Third Floor Common Room, Tuesday Afternoon

[bitchprince]

After completing his go at Gun Club, Arthur returned to the dorms only to realise he didn't much feel like dealing with Leto yet. He'd come up with a proper revenge later. Right now, he craved a chance to sit somewhere, to fight off the sense that was dawning in the wake of yesterday's upset. He sat, and idly considered the Teevee.

Maybe she's just afraid to lose a friend, Merlin had said, and while Arthur was not going to stretch as far as to call her that aloud, he had to admit that the expression on her face had... seemed...

It was easier, dealing with sorcerers, when all you did was distract Father and find them quick shelter elsewhere. Here, there was little escape from them. No matter what he did, they would remain, and the honest truth was that he bore them very little ill will.

Wasn't his father. He'd seen too much damage caused by it not to be wary, but...

Of course, that made him think of Liir. He wasn't going to let thought of his conduct around him make him cringe.

So he sat. Subdued. Thinking.

[[ open common room! ]]

Comments

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

Dor entered into the common roomcautiously. He'd been avoiding the place ever since the last time he was here.

When the furniture didn't start moaning like a moaning thing he let out a sigh of relief and headed for the refrigerator to see if there was anything good in there to eat.

"Hi!" he said giving a wave to the people in the common room. "I'm Dor."

[bitchprince]

Oh, more people. Grand.

"Afternoon," Arthur returned, with the politeness drilled into him by his father. It had been coming back to him with the fading shock, but he had to make an effort to manage it today. "I'm Prince Arthur of Camelot."

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Camelot?" Dor asked looking interested. "I haven't heard of that kingdom. Is that in this world or somewhere else? I'm from a world called Xanth that looks remarkably like this world's Florida."

[bitchprince]

"I'm told that the country it lies in is named England here," Arthur volunteered, "Although it's... a few years past."

And if the day came that wasn't still odd, then Arthur would know he had been here for too long.

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I haven't heard of the country," Dor said with a nod. "Though I'm still learning my geography of Mundania."

[bitchprince]

"Mundania," Arthur repeated, slowly. "I don't believe I've heard of that, myself."

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Dor said wincing. "Sorry. That's actually what my world calls this whole Earth place as it most of it is without magic and therefore kind of mundane. Though so far my experiences have been showing me otherwise."

[bitchprince]

Magic. Just the word he'd been dying to hear today.

"You'd be hard-pressed to call this land mundane," Arthur agreed. He found he'd avoided the topic neatly.

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"I will admit this island isn't really mundane at all," Dor admitted. "Though I have to say it's interesting to see how everyone gets by without having to use magic. The ingenuity people have is amazing. I think that's one reason why my king sent me here, so I'd have a better appreciation for not only what we have at home but how other worlds work as well."

[bitchprince]

Arthur rubbed his thumb against the side of his nose. "That's fascinating," he said.

He was not going to make the same mistake thrice, but it took some work. "We get by just fine without it," he managed.

Sometimes, they really didn't, but that was hardly Dor's business.

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

Dor nodded. "It's very impressive and often times more efficient than what we can do in my world," he said earnestly. "When I become king someday, I'm going to make an effort to have people learn more about engineering and other skills so we can complement our magic with it."

[bitchprince]

He paused.

"You're a member of the royal family?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Sort of," Dor said with small frown. "Royalty in Xanth is defined by power rather than familial lines like in some kingdoms. Since I'm the only one in my generation with magician caliber talent, I'm the next in line for the throne."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Hannibal King," he introduced, nodding at the new arrival. "Good to meet you."

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Same here," Dor said cheerfully. "I think I've seen you around. Did you go on the cruise last week?"

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Yep, I was there," he said, nodding. "And you probably did. I didn't stay in my room too much. You go too? Have a good time?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Though once I got off the island I couldn't understand what anyone was saying," Dor said with a small sigh. "Apparently the spell in my world that allows me to communicate with everyone somehow extends to this island. But I managed to have a pretty good time. How could you not in such a beautiful locale? And best of all there weren't any sea monsters trying to kill us."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Oh, wow, you couldn't understand...a thing?" Hannibal asked, wincing. He'd get to the sea monsters in a minute. Just a minute. "Did you have to mime everything?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much," Dor nodded. "However the crew seemed to be pretty used to that kind of thing. I guess they get a lot of foreign travelers. Plus they introduced me to a lot of drinks that I think had rum in them. So really it was a pretty good vacation."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Did you spend the vacation drunk, Dor?" Hannibal asked, amused.

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Well I had a bit to drink but I wasn't the entire time," he laughed. "It did help pass the time. Plus there was a lot to do on the boat. I was amazed at that boat. It was HUGE!"

After a week of not being able to talk with anyone Dor was being a bit of a blabbermouth.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, that was bigger than some cities I've seen," he agreed. "And like you said, no sea monsters. That was a concern of yours?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah!" Dor said as if this was obvious. "In Xanth you have to be very careful when you travel outside human settlements. And sea travel can be rather dangerous if your not prepared. There are sea monsters, water dragons and a whole bunch of monsters that like to snack on people."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Xanth?" Hannibal asked. Okay, unfamiliar name meant unfamiliar place meant unfamiliar...well everything. "Not close by, is it?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"It's.. Well, I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the vicinity of Florida," Dor said scratching his head. "Since it looks almost exactly like Xanth. When I came here I just came across that causeway thing but I think that was just a different entrance and exit. Plus this island is strange because my magic actually works here where in the rest of the world it doesn't."