Room 303, Tuesday Morning

[bitchprince]

Finding his manservant locked in the cupboard and screaming yesterday had not been Arthur's idea of a good time. He wanted some answers, and he'd let Merlin out the window for the time being to get them.

He sat down on his bed, and eyed his roommate's side of the room.

If this whole thing was what he feared it was, he and Leto were going to have to talk about boundaries.

[[ for the roomie, but anyone else is free to come in afterwards! door is closed ]]

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[bitchprince]

"Don't do it again," Arthur told him, "I'll find a more appropriate punishment for you once you're back to your normal form."

... He hoped Merlin would be. Now he was digging around to find his falconry glove.

"Taunting royalty's a hobby of yours, isn't it?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin just made a quiet noise, ducking his head in understanding. Even if he did think a cupboard wasn't exactly the proper punishment of anyone. And had plans to get that royal wanker back as soon as he was human again. He deserved something, even if Arthur wasn't going to do anything.

[bitchprince]

"Merlin," he started, considering him, "Has Lord Leto attempted to punish you before?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin cocked his head to the side before very pointedly looking at the cupboard. Like that?

[bitchprince]

Arthur pursed his lips. "Tell me," he said.

Then paused.

"...or flap your wings."

Listen, Merlin was a bird, this took some getting used to.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Most things with Leto weren't exactly something he could share with Arthur, so...

Merlin shook his head, feathers ruffling a bit.

[bitchprince]

Arthur nodded. He glanced aside, then back at Merlin. "It's not in his rights to punish you," he said, "If he tries that again, you should come to me."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin crowed in a way to imply it wasn't in Leto's rights to do many things and that if he was human, he would have-- gone to Arthur or Lady Ghanima.

No need to give the man a reason to share things.

[bitchprince]

Arthur really wasn't a mindreader, so he just sort of stared.

"Right," he said, "I've let him know as much. You'll keep your head down until you're human."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin huffed, all his feathers ruffling on up in a way that he really couldn't control. He hadn't known that birds could hiss, but... there he was. Hissing.

[bitchprince]

"I mean it," he said, locating the glove in question and slipping it on.

He blamed the fact that Merlin had been a bird for a week for the next, which was, "It'd be difficult to explain to Lady Ghanima why her brother was found stuffed into a cupboard."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin highly doubted she'd be surprised by it. But it did stop the hissing as he gave Arthur a curious look before hopping over toward him.

[bitchprince]

"You'd be there with him if you pushed it," Arthur informed him, holding up his gloved hand. "Let that be a warning."

Like he could sound properly threatening when he was this worried. Tomorrow would be the big test.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Fluttering on up to the hand, Merlin bobbed his head in agreement that may have been cheeky if he was human. He shifted for a moment, giving the faded bruises a disapproving look that was probably not new to Arthur.

[bitchprince]

Arthur rolled his eyes at him. "Not speaking is a good look on you," he told the bird, and reached to stroke its back once.

It made sense.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin made another quiet little warble, turning to bite very gentle at Arthur's fingers. He was perfectly fine talking too, damn it.

[bitchprince]

"No, you're not."

Arthur blinked once. Then twice.

"You've got me talking to a bird," he said, "Thank you, Merlin."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

The bird managed a very Merlin-ish look of 'Your very welcome, highness' where the 'highness' was spoken as if a bit of an insulting pet name.

Merlin was very talented at doing that to proper titles.

And then shifted to roll his head against Arthur's hand in a way that was supposed to be comforting reassurance. Back to normal tomorrow.

[bitchprince]

Arthur snorted out a laugh.

His expression smoothed out back into its usual setting fairly quick as soon as he realised he'd done it.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

It was good enough there. Merlin chirped happily and nipped at Arthur's shirt before flying back over to the rabbit. Unless Arthur was planning on feeding him, this was his meal for the day, after all.

[bitchprince]

"Don't make a mess," Arthur called.