Scared by the Rumour Mill {Open}

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Leela was not liking the rumours she was hearing about her brother. She'd barely seen him since their cozy coffee afternoon when she'd first arrived. She had been swamped with classes, and whomever her roommate was, was never in.

But that didn't mean she hadn't heard about it, she had heard that there was a fight, Mordred had fought a girl,and stabbed her in the chest, a girl not much younger than her. She had tried to get hold of her brother, by phone, by knocking on his door, but between classes, and everything else, having him not answer and her fears of getting kicked out meant she had to focus on her studies.

She didn't want to get kicked out, back to Camelot when she wanted to be here. 

Still as she left the classroom for her last lesson, and into the corridor she thought she heard her brother's name being mentioned. That he'd turned into a bat. 

She didn't confront it, they didn't even know her yet, she was just the new kid. She wasn't sure if she was ready to throw herself to fight his corner when she didn't even have the facts. 

And as her father had once told her. Don't let yourself be led blind into battle.

It had however left her distracted, and so walking into someone in the corridor was one way to get herself noticed.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to ---"

[Victoria Heart]

Victoria Heart was bored, and that just would not do. Dangerous things happened when she was bored. Just take your pick; she was a demigod, she was royal, she had Imagination powers...there were a number of avenues for trouble if she was left to her own devices. Sure, classes provided a distraction...albeit a somewhat dull distraction, but there was only so many textbooks one could read before one craved literally anything else. No wonder people usually hated delving into a new environment; she was now a royal and a magical being in a place where that wasn't particularly special, and she had to start her social life from the ground up. Well, other than Nancy. But she knew Nancy herself was always a little awkward with meeting people, so she doubted she'd be getting more of a social life with her help. She'd have to help her, and she couldn't do that if she was struggling herself, now could she?

So she kept an ear out for anything at least remotely interesting...and that's how she heard about someone turning into a bat? Again, not the most ridiculous thing one could hear around here, again, her own godsister turned into animals on a regular basis...but wait, did they also mention a duel? Now we might be...

And just then, she noticed a rather pretty girl who seemed interested in that conversation as well, and wasn't watching where she was going.

Seizing her chance, she stopped. And sure enough, the girl bumped into her, and started apologizing immediately. Jackpot.

"Oh no need to worry," she responded with a broad smile that those who didn't know what was good for them would compare to the Cheshire Cat. "I should have been watching where I was going as well..." The lie fell easily from her lips, and then she was quick to move on, nodding towards the rumor brigade. "I take it you know who they're talking about? You seem concerned, dear. And if you don't want to confide in a stranger, I'd be more than happy to introduce myself, make it easier?"

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"Oh--Oh I---I guess so?"

She didn't have much time to answer, Leela was still hugging her class book to her chest, not trying to be rude to the pretty girl and still listening intently to what was being said, but a frown still planted on her face.

"I'm fine, honestly. I'm Leela." Maybe mentioning she was Mordred's sister was a bad idea. "I don't know anything, I just keep hearing things about a duel and a bat. I really don't know much."

Still, they were in the middle of the corridor, and the gossiping on the other side of the corridor was loud and raucous and she was trying to pretend not to care, but it was overly obvious she did.

Finally she relented, pushing herself against the wall, so others could easily walk past.

[Victoria Heart]

Oh the poor thing was nervous. Sometimes it was hard for even Tori to tell if that was a sign that she was barking up the right tree or if it was just plain old social anxiety. She would have to keep a sharp eye, see if there were any signals that shameless flirting would be welcome. Not everyone was as flexible as she was, after all.

"Victoria," she introduced herself. "Charmed. And a duel and a bat sounds par for the course around here, doesn't it?"

Yet her attempts to offer easy conversation that could perhaps lead to a detour (as the subject clearly made the girl uncomfortable) were interrupted by Leela backing away from the group that were talking about this now infamous duel. Hmm, perhaps a detour wasn't quite possible, then?

After a pause, she soon followed Leela up against the wall, standing just a couple of inches away from her. "You sure what they're saying isn't bothering you?" she said in a lower tone, as to not alert the gossip girls, or anyone else within earshot. "Forgive me if I seem nosy, but I can't help but get the feeling there's more to this, and I'd like to help if I'm correct."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"I don't really know, I've not been here very long at all..."

