fandomhighdorms | Magic Reserves, Preserve by the Cabins, Wednesday Afternoon

Snacks were in sealed packages again, and an umbrella was duct-taped to the table to protect the food from any sudden showers. Unfortunately, the packages were already a bit damp, as the Turtle and Canary clerk had been in a foul mood.

"Weather!" Tony said. "Do you plan for it? Use it? Can it disrupt your casting?"

"Like storms to through off your opponents in a fight and the like!" Merlin added, an obnoxiously cheerful rainbow over his head. One that was suddenly shrouded in gray, dark rainclouds. "Or winds to keep them back."

No reason.

It was mostly sunny where Karla was standing, with occasional wisps of clouds. "How does weather affect any rituals you need for your casting?" she continued. "What are some ways you've learned to work around--or with--the weather. Are any of your spells dependent upon certain natural phenomena, like the moon phases or the time of year?"

"Please, feel free to share with everyone and--er--perhaps if anyone knows how to conjure an umbrella, it would be helpful?" Merlin added.

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"Zack's a decent fighter, but he's hardly the only one," Arthur said, shooting him a glance. "He should have done it himself. Or gone out fighting."

"Things usually aren't that simple," Merlin replied with a sigh.

"It's not about what is or isn't simple," Arthur said, his clouds flaring up dangerously. So maybe this had gotten to him. "It's about what's right, as a leader."

"Which you don't know unless you were in his situation."

"I know nearly tearing your men to shreds isn't the right thing."

"And if the alternative was worse?"

Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "I-- it can't have been the only way." ... he was perhaps taking it a bit personally.

Just a bit.

"Why does this bother you so much?"

Arthur paused, and rubbed at his eyes for a moment. Mostly out of frustration. "He's one of my men."

Half-answer.

"And that's all." Dubious Merlin was dubious.

"...Yeah."

His clouds were shifting to a more subdued, thoughtful grey.

"I don't know."

Merlin did the unthinkable and actually held is tongue in hopes Arthur would continue on this thought process. It was a very difficult task, though.

"What if it was me?" he asked, finally. Merlin might have ascertained himself of his fate if Arthur ever wound up in Zack's position, but that was hardly... whatever.

"If you were a danger?" Merlin asked slowly.

"Not to Camelot," he said, after a moment. "Never to Camelot."

Pause.

"Not again, at least."

"You're a strange man," Merlin informed him, snagging him by his shirtsleeve. Because that was more easily explained away than hand holding.

Arthur shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't like he was any good at putting to words things that were mostly feelings and a lot of misidentification (or right-identification) and... stuff.

His father would think his attitude to magic was criminal. And... such. It was a jumble. "You're hardly one to talk," he muttered.

"We can talk in private, yeah?" Might be for the best considering this conversation.

"You are such a girl," Arthur muttered, glancing towards the preserve.

Merlin closed his hand around Arthur's forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Prat."

"Well, go on then," Arthur said. He wasn't at all hiding any discomfort by starting to walk.

"Tell me what's the matter," Merlin said following him obediently.

"I told you," Arthur said, sighing as they reached the relative anonymity of the forest, "I don't. Know. It's just one of those..."

He made a gesture with his hand. "...You know."

Feelings, Arthur. The word you were looking for was 'feelings'.

Merlin leaned forward and kissed him for real this time. "It won't be you. I would never let it come to that."

"If we get back," Arthur muttered, halting uncharacteristically. "...Nevermind."

He kissed Merlin back, instead.

Re: Talk to the Leaders

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