Land Shark Living Room, Sunday Evening

[intraspective]

... Land Shark, Ino decided as she found herself a bottle of water and some chips and flopped down on the couch, was an okay cabin name.

She wasn't quite sure what it was but that was alright. Guessing from the rest of the cabins, Ino was figuring on some sort of monster but—well. Maybe the shark their cabin was named after was magic? Which was why it could go on land? Did it even matter?

Probably not, so long as it didn't attack them because they'd used its name.

It was something to idly consider anyway as she pulled her feet up under her and pulled out one of her notebooks as she made herself comfortable in her home away from the dorms for the next few weeks.

Besides, the living room was way better for checking out how many of her cabinmates would be social. She liked social!

[Open for fellow land sharks and visitors, yo!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

After his shift in the library had ended, Jono had gathered up the few things that he figured he absolutely needed for the next little while, and he'd made his way to the cabin.

... So, a change of clothing, some extra bandages, and, of course, his guitar. Which was what he was stepping into the living room with right about now, looking around and wondering if there was some sort of horrible cosmic error that had led to him being in this particular cabin.

//Evening.// And then, after a moment's pause. //Please, tell me that some of the other names on the list for this cabin are actually just very feminine boy's names?//

... Like... Helen. Yes, that certainly seemed masculine. He was doomed, wasn't he?

[intraspective]

"Maybe Joolushko?" Ino said, having glanced up at the sound of the door opening and not at all surprised by the voice in her head. "I know the rest of them are girls."

By virtue of having talked to them all or, in Medusalith's case, done radio that mentioned her. She didn't know who Joolushko was though.

"Are you sulking 'bout being here already, Jono?"

[furnaceface]

//No.// Yes. //... Yes.//

See?

//It's bad enough sharing one room with one bloke, you know. Now I'm rooming with at least six members of the opposite sex. Not that I have anything against the opposite sex. I happen to be quite fond of women. But.//

Well, there were just some things that you could do when you were a guy rooming with guys that you couldn't do in the presence of females. And sure, belching loudly and annoyingly was off the list now, but he still couldn't leave his underpants sitting about. And he had a tendency to smell like a boy. A boy on fire, at that.

[intraspective]

"Maybe," she answered, eyes dancing with amusement. "You'll get lucky and the island will turn all girls into boys for awhile."

Which wouldn't really fix his complaint no. Boy bodies or not, they'd still be girls.

[furnaceface]

But maybe they would be girls who happened to smell like boys, too!

... but still girls.

//And that makes me lucky how, exactly?//

[intraspective]

Ino wrinkled her nose at him.

"You could better play pretend that way. Instead of having to face the fact you're living with giiirls."

Braaat.

[furnaceface]

//I think I'm pretty much doomed to this, gel,// he said, his voice a little hollow as he worked himself up to projecting a sigh. //At least there aren't any rules saying I have to be around here often.//

Which, on second thought, meant that he'd have to be outside and social, otherwise.

//I suppose I ought to start by cracking a naffin' window.//

[intraspective]

Ino was... torn, there.

"You know," she settled on mildly, "girls aren't contagious. You're supposed to be over the cootie stage by now, I think."

[furnaceface]

//Mmm, but do you suppose they are?// This was said very dryly, yes. //I'm opening it for their benefit, not mine. Unless somebody in here happens to be prone to overdosing on tangerine body spray, or something of the like.//

In which case, there were worse smells than him, and he'd just sit around outside by the firepit like the moody grump that he was.

He stood there, trying to properly portray how utterly displeased he was at this setup for a moment more, before deciding that he'd filled his cranky quota for the day and it would be okay to flop backward onto a chair now so that he could pick at his guitar.

[angelo_wings]

Rinoa had packed away her things in A4 -- a few of them, at least. Most she had left back in her dorm room.

Angelo, naturally, had come along, and was now sniffing the many fascinating and interesting things to smell in this new cabin. She barked any time she found something of interest.

Rinoa frowned at the rain outside. "We should do something," she decided. "Cards? I have a Triple Triad deck, and regular playing cards, too."

No pinochle deck. Someone had tried to explain it to her, once, and failed horribly.

[intraspective]

"What's Triple Triad?" Ino asked curiously, looking up from her notebook. "And hi, Rinoa."

