.:~*~:.
"Besides.. I already took my payment."
"....baka."
Suddenly, the barred doors of the cell were thrown open, simultaneously having a girl thrown into the cell. The doors were shut as quickly as they had opened. Two pairs of eyes blinked in confusion.
"Ouch.. that hurt.." Deidre rubbed sorely at her behind, having been thrown abruptly on the stone-hard floor. She winced, thinking of the bruises that were sure to show themselves by the next day.
'Those guards really need to get the staves out of their a**.' She reasoned, snorting at her own terminology.
After the short moment of grumbling to herself, D turned to face the two occupants already in the cell. She blushed bashfully.
"Um.. hello." She offered meekly.
"Uh.. Hi! What are you doing here? Did you get captured too?" D stared for a moment. That much was obvious. She didn't get thrown in here because she wanted to!
"Why would a kid like you be thrown into the palace dungeons?"
"I.. um.." She answered, weakly. Deidre didn't really know what to say. She couldn't exactly tell them why she was following them..
The teenage boy sighed, running a hand through his azure hair. "I guess it doesn't really matter. You're stuck in here anyway."
Turning, he cast a hard gaze toward Miaka. He lightly bonked her upon the head, "It's all your fault we're stuck here. You actually had to ask the emperor for a jewel off his crown! Lucky we weren't killed."
"Mouu~!" Miaka whined, "I didn't mean to trip! You said you'd help if I got you an ornament..."
Deidre sat there across the pair and watched the conversation in passing, tilting her head in curious fascination.
What got herself thrown into the dungeon was her own fault, though it wasn't as out-standish as what got Miaka and Tama landed in with her. How was she supposed to know staying within a ten-foot radius while stuttering to the emperor was deemed harassment?! She wasn't much of a speaker.. talking to royalty was intimidating. It wasn't her fault she stumbled over her words like a schoolgirl.
She had been following them, trying to make a move while the guards had busied themselves with keeping the prisoners up front where they could see them while they got back to the palace. Needless to say, things hadn't worked out quit so well.
"Hey.. those robes. You're not from around here either, are you?" The question had come from Miaka and it was sudden enough for D to take a minute to register that it was being directed to her. On automatic response, Deidre glanced down to her dust-covered robes, dirtied with the day's events. She absently picked at the hem of her dressings before answering,
"Um.. no actually. I'm.. I'm from England."
She blushed, slightly embarrassed. Why, she didn't know. Did Miaka even know she wasn't even in her world? D never could remember such details..
"Wow! England? Isn't that somewhere.. um.. My uncle went there once!"
D sweatdropped, scratching the back of her head. "Uh.. yeah, that's nice. You're from Japan, right?"
It suddenly occurred to Deidre, that she understood what Miaka was saying. Now that she thought about it, the tone of voice didn't get on her nerves as would the english version of her anime was bound to do.
"Yeah! You could tell, huh?"
"Een-gland? Japan? Are those some countries a ways from here?" Poor Tamahome didn't have a clue what they were talking about. He could only watch the exchange with an innocent bewilderment of things he hadn't heard of.
With the thought process Deidre was going on, She made a happy note of the similarities that Tama's voice held to the Japanese voice actor in her anime. So whatever was letting her understand the language, it was fitted to what had been the original.
She had been lost in thought again. Deidre must really be setting the impression. She regained her senses to see the bubbly girl stick her hand out in greeting.
"Anyway, I'm Yuuki Miaka. This guy's Tamahome.. What's your name?"
D took the offered hand, simply replying, "I'm Deidre."
"Dii.. Dii-d'ra?" Miaka tested, fumbling over the foreign pronunciation.
D smiled. "Yeah, pretty close. You can call me D. That's what my best friends call me."
The dodango-haired teen smiled happily, "Okay!"
Her attention was now drawn to the guard standing not ten feet away from the cell. Deidre had to mentally smack herself. All this time and there could have been action on getting out of there. She thought a moment. Maybe there was a way to get this plot kick-started.
"Auugh. I'm hungry. Didn't even get breakfast this morning.." Which was true, and it was starting to make itself known to Deidre. But there was time for food later. Right now they needed to get out. How would complaining about food lead to their escape? Well…
"Mhm? Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too.. Oh! Wait a minute.." She dug around her pocket for a second or two before retrieving a few sticks of winter fresh gum.
"This should help calm our stomachs! Want one?" After stuffing a stick into her own mouth, she offered one to Deidre. She took it happily and retreated inconspicuously to the back of the cell.
"Oi! Girl! What did you just put in your mouth?" The guard that stood watch over them interrogated.
'Biiiingo~'
"Mhm?" Miaka pointed to herself, chewing a few more times. She whined something inconcertable and stuck her head from in between the bars. From there she blew a large bubble, which promptly popped in her face. Deidre's small giggle went unnoticed as the guard started yelling about ghosts. He made to turn tail, and went sprawling in his bout of panic.
Being the ever observant person, Deidre discovered that the keys on the guard's person were quite attached to his belt. A little trip wouldn't dislodge them as much as needed; thus would need a little help. She pulled her wand partly from her sleeves and muttered a charm. Just as the armored man hit the ground, the keys went flying. Right into Tamahome's hands.
Now that her part was done, all they needed to do was leave the dungeons. Calmy getting to her feet, Deidre dusted her robes.
"So are we getting out of here, or what? A dungeon is no place for a poor kid like me.." She tried desperately to hide the amusement which danced behind large blue eyes. The other two were snapped from their excitement over ghosty-Miaka.
"Ah! That's right, let's go." Tamahome made quick work of opening the door that held them and bounded down the hall with Miaka in tow. Deidre quickly followed. They stopped, peering around a corner for any guards. She stood there giggling while Tamahome gushed over his new treasure Miaka had given him. Was Winterfresh gum really that amazing? Well, it was refreshing...
Things were silent, but Tamahome scoffed, staring at Deidre. She stared at him confused. "What?"
"I still have no idea why you got thrown in with us. You're just a little kid! I'd leave you here, but even I'm not that much of a jerk.." He grumbled that last part, looking away. Deidre smiled, following them to take cover behind yet another pillar. "I know. I appreciate it."
"Yeah.. well, just don't get us caught. Or there really will be trouble."
She laughed. If only he knew the trouble he'd have to deal with. With or without her. Miaka would prove to be a handful on her own.
.:~^~:.
