poly_chromatic | 016 ♛ Curse: Ides of March (backdated to the 15th)

Entry tags:

merlin (bbc) - arthur pendragon

016 ♛ Curse: Ides of March (backdated to the 15th)

[ Closed Action to Merlin ]

[ Arthur stomped through the halls, shirt draped over his arm and looking for all the world like it was about to end. In truth, that's just the look Arthur usually sported prior to the morning meal but today there was a more specific reason for it rather then the simple hunger gnawing at his stomach. ]

Merlin! Just where the heck are you hiding? [ he stomped a little more, opening up random doors, looking behind the curtains as he passed by some shaded window or another. Getting fed up, he stopped in the middle of the family room and simply yelled. ]

That's it Merlin. Get out here right now or else you'll regret it for a week!

[ To Mercy ]

When you get this... just call me back, will you? It's about Merlin.

[ To Charlie ]

Whatever you're doing.

Stop.

And come home.

... Please?

[ Open Action ]

[ After laying Merlin to rest in his rooms, arms folded neatly, the blood washed from Merlin's body, Arthur had felt unease creep into his thoughts. What honor could he do Merlin by keeping vigil over his dead servant's body? What penance would it serve when it was Arthur's own hand that had done the deed? No, honor demanded he stay and stay he did, until Charlie had found him (and the black eye he sported showed how well that went). And now restlessness had taken him to the beach as dusk crept on the City.

Had it really been so long ago when Merlin tried to give his life to save Arthur's own? He'd been just as unworthy then as he was now. Maybe even less so. His pride had stood him in the way and it was always his pride that made Arthur a fool. The unicorn, the hunger of his people and the drought in the land.

All for the sake of a Unicorn's horn.

He snorted and shoved his hands into the pocket of his jacket, trying to warm the now friend-stained hands. He didn't even have a prize this time to hang on his wall, to put on display. No, just Merlin's dead body lying on a bed. And for what? An unmended shirt? A moment's ire at a man who had saved his life how many times? Magic or no, Merlin had been his servant, his friend and trusted companion.

Arthur didn't deserve him. He was starting to suspect he never had. ]

((ooc: Backdating the post to yesterday as I ended up crashing before I could get the post up. Action open to anyone who'd like to bother him at the beach or on the way there.))

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Why?

[ Arthur was never a coward, but even this gave him pause. This was no courageous death. There was no sense in killing Merlin. He had truly never understood the importance of that until now. ]

Just hurry on home. I'll explain everything once you get here.

[ better in person then over a faceless machine. She deserved that much; they both did. ]

[Theres a knot of dread that forms in Charlies stomach. Large and painful. She's seen today's curse and is now leaving the bookstore empty handed.]

Be home in five. What's wrong?

... You won't like it. It's better told in person. Just trust me.

[ and he'll be waiting in the family room when she gets home, standing by the window and staring off into the yard. He's done his best to clean up the mess. There hadn't been much. Arthur knew where to strike.

But the stains are never so easily forgotten. ]

...Okay.

[three minutes later, Charlie is home. She seeks Arthur out, looking borderline panicked but trying to play it off.]

What's wrong?

[Ginny spends a lot of her time outdoors, a product of her childhood and the best place to be when she's trying to clear her mind. And she flies for the familiarity of it, for letting instinct take over and mind drawing a blissful blank. But she isn't flying at the beach—the broom sits next to her on the sand and she's stretched out by it, flaming hair spread beneath her and eyes closed.

The City's chaotic today and she's got enough bad memories with being stabbed without adding to them. So out here is where she is.

Except she thinks she can hear someone coming.]

Arthur? It's Mercedes Thompson. What's going on? Is Merlin okay?

[Have a very worried Rain.]

Arthur?

What happened?

[ He immediately smoothed the lines of worry from his face before turning to face Rain. ] Happened? Nothing happened. At least nothing that shouldn't be fixed by morning.

[ he tried to smile reassuringly even though the tense line of his shoulders betrayed his unease. Nothing was fine at all. There would be no "fixing" this in the least. ]

[ he keeps his voice stiff and businesslike as he responds ]

I'm afraid he'll be out for the day. You weren't expecting him to work, were you?

[ And one would think Arthur would see the flaming red hair fanned out on the white sand, but he doesn't. At least not until he almost steps on Ginny first. ]

Ginny!

What are you --

[ he stopped and immediately took in the scene with the broom and the laying across the sand and everything and then he half bowed. ] Ah... my apologies. You came out here to be alone; I'll just leave you be.

[ and he immediately spun on his heel intending to walk away. After all, he had been looking for solitude, himself, and from the looks of it, Ginny had been hoping for the same. ]

[ Arthur gulped and turned, squaring his shoulders and taking full responsibility for his crimes. ]

I have bad news. I'm afraid... [ he took a deep breath and gestured to a chair. ]

You may want to sit down first. [ it's no disrespect to Charlie, but he's seen women faint before. He'd far rather have her leap out of her chair in anger, then faint and injure herself first. ]

[Charlie's no fainter but she sits anyway, watching Arthur.] Did something happen to Merlin or Ken?

