The Deck | Afternoon | Saturday | July 10

[therewaslife]

The clouds were easing the heat a bit and, without the sun hanging high in the sky, Bod figured that spending some time outside wouldn't give way to an inevitable sunburn. He thought about walking into town but eventually decided that that could wait till later.

Instead, he veered off and clambered onto the deck, sliding into one of the empty loungers and actually choosing to be lazy for once. Usually, laziness was a side effect of having nothing to do or trying to avoid something else but today, he just wanted to relax. He found himself caught up in the movements of the clouds, dark and opaque as they were. He wondered what the sky looked like behind them, if the peeks of blue would stay long and where those clouds would go after moving off.

It wasn't heavy contemplation but he was enthralled by it anyway.

[Deck is open. I like clouds.]

Comments

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"It appears so," said Alexander, with a nod and a small smile. "And even if it didn't hold off, a warm summer's rain can be quite refreshing."

[therewaslife]

"It can. I've been caught in warm rainstorms before and I find them quite nice to experience," he agreed with a nod. "The water dries and your clothes dry in the heat and it's just left smelling...new."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Alexander smiled, because it was comforting to know that, even in a land so far away from home, one could still find commonality with the experiences of others.

"Speaking of new," he said. "I don't believe we've met. My names is Alexander; I've just started here. Are you also a new student, or have you been attending here for some time?"

[therewaslife]

"I'm not a new student but I haven't been here for quite that long. Perhaps half a year," he said, giving the other boy a smile. "I'm called Nobody Owens. I go by Bod though as Nobody has a tendency to confuse some."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Nobody," Alexander said, repeating the name and unable to help feeling a little sad regarding it; he had been nobody at one point in his life, and it hadn't been terribly enjoyable. But, not wanting to be grim on a day like this, when the clouds and his earlier research failure could facilitate a dark mood, he still managed a smile.

"Certainly a unique name. I'm sure nobody has a name quite like it!"

Yes, he thought that was very amusing indeed.

[therewaslife]

"I've yet to meet another one with my name so I think you'd be right," he said, letting go of a little laugh his himself. "My parents were a bit unique and they passed that on to me in my name. I quite like it."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"There can be a lot," said Alexander, thoughtfully, "in something as simple as a name. I know I wear my own with great pride."

[therewaslife]

"I think everyone should be proud of their name," Bod said, agreeing with Alexander's sentiment there. "Since you've only the one and it's usually given by the parents, it tends to be special."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Not always," Alexander offered, wondering if he should tread on this territory, but figuring that there was probably little harm in it in his present company. He had only just met Bod, but he seemed a good person thus far. "I did not always have the name Alexander, though it was the one given to me by my parents. I've only just recently even known them..."

[therewaslife]

That was...familiar. Very familiar and Bod's gaze sharpened for a moment. It wasn't directed at Alexander though. He kept his eyes on his feet, mind whirring.

"Do you know the name you had before Alexander?" he asked carefully.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Alexander's head tilted, just a bit, at the change in Bod's eyes just then.

"I was called Gwydion," he offered. "For most of my life. When I learned what my true name was, it was even difficult to remember to respond to Alexander when anyone called me by it."

He smiled a little, chuckling with a hint of nostalgia to put a lighter spin on things. He didn't want to get too heavy, especially so soon after meeting someone.

[therewaslife]

Bod didn't immediately answer, too caught up in his own thoughts for a moment. He still heard Alexander though and nodded when he'd stopped speaking.

"You go by Alexander now, though?" Bod asked, clearly wondering why. Of course, he went by Nobody but he only knew his true last name.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Alexander nodded, still trying to keep a smile, wondering what was going on in the other boy's head, wondering if, perhaps, he'd made an incorrect judgment call by going into this. "Yes," he said. "It's taken some getting used to, but I much prefer it. Turns out, I actually a prince, heir to the royal throne of Daventry! It's quite an honour, and I only hope that I can live up to the name that has been bestowed upon me."

[therewaslife]

"A prince!" Bod's thoughtfulness vanished for the moment and he grinned. "I've never met a prince. Are you here to prepare for that sort of challenge?"

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

With a response like that, even Alexander's doubt on his course of action melted away into a little bit of sheepishness. "In a way," he said, with a soft smile. "My mother thought it might be good for me to become acclimated to a more....social atmosphere. I'm afraid I didn't grow up in a situation that was very conducive to being well acquainted with other people."

He'd leave out the part about how that was only a small fraction of Valanice's intention, and that most of it was because he wouldn't stop moping about Cassima.

[therewaslife]

The similarities between them were startling. Thankfully, Bod didn't let his surprised at this newest piece of information show. Not this time, at least.

"I grew up in a similar environment," he shared after a moment. "Coming here, that was my choice but I knew I needed to be in a place that would allow me to learn how to interact with others."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

This news came to Alexander as a clear surprise, but an encouraging one, as well. Perhaps that is why he found it so easy to open up to Bod about the situation that brought him here...

...well, part of the situation, anyway...

"You did?" he asked, eager to feel that perhaps he was not entirely unique in his unfortunate circumstances. He took in a hesitant breath, and then had to ask, lowering his voice so that hopefully only he would hear, "Were you imprisoned by a maniacal tyrant of a magician, as well, who enslaved you into a hard, impoverished existence with plans to kill you as soon as you turned of age?"

[therewaslife]

"I wasn't," Bod said and almost felt bad about having to say no to Alexander about that since he sounded like he wanted to hear an affirmative quite badly. "I wasn't imprisoned but I was in a place where I couldn't leave for my own safety. If I did, I would have surely been killed."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Oh." The disappointment just washed right over Alexander, his shoulders sagging, but only for a brief second. He straightened them right back up again and nodded. "I see. Yes, that was much like how it was in Manannan's castle, though, really, it was a matter of being killed whether I stayed or if I attempted to leave, so I thought at least I might have a chance if I tried..."

He shook his head slightly. "It is still nice, that, though the details of our situations may be different, the feeling of growing up so alone and with that threat hanging over our heads is something we easily share."

[therewaslife]

"How long were you there, if I can ask?" Bod asked, keeping his voice low and soft. He almost apologized for not having the same background as Alexander but he knew it wasn't his fault.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

And, really, it was just silly to feel bad about not having to grow up under the thumb of a crazy wizard.

"Until only recently," Alexander answered somberly. "I was kidnapped from my home when I was just an infant, and it was a little over a year ago that I managed to escape and, through an incredible twist of fate, found my way back to my family."

[therewaslife]

"I am glad you found your way back to your family," Bod said sincerely. "Have you gotten much of a chance to spend time with your family?"

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Quite a bit," Alexander gained a bit of a smile at that. "Certainly enough to learn that sisters can be incredibly exhausting and incorrigible, which I come to understand is a good sign of normalcy."

[therewaslife]

"I don't have any siblings so I wouldn't really know," he said, lying just a bit. He did have a sister but he didn't know her so he didn't feel comfortable complimenting on it. "Perhaps they'll be able to visit you here. I've heard they have a weekend for just that thing."

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Rosella would like that," said Alexander, a little pleased to hear of such an opportunity. "She was quite a bit sore about the fact that I got to go to boarding school and she did not..."

But, then again, she actually had a normal childhood, so Alexander didn't really feel too bad about all that.