Third Floor Common Room, Wednesday Evening

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara was on her way into the common room to see what was on television when she passed by a rat in a state of dishabillé, hiding behind the door frame, peeking in at a large group of rats in petticoats.

The one in the center was on a chair or stool of some kind, and singing,

Poor wandering one!
Though thou hast surely stra-ayed,
Take heart of grace,
Thy steps retrace,
Poor wandering one!

The singing rat hopped off the stool and gestured toward the door, almost as if she knew the rat in his knickers was standing there, sighing wistfully at her.

Poor wandering one!
If such poor love as mine
Can help thee find
True peace of mind
Why, take it, it is thine!
Take heart, fair days will shine;
Take any heart take mine!

Inara gave the rat a little nudge forward with her foot, then walked into the room and took a seat on the couches, wondering what else she would see.

[ooc: Open! We're in the first act of Pirates of Penzance, if anyone wants to play along!]

Comments

[solo_sword]

Coming back from outside, Jaina stopped in the common room before heading to 313. "I just had a rat chorus add its own soundtrack to me walking up the stairs."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"So it's not just here, then?" Inara asked, watching the two rats be drawn to each other from across the room. "It's really quite engrossing."

[solo_sword]

"Have I missed much so far?" she asked, not sure why she was asking, really.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I have absolutely no idea," she said. "Did John mention whether this kind of thing happens a lot here? The history books didn't say anything."

[solo_sword]

"Here as in Fandom, or Tortuga?" she asked, and shrugged. "I haven't seen him since we got back, anyway, assumedly so either way the answer would be no."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella, very confused, followed the sound of less-squeaky-than-one-would-expect rat voices into the common room.

Take heart, take heart,
Ah! Take any heart but ours,
Take heart! Take heart!

"Do rats often sing in this world?" They did in stories she had read, of course, but many things happened in stories she did not expect to see in her life.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Inara admitted. "I'm not exactly from this world. Er, hello, incidentally. I'm Inara."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Ella," Ella returned, with a slight bobbing curtsy of introduction. "And hello to you too. I sometimes forget my manners when rodents start singing at me."

She gave a quick smile. "Not that that happens often. Or ever."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you," she laughed, "and I think that's an acceptable reason. Are you a new student?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I was new in May, but I keep getting that question, so I may have kept to myself a bit more than I needed to," Ella answered. "Have you been here long?"

She grinned. "It would be a sad day when I got blasé about rats performing in musical theater, wouldn't it?"

[solo_sword]

"First time I'm seeing it," Jaina answered. "We're quirky like that, I think."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"At least it's amusing quirky?" Ella decided. "Though it would get to be a bother if they were always underfoot."

"I'm Ella, by the way. I think we had Professor Atreides' class together last term."

[solo_sword]

"Jaina," she said. "Yeah, I thought I remembered you. How's things been going? Besides the rats."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Besides the rats, things are going quite well," Ella said. "I made bombs in one class today, then spent the other talking about vampires. My Wednesdays are odd even without singing wildlife. How have you been?"

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

Dick walked into the common room followed by a scurvy rat eating a piece of pie.

Dick got the impression that this rat didn't read the memo. "Hello," he said.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Inara greeted him with a wave. "That's a, er, lovely rat you have following you?"

She couldn't believe the things this place made her say sometimes, all in the name of civility.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Thanks. He's not mine, though," Dick said. "And I really don't want to know where he got the pie."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Why--" and then she thought about it. "Never mind, I think I can figure that part out by myself. Do you know why it's here? Or why they are?" She pointed to the little musical drama playing itself out in the middle of the floor. "Really, it's quite strange."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"They just wanted to hang out, too?" Dick suggested. "Or maybe it's just some weird cosplay thing. I don't know."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella smiled at Dick. "I fear the rats may have shown us up before we even got to the karaoke bar," she teased.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Just remember that if you don't compete with the rats, they can't show you up," Dick said. "Hopefully they're gone before tomorrow night."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we could coerce them into being backup singers," Ella mused. "Yours seems fond of pie."

[solo_sword]

Jaina tilted her head at the rat, impressed at its ability to multitask, walking and eating pie.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"I'd be offended that everyone's more interested in the rat than they are in me, but I'm actually with everyone else this time," Dick commented.

[solo_sword]

"I've seen you before," Jaina reminded him, still watching the rat. "Maybe if you were eating pie."