Take a break (Gwyn)

[Gwyn Locksley]

“It's kind of funny. Mother was the same way, she enjoyed the freedom of this place, but she has a reputation to uphold at home. So I must learn all the things I hate, act a proper lady at home, yet she sends me here as well. It can be rather confusing.” Her brow furrowed as she thought of it. Gwyn was definitely a daddy's girl, she wanted to be everything he was. It wasn't that she didn't love her mother, she very much did, but at the same time their relationship was conflicting for the very reasons she described to Meredith. Marian hated tradition and society's expectation of women, yet made Gwyn learn it all anyway, but also sent her to Tintagel where none of that mattered. It was difficult sometimes to figure out exactly what her mother wanted from her. It was much easier to make her father proud.

Shaking her head, she looked over at Meredith, who seemed to find something rather amusing. “He is a little less so than when we first met, so I suppose he is improving.” No more casting balls of paper to the winds, at least as far as she knew. He still complained about his fathers, but he could at least talk of other things now as well so it wasn't so all encompassing. She did have hope for him. “What of you? I feel like we have not spoken much recently.”

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

"I suppose it would be," Meredith agreed "Knowing what our parents want for us but also what the rest of the world we live in expects, and how it changes between here and there, and what we want for ourselves... when you pile it all together it can become rather stressful to keep track of." at least it was something they didn't have to focus on too hard while they were here.

"Me? Oh... well...I..." she struggled for a blasé response, or a way to push it back to Gwyn, but she was all out of options. She shrugged "I've been.. struggling, with the whole Mordred thing," she admitted "It's been difficult."

[Gwyn Locksley]

When Meredith put it that way it really did all sound rather overwhelming, not to mention hard to keep track of. Here there was all the modern technology that they had to try to forget about back home, which became increasingly difficult the more they relied on it. Hot showers, clean water, electricity. Some days Gwyn wasn't so sure this place was preparing them for life at all so much as showing them a life they could never actually have.

Still, she was grateful for the experience.

As she turned the attention on Meredith, it was clear even to Gwyn that her friend wasn't so keen to discuss it. This was what friends were supposed to do, though, right? “I am sorry,” Gwyn apologised sincerely. “I never thought he would act so dishonourably. Perhaps this place is not so good an influence on everyone.”

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

Meredith sighed, shrugging. She couldn't quite meet Gwyn's gaze and stared off into the middle distance, trying to come up with some explanation that wouldn't make her friend worry without being a total lie.

"I'm not sure it's this place that's to blame... I mean, he has the same reputation back home, I just thought..." she thought she would be different and it turned out she wasn't, only maybe she was, but he wasn't helping matters and it was all too much to process. She shrugged again.
"It was a mistake. I'll get over it eventually."

[Gwyn Locksley]

He had the same reputation at home? How had Gwyn not known this? Oh, probably because she didn't pay attention to things like gossip and reputation. She only cared about his skills in battle, and he had always proved himself to be formidable. Perhaps she should have been paying more attention.

“Most relationships are a mistake, especially when you're young,” Gwyn offered in comfort. “Just look at my parents. They were always in love, but it almost didn't work out for them. It was only when they were older they were able to figure everything out and be together. Maybe you both just have to figure yourselves out first.”

It was probably one of the most insightful things Gwyn had ever said in her life.

[Meredith Emrys-Pendragon]

"Maybe..." Meredith said thoughtfully, it was actually quite a reasonable thing to have said. And certainly her parents had hated each other in the beginning, they never would have thought they would end up together in a million years, but then they fell in love... and now they were perfect together, meant to be, maybe there was something like that in her future...

"That's a really good way to look at it," she said eventually "Thanks Gwyn, maybe I just have some growing up to do or whatever... but anyway, let's not think about that right now, let's just enjoy our ride." she didn't want to get too bogged down in the Mordred situation, he seemed to be the only thing on her mind lately, and it was a nice day, easy to focus on the beautiful scenery around them... as it flashed past when they got onto some land flat enough for a race, anyway.

(wrap this one up maybe?)