[Yes, she's worried. She's watching Arthur carefully and not hiding any of her emotions at all. She wouldn't, by this point. Not around him. He was family and she trusted him to not judge her by her reactions.]

Are you alright?

[Toul goes to the beach to think. She had never been to one before coming to The City. But she likes seeing the waves and watching as the sun sets over them. Sometimes other people are here and she likes talking to them every so often, so when she sees Arthur, she recognizes him from a few weeks previous.]

It's such a beautiful place.

[But she's got reflexes sharper than one might expect and she would've rolled out of the way in time. Or said something. Instead, her hand shoots out and grabs the hem of his pantleg, eyes opening to peer up at him.]

Or you could come and join me. I don't care.

[There was a long pause on her end of the phone. Something was wrong. She could hear it in his voice and it made hers go a little cold.]

Is there something I should know?

[She reached out to stroke his arm gently, face still worried.]

But you're not okay.

I can hear how upset you are.

[ He held still a long moment, slowly reeling in his thoughts as he had kept his own vigil, his own thoughts. But he could no more ignore Toul then he could ignore his own repentance gnawing at his soul. ]

I suppose it could be, in the right circumstances. [ he shook his head and loosened his hands from where they had been folded behind his back, turning to take a look at Toul. ]

I see you've lost your companion. I hope she didn't cause you too much troubl the other day.

[ politeness, distance. He doesn't mean to convey those feelings, but he simply has other things on his mind. ]

[ his own expressions he's keeping a tight reign on. He must, if he's to get through this. ]

Yes, of course I'm fine, but...

[ he took another deep breath and then stared straight ahead, at the point just above Charlie's shoulder. ]

I'm afraid Merlin's dead. I killed him.

[ and then he held still, waiting for all holy hell to break loose. ]

[Charlie's quiet. Probably too quiet as she studies his face. This isn't the kind of thing Arthur or Merlin would joke about. They were too decent. Too kind-hearted, even if Arthur was a pain sometimes.

But she's waiting, as if maybe there is in fact a punchline. Something she missed. Maybe she misheard him.

When she finally realizes he's not lying, she stands. Slowly. She's shaking a bit, hands balled into fists. Her voice is flat when she speaks, words hissed out through clenched teeth and spoken carefully as if she was dealing with a complete idiot. And she can't even look at Arthur right now. Not that she doesn't want to. It's more she really shouldn't. The air around the both of them has heated some but she keeps that in check, eyes closed tight and breathing coming in rapid bursts before she calms enough to talk, the air cooling down some.]

Where's my husband, Arthur?

[ He stops mid turn at the tug on his hem, caught not just by her hand, but her invitation. How easy it would be to just sit down and let it all spill. He's known Ginny the longest of almost anyone else in the City. It would be easy.

But Arthur steeled his back and shook his head. ] I'm afraid I would not be the best company tonight. You should enjoy it, while it lasts.

I haven't been great company since my brother left.

[She can see something's bothering him, even from down here and even when he's brushing her off, but she knows the last thing she should do is ask about it. Not yet, anyway. Ginny flashes a slight grin, a little sheepish, but mostly warm.]

Wouldn't be a difference to me.

[ he can hear it and it's no less then Arthur deserves. ]

I'd rather not discuss the particulars over the phone, but you've been paying attention to the curse today, it shouldn't be difficult to guess.

[ which is his only salvation. He can hope that Merlin will return in the morning. And if he doesn't, Arthur would gladly risk his life to bring him back. ]

[ he had rather been hoping to keep that out of his voice. He smile turned half-hearted as he laid his hand on hers, griping it slightly harder then usual. ]

You always could tell my moods better then I, but there's nothing that can be done to change the past. I have to learn to live with this.

[ But he still didn't want to say it out loud again. She thought she was unworthy of him, but with this single act, he'd made himself far less worthy. He killed his best friend. And for what? An unmended shirt? ]

[ he waited, breath held and finally looking Charlie full in the face. The expected censor, the heat of her anger. He had expected all of these things and more. He had expected her to fight him, to demand a duel in Merlin's honor. She was just as fierce a warrior as any he had trained and no less honorable.

If he deserved death at anyone's hands, it was at hers. But he held his ground and if his voice trembled a little as he spoke, it was with grief and regret intermingled. Neither would ever be separated from this day, not for as long as he could remember. ]

I laid him to rest in your rooms. It was the least I could do. [ It was all he could do. There would be no state of mourning, no vigil through the long night. At least not as it should be. But what Arthur could do, Arthur would do. That much was a promise Arthur could keep. ]</small.

