i • ( action )

[consorts]

[ It's almost too much for her to take. Gwen has been home for such a short time, hasn't even fully settled, and now she isn't quite sure where she is. Morgana had, understandably, given her a bit of time off despite her wanting to find a distraction. Being a captive and having to parade around as the ward of Uther Pendragon was difficult enough without all that followed... So she thought when she woke up the next morning she'd be safe and sound in Camelot and back to her usual day-to-day.

She was almost in a panic before the instructor found her and tried to help. A trip to the Headmaster's office and an acceptance letter later she still didn't quite understand what was going on. She just nodded politely, took her materials and was sent out of her own in the big Garden.

The whole place–Balamb they told her it's called–is a bit off-putting for Guinevere. It's smooth and shiny for lack of a better description, and so unlike Camelot and every other stone and wood-built village she's been in. Her nearly fruitless hunt around the center of the Garden just brought her back to the Lobby steps where her search began. Must have passed it, she thought a bit downtrodden, though she can't blame herself for being distracted given the circumstances. It's time she asked for help.

She works up the nerve to walk up to any passer-by who will listen with a simple question: ]

Umm, sorry to be a bother but could you point me to the [ She pauses a moment to make sure she's remembering it right- ] Dormitory?


( ooc note • feel free to bump into her wherever & whenever in the lobby area. she looks very lost and needs all the help she can get! )

Comments

[getsthecredit]

[Arthur had just been passing through the lobby, on his way to find Merlin- it was annoying, having to search his servant out on his own like this, when he should be able to send someone to find him, or... just have him on hand like he should be. He was becoming sorely tempted to set some ground rules about when he expected Merlin to be find-able.

He wore the cadet uniform provided him by the Garden; even he had to admit it was much more conventional than wearing the chainmail he arrived in, and it helped him to blend in. But he kept Excalibur on his belt at all times.

And he might have strode right past Gwen asking someone for help, but it was impossible for him to not notice that face, and that voice. He stopped cold a few feet away, wide-eyed and speechless for a long moment.]

...Gwen?

she's trying not ot get her hopes up and failing miserably

[consorts]

[ Gwen stops in her tracks at the sound of her name, but not because she was recognized without introduction. It's the person who said it that seems all too familiar. Blonde hair, sword a his side, an accent unlike most others who have spoken to her here. It's all familiar when put together though the clothes go much better with the setting than the prince that popped into her mind.

Gwen presses her lips together momentarily in cautious pause before responding. ]

Arthur? Is that you?

[ Ok, maybe she came off a little bit more hopeful and relieved than her pause would've let on. ]

Arthur: proceed to unintentionally make this awkward

[getsthecredit]

[Any worry he'd had that maybe it wasn't actually Gwen, that his eyes and ears were playing tricks on him, was swept away when she spoke his name. Another moment of staring and he finally found his legs again, walking up to her and standing close, gently taking her hands in his as a smile finally broke out on his face.

And he went from that straight to drawing her into a hug, breathing out a sigh of relief and laughing into her hair.]

I was beginning to think- I thought I'd never see you again.

the first of many i'm sure. IM SO SORRY ARTHUR.

[consorts]

[ As relieving as it is to know it's him, her smile is a bit strained. She couldn't help but remember that look he gave her over Morgana's shoulder when they got back to Camelot. And Lancelot... ]

What are you doing her--

[ Her question is cut short as she's pulled into a hug. A warm and extremely unexpected hug that's very difficult for her to reciprocate properly. ]

I never thought I'd see anyone from Camelot again.

[ Gwen says it softly, almost a whisper, and tries her best for a moment or two to hug him back before breaking away to put some space between them. She watches him a bit in confusion, trying not to think about how upset he had been just before she arrived here. ]

I only just saw you. Before coming here. But-- how long have you been here?

[ Worry about not seeing her coupled with a new sword and uniform were an indicator of this being more long term than she had hoped. ]

sob sob

[getsthecredit]

[He was too relieved to see her to notice any discomfort on her part at first, and he was sure her confusion was due to the displacement- he'd been quite confused himself, after all.]

A couple of weeks, or thereabouts. I'd just seen you before I was brought here as well, it was-

[Annnd stop. Time discrepancies. Some of the color drained from his face; If Merlin had been from over two years ago, then-

No, there was no way. Surely Gwen was from his time... or much closer, at the least.

She had to be.

He swallowed, and spoke slowly, watching her eyes and trying not to think about the fact that the way she was dressed should have told him all he needed to know.]

Gwen, what's the last thing you remember before coming here?

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin had been scurrying around the Garden on the very important mission of Avoiding Arthur, because otherwise Arthur would probably try to make him do chores. But then he saw Gwen.]

Gwen? [For a moment he just stood there, gaping. But then his jaw snapped shut and Merlin was running over] Gwen!

