fandomhighdorms | Main Campfire, Friday Evening

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Main Campfire, Friday Evening

Once the sun went down, a rather spectacularly large bonfire was lit for the party. No, Merlin was not aware it was now celebrated on the first of May. Calenders change, after all.

There was even a crudely constructed maypole there in case anyone felt the need to dance around it. They did so at their own peril, of course. The mockery that may ensue would probably be great.

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She didn't blink at first as she was watching but when his voice cut through the fog, she peered up.

"The fire. It was doing interesting things in your eyes. I was trying to figure out what sort of angle it might be that was causing it."

She might as well be honest.

Ronan blinked. "Huh," he said, unable to find actual words to respond. "I... Huh."

Fire in his soul, fire in his eyes. Some things left their mark.

She tilted her head curiously at him.

"Or is it one of those things that people around here tend to have?"

She walked around the fire and decided to sit next to him. If he didn't like it, he could tell her so.

"Not... people around here, no." Ronan shook his head, shrugging. "I've just had some experience with fire, that's all."

"So have I," she said, her voice getting a little softer on every word. She hadn't meant to think of the terrible amusement park, the whole horrible experience of the second trial, but she couldn't help it.

She threw on a smile anyway, though she was feeling a little hollow now.

"I'm assuming you have a name, of course. But if you want to keep it from me, I certainly won't hold it against you. I happen to be called Fiona."

There was a brief pause.

"And if you make a joke about the yo-yo, I will elbow you."

"... I wouldn't dream of it," Ronan assured her. "Ronan Nolan. My name, that is. Have you been getting jokes about the yo-yo?"

"Only from whatever idiot did the radio broadcast last night," she said, gritting her teeth just a little. She shook it off as needless anger soon enough. After all, no one who'd seen it had laughed. And it's not as if she hadn't dismissed it herself that first time.

"Ronan. Well, what brings you here, Ronan? New or old?"

"Old, definitely," Ronan said. "I've just graduated, in fact. Been here... two years. Kind of. Three, if you look at it another way. I spent a year away one weekend, you see."

That made her pause.

"Did you... that is, were you stuck somewhere outside of time?"

In the snow with a never ending party? she wanted to ask him. Were there doors to the Valley of the New Year here too?

She didn't like the thought.

"Funny story, that," Ronan replied, laughing. "When I got here, I was about a year in the future from where I left, but then I went home to help with something, got stuck Sideways for a year, and when I got back was all caught up to the present."

Yeah, let's laugh about it, eh? Although most of the laughter was genuine, now, most of the baggage dealt with and gone.

"...you were stuck there for a year?"

She looked utterly mortified.

"... I wonder if perhaps we mean the same thing by 'Sideways'?" Ronan asked. "I was just a couple of worlds over, that's all. Couldn't get back, so yeah, I was stuck, but it wasn't so bad if you don't mind a world with loads of fomori."

Oh.

She breathed out.

"I thought-- forget what I thought. It's not really important."

Wait.

"You've been to different worlds?"

"Sometimes even on purpose." Ronan laughed. "But yeah, both other worlds in this universe, and worlds a universe or two over."

She thought back to the only other person who'd ever mentioned going to other worlds. He'd mentioned that he'd bring them to see them, take them around, show them.

Even let them conquer a few if they wanted to.

"I don't suppose you've met a man named Louis Piper, have you?"

"Can't say as I have," Ronan admitted. "Why? Who is he?"

She shook her head.

"He's someone I know," she said quickly, not particularly interested in sharing too much with someone she'd just met.

"He just mentioned he'd been to other worlds. I thought-- I can't imagine too many people travel that often."

"Could be a different sheaf," Ronan suggested. "Traveling different worlds than the ones I'm going through?"

"Probably," she agreed with a brief smile.

"How is it? Traveling?"

"It can be tiring. But exhilarating, too. Being stuck Sideways had... There were good times, there, not just frustration at being stuck."

She nodded, obviously considering something. Finally, she gave him a crooked smile.

"He offered to take my brother and I traveling, is all. We weren't ready when he asked, though, so we told him to wait. The offer's open, though, and I'm considering it."

"If you have the opportunity, I can't see why shouldn't take it," Ronan said. "Although that is, admittedly, without knowing anything about your world or the worlds around it, so take the advice with a grain of salt."

"I don't think he'd bring us--"

Though that wasn't true and it made her cut off rather awkwardly.

"I don't know. It could be interesting either way. Why? What could be out there?"

Ronan shrugged. "That's just it," he said. "Without knowing your world, I couldn't really say at all."

Fair enough.

"What's the worst thing you can think of then?"

Because that's probably what would be there.

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Main Campfire, Friday Evening

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