in misery - DOOR

[odette]

It was the middle of the day, which meant Odette was currently suffering her terrible curse, and in the form of an elegant, innocently white swan. She probably looked quite out of place as she hobbled down the docks, among all the seagulls and pelicans and other white seabirds that frequented the place. But the docks were one of the few places Odette could get the peace she wanted.

At the edge, she stopped, and stared down at her reflection in the water. That of a swan stared back up at her and she turned away in misery. She was used to being a swan by now, yes, but she hated her reflection and hated being in this form. It was degrading, no matter how beautiful she was as a swan, and it put her in far more danger than most seemed to realize.

Sighing, she ruffled her feathers and sat herself down on the warm wooden planks, twisting her neck to look at the ships around her. They were beautiful, sparkling, and white - it would be nice to have one. To be on the water as a human willingly, and not as a swan forcefully.

Shifting slightly, Odette returned her gaze to the water and lowered her head.

[door]

Door had recently decided not only to join the Book Club on campus but to take a very active role in - the Co-President role. She wasn't sure why she decided to do this (outside of she figured it would be the easiest way to interact with people who had somewhat similar interests) but, as long as she was going to be somewhat involved, she figured she'd do it right. She was going to purpose that they basically just read a book each week and discuss the symbolism and choices of the author. So she was reading the book she wanted to purpose.

She had started to enjoy reading outside though, so she was wandering around the city with a book in her coat. She found a little wharf and decided to set up shop there until it got too dark to read outside. It was sort of perfect. Little dock, little trees, little birds.

Birds were...odd, as far as Door was concerned. She didn't really like them that much. She was a rat gal and birds often times picked on rats. Mean birds.

Door walked further down the dock to the edge. She stepped out of her slip on shoes and was about to sit down (to put her feet down in the water) when she noticed that one of the birds hadn't scattered at her approach. It was a...a crane? A swan! That was it.

She lowered her hands and flicked her fingers towards the swan, moving her wrists back and forth. "Shoo. Shoo, stupid bird, shoo."

[odette]

Her head lifted slightly as someone approached, other birds scattering. Odette knew better. Humans didn't scare her, considering she was one, and it didn't bother her that one was coming. Oddly enough, with a book in her hand. It took her a moment to realize she did indeed know the girl - Odette was in the book club with her. In fact, the girl was co-president.

Being called a bird was offending enough to Odette without the stupid thrown in front of it. This girl, Door, had no idea who she was and Odette had to remember that. She was a swan for everyone else to see and ignore and think she was some silly bird.

"I certainly beg your pardon, but I believe I was here first. Not to mention this is a public place, I'm just as welcome here as you are." Odette said curtly, twisting her head around to look at the girl. "And I don't appreciate being called a stupid bird, either. I'm a girl, thank you."

[door]

Door lifted her eyebrow as the bird looked up at her and started to speak. She was pleased with herself that she had a very small reaction to this bizarre occurrence - she must have been getting used to Tintagel. Beautiful.

"Oh, um, sorry. Bird. Girl. Person. Thing. You definitely have the right to be here, sorry." Door kept her eyes on the bird, trying the best to make her apology sound sincere. She was sincere after all, she had no desire to offend the being. If she knew that the swan would understand her she would have never called it stupid. But it was still sort of startling to hear a bird speak.

"You do look like a bird, though. I mean, I don't want to be rude, but you definitely look like a swan." Magic ran strong around here and she sort of wanted to make sure that this girl was aware that she was, indeed, in the shape of a bird.

[odette]

"You're not the first person to offend me, so stop apologizing." Odette replied, lowering her head once more so she could stare at her reflection in the water below. She was a stupid bird. A stupid swan. She was stupid for not putting up more of a fight when Rothbart had captured her.

"I know I look like a bird, thank you. I've been a bird every day for the past month." She sighed, dejected. Before then, all she'd had to worry about was her father pushing her in the direction of Derek, who had turned out to be such a prick. Then again, most men stuck in planned marriages were. Well, if he couldn't find more of a reason to marry her other than her beauty, then he didn't deserve her. She was smart, intelligent, and plenty of other things besides pretty.

Then again, she wasn't very pretty then, as a swan.

"You know who I am, you know. I'm in the book club with you." She added, not looking up. "The quiet blonde at the back of the room who comes in late and leaves early."

[door]

Door nodded, pushing her lips together into a thin line. She didn't really know what to say after the swan told her not to apologize. How do you not apologize for calling a person a bird? Even if they looked like a bird it seemed to be sort of a rude thing to say

She wanted to ask more about the whole swan thing but she still felt that it was rude. Besides, it was easy enough to simply assume that this was an act of magic. Magic was pretty available in this area and it seemed like the sort of thing that could make someone go from swan to blonde.

Door racked her brain. The blonde. She knew the girl, of course, it was hard to miss someone coming and going in different time than everyone else. Door was trying to learn everyone's name and this girl was the first one she had learned - since she was never there when Door started going down the list of names.

"It's Odette, right? I'm Door."