Room 407, Friday Afternoon

[bigdamndestiny]

After the list of chores that comes from the morning after Arthur's broadcast and then class, Merlin was just settling in to have a spot of private time to read his book. Anything about drinking blood and red eyes would be good to find out more on.

No such luck so far. But he wasn't giving up hope!

[[Closed door, open post]]

Comments

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

Hannibal listened to the radio so he'd heard what happened to his poor little brother a few days ago.

So, he came a knocking just to laugh check on Merlin. He almost wished he'd been there but he'd been doing other things. The goddamn hickey on his neck was a reminder of that.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Hiding the book again, Merlin was off the bed and opening the door to make sure it wasn't, well he wasn't sure yet.

"Oh, Hannibal! Hello."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Merlin, you're still alive," he said, mostly kidding. "Just hiding?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Somehow, I don't think hiding would help," Merlin said dryly.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, people tend to find you," he said, nodding. "Locking the door doesn't help?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not if people keep knocking." That was a joke. Really!

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Hey, I didn't see no DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door," he said, smirking. "Might wanna look into a signal, Merlin."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Only in use when publicly humiliated!"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"That happen a lot?" he asked.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Well, you don't have any stocks here, so I can only hope not," Merlin replied.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"That's the second time I've heard that word in as many days," Hannibal said. "And I'm guessing you don't mean the kind we invest in."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Invest in?"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Never mind," Hannibal said. "Different kind of stocks. And I don't wanna confuse you anymore than you are. What sort of thing did you get put in your stocks for?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It's just... a punishment of sorts. You're chained in place, the public square. Children usually throw rotten food at you."

He had far too much experience there.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Sounds unpleasant," Hannibal said. "This place has different ways of public humiliation. They're just as bad but without the whole stuck in place thing."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I think I prefer the stocks," Merlin replied.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I heard about your little...incident on the radio," he said. "And that everyone and their brother decided to visit that common room on that exact night."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, that was a bit odd, if you ask me." Or, you know, the universe conspiring against him. It did that, you know.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Porn brings all the boys to the yard?" he tried, going for humor.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Common room, actually." Way to miss the joke, Merlin.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

His little brother was so innocent. It was cute.

"Right, that's what I meant," he said. "It's okay to watch those type of movies, you know that, right?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, Tony and Emmett and Cal and Inara--" Who had been positively lovely about it. "--all informed me of that."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Wow." Hannibal blinked. "I sort of failed in the whole big brother thing by not coming around but I'm glad you had...help."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"That would mean some of their help was welcome." Only two of them really had been. The other ones, he was certain had only meant to torment him.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"At least the first big humiliation is over?" Hannibal asked. "And hey, it wasn't a gremlin bite!"