fandomhighdorms | Rumor Gal Campfire, Friday Afternoon

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Rumor Gal Campfire, Friday Afternoon

Shortly after Rangering class, Arthur had made it back to his cabin with some of yesterday's catch firmly in hand. Now, he was outside, by the campfire, one skewer of freshly cleaned rabbit-flesh already in place over the open fire while he busied himself with his knife, getting ready to tackle the second rabbit.

It was of ease to him, and for that he was grateful. Shoving the first rabbit's fur aside where it wouldn't look so out of place, Arthur considered the flames, and thought about...

...Well, the locals would call it lunch.

Lunch was safe and good.

[[ open campfire, sure! ]]

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"It does seem like everyone turns back?" Jack tried. "I wouldn't push it, though. But I may be too cautious."

Cautious was not a word one would generally use about Jack, no.

"No, you've got a point, I guess. That's probably part of why Merlin keeps saying no. And Tony thinks I'm crazy." She shrugged, then asked, "So what one weird thing would you want to have happen here, sometime?"

"This might sound odd, but -- the children from the future?" Jack said, a little shy. "I don't think I will have them, so I'd like to see what the island throws at me."

"Awwww," Dinah said, charmed. "Yeah. That was-- well, it was crazy, but it was fun, too. And I guess it's different, which kids you get each year, or which ones come back. But it's supposed to be always after Prom. So if you're still here next April, you'll get to find out."

"I'll be here in April to find out," Jack assured her. Sebastien was showing no signs of wanting to head back to Europe and civilization, after all, and he might as well get the bloody degree if he was in the Americas anyhow.

"Of course, that leaves me with one question -- what would a prom be?"

"Oh!" Dinah laughed, surprised again unexpectedly. "The Spring formal dance, at the end of the semester. Lots of American high schools have them. I'm not sure what it's short for. Promenade, maybe? But it's kind of traditional, that, um." She turned red. "That lots of people, students, I mean... well. There's a reason the kids show up the day after, okay?"

It was cute, how embarrassed she got; she would have done well in Jack's own time.

"I think I understand what you're getting at. I don't suppose staying chaste the night before keeps the children away," Jack wondered.

Not that he expected that to be a problem -- or a viable strategy -- for him.

If Jack wasn't so cute, and it wouldn't be quite so much a problem. But there it was.

"Um, not in my case, anyway..." Dinah facepalmed. "Or lots of other peoples. I ended up with four. One with a doctor in town who wouldn't have ever gone to our prom!"

The urge to tease her was irresistible, and Jack put on his most earnest face before saying:

"Ah. Then taking those medications they have now for women who don't want to conceive wouldn't do any good in preventing the magical children?"

Dinah spluttered. "I don't-- I'm guessing no, no it wouldn't!" she gulped, then added, "And Mr. Rogers said even if you don't go to prom... Anyway." She got a little of her dignity back, just a little, and said, "Sooo, yes. Magic breaks all the rules. Even with little kids. 'Cause there's no way I'm having one with Arthur."

"Of course not," Jack said idly, before adding: "I don't properly know him, but he's not unattractive."

Poor, poor sputtery Dinah.

"I... don't think about that if I can help it." Which she hadn't been able to, that one hormonal week. Which lead to avoiding Arthur after a certain point. "Because he's Arthur, and the massive annoyance he is to me and vice versa kinda cancels out any admitting he might be cute."

"It's more fun when someone's at least a little annoying," Jack had to point out. "Otherwise, all you want to do is moon over each other, and that has to get terribly dull."

Which explained ... certain things about how he felt about certain people, yes.

"But all right, I won't comment on it again. Arthur, the doctor, and who had the honor for the other two?"

"Well, maybe true," Dinah allowed. Just a little bit. "Um. Priestly? Claudia's boyfriend?" She nodded over to the other girl. "And Leto Atreides." Which turned her red again. "A little girl. Arthur's was a boy. Of course." She tilted her head. "Which would you want? Tony had a little boy, he wasn't sure if he was adopted or what."

"Which meaning boy or girl?" Jack repeated. "I've never thought about it. I'd probably do better with a boy, I didn't know many girls growing up."

"Nope? Is that the Victorian thing, all-boys schools and all?" Dinah asked, considering her skewered rabbit again.

"In a way," Jack said. "I had an unusual childhood. I didn't see a lot of children in general, really, not once I was adopted."

He'd had a nanny, of course, to take him out in the daylight, but even she was gone after a few years. But as long as he had Sebastien and the rest of his court, Jack was never lonely, and rarely alone.

"Ohh, that's right." Dinah was reminded of what little she already knew about Jack's life. "That would've been awkward, sometimes. Mine was... mostly pretty normal," she decided. "For Midwest America, turn of the 21st Century." Leaving aside fearful foster parents and superpowers, but really, otherwise typical. "Not rich or poor or isolated or famous. Just there."

"Awkward?" Jack repeated, curiously. "It saved my life, Dinah."

He glanced to the girl, wondering what 'normal' meant here. "Do you have siblings?"

"I meant having other kids around. They might have asked a lot of questions," Dinah said, keeping her voice down. She paused, looking away, then said, "No, no siblings. I thought it would be nice, sometimes. But." But what? This was one of those questions she didn't have a prepared answer for. Shoot. "Just didn't happen when I was little," she said carefully. "Now I have Barbara and Helena. They're siblings enough. Even if they're way older."

"Oh. Well, there are others of the blood who have adopted children." They were servants, mostly, and not terribly well-treated ones. "I was mostly happy not to have to fight anyone else for my dinner anymore. It never occurred to me anything was missing."

He glanced into the flames briefly, thinking. "I'm not sure I know those names..."

"That's good, then." Dinah bit her lip, thinking how lucky Jack was, and how many other kids didn't get rescued. By a vampire, no less. No one would ever believe that in her world. "Oh, Barbara's my guardian. And Helena was her ward for a couple years, after her mom died. But Barbara is way too young to be my mom, and Helena treats me like I'm her brat sister, so that's what I call them." She could give Jack the same explanation she'd given... Cal? Or was it Hurley? "My mom died last year. I never knew my dad."

Jack was blindingly lucky; he knew that.

"I'm sorry," he said, because it was what one did. "Have you thought about looking for him, when you're of age?"

Dinah hated to tell an outright lie, and this was actually, well. Almost good news, kind of? "One of those future kids said his middle name was my dad's. Lawrence." She smiled a little, and fiddled with her skewer. "Barbara's started a records search, I mean. I don't even know his last name. But it's something, you know? A guy who was around my mom 18 years ago, named Lawrence. It could turn something up." She just wasn't sure what she hoped to find. Did he know about her? If he did, where had he been? If he didn't, would he be happy to find out he had a daughter?

"It's something, and I wish you good luck with it," Jack said. "If you don't find anything, he likely didn't deserve you anyhow."

[It helps when I hit post.]

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