[ he was torn then, between leaving and staying, and the warmth of her smile simply clinched it. He sat, but not without some distance, facing the sea, rather then Ginny and looking ill at ease on the sand. ]

He was the last of your family still here, wasn't he? [ he wasn't sure what would be worse. To have all your family taken from you one by one, or to arrive here with no kin at all. ]

[The former was all she'd known. There were people from home when she first arrived in the City and time and time again, she had seen them come and go and come and, finally, go. Ginny nodded and lay back on the sand, voice a thoughtful hum.]

Yeah. But I've been here without family before. You lot make it bearable. [Then - ] The sand isn't going to bite you, you know.

[ It's a big house, and a big yard, but of course, Arthur's voice can be heard through all of it. Loud prat.

With spring on its way, Merlin's been occupying himself with tidying up the yard some. But apparently Arthur's really impatient, so with a snort, he drops it and goes to check what it is now. ]

All right, all right, I can hear you, stop shouting.

[She caught her breath, knowing instantly what he meant.]

Oh, Arthur.

[She struggled with her anger over Merlin's senseless killing, her empathy for Arthur and just how horrible he must be feeling right now, and her fear that Merlin will wake up tomorrow City dead.

All of which led her to being silent for a moment, trying to figure out what if anything to say.]

All right.

...

Let me know if there's anything I can do.

[She wrapped her arms around him. Whatever he had done, it was hurting him terrible and she couldn't stand that.]

I'm sorry.

[Charlie still can't look at Arthur directly. Even with her fire in check, she simply can't stand the sight of him. As stupid as it sounds,s he didn't see Arthur.

She saw Rainbird. She saw the man who'd befriended her, looked out for her while she was trapped and then took the most important person in her life away in an instant. She'll realize later that this isn't the same. That Arthur didn't plan this, it wasn't his fault. For now, she can't see past the flashbacks and the similarities.

She wants to hurt Arthur. Rid the City of him, even if it would just be temporary. But she can't. A microscopic part of her knows this was the result of a curse and keeps her from making a mistake.

She points at Arthur, taking a few steps towards him and remaining silent for a moment as she sorts out what she wants to say. But the words get lost and tangled and confused and somehow end up in her fist. And her fist, bony and small as it is, ends up flying at Arthur's face as hard as she can. Just one punch. Somehow, that was all she needed.

How 'bout them sparring lessons, Arthur?

Out of her system goes the desire to react horribly to her husbands death and she turns, racing away from Arthur and towards her husband. A door slams somewhere in the house and the animals go silent, sensing something is Wrong. They look from Arthur to where Charlie disappeared to before finally just vanishing to different parts of the house and Charlie won't be leaving her room for hours. She won't say anything, either. The occasional sob might be heard from her, but other than that? Nothing.]

Oh, yes. She was gone by the next day. Good for me, as I wasn't really sure if she liked me all that much. [It's a bit of a joke and she smiles. The polite distance is normal for Toul. While she's more affectionate, she's used to the nobility she served being far less emotionally involved. But still, something seems a bit off, not that she can tell what it is.]

Do you come out here often?

[ he's still stiff as he shakes his head, steeling himself to answer the question honestly. Hiding from the truth would do no one any favors. ]

I'm afraid not. I usually prefer the forest. [ however, he could hardly wander around there without neglecting his duty to Merlin completely. The vigil would be held even if Charlie hated him for it. It was just better to leave before she burnt down the house. ]

As for your friend, you may be right. She did seem to have a temper.

[ he held still, caught in a sudden shift and then he grimaced, laying back with his arms folded behind his head. ]

It still doesn't mean I have to like the sand.

[ but he fell silent and stared at the stars, not comforted in the least by their cold stare. ]

Is it truly bearable? [ he broke the silence, filling it when he well knew he should bear it stoically, when he should bear it with grim determination. Being alone had never once entered his thoughts and now it did nothing but fill them. ]

[ Arthur zooms in on that voice and makes his way towards the back door, in a high dudgeon indeed. ]

Well if you stayed near me I wouldn't have to shout!

[ but he gets to the point and holds up his shirt, pointing to a tear ] And just what do you think this is?

So now I need to be near you twenty-four seven again? I thought we were through that.

[ He gives a heavy sigh, but still looks at what's infuriated Arthur so. ]

A... tear? I'll fix it for you.

Most days.

[Her eyes remained closed as she answered after a considering pause. It was the truth, after all, because how else could she cope with being stuck in this place for so long? But then, she thought, there are the other days.]

Other days, it feels like it isn't enough. Depressing, I know. [She cracked a grin, one eye opening to look at him.] But they say this place runs off of misery. But I haven't gone mad yet. Suppose that's thanks to my social life.

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016 ♛ Curse: Ides of March (backdated to the 15th)

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