coeur_de_lion | to paris with love

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?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

coeur_de_lion

Alli follows her, keeping an eye on her as she walks. Alli cares less about the stumbling then about the possibility that a fall would surprise May into forgetting her shape. "I can push if you want," she offers. "Less risk of being seen, that way. And if we split a room- oh, merde, it's three to a room, isn't it? Two beds and a cot? I'll take a look on the bus, there's got to be another critter we can room with."

From:

hatchedplan

"You're going to, what, quiz everyone about their jewelry?" asks May, collapsing into her chair. "Push away."

From:

coeur_de_lion

Alli pushes. Compared to hauling a clumsy, half asleep dragon around, this is a piece of cake. Her method of getting over obnoxious obstacles is some combination of "power through" and "discreetly lift over."

"I mean, I could if I had to. But critters aren't horribly rare. There's some at our school I can recognize by sight, I'm just too tired to remember who's on the trip at the moment." Adrenaline only does so much. "Though maybe don't mention the dragon thing unless you have to. You are supposed to all be really dead. It's- the critter version of finding out critters exist? Something like that."

From:

hatchedplan

"Ooookay, what should I claim to be instead, a - what, a phoenix, should I say I'm a unicorn, what is my cover story? How do you find out about the other critters, is there some kind of critter support group that you can only find out about if you can read the secret critter language in the decorative borders on the beginning-of-year fliers, what the hell?"

From:

coeur_de_lion

"If you manage not to throw wings you could probably claim to be a nixie or a mermaid. Their bottom halves are serpenty? Ish? Or if you do throw wings- ugh, what else is there, this is like trying to remember the names of obscure countries. I'll think of something. And hah, no, that's way too fancy. We just have neighborhoods for critters. Little Italy but Little Critter instead? They're called Avalons. Maman and I shop in the Toronto one."

From:

hatchedplan

"And these are hidden via government conspiracy, magic, willful not-looking of non-critters...? I don't think I'm especially serpenty, I have, like, legs. Claiming to be something serpenty would only cover for the tail and nothing else, aren't there any lizard-type critters?"

From:

coeur_de_lion

"Magic. A guy at the door. Not being interesting to start with. All the above? Not a lot of work, really, the entrance to the Toronto Avalon looks like a falling apart old record store. They sell records and everything, you just have to be in the know to get in the back."

She hums thoughtfully. "What else? There's a Lamia who works in the magic shop, I think... But I don't think Lamias get medallions. I vaguely recall some local critters, I want to say Aztec but maybe Incan, that might work? There wouldn't be any in Toronto to call you out on it, that's for sure."

From:

hatchedplan

"Is there a book you could look this up in? I mean, maybe not on you, but for after we're back home."

From:

coeur_de_lion

"Oh sure, lots. Avalon has a bookstore and everything. I can take you when we're back. We could look here too, if you want to go sooner, but I don't think you'd have much luck in English."

From:

hatchedplan

"Yeah, I'm guessing that French critters speak French."

From:

coeur_de_lion

"I mean, I'm sure some speak English. It's the books you'll have issues with. Point taken, though."

From:

hatchedplan

"If the book had pictures you might recognize something, smack yourself in the forehead, and go, 'oh, yeah, you should tell people you're a this thing'."

From:

coeur_de_lion

"If that's the goal, I can try to find a French Avalon. No promises, though, since that does in fact involve staring awkwardly at necklaces. For the books- I don't need pictures, je peux lire en Français. If you want to read or buy things, though, that should wait for Toronto."

Edited Date: 2014-12-29 02:56 am (UTC)

From:

hatchedplan

"Okay, skip the French Avalon, I guess. See any candidate critter roomates?"

From:

coeur_de_lion

Now that they're closer, Alli skims the crowd. "Two I'm sure of," she reports, "but one's a boy. How well do you know Jenny?"

From:

hatchedplan

"About as well as I knew you before we were next to each other on the plane. I know who you're talking about and she seems okay."

From:

coeur_de_lion

"Meh. Good enough. Here goes." And off towards Jenny they go.

From:

horsefeathered

Jenny is chatting to a few of the other girls. She waves with a smile when she sees them headed over.

From:

coeur_de_lion

"Jenny!" Alli says brightly. "May and I were just talking about rooming together. Found a roommate yet? Want in? We can all bond. It'll be great. Really."

She's got her necklace out, for once. She refuses to play with it, that seems too obvious, but hopefully Jenny gets the hint.

Edited Date: 2014-12-29 05:56 am (UTC)

From:

horsefeathered

Jenny just sort of blinks at her in confusion. "I don't have a room yet, no. Isn't it sorta early for that? We're not even at the hotel yet."

From:

hatchedplan

"Better than scrambling for random strangers at the last minute when everybody else has clumped up," says May, trying to sound cheerful.

Edited Date: 2014-12-29 05:59 am (UTC)

From:

horsefeathered

"Sure, why not," Jenny shrugs. "...nail painting party?"

From:

coeur_de_lion

"...As long as you brought lots," Alli says. "I mean. There's three of us!"

That is not what she means.

From:

horsefeathered

"I-" Jenny looks at them. Then clearly places Alli as not just fellow-student, and focuses on the necklace. And giggles. "Don't worry. I definitely have lots!"

In case one was a lion with some very large nails. For instance.