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[youjustgot]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, MERLIN. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 135.18.129.14 *** Merlin has joined 135.18.129.14 <merlinofcourse> ⌁˚⊹ You have reached Prince Merlin ⊹˚⌁ <merlinofcourse> I know how to use computers now~

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<purevanilla>

[purevanillacookie]

Hello Merlin, this is Pure Vanilla Cookie. I was alerted by Clotted Cream Cookie that you were having a few issues, and needed someone to talk to? It would be my honor to help in any way I am able!

<merlinofcourse>

[youjustgot]

[Ah, the person he was told about. Oh boy, now that it's happening? He's a little nervous. This is...a lot of baggage to put on a stranger all at once.]

Um...hello! Yes, thank you, I really do appreciate you taking the time to do this. It's just, uhhhh, how do I put this...it's a lot. I mean, when I start to explain what's wrong, it probably won't be a lot word-wise, but when you read it, you'll probably be like "Oof, yeesh, this IS a lot."

So I won't blame you if you want to back out now.

backdated to merlin's post. maybe this IS on his post and it's just here for convenience?? handwaves

[epitaffio]

Hey, can I ask you something?
What did you do to Trish?

I'm so sorry his response is immediately stupid

[youjustgot]

Who is Trish?

July 2-3 cos it's night

[missleadingquestions]

[The thing about traditions is that they have to start. There has to be a first time, and a second time, and so on and so forth, before it really becomes a tradition. Of course, if you miss the first go-round, it always seems like your first time— so Merlin doesn't have the background to expect that, a year after the first time she'd done so, that Maya would choose to turn back into a demon.

So he might be expecting a completely different monster to knock on his door when Maya returns, though the knock is just as playful as ever. A rap-tap-tap-tap, and Maya calls—]

Merrrrlin~ You're not asleep already, are you?

omg it's night

[youjustgot]

[If there's one habit Merlin can never break, it's his need to be a giant nerd. The room Maya has so gracefully given him has quickly turned into a cozy little copy of his study back home. Books piled here and there, literal strings of talismans decorate the top of his walls almost as if they were magical Christmas decorations. Some are even slapped on his bed posts, even though he knows deep in his heart they're completely powerless.

And Merlin, of course, spends his nights hunched over at his desk, scribbling away notes by candlelight. Whatever he's working on now is immediately halted as he slams the book shut and turns his attention towards the door that's now rap-tapping at him.]

Sleep is for the weeeeaaaak~

[His voice mimics her own tone. Even while he's nerding out, no one ever say Merlin doesn't play.]

[Action]

[sharpiewielder]

((ooc: Directly following this thread, right after this comment...idiots.))

[The pooka-faerie shimmies down from his place on the couch and hops over to Merlin, placing a paw on the back of his laptop and, maintaining eye contact, slowly and gently pushes it closed.]

Problem solved.

[There's a mischievous, almost challenging gleam in his golden eyes that isn't normally present when Hanna regards him... It must be that pookatude getting him to act up--]

[youjustgot]

[Still new to the world of computers, the fact that anyone would WANT to close someone else's laptop has never even crossed his mind. He blinks, one second he's looking at a screen, next he's watching Hanna's taunting gaze as he touches his things.

Rude? He's pretty sure this is rude???]

Wha- HEY! I still had opinions to write out!!

July 23, after Merlin's shift

[missleadingquestions]

[If Merlin expected that he would always be undisturbed in Nai'a's changing room, he relaly hasn't been paying attention. Now that they've turned back into theri normal selves— or at least, intentional temporary selves, in Maya's place— Maya's got less of a compulsion to stay true to her word with Merlin... and in any case, she wouldn't consider bamfing herself up to sit on the locker beside the one he's using would be teasing or being mean.

So that's exactly what she does while the poor guy is changing out of his uniform shirt, as unconcerned with anyone's potential-to-relative-nudity as she was when they were all cute little animals taking a bath.]

Hey! You don't seem busy.

[youjustgot]

[You know, he really misses Maya's pooka brain, because for the first time since arriving here, it finally felt like she was doing nice things for him. Liiiiiike respecting his space. This??? THIS IS NOT RESPECTING HIS SPACE. This is...literally the opposite of that!]

I'm busy getting dressed.

[He hisses as he grabs his dress shirt and drapes it around him to get the privacy he THOUGHT he had. Although there isn't much to hide other than...plants, he still has weird vine growths on his back he'd rather people weren't staring at. They're not nearly as pretty as all the flowers, let's just leave it at that.]

It takes me...what? Two minutes to put a shirt on and you can't even wait for that...

Wednesday, Jul 26 cos maya doesn't work that day

[missleadingquestions]

Hey, Merrrrrr-lin~!

[Hope Merlin doesn't mind being interrupted with whatever he's doing. At least this time, keeping in line with her promise not to make Merlin feel bad, Maya hasn't barged into his room. Rather, she calls from behind it, demon tail whipping like a cat's;]

Are you still awake? I've got something for you!