[consorts]

[ Once again Gwen's attempting to not get her hopes up fails and she's grinning at Merlin's approach. ]

Merlin? Oh Merlin please tell me that is you. I thought-

[ No, she's not going to even say it. ] What are you doing here? You were just at the castle...

[nevergetscredit]

[Hope away Gwen, because this definitely is Merlin]

It's me! [And he's just going to grin back at you. He'd missed Gwen]

Well, that's kind of complicated. I got here the same way you did, but...well, you wouldn't even have noticed me going, because back home no one will even notice we were gone.

[consorts]

[ She lets out a sigh of relief. She didn't like the idea of adjusting to this strange place by herself. Merlin's one of the best friends she's got; this will be a much easier place to get accustomed to with him around. ]

I don't understand... They tried to explain it to me upon my arrival. [ She mulls over that for a moment. ] So you haven't just been with Arthur to get me and Lancelot?

[nevergetscredit]

You and Lancelot? What do you...oh. [Oh Arthur is not going to like this...]

No, I haven't. And it turns out that the...magic that brought us here also brought us from different points in time. [Merlin pauses] If you're from when we rescued you...then I'm from your future, and Arthur's even further ahead.

[thorny]

That depends if you can procure a handwritten dissertation of no less than sixteen pages on the merits of giving you the location rather than allowing you to continue wander through the Garden and thus become acclimated more quickly.

[dryly. she's teasing, of course, but it's so difficult to tell with Rose.]

[consorts]

[ Gwen catches the sarcasm, but sits blinking at Rose for a few moments before responding. ]

I have nothing written but... I've been told I am a skilled seamstress and armorer?

[ Ok maybe she's failing at this wit thing. She laughs a bit nervously. ]

[thorny]

Alas, my talents in the domestic arts are prodigious enough that your services would be rendered useless almost immediately. As to defensive clothing, well. If I'm in a position that I'd direly need any, I haven't been fighting very well in the first place.

[she gives a wry smile and spreads her hands out in a 'what can you do?' sort of gesture] I suppose that means the information will have to be given freely from the goodness of the blackened remains of what was once my heart. Such a tragedy.

[consorts]

Would've thought armor was essential against some foes, at least. Not to say you'd need it.

[ Gwen's still smiling a bit nervously, but she seems to have gotten through at least. ]

I'm just having a hard time finding my way around this... Garden.

[ It's hard for her to refer to it as that with such a lack of foliage, but she'll have to get used to it. ]

[thorny]

Only if one is hellbent on taking enemies down through a head-on approach. I personally prefer to slip through the chinks in their own proverbial armor and take them apart with elegance. [and stabbing things in the eye. but that's not the point right now.]

The scenic locale we've found ourselves trapped in can be a tad bit dizzying upon first arrival, but I can assure you that after a few days the landscape becomes nothing more than mundanely familiar.

[poppetstrings]

[One portal of swirling, questionable smoky darkness, and out pops a tiny leather cloaked person of the female form.

Who appears to be fretting for a moment before she turns her attention to Gwen, who looks to be as terribly lost as she was when she arrived a few days back.]

Do you need help finding something?

[consorts]

[ Gwen takes a few steps back at the sudden appearance of...whatever exactly that was that she popped out of. This was clearly magic at work and she wasn't sure how to react to it. There's a long pause before she finally works up the nerve to respond to her. ]

...oh. Uhm. I was just looking for-

I'm sorry. How did you do that?

[poppetstrings]

The portal? Its uhm. Just something I can do. It helps with moving around, 'cause its like a short-cut.

[Well, to be fair. She's not very scary when she speaks up, after all, she's just a small girl.]

[consorts]

[ She wonders if this is the natural magic she's been hearing about, but doesn't ask. The girl seems harmless enough anyway, so she relaxes a bit. ]

I've never seen anything like it before. I didn't mean to-- I'm sorry to pry.

Things are a bit different here than they are at home...

[bunnypassingby]

I can take you there if you'd like - I know it all kind of looks the same. [Mikuru smiles; she knows a newbie when she sees one.]

[consorts]

[ A relieved smile breaks out on her face. ] I swear I've been going in circles. [ Oh, yes she was. ]

Thank you so much. This place has been... overwhelming.

[bunnypassingby]

[Mikuru's polite enough to not mention that the layout is a giant wheel.]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It helps if you look at the color on the floor... [She indicates the blue strips on the floor.] Each area has a different color going towards it; the dormitory is gray. And I think I've still got maps in my room.

[consorts]

[ Thank you for sparing her the embaressment, Mikuru. ]

Oh...oh, that's brilliant. Can't believe I didn't notice. I mean-- I noticed the lines but. Well I've just been a bit lost in this place.

[espio]

I'll show you the directory. That'll show you a map of the place.

[consorts]

[ Gwen's not really sure what to make of Espio, but she smiles and nods politely. After all, they are being friendly. ]

...Yes, I think that would be best. Teach a man to fish, and all that.