Fifth Floor Common Room [evening]

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla, after listening to the radio avidly for the last few days, had decided that the other candidates for Student Council had tapped out the baked goods bribery market, which was why she was seated at the table writing a series of very polite notes to the members of the sophomore class and tying blue (which were scary, but school colour-related!) and yellow carnations to each with a pair of blue and yellow ribbons.

Jims was snoozing in a wicker basket nearby, and pot of tea was waiting by the stove. She'd share with anyone who stopped in, but especially if you were a Soph.

Comments

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce was making his way back to his room after a day in the cave when he decided to stop into the common room just to see if anything was going on.

"Hello, Rilla. Doing some homework?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Sort of," Rilla said, holding up the school directory. "I'm writing to my fellow sophomores and asking them to vote for me."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You can't go anywhere to escape the election these days," Bruce noted in a lighthearted tone. "You only have one person running against you so far, right?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"So far," Rilla agreed, "but there are still almost two weeks until the elections, so people can decide to run any day now!"

It was possible that Annie was rubbing off on her.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"The important thing is that you've got a head start, and people will remember you from last year," Bruce said. "You'll be fine. But the letters are a nice touch."

[wasthecuteone]

Petra had posters, she had markers, she had glitter and glue and half the contents of her sewing supplies' embellishments bin. She was ready to start her campaign for Student Council. All she needed was a bigger space to work in. Common room. Perfect.

She paused in the doorway, nearly dropping half her armload of stuff, to ask, "...is that a baby?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla nodded. "It is. It's rather a long story. Come in, though! He sleeps like a rock when he finally goes out."

[wasthecuteone]

"Babies usually are," Petra agreed. She eyed the bag of markers and glue that was part of her haul and asked, "You don't think the fumes will bother him? Maybe if I sit on the other side of the room?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"If you wouldn't mind," Rilla said. "I'll even join you so we don't have to yell. I'm Rilla Blythe: are you new this fall or new from the summer?"

[wasthecuteone]

"Petra West," Petra said, and confirmed, "Yeah, I just got here last week. Thought I'd accidentally sent my self to a loony bin for a few days there, but...apparently not so much."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"And now the new students are getting in on the elections, too?" Bruce asked. "It's nice to see such a taste for democracy around here."

[wasthecuteone]

"Do you have a problem with that?" Petra asked, her tone suggesting he'd better not. "I have as much right to get involved as anyone."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I don't. And even if I did, you wouldn't need my vote anyway. I'm a senior," Bruce noted. "I'm just impressed. I don't remember this much early excitement last year."

[wasthecuteone]

"Well, it's better to get an early start on these kinds of things, I think," Petra said. "That way you're not doing everything at the very last minute. Like, I worked on my pageant costumes for months...which, okay, not exactly the same, but still."

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Stephanie had just been planning on scavenging for food in the fridge, although she had a book in one hand (for fun for once, not an assignment) as she wandered in; that was why she didn't notice Rilla and Jims right away.

Bad junior detective.

"Oh, hi," she remarked over her shoulder after a moment. "I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Give her a second. She hadn't noticed Jims's basket.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Oh, not at all," Rilla assured her. "Come in! Would you like some tea?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

She missed Alfred, for a moment.

"I wouldn't turn it down," Stephanie assured her. "What's going on? Homework? Or --"

That was when she noticed the basket.

"Oh, hi there," she said more quietly.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Oh, that's Jims," Rilla said airily. "He's asleep."

Yes, Rilla, Steph probably noticed that.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"He's cute," Stephanie replied, a tiny hint of wistfulness in her voice as she crouched down beside the basket. "Nickname, or actual name?"

[wasthecuteone]

"No, we're good," Petra said from where she sat on the floor surrounded by crafting supplies, on the other side of the room where she wouldn't bother the baby with glue and marker fumes. "Hi, I don't think we've met? I'm Petra West."

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"New student?" guessed Stephanie, who'd at least done her junior-detective homework by reading up on the student rosters. "So probably not. Stephanie Brown, not-new student, and not running for Student Council so that should free up some extra poster-making space for everyone else."

[wasthecuteone]

"Yep," Petra said. "Got here a week ago, got convinced it wasn't an asylum, decided to run for Student Council. Go figure. What class are you in, Stephanie? And if you change your mind I'm sure we can free up some space, it's a big floor!"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Stephanie," Bruce said. "Be careful of the marker fumes. They'll be strong for a couple weeks."

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Hopefully they were just marker fumes and not anything more insidious.

"For about as long as we'll be shaking glitter out of everything?" Stephanie guessed. "Duly noted. How are things, Bruce? Are you in on this race too?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Do I really strike you as the type of person who'd get into politics, even at this level?" Bruce asked.

Actually, he was curious what her answer would be.