The Stables, Thursday Afternoon

[bitchprince]

After a fruitless morning spent throwing himself repeatedly at the end of a road (and shouting things at it, and demanding things of it, which as it turned out wasn't very effective) Arthur finally gave up on that avenue of things and guided his horse back into the stable. If he hadn't been antsy before, he certainly was now.

He stared at the horse's flank for more minutes than he'd be comfortable admitting to. There had to be something he could do - there weren't any sorcerers left on the island he could even consider trusting (which wasn't really new) and there didn't seem to be any other way home. Or... wherever Merlin had gone.

Except... portals.

And willing very hard wasn't going to call one of them to life.

Not for the first time, he felt utterly helpless and useless in this place, but now there was no one around to as much as make a bid at chasing off the despair that was threatening to crowd the rest of him.

He didn't like it. He tousled his own hair with one frustrated gesture.

[[ stables are open, as is this post! ]]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

"Not-Merlin," Francine answered as she followed his voice over. At least she had a ready-made excuse to flee when if the conversation ended up in Awkwardville like... every other conversation they'd ever had. "Is this your horse?"

[bitchprince]

"Yes," Arthur answered, automatically. Then added: "Merlin's... indisposed at the moment."

Yeah, even he was wincing internally at how that one sounded.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Indisposed?" Francine repeated. If that was code for somebody gave him a black eye too, there was gonna be some hot badgerfacing in the old town tonight. "Is he okay?"

[bitchprince]

Arthur had absolutely no idea. "He's gone," he clarified, after a moment. "Some of the causeway's magic has taken him. I'm looking to get him out."

You know, if she had any ideas she'd mind offering to him without him having to ask.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Gone??!" She was doing a lot of repeating today, but that one was pretty much unavoidable. Also, accompanied by a flailing bag of cookies. Please don't scare the horses, Francine. "What? When? How? Where?"

[bitchprince]

Arthur winced just the slightest bit. "On the causeway this morning," he said, tactfully. Was he going to have to subdue another hysterical woman? He had his own problems.

[thatsamilkshake]

Possibly, yes. Unlike Katchoo who didn't actually get hysterical, she just got murderous, especially when people accused her of being hysterical, Francine really was.

Then again, Francine had never traveled via the causeway, so she had only the vaguest idea how said magic worked. "What happened? Are you saying he disappeared? Or did he just go into the city?" Which had its own issues, because Lexington Park was a lot bigger than Fandom Island, and a medieval kid on a horse would stand out. To say the least.

[bitchprince]

"He vanished," he clarified, "But I'm looking into it. No need to worry."

Because Arthur was doing that enough for the both of them underneath about fifteen layers of determined-Knight and contained frustration.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Don't worry?" Yes, telling Francine that always worked. Once she got over the panic, she was possibly the best worrier in any dimension, thank you very much. "You're kidding, right?" Francine shook her head, then shoved her hair back out of her face with her non-cookies-holding hand.

"Why was he out on the causeway? Where were you going?" She knew you could get places that weren't Maryland from there, but from what she understood, Merlin and Arthur hadn't exactly had a lot of luck with that before. Still, knowing where they'd been trying to go might tell them where Merlin was.

[bitchprince]

"We were trying to return to Camelot," he said, which was all the explanation she should need. "I remained where I was, but he's vanished." Pause. "I'm not 'kidding'," he added. "There's no reason for concern. I'll-- deal with it."

Lots and lots of reason.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine needed a hell of a lot of explanation about trying to return to Camelot, actually, but the phrase threw her so off-guard that she entirely forgot to panic for at least five seconds. "You were trying to get someplace you haven't been able to get back to, and Merlin disappeared, and what if you got stuck there like you got stuck here? I-- We'd never have seen Merlin either of you again and never even know what happened to you!"

Okay, three point seven seconds.

[bitchprince]

Oh, brilliant. "I realise that," Arthur said, tactfully, "But there's more important things to focus on right now." Like how to get Merlin back or, ideally, the both of them to Camelot.

Actually, ideally would've involved him in Camelot and Merlin here, where he wouldn't wind up dead of his own stupidity.

He caught himself before he said something stupid, like, I'll make sure to get him back to you.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine opened her mouth to argue that point, then took a deep breath and acknowledged he was right.

So she went back to arguing the other point. "Okay, yes. Like trying to get him back. What do you mean you'll deal with it? Do you know how?"

[bitchprince]

At least she wasn't throwing another fit at him. "I'll-- see what the Lady of the Castle knows about the causeway," Arthur said, smartly, because that would be very reassuring.

[thatsamilkshake]

"...Who?" Not one of Francine's quicker-on-the-uptake moments.

[bitchprince]

"The Lady Zoe," Arthur corrected, somewhat irritably. "If anyone should know why Merlin's gone missing, it will be her."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Oh." As you might imagine, this was a word with which Francine was extremely familiar. "Principal Washburn. Uh, Winchester, I mean. That's a good idea, yeah." Not that it erased the worry-line between her eyes, but it might have softened a little.

Which yes, meant she had more faith in Zoe's ability to do something about the problem than Arthur's, but can you blame her?

[bitchprince]

Arthur would be incredibly offended if he wasn't as completely lost for any solutions as he was right now. This entire island was like a concentrated assault on his pride. "I know it's a good idea," he said, to save said pride, "So I'm going to get to that, and you'll return-- to your business."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine sighed. "My business was sharing some snickerdoodles with Merlin. That's kind of out now. You can have some if you want, though."

[bitchprince]

"..."

Arthur eyed her.

"Absolutely not," he said.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine looked slightly hurt. "Why not? There's nothing wrong with my snickerdoodles." It's the ones from the Junior Achievers Bakesale you have to watch out for.

[bitchprince]

"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your... snickerdoodles," Arthur said. Politely.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I guess I could go have snickerdoodles by myself," she said, "But it's just not the same." Though it would mean more snickerdoodles for her. "You sure you don't want any?" This time, though, she held up the bag of cookies.

[bitchprince]

Arthur would just be over here, trying not to stare, thank you. "No, thank you," he said, "I'm not hungry. I..."

He did not look awkward in the slightest, thank you. "Need to speak with the Lady Zoe. I'll make sure you're kept informed of whatever happens."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine, on the other hand, looked like she wanted to do what she always did in situations where she was worried out of her mind. Namely, flee, so she could eat the entire bag of cookies, half a gallon of milk, and whatever else she might find in the refrigerator. Any refrigerator.

At Arthur's last words, though, the tension in her face softened for a moment. "Thank you."

[bitchprince]

Arthur and thanks never really did blend well. He merely nodded at her, curtly. "Francine," he said, which was a dismissal and some recognition at the same time.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I'll just..." Oh, for [word she learned from Katchoo but sadly how not to conjugate it properly]'s sake. She wasn't glued to anything this time either, and for once, she could take a damn cue to go. "Yeah. Bye, Arthur."

Despite some interested sniffing as she passed the horses' stalls, she managed to escape with both her composure and her snickerdoodles intact.