21st Spell ~ [Voice]

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Good morning, City. Looks like we're a bit snowed in.

[ Merlin's voice starts out completely cheerful and, hey, he's not used to this much snow, might be a part of it. Or just because. But as he continues, after a pause, it goes a little more somber. ]

I feel like this is something that's been asked before, but...

If you got to choose whether to stay in the City or go home, which would you pick?

[ Because he... honestly has no clue. Whatsoever. ]

[ Private to Arthur ]

Are you stuck over there? You didn't come home last night.

[ Now, he sounds incredibly knowing. But that's mostly teasing. ]

Comments

voice;

[onset]

Well. Home, no doubt. [a bit dryly:] The weather here is even more appalling than where I come from.

voice;

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[ That gets a chuckle. ]

Same here. Never this much snow.

[onset]

Never this many walking corpses, either.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[ A pause. And then his tone turns dry as well. ]

Wish I could say the same.

[onset]

[His turn to pause.]

... Sorry, I can't tell if you're being serious or not.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[ There's been too many dead-coming-back-alive things in Camelot, ok. ]

I am.

[onset]

Blimey. Where exactly are you from?

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Camelot. Land of magic.

[onset]

[Camelot. Okay. He'll just tell himself anything's possible.]

Of magic, bad weather and walking corpses? You must get a lot of tourists.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[ Try not to ask for this one's name, then. ]

A few, I guess. Not that it's because any of those things.

Weather isn't that bad, though.

[onset]

Well - as long as it's occasionally nice.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Most often nice, in fact.

[ Now he's getting a bit homesick. And sad, because last he saw Camelot they were leaving it burning, conquered. ]

[onset]

So - why are you asking?

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Curiosity. Because I wouldn't know what to do, myself.

[onset]

Really-? [Pause.] So you like it here.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

I do. Most of the time.

[onset]

[Quiet for a moment longer, thinking on his words, Peter eventually starts again, sounding a bit tentative - if not sheepish.]

Sorry, I'm having a little trouble seeing why.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Friends. My best friend knowing what I couldn't tell him at home. And everything's... a mess there, I don't mind the break so much.

[ No destiny, no magic ban; he's free here. It's the greatest feeling in the world. ]

[onset]

Well - I don't mean to invalidate anything, but - is that really worth giving up what you had, back home?

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[ A pause. ]

Not forever, no. So if the choice would be permanent, I'd definitely know which to choose.

[onset]

I think most would. If not everyone.

[Because Peter clearly knows what he's talking about.]

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Yeah, I think so.

[ Makes sense, actually. ]

Or at least a lot of people.

[ Arthur would go home, which means Merlin would too, because his place is, ultimately, at Arthur's side and always has been, even when he didn't understand it. Charlie would stay here, because it's much better than her own world. That much he knows for certain. ]

[onset]

Although - I suppose I can understand why it would be difficult to leave people behind.

[destinedtobeunpopular]

Mm. I don't want to do that.

It's cruel. The City, I mean.

[onset]

I'm starting to understand just how much.