Gosh Leela just wanted to get out and to her room -- where she hoped her roommate wouldn't finally just appear. Still, she couldn't be rude to such a pretty girl who had just decided she was interesting.

"It's really nothing to worry about, I want to get to the bottom of it, I--- I think the rumour involves my brother, and he's not talking to me."

Even admitting that out-loud, made her heart ache. She had always relied on her brother to be honest with her. Something terrible must have happened.

She tucks some hair behind her ear nervously.

"You might know the name Mordred..."

[Victoria Heart]

Tori shrugged. "Nor have I, I only know what I've been told by two of the women I trust the most, is all." She could have gone into just what sorts of stories her mother and godmother had told her, but she knew how to read a room and the poor girl was so nervous that she wouldn't dream of adding to her worries. No way did she need to know that most of the parties at this school had a body count...she was still probably going to go however, partially because she knew it'd drive Aunt Della crazy, even if the woman logically knew Tori could handle most anything.

When Leela admitted that this whole thing involved her brother, Tori's expression softened...especially when the name was mentioned. Oh yes, she had heard the name...a couple of the names involved.

"Oh you poor thing, no wonder you're so stressed about all of this." While some in the Wonderland court would just see this as sweet words meant to lure in some innocent person she set her sights on, Tori genuinely meant it. She was, believe it or not, capable of quite a lot of empathy, actually. Tori offered Leela a smile.

"You won't need to worry about me judging you, if that's the issue. My great aunt tried to kill my mother several times and the other side of my family is...well, Olympus. Need I say more?" She then reached to press a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And if it's merely concern over your brother, that's more than understandable too. Seems pretty clear that whatever happened isn't what you'd have expected from him, and that must be a bitter pill to swallow." She tilted her head, as if to ask, Am I about on target?

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Leela wished that Victoria wasn't correct, that this was all a bad dream. Fact was, it wasn't. Fact was, her brother and all of the Camelot kids went off together to school, and they'd been here together for so long, that now she was here, and she was hearing all these rumours she was almost sure that she didn't know any of these people anymore. She had always read that school changes people, her father had implied that her own coming of age story would probably happen on Avalon like all children there he had used to teach.

Gosh, he remembered the look on his face when he had told her that, and wondered if he had missed it too. She could see why, Camelot could be dull at times....

Still, Leela's wishes were denied because Victoria was spot on.

"Yeah you're not wrong....I just want to to know what actually happened, really know the truth. Some fight and my brother refuses to talk to me. Why does fighting make boys so weird?"

[Victoria Heart]

Tori nodded as Leela confirmed her second theory. "Oh of course, this is why I get so bored with he said/she said." Sure, it's kind of enticing to get sucked up in gossip, but it was hard for even Tori to parse out what's true and what's not when people are utterly convinced their version of events were entirely accurate. She detected lies, not accidental misinformation. If someone believed what they were saying was true, she was of no use whatsoever.

And what was worse was that her brother refused to talk to her...well that certainly leaned towards the idea that he was indeed guilty of something, or at least trying to avoid confrontations. She pouted just a little in sympathy. "From my understanding, it's because they want to seem all macho, and admitting something's bothering them doesn't qualify as such...I never quite got it. I grew up in a matriarchy, we don't put up with that nonsense..."

Again she offered a kind smile and rested a hand on her arm, testing the waters. "Why don't I get you away from some of this. Maybe out in town? I'll bet you're less likely to run into the gossipy types that have heard this there, and you could get some much needed distraction or venting time." Then she lifted said hand. "Or you can go about your day. I just thought I'd offer. No one should have to deal with this on their own."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Leela chewed her lip, but said nothing for a long moment. Then gave a little kind smile.

"I --- the offer is sweet and everything, but I wouldn't want to put you out. I still have classes."

The pretty girl was being so kind, and Leela just wasn't sure if this was a good idea. "Did --- you say you were in a matriarchy? That must have been an experience."

Perhaps it was because the girl was extremely pretty, or the distraction was better, but it caused the first proper smile she'd had since this whole mess started.

"I mean, Camelot's pretty liberal, King Arthur doesn't run things like King Uther did..."