[youjustgot]

[Merlin startles, which you'd think he'd cut out by now, what with living with so many people for...awhile. It's not like the boys never bothered him back home, either, and Maya didn't even barge in this time! Soooo what gives?

No, his surprise is his own fault this time as he quickly throws off a pair of headphones and quickly slides them and a tape player under his pillow. Did he borrow Hanna's? Did he finally get his own? Who knows, as far as anyone knows, there's no tape player in this room!


...Wait, a gift?]

I am? ...You do?

Some... point in time after harassing aunamee, while she's still a demon

[missleadingquestions]

[referencing this post
Look. If you're sitting out in the living room, then that means you're open to being disturbed! So despite her doing her very best not to freak the shit out of Merlin, Maya leans right over the back of the couch to ask—]

How's it going with Mr. Edison?

[youjustgot]

[Look. If you're sitting out in the living room, then that means you're open to being disturbed, which means Merlin is prepared. The moment Maya finishes her sentence, he's whacking her with a pillow.

Then proceeds like usual.]

Not well. I wasn't expecting him to be such a weirdo.

September 6th or 7th time isn't real, night, in Merain

[missleadingquestions]

[It has been such a long few days.

Maya has been hoping to speak to Merlin, and when she comes to his door this time, there is no bouncy cheering or patterned knock.]

Merlin?

Are you awake?

[youjustgot]

[This time, Merlin doesn't have anything silly going on, it would appear that he was actually trying to sleep.]

I am now.

[Is the ever so clever answer he replies with when he opens his door.]

< luvrboy > Evening of September 14 | MerHanna AU

[sharpiewielder]

[08:12:04] < luvrboi >: honey bunny?
[08:12:45] < luvrboi >: sugar plum?
[08:13:23] < luvrboi >: theres only so many ice cream flavors :p
[08:13:55] < luvrboi >: just pick one and come hoooome <3

<merlinofcourse>

[youjustgot]

Um, strawberry?

[If it wasn't for all the weird shit going on, Merlin miiiiight be confused. I mean, don't get him wrong, he IS, but at least he's prepared to be confused.]

Did you mean to send this to Maya?

a night or so later than hanna's thread or something dwbi

[missleadingquestions]

[Maya doesn't have to be as well acquainted with these boys as the one in the real timeline does for her to be able to read them. No, perhaps the best things about Hanna and Merlin are that they wear their hearts on their sleeves.

But that means even the Maya of a different timeline is well aware that Merlin is trying to hide his distress. And... It kind of sucks! She might not know these guys well but, they've both been sweet, and she hates to see Merlin down, it turns out.

So, when she finds the nymph's door open perhaps just a tiny bit more than he'd expected it to be, Maya nudges the door open a little more and steps in to find...

...Merlin face down in a pillow.

Okay, that's one way to cope.]

...Hey, are you... Doing okay there??

[She's pretty sure he's breathing, but—]

[youjustgot]

[Dammit, did he leave the door open? The last thing Merlin wants is to have someone catch him sulking, but it's too late for that now. Why bother to hide it at this point?

He's exhausted. It's only been what? A day or so since this nonsense all began? Merlin's already through with it, these mismatched memories only serve to hurt his head, to second guess himself. Why not just rot in bed and wait for it to play out? He's a plant, after all, all they DO is stay in one place.]

No, I'm not.

[The only thing he does is move his head so his agony isn't muffled by his pillow.]

After White Lily's anon post

[missleadingquestions]

[Normally, it's Merlin's job to come sulking over to someone else for comfort, especially with things as they are. But the past few days as a nymph have been... really good for all of them, so... maybe that's why Maya feels so confident going to Merlin first.

It's not like she doesn't trust Hanna for comfort, of course, but she needs to talk to a specific kind of person right now... and she knows already that Hanna thinks himself anything but heroic. So despite how much she absolutely wants to barge in, Maya knocks on Merlin's door and waits, not holding back her puffy-cheeked pout.]

Merlin... are you in there?

[youjustgot]

[God talk is always exhausting, even when people agree with him. He doesn't WANT to be right, Merlin would love nothing more than to march into Dyster and defeat the witch himself.

But he can't, and if he doesn't want to hurt people, he has to accept that. In a way, it does sort of feel like giving up, but he likes to think of it more like playing the long con. Anything can be solved with a little research, this research is just...going to take awhile.

And that's okay.

Still, it doesn't give him any sort of energy boost when he answers.]

I'm always in here. Apparently.

Oct 31 early after midnight; cw for vague allusions to the conclusion of the sacrifice plot

[missleadingquestions]

[Another day, another misunderstanding with merlin.

On the one hand, Maya can be sure that at least part of it this time really was a misunderstanding... aaand some of it was her own temper winning out against her patience with some of the things Merlin said.

She knows it has nothign to do with her, anyway— but with things hitting so close to home, she hadn't kept her cool online until the point she realized she should walk away.

