Who: Nadja and her father (telephone)
When: Early morning, the Monday after meeting Temperance
Where: Student lounge in DuJean Hall, Heaton University
What: Daddy's princess is in another castle.
Bingo: Hyperbole
"Daddy! How is everything? Is Sasha back from duty yet?" Nadja curled up on one of the plush couches in the student lounge at the end of the residence hall, and tried to keep her excitement to a minimum. It had been weeks since she'd heard her father's voice, but seeing as it was early morning in Burnham and her fellow students were not all awake, she did not want to make too much noise.
Her meeting about the apartment in the city had gone very well-- she and Temperance, her soon-to-be-housemate, got on spectacularly and Nadja had been very impressed with the building. She'd signed her addition to the lease on the spot and would be bringing her stuff over later today. This plan, however, had illustrated a problem: Nadja had no furniture, no bed. Yet.
"Daddy, the student dormitories are horrible." She sniffed pathetically. "All peeling paint and leaky windows and no locks. There are rats everywhere!" This, of course, was patently untrue. But 'I'm used to better' would not fly.
"I told you America was a bad place," Valentinin Dracht chided his daughter. "Why must you study overseas? There are many fine institutions in Bucharest, and you can live at home with your mother and father."
Nadja screwed her face up into the receiver. "I have a visa daddy, they might not give me another one. I have always wanted to see America. And I am here now, I cannot just turn around." She sighed dramatically. "But I know you and mama will want me to be safe, so I am thinking of moving out of the dormitories."
A ruffled snort came from the other end of the line. "Your leaky dormitories are not safe?"
"They have no locks! And there are boys." There were locks, and there were no boys. Not in her dormitory, anyway.
"What?! I will not have you living with boys! You find an apartment immediately or I will bring you back myself."
She grinned wickedly. "I will need furniture, daddy. I have no bed."
"I will send you money," he interrupted. "You are not to spend another night in that debauched place."
"You are so good to me. I promise I will move out right away, away from the boys and the dirt and big American cockroaches." Wrapped around her finger, even from half a world away. "Give mama and Sasha my love?"
"Of course."
"I love you daddy. Have a good day in parliament, okay? Love you." She slid the screen on her Sidekick shut, ending the call. She wondered what time she would wake up, if she went to sleep again. It was four am, which seemed entirely too early to be awake, but she had a feeling that going back to sleep would just throw her sleep cycle off for the week. She couldn't really go back to her room and pack, because her roommate would still be sleeping and would be most annoyed to be woken. On the other hand, it wasn't like Nadja was going to have to see her anymore after she moved out and she was very, very eager to gone.
When: Early morning, the Monday after meeting Temperance
Where: Student lounge in DuJean Hall, Heaton University
What: Daddy's princess is in another castle.
Bingo: Hyperbole
"Daddy! How is everything? Is Sasha back from duty yet?" Nadja curled up on one of the plush couches in the student lounge at the end of the residence hall, and tried to keep her excitement to a minimum. It had been weeks since she'd heard her father's voice, but seeing as it was early morning in Burnham and her fellow students were not all awake, she did not want to make too much noise.
Her meeting about the apartment in the city had gone very well-- she and Temperance, her soon-to-be-housemate, got on spectacularly and Nadja had been very impressed with the building. She'd signed her addition to the lease on the spot and would be bringing her stuff over later today. This plan, however, had illustrated a problem: Nadja had no furniture, no bed. Yet.
"Daddy, the student dormitories are horrible." She sniffed pathetically. "All peeling paint and leaky windows and no locks. There are rats everywhere!" This, of course, was patently untrue. But 'I'm used to better' would not fly.
"I told you America was a bad place," Valentinin Dracht chided his daughter. "Why must you study overseas? There are many fine institutions in Bucharest, and you can live at home with your mother and father."
Nadja screwed her face up into the receiver. "I have a visa daddy, they might not give me another one. I have always wanted to see America. And I am here now, I cannot just turn around." She sighed dramatically. "But I know you and mama will want me to be safe, so I am thinking of moving out of the dormitories."
A ruffled snort came from the other end of the line. "Your leaky dormitories are not safe?"
"They have no locks! And there are boys." There were locks, and there were no boys. Not in her dormitory, anyway.
"What?! I will not have you living with boys! You find an apartment immediately or I will bring you back myself."
She grinned wickedly. "I will need furniture, daddy. I have no bed."
"I will send you money," he interrupted. "You are not to spend another night in that debauched place."
"You are so good to me. I promise I will move out right away, away from the boys and the dirt and big American cockroaches." Wrapped around her finger, even from half a world away. "Give mama and Sasha my love?"
"Of course."
"I love you daddy. Have a good day in parliament, okay? Love you." She slid the screen on her Sidekick shut, ending the call. She wondered what time she would wake up, if she went to sleep again. It was four am, which seemed entirely too early to be awake, but she had a feeling that going back to sleep would just throw her sleep cycle off for the week. She couldn't really go back to her room and pack, because her roommate would still be sleeping and would be most annoyed to be woken. On the other hand, it wasn't like Nadja was going to have to see her anymore after she moved out and she was very, very eager to gone.
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