Chapter 2
LeiaM wrote :
'No offense taken. However, my original comment regarded continuity in the story line and character's building. If you want a character to be the villain later on a show, you should distil doubts from the very beginning, rather than having its personality changed to a complete opposite in a blink.
I personally find very difficult to fall in love with a story when the authors overlook details like that. Another example can be found in Star-Wars: at some point in the original trilogy, Leia tells Luke their mother was very beautiful, and she cried a lot. However, when writing his prequel, Georges Lucas apparently forgot that and killed Padme in childbirth. So how can Leia remember what her biological mother looked like or that she used to cry? Vessels in the prequels were technologically far more advanced than in the original movies, which are set 20 years later in time… Such things bother me to no end.
Details are important. They show how much you care about something. They make a story believable. And that's the idea, isn't it? You build something people can fully embrace, a different world where they will lose tracks of their own reality…
They should have hinted about Erik not being the nice repentant werewolf before having him biting everybody without a reason. It's getting worse with every episode; his character is going down so quickly and so completely that they can't bring him back at all.They'll have to kill him or make the entire season a nightmare or a vision, so they can start again next year.
Sorry *blushing* you should not get me started…'
Arthur shook his head. With her nickname, he should have seen the Star-Wars' reference coming. Morgana and he had argued for days over which one was better, the first trilogy or the prequels. They had finally agreed on the originals too.
Today, her avatar displayed some sneaky comment about a lost prince too stubborn to ask for directions. The day before, it was announcing you could look like an idiot stretching when you tried to reach for the stars. Arthur smiled at the screen in front of him. This girl had spirit, for sure, and a rather low opinion of males. He checked her profile for the twentieth time in two days, wondering who she was…
Age: not a question to ask a lady…
Likes: too many things to tell. But chocolate comes first and always.
Favourite color: my brother's eyes.
Favourite music: whatever is danceable without needing to get drunk first. No rap.
Favourite book: you're asking me to pick up only one? Impossible!
Favourite quote: "I hope we never lose sight of one thing – it was all started by a mouse." (Walt Disney)
Particular talent: annoying people.
This one made him laugh every time.
ShiningKnight wrote:
'I wish I could argue and enjoy your lovely blushing some more, but I can't… And My Lady crushed my heart for I can't compete with Erik… '
Arthur posted his reply with a grin, and felt like a fool one second later. Flirting with strangers on the net could land in spectacular crashes. She could be anyone: a man, a granny, a thirteen years old teen. Or LeiaM could be a nice educated woman, with whom he could have interesting verbal jousts for a while. Maybe she was even cute, and single, and living in the area… She would probably ignore the bait anyway.
He went on with replying his other emails. Arthur was about to logoff when an incoming alert told him he had received a private message from LeiaM. He swallowed, suddenly reluctant to be scorned.
The phone's interruption was welcomed.
"Hi Merlin… How are you doing?... Concert at the Castle Saturday?... Sure why not. Haven't been there in a while… I'll bring Morgana, she loves the place… No, Gwen won't come… Yeah, you've got it… No… Really, Merlin, I'm fine… See you in two days."
He hanged up, and pressed the automatic dial for Morgana.
"Hey, what's up?... Why?... Hey, don't push it on me if you're bored!... I noticed. Do you want to come to the Castle on Saturday night? Merlin gets tickets for the tribute rockfest… Diner? Sure why not… Morgana, please, please, will you allow me the heavenly pleasure of your adorable company for diner before the concert?... I'll pick you up at 7 pm. Don't be late!...Bye…"
LeiaM wrote:
'You don't really expect such a cliché to work, do you?'
He was baiting her. That was for sure. He called himself ShiningKnight and he was playing his role… No one turned a compliment like that nowadays. Unless he was an old creepy perverse (I'm probably too old for you anyway) spying on teen girls and trying his hand at her. And Arthur did it for fun sometimes; she liked it when he was overplayed the 'Grand Seigneur', it suited him so well...
'You don't really expect such a cliché to work, do you?'
She first thought of being unsubtle ('are you making a pass at me?'), but settled for something a bit less aggressive. Maybe he was not that old, and just sweet… Handsome would not hurt, either.
Morgana sent her private message and waited for her mysterious correspondent to answer, surfing on her favourite sites, which she had already visited during the day. Nothing new to feed on. Maybe he was not logged on anymore…
Patience was not her best quality. One leg folded under her, the other was starting to jitter dramatically when the phone thankfully rang.
"Arthur!... Nothing much. I'm looking at my computer… Because it grew donkey ears and it hiccups you stupid!... Sorry I feel bitchy… Yes! We could have diner first...You sound so enthusiastic, I'm flattered… That's better. Your wish is granted… I'm never late, Arthur, you're the one who is always early… Bye!"
Morgana pushed to make her chair spun around happily. Saturday night plans with Merlin and Arthur were the perfect remedy to cure boredom... and a broken heart. She smiled to herself, remembering how Merlin had shown up one morning at school, all gawky and shy, so clumsy it was a wonder he had survived so far in life…
On his very first day, he had managed to free all the white mice in the biology class, put his sleeve on fire during chemistry course, and knocked out Arthur during football training. The next day, the two boys were best friends. They all hanged out together ever since.
She abandoned her computer and the elusive Knight to search her closet. Camelot's Castle was her favourite place, and she was single again, so she needed to be outstanding! Morgana frowned.
If she was going for diner with Arthur first, her usual clubbing outfits were a bit too… provocative. Arthur could be such a prude sometimes. He disapproved systematically mini-skirts or deep V-neck blouses, whatever stunning they made her. She remembered a few times he had even walked away grunting she was indecent and she had to change.
Morgana sighed, looking for something her overprotective old-fashion foster-brother would find 'suitable'. She picked up a leather skirt she had bought weeks ago and had not worn yet to examine it. It was long enough to satisfy Arthur, and the shiny material was smooth, a pleasure to touch… With her white bat-sleeve jersey, she had a match. Morgana played with her hair, twisting the long curls into a loose bun; she smiled at her reflection in the mirror and sighed again. Saturday was really too far away…
LeiaM wrote:
'You don't really expect such a cliché to work, do you?'
ShiningKnight wrote:
'What can I say? You reduced me to platitudes, LOLL. More seriously, I totally understand how you feel about the show turning into nonsense. This season is so repetitive, I wonder why they bother shooting it at all. A two-hour special to wrap around the story would have been better. Is this fandom the only one you're in?'
The question was stupid. He only had to check on her posting history to find out. But it was the only question Arthur could think of to continue the exchange without making a fool of himself. He yawned and closed his computer. Knowing Morgana and Merlin, if they were to go out on Saturday, he'd better grab as much sleep as he could now, even if Saturday was still three days away...
A/N: so Arthur is indeed the ShiningKnight... One chapter a day until Valentine Day... Thanks for the review, but having post one already does not take you off the hook!