[ "it isn't as weird as you", she'd say... this seems to be a common line between the two of them. but she doesn't say it. if she had widget on, he would probably say it out loud for her.
it was weird at first... to hear people's emotions. her hearing is already sensitive as it is, but to hear foreign sounds that shouldn't even be heard. . . it's unnatural. but she only thought it as strange for a short while because hearing emotions became a very painful experience for her. it's only just a few years ago that she was able to control her ability, more or less. and she's begun to look at this as a gift, and not a curse. ]
It was scary when you were angry... but it's not weird, hearing your heart. Hearing people's emotions. [ she shakes her head slowly and takes another sip.
when she sets the cup down on its saucer, she begins to fidget again. ]
[ It sounds similar to how controlling his magic was at the start. Confused when objects move or even stop in midair. When time stops and no one else can see it. The rush of power in your fingertips and the knowledge that no one else around you experiences it. He leans forward, gravitates towards her.
It isn't the same thing at all, but he understands more than others might. Maybe. Possibly. ]
I don't get angry that often. [ Does he? He doesn't think so, at least. He might have to bottle things up, but being stubborn means he fights through things and rarely ends up in a situation that's frustrating enough to be angry. Nimueh made him angry. Whoever sent them to that black hole part of the city made him angry.
She never does. ] Sorry though, I don't imagine it sounds that good. [ But ah.
God. What.
Help him. Someone just-- ]
I'm nervous. [ It comes out softly. Cracks. His eyes look down at his hands, watches as he twists them together. He wants to hold her hand right now, maybe it'll give him a better indication of whether she's just as nervous or if this whole weird...ness is just in his head. ]
[ it isn't good. it's the same as the sounds of doors opening late at night while the rain is pouring outside; the sound of thunder; the sound of destruction. but... she doesn't need to tell him that. if he gets a better idea of what she hears, then he might feel even worse, and that's not what she wants.
it's amazing how she's being so honest right now. it actually feels nice saying all these things out loud. the only thing that she hasn't explicitly said is that she likes him, and she won't. he might be happy when she's around, but that could just be because he values their friendship more than anything else. as she told iris, she'd really rather not know what he thinks of her.
maybe it's because his emotions are music to her ears that she just keeps saying what's in her heart, to keep it playing over and over. ]
You don't have to be. [ she laughs amiably. ] I'm sorry?
[ If he had any say on it, he might say that's more fitting to him than bells, though his magic has both worlds, honestly. Destruction and life. He did master the power of life and death itself, took a life to save a life. A mix of both.
He really can't think straight about this right now though, thankfully even if he says he's nervous the sounds of joy are definitely overriding that. ]
You don't have to be. [ He says back, trying to not laugh through it. He explains himself better though. ] I don't mind it. That you can hear it's just.
[ He makes a noise in the back of his throat and looks down at his outfit. ]
The plastic doesn't look as good as the real thing but... that's also heavy. [ He doesn't think his corazón could take the extra weight right now. ] And my sword is flashier.
[ Except it isn't his rightful sword it's Arthur's but whatever... He doesn't know how else to reply to this other than to ramble out. ]
Not to mention you told me to try this one day. [ With that note. That doodle.
[ Athena........?! He stares at her for a long moment, utterly perplexed.
Then again should he really be surprised? It was during the post it things, wasn't it so...
maybe it doesn't matter. ]
You forgot? [ Then again, she doesn't have it pinned up in her bedroom, does she? It's easier for her to forget. It's been ... 2 weeks? He doesn't remember. Learning how to time is hard. Though the days of the week are the same maybe it doesn't matter. ]
Well, a lot of things happened! [ she looks around the room, finding this situation to be an awkward one now. ] It slipped my mind, that's all.
[ and once again, she has to apologise. he seems upset?
she does have the post it kept in a box, but it's not something that's on her bulletin board... she really should pay more attention to detail, though. this was a slip up. mistakes happen. ]
[ Well he isn't upset... just more... amazed??? He can't imagine that the doodle took an incredibly short amount of time considering it was coloured too but wow. Okay.
Besides, a lot of things did happen. ]
What am I going to do with you? [ He shakes his head. Judge her, apparently... ]
...Could? [ ATHENA.................. He's really glad she changes that to something else because he isn't sure how he'd need to reply otherwise. This is safer. ]
[ with that, she gets up and dusts off her skirt before heading to the back. she does take a while, again, because as she said, she decides to tidy up the room. she's careful when she undresses so she doesn't ruin her hairstyle. it might not mean nothing to him, but it means a lot to her.
she comes back out later on wearing her casual clothes - a grey pullover, purple tights, and boots. she doesn't sit back down, but instead, sets her bag on the counter and pulls out her cerevice. ]
Hey, Merlin.
[ when he looks, she immediately takes a picture. ]
You don't need to, I can do it when-- [ But then she's walking away anyway, leaving him to sit playing around with his CereVice. He's seen people do something where the picture at the back is personalised, so he tries to sort that out in the meantime (it isn't going well) when Athen returns.
