Work Text:
Knock knockKnock, knock, knock
“Coming!” Merlin walks over to his front door, his now overgrown front door, muttering a curse under his breath. He opens his door and a man, or well, being, stands before him with a toothy grin. A bit further behind him, is another man with red hair and an expression that tells he’s pretending he doesn’t want to be here. Merlin raises an eyebrow. “What is it?” The man in front of him looks down at his clipboard. “Marvin Ambrosius?” He asks Merlin. Merlin blinks a few times before he remembers that that’s him. “Oh, right, yes. That’s me. And you are…?”
“Mr. Fell, it’s delightful to meet your acquaintance.” The man holds out his hand. Merlin shakes it, rather hesitantly. You can’t really expect an ancient being to be very cheerful, right? “No first name? All right, then.” He mutters under his breath.
“I’m here about the Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Street Traders Association monthly meetings, just wanted to see if you’ll show up?” Merlin looks at the man. In truth, Merlin hasn’t been to one of those monthly meetings, mostly because he’s made sure that people just ignore him. “I have things to do, I’m sorry, Mr. Fell.” He says with as much politeness as he can offer. There’s a look of mischief in Mr. Fell’s eyes as Merlin says this. “Well, I might have something that will persuade you otherwise.” Merlin raises an eyebrow. “I have in my possession a very rare flower, one of the only ones still alive of it’s kind.” Mr. Fell continues. Merlin crosses his arms. “Do you, now?” He says, his voice laced in suspicion.
“A Mortaeus Flower.”
Merlin’s expression drops. No ordinary person would know about it, that’s for sure. Back when Merlin was poisoned by that very same flower, no one knew of it. Gaius had to explain it. No ordinary person would know about it, much less have it. So either Mr. Fell is lying, or Mr. Fell is not an ordinary person.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to see it, to believe it, Mr. Fell. Have a nice day.” Merlin quickly clothes his door before Mr. Fell can get another word in. Merlin sighs in relief as he leans against the closed door. Aithusa looks at him from her basket in the corner of the room. “That was odd, wasn’t it?”
- - - - - - - -
Walking into Mr. Fell’s bookshop didn’t feel right. His clothes changed, that’s for sure. And Merlin has this odd feeling that nothing weird is happening, when very obviously something weird is happening. Every time he tries to think about what he was doing before he came here, or what he was supposed to be doing here, it’s like something else catches his attention. Which could only mean one thing. What that one thing is, Merlin has no idea. He’s too busy eating little mini shrimp cocktails.