funnygirl | 006 | Action/Voice

[Belle woke up early in the morning feeling a sudden wave of home sickness she hadn't felt in months. But it wasn't Beast's castle that she longed for, but the small cottage she had lived in with her father and their small assortment of animals.

It's this feeling that brings her to the stables. She's only been here a handful of times since arriving to accustom herself with the horses and to take one out for the occasional ride. Things have been so busy she hadn't been able to come by recently.

She spends most of the morning feeding the horses treats and keeping them company. Eventually she gets one saddled and goes for a ride through the forest, though she's careful not to ride out too far from the village. People may catch her during her ride, or they may come upon her while she's at the stables before or after her ride.]

[After she finishes brushing down the horse she took out for a ride, she decides to sit down and pull out her journal. She has a question she would like to ask the village.]

Good afternoon, Luceti. I should also welcome all of the New Feathers who have arrived. My name is Belle. I have a question I would like to ask everyone, out of mere curiosity, nothing more. So no one should feel pressured to answer. But how many of you had animals you cared for back home? Or do you have any here in Luceti? And if neither of these, what kind of animals are your favorite?

As for myself, I grew up caring for my horse, Philippe. I suppose that's why I feel so comfortable around horses. I miss him every day...[She pauses for a moment before continuing, sounding more upbeat.]

Well, I'm curious to hear everyone's answers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What makes you say that?

I don't tend to get along with people. Particularly not the musclebound brainless ones that tend to get a free ride. Apparently preferring to make something more of my life than smalltown America makes me a pariah.

[Not that Belle would understand being outcast because you prefer books to~~hunting~~ sports...]

[Musclebound brainless ones...it's like she's describing Gaston.]

I understand a little bit how you feel. [Some of her phrases were strange, but Belle gets the idea.] People can sometimes react poorly to things they don't understand.

[If only she knew Kevin existed in other worlds. Or at least his spiritual twin.]

That's just it. I don't understand them, either, and after long enough, I realized I understood enough to know I didn't really want to.

[As wrong as it sounds, the everyday chatter of most kids her age was just never interesting to her growing up. ]

Well, I think perhaps if you tried understanding them, they might do the same. Perhaps not everyone would. But there are people out there worth the time and effort.

[She thinks of Jane, mostly. And well, her family isn't as bad as it could be, even if they drive her nuts sometimes. She's done her share of driving them nuts, too, after all.]

Just a few, maybe. A very few.

There, now. Are there any that you've found here?

[Well, she can't really deny it.]

There are a few who are pretty cool. [Just a few again; but to be honest, she never even expected a few. So it's been a pretty nice outcome.]

I'm very happy to hear that.

I'm guessing you've met a lot of people here yourself. [Something about the flat tone makes it not precisely a compliment or admiration.]

I suppose that's true. I'm sure there are many more I still have yet to meet as well. Luceti has quite a population.

[To Daria, a few hundred people isn't even quite the population of what she considers a very small town. On the other hand, most of them keep in constant communication here with the journals. Maybe that makes a difference.]

It has a varied population. [Or maybe that's the difference. Lawndale had been so very homogeneous.]

006 | Action/Voice

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