two >> audio/action

[awaitingalbion]

[The sound of a throat-clearing cough.]

Can anyone tell me about a blue-haired girl who calls herself a soldier?

[But earlier this day--before he makes the voice post--Merlin is out picking up fresh ingredients for Arthur's evening meal. He is in the shop, picking through some vegetables. He looks...confused.]

Comments

[emp3thy]

That's good. [He'll leave you to the chopping then and actually put the rice on the stove.] Big changes take time.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

That...sounds like something someone I know back home might say. [In fact, it sounded like one of the more lucid, well though arguments the dragon had made to Merlin. A united kingdom could come with patience. And diligence.] But those changes will never happen if we're both stuck here.

[emp3thy]

Maybe. [he puts on another pot of water to boil.] Or it could give him a new perspective.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Perhaps. [He looks hopeful as he continues chopping.] There are some things about here that could be very useful for Arthur to learn.

[emp3thy]

[He moves to start chopping up some chicken now. And here is probably the most important question so far -]

What's your name?

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Merlin. [He gives it so casually, caught up in the food preparations that he mostly forgets how charged the name seems to have been with many others he has met.]

[emp3thy]

[And that... just gets raised eyebrows for a moment, before he continues.]

I'm Minato.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[Oozing friendliness.]

Well, nice to have already met you, Minato.

[emp3thy]

Likewise.

[He puts the chicken in to boil as well. Everything's nearly ready now, except for letting it cook a bit longer.]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[If he could be so bold:] Fina's lucky to have you.

[emp3thy]

[> ...It seems Merlin may be misunderstanding something.]

I feel lucky as well. [...] But we aren't together.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[It seems he's really, really misunderstanding things.]

Oh--[he laughs, uncomfortably]--no, I didn't mean that you two were...you know. Like that. Just that she's lucky to have such skilled help. But I suppose it's easy to be a good servant if your lady is as lovely as Fina is.

[emp3thy]

[At that, he... actually looks amused.]

I'm not her servant either. We're friends.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[Embarrassed pause.] I see. I just thought--err--when you answered the door and...[He trails off, sucking in his breath and exhaling with a clumsy:] I'm sorry if I've offended you.

[emp3thy]

You didn't. [slipping back into lineface, but... reassuringly so?] There aren't many servants here, though.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a lot of people do things for themselves, here. That can't be such a bad thing, I suppose.

[emp3thy]

It's not bad to need help. ...But I think it's better on equal ground.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Equal ground. [He repeats, quietly. It's a rather foreign concept.] It sounds like a good idea.

[emp3thy]

And it's harder to make work than it sounds. [...] But it still can.

[whoops, looks like the food is almost ready...]

sorry about the delay, total influx of responsibilities kept me away.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

You think? [Merlin stands back--shirking duty as ever.] I can't imagine it working.

no worries <3

[emp3thy]

[That's okay, he'll put the different ingredients together himself.]

Well, it works here.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Are there really no kings, or knights, or royal lords to step up and rule? Or do these Malnosso guys have the throne?

[emp3thy]

It'd be hard to get one accepted. Not everyone comes from countries with kings.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

That's right--[he misunderstands, as usual]--one bloke said he was an emperor.

[emp3thy]

True. [oh Merlin.] But I meant democracies.