Fifth floor common room [after workshops]

[rilla_myrilla]

Inspired by her French class today, Rilla had slipped into her room to pick up her copy of a Victor Hugo novel (in English. Her French wasn't nearly that good) and curled up on a sofa in the common room with the book, an apple and a cup of tea (which tasted a bit stewed. Rilla wasn't used to make her own tea

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[shes_got_legs]

Ariel had practically danced the whole way up to the fourth floor after her adventures finding treasure in town and her marine mammals workshop. She'd be singing if she had a voice. And she was rather intent on getting back to her room to add the things she'd brought back with her (and it was so hard to pick just a few things, but she realized she had three whole months to collect all sorts of wonderful items), but then she thought she heard a voice or two from the common room. So she stopped, went back, and peeked her head in.

Yup! People! She'd had plenty of things, she could use a little more people, too. So she bounced in, giving a wave, glancing around to see if anything interesting was going on. Or if there was anything interesting she'd missed the other day, though that was unlikely, considering she'd turned the whole room upside down.

[rilla_myrilla]

Rilla smiled and waved back. She had a bit of a soft spot for redheads, even if her mother's hair wasn't quite that...vivid. "Hello!"

[shes_got_legs]

Ariel's mother's had been. So had her father's.

In fact, Ariel was really the only one of Triton's seven daughters that actually resembled both her parents in that respect.

Kind of made you think, didn't it?

Easily smiling back at the other girl, Ariel pointed out the nametag on her chest so that she could introduce herself. After the fourth day, Ariel could really use a new nametag. She then tilted her head at the girl, eying her book with a speculative curiosity.

[rilla_myrilla]

"Oh, Ariel is such a pretty name," Rilla said enthusiastically. "I'm Rilla."

[shes_got_legs]

Ariel's lips went oooooh to let Rilla know that she thought her name was pretty pretty, too, and then she pointed to the other girl's book. Ariel brought her hands together, opening them up like a book themselves, tilting her head eagerly.

[rilla_myrilla]

Rilla held it up. "Have you read Les Miserables?" she asked. "It's lovely."

[shes_got_legs]

Ariel grinned, shaking her head. She didn't even think she could pronounce it, must less read it.

Well, she couldn't pronounce it right now, but you get the point.

Her bright eyes were eager to encourage Rilla to tell her more about it.

[rilla_myrilla]

"Oh, it's about grace and redemption, and love, and justice," Rilla enthused. "And a convict who is truly a good man."

[shes_got_legs]

Wait a second, that sounded familiar! Wait, no, that was truth...something....freedom and love. The freedom she especially remembered, and the love, of course, but she shook her head. Close, but not quite the same. Either was, it did sound like a lovely story, and Ariel grinned in appreciation. A convict who is truly a good man, huh? Kind of like a daughter who is truly right in thinking that humans were good.

Okay, not really, but whatever. She lifted her eyebrows, wishing she had an easier way of asking if the convict ended up with a happy ending or not.

[rilla_myrilla]

"Can you not speak?" Rilla asked, finally realizing she'd been the only one talking.

Rilla was a wee bit self-absorbed at times.

[shes_got_legs]

Ariel looked a little sheepish for a moment, shoulders lifting in a sort-of shrug. She actually rather liked it when people didn't seem to notice for a while, but figured it was sort of inevitable. Still, it was nice when it lasted. She patted her throat a little, shrugging again. No voice. No good. What can you do?

[rilla_myrilla]

"Oh, that's terrible," Rilla exclaimed. "Were you born that way?"

[shes_got_legs]

Oh, it wasn't that bad...was it?

No, Ariel decided. It wasn't. Especially because of what she gained. So she just lightly shook her head.

[rilla_myrilla]

"My father's a doctor," Rilla explained. "One of the best."

Rilla was a little biased.

[nimeni]

Bod was fairly certain he'd seen Ariel at the picnic but they hadn't met before. And, since he was there and she was there, he gave her a light wave and said, "Hullo. I haven't seen you on this floor before."

[shes_got_legs]

Ariel didn't recognize the boy from the picnic at all; there was far too much to take in! But she did recognize him from her class earlier, which was an instant cause for excitement, because, why, look at that, they already had something in common!

So she perked her smile a little and gave her shoulders a slight shrug, making herself look particularly innocent and, shall we say, newish?