Beauty lay curled against A.J.'s side in the darkness of her room, just at the edge of sleep. Saying goodbye had been both harder and easier than she'd expected, and even if she didn't know what the world had in store for her, at least she would be taking some wonderful memories with her.

At the crack of dawn she'd get Greatheart from the stable and be on the road, hopefully before A.J. woke, so there'd be no tearful parting. And with luck, the road would be good to her, and she'd find someplace as new and welcoming as Fandom had been.


[ooc: Establishy, and A.J. modded with permission. Linked post preplayed with the wonderful by137. Beauty and I are departing Fandom for other adventures. Thank you to everyone who's helped make this a fascinating experience.]

When Beauty had proposed her 'camping' idea to A.J., she'd done it with the idea that despite the winter temperatures, the hay loft would be cozy enough to sleep comfortably. Especially snuggled together, which -- although it would take a lot of coaxing to get her to admit it -- had essentially been the entire point.

She felt a little devious, but figured if he'd agreed to the plan then A.J. pretty much had to know what was going on in her head. And waking up to the smell of sweet hay, curled up against a warm body, made it about the best morning ever. So Beauty forgave herself her deviousness, and hoped A.J. would as well.

[ooc: For the modded sleeping boy, please.]

Beauty felt awful, although not as awful as she'd handwavily felt over the weekend. She was certain, however, that she had the best friend-who-is-a-boy in the world. The soup and attention from A.J. had been wonderful, and today she finally felt at least like walking as far as the common room to make herself a cup of tea, and then bringing it back to sit up in bed and read.

It was days like this that Beauty kind of wished for a pet that was actually small enough to snuggle up in bed with, though.

[Mostly to establish something I should have done a couple days ago, but open if anyone wants to stop in to check on her.]

After her first period class, Beauty headed back to the dorms and settled in to wait for A.J.

Although they were ostensibly meeting to discuss their art project plans, she had her book close at hand, and had actually changed into the blue sweater she thought A.J. liked.

She'd also facepalmed at doing such a girly thing, and at the delighted smiles it would have gotten from her sisters.

[ooc: For by137, obviously.]

The dreams had become more and more frequent over the past few weeks, until she was having them every night, and the memory of them interfered with her schoolwork. She'd even begun to avoid A.J., fearful of telling him what she'd begun to believe the dreams meant.

Every one of them, although varying in the details, carried the same core elements: a forest, a castle, a lurking presence who could see her across the miles, and a growing sense of anger. Sometimes she saw her father, looking at her with disappointed eyes. Sometimes it was her sisters, faces stained with tears over some vague misfortune, begging her to do something to help them. Once in a while it was Ger, standing at a fork in a path, watching her with an expectant expression.

It was that last dream, the rarest one, that made Beauty's decision for her. So long as she could keep the situation in limbo, so long as no final act of obedience or disobedience was made, maybe she could protect her family and her independence. She'd have to leave, though. Go someplace where no one from her own time would know to look. And that meant leaving behind the one place where she'd begun to feel like she fit, and the one person who loved her for who she was.

Beauty packed the lightest bag she could manage, which meant most of her books had to stay behind, and in the end only the one A.J. had given her for Christmas went with her. Her beloved Socrates and Spenser she tied together with a ribbon, and after indulging in a good long cry that left her eyes swollen and her nose red, she walked through the dorm and knocked at A.J.'s door.

Beauty's half of the room was clean and neat, without even any clothes stuffed under the bed (which was a somewhat unusual occurance). She wasn't sure when A.J. would be coming by, so in the meantime she was curled up on her bed with her Christmas gift.

Adah had been moddedly kind enough not to give too much of an annoyed look when Beauty had asked to have the room to herself for a while.

The advantages to the privacy of her little attic cubby were becoming a lot clearer lately.

[ooc: For by137, but door and post are both open before his arrival.]

There was a huge pile of clothes on Beauty's bed. Every single item of clothing she owned, in fact. Well, every single item except what she was wearing. Which had changed half a dozen times in the past hour.

"What has gotten into you?" she muttered under her breath. "You never used to care about clothes. He isn't going to care what you're wearing. Stupid girl."

Apparently even Beauty wasn't immune to the panic caused by being asked out on a date.

[ooc: For by137, o'course!]

