paradisa | 89 Swords in the Stone

[a pause; he's a bit surprised to see this. ]

Ah...

Of course. Where...would you like to meet?

If it is an inconvenience to meet you elsewhere, you may simply tell me your current location.

[He's seeking you out after all, they're gonna do it your way]

Um..

[a quick pause as he thinks. He's not sure what this is about but public might be bad if it's something serious like Morgana]

I'm at my fla- my apartment right now. Do you know where that is?

...No.

[He says it like he thinks it's weird Allen would have expected him to know. He's got memory gaps like swiss cheese]

[Hey he's just making sure. He never directly told Arthur, but knowing their mutual friends it's entirely possible they did. Though he doesn't sound surprised when Arthur says that. ]

All right, it's [Insert address and quick directions]

I'll be there.

Edited 2012-08-30 05:42 (UTC)

[He figured Allen's presence was kind of a given, but he closes the journal regardless instead of responding and heads out.

It'll take him a bit, until he finally knocks on the apartment door]

[Allen takes this time to prepare himself. Part of him immediately regrets agreeing to have him meet at his apartment. This was a place that he choose because it had nothing to do with him, and then he invited him here? God, what an idiot he is.]

[But there's nothing he can do about that now, so he quickly cleans up the main living area, shoving take out boxes into the trash can until the lid can barely stay on, putting the dirty plate pile underneath in the sink cabinet so it doesn't LOOK like he hasn't washed dishes in a couple days. Random odds and ends? Well they are meeting their new home in the closet. In the end the place certainly isn't CLEAN, but he hopes it looks like he's managing just fine if the reason Arthur came by was to continue their fight the other day and explain just how inept Allen is.]

[He then checks a mirror for his appearance. Sleeveless black shirt because of the heat and he was planning to stick close to home, long pants. He ponders throwing on something more formal, to cover more, but then he decides against it. His arm was never something he had to hide from Arthur. Though he does try to do his best to put his hair into a neat pony tail, one that makes it a bit less obvious how long his hair has gotten...well, if it wasn't for the annoying bangs he should really get around to trimming one of these days but didn't have time to do so right now. ]

[By the time Arthur knocks on the door, Allen feels as ready as he could feel. He takes a deep breath, nods to himself and walks straight to the door. When he opens it, Arthur receives a polite smile with eye contact]

Hello, Arthur.

[The level of sad he would have claimed you'd reached, if he'd known about this, would have broken critical mass. It's...Alright, Arthur would have definitely been more than grossed out by the dishes, and the take out, and the general aura of dust, if he'd seen it.

As it is, he only takes in his surroundings with the vaguest of pauses, it's not really why he's here after all. He aims for distant, but polite in his return]

Hello. Are you well?

Ah...[So many ways to answer, but of course he goes for the polite smile] Yes, of course. Thank you for asking. Are you?

And, um, would you like to come in? [Opening the door a bit more to invite him in]

I'm pleased to hear so. [The answer to the question, is immediate]

Fine. [He tries to curb the blunt edge to the word, a little bit. Tries to shake the tension out of his shoulders, he should get like, points for effort right? But after three years, could Allen really have expected any other answer?

He steps inside when it's offered, but lingers a little awkwardly inside the doorway. This isn't like visiting Ino, he can't just wander around like he owns the place. This was the worst idea]

[Of course he can tell. He bites his lip a little, trying to figure out how to best approach it since it's not like he can directly call Arthur on his BS anymore] Ah, really>

[He shuts the door behind him, also feeling like this was the worst idea. Should've met at a coffee shop, or kept it over the journal. ] Ah...make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink? Water? Hot chocolate?

Yes, of course. I remain uninjured, and so does the greater part of the castle grounds. [It's just, you know, he can't shake the feeling that it's just like Gwaine's died, and they've been mourning him accordingly]

You haven't any wine? [That...Is completely the weirdest thing he's ever heard, but after a moment of mulling it over and heading towards the couch, he'll give off hesitantly, like he's not quite sure why he enjoys it so much] ...Hot chocolate. Please.

[The last is an after thought]

[....r i g h t] Well, I suppose the preservation of the castle grounds is always a good thing.

I can't drink alcohol. [It will never stop feeling surreal, needing to explain those things to him, but he nods and heads to the kitchen area to go make it] All right.

Would you prefer her to have gone after the city residents instead?

