Room 505, Saturday Evening

[thatsamilkshake]

What better way to spend the first day of Christmas Break and no more finals than helping your ex-boyfriend test his swan-creating powers? Sort of. Except for the lack of swan.

Look, it was this or watch A Chuck Umber Christmas for the third time this week.

[OOC: For the Ears, but open after!]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...really?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Remind me to tell you about my Uncle Jed sometime." Like never.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I will try my best to remember that," He lied through his teeth. So, really. It all worked out.

[thatsamilkshake]

For both of them. Though if either of them thought they were getting out of the torment of meeting Francine's crazy relatives sometime or other, the universe was laughing at them right now.

Then again when didn't it. "It's a barn owl," she said because she was an expert on the taxonomy of stuffed animals. Or because she read the label. "No eating it, if this works."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"You don't eat owls," Merlin replied, sidling with the doll for a moment. "You train them to hunt."

A beat.

"If you're Arthur."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I was just making sure! I'd have said you don't eat swans too, so what do I know."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Swans are like pretty geese," Merlin pointed out. "Why else would anyone want to keep them but for food?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"To look pretty," Francine replied. "That's what most people who have swans do keep them for."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Well you also have grocery stores and can get all sorts of food here." It was wonderful.

[thatsamilkshake]

"True. ...You should make Arthur try Spam." She could be mean sometimes, if she tried really really hard. You know, fluffy bunny mean.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"What's that?" Merlin asked, holding the toy up and squinting at it for a moment.

[thatsamilkshake]

"A delicacy you can only get in the supermarket," Francine answered. "Though it would be funny to watch him go out hunting for it."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Maybe the next time he's unbearable," Merlin replied with a grin. He took a breath and flopped down on Francine's bed to try the spell. It had been a while, after all.

[thatsamilkshake]

"How does it work?" Francine asked, scooting over to give him space to work in.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

He placed the doll carefully on the bed, crouching to hit eye level with it. "It's supposed to animate objects. Took me all night to get it to work the first time."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine tilted her head and then mirrored his action, and the balance of clusterfuckery breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't wearing a low-cut shirt. "Why were you trying to animate snakes? Or was that the dog?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"The dog was to make sure it worked. The snakes--" Merlin made a face. "A knight was using an enchanted shield to kill his opponents in a tourney. I couldn't prove it without having them come to life in full view of the king."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Huh. So he already had snakes in his shield? That's creepy."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Really creepy," Merlin confirmed. He took a deep breath and muttered the spell like he remembered it. When it worked.

...those two times.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine, being the smartest human ever, leaned forward to peer at the stuffed owl, which probably put her at risk of either having her face clawed off if it worked, or accidentally bringing her clothing to life. "Is it working?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It should." Merlin frowned and tried again with more force behind his words and--

Oh look. the doll fell over.

[thatsamilkshake]

"...Maybe it's a really sleepy owl?" Francine poked at it lightly. (See above re: smartest human ever.)

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

The poke managed to garner a very high pitched 'scree' that was... oddly adorable as it was far too quiet to be painful to hear.

Merlin perked up, trying to get a look at the creature now. "Did it always make that noise or...?"

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine snatched her finger back. "No!" And then slowly, carefully extended it again. Not so pokey this time, though.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

The owl chick on the bed struggled slightly to get back onto it's feet, flailing more than a little bit as it did.

"Should we help it?" Merlin asked in a whisper. Because the owl could totally understand him, you know.