The Deck [Saturday late afternoon]

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

It was finally spring, and that meant two things. One, that the weather was nice enough for Ramona to stretch out on the deck, on this lazy, lazy Saturday afternoon. Not nice enough to like, grab her bikini or anything, but nice enough that she could sit out here while her hair dried. The days were longer, she had a hoodie for when it got cold, and it was just relaxing after finishing her semester.

Which was the second thing. Spring was a time of change, and Ramona had been feeling restless in blue for a little while. So while she flipped through her book, wincing occasionally at scary parts, her newly-magenta hair did the last of its drying.

Kinda couldn't beat it, as far as Ramona was concerned. At least for now. Tomorrow she might hate lazy spring days, depending on her fancy.

[totally open deck, yes, i am bored.]

Comments

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba was a little restless herself, and came out onto the deck just to enjoy the spring air.

She was, of course, still dressed in a long navy blue dress that was the modestest thing you could possibly imagine, but that was Elphaba for you. The only difference was that her hair was down today, and not done up in a tight bun.

She breathed in a few deep breaths just to savor that spring snap. Then, she turned her head and looked at the book Ramona was reading with curiosity.

"May I ask what you're reading?" she said, hoping she didn't interrupt too rudely.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Stephen King anthology," Ramona admitted, a little sheepish as she held up the book. She raised a brow at the outfit, since that looked...warm, but refrained from comment. "Not exactly high literature, but I sort of just wanted brain candy today. How're you, Elphaba?"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

It was warm. But Elphaba hadn't packed for summer when she moved to Fandom, and her father hadn't responded to her request for her other clothes to be sent to her.

"I like that term," Elphaba said, referring to the 'brain candy' comment. "I'm doing well, but I'd admit I'm feeling a little aimless with my courses over."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"That's what the brain candy's for," Ramona said with a nod. "It all only ended yesterday, anyway. You already feel aimless? Usually takes me a week or so."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"I suppose it's different when you feel more at home," Elphaba said. "I've been here a year and I still feel a little... out of place, I suppose."

It wasn't moping, she was very matter-of-fact. "Though I suppose this means I could take the time to find out about what exactly Mr. Baum was on about when he wrote about my world."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"I've only been here since January," Ramona said with a small smile, raising a brow. "It's all about how you decide to take it. Me, I run with change and try not to let myself feel aimless." Because then she could think too much. "Who's Mr. Baum?"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"A writer," Elphaba said, so helpfully. "He wrote a story about Oz, or several really. But his vision of the world is very... peculiar. If specifically accurate about some things."

She shrugged. "It came right around the time that I was... some other me or something for a weekend, it's all been quite the mess in my head."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"...like the Wizard of Oz? Like, Dorothy and Toto, click my heels 'cause there's no place like home Oz?" Ramona asked, staring at her, since now that Baum name did sound familiar. "Wait, what?"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"That's where I'm from," Elphaba said, finding it oddly amusing to have someone react like that. "I'm from Munchkinland, my father is the governor there. And in the Emerald City, there is a Wizard who rules over all of Oz."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"...are you serious?" Ramona was still staring. "Because this is a new one. Like, this is weirder than all the other Fandom crap, somehow. Are you on drugs? Also, you're not a Munchkin."

Well spotted, Ramona.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"Why would I make this up?" Elphaba said. "Given I'm a green girl aspiring to be a witch, it would seem rather silly to bring up the fact that I'm from Oz."

Because that little bit still irked her a little. "And it is very odd, but I don't think that Baum got it right. After all, our Wizard isn't a fake. It seems like it'd be too much work to do that sort of thing."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Is Munchkinland in the West?" Ramona asked, finally putting together some of the pieces there. Because she hadn't realized Elphaba was a witch. "Holy crap. You're like, anti-wicked, though, so it sounds like Baum had some kind of bad PR on you to work from."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"It's the east, actually," Elphaba said. "The west is Winkus country, and I've only read about it in books. And as for not being a Munchkin, well, not everyone is. Not all people who live in America are actually a Native American, right? Well, I'm a Munchkinlander, not a Munchkin. Neither is my father."

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

Considering Nathan still hadn't gone back to his room, it probably wasn't too much of a surprise that he popped up on the deck to have a smoke before figuring out where to go tonight.

Ramona being there just meant he'd have someone to talk to while he smoked. He was already lighting up as he stomped up onto the deck. "I like the hair. It's very...punk Easter-y, ain't it? Getting into the holiday spirit, Ramona?"

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"More like I was bored of blue, regardless of holidays," she said, tsking at him. "I could do yours like an Easter egg -- all yellows and pinks and blues. It'd be lovely."

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"Lovely?" he asked, dropping into a seat and shaking. "No, it'd make me look like a fucking tool. It'd be like Little Bo Peep vomited in my hair."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Only if Bo Peep had done a shot rainbow beforehand," Ramona replied, smiling a bit. "I didn't know she was such a partier."

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"What the fuck else is she gonna do?" Nathan wondered, blowing a smoke circle up into the air. "She hangs out with sheep and unless she's letting those sheep do some freaky shit to her, she's gotta have fun somehow."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Sheep aren't known for their kinky tendencies," Ramona replied, setting her book aside. "Let me bum one of those."

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"How the fuck do you know about sheep and their kinky tendencies?" Nathan wondered, digging his pack out of his pocket and tossing it towards her. "You don't a lot of research on the sexual tendencies of sheep?"

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Exactly the opposite. I figure I would've heard if they were like, super into sexing up their shepherdesses. Also, am I supposed to light this using my own hotness, or are you sharing a lighter?" Ramona asked, raising a brow.

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"You're a freak, Ramona," he said, plucking his lighter out next. "And you're also impatient as fuck. I should make you wait for the sun to come out and then you'd better hope for some intense global warming to get your cigarette lit."

He passed her the lighter anyway.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"I would be so sad," she replied, catching the lighter and carefully lighting her cigarette. "You should feel special, anyway. I only smoke with people I really like."

That was curving it a bit, but she was feeling nice towards him.

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm so honored," Nathan said, hand to his heart. "Really though, I feel special even without the privileges you're allowing me. I'm me. That's all I need to feel special and spreading my presence around just gives everyone else a touch of what they're missing."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"And see, now I feel special," she said, arching a brow as she tucked his lighter into the pack and tossed it back to him. "We should be careful with how much time we spend together, Nathan, or our adoring followers are going to be jealous and feel neglected."