Third Floor Common Room [Sunday afternoon]

[giveherahand]

Mara, freshly showered from her daily workout, stopped into the common room for a snack...and stopped, mesmorized by the costumes on the television.

"No one can ever, ever tell the Queens of Naboo about this," she said, sitting down to watch Miss Argentina arrive on stage. "What is this?"

Anyone want to explain Miss Universe to a girl from another galaxy?

Comments

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

It was strange to be able to go off island and get trashed without Gansey or Declan hanging over his shoulder and waggling their finger. Ronan liked it and he hated it all at once. It just melded into a nice, hot anger inside him.

Despite that, he was dragging himself back from some place off island, a little hung over. First time since he'd gotten here that he'd experienced that. Before going back to his room, he thought he'd stop in and grab some water and maybe something for his bird.

"Is it Halloween or something?" he asked gruffly when his blurry vision got sight of the television.

[giveherahand]

"I have no idea," Mara said, "but I can't seem to look away. How are their necks about to hold this stuff up?"

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Steroids." First thing that came to mind. Ronan blinked and focused a little further. "There are still beauty pageants? Thought everyone and their political correctness would have had those outlawed as sexist or something."

[giveherahand]

"This certainly is...something," Mara said as Miss Belgium came out. "Um."

[OOC: Sorry for slow. Internet is creeeeeeeeeeeeeping today.]

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Why are you even watching this?" he asked, shaking his head and turning away. "You trying to kill your brain cells? Or just envious of the pretty, pretty dresses?"

[No worries. I'm flaky and all over the place today]

[giveherahand]

"The dresses remind me of some of the more insane planets back home," Mara said as the "Miss Universe" name came across the screen. "Wait. This is supposed to be for more than just this planet?"

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Sure it is." That was sarcasm there. "Just wait for the special 'little green alien' round. It's coming up right after the swimsuit competition."

[giveherahand]

Mara's forehead furrowed. "You're making fun of me."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Am I?" Maybe he was. "I'm a new kid. I'm still learning the ropes of all this."

Nah.

[giveherahand]

Mara arched up an eyebrow. "I don't believe you for a second."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"You don't even know me." Not that she was wrong. "That's pretty presumptuous."

[giveherahand]

Mara's lips quirked. "I tend to have a good feeling about people. I'm Mara."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Ronan," he returned, downing some water. "And I'm not the people you're probably used to. Doubt your feelings are right about me. It's a gift."

[giveherahand]

"Hiding yourself under an armor of sarcasm?" Mara said. "Not really a gift."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Who says I'm hiding?" He shrugged casually. "I just do that because it's fun."

[giveherahand]

"Annoying people?" Mara said. "How is that fun?"

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"You annoyed?" he asked as he finished the water and tossed it smoothly in the trashcan.

[giveherahand]

Mara laughed. "I dance for politicians," she said. "I don't get annoyed easily. It's bad for my career."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"Then, guess that's not what I'm doing," he pointed out. "I'm just making pleasant conversation with...an exotic dancer?"

He would go right for that one. Maybe to annoy or maybe because he was just an ass. Was that the same thing?

[giveherahand]

She snorted. "Hardly. Most of the big receptions have a band. I'm there to not wince when some near-sighted 750 year old Senator stomps on my foot."

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

Ronan thought about it and ran his thumb along his lower lip. "Honestly, exotic dancing sounds more fun. Probably more profitable too. No one's going to step on my foot and not end up with a knee in their gut."

[giveherahand]

Mara watched his finger because he might be trying to be annoying, but he was still cute and she wasn't made of stone here. "And that's why the Emperor hired me and not you," she said.

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

Good thing he kept up that lower lip rubbing for a minute longer, wasn't it? Soon enough, he dropped his arm and leaned against the counter.

"Emperor?" he repeated. "You from feudal Japan or something?"

[giveherahand]

"A different galaxy," Mara said. "Japan's a different country, right?"

Right on time, Miss Japan paraded past. "Who wear...that?"

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

"I don't know, I've never been," he said as his eyes fell on the image on the television. "Maybe Japan's a lot more gaudy than I first thought. If it is, I'll have to take a trip. Bet they've got a great club scene."