[He'll just...Sit at the very edge of the couch, still stiff, awkward and he feels out of place on something that looks worn in and cozy, instead of just...Impersonal] Everyone can drink alcohol.

No, of course not. I take it this means things went well with her, then?

[Arthur you are so awkward] Well I can't. I get sick and pass out from the mere smell of it.

As well as they ever will, I believe.

[Shut up Allen, he's flawless] ...You have something very wrong with you.

I see. [That's...well, better than it could be? Things are so complicated these days]

[Awkwaaard. He makes an annoyed noise] What? That's rude- it's not like I even need alcohol in my life!

[He drops that line of conversation like he's being paid over six figures to do it. But his lips press into a thin line.

This is the worst apology time ever] No one gets sick over wine. It is one of few acceptable substances. Are you almost done?

Lots of people get sick over wine, Arthur. And yes, it's almost ready.

Being and idiot and becoming drunk are not the same thing.

I know it's not! I'm not stupid, Arthur!

[This is the face that says he doesn't believe you.

But he doesn't like small talk much, so he's using it as an excuse to end the conversation until Allen gets in there with the chocolate]

[Praaaat]

[But fine whatever. A couple minutes later, he'll be coming over with two mugs. He holds out the one with hot chocolate for Arthur, made as he always liked it. His own mug has a bag of tea soaking in it. ]

Here you are.

Edited 2012-09-05 05:08 (UTC)

[He accepts it easily, wrapping both his hands around the mug, appreciating the heat and dragging it up closer to his face, so he can blow cool air on it and collect his thoughts a little]

Thank you.

[Left field time!] I should not have yelled at you, as I did.

[he was sitting in an armchair, still holding onto the cup. He looks up a bit surprised when Arthur says that]

...You mean the last time we spoke?

[He nods, even if he'll clarify verbally as well] Yes. Though I do not believe I was wrong in my opinion, not entirely, at least.

[He had points, and he's not going to admit otherwise just to smooth things over. And he looks, just the littlest like he'd rather not continue this conversation] I could have handled...That with a lot more grace.

Ah...yes. You weren't exactly at your most graceful. Though, I understand why you wouldn't be.

[Since you know, crazy sister and all. He's not the least bit surprised that Arthur still stands by his opinion. Though he will ask one bit]

Do you still think me a coward for not seeking her out in person?

Perhaps in part. After all, I certainly did.

[His mouth thins a little bit] But she would not have reacted kindly, so I can't look down upon your choices entirely. She still deserved to be told separately, however.

[The forest might have thanked you for it, at any rate] You understanding doesn't excuse my actions. It is not your fault, that you were first aware of his absence. That was mine.

[he gives you a bit of a look. You're so not a good gauge of what is brave and what's just plain insane you reckless original shonen, but he bites his tongue for now]

Because you were on the expedition?

[Well, that's just rude Allen. He'll take a tentative sip of his hot chocolate, surprised at how absolutely perfect it is, in terms of what he likes.

This is gauging on a little too personal for his tastes. The expedition would be the easy answer, the perfect cover, but he's never been any good at making himself less responsible. Because really, where else would Gwaine have been if not for this?] Because I cast him away.

[He notes that little bit of surprise, but says nothing about it, instead taking a small sip of his tea. ]

[And maybe it is personal, but it's a much better answer than the expedition. Saying that would've probably prompted Allen to call you an idiot. Now, he nods. ]

...He was staying here. [he has no idea if you knew that or not] That's why I noticed first.

I was not even aware you were friends. [Oh god, ouch. His mouth thins again briefly, and he finds it harder to smooth out his expression this time.

The worst part is that he can't even blame Allen for this. He'd had plenty of opportunities to pay attention to Gwaine, to reconcile and he'd taken none of them. Not even when Morgana came forth to speak on his behalf.

That's on no ones shoulders but Arthur's]I must admit, I expected him to turn towards Morgana.

You're not aware of most things about me, Arthur. Not anymore. [He says this calmly, though there is still a bit of sadness in his tone that he can't fully keep out.]

[He sets down his cup onto the table and looks at Arthur.]

Gwaine wished to stay with Morgana, but I insisted he stayed here. A little bit forcefully, actually.

...He was very sick, you see. I was trying to treat him.

[Because he's trying to apologize, because they're having a conversation for reasons that Arthur can't name, he doesn't say what's on the tip of his tongue. That Allen wasn't even the important part of the equation, the part that made the fact that he didn't know something so simple, so painful.

