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

[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?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I don't get out much either," she said sheepishly, "but I'm trying to be better about it. I've been here almost a year now."

"Musical theater?" She asked, a bit lost. "Is that what they're doing?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I think so?" Ella guessed. "Since they have costumes, and there seems to be a story, kind of. But it may just be their custom -- there's a whole country at home where people sing about everything. Perhaps rats on Tortuga are the same."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"You have an entire country where people sing about everything? What happens if you don't know the words, or are tone deaf?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

That was a good question.

"You mumble, I suppose," Ella shrugged. "They do it from the cradle, and very few of them are tone deaf, or so my friends who have been there claimed. It's mostly a problem for visitors."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Was it odd, visiting there?" Inara asked, assuming Ella had gone to visit there or was speaking from experience.

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I've not been yet," Ella admitted, a little embarrassed. "My best friend at my last school was from there, and I have a friend who's visiting their court now. He sends me letters about it."

"I don't get to travel nearly as much as I would like -- do you?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Honestly? This is the very first time I've been away from where I grew up. You have friends who visit court? That sounds very exciting." She smiled at Ella, trying to make her feel more comfortable. "Besides, this way you can enjoy hearing about it without being there--I hear royalty can be quite a challenge."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Boarding school was the first time I left Frell, practically," Ella answered. "My father's a merchant, so he travels, but he never wanted to bring me along."

She smiled a little. "He is royalty," she said. "Prince Charmont. He's heir to our throne. My mother knew his family. But yes, it's better he's there and I get the stories. He sounds dreadfully bored half the time -- he says they sing instead of saying anything interesting."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"It's wonderful he has you to share these experiences with," Inara said, wondering now if she had offended Ella with her remarks. "You could sing here, if it would make you feel better, I suppose? If you miss him?"

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella smiled, clearly not at all offended. She wasn't much for royalty herself, really.

"He's a good friend to me," she said, ignoring anythign more than friendship that she felt. "I'm going to karaoke with Dick tomorrow night -- perhaps I should dedicate something to Char. It'd be something to tell him about the next time I write, anyhow."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I think that sounds like a very nice idea," she nodded, "and good friends are important. Especially here."

She covered a shiver by pulling the sleeves of her shirt down to cover her wrists.

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Definitely." Ella noticed the gesture and frowned a little. "Is something wrong?"

It might just be cold, but she didn't feel a draft.

[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?"

[solo_sword]

The truth wasn't going to get dumped on some poor girl she'd pretty much just met. "I've been okay," Jaina answered. "Haven't made bombs, but I'm sure I'm going to get tied up in class on a Thursday one of these weeks, so it's interesting."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella screwed up her face. "Why would you get tied up?"

[solo_sword]

"I'm taking Escape Artistry," she explained. "If it doesn't come up, I might be disappointed."

There was a pause. "Pretend that didn't sound bad."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"It didn't sound bad at all," Ella said automatically. "If it's a class on escaping, you would want to learn about all sorts of escapes, right?"

She was innocent enough to say this without blushing, amazingly enough.