Beauty's half of the room was neat and spotless after a whirlwind cleaning following her morning class. Adah had been handwavily warned of the impending visitor -- which Beauty felt kind of bad about, but she couldn't think of any better place to meet with A.J., since straw and nail polish really didn't mix.

And now she was propped against the headboard of her bed, killing time by catching up on her letters home, and waiting for A.J. to arrive.

[ooc: For by137, obviously.]

There had been another dream. It had started out nicely, all about a beach and horseback riding and had borne a striking resemblence to an actual evening Beauty had recently enjoyed.

Then there'd been wolves. Howling, chasing, and that grphyon circling in the sky, watching.

Beauty had burrowed under her pillow for a long time after waking up. Finally making herself get out of bed, she'd felt a lot better after a shower, and made it to class in a reasonable humor.

Now she was propped up on her bed against her pillows, indulging in a little Faerie Queen therapy.

[ooc: Ooopen!]

Beauty hadn't given A.J. a chance to rethink his offer to go riding with her this evening. Instead, she'd nearly dragged him through the dorms -- making a very brief stop at her room to grab her boots -- and off to the stables. Greatheart had picked up on some of her excitement, and it had taken a few minutes to get him to settle down, so Beauty had decided to saddle him up and then just lead him down to the beach. By the time they got there, the big horse had calmed (and so had Beauty), and she felt ready to start on coaxing A.J. into the saddle.

"There's a rock over here that we can use as a mounting step, since you've never done it before. And then I can go first so that you can sit behind me, which will be a lot easier for me since you're taller."

[ooc: For by137, obviously!]

Beauty and Annette had handwavily arranged to meet for a shopping trip today, after their classes were finished. The idea of simply going into the city had sounded exciting when first broached, and although Beauty found herself suffering from a sudden attack of apprehension, she couldn't deny that she was as much looking forward to the actual shopping part of things as anything else.

Obviously, she was just a very late bloomer. Her sisters would be ecstatic.

In the spirit of doing something new, she'd even dressed in the new clothes she'd bought at Pixie Dust. She wondered if Annette would even recognize her.

[ooc: That Beauty and Annette left for a trip to the mainland is fine for broadcast, the remainder is NFB due to distance.]

There were new clothes in Beauty's closet, and the lingering scent of fresh paint in her room, and she couldn't help but wonder if every week was going to bring something new. It seemed eventually, surely even Fandom had to run out of surprises.

She wasn't expecting any surprises today, though. Just a visitor, and probably some studying, and if she got very bored, maybe a little wandering. For now, however, Beauty was content to sit on her bed with a book, and occasionally glance over to smile at the riot of roses "growing" up her wall.

[ooc: Expecting a visitor, but door and post are both open!]

It was morning, late enough for the sun to shine brightly on the front of the house. Grace stood in the doorway, clutching the towel she'd been using to wipe the breakfast dishes. Hope was on the path just below, with baby Richard balanced on her hip, while Mercy sat at her feet plucking at the grass.

Ger stood at Greatheart's side, fidgeting with the fastenings on the saddlebags, Beauty's father holding the big horse's bridle even though it wasn't necessary. Everyone's attention was focused inward, as if the world ended just outside of that little scene.

Beauty began to move toward the group, when her eyes were drawn upward to the sky. A great golden gryphon circled, its wings beating lazily, and as she watched, it turned its head and stared down at her with glittering red eyes...

Waking with a start, Beauty sat up in bed, breathing heavily as she tried to remember where she was. The room was strange in the darkness, and for a moment she began to panic at the unfamiliarity. Then the scent of new paint, a pale light through the window, and the sound of Adah's soft breathing from the other bed brought her back to reality.

Dressing as quickly and silently as she could, Beauty grabbed a book from her desk and padded barefoot out of the room. There was no way she could possibly get back to sleep now.

[ooc: Establishy.]

Beauty had a painting project today, and that was the likeliest explanation for why she'd bounded out of bed at an ungodly hour to see to her horse and prepare the room. Books were carefully hidden away, and a couple of sheets were sacrificed for drop cloths.

Now all that was needed was an artist...

[ooc: For by137, although post is open if someone wants to stop in very early in the morning before the painting gets started.]

One of the nice things about being a kitten -- and Beauty had discovered quite a few by now -- was that people were warm, and they didn't mind if you slept on them. In fact, they thought it was cute, even if they sometimes tried to pretend otherwise. So kitten!Beauty had fallen asleep last night curled up in a ball with her head tucked up under A.J.'s chin.