He looks up as she suspects he will and is about to open his mouth to ask if she's finished when she takes a picture. He blinks, once, twice then squints at her. ]
[ There are a bunch of questions he could ask about that, but he stays silent. Stays still. His ribs hurt. After swallowing the last of his tea he pushes himself up to stand. ]
Documenting the evening? [ It's the least crazy question he can think of, so he rolls with it. ] I'll be quick, anyway. I'm sure getting this off will be easier than getting it on no wonder Arthur needs so much help with it
[ Way to make it creepier than it really is... He picks up the crown and the sword, sliding the crown onto his arm, holding the sword. ]
Thanks.
[ She's moved some stuff around in the back but thankfully it's easy enough to put everything away and find his original clothes of the day anyway. They're tucked aside for closing. He pulls them on quickly enough, even if buttons on shirts are an entirely new concept. There are too many of them so he gives up when the shirt is high enough. He shoves his CereVice in his pocket again and grabs his credits card along with anything else he brought with him, shoving them into his jacket that he pulls on.
After a quick sweep over to make sure everything's tidied away he walks back out. ]
[ she cleans up at the cafe proper while he's away, even turning the open sign by the door to say the cafe's closed. the kitchen staff seemed to be just as bored as they were, playing card games when athena entered. she told them that they could go since nobody's really coming and they're closing anyway, and the lights in that part of the cafe get switched off when they leave.
when merlin gets back, the lights have been dimmed a bit as only a couple of lights are on. she's by the cash register where they swipe their cards, but there aren't any open tabs anymore. ]
You paid for my stuff? [ sorry, did you ask something, because she's asking you something else. ] I was supposed to do it.
[ Ah... he actually forgot about that. They're doing so well today. He pauses by the back door, leaning against it before he steps forward. Right. The tea. The cake. ]
I already have enough credits again and... [ And what? Exactly? Why is it so dark in here? Or at least it feels like it when she's definitely annoyed. ] You can pay me back with something else I just didn't want to forget while I was already there--I mean we were pretty caug--nevermind.
[ she shakes her head slowly, leaving the counter side and heading towards the door. she's not annoyed, though. just surprised. she feels like she lost a race... and losing is not good. ]
I'll transfer some of my credits to you later. Archer's going to let me work at his food stand starting tomorrow, so I'll have more sources of income.
[ Stop being competitive with the weirdest things. Thankfully, he knows who that is now or at least i think this is after so it doesn't sound as strange. ]
There's no rush. [ He's done strange poker deals, magic parties and ViViD levels already Athena. He's definitely alright again. No worries. ]
If you want to pay me back so much, why don't you take Ai something instead? I'm sure she'll appreciate it.
[ Money is just money......... ] We can go whenever you're ready.
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it was weird at first... to hear people's emotions. her hearing is already sensitive as it is, but to hear foreign sounds that shouldn't even be heard. . . it's unnatural. but she only thought it as strange for a short while because hearing emotions became a very painful experience for her. it's only just a few years ago that she was able to control her ability, more or less. and she's begun to look at this as a gift, and not a curse. ]
It was scary when you were angry... but it's not weird, hearing your heart. Hearing people's emotions. [ she shakes her head slowly and takes another sip.
when she sets the cup down on its saucer, she begins to fidget again. ]
I want to hear more of it.
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It isn't the same thing at all, but he understands more than others might. Maybe. Possibly. ]
I don't get angry that often. [ Does he? He doesn't think so, at least. He might have to bottle things up, but being stubborn means he fights through things and rarely ends up in a situation that's frustrating enough to be angry. Nimueh made him angry. Whoever sent them to that black hole part of the city made him angry.
She never does. ] Sorry though, I don't imagine it sounds that good. [ But ah.
God. What.
Help him. Someone just-- ]
I'm nervous. [ It comes out softly. Cracks. His eyes look down at his hands, watches as he twists them together. He wants to hold her hand right now, maybe it'll give him a better indication of whether she's just as nervous or if this whole weird...ness is just in his head. ]
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it's amazing how she's being so honest right now. it actually feels nice saying all these things out loud. the only thing that she hasn't explicitly said is that she likes him, and she won't. he might be happy when she's around, but that could just be because he values their friendship more than anything else. as she told iris, she'd really rather not know what he thinks of her.
maybe it's because his emotions are music to her ears that she just keeps saying what's in her heart, to keep it playing over and over. ]
You don't have to be. [ she laughs amiably. ] I'm sorry?
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He really can't think straight about this right now though, thankfully even if he says he's nervous the sounds of joy are definitely overriding that. ]
You don't have to be. [ He says back, trying to not laugh through it. He explains himself better though. ] I don't mind it. That you can hear it's just.
Embarrassing. It's definitely embarrassing.