[angelo_wings]

"You've never played?" Rinoa asked, glancing at the other girl with a quick smile. "You need a three-by-three mat and a starter deck. Cards have a number for each side; if you lay a card next to another one, and your number on that edge is higher than the previous one, you 'flip' it to being yours. Winner gets to pick a card from the loser's hand and keep it."

She shrugged. "My deck is still pretty small. Some people have enormous decks."

[intraspective]

"Hunh," she hummed thoughtfully. "Don't think I've ever even heard of it, honestly. Maybe it's not big here? Is it popular where you were? It sounds simple enough, but..."

[angelo_wings]

"It varies," she shrugged. "Most students at Garden play, but other places, it's more hit-or-miss. The real problem is that every place you go has come up with its own home rules, which are a complete headache to remember."

Especially when so many of the rules were so downright frustrating.

"I can teach you some time, if you're bored, but if you've got no one to play with, it's kind of pointless."

[intraspective]

"I think I'm good," she replied. "I don't tend to play cards much--I'd rather read if I'm going to be time killing."

A beat.

"How're you doing, anyway? Got any issues with the cabins?"

[angelo_wings]

"I love reading," Rinoa beamed. "What kind of books do you like? The only drawback is that it's not very social, unless you're willing to put the book down and talk to people every five minutes."

In which case, why read at all?

"I don't mind the cabins." She lifted her shoulders easily. "Although I hope no one is allergic to dogs, here."

Keeping Angelo elsewhere was not an option.

[intraspective]

"Talking is better for passing the time," she pointed out lightly. "So putting things down isn't a problem in that case, 'least right now. I'd be hiding in my alcove if I didn't want to talk."

Ino hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know 'bout allergies, but I doubt anyone without 'em will have issues. If there's a problem that way, maybe they can trade cabins with someone else?"

[angelo_wings]

"I hope so," Rinoa said, setting her chin stubbornly. "Angelo's here, and she's not going anywhere else. If someone doesn't like it, that's their problem, not mine."

Obviously. Totally considerate of her cabinmates, right there.

"I don't mind talking, but sometimes you just run out of things to say," she added.

[furnaceface]

//Ah, it's you,// Jono greeted, so very pleasantly from the seat he'd claimed. //Welcome to the cabin of estrogen and me, luv. Know any good games on that regular deck?//

Because he had no idea what Triple Triad was, either.

[angelo_wings]

"Hello again," she said. "I guess this means no cabin make-overs or sleepovers? Unless you're into that kind of thing."

Or could be dragged into it kicking and screaming.

"Hearts, Spades, Gin, Rummy ... I'm not any good at poker, but that's because I'm a bad bluffer. I've never gotten the hang of bidding right in Bridge, which usually upsets whoever I'm playing with. Do any of those count as 'good'?"

[furnaceface]

//They count as card games,// Jono decided. //Which is good enough for me. Hearts is simple enough, if we were to start a game and then have to deal newcomers in.//

Even if he was a little disappointed that she was no good at poker. He had an excellent poker face.

//And I'm not opposed to sleepovers, but so help me, if I can't sleep at night for all of th'giggling, I'll be forced to take drastic measures.//

[angelo_wings]

"We'd need more than two for Hearts," Rinoa said, looking around. "Perhaps we could pull Ino in. That reminds me, you're formally invited to join the club we mean to be starting. Yes to Nos."

Jono meant he qualified. Didn't he feel lucky?

"Drastic measures like ... wearing ear plugs?"

[furnaceface]

//And sulking,// Jono confirmed. //I'm outnumbered six or seven to one, and I'm not bloody crazy, luv.//

Which promised to make this into a very interesting summer, indeed, didn't it?

//... Mind tellin' me more about that club, perhaps?//

[angelo_wings]

"You have 'no' in your name," Rinoa said. "So do I, and so does Ino. We're starting a club."

No, seriously, that was all there was to it. That, and boredom.

Said club was never going to happen, but it was fun to discuss anyway.

"You don't need to wear ear plugs or sulk if you join us for Truth or Dare," she suggested. "And toenail-painting and I Never."

[furnaceface]

Well, if it was about having a 'no' in his name, Jono wouldn't complain about membership. It sounded adequately contrary, for his tastes.

//I would perhaps contemplate joining th'lot of yer just so long as my toenails are left out of this,// he allowed. //Now, what th'hell is I Never?//