bitchprince | Room 303, Monday Afternoon

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Room 303, Monday Afternoon

Between training Dinah, getting his own body back into shape- neglecting it for a few weeks hadn't done too much damage, but there was still some to make up for- and navigating the increasingly familiar strangeness of this place, Arthur's days were slowly filling up with things to do.

However, that didn't mean that at some indefinable point in the afternoon, he wouldn't find himself bored as all hell, sitting down on his bed. The idea that he had no duties here but going to class wasn't nearly as nice as some may have thought.

Nevermind the enduring trouble in getting home. He was attempting to speed up the healing of his arm with his mind by now.

[[ open door, open room! ]]

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Arthur shot Dinah a look that implied how very not funny she was, and his jaw had set a little by the time Leto's words connected. So, for various reasons, he tilted his head away from her so that he could fix his eyes on Leto. "If the locals had any concern for discretion at all," he muttered, "Like the rumor mill isn't bad enough as-is."

On this one, he felt, he and Leto were completely on the same level.

"You guys have never been to high school before," Dinah realized. Then couldn't help but grin. "It's nothing but gossip. What else are we doing, classes? Other people's sex lives are lots more interesting to teenagers." She shrugged, trying not to smile. Or blush. Or both. "If you tried to censor it, more people than Priestly would be yelling at you."

Leto frowned. "Who is Priestly? Is he yelling about gossip?"

"Priestly," Arthur muttered, like that was his favorite subject in the world. Really. "Is an idiot. Having experienced him both drunk and sober, I think I'm fairly certain on that much."

"He is not, he's smart, he just has very strong convictions and doesn't care who knows it," Dinah objected, plucking the wrong chord on the baliset. "He's a friend of mine," she told Leto. "The loud singing one. Who says the revolution will not be televised."

She really had to look that up, find out what it meant.

"What revolution?" Leto asked sharply. "Surely he's not planning to overthrow the authorities on this island?" He poked Dinah's fingers to the correct position. "And now break that chord into separate notes."

"He's an idiot," Arthur repeated, "Who mistakes assumptions for facts. I tried to give him the opportunity for the both of us to walk away from this, but he's utterly refused to listen to reason. I fail to see what more I can do."

Dinah moved her fingers, nodding seriously, then frowned in thought at Leto's question. "I don't think he means it like that. He's not a violent person." Then again, hard to be sure. "You could listen to him?"

Yeah, Dinah didn't even think that was going to happen as she said it.

Arthur sighed. "Dinah," he said, "He's accused me of not caring about my people. He's insisted I made assumptions while he does worse. I'm willing to tolerate his ramblings, but if he wishes to be heard, he should put this fabled 'mind' of his to work before he says anything."

Dinah muttered under her breath, "Maybe if I read him some Shakespeare?" then sighed. Both hims. It would make more sense then!

Another chord, broken up the way Leto had said, two more, and then, "Anyway."

Yeah. What came after that?

Leto could see why Arthur disliked this Priestly, but he had no reason to get involved in an argument about it. "Clearly it's an assumption of this age that who sleeps with who is the most important matter of a society and anyone who disagrees should be shouted at."

He might still be a little annoyed at Tony, yes.

"Someone shouted at you?" Arthur asked, then paused as he remembered the place they were in. "Of course they did."

"He didn't shout!" Dinah immediately realized that she was maybe jumping to conclusions, and said, "At least. I don't think anyone shouted. Who might have said something. Did he? In a totally platonic and protective way that was just a little bit off-target and okay, key change, right?"

Pling!

"Dinah's friend Tony accused me of behaving disrespectfully towards her," Leto told Arthur, giving him a look that clearly stated he found that statement silly. "Mainly on the grounds that I should have announced who shared my bed before even starting a conversation. Also, the language he used was enough to warrant a challenge, had I been in the mood for that."

If there was a desk to head on, Arthur would be doing so right now. "Now that's lovely," he said instead, "Some days I think the entire island is suicidal."

"We don't have challenges any more! Just fistfights!" Dinah was on the verge of flailing, and said, "And he was being chivalrous and honorable and stuff, saying that to Leto when he didn't know if he'd beat him up, and same with Priestly getting in your face about his principles, and okay, it's not the smartest, but they're guys." She took a breath, and bent to play another chord. "Like you're both guys. God. You should get each other better."

Leto looked at Arthur. "Clearly he wouldn't be worth the trouble to challenge, besides I don't want to kill him." Then he looked at Dinah. "I find we do understand each other quite well." Yes, the misinterpretation was deliberate.

"I think we do, yes," Arthur said, shooting a glance towards Leto on that note. "I understand they've their differences with me- with Leto, it seems- but that's no excuse for their manner. Calling me an idiot won't do Priestly's point any good, nor does Tony accusing Leto of intentions he doesn't have. You've no royalty here like us, I understand, but..."

"I give up. You both hurt my head. I suck at debate, my friends are cool, even the really annoying ones," Dinah said, shooting them both looks as she handed the baliset back to Leto and got up. "And I never ever want to be royalty or nobility or a guy! Thank you for the lesson and I'm outta here, bye."

Leto took the instrument and rose from his seat. "Dinah," he said. "Please, I didn't mean to make you upset." Not too upset, anyway. Sometimes she was clearly quite sensitive.

Dinah blinked, then grinned. Then finally had the nerve to hug him, as hard as she could. "You didn't, not really. I just get frustrated. Better I leave before I flail more." She turned and made a face at Arthur. "Like that, seeee?"

Then she let go of Leto and called over her shoulder, "Later, guys."

Arthur watched her go, then shook his head.

"One," he said, "That was a waste of ten perfectly good minutes. Two," and he glanced at Leto, "'I didn't mean to make you upset'? You are such a girl."

Leto looked back at him. "It made her finally give me a hug without blushing," he pointed out. "But Dinah clearly needs to choose her friends with more care."

"My kingdom for a hug," Arthur said, a bit dryly. "She can choose her friends as she likes; her friends simply have to make more thought-out decisions."

"That," Leto replied, "Seems even less likely to happen in this place."

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bitchprince - 2009-02-16 21:21 (UTC) - Expand

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