V.

[takeyouapart]

[Private to Ethan]

This is ironic.

Ethan? I'm your Warden now. I suppose you've noticed.

I think we should probably talk.

Comments

[stayandgloat]

Excellent. Precedent now dictates that you half heartedly suggest a meeting once every two months or so, and other than that our paths will never cross again.

[takeyouapart]

Precedent says that? Uh, I was thinking something more along the lines of once a week or so.

...

I'm in the pub. Do you want to come and have a drink?

[stayandgloat]

I'm...sorry, are you sure you're old enough to make that offer?

[takeyouapart]

Sorry, are you sure you're young enough to manage the stairs?

[stayandgloat]

Oh don't worry, I'll get my good friend Agent Bly to carry me.

[takeyouapart]

I'll give him my apologies. See you in a minute, Ethan.

ACTION

[stayandgloat]

[And sure enough, Ethan did for Merlin something which he'd never ever done for Angel. He showed up, pushing open the door to the pub and stepping into the room, before making a b-line for the bar.]

ACTION

[takeyouapart]

Merlin gave the man a smile and made an expansive gesture at the barstool next to his. Of course their first meeting was still in his memory, but that felt like something to put to one side and get back to later.

"Good of you to come. Fancy a beer?"

ACTION

[stayandgloat]

Ethan shifted onto the stool and gave a slight shrug, "Sure, a beer would be fine." He took a moment to study Merlin. The boy looked... young. Far younger than Ethan was entirely sure he was comfortable with. He frowned slightly, before turning back to the bar, waiting for beer to present itself.

ACTION

[takeyouapart]

Merlin went around the bar and - with a little bit of trial and error - poured two pints of Guinness.

"So, I've been reading your file. You know it's three days 'til you've been here for a year?"

ACTION

[stayandgloat]

Ethan accepted the Guinness with an expression of sheer suspicion, but after an experimental sip or two, apparently decided that the offering was acceptable. He gave a slight grunt at the news that he'd been on the barge for almost a year, "Oh where has the time gone? It's felt like longer."

ACTION

[takeyouapart]

"M'not surprised," Merlin said, reclaiming his stool. He rested his elbows on the bar. "What've your other Wardens been like?" He knew who they were thanks to the file, but that didn't help him overmuch.

ACTION

[stayandgloat]

"Angel spent an extremely long time just being intolerable in more or less every way." Ethan replied instantly, "I like him a lot better now that he's no longer imitating my warden. Jed on the other hand..." He gave a shrug, and took another drink of his beer, "I barely knew at all."

ACTION

[takeyouapart]

"Huh. Well, I'm not going to just stay out of your way or pretend to be doing my job or...give you any other reasons to curse a load of books just because you want attention." He drummed his fingers against the side of his glass. "I mean, a year's a long time."

ACTION

[stayandgloat]

"Oh who needs a reason to curse a load of books?" Ethan waved his hands dramatically, permitting himself a wide grin as he recalled his glorious victory over reason. "Still," he sighed, clearly no less pleased with himself now that he'd been caught and stopped, "I suppose time is meaningless now."

ACTION

[takeyouapart]

"If you say so," Merlin said, giving Ethan a calculatedly blank look over the top of his glass.

"Why did you do it? I mean -- I'd rather that than a lot of other things, it's not like anybody got hurt, but -- and it's like the stuff you did before you came here. Like with the costumes. Why bother?"