paradisa | second; dictated/action

[ Merlin hadn't really expected to ever be running inane errands for Arthur again (for more reason than one), but he took to it with thrilled enthusiasm at the start. It was familiar, and it was simple, and-

Well, it got old after a few days, actually. And it's particularly old right now. He's attempting to carry a tenuously high stack of books back from the castle's library to Arthur's house (which, Arthur living in a house when there's a castle nearby, how's that for backwards) when he trips in the snow and sends the books and himself sprawling.

He only looks mildly chagrined as he goes to collect the books, some of which have more or less vanished into a snowbank. His journal happens to be one of them, and no, he's not aware it's open. ]

- perfect, now he'll call me an idiot for ruining the pages. Probably doesn't even read them. Don't know if anybody's told you, Arthur, but you aren't exactly busy being a king here. If you really wanted to read, you could go to the library like a normal person instead of just keeping books round the house to make you look intelligent.

[ Then, a bit more distracted and muttered under his breath as he focuses on one of the books: ]

King of Cabbage Heads, maybe.

[ Okay, so he might be more than mildly chagrined. He's also crouched down and testing out drying one of the books with magic, but if anyone sees him, he just looks like he's focusing very hard on a ruined book. ]

( ooc: open to action or over the journal! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She screams. She screams long and hard, she screams obscenities no lady should even know, let alone say, she screams for God to smite him down. Then she rips out the page and throws her journal in the fire.

That ends that conversation. ]

[ And now it's his turn for stunned silence, because - yes, he went too far, and he hadn't even meant to say half of what he'd said. To have everything he'd done be invalidated by some future queen was frustrating, but it didn't justify that sort of backlash; not out of respect for her as a queen, but just out of common sense and basic decency.

The reaction is still shocking, and the declaration of the unflattering title is only the least of it. He's about to shout out a startled apology when it's interrupted by a loud scream, and then the sound of a page tearing. He's left staring at the page, then, because - what the hell actually just happened? ]

[HE IS SITTING HERE GLADLY ENJOYING HIS QUIET TIME when he hears screaming. What the ever loving fuck...

So he goes digging in the journal and sees Anne's reaction to something and reads up and...

What the fuck.]

What possessed you in that thick head of yours to call her a fraud? [And he sounds pissed.]

[ He's still recovering from the shock of her exit from the conversation, so it takes him a moment to reply. There's definitely no more attitude in his voice, though the words might imply otherwise. ]

She called me one first.

[ Hey, it's the truth, and it's only spoken as a stunned observation. ]

[And yes he's just going to mentally facepalm at that. Really? REALLY?]

Just how old are you? [YOU SOUND LIKE A FIVE YEAR OLD.] She's a queen, show some respect even if she is without her country.

[ There's another beat of silence as he regains some of his composure, actually tunes into this conversation.

Part of him is getting very tired of being lectured by strangers, which - it's odd to think of another him as a stranger, but how much does he know of his life, really? There seem to be more differences than similarities. ]

Even kings and queens need to earn respect. She hasn't. [ He knows he crossed a line, so he doesn't sound as combative as he could. But oh, what a lovely Camelot he must come from to think that. ]

Look, I know I was an idiot, but that still doesn't explain - that. This isn't the first time I've insulted her.

[ Not as though that's really a plus in his favor. But still, she never responded this badly before. ]

[Yes well he wouldn't be getting lectured by strangers if he thought some before speaking. It's something he'd have thought this Merlin would have learned by now.]

No but they do have a certain level of courtesy and respect they are used to with their station. And that should be given to them. [He knows what lines to cross, calling someone a fraud just because they insulted you is one of them.

And now he's just sighing.]

It's not terribly difficult to do so. From what I can tell she can't call herself queen [This just confirmed that...] and she blamed me for it. This doesn't mean we can insult her as we like.

[Just unintentionally.]

[ He'd like to argue, but even he can recognize he's being petty. ]

You're right.

[ And then he's quiet, considering that last bit. It's a strange thing, for her not to be able to call herself queen. Is it really that important to her? ]

Is that her loss? [ Still trying to get a handle on how they work. He's starting to have some suspicions about what his might be, unfortunately. He hopes he's wrong. ]

second; dictated/action

Merlin

Anne Boleyn

Merlin;

Merlin; oh GOD NOT THIS AGAIN

Merlin; YUP GOD AND IT'LL NEVER STOP

Merlin FOREVER THERE

MERLIN FINE THEN

now i kind of miss it