[Victoria Heart]

"Oh you wouldn't be putting me out at all...but smart of you, to care about your classes." She let out a lofty sigh. "I'll simply have to take you out when you're less busy, if you're still interested then. I just hate to see anyone suffer, least of all such a pretty girl..."

And sure enough, she had managed to urge a smile out of her, and Tori beamed back. Yes, there we go. People may have thought she was into flirting simply for her own satisfaction, but there was, in fact, a very strong motivation to make people smile as well. Any world was better if people were happier, and so what if compliments sometimes earned her a little gratitude? Was that so wrong? People were complex, you could be selfless and selfish.

"Oh so you're part of the Camelot crew, then...yes, I've heard good things regarding King Arthur. But yes, Wonderland's a queendom. My mother rules it, in fact...we have some neighbors that disapprove of the idea of women ruling anything, but they're just a bunch of fools who don't realize my mother is the best, is all." She shrugged. "Honestly I hardly know how I'll live up to her."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

"Wow...." Still, Leela listened, still hugging her books to her chest, standing looking at Victoria -- Tori and taking in everything had to say.

After all, she didn't want to think about the rumours anymore. She didn't want to hear what had happened again, twisted. She wanted to hear it straight from Mordred.

The Camelot crew. Even the words seemed to make her throat tighten. She would never have considered herself as part of that group, her brother certainly. She hugs the books a little tighter. "My father is one of his advisors, but I wouldn't consider myself part of the crew, spent a lot of my time being sick so, I wasn't off playing with the others growing up as much as I would have liked...

Still, she gave Tori a tight smile, seeing she too had her own issues to bare.

"I don't think we're supposed to live up to our parents, it's everyone else who thinks that. I wish my brother learned that too."

[Victoria Heart]

Tori beamed at Leela's apparent fascination with her home. "And we're all warrior queens, as well, at least in my family line. And..." And with another smirk, she conjured up a flower...not a singing one, not yet. When it came to this sort of thing, she rather liked waiting to see if she could decide what sort of music whomever she was giving it to would like. For now, a single white carnation would do (sweet and lovely was among its meanings, after all, and that seemed fitting of her companion), and she held it out to her. "We can Imagine objects. Almost anything we'd like...."

Her expression fell, however, when Leela said she didn't quite belong with them for various reasons...and it was clear that bothered her, at least a little. "I see...well, nothing to be ashamed of...and you're right, we need to forge our own paths." And despite hardly being able to keep track of her godmum's stories of how Arthurian Legends went versus the reality she found, she had a feeling she might know what Leela meant in regards to her brother. "And perhaps he will, one day."

She thought for a moment. "When's your next class? I'd like to at least walk you there, perhaps serve as a buffer for the gossips...if you'll have me, of course."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

She was so glad for the company but she had barely been aware just how special that company was until this moment. Talking of
Warrior Queens --- and magic --- Leela's eyes brightened widely in reaction to it all! For a long shining moment, she was back to the bliss of not knowing about the rumor and just enjoying her surroundings, and in this particular case: the company.

Leela was still hugging the books to her chest, but she seemed far more willing than she had.

"I...if it's not too much trouble, it's only a few corridors."

She tightened her hold on the books, her own personal shield, but her free hand still holding the flower.

"I'd like that, if you did."

[Victoria Heart]

Tori could see how Leela's eyes brightened at the flower, and her own heart fluttered. This, this was precisely what she was looking for. Being able to brighten a pretty girl's day, especially one who had clearly been struggling...oh, she could get used to that smile.

"It's no trouble at all, dear," Tori assured her, unable to stop glancing towards the flower in Leela's hand, how she seemed to hang onto it as tightly as she could, given the books. Tori would've offered to help her carry them, but Leela seemed to use them as a security blanket, and she wasn't about to take that away...besides, there was something extra cute about how she hugged them to her chest. "Lead the way."

[Leela Dy Cazaril]

Leela nodded, and started to walk towards her class, a gentler smile on her features. Perhaps knowing she had an escort made it easier to deal with the rumours. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she'd get a backlash on something that Mordred had done. It wouldn't have been on purpose, but with every drop in the ocean there were ripples. Just like her mother's magic had always been a source for concern, and therefore her children always would be, even with a man like Cazaril at her side.

"You have your own classes to go to, I take it? You're not just hanging around her to talk to lost souls?"