four >> voice

[awaitingalbion]

[With a clearing of his throat, Merlin addresses the journal system.]

Perhaps...I am not really cut out to be a knight. Although, it'd be nice to get some of the recognition. A knight is never stuck serving breakfast.

[There's a quiet, longing look as Merlin looks "off screen" towards Arthur's abandoned sword. Knights, after all, had so much more of an acceptable heroism.]

Miss Fina, could I request an audience with you? It's about--err--what we talked about, last time. I could use some help.

[Merlin is shown drawing a palm across his face. He grumbles.] Arthur's still not back.

Comments

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Ah. Good, then. I was worried for a moment.

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't have a response to that, honestly, so he just... keeps staring. He is paying attention though, honestly!]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[Kind of at a loss for anything else, he goes:] I'm...Merlin, by the way.

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[...Nod.

Yeah he's a wall and doesn't get this is where he says his name]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[It's okay. Merlin will go the extra (nosy) distance himself.] And you would be...?

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

...Jaffar.

[Deadpan. HE IS ALLERGIC TO WORDS, OKAY :C sob]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Jaffar, hm? Well, nice to meet you.

[You know what the best cure for an allergy is? Exposure! Oh darnit wait that's fear.]

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[...NOD. Totally nice to meet you too. Not really though. Nothing is ever nice ever because Jaffar is dead on the insane sob sob sob]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[It was probably less fun than talking to Arthur, but:] Did, ah, you decide to suddenly switch career paths, too?

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[There is a decently long pause as he considered and then-] I... do not know.

[After all, he did feel compelled to talk more]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Seems like an odd thing to not know. Did you change jobs or not?

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

I was... [He pauses for a while. What's a good word? URged too seems too strong so... oh. That one-] compelled to... speak.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

[Aha! He's cottoned on.] And you normally are not compelled to speak? That's the impression I get.

[You deserve a gold star for your belated insights, Merlin. :|]

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[He nods at the book. Clearly Jaffar is a bastion of good ideas too]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

I suppose there are more ways to communicate than just speaking.

[Like, say, getting smacked on the back of the head. That's very communicative and Merlin is rather familiar with it.]

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[He nods again. That and Jaffar just isn't used to communication in general. These books give him new avenue too, but even so the result feels even more strange than talking at times]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Wow. I guess you were serious about not being so fond of speaking. [Merlin frowns. That made a second non-speaker. Although, he supposes, at least this man can talk--unlike Razette.]

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[There's a distinct pause before lightly, but still fairly flat:] Words... are complicated.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

That's because they're also powerful. [He nods to himself.] And powerful things usually are.

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[...Powerful. Hm. That makes him think, actually before he... slowly nods. He never thought of it like that but it makes sense]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

I suppose...if you speak less, you can make less of a gamble with that power?

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[Oh Merlin, that's thinking way too much into it. But Jaffar when he stops to think about it finds himself kinda agreeing. This time he doesn't nod but if you knew him welland this were in person you might notice his facial expression subtly shifting. ...Not that you can see that at all here, probably]

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Isn't there anyone that you can just...talk with? Comfortably?

[taintedruby.livejournal.com]

[There is a distinct pause before eventually he doesn't nod but he does pop out the word/name:] ...Nino.

[awaitingalbion.livejournal.com]

Who's Nino?

[He's cottoning on that, if he wants some kind of verbal response, he'd better avoid the yes-or-no questions.]