A/N: So has anyone noticed that in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, any time that Scout feels uncomfortable, Lee uses figurative language directly relating to the sea? There was the simile about the underwater swimmer when Atticus "One-Shot Finch" was about to shoot the mad dog, Tim Johnson, and when she was talking about her cousin, Francis, she said that he gave her the feeling of settling on the seabed, and there was another one but I can't remember it, it was just about the sea. What does it mean!? These can't be a coincidence.

And now, the disclaimer;

DISCLAIMER: Merlin is the BBC's television series based on the stories of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who aimed to reduce the discrimination that the Angles, Saxons, Romans, Vikings and later, unbeknownst to him as of yet, the Normans had had against the native Britons (the surviving descendants with the most "true" British blood are the Welsh.)

Coolio. Let's go :)

And so, they waited, Cassandra reading her long and boring novel, and Gwaine fast asleep on the table. His attempts at conversation with the girl had been entirely fruitless, and so he prudently gave up - one of the most practical ideas he had had in a long time.

When Guinevere finally arrived, she had to pull Gwaine up by the collar and drop him to the floor to wake him. When he stayed asleep (or rather, badly acted at staying asleep), she put an ice cube down his shirt. Her expression shouted that this was a common occurrence with him, what with his wild behaviour at all hours of the night. Cassandra wondered whether Gwaine was really a student at the university at all.

His expression was like that of a kicked puppy "Why? Gwen, you're meant to be my friend, why?"

"You brought that upon yourself. I knew you were awake, but I didn't think that you did. We have to go now, or we'll miss our slot for bowling. Everyone else is already there."

Gwaine looked at Cassandra expectantly,"Come on."

"Oh, are you coming too? Great! My name's Guinevere, but my friends call me Gwen," said Gwen distractedly. She was tapping her foot now, looking at her watch.

"Yeah, I, uh, spilt tea all over you yesterday. I'm Cassandra, my friends call me Cassandra." There was a little extra force in the last word, quite clearly directed at Gwaine, who shrugged.

"I'm still going to call you "The Big C." Like I said, it's stuck."

And with that they turned to leave, Gwaine only running back quickly to get his infernal guitar.

"So how do you know Gwaine?" inquired Gwen, as she reversed her little white Fiat out of the college parking spot. "I mean, you two don't really seem like a likely couple, if you don't mind me saying. Not that you aren't cute, you're very cute together." she added hurriedly.

Any rational reply was drowned out by his. "She was just swept away by my serenade, and since then she's been head over heels for me Gwen, just lost in love. It's all in the guitar." he patted his guitar lovingly.

"No, we're not together and no, he's just always playing his guitar in the common room. He's like a bee, buzzing away, oh what's the word? Incessantly. Anyway, I came down to the common room to find you." Cassandra took a deep breath. " I wanted to introduce myself, and apologise formally for the whole tea incident."

"Really, Cass, it's OK. Trust me. It was just tea, at least it wasn't sulphuric acid or something."

Cassandra didn't want to correct the kind girl. An awkward silence ensued.

When they arrived at the bowling alleys, Cassandra saw a large group of guys waiting to get their bowling shoes from the spindly man at the desk. She questioned her actions. They did not seem like the sort of people she normally felt comfortable hanging out with. There was still time to run to the car and hide. From there she could find a map to the nearest bus station on her phone and- no. She could do this. So what if they appeared intimidating? She could handle that. Amd she knew sje would never forgive herself if she left now. Cassandra composed herself, and hurried after Gwen and Gwaine, who had almost reached the door.

They were greeted with loud calls and beckoned by multiple hands. Quizzical eyes turned towards Cassandra as they say down on the moulded plastic seats around the monitor where they would enter their names.

"Everyone, this is Cassandra. Cassandra- Arthur, Lancelot, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Merlin. Elyan is my brother."

Cassandra's eyes followed as Gwen pointed. She was never going to be able to keep all their names in order, only ever having had one or two friends herself. Maybe two and a half. (A/N:! That was a tumblr post. Credit to the OP!)

"So are you and Gwaine..." Percival inquired. Cassandra was snapped out of her thoughts by the large lad's question.

"No, really, why does everyone think tha- oh." Her sentence was cut short when she noticed that Gwaine was mouthing "Yes, we are" rather exuberantly next to her. She shut her eyes and rubbed her temple. "Gwaine is just delusional."

"You love me really."

Merlin decided to spare her the discomfort of replying. "You apologised for me falling and tried to diagnose me with a torn tendon, yesterday, didn't you? Outside the Lab?"

"Yes, that would be me. I would say sorry, but if I want to work on not doing that then I'd better not." she grinned.

"Are you one of Professor Gaius' students?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

A tall muscly sort of boy got up and began typing names into the system. He smiled at Cassandra and typed "Cass." It didn't seem to her that they were going to back down any time soon.

"No, he's my uncle. I help him out sometimes. Gwen is a student though. She studies Biochem in the lab next door, we've been friends for ages."

"So what do you study then, Cassandra?" interjected a dark haired guy. Lancelot perhaps, she mused.

"I'm in my first year, doing Medicine. What about you?"

"Geology. All I can say is thanks goodness for clearing!" he laughed. "Arthur's doing business studies, Elyan's studying accountancy, Percy's doing linguistics, Gwaine's supposed to be doing law and Leon's in his final year doing computer science."

"So you are taking a course then. I thought you somehow just lived on campus like a hobo, busking."

Gwaine widened his eyes and put a hand to his chest in mock offence.

"Oh no, Leon help," muttered the large boy at the monitor, first whacking the screen with his massive hand, then looking pleadingly at a curly haired guy.

"What've you done now, Percy?" asked Leon sternly, rising from his seat to inspect the situation. He looked the most sensible of them all. Cassandra made a mental note of both their names.

"I'll go and get someone from the front desk, they'll know what do. What would you all do without me, eh?" Gwen began navigating herself through the recently arrived tangle of schoolchildren behind them.

"Wait, I'll come with you," a smartly dressed boy hastened behind her, shooting a quick but sharp glance at Lancelot, who was also rising out of his chair. Elyan scanned the scene, and began whistling in what he thought was an inconspicuous fashion a few seconds later. Cassandra looked to Gwaine with raised eyebrows. He looked back, for once fully serious, with a look that said "I'll explain later." Lancelot looked a little disheartened. Percival and Leon carried on tinkering.

A/N: Okie dokie. Chapter 4 is a go! I know you lot are reading this, please please pretty please review! Comstructive criticism is very much welcomed, and if you feel the need for flames; there's more than enough marshmallows for s'mores for everyone.

How am I supposed to give them pronouns? Are they boys, guys, lads (ew no not lads) chaps, fellows, men? Augh.

I watched Big Hero 6 four times. I need to stop. I spent half an hour trying to figure out how Gogo's bike worked, but I got nothing. Wasabi's laser thing must work with that super cool solid light thingy they worked out how to do. I'm turning into Fred. Arriverderci!