But even if she feels awful about the feelings Merlin brought to the surface, she also feels awful about losing her cool and pushing him in a way she didn't want to.

So she stays up, waiting for him while sitting on the walkway outside of the Merain Manor.

When Merlin comes back around, though, Maya might not be paying attention. She's focused on the water below the walkway, arms crossed on the lower railing she's got her legs hanging out under, head on her arms.

Why does she keep letting this happen? They almost lost everything. They almost lost each other. So why does she keep letting herself butt heads with Merlin over things that she shouldn't be so bothered by? The feelings roll over and over in her gut, and she doesn't notice at all when Merlin approaches the house again.]

[youjustgot]

[Hanging out with Beat always brightens Merlin's mood. He's the kind of guy who has accepted that Merlin is just...kind of the way that he is...and can ignore his brattiness enough to still have a good time. Merlin, in turn, can settle the hell down and eventually have a good time himself. All that's left is a fun night of hot dogs and magic pins, what more could anyone ask for?

But unlike Beat, Merlin isn't nocturnal, and eventually he needs to go back to get some sleep. No one wants to deal with a crabby prince in the morning-

Whoops, spoke too soon. Seeing Maya waiting by the door, Merlin can only assume the worst.]

Great, what did I do now?

pin date pin date during the net post

[soundsurfing]

melon baby you best be ready to go im pickin you up

[Which is sent literally seconds before there's a honking noise outside. Beat did that deliberately, of course. So when Merlin looks out the door or a window, he will see a werewolf hanging over his window, grinning and waving. And yelling.]

COME ON, LE'S GO, HOTDOGS AIN'T GONNA WAIT FER YER PRINCELY ASS.

[youjustgot]

[Oh good, a message! With how far Beat lives, that leaves him plenty of time to-

Merlin startles when he hears the honking, but his sigh is more amused than anything else. With how badly he wants to get out, he honestly can't complain about the lack of waiting.

...Still, he'll play it up because SOMEONE has to be the straight man to the werewolf's nonsense.]

Hot dogs don't have any concept of time, they'll wait as long as I say they will.

[But considering how he sprints for the car, it doesn't look like they'll be waiting very long at all.]

< LittleHelper >

[bachelorblogger]

Season's greetings! Kris Kringle's assistant here, reporting to you in his stead, as he is a very busy man this time of year. Your Secret Santa recipient is Kirby, network username: < mynameiskirby >.

Get Kirby a present by December 26, and if you can't figure out how to deliver it, you can drop it off (clearly labelled, please!) at Crowe Clinic up until the 24th.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KIRBY:
- Enjoys parties with friends, especially when there's delicious food.

If you need more information, I'm afraid I cannot be of assistance. Maybe attempt something generic, or do some detective work? Should be a good challenge.

Happy Nattensfest holidays.

SECRET SANTA

[intercalaryninja]

[The package is delivered on the 25th. It's a bottle of wine and some chocolate, on top of a rather nice, hand knitted blanket. There is also a small note written in a short, neat script.]

Happy Nattensfest to you, or whatever holiday you celebrate. May the new year be kind to you and your loved ones. Enjoy the food.
- Secret Santa

time is fake but it's at night at some point, at the Merain Manor

[missleadingquestions]

Here, you happy?

[Maya pops the elastic of the bikini-style top she's retrieved from her room as she steps back into the bath room against her soft, rubbery skin, to punctuate her question.]

It's a really cute one, too, y'know.

[Maya's agreed by now to help poor, struggling Merlin get his new body as clean and fresh as a prince should be, but not without having to bear through some protest. She's certain that Merlin will reiterate to her for the millionth time just why he finds it inappropriate to bathe with a mermaid, even one who practically never really looks naked, but Maya's not really bothered. It's Merlin, after all— he just needs to talk out his anxieties and frustrations. In the meantime, she starts to gather up a brush and other things she won't be able to grab once she's legless in the water.]

let's band together to destroy time

[youjustgot]

I-I mean... I just...

[Speaking of those anxieties-

It's true, Merlin finds the whole situation very bizarre and uncouth, but at the same time...he does need to get used to his changes. He hasn't exactly told Maya or Hanna just yet, but Mana had made it perfectly clear that her spell was permanent. Maybe he's still in denial, maybe he just assumed Maya figured out after he explained the enormous fee he paid, the point is the lizard body is here to stay. And compared to a nymph body that only needed a good, fresh sprinkling in a cold shower, Merlin has to get used to washing like a normal person again. .....A normal person with so.....so much hair.

And scales.

And extra body parts.

Maya has already been babying him by brushing his fur for him, something he appreciates very much, especially considering so much of it runs down his spine. It's the ONLY reason why he can justify her joining him, and she even covered up for his princely sensitivities!! His own nudity isn't even an issue anymore considering his stupid animal body tastefully hides everything, so....his conditions have been met.

Defeated, he sinks further into the water, just enough so that his nose is right above the its surface.]

I guess?

[His voice burbles from the water.]