second; dictated/action

[magicus]

[ 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! )

Comments

[magicus]

[ He avoids laughing, but only marginally. ]

Well, no, not a real one. But I'm sure he could be if it was a real title.

What have you got where you're from? [ He's genuinely curious. He's heard about democracies, and as far as he can tell they sound like a hot mess. ]

[the_effect_she_has]

Hm. You know for the amount of royalty we have around here, it's a damned shame we only have one castle and no throne.

[... Here there is a notable pause.]

We have presidents - however we're probably in the middle of a fast and dirty climb for power. Both the sitting and the incumbent presidents are both dead.

[magicus]

It is. I'm surprised they haven't started fighting over it, though it seems like a few are certainly about to.

Dead? How are they both dead at once?

[the_effect_she_has]

Great. Then I guess we get to crown the King or Queen of the Cabbage Heads, because that's certainly what they are if they think they control this place.

[Another pause.] One of them was assassinated. The other one died laughing at his own execution. They both happened minutes after one another.

[magicus]

[ He grins at the first part, but the second does a pretty good job of wiping it off his face. ]

And I thought Camelot was exciting. But I'm sorry to hear that; were they much loved?

[the_effect_she_has]

[She pressed her lips together.]

No, I can honestly say they were not loved. So the only loss was their own.

[magicus]

[ He knew one tyrant, unintentionally aided in his demise, and even then he felt sympathy. He can't easily imagine how horrible someone must have been to inspire such apathy. ]

They must have been very poor leaders. [ Stating the obvious. ]

Who replaces your presidents, then? Their sons and daughters? Or were they killed by other presidents intent on seizing the throne?

[ Sorry for the 20 questions, Katniss. ]

[the_effect_she_has]

Yes ... they were. They were monsters. [That is said with utter conviction.]

[She shook her head.] No, for the most part they were elected. This particular switch of power was our most bloody in the last seventy-five years. We were in the middle of a revolution.