If Wishes were.... part 3
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: If Wishes were… part 3
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Arthur doesn’t take the idea of modern plumbing well.
Word Count: 955
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 488, Body language
Author's Notes: unbetaed, A continuation of Arthur returning in modern times and not being exactly thrilled with all the changes.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Arthur was shuddering by the time they got back to Merlin’s cottage, but he stopped just inside the door, looking around with a frown on his face.
It might have been an ancient place at one time, but Merlin had learned over the years to appreciate some of the finer things in life like heat and flush toilets and hot showers and he’d been busy making the place cosy in the months since he’d moved back. It wasn’t a palace by any stretch of the imagination but comfortable.
But Merlin had forgotten just how draughty and cold Camelot had been in winter, how peasant cottages might have dirt floors or rushes scattered about. Not polished wood floors and warm rugs and automatic heating. Or electric lights.
As Merlin flipped the switch and the lounge suddenly warmed with a soft glow, Arthur let out a wounded sound, his voice wavering. “Are you doing that? Using magic?”
Blinking, his mind rushing to understand just what set Arthur off, Merlin shut the door and pulled Arthur further into the room. “Nah, it’s just…” Merlin stopped, realising that Arthur had no idea about any of it. “It’s not magic, it’s just science. Things have changed a bit since umm… you were here last.”
Arthur stopped shivering, pulling off Merlin’s hat and dropping it on the floor, Merlin’s woollen coat, too. Typical. It would seem even 1500 years hadn’t cured Arthur of just pitching his clothes anywhere and expecting Merlin to pick them up.
“It would appear so,” Arthur said, hiking the bedroll around his shoulders. But then he shook his head when the fabric started to slip. “But first I need a bath. And where are my things? Running around in nothing but a rug is improper, to say the least.” He pulled the bedroll closer to his chest. “When I… died, at least I was clothed. With armour and a sword. And now I have nothing.”
“I could conjure something up for you,” Merlin muttered, not wanting to think beyond the moment. His head was still reeling with Arthur standing there, staring at him. Then he realised what he’d said. “I… umm… I will find something appropriate. I’ve a few things that might suit.”
“I suppose that will have to do until we return to Camelot,” Arthur said, scowling a little when Merlin didn’t scurry away in search of clothes. “Now, Merlin. Unless you enjoy seeing your king naked and filthy.”
In another lifetime, Merlin might have smirked, drawing out the ridiculousness of the situation, and made some snarky remark, but that was long ago. “Nothing I hadn’t seen before, sire. But I’ll start your bath and look through my closet for you.” Grabbing his discarded coat, Merlin hung it up, then started for the bathroom.
Grumbling, Arthur followed. “You have a closet? That you use? I don’t remember you ever putting your things away and half the time I still can’t find anything of mine. At least George is tidy.”
“George is dead,” Merlin snapped, then as Arthur faltered, staring at him, Merlin gestured him in. It was a proper bathroom with tub and shower and a loo. Merlin figured he’d have to show Arthur how things worked, and he really wasn’t looking forward to explaining about the centuries and things long gone. “Now, normally, I’d suggest a shower but seeing that you aren’t used to it, a bath it is.”
Merlin reached over and turned the water on, the steam rising as the tub began to fill. Arthur looked gobsmacked. “Where? How?”
“I suppose it looks complicated, but there’s a water tank in the utility room and I guess you could say a fire underneath, and pipes to bring it into the bathroom. No magic, just engineering.”
“Engineering?” Arthur said, his voice strangled and wary. “I’ve never seen the like.”
“Well, it’s been a few… umm.” Clearing his throat, avoiding Arthur’s eyes, Merlin pulled him over to the loo and pointed down.
“This is a chamber pot, sort of. Once you’ve finished, press on this lever.” Merlin flushed the toilet, ignoring Arthur’s silence. “The water will refill on its own. And yes, engineering. The pipes take it away into a septic field and the solids get pumped out later for disposal. The cities have sewage treatment plants, but we are too far out for that.”
When Arthur glared at the loo, watching the water spin down the drain, Merlin sighed, then turned away to shut off the bath spigot. Pulling him over, taking a towel to wipe off most of the mud that Arthur had tracked in from their tramp through the woods and the remnants of lake silt, he took the bedroll from Arthur, handed him soap and a flannel, and pointed to the bath. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Looking from the bath to the toilet and back again, Arthur murmured, “This isn’t magic?” When Merlin shook his head, Arthur turned thoughtful. “Even with the most advanced of techniques, even if we imported ideas and materials from the farthest corners of Albion and beyond, this is so far above anything of ours. And this isn’t magic?”
“No, not magic.” When Arthur looked at him as if he thought Merlin was lying, Merlin shrugged. “Just science. Believe me, if I could have conjured this up with magic, I would have. Cleaning out your stinky chamber pot multiple times a day wasn’t exactly fun.”
“Science doesn’t change things that quickly, certainly not in days or even months.” As if talking to himself, Arthur said, “Nor years.” Blinking at Merlin, Arthur lurched forward, grabbing onto Merlin’s sleeve. “How long was I gone, Merlin?”
“A while,” Merlin whispered, pulling out of Arthur’s grasp, and fled the room.
