgets for a second, staying seated on his bed and head bowed over his hands, before he abruptly stands up and walks over to the desk. He reaches for something under it.

When he straightens up, he's holding a good-sized, flat parcel, wrapped up protectively in cloth. Merlin looks down at it--this is the most nervous Arthur's probably seen him in a while--and holds it out for Arthur to take.]

It's--er. Your Yule gift. It wasn't done when everyone else was exchanging gifts, but it is now.

[When the wrapping's removed, Arthur will find a portrait of Ygraine, done by Leonardo's hand. The queen's face doesn't hold any of the fear or worry it had when Arthur saw her in Morgause's dwelling, instead, her expression is soft in its kindness, and the smile only adds to it.]

[pratentious]

[ There's panic at first, as there always is when someone says his name with so much uncertainty. Merlin has prefaced countless conversations, painful conversations, with the simple muttering of his name. But it isn't fear in Merlin's brows, Arthur knows him well enough to tell that much, so he stays seated on his own bed as the servant moves through his explanation of the gift.

A gift. It's not the first Merlin's given him, but as Arthur's fingers touch the wrapping, he feels a different kind of unease than his normal fluster at receiving something heartfelt instead of pious. The exhale torn from him when his eyes fall upon distantly familiar curls and eyes that stare at him every time he looks in a mirror is proof enough; this is special. This is impossible, something he was never meant to see.

There is a photograph in his drawer, the one where he keeps everything of importance to him, that shows a woman crying with delight at her newborn son only moments before she passed. It is beautiful and devastating and this painting is much the same. Impossible, too, because there's no way Merlin could have made it yet there's no way anyone else would've known the way she looked that day. It's an impossible gift so it's impossible to respond.

There's a scathing remark about Merlin's distinct lack of artistic ability to even write his own name and his eyes burn with what feels alarmingly like emotion, but neither is enough, so Arthur swallows hard and sets the painting flat on his bed to stand instead. Within a heartbeat, he pulls Merlin against him in a rough hug, hands clutched in the fabric at his back and forehead buried against Merlin's shoulder.

It's impossible, the things he has in his hands and the man that would give them to him. Arthur mutters a weak 'thank you' into the space between them and knows it's not enough. ]