The Deck, Sunday afternoon

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

So, it hadn't actually been a dream, after all. Margaery didn't know whether she was disappointed or not when she opened her eyes this morning and once more wasn't greeted with the vaulted ceiling of her bedroom at home. On the one hand, she had no idea how to get back, or whether she could even contact her family at all. On the other, this place already seemed much more fun than she'd thought school would be. So perhaps staying awhile wouldn't be the worst idea.

She'd lazed abed for a while, and would blame the ache of being on horseback for two days if anyone should have questioned it, before finally rising and making her way out to face the land of the living. After retrieving an apple from her common room - she was immensely grateful to see something she recognized right away - Margaery made her way down to the deck she'd noticed the day prior to work on the first of several letters. She had always worked on her correspondence in the garden at home, and it was far too beautiful a day to develop a hand cramp indoors.

By her count, she had five letters to write to start, and so she'd brought her inkpot with her, as well. But she found, once she had quill in hand, that she had no idea how to start.

"'Dearest Grandmother, did you know you were sending me to another world?'" she tried out loud. "No, that's horrible."

Five variations on that later, and Margaery had a collection of crumpled parchments at her feet and was vaguely wondering if she should just write to Loras about the shirtless boys. That seemed easier to discuss.

[open open open!]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

Baltimore was back across the causeway again, so Dante was taking his bored mood out on its clubs again. That was the plan for tonight, anyway: head to the city, grab some food, then find somewhere cool to spend the evening.

The newbie sitting by the deck made him pause on his way for a second, though, and he tilted his head at her, nodding at the parchments on the floor.

"Guess the pen's not that mighty today, huh?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

Margaery looked up from where she'd just carefully scripted a particularly ornate L to start her brother's name (which was another blatant stalling tactic), and looked puzzled for a moment before she parsed what he meant. "Have you ever tried to describe this place to someone at home?" she asked, lifting a brow. "I'm having a little trouble knowing exactly where to start."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Nope, sorry."

Dante didn't really have anyone at home he had any desire to write to. Ever.

But he shrugged, walking a little closer. "'Hi, I'm not dead' might be a start?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"That is a good start," Margaery agreed, pointing a finger at him. "I don't really think anyone was worried about that, but it's probably best to let them know that I made it here safely. Might put a quick halt to any lines of questioning that could prove difficult to answer, too."

She slanted a look at him, a little more critically than she first had. "You look like you're on your way somewhere." Or, at the very least, he looked differently than he had yesterday, and she was tempted to object.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Most people I know around here like to edge around the weird crap for at least a while," Dante said. He leaned a shoulder against the wall. "And yeah, I was planning to go out to the city. Grab some drinks. This place is way too quiet on a Sunday."

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"Everyone is either recovering from yesterday or bracing themselves for tomorrow," Margaery suggested with a grin. "I find myself somewhere in between. Are you going to..." She paused, and her cheeks pinkened. "I'm sorry, I don't actually know the name of the city you can see on the mainland. That one. Are you going there?"

[intotheout]

Tip came out with her latest weird paranormal romance novel from her mother and smiled at the new girl. "Hey. Just got in yesterday?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"Is it terribly obvious?" Margaery asked good-naturedly. "I'm as new as I think one can be, unless more people are due to arrive today. But if that's to be, it seems a waste to have had the feast yesterday. So...yes. Hello."

[intotheout]

"Well, you know, this place is small enough that you start to be able to recognize pretty much everyone on sight." Tip shrugged and sat down. "I think most people show up in time for the welcome picnic, but I guess so long as they're here by the time classes start, they're good. I'm Gratuity, by the way. Nice to meet you."

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"That's a beautiful name," Margaery said sincerely, smiling over at the other girl and setting aside her quill for the moment. "I'm Margaery. And that's a comfort, how small it is - I feel as though I've met a hundred people since yesterday, but I suppose it's probably not more than twenty. I can hope I won't be lost forever, if there aren't too many more to meet. Have you been here long, Gratuity?"

[intotheout]

"Really?" No one had ever said that before. Maybe English wasn't this girl's first language. "Thanks. I've just been here for the summer this far. So about three months? It's pretty cool. Way different from my old school."

