Room 312: Monday Evening

[notfinishedyet]

It had been an eventful day and Enola hadn't been to even one of her assigned classes yet. Thus far she had breakfast and a community class about a castle where she had met several new people. It was quite a change for her as most of her life had revolved around Enola and her mother and not much else. Her world expanded much more when she left Ferndale but even then it wasn't like she could go out and make friends of her peers. In England most girls her age were in finishing school where they would practice such useless things as embroidering. Even with the bizarre courses available here, at least she could get an education.

However what was occupying Enola at the present moment was the printed out copies of microfiche from newspapers of her time period. Specifically the Pall Mall Gazette personal ads from the week after she left England for America. To her surprise there were two coded messages hidden in the personals. The first one actually made her smile.

Agaricus lanipes, please contact me when convenient. I have need of your skills. - Burdock

"Oh, you clever boy, Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilweather. You are not quite the nincompoop I took you for," she said to herself before decoding the next message which was definitely more alarming.

Iris: Alone part - Chrysanthemum

That one had to be from Mother. Literally posted the day after she set sail. Reversing the letters and the words revealed the true meaning: "Enola trap"

A trap? For her? This school, despite all its oddities, certainly wasn't a danger to her. And if was a trap who set it for her? And why?

Her brothers immediately came to mind. She highly doubted Sherlock would bother with her at all anymore. Mycroft on the other hand had his reputation to uphold. Perhaps the false message that was sent was not a trap for her but merely a way to get rid of Enola altogether.

Enola sighed. Pushing away the copies and focused on getting unpacked and finding a place to put Dash. There was a mystery afoot but if this place was a trap, sometimes the best thing to do was to dangle your feet in order to attract the sharks.

Even though the last time she did this it almost had deadly consequences.

[Open]

Comments

[apocalypsehow]

Siblings could be like that, yes. Though they were mostly just annoying.

Five teleported onto his bed with a small pile of maps, newspapers, and books. "Oh, you're still here."

So friendly, this one.

[notfinishedyet]

"So sorry to disappoint you," Enola said with a polite grimace as she carefully placed what appeared to be a wool wrapped pine cone with a doglike face on her shelf above the desk. "I'm afraid I won't be going anywhere soon so you may just have to get used to the idea of me being here."

She looked towards the door and then back at Five before making a mental connection. "Are you averse to doors and knocking?"

It helped she already met Illyana. The other teleporter on the island.

[apocalypsehow]

"It's my room too." The doors thing was just him being difficult.

Or, as Reginald Hargreeves would put it, a case of adapting and overcoming. You know. The tyranny of doors.

[notfinishedyet]

If you really want to know the tyranny of doors, Five should really meet Grog some time.

“I would give you a scathing rebuke on how I could have been in a state of undress but I imagine it would not have an iota of impact.” Enola said with a sigh. She made a gesture toward all the maps and such he brought in. “What’s that for?”

[apocalypsehow]

"What was what you just put away?" he countered, opening one of the books to start leafing through it. It was on theoretical quantum physics. Because this place had nothing if not a good library.

[notfinishedyet]

“A plaything from my childhood,” Enola said noting the title of the book. “And what is it you have brought home today other than a book on physics?”

She didn’t expect a civil answer but she felt the attempt was needed. At least until her polite letters to the moose were reviewed.”

[apocalypsehow]

"Research material," he replied with a patently fake smile. Was one of them a catalog for a bland, almost nameless clothing store? Yes, yes it was.

[notfinishedyet]

His fake smile received a fake smile of her own. “Would you like some assistance? I’m rather good at research and investigation.”

The catalog and the book on physics did pique her interest. How did they connect?

It was doubtful he’d accept but at least she was polite.

[apocalypsehow]

And there was that fake smile again. "I think I can handle it."

Look, he would barely allow his siblings to help him.

[notfinishedyet]

Well it’s hard to be disappointed if you get the answer you expected.

“Very well,” she said with a dry sniff and turned around to continue unpacking her items. “Just one thing I ask... until we get some privacy zone set up in here, please use the door and knock. I’m sure neither of us wants you to see me in my undergarments or worse.”

[apocalypsehow]

Five made a face at that, but the logic was sound enough. "As long as you do the same."