This time, Xanthippe dropped her own hand back into her lap, and actually tried to evade his touch - although it was probably more of a side effect of her posture hunching up some than it was a movement to get away from him.

"Everything's fine," she reiterated, with slightly less fire but still scrunching up her face something fierce. "This s just... this is how life is. You know, for a, for a college student."