[kenselvren]

Jalian came out to the deck wearing a skimpy white halter top and small, tight shorts, her hair pulled back in a braid. She wasn't wearing her knives for once, but that was because she was carrying them in a bundle.

She stopped when she saw the strange new girl and nodded, a little curt with awkwardness. Then, because she was trying to not give a "creepy killer" vibe, asked, "I was coming here to care for my knives. Will that bother you?"

Hey, she was trying.

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"As long as caring for them means you won't be tossing them about or anything," Margaery said playfully, smiling over at the other girl.

Her dress today once more cut well between her breasts, and was adorned with rose-and-vine embroidery. She took in the girl's attire with a curious glance, and made a mental note that she should explore modern dress more thoroughly, if she were to stay. It did get so hot in skirts.

[kenselvren]

Jalian smiled back, relieved, and settled on the porch, knives in front of her. "I like to sharpen and oil them outside," she said, "but some people think it's strange."

She took out the first one and started carefully inspecting it. "You're new?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"My brothers are knights," Margaery told her. "So I suppose I might be more used to blades than some." Not that Loras or Garlan cleaned his own equipment. Whatever else were squires for? "And yes, new as of this weekend." She waved lightly. "I'm Margaery."

She'd abandoned the use of her title yesterday, after Lucille told her it was actually against the custom here.

[kenselvren]

"Jalian," she answered. "Jalian d'Arsennette." She waved back. "Welcome."

Why would you let someone else care for your weapons? Best to know them yourself.

"Your world is also run by males?" One day Jalian would find one that wasn't.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo ended up on the deck a bit later on with a bowl of grapes and a couple bottles of water. "Hey, Jalian," she called with a friendly grin. "How have you been?"

[kenselvren]

"Ringo." Jalian smiled at her. "I'm well. You?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Pretty good!" She grinned. "I mean, it got pretty brutally hot this summer, but I feel like that's a pretty minor thing to complain about, you know?"

[kenselvren]

"It was hot," Jalian agreed. "Sweaty. I like the sun, though. And it means less clothing than winter."

[I'm heading to bed shortly; sp?]

[soniaroadsqueen]

The welcome picnic always seemed to give Ringo a big surge of energy. Which meant she'd gotten up early this morning and gone out for a really long AT ride. She'd pushed herself hard, so by the time she made it back to the dorms her clothes were mostly soaked through with sweat, and her own face was bright red. Fortunately, she'd scared up four or five bottles of water and a huge bowl of grapes from one of the common rooms before heading out to the deck to try to cool off.

She hadn't even bothered to take off her ATs because just letting them glide along at walking speed was easier than walking.

When she spotted Margaery, her eyes lit up and she offered an enthusiastic, if tired, greeting. "Hey, Margaery! How was your first night in the dorms?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

"I have survived," Margaery declared dramatically, before dropping the act with a giggle. "No, really, it's been perfectly nice. You're just the person I wanted to see, as it happens! I have a question of the big sibling variety."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I knew that I sensed something with my magical big sister powers."

Ringo definitely did not have magical big sister powers.

She grinned, her AT whining softly as she rolled closer and held out the bowl of grapes. "What's up?"

[hidingthorns.livejournal.com]

Margaery stared down at the AT with, admittedly, a little trepidation. "It's friendly, right?"

She'd just never seen anything like that. Another theme for the weekend.

"I've been invited to ride on a bike," she told her. "And I have a strong suspicion, based on the likeness Dante showed me of his bike, that none of my gowns shall be appropriate."

That was an understatement. She was more than likely to get one of her flowing skirts caught in a wheel or something.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Friendly?" Ringo blinked and followed the other girl's gaze. "Oh, my ATs?" She lifted one foot for inspection, balancing on two wheels with no apparent effort. "They're just little machines." She pursed her lips as she realized that might not make the most sense to Margaery.

But then she was distracted by the rest of what her new little sibling had said. "Dante asked invited you for a ride on his bike?" Her eyebrows went up. "Um, do you know how fast he likes to go?" Sort of a bigger concern for her than wardrobe, even if Ringo really did trust Dante to keep anyone he let ride with him safe.