3rd floor common room | late afternoon | wednesday | 20 january

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas was finished with classes for the week. Despite having been on the island for awhile now, having copious amounts of free time was still a foreign concept. He wasn't expected to volunteer everyday in preparation for his Assignment or to spend set amounts of time anywhere. He could just do what he wanted.

That thought had led him into the common room to be able to spread a few books on a few different subjects out. Some of the books were hidden (because they were...embarrassing to say the least) and some were more outwardly visible (and less embarrassing).

Of course, despite the multitude of things to keep him busy, Jonas kept letting his mind wander off into next week's class and what might his greatest fear might be. The answer was hidden deep inside his mind and Jonas was steadfastly ignoring it.

Turning on the television helped that. It also meant his reading kept distracting from the television and the television from the reading. It was a vicious circle.

[open, sure]

Comments

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Well, thank you." His eyes flicked to the fire lizard again and then back to her. "I've never seen an animal like her before. I've seen lizards but I didn't know they could be tame like that."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

Beauty extended her neck towards Jonas, curious as well about the new person, and Menolly reached up to stroke the fire lizard's neck. "I don't think anyone here has. They're native to my planet," she explained. "I haven't seen 'lizards' at all."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"I've only seen pictures," he explained, abandoning his book to focus on the fire lizard and her owner. "Before coming here, I'd never seen animals save for pictures. So, really, any animal I see could be native to this planet. She's very pretty."

Jonas thought most animals were pretty though. Benefit of being totally kept from them as a child. He had a good appreciation for what he was seeing. "Hello, Beauty. I'm Jonas."

When he realized he'd introduced himself to her fire lizard, he looked sheepish and pointed to himself. "Jonas. Hello. Sorry about that."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"I'm Menolly," she replied, giving him a little smile of amusement. "It's okay. She appreciates it."

And Beauty did apparently as she chirped a greeting back to Jonas and pushed off from her place on Menolly's shoulder to fly over to pech on the back of the couch and inspect him curiously.

"And that's why she has her name," Menolly explained. "She knows it too."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas, book pretty much forgotten now, carefully extended a few fingers towards her, just testing for reaction. He didn't know if he was quite fascinated but he was definitely interested.

"Hello, Menolly," he said, grinning up at her. "Are you a new student or just someone I haven't met? It could go either way, I think. I'm not good at socialization."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

Beauty chirped again, stretching her neck out to rub against his fingers. She, at least, knew exactly what ought to happen. Petting. Petting ought to happen.

"New student," she admitted. "It still all seems very big and loud to me." The Hold had far more people, but a Seahold left little time for laughing or games, something that the students in this place seemed to excel at. "I'm not good at it either."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"It is very big and very loud," he said, reaching out and running one finger long Beauty's back lightly, grinning at the texture of her skin. It didn't take much to delight him. "I thought the same thing upon my arrival and that hasn't waned. I'm from a very small place."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

Beauty hummed with pleasure, completely happy with the petting.

"What kind of a place?" Menolly asked, full of Harper-fueled curiosity and a more nostalgic wish for someone to be familiar. She made a face. "I was hoping I would grow used to it."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Nothing like this," he explained, keeping his finger moving along Beauty's back. "We didn't have any sort of the technology that's available here. I should say, we had some but it wasn't readily available to everyone. The Community, that's where I'm from, was very far removed from everything. Everything is unfamiliar to me for the most part."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"I know what that's like," she admitted. "The Community. Is there only one? Or do you just call it that?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"As far as I know, there's only one like it and that's also its name," he clarified, nodding. "I would hope there's no other place like that. It's a difficult place to live in."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

Menolly nodded sympathetically and Beauty made a reassuring noise from her spot on the couch. "I know what that is like. Is here easier?"

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"So far." Jonas nodded. "It's better but that doesn't make it any less hard. It's just a better sort of hard if that makes sense. The challenges are more...varied."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"Like the electricity," she agreed.

Probably not what he meant, no.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"That is one thing I was lucky enough to have back home," Jonas said, nodding. "You didn't?"

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "No, but Jean showed me how it worked. With the switches."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"It's handy," he said, nodding. "...unless it doesn't work like this past weekend. Then, it's not so handy."

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"And no one seems to have glows here to replace the light with," Menolly agreed.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"What are glows?" he asked. The word was known but the context she used it made Jonas think it wasn't what he thought.

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

She grinned. "They're fungus actually. That glows pretty brightly and lights up the caverns."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Fungus is sort of a plant, right?" he asked, trying to picture that in his head. "And it glows where you're from?"

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"That kind does," she said with raise of her shoulders. "It glows enough that we use it for lights in all the hold caverns."

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"Do they work here?" he asked after a moment. "Or is that a silly question since those might not exist here?"

[harper-journeys.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Menolly admitted. "They probably would work here, but I don't think they're around." she smiled. "Like fire lizards.

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

"So, the electricity will have to suffice even if it doesn't sound as interesting," Jonas said. "Did the cold this weekend bother you since there was no electricity?"