Title: If Wishes were… part 3
Rating: G
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Arthur doesn’t take the idea of modern plumbing well.
Word Count: 955
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 488, Body language
Author's Notes: unbetaed, A continuation of Arthur returning in modern times and not being exactly thrilled with all the changes.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
-----------------------
Arthur was shuddering by the time they got back to Merlin’s cottage, but he stopped just inside the door, looking around with a frown on his face.
It might have been an ancient place at one time, but Merlin had learned over the years to appreciate some of the finer things in life like heat and flush toilets and hot showers and he’d been busy making the place cosy in the months since he’d moved back. It wasn’t a palace by any stretch of the imagination but comfortable.
But Merlin had forgotten just how draughty and cold Camelot had been in winter, how peasant cottages might have dirt floors or rushes scattered about. Not polished wood floors and warm rugs and automatic heating. Or electric lights.
As Merlin flipped the switch and the lounge suddenly warmed with a soft glow, Arthur let out a wounded sound, his voice wavering. “Are you doing that? Using magic?”
Blinking, his mind rushing to understand just what set Arthur off, Merlin shut the door and pulled Arthur further into the room. “Nah, it’s just…” Merlin stopped, realising that Arthur had no idea about any of it. “It’s not magic, it’s just science. Things have changed a bit since umm… you were here last.”
Arthur stopped shivering, pulling off Merlin’s hat and dropping it on the floor, Merlin’s woollen coat, too. Typical. It would seem even 1500 years hadn’t cured Arthur of just pitching his clothes anywhere and expecting Merlin to pick them up.
“It would appear so,” Arthur said, hiking the bedroll around his shoulders. But then he shook his head when the fabric started to slip. “But first I need a bath. And where are my things? Running around in nothing but a rug is improper, to say the least.” He pulled the bedroll closer to his chest. “When I… died, at least I was clothed. With armour and a sword. And now I have nothing.”
“I could conjure something up for you,” Merlin muttered, not wanting to think beyond the moment. His head was still reeling with Arthur standing there, staring at him. Then he realised what he’d said. “I… umm… I will find something appropriate. I’ve a few things that might suit.”
“I suppose that will have to do until we return to Camelot,” Arthur said, scowling a little when Merlin didn’t scurry away in search of clothes. “Now, Merlin. Unless you enjoy seeing your king naked and filthy.”
In another lifetime, Merlin might have smirked, drawing out the ridiculousness of the situation, and made some snarky remark, but that was long ago. “Nothing I hadn’t seen before, sire. But I’ll start your bath and look through my closet for you.” Grabbing his discarded coat, Merlin hung it up, then started for the bathroom.
Grumbling, Arthur followed. “You have a closet? That you use? I don’t remember you ever putting your things away and half the time I still can’t find anything of mine. At least George is tidy.”
“George is dead,” Merlin snapped, then as Arthur faltered, staring at him, Merlin gestured him in. It was a proper bathroom with tub and shower and a loo. Merlin figured he’d have to show Arthur how things worked, and he really wasn’t looking forward to explaining about the centuries and things long gone. “Now, normally, I’d suggest a shower but seeing that you aren’t used to it, a bath it is.”
Merlin reached over and turned the water on, the steam rising as the tub began to fill. Arthur looked gobsmacked. “Where? How?”
“I suppose it looks complicated, but there’s a water tank in the utility room and I guess you could say a fire underneath, and pipes to bring it into the bathroom. No magic, just engineering.”
“Engineering?” Arthur said, his voice strangled and wary. “I’ve never seen the like.”
“Well, it’s been a few… umm.” Clearing his throat, avoiding Arthur’s eyes, Merlin pulled him over to the loo and pointed down.
“This is a chamber pot, sort of. Once you’ve finished, press on this lever.” Merlin flushed the toilet, ignoring Arthur’s silence. “The water will refill on its own. And yes, engineering. The pipes take it away into a septic field and the solids get pumped out later for disposal. The cities have sewage treatment plants, but we are too far out for that.”
When Arthur glared at the loo, watching the water spin down the drain, Merlin sighed, then turned away to shut off the bath spigot. Pulling him over, taking a towel to wipe off most of the mud that Arthur had tracked in from their tramp through the woods and the remnants of lake silt, he took the bedroll from Arthur, handed him soap and a flannel, and pointed to the bath. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Looking from the bath to the toilet and back again, Arthur murmured, “This isn’t magic?” When Merlin shook his head, Arthur turned thoughtful. “Even with the most advanced of techniques, even if we imported ideas and materials from the farthest corners of Albion and beyond, this is so far above anything of ours. And this isn’t magic?”
“No, not magic.” When Arthur looked at him as if he thought Merlin was lying, Merlin shrugged. “Just science. Believe me, if I could have conjured this up with magic, I would have. Cleaning out your stinky chamber pot multiple times a day wasn’t exactly fun.”
“Science doesn’t change things that quickly, certainly not in days or even months.” As if talking to himself, Arthur said, “Nor years.” Blinking at Merlin, Arthur lurched forward, grabbing onto Merlin’s sleeve. “How long was I gone, Merlin?”
“A while,” Merlin whispered, pulling out of Arthur’s grasp, and fled the room.