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[ okay, good. that's a good enough excuse. she was, after all, embarrassed and flustered as hell earlier when he came out from the dressing room. ]
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The plastic doesn't look as good as the real thing but... that's also heavy. [ He doesn't think his corazón could take the extra weight right now. ] And my sword is flashier.
[ Except it isn't his rightful sword it's Arthur's but whatever... He doesn't know how else to reply to this other than to ramble out. ]
Not to mention you told me to try this one day. [ With that note. That doodle.
Help. ]
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[ she... she totally forgot about it... gomen, merlin. she claps her hands together, tilting her head to the side. ]
Right, I remember! You definitely surprised me. [ that much is obvious. ] Sorry, I forgot I drew something for you.
[ sweats................. ]
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Then again should he really be surprised? It was during the post it things, wasn't it so...
maybe it doesn't matter. ]
You forgot? [ Then again, she doesn't have it pinned up in her bedroom, does she? It's easier for her to forget. It's been ... 2 weeks? He doesn't remember. Learning how to time is hard. Though the days of the week are the same maybe it doesn't matter. ]
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[ and once again, she has to apologise. he seems upset?
she does have the post it kept in a box, but it's not something that's on her bulletin board... she really should pay more attention to detail, though. this was a slip up. mistakes happen. ]
Sorry. I didn't mean to...
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Besides, a lot of things did happen. ]
What am I going to do with you? [ He shakes his head. Judge her, apparently... ]
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I dunno. You could-- [ heh... heh... heheh. . . nah... ] We should get ready to close so we can go home.
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...Could? [ ATHENA.................. He's really glad she changes that to something else because he isn't sure how he'd need to reply otherwise. This is safer. ]
Did you want to go change first?
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[ just in case he's feeling itchy wearing that plastic.. even though he has a shirt underneath. it's got to be a bit uncomfortable. ]
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[ ...He was a mess at that point okay. ]
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I'll fix up your mess, then.
[ with that, she gets up and dusts off her skirt before heading to the back. she does take a while, again, because as she said, she decides to tidy up the room. she's careful when she undresses so she doesn't ruin her hairstyle. it might not mean nothing to him, but it means a lot to her.
she comes back out later on wearing her casual clothes - a grey pullover, purple tights, and boots. she doesn't sit back down, but instead, sets her bag on the counter and pulls out her cerevice. ]
Hey, Merlin.
[ when he looks, she immediately takes a picture. ]
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He looks up as she suspects he will and is about to open his mouth to ask if she's finished when she takes a picture. He blinks, once, twice then squints at her. ]
What are you... doing?
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[ mostly because their picture together was more focused on their faces. ]
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Documenting the evening? [ It's the least crazy question he can think of, so he rolls with it. ] I'll be quick, anyway. I'm sure getting this off will be easier than getting it on no wonder Arthur needs so much help with it
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[ it's just another memorabilia, nothing more. don't worry, merlin. she won't stare at your picture or anything before bed?!??!??!? ]
And don't rush. I'll put these in the kitchen.
[ ... the chefs must be wondering wtf they were doing the whole time. ]
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Thanks.
[ She's moved some stuff around in the back but thankfully it's easy enough to put everything away and find his original clothes of the day anyway. They're tucked aside for closing. He pulls them on quickly enough, even if buttons on shirts are an entirely new concept. There are too many of them so he gives up when the shirt is high enough. He shoves his CereVice in his pocket again and grabs his credits card along with anything else he brought with him, shoving them into his jacket that he pulls on.
After a quick sweep over to make sure everything's tidied away he walks back out. ]
Did we have anything else to complete?
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when merlin gets back, the lights have been dimmed a bit as only a couple of lights are on. she's by the cash register where they swipe their cards, but there aren't any open tabs anymore. ]
You paid for my stuff? [ sorry, did you ask something, because she's asking you something else. ] I was supposed to do it.
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I already have enough credits again and... [ And what? Exactly? Why is it so dark in here? Or at least it feels like it when she's definitely annoyed. ] You can pay me back with something else I just didn't want to forget while I was already there--I mean we were pretty caug--nevermind.
[ clears. throat. ] Sorry?
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I'll transfer some of my credits to you later. Archer's going to let me work at his food stand starting tomorrow, so I'll have more sources of income.
Do you want to go now?
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or at least i think this is afterso it doesn't sound as strange. ]There's no rush. [ He's done strange poker deals, magic parties and ViViD levels already Athena. He's definitely alright again. No worries. ]
If you want to pay me back so much, why don't you take Ai something instead? I'm sure she'll appreciate it.
[ Money is just money......... ] We can go whenever you're ready.
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Okay, I can do that. [ she nods obediently, then opens the door. her other hand, she offers to merlin. ]
Come on, then.
vomits
same tbh...
oh no this song is cute wails
except for the part about cumming
CHOKES ON TEA????????? i didn't hear that in the lyrics?!?!
yeah... (unsure)
sweats....... yeah not that ok
it's a nice song otherwise ;o;
;u; yeah!!!
(no subject)
sweats