The Causeway, Monday Morning

[bitchprince]

It was the Monday after graduation, and Arthur's nerves were hitting an all-time high.

Not that he'd admit it.

They were packed and ready: Arthur had his dog and his horses, Merlin had his owl. Several bags strapped to each of the horses, enough food for the trip home, if they wound up anywhere near where he and Merlin had gotten thrown off course the first time around.

Arthur didn't give the castle as much as a passing glance. But he had put out a few messages to anyone who might care to see him leave, and advised Morgana and Merlin to do the same.

Today, they would try to go home -- and dammit, they would succeed. He couldn't think anything less if he was going to take this path.

[[ open. not, in fact, the last post of the camelot kids in fandom, but probably a, if not the last chance to make your goodbyes to the lot all in one place. so have at! ]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin was nervously stroking the little bit of feathers between the owl's eyes and not getting bitten at all for it. It was almost enough to soothe his nerves now.

Nearly. Maybe. Couldn't they stay?

[bitchprince]

"Ready?" Arthur asked, some undefinable amount of time in depending on who shows up.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen wanted to make sure she got the chance to say goodbye to Merlin. He probably had no idea how much his kindness had helped her feel like she fit in, but she knew what a difference it had made.

Which would be why she'd shown up here looking for him.

[thatsamilkshake]

So an entire saddlebag filled with bags of marshmallows for Merlin to take along: good idea? Bad idea? Since it was here over Francine's shoulder, the question was purely academic, but wondering about it made for a distraction from trying not to sniffle.

Not a very good distraction.

[bitchprince]

"Francine," Arthur nodded, from where he was inspecting the horse's gear. "Glad you could make it."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"We've got the mobile phones," Merlin reminded her with a sort of half smile.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah had chocolate for everyone. As well as other presents. And the urge to wibble. A lot. And deny it just as much.

"So."

Yeah, that's all she had for now.

[bitchprince]

'So' wasn't very descriptive.

"Dinah," said Arthur, which was more so. His eyes travelled over said presents. "You look about ready to leave yourself."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"No need for that," Merlin said kindly. "We'll still have the phones!"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo was not saying goodbye, dammit. She refused to do that. She also refused to try and cling like a clinging thing (however briefly appealing the thought of Arthur's horror at that might be), so instead she was leaning against the causeway railing, a cigarette dangling from her fingers and a mostly neutral-with-a-touch-of-disapproving expression on her face as she looked at the three of them.

Ignore how that touch kept incrementally ramping up.

And how her jaw kept trying to twitch.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin waved over at her, trying not to give into the urge for a hug. Because he enjoyed living.

"Hey."

[bitchprince]

And by now, the greeting-by-name was sort of ingrained.

"Katchoo," Arthur said, and actually bothered to take a moment away from preparation to walk towards her. She should feel proud about that.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Neither Firekeeper nor Blind Seer had thought to prepare anything like going-away gifts. Instead, they'd just brought themselves. To say goodbye. And Firekeeper, at least, was doing her best not to show her unhappiness at the prospect. If Blind Seer felt likewise, he wasn't telling.

[bitchprince]

She earned a smile for her arrival, even if Arthur was more tight-lipped than he'd admit. "Firekeeper, Blind Seer," he greeted. "Come to see us off?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Which was more than enough for them! "Hello, Firekeeper. Blind Seer."

[solo_sword]

Jaina hated this time of year. Hated it. And this was just the start.
"I hate this time of year," she said upon arrival. ...Apparently today was one of those days where you just said what you meant.

[bitchprince]

"I wasn't too fond of it last year myself," Arthur admitted, granting her a slight smile.

[intraspective]

Riiight, like Ino was going to--not show up. So she did. Not smiling but, really, smiling was not much for this week.

"Yo, fearless leader," she greeted.

[bitchprince]

"Ino," Arthur greeted, patting his horse on her flank. "Didn't think I'd see you here."

[life_inshadow]

Tara didn't have real presents -- she wasn't sure what you gave people who were going into a magical Kingdom a thousand years ago -- but she wanted to say goodbye to Merlin, so she made her nervous way down to the causeway. A drawing Rosemary had done was tucked into her bag.

"S-so it's already time for you to go?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Best before the causeway decides to not let us leave again," Merlin replied with a grin. Because magical kingdoms did that.

[glacial_queen]

Of course Karla was there to say goodbye! She adored Merlin, liked Morgana...and, well, knew Arthur. Saying goodbye was at least polite.

She wasn't able to put much of a happy face on it though.

[bitchprince]

For what itw as worth, she actually got a polite - almost genuinely pleased, actually - smile from Arthur.

Maybe the strain was just getting to him. "Karla," he said, "Merlin'll be glad to see you before we go."

[brat_inslayage]

Not that she had any illusions whatsoever that she was one of Arthur's favorite people-- far from it-- but she'd put in a year at Reserves and hanging out at Magic Reserves so there was a whole weird wrinkle where her wacky sense of duty came into play, all of which added up to Kennedy swerving off her morning run when she spotted them at the causeway, just to say goodbye.

"Come on, already?" she asked, wiping her face off with the hem of her shirt. "It's like the ink on your diplomas hasn't finished drying yet. Uncool."

[bitchprince]

"It's not like my diploma will be worth much where I'm going," Arthur said, with a touch of good nature. He was a decent actor when it came to hiding his anxiety, and all that. "So it doesn't matter what state the ink is in."

[weetuskenraider]

And yeah, Tahiri had to show up shut up, I'm done, I promise, much as she absolutely hated goodbyes; they were awful, but she was never passing up a chance to say them when she could. It was like having to choose between getting eaten by a rancor or a Sarlacc -- either way sucked void, but at least the rancor got it over with in much less than a thousand years of slow digestion.

"I know you can't stay," she told them without preamble, her smile faint and resigned, "but that doesn't mean I'm awfully thrilled about you going."

[bitchprince]

Arthur's eyebrows might have made a climb for it. "Didn't expect a sentiment like that from you," he admitted.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Robin happened to be passing by on his skateboard, and stopped to bid his farewells.

"Are you heading home?"

[bitchprince]

"Yes, thankfully."

Where there were no felt frogs. Presumably.

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

Leda had caught word that the trio was leaving, and came down to say good bye to Morgana.

But while she was here; "Lord Arthur, I wish you luck in your future." She wasn't one to normally speak formally as anyone who knew her would know, but she figured on certain occasions she could stomach it. Especially since she needed to get used to it for her future.

[bitchprince]

Arthur paused in his preparations to grant her a look. "Thank you," he said, then paused. What was her name again...?

[trigons_child]

Raven didn't know Arthur or Morgana well, but she had to say goodbye to Merlin at the very least.

"Will you be returning to visit at all?" she asked Merlin. "I can hold things at Lady Aphrodite's store for you if I think you would like them."

She was so helpful like that.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

See Merlin. See Merlin turn a very bright shade of red. "Hopefully we can still visit."

Though not for porn.

Maybe.

[need-no-moon.livejournal.com]

Jake was there, just like a buttload of other people. Which was fine, it made it all that much easier to quietly move past them and find the one person he was there for.

She wasn't hard to find, but he was tempted to just drag her off. Stupid saying goodbye. "Not too late to change your mind," he said with a smile he hoped was genuine.

[nevertobequeen.livejournal.com]

"I know. But my duty to Camelot is too important for me to stay. And I do not wish for Uther to worry about us," Morgana said. "That is all, of course, assuming this will work."