ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs sɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ɪᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ

[impetuous]

Morgana.

[ He doesn't think she will need anything else. ]

Comments

[impetuous]

Where's he staying now? Do you know?

[scinlae]

I do, providing he has not moved again. [ Which would not surprise her, their relationship is on unsteady ground. ]

[impetuous]

I'll talk to him.

[ A pause and he clarifies: ] I'll talk to him first.

[scinlae]

[ She opens her mouth to protest before closing it again and nodding. ]

Very well.

[impetuous]

Let's sit. You can tell me what else I've missed.

[scinlae]

Little else. [ Nevertheless she takes his hand and leads him to the bed, to sit of course. ]

There are two Merlin's, one of our Camelot and one of another. The second is older, vastly different than the one we know. [ A beat. ] And Igraine, Arthur's mother though only in name, she has come from the second Merlin's world and Arthur has accepted her as his mother.

[impetuous]

[ 'We know?' ]

Who's Merlin?

[scinlae]

[ Morgana blinks, the look she gives him torn between disbelief and utter confusion.

It couldn't be... ]

Merlin, Arthur's servant? [ Emrys, her enemy, the one who poisoned her. ] He is your friend.

[impetuous]

You do remember how many servants Arthur has? [ You know. Because of the whole king thing. And also: ] I don't think the man can put on shoes without help.

[scinlae]

Merlin goes where ever Arthur does, it is impossible not to see one without the other.

[impetuous]

[ Nope. Sorry. Brain connection fail. ]

[scinlae]

[ She stares at him for a few moments in silence. ]

Paradisa... it must've taken your memories of him. [ No, that is not relief you hear that it was not memories of her that were taken. ]

[impetuous]

You sound relieved.

[scinlae]

[ ...Crap.

She looks away from him, focusing instead on the nearby floor. ]

I ─

[ Really really am. ]

Call me selfish and cruel if you wish, but part of me is glad it was not me you forgot.

[impetuous]

[ Call him selfish and cruel, but part of him wishes he had. But he gives no impression of this as he again opts for joking. He tugs on his chain. ]

How else would I have got this back?

[scinlae]

[ She inhales deeply, gaze fixed on the floor, fingers picking at the fabric of her dress. ]

It would have been returned to you, even if you had no memory of the woman you gave it to.

[impetuous]

That's very kind of you, my lady. [ He nudges her knee with his. ] Is the floor so much more interesting than me?

[scinlae]

It wouldn't be right to keep it. [ She swallows the lump forming in her throat and forces herself to look at him again. ] No.

[ But something doesn't feel right, it feels as if there is a wedge stuck between them now. A wound stopping them from falling back on what they had been.

She is scared, she realizes, she is scared that perhaps his feelings will change. That her actions will harm them, that because of her things between them will never properly be the same. ]

[impetuous]

[ Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he draws her toward him. He rubs her arm. ]

[scinlae]

[ A false start, words vanishing before she has the chance to speak then, and she sighs leaning into him. She rests her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment.

Despite her feelings, despite the uncomfortable twist settling in her stomach, it feels good to have his arms around her again. ]

[impetuous]

[ Part of him wants to stay with her; another wants to push her away. It feels much like being trapped again and he's only ever mastered one response to that--running.

Thanks, castle, he really didn't the extra memories right now. ]

You said it's been a few months. Anyone who's left? [ Anyone he knows? ]

[scinlae]

[ She would not blame him if he pushed her away, she could not blame him. It would hurt but he has that right, after what she had done to him. ]

I cannot say. [ She paid little attention to the comings and goes, she found herself no longer caring. ]

[impetuous]

Guess I have a few filters to make then.

[scinlae]

You are quite lucky.

[impetuous]

That's one word for it.