A Dorm Room at Voorhees Hall, Columbia University, New York, Sunday

[sampippy]

Xanthippe was officially Stressed Out.

It was all over an essay, which wasn't even due until next Friday, but it was important and she had to get it perfect, because what if she didn't? What if she didn't, and she flunked out of the class, and she flunked right out of college, and her father would disown her and her mother would disown her and then she would have to move in with Kimmy and deal with that whole freak show and she would lose all status and purpose in life and probably, like, end up becoming BFFs with Kimmy's extra-weirdo landlady and getting matching tattoos in a crack den and --

Anyway, yeah, she was currently doing what any self-respecting college student would do in her situation: screaming into a pillow.

Thank Christ her roommates weren't home right now.

[ooc: NFB but open for texts/calls/surprise visits!]

Comments

[sampippy]

"And my aim isn't a part of me?"

She was asking just to be a brat.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Ahh, but aim can be improved," Hya said immediately. "So 'tis not an indelible part of you."

Good save!

[sampippy]

"But it is still a part of me." He'd just said so! Indelible or not! "And it needs changing, which means that I need changing, which means there is something wrong with me."

Though for once, she was now arguing that just to one-up him.

And she looked smug about it, to boot.

[vrajna_kralis]

Yes," Hyacinthe said solemnly. "'Tis your desire to be a brat to the poor, naked, sex-stupid man beside you."

Well, he tried for solemn. Ended up laughing anyway.

[sampippy]

Xanthippe snickered a bit, too.

"Now you, like, get me."

[vrajna_kralis]

"The problem with that argument, cherie, is that I've had you," Hya informed her. "Over and over again. And, I can tell you know, 'tis not enough."

He raised a hand to her cheek. "I misdoubt there ever could be."

[sampippy]

Xanthippe snorted at having set him up for such an easy line.

But she also leaned into the touch, unable to help it. Or, unwilling, really. "Don't you get tired of being so nice?"

It wasn't a serious question, though a couple of years ago it might have been.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Nope," Hya said cheerfully. "Why would I get tired of making my friends smile and feel good? 'Tis like asking do I ever get tired of sex. I like to make you smile. the way your eyes light up."

[sampippy]

Yeah, Xan was pressing his palm to her cheek with her hand, now. Soaking in the warmth of it.

She snorted, and closed her eyes. Murmured, "You know, for like half a second, before... I was almost sure you were gonna say we're not even friends."

She meant it kind of like a joke, a 'look at how ridiculous I am' kind of wry jab at herself. But saying it out loud, okay, it sounded pretty sad. Eww.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe closed his eyes. "Please tell me that was your insecurities talking," he said softly. "And not that I have done aught to make you doubt I care."

[sampippy]

Her eyes opened really fast at that.

"Oh my God, no," she said. "No, like, definitely insecurities. You're great, I'm just used to... assuming."

And/or fearing.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Good," he said, hugging her tight with relief. He kissed the top of her head, burying his face in her hair. "I worried."

Beat.

"That's not great either," he added, "but one thing at a time, am I right?"

[sampippy]

How could he even think he might've done something wrong when he was like this? Xanthippe couldn't understand.

But that was no objection. The way she nuzzled the top of his chest said so. "Right," she murmured, before trying to look up. "Hey, so, are you like hungry at all? 'Cause I'm kinda starving."

Which was his fault, actually. Because she was pretty sure she hadn't really eaten anything since breakfast today because she'd been too stressed to feel hunger. And between the sex and the serious talks, that was no longer the case.

[vrajna_kralis]

Oh no. He was convincing her to find sustenance. How dreadful.

"I could eat," Hyacinthe admitted.

With a dirty smile and a significant glance to her lap.

"I am also hungry as well, I suppose."

[sampippy]

Xanthippe was feeling feisty enough to roll her eyes at that. But she also smiled, and she could feel her cheeks burning up, because hey, it had been at least a good fifteen minutes since the last innuendo and her tolerance had weakened.

"I mean, you could probably find a way to combine those, kinda," she said, already moving to get up because her phone was somewhere inconveniently far away. "'Cause it's probably gonna take like thirty minutes for the food to get here."

[vrajna_kralis]

"For a moment, I thought you meant combine in a completely different way," Hya said, laughing loudly. "And here, I was fit to be surprised and pleased at your adventurousness."

Though he would also have likely demurred, since he was fairly certain such activities, though fun, could be bad for her overall, err...health.

"Then I should not be worrying about your roommates returning ere our food does?"

[sampippy]

That was exactly why she'd said 'kinda', Hya! Because, no thank you to the ensuing infections.

"I mean, I was also thinking of maybe moving you to my room?" she said, nodding towards the room in question. (Like he hadn't spent a great deal of time in there the last time he'd visited.) "My roommates are at a tournament or something, so they should be home pretty late, but... If I'm gonna be adventurous I so don't want them walking in on me."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Ooooh," he said, leaning in while a dirty smile unfurled. "Tell me more about this possibility of being...adventurous."

[sampippy]

"Not before you tell me what you want to eat," Xan retorted like that smile did nothing to her, and like her knees didn't feel wobbly all of a sudden. She picked up her phone. "Aside from me." Yes, that seemed like a necessary clarification. "I kinda feel like IHOP."

She just felt like going full indulgence.

[vrajna_kralis]

"...IHOP?" Hyacinthe asked, confused. "Is that rabbit, then?"

Look, it was the best guess he had.

[sampippy]

"What?" Xanthippe asked, mirroring his confusion - before she remembered, that was. "Oh my God, I forgot Fandom's such a backwater town they don't even have an IHOP." Because otherwise, she would've clarified it for him immediately. "IHOP, it's International House of Pancakes? They have like pancakes and crepes and French toast and that kind of thing."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Crepes?" Hya asked, eyes lightening. "I've not had crepes since my mother visited. Oh, could we get that?"

They wouldn't be as good, but that was the problem with Terre D'Ange, nothing really was.

[sampippy]

"Sure," Xanthippe said, already tapping at the app to add some to the cart. "Do you care about toppings? They have... at least strawberries and cream, annnd banana with Nutella, annnnnd --" There was a lot of scrolling. "-- sweet cream cheese?"

[vrajna_kralis]

"Yes," Hyacinthe said promptly.

Look, he was a growing young man. He needed sustenance.

"Those all sound excellent."

[sampippy]

"Okay," Xanthippe snorted. "And I'm gonna add some New York Cheesecake pancakes into the order 'cause I want those." Because she was paying so it didn't really matter much how many things she ordered. "And a Tropical Island Twist."

Because there needed to be a drink.

Couple more taps on the screen and -- "Okay, that's done. It says... 35 minutes." She lowered her phone, then faked a thoughtful expression. "So, wait, what were we talking about before this?"