archaeologist_dTitle: Hellscape - part 2
Rating: PG - for language
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Morgana
Summary: Arthur’s sister wasn’t helping, talking about magic and all. In front of the cat.
Word Count: 918
Camelot_drabble Prompt: 478, Hellscape
Author's Notes: unbetaed, more adventures with Merlin the cat. I guess I had more to say.
Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Morgana let herself in as she always did. Arthur was busy trying to clean up, one of his socks had gone missing, and Merlin was digging into Arthur’s only potted plant—he really needed to put that somewhere Merlin couldn’t reach—when Morgana said, “Entertaining again, I see. It must have been a hell of a party.”
“Blame my demon cat.” Arthur threw a balled-up t-shirt at Merlin, hitting him square in the nose and causing an outcry of kitten rage before Merlin wiggled out from underneath and padded over to attack Morgana’s shoe.
“Explains why I wasn’t invited.” Morgana reached down and scooped up Merlin, petting him a little and whispering in his ear before letting him go again. “I did warn you that he was a magic cat. You know, capable of mass destruction on an epic scale.”
“I don’t think scattering bog roll about is epic,” Arthur said, watching Merlin carefully.
The cat was watching them, too, his golden eyes bright against the dark fur. Then he hopped up onto Arthur’s computer table and began to pat at the keyboard. Little kitten paws tapping away, almost as if he knew what he was doing.
With a sigh, Arthur started toward the menace—at least Arthur had saved everything first although who knew if Merlin could actually destroy his computer, but anything was possible with that cat, but Morgana caught his sleeve. “Let him finish, Arthur.”
“Seriously? It’s not as if he can understand any of it. He just likes to annoy the hell out of me when I’m working. Mostly by laying on the keyboard and staring up at me, daring me to push him aside.” But Arthur didn’t rush over, just stood there watching Merlin pat the keyboard.
“Look, Arthur, I’m not here to make your life hell.” Morgana sounded serious. “But something’s up. I talked to my coven about it….”
“Bloody hell, Morgana, not that again. I thought you were moving past that kinky shit.” She’d had enough trouble in the past with believing in magic, even claiming to be a witch, but when she told him that, he dismissed the absurdity out of hand, told her to get help, even offered to pay for it. He thought she had since she hadn’t talked about it in months. And a coven? Fuck, this was serious.
“No, I’ve not moved past that kinky shit,” Morgana snapped back. “Just because you are blind doesn’t mean everyone is.”
Arthur turned toward her. “Morgana, please, I’m listening now, but honestly, you need help if you think that magic is real.”
“You are an idiot but I’m not here to debate you on this. Believe what you want. It won’t change the fact that Merlin….”
Arthur interrupted her. “Merlin? My cat? My clumsy troublemaker cat?” The typing stopped for a moment and Arthur looked over to see Merlin scowling at him, giving a little hiss before turning back to the computer and staring at the screen. It was very odd. But Arthur shook off his confusion, and pointed to him. “That Merlin?”
“That Merlin.” Morgana nodded to his cat. “There is something about him. I can feel the power in him and it’s growing.”
“Morgana, you really do need help if you think a cat, my manky idiot of a cat, is magical.” Arthur nodded toward Merlin. “I will give you that his destructive acumen is magical. I’ve never seen a cat that could tear through a flat like him but he’s a cat, Morgana, a cat.”
“If he’s just a cat, why is he using your computer?” She nodded toward Merlin.
“Pure coincidence. He saw me typing and he’s trying to show that he’s more intelligent that me.” Arthur gave a little laugh, shaking his head. “As if a cat were capable of higher thought functions. He mostly just chases laser dots and string. And lays on my head when he thinks I’m asleep.”
“I would say that was sweet if I pretended to care.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through, pointing to one email. Arthur squinted down at it. “An email. From you apparently, stating that Merlin was in trouble and needed my help.”
Reading it through—there were several typos that Arthur couldn’t make head nor tail of, finally he shrugged. “Can you even read that crap? And besides, I’ve been too busy picking up after my bloody cat to send you anything. It must be spam.”
“Is it? Is it really? Or is Merlin more than he seems?” She nodded toward the computer.
Merlin gave a little meow, then a louder one when Arthur scowled at him. Morgana brushed past Arthur to stare at the screen.
Arthur rolled his eyes. He would play along, if nothing else to prove to Morgana that she was delusional. It would make it easier to get her into therapy. Finally, giving a sigh, he stomped over to look at what Morgana and Merlin were staring at.
As he stood there, Merlin butted his head against Arthur’s hand and unthinking, Arthur started to pet him. But he wasn’t aware of any of it.
Because on the screen, words, words that didn’t make sense, but words nonetheless, were stark but unbelievable.
Help, Arthur. I am trapped inside. Helpe me.
What the fuck? It wasn’t possible that Merlin, a cat, Arthur’s cat, the cat he’d picked up at the animal shelter, an ordinary, run-of-the-mill bloody cat, had typed it. On purpose. On Arthur’s computer.
It wasn’t possible. Was it?