2nd Floor Common Room, Sunday Morning

[crimson_sister]

It must be the strange day she had had yesterday, because Lucille's sleep had been interrupted by bad dreams. They had involved the past, an imagined future here and a mingling of the two, all of it disturbing. Late in the morning she had decided that a cup of tea would be the best way to remind her of familiar comforts and so she was now rummaging through the cupboards of the common room kitchen, trying to make sense of the appliances. How come even boiling water would be impossible? Where did one light the stove and where was the firewood? Her mood was in no way improving.

[Open, of course! Because I can put up a common room post, yay!]

Comments

[dwarvenswagger]

Ah, the perils of coming from a different time. Or universe. Or being short, but only compared to menfolk. And elves. But fuck elves, man.

"Greetings," Thorin said, pausing as he passed through the doorway in deference to the new person.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille was neither short nor from another universe, but she had some problems all the same.

"Good morning," she greeted the short man entering the room, smiling a little tensely. "I am trying to make some tea."

Hopefully he would understand that she was asking for assistance.

[dwarvenswagger]

If course she was.

"Trying?" he asked instead, lifting his chin to survey the little kitchen area. "I should think anyone capable should they put their mind to it."

[crimson_sister]

"If one doesn't consider the lack of firewood and a proper stove, then yes, I would think so too," she replied with an icy sweet smile. "But I suppose you can make water boil by just looking at it." Or using one of these odd appliances. Either way, he had no reason to be rude, and she was definitely not going to offer him any tea.

Once she had managed to actually make some.

[dwarvenswagger]

Somehow he would manage to soldier on with his tea-less life. There would be tears in private, but he would hold up a brave front.

At that he smiled. "Ah, yes. The stoves they use here are quite ingenious."

Thorin turned the little dial on the stove, letting the little burner flare to life. It was possible he'd had an entire week of making his roommate show him these things when he first arrived.

[crimson_sister]

That was an improvement in his behavior, at least. Lucille looked at the flame, frowning a little. "Gas? How... convenient." It was, she had to admit, and placed the pot of water on the fire to boil.

"Thank you," she said politely, because she did have manners. "My name is Lucille Sharpe. I don't believe we've met."

[dwarvenswagger]

"Thorin, son of Thrain," he said with a polite, little bow of his head. "At your service."

[crimson_sister]

Clearly he had manners too, when he decided to use them. Lucille replied with a small curtsy, out of habit. "I assume you are not from this time and place either," she said, having noticed that that was the best way to open a conversation with a stranger here.

[dwarvenswagger]

When he decided to use them, yes. It was a thing.

"No, not at all. My home is... very different from here." Understatement. "Though the differences can be amusing with time."

[crimson_sister]

"Mine is different too," Lucille replied. "But I was told yesterday that I will adjust." She found it unlikely that it would go further than making her life here acceptable.

[dwarvenswagger]

Absolutely likely. Even though Thorin had grown a little fond of the place, he did regularly check to see if the magic binding him here had finally loosened its grasp.

"I have heard that too. May I ask where you come from?"

[crimson_sister]

"England, 1885," Lucille replied. "And yourself?" His name had sounded a little old English to her, but that might not mean anything.

[dwarvenswagger]

"My home is a city called Erebor," he replied, obviously a little proud of his mountain. It was the best mountain around. "I am a Dwarf."

Obviously. Just, you know, don't mention his totally scraggly beard. It was growing in! Honest!

[kenselvren]

What sort of big sibling would Jalian be if she didn't go looking for her little sister her first day here?

So, having found her, Jalian nodded. "You're doing well." She was alive and not whimpering in a corner, at least; it was a start. "How is your room?"

[crimson_sister]

"Good morning." Lucille greeted Jalian with a smile that was surprisingly genuine. "It's quite comfortable." Especially considering where she had been staying for the past year.

"Would you like some tea?" she offered.

[kenselvren]

"Yes." Jalian nodded. "Thank you," she remembered. "There's probably food here, too. If it doesn't have a name, anybody can eat it. Also there's the cafeteria. Most people avoid it, but I don't mind."

Possibly because she wasn't fussy. Possibly because she didn't eat mystery meat anyway.

[crimson_sister]

"Is the food bad?" Lucille asked while pouring a cup of tea Jalian. During the past year she had learnt not to be fussy, but she would rather eat well of she could.

"At least I now know how to use the stove," she continued. "A young man was kind enough to show me, so at least I can now boil water."

[kenselvren]

"It's food," Jalian answered with a shrug.

"Oh!" She grinned. "The machines here are strange. And everything is machines! This," she pointed, "is the microwave. It cooks food without fire. You put it in and push the buttons for time, then start. I don't use it much, but some people put everything in it."

[crimson_sister]

"Without fire? A machine?" Lucille found that a little funny. "That is not how you cook in your time then?"

[kenselvren]

Jalian shrugged. "Ken Selvren use cookfires and wood stoves. These things are odd. These stoves and ovens work mostly the same, only with different fuel. Same with the refrigerator - it generates its own cold without ice." She pointed that out. "The bottom is cool; the top is frozen." Those parts were easy to figure out even if you didn't know the science behind them.

"The microwave uses energy it pushes into the food that makes it cook. I don't like it; it hurts my eyes. But it works very fast."

[crimson_sister]

"Perhaps I will try it later," Lucille replied, still a little suspicious. She trusted Jalian to give her accurate descriptions, however, and was intrigued how honest and straightforward the girl seemed. It was worrying and comforting at the same time, but in a place like this, where she would need help, she held on to the latter.

"What classes will you be taking?" she asked.

[kenselvren]

Jalian was many things; subtle wasn't one of them. "I have Jack of All Trades and American History. You?"

[crimson_sister]

"Lying 101 and Diplomacy, Relationship and Tactics," Lucille replied, then gave a small laugh. "The subjects taught here are quite unexpected,."

[kenselvren]

"What would you expect?" Jalian asked curiously.

[crimson_sister]

"Oh, things like French and History," she replied. "Well, they do teach the latter." Ha paused, looking at Jalian. "What had you expected when you came here?"