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]

"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."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Oh, a magic man, huh?" Hannibal asked, intrigued now. "What can you do?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I can make inanimate objects talk," Dor replied. "And not ventriloquism. They can tell me anything that might have happened around it recently or what they're function might be."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"...that's a new one," Hannibal said, shooting glances around at the furniture. "Really?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he said casting a wary eye at the couch. "Just... don't ask me to have the furniture talk."

At which point Hannibal might hear a few select items in the room snicker.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

The glances Hannibal had been giving the furniture turned to more of an examination after those sounds.

"Is that just your power or is that everyone in Xanth?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"That's just my power," Dor replied. "In my world everyone has a magical ability but it never repeats. There is some crossover from time to time but I'm the only one in the history of Xanth who has this power."

"Hey, buddy," the couch whispered to Hannibal. "Have him ask me about what happened on me with the vampire and the chick in leather."

"No!" Dor ordered. "None of you is allowed to talk about that."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Vampire and the chick in leather?" Hannibal repeated, curious despite having the information come from a talking couch.

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"They had sex! On the couch!" Dor blurted out. "They're not allowed to tell the story."

He glared at all the furniture in the room. "Last time they did they added sound effects. They are not allowed to do that again."

All the items in the room let out an "Awww" of disappointment.

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Oh, wow," Hannibal said, taking a rather large step away from the couch. "Oh god, all furniture you get around can do this? Your poor head."

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"It's anything inanimate actually," Dor replied. "Clothing, walls, floors, stones, etc. I've had the power since a few days after I was born so I'm used to it for the most part."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Oh man, so you probably know...a lot of weird things?" Hannibal asked. "And things you really never ever needed to know."

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"I try not to pry!" Dor said with a little more emphasis than he probably needed to. "But sometimes I just blunder into things. So... yeah. Stuff I never needed to know."

[decoder-rings.livejournal.com]

"Poor guy," Hannibal said sympathetically. "I thought just overhearing an uncomfortable piece of gossip was bad. You get to hear almost anything. No way you can control it?"

[talks2objects.livejournal.com]

"For the most part I can," Dor admitted. "However if I live a while in a room or a house it kind of takes on a life of its own. I can command items not to speak or never to speak of a certain topic so that usually helps."