ANNOUNCEMENT 012

[intercom_voice]

[Whoops. She's running a little late it seems, for today, the intercoms buzz into action a little late.]

Ahem. Attention, students!

[The husky voice of - well, the Voice that speaks over the intercom - echoes through the halls.]

Now that we're all done with our bout of spring sickness, it's time to buckle down to our studies! Remember that tests may appear at any time, and it would be such a shame if you were all to fail and be kept back another year.

And don't forget to be welcoming to our new arrivals, won't you? They're quite behind the times, after all.

[Click.]

Speak to the Voice
General Mingle

Comments

[vengeance_driven]

Sure. You have more experience with cards than me. [He gives her the deck.]

Things are much better for you?

[moderndaydragon]

[She takes it, beginning to carefully stack the cards up.]

Well... I'm feeling better about it, anyway. I kind of... went into a coma for a while, where I wasn't here, but I wasn't back home, either. When I woke up, a lot of things that bothered me -- even significant as they were -- didn't seem that important anymore since I'd been in a state where... I could've just disappeared, never waking up.

I still need to work some things out, but... I'm just thankful enough to be alive that I feel happy about it.

[vengeance_driven]

...You can go into non-existence?

This is a stupid place full of idiot terrible things. [But moving on. He almost says that, as for him? He might have liked to just quietly disappear and that be done with it. He wouldn't make any more trouble. But instead he keeps his mouth shut, and tries not to jostle the table as he watches her stack cards.]

So I guess that's feeling better, anyway. You are appreciating that you are sometimes lucky, and good things happen to you, too. This is hard to do.

[moderndaydragon]

Seems so. And it sure is.

[Card, and card, and another one... she's pretty good at this. She's done it enough times before.]

Ah... yeah, I guess it is kind of hard to appreciate that...

[She hadn't even thought of it that way, but it makes her smile a little more.]

But it's true enough. Especially since I can still talk to you.

[vengeance_driven]

Even if I try to keep speaking English even if it is likely everyone here could understand my Serbian through ah... whatever. Magic. [He guesses.]

[moderndaydragon]

Well, unless the translation failed again. That wasn't fun.

I do speak English too, though. It's just my second language.

[vengeance_driven]

When the translation failed I was just speaking Serbian. I couldn't remember my second language. [And honestly that was more terrifying than he'd like to admit, having his knowledge ripped right out of his head.]

[moderndaydragon]

It's scary.

[She'll admit it for him. The card house is coming along nicely, at least.]

Even if I've never really needed it much, I liked knowing that I could at least still talk to someone even if they didn't know Japanese.

[vengeance_driven]

Well, I am not so smart anyway so maybe talking in drawings was best. [Says a man that can speak three languages. He'll admit he doesn't think he's smart to someone he likes, but he resents his bosses calling him stupid.]

Hey, you're doing a good job. [He nods to the house of cards and is careful not to jostle the table as he folds his hands together.]

[moderndaydragon]

I don't believe that. You seem very smart!

[She flashes Niko a smile, gently placing another card.]

Thank you. It's a little hard to get used to, but it's fun once you can, I think!

[vengeance_driven]

My cousin likes cards. It just seemed like a good way to pass the time. [He watches that next card get placed.]

He plays them more than he should, for money. And he's not as lucky as he thinks he is.

[moderndaydragon]

Poker, or Hold 'Em? Or something else?

[She says that casually, like the idea of gambling is something not even remotely strange for her.]

[vengeance_driven]

I'm not sure. He just sometimes makes me sit outside the gambling place and watch for loan sharks.

[He sounds so irritated by this. But?] I guess it is one of those things he must do to distract himself. To free stuff in his head. It must work better for him because he is generally happy person.

[moderndaydragon]

I think doing it for money is only a way to get in trouble, but the games themselves are fun. I'd be happy playing one of them with you sometime, if you want.

I'm pretty good at them both, I think.

[vengeance_driven]

Isn't this the truth. [He says a little sadly.] I know how to play I just... don't do it often. Because I'm not good at either.

But I don't mind ah... what's the english phrase? [Vlad used it] you taking the piss out of me, so I'll still play you and you can have a good laugh.

[moderndaydragon]

I don't think I've heard that one... I know "curbstomping," which means I'm winning without any trouble at all. Maybe that's what it means, too?

[Hee.]

Thank you! It's nice having more friends to play with.

[vengeance_driven]

"Curbstomping" is a pretty terrible way to take people down. I've seen men do the real version. I was a sailor, so how about "blow them out of the water". [He grins a little.]

There are a lot of things we say back home that there is not the same in English for.

[There is not the same in English for that, Niko. But as he is kind of a sucker for making depressed girls happy and he has too much time on his hands with no ideas on escaping just yet, he's happy to give it a go.]

[moderndaydragon]

I've never seen it literally happen, and I really hope I don't ever have to.

[...Snrk. She can't suppress a giggle at that one.]

That sounds a little silly, but I suppose it is true enough. Where did you sail?

[vengeance_driven]

Adriatic. Mediterranean. Across the Atlantic to America.

[He rolls his eyes up as he thinks about things.] I always liked the ocean. The ships weren't bad.

Okay, when you're on one that's sinking, they're bad. But not usually.

[moderndaydragon]

You could say that about anything though. Planes are bad when they're falling. Buildings are bad when they're burning.

[She's teasing, but she pauses in the card house making for a moment.]

I want to fly over the ocean someday.

[vengeance_driven]

I've been around many burning buildings and crashing planes. I've only been on one sinking ship. [There's an unfortunate seriousness to his tone. He's normally pretty light, but the truth is there's not been very much "good" in his life at all, not having lived through the war that he did.]

The ocean is nice, though. And flying is much quicker. It took me seven months to reach America.