That was pretty much the position she found herself in this morning too. Although she didn't really wake up so much as just become aware of having been asleep, and of being comfy and warm and curled up against something snuggly. So with a contented little sigh, Beauty snuggled up a bit more, curled her fingers in the front of A.J.'s t-shirt, wrinkled her nose where her hair had fallen over her face and was tickling, and dropped happily back off to sleep. It wasn't like there were any classes to have to hurry up and get to anyway.

[ooc: For by137 and oncourtandstage. Room and sleeping boy modded with permission.]

Beauty had come back to her room tired after her shift at the post office, and decided to lie down for a few minutes. She took off the heavy gold ring she always wore, set it carefully on her nightstand, and curled up for a little nap. The little nap turned into sleeping away what remained of the afternoon, a good sound sleep, and she noticed nothing unusual until she woke.

That is, she noticed nothing unusual until she yawned hugely and then streeeeetched, from the tips of her wee paws to the end of her wee tail.

She...did not normally have a tail. Or wee paws, or soft fur, or whiskers.

Her first reaction was to dive off the bed and under it in an utter panic. A fit of dust-bunny-induced sneezing chased her back out, however, and after a few moments of lying flat on the floor and mentally flailing, Beauty took her runaway instincts in hand and reminded them that this was nothing unusual for Fandom. And hadn't she, after all, felt a little jealous about A.J.'s delight in being a puppy?

And that gave her an idea. A.J. would know what to do.

Thankful that she'd left her door conveniently ajar, kitten!Beauty squeezed through the open space and headed down the hall. Which was a lot longer than she'd remembered it being, but she'd just had a nap and was full of energy. Good thing, too, because two flights of stairs later, she was realizing that the dorm was a pretty big place for a little kitten.

Going up to the door of room 402, she also realized she had a problem. Standing up on her hind legs and leaning her front paws against the door didn't do anything. She tried jumping up toward the handle, but that didn't accomplish anything either. Finally, she batted in annoyance at the door and gave the loudest, most pitiful mmMRROOWWwrr she could muster.

[ooc: For by137 although posted a bit early. Door of Room 402 modded entirely without permission, mwahaha.]

That pleasant lazy feeling still hadn't gone away, despite having done absolutely nothing except lie around on Saturday. So Beauty thought maybe she would indulge in doing that precise thing perhaps a little longer.

Which was why she was lying wrong-ways on her bed, with her head hanging slightly over the foot and her feet propped on her pillows, watching the ceiling as if examining it for cracks and wearing a lazy, contented smile on her face.

[OPEN!!]

It was a good thing, really, that Beauty had plans for the night. Because after her day at the fair and then her handwavy trip to the spa with Annette, she was far too wound up to have just stayed in her room studying. She doubted she'd even be able to sleep that night.

The spa had, as far as she was concerned, worked miracles on her hair, putting it up in small sparkly combs and even managing some ringlets. Now Beauty stood nervously in front her mirror, wearing the gorgeous green dress she'd bought on Tuesday, and fretted over the amount of skin she was showing off above the bustline.

[ooc: For the roomie or the date if they are so inclined.]

After finishing her one class for the day, Beauty returned to her room to re-read her letters and get started on her next set. Writing home was turning out to be a more complicated affair than she'd expected -- there were too many things she wasn't quite comfortable telling her family about, and a weekend full of people losing their memories was definitely one of those things.

She needed to go for more writing supplies as well, being now completely out of stationery. But her school notebook would do for a first draft, and she could copy the letters over once they were written.

There was also a small purse of coin in her bedside drawer, sent by Mr. Huston so that Beauty could have some pocket money that wasn't spent on school supplies. She'd been thrilled over it, and now kept getting distracted from her letters to add thoughts to a growing list of things she wanted to spend the money on.

[ooc: Door and post are wide open!]

Beauty practically ran from her handwavy trip to the post office to the dorms. She had a packet of letters in her hand, and there was only one place she could possibly be getting letters from. Throwing herself onto her bed, she tore into the packet, discovering four carefully folded letters, each tied with a bit of ribbon.

Her hands were shaking as she untied the first one, red that she thought was probably from her father, and nodded her satisfaction at being right when she saw the familiar handwriting.

[ooc: OPEN! Beauty's likely to be emotional, but she'll happily welcome company.]