Lightning Bug B3, Thursday Morning

[intraspective]

Ino had to admit that country was not normally her music type, no. But the song that she kept finding herself singing was fun at least, and it amused her enough that Ino really didn’t see a need to try and stop.

She just kept the singing down sort of low as she sprawled out on her bed and read.

“My daddy always a gentle man
Never the kind to ever force his hand
He would always be the last one to raise his voice
If anybody ever put us down
Well you can bet that he would stand his ground
Then he would tell me son sometimes you got no choice

You've got to kick at little and cause a stir
Sometimes you got to make some noise to be heard
If anybody ever tries to hold you back
Yeah you got to kick a little and be tough
You got to let 'em know you've had enough
Remember that unless you want to finish last
You've got to kick a little!

Some people judge you by the way you look
They see you once and say you ain't no good
Feels like they're never gonna take you for who you are
That's when you have to stand up and be strong
And go the extra mile to prove 'em all wrong
Just remember when they push you way too far

You've got to kick at little and cause a stir
Sometimes you got to make some noise to be heard
If anybody ever tries to hold you back
Yeah you got to kick a little and be tough
You got to let 'em know you've had enough
Remember that unless you want to finish last
You've got to kick a little!

You've got to kick at little and cause a stir
Sometimes you got to make some noise to be heard
If anybody ever tries to hold you back
Yeah you got to kick a little and be tough
You got to let 'em know you've had enough
Remember that unless you want to finish last
You've got to kick a little!”

Ino snickered, humming it, and turned to the next page of her book. Kicking she could definitely do. Totally amusing, geez.

[Open for visitors, cabinmates, phone calls what have you.]

Comments

[withoutverona]

And that would be where Romeo's heart and breath stopped.

"What does your new friend look like?"

[intraspective]

Ino was pretty sure 'hot' wouldn't be appropriate here.

"Um," she said, "dark hair, with this kinda silly little mustache thing happening. Smokes cigars? Looks really arrogant and kinda exudes the feeling that he thinks he's better than everyone else?"

A beat.

"And he's not a friend! I just met him at the party."

[withoutverona]

No. No, hot would not be a helpful thing to say at all.

"Villain," Romeo said (and this would be where the phone away from the ear would be helpful). "He waits for me to leave to reclaim another of his nine lives on ground I saw as all but home. The damned, miserable, cowardly bastard. Trust him not."

[intraspective]

Ino prudently had the phone at a bit of a distance oh yes.

"Uh," she said, a bit warily, and a bit louder because no way was she putting the phone to her ear. "He mostly seems interested in flirting with people right now."

[withoutverona]

"He would," Romeo said. (Pot, kettle, black, yes.) "He had an affair with his own aunt" -- the wife of his uncle, but still! -- "in Verona, you know. Everyone knew it. Lecherous, goddamned, over proud insect of a cat of a man."

The slanders, they might last a while.

[intraspective]

Yeaaah, Ino was totally not going to ever tell Romeo that she actually had kinda thought Tybalt was fun.

Ino liked jerks when it came to men, okay?

"Well," she said mildly, "yes, that's well, uh bad."

That wasn't useful, Ino.

[withoutverona]

If Ino ever breathed a word about liking Tybalt to Romeo, he'd come to the island and kill the ratcatcher in his sleep.

"'Bad,' Romeo repeated disdainfully. "It's an incestuous, monstrous sin against god and man." And again with the ignoring that Tybalt and Gloria weren't blood relations and he was only reporting gossip in any case.

"I gave him a chance at mercy, twice, and he tried to kill both times," he reminded Ino. "I thought him in his grave for good, but -- well, it is the island. You are certain he's no purpose on the island? Did he ask after me?"

[intraspective]

"I know," she said, sighing. "I'm wondering if maybe it's a--timeline thing? 'Cause he didn't say anything 'bout you," she said, because really addressing his diatribe would only give her a headache. "He just kinda complained that he was surprised that so few people here knew anything about Verona 'cause of it's reputation. And radio hasn't said anything about him asking after you either."

[withoutverona]

Romeo already had a headache; it would only be justified if he shared.

"He's a few years older than I am," Romeo grudgingly admitted. "If he's in high school now, it must be a timeline thing, or he's even more stupid than I believed."

"Will you tell me if he does the first thing to start a fight on Fandom?"

[intraspective]

"I'll tell you if he starts one," she promised, wondering if he'd catch the fact that if Tybalt defended himself Ino was totally not going to bother. People were allowed to defend themselves after all.

She pulled a strand of hair out in front of her face. "He hasn't done anything but flirt," she assured him.

[withoutverona]

"I pity the poor girl who lets herself be charmed into that arrogant oaf's bed," Romeo sulked. "Do tell me. Perhaps I needn't worry; perhaps the island is a fresh start, and will tame the feral beast."

He doubted it, but he could hold out hope.

[intraspective]

Ino tugged her hair.

"I will tell you," she repeated. "And so far you don't have to worry. He was more concerned with the fact that we've the living dead as a band and seemed rather startled when I informed him that fighting in the bar would result in landing in the lake."

[withoutverona]

"Maybe he could just be induced to spend all his time in Caritas," Romeo said, some hope creeping into his tone. "He can do no harm there."

[intraspective]

"That, and at the school," she pointed out, "he'd never get away with anything if he pulled violence there."

[withoutverona]

"As long as he doesn't go flashing his rapier about town, he'll have quite the peaceful time of it," Romeo said, bitter.

[intraspective]

"Oh Romeo," she sighed. "Look, I'll keep an eye out on him, but seriously, I've only met him once. They took his weapon away from him, see? That's a good thing--you know how we're not allowed weapons in the dorms."

[withoutverona]

"I know that," Romeo pointed out. "I suppose I just have to trust the administration, and his good judgment."

Such as it was.

[intraspective]

Her hair was going to ache later from all the tugging she was doing. Ino winced at a particularly hard tug.

"It'll be fine," she said soothingly. "I mean, he's been here almost two weeks and nothing has happened. That's a good sign."

[withoutverona]

"It's something," Romeo had to halfway agree. "Ino, you can't tell me Tybalt is there and not expect me to worry."

[intraspective]

"I'm not expecting you not to worry," she insisted. "I'm just saying that, you know, so far it's been pretty peaceful. Maybe he's all--"

“--I’m alone, on my own, and that’s all I know,” Ino sang, “I’ll be strong, I’ll be wrong, oh but life goes on. Oh but I’m just a girl trying to find a place in this world.”

Er.

“Yeah,” she added, a bit lamely. “Like that. Sans the girl bit.”

Stupid Fandom.

[withoutverona]

"Are you trying to tell me you aren't a girl?" Romeo asked, grateful he was on another continent so she couldn't hit him.

[intraspective]

"I'm all girl!" she protested vehemently, waving her free hand to emphasis this. "It's not my fault what comes out of my mouth!"

[withoutverona]

"Uh-huh." Romeo probably wouldn't be teasing her quite so much if it wasn't such a relief as he tried to process the news Tybalt had turned up. "I'm sure someone at the clinic could talk to you, if you're confused."

[intraspective]

"So mean!" she spluttered, trying not to laugh. "See if I tell you what else has been going on 'round Fandom, just for that! I'm not confused!"

[withoutverona]

Oh, that was a harsh decision, but Romeo let his better angels make it.

"You're singing, things are alive, we have new students again," he recapped. "What else? How are the cabins this time?"