audio:

[charring]

[She's really not keen on showing her face lately, is she? Whatever the case, there's mumbling and counting on Charlie's end. It's muffled, coming from the pocket of the hoodie she wore to work and then;]

Huh. One year. [Pause pause and then a pleased sounding.] Neat.

[She digs into her pocket to get...something. She forgot once she noticed the device is on. And now she addresses it directly.]

I realize there are people who have been here far longer than a year so, really, it's probably not a big deal. Except, for me it kind of is. This is the longest I've been in one place since I was a kid and I'm happy I've held still for a while.

[Another pause, some shuffling but she doesn't turn the video on. She doesn't want to.]

I have...opportunities here. Chances to do things that are impossible back home. A lot of the residents in the City have things they want to get back to. I don't. Not really. [There's another pause. Just imagine Charlie shrugging because that's what she did.] Nothing I want to deal with, anyway. I hope I'm here a while longer. Curses aside, I kinda love it here.


[And she turns the audio off.]

Comments

locked to arthur:

[charring]

I'm safe here, if you can believe it.

locked to arthur:

[pratful]

I can believe it. You're one of the happiest people I know.

Re: locked to arthur:

[charring]

Really?

locked to arthur:

[pratful]

You put up with Merlin. You have to either be incredibly insane or ridiculously in love with him. I prefer to believe the latter. [ for Merlin's sake that is. ]

Re: locked to arthur:

[charring]

I adore Merlin. [Arthur. That 'l' word. It is scary. But accurate.]

He...him in my life? One of the things I can't experience back home. Hence my idiotic happiness.

locked to arthur:

[pratful]

Then take him with you. I'm sure there has to be some magic that could just as easily send him to your world as it did bringing us here. [ and quite frankly, Arthur would hate to have to console Merlin after the fact. He'll be a wet, sodden puppy. ]

Re: locked to arthur:

[charring]

If I could....I'd have a hard time doing so.

locked to arthur:

[pratful]

I... see. [ absolutely no reason why it should be. ]

Re: locked to arthur:

[charring]

Think of it this way. That memory of mine you saw? That group those people belonged to haven't stopped trying to catch me. I don't want Merlin in that situation.

I'm important enough to these people where, as you saw, they will do anything to catch me. I can't risk anyone else, as much as I'd love to have him there.

locked to arthur:

[pratful]

If you go, I'm not so sure Merlin wouldn't follow. [ and he's not, Merlin's ridiculously loyal to the people he cares about. And Arthur, fool that he is, would encourage it. What has this place done to him? ]