to paris with love

[coeur_de_lion]

Alli's school is not a terribly interesting school. It is, as far as Alli is concerned, a perfectly boring and average school in all possible respects. But some alumnus went and made themselves a bunch of money, and apparently they think it's a good idea to spend some of this money on "improving the cultural exposure of today's youth". (Alli has never met the alumnus in question, much less heard them speak, but she persists in picturing this spoken with a haughty British accent.) What this means for Alli is that she and a number of other 'deserving students' are being shipped over to France for free for a week. Alli's not quite sure why she counts as deserving- because her mom's single, maybe?- but she's hardly complaining. It's a free trip to France, after all.

In her usual style, Alli packs an hour before she has to leave and ultimately makes it out the door only ten minutes late after forgetting at least three vitally important items (her eyeliner!). But she makes it through Pearson security with plenty of time... well, more like barely enough time. But the important thing is, she's safely ensconced in her seat when they take off.

Once she's gotten her bag stowed and her legs rearranged in a doomed attempt at comfort and generally considers herself suitably settled, she turns to her seatmate. "Is your brain doing an Eeeeee France! thing too?"

Comments

[coeur_de_lion]

"One in four?" Alli hazards. "Merde, I don't know. Not a lot, whatever it is."

[horsefeathered]

"The dragons and sphinxes were the magical-est!" Jenny contributes. "Until they died in the war, I mean."

[hatchedplan]

"Is this like the critter equivalent of World War Two or something?"

[coeur_de_lion]

Alli has no faith in her ability to keep her face blank if she starts talking about this. Mouth shut it is.

[horsefeathered]

Jenny does not notice. This is pretty standard Alli behavior, in school.

"Sorta! Except that we don't know who started it. Or why. Or what either of them could do. Orrrrr anything at all really! Just that they hated each other and got into a huge fight and at the end, no more dragons, no more sphinxes."

[hatchedplan]

"Wow."

[coeur_de_lion]

Alli squirms uncomfortably and changes the subject. "So! Do you want to play sick for a few days...? I know it's France and all, but just in case?"

[hatchedplan]

"I seem to be doing okay so far. We'll see if I wake up and the bedsheets have had an unfortunate encounter with my claws or something? Is there a trick to this?"

[coeur_de_lion]

"If you go to sleep in human form the medallion'll keep it for you. It's surprises that tend to knock you out of it, usually?"

[horsefeathered]

"We could have a pillow fight!" Jenny suggests with a giggle. "Form practice and hilarity."

[coeur_de_lion]

"...what? No. How is that not obviously no?"

[horsefeathered]

"We don't have to move around! You can have a pillow fight standing in place! And then if you are startled by an unexpected pillow- practice."

[coeur_de_lion]

"Butbutbut clumsy is still- merde. Can we just not?"

[horsefeathered]

"Sorry!" Jenny says defensively. "I was just trying to help."

[hatchedplan]

"Thanks, but no thanks. And no surprising me with pillows outside an established pillow fight either, thanks."

[horsefeathered]

"I wouldn't now that you've said," Jenny mumbles.

[hatchedplan]

"No offense. Just covering my bases."

[horsefeathered]

"S'okay." She makes for her suitcase, somewhat strewn all over the floor in search of her nail polish, and starts sorting things into piles. "I should clean up, unpack some. Anything else I can tell you while I refold things?"

[hatchedplan]

"I mean - I'm sure there's a million things that I don't know and should know that you do know, but I don't know what they are. And it sounds like they're not obvious."

[horsefeathered]

"I mean, there's all sortsa random stuff to know. I know about seven different ways to try to get feathers off things! But that means it also sorta depends what type you are?"

[hatchedplan]

"I don't have feathers that I saw."

[horsefeathered]

"Then I will spare you the lectures on duct tape and dog brushes!"

[coeur_de_lion]

"Whaaat? Merde, and I thought the cat fur was bad."

[hatchedplan]

"Do you guys spent a lot of time shopping for accessories marketed to pet owners?"

[coeur_de_lion]

"Does making my mother do it count?"