But his fingers clench tight around the mug at the knowledge that follow. The pads of his fingers turn white, and jaw works with tension]

I don't care. [It comes out easy, and it's mostly even true. He doesn't want to know, because he doesn't want to have to tell her. Because it's easier not to think about what might happen to Gwaine in the future at home, where the medical skills are subpar at best. Because it doesn't even matter any more] He's gone.

[But it comes out sounding like 'he's dead']

[He falls into silence for a moment, before speaking. His voice is quiet.]

...He would've tried to play it off as no big deal, that's how he was. But...he probably would have been happy to reconcile with you.

Okay, perhaps after a hit or something first, but he still thought the world of you.

Though...[he shakes his head] it's not your fault the castle choose when it's did. I know you're always slow with those sorts of things.

Edited 2012-09-14 05:20 (UTC)

[His mouth twists, like a smile, but it isn't pretty] Gwaine always was a bit of an idiot.

[He takes another sip and tries to let the moment pass, to ease up a little before he tries to continue] But he did not think the world of me, as you say. He loved me, but he did not think well of me.

They don't have to go hand in hand, Allen. [He ignores the last part, because really? It's his fault any way he looks at it. The castle couldn't have sent Gwaine at a bad time, if Arthur hadn't made one]

[Well yes, he was. But that was Gwaine for you]

I know that. I was trying to save some of his image by not saying 'love'.

[though he won't press, he noticed how you ignored that last part. He still believes Gwaine highly looked up to Arthur, that's why all this mattered so much. But saying all that might be just twisting a knife for no good reason]

I do not see why you'd feel the need to.

[It has no weird connotations that you seem to think it does, but he shrugs it off. He doesn't really care why] It would have been useless, at any rate. He told me himself.

[And he didn't handle it gracefully then, either. Awkward and humbled by the gesture. No, Gwaine could have held no high opinion of him. He'd behaved like he didn't often enough, and certainly with good reason. Arthur had never given him a reason to]

...I see. I hadn't realised that.

[Allen picks up his cup again, focusing on it. Even if the situations and feelings were entirely different, there's still a little bit of jealousy that Gwaine could do that. Allen had long lost that chance that he had to do so. Now it would be as good as telling air.]

He would irritate me a lot but...I'll miss having him around.

It wasn't any business of yours.

[It's something he found touching, humbling even, because a part of Arthur will never feel deserving of it. A feeling only compounded now, after all of this. But subjects loved their rulers most often, knights their brothers in arms, but it wasn't something he would have found too shocking to hear. Had it come from anyone but Gwaine, at any rate]

He irritates everyone, with his near incessant chatter. [A beat, he'd really like to change the subject now. He'll just...try being subtle, by changing direction] His things, I wish to see them.

[The last part surprises him]

Huh? Why?

Because they are not yours.

[It's hard to talk about reasoning, when most people here didn't care about titles, and only became offended by the presumptions that things would belong to them next, naturally]

[He frowns]

No, but unless he still had some of your shirts, they're not yours either.

[Sorry Arthur you're gonna need more explanation than that]

You're presuming all he took from me were my shirts, or that he ever bothered to return them.

[He helped himself to weaponry, entertainment, pants, jackets...Kind of a necessity here. He's not interested in the things he got from others. But he's also very interested in something else, and if it's around, he's certainly not leaving it to Allen]

[He sighs]

Fine. I'll lead you there.

[He sets down his cup and moves for the stairs]

[He's taking his mug with him, stubbornly. When you get hot chocolate this good you don't just let go, wtf]

Thank you.

[he is flattered you are that in love with the hot chocolate Arthur]

It's...no trouble.

[it's just showing a room after all. He'll reach the top of the stairs and take a few steps before opening one of the bedroom doors. It was clearly a guest bedroom, but some of Gwaine's stuff is definitely still in there....and some medical equipment still left over]

Here we are.

[He would marry it, if he was allowed.

He doesn't understand the equipment and so except for looking uneasy at them, he doesn't do much in response, simply turns away from it and starts to go through the things he's started thinking of as distinctly Gwaine's]

[Allen just stands in the doorway and watches]

89 Swords in the Stone

Arthur;

[Allen Walker;]

[Arthur;]

[Allen Walker;]

[Arthur;]

[Allen Walker;]

House filter FOREVER

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