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!]

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[sampippy]

Xanthippe closed her eyes as he spoke, and just listened to him. She was trying to picture it in her head, but she figured most of what she was imagining was cribbed right from random movies she'd seen as a kid.

She was still holding the cup, now empty.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Because we're at the base of the Night Court, we often get plenty of nobles, coming through before they head up, and even Servants who come down to mingle with the riffraff for a time ere they meet with their patrons. More than one song writ in Night's Doorstep has ended up being sung amongst the highest in the land because of folk passing through. Still, 'tis a hard life there. Full of beauty and joy, yes, but also hunger and cold. Extra, be you Tsingano. And further still, be you Didikani."

[sampippy]

Xanthippe was frowning a little, as she listened, her eyes still closed.

Then, at the end, they opened.

"Didikani?" she repeated, as a question.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Half-breed," Hyacinthe said lightly, with a wealth of emotion underneath it. "I am neither fully Tsingano nor fully D'angelline and so trusted completely by neither."

[sampippy]

"Well that's bullshit," Xanthippe huffed. She finally put the empty drink cup aside so she could put both her hands on eiither side of his face instead. "You're, like, perfect."

All those people were missing out.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe chuckled and kissed her softly. "Hardly perfect," he assured her. "But Tsingani have a reputation for being thieves - which I am - and liars and con artists, swindling foolish gadje of their coin."

All of which was true, though it was hardly the whole truth. And they were accused of much worse which wasn't true, but he hardly wished to bring those up now.

"And to the Tsingano, I am, in ways, unnatural. I belong to no kumpania, I remain in one place all year round. How can I walk the Lungo Drom when I stay in one place? 'Tis complicated." He gave a smile, slightly bitter. "There, I felt Tsingano to my core. Here, I have been forced to realize how D'angelline I truly am."

[sampippy]

He was still perfect to her.

Nothing else exlained all the damn crying just now, for one thing.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. What for? She couldn't really pinpoint it.

[vrajna_kralis]

"As well you ought to be," Hyacinthe teased. "Calling m perfect? You'll give me a reputation." He kissed her again, holding her close.

[sampippy]

"My roommates already half-assume you're like a prince or something," Xanthippe murmured, distracted from the kiss. Also, yes, she knew that was actually closer to the truth than Paige and the gang knew, but they were thinking of like royalty from a distant country that maybe had a lot of oil or something. "Don't think 'perfect' is that much worse."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Princes are a ducat a dozen," Hyacinthe declared. "Go to Caerdicci and they're all some kind of royalty. Can't throw a shoe without hitting one Grand Duke or the like. Perfection is a much hard mark to obtain. And has less of a retainer to pay the bills as well."

[sampippy]

"Then what's the problem?" Xanthippe replied, managing to hit something of a teasing tone for the first time in a while. "Just let me call you perfect, oh my God."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Still rather be a prince," Hyacinthe joked, and then pulled her close for a real kiss. "Call me what you like," he murmured. "I just like to see my name on your lips."

[sampippy]

Xanthippe got a little lost in kissing him, for a moment. Willingly, purposefully. It dragged her a little further away from all the sadness that was still lurking around the edges of her brain.

Then, she murmured, "Hyacinthe." Another kiss. "Hya." There was a tilt of mischief to her smile, not that he could really see it. "Prince of Travelers."

She remembered.

[vrajna_kralis]

And she got a second kiss for that, harder and deeper than the one that had preceded it.

She remembered.

[sampippy]

Of course she did. She tended to listen when he talked.

It was much more than she could say about most people.

She made a noise like 'mmh! than sounded half like a laugh trying to bubble up, but didn't pull away. In fact, her hands finally left his cheeks so she could wrap her arms around his neck instead, to stay close.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe took that opportunity to tip her over backwards, cradling her in his arms as they landed on her bed, And continued to kiss her, soft and sweet, nestled between her thighs.

[sampippy]

And what was there for her to do except kiss him back? Matching his in sweetness and softness both, but also with great enthusiasm because kissing him was easy.

Much like tangling her fingers in his hair was.

[vrajna_kralis]

"Ahh, Xan," Hya breathed against her lips. "I love feeling you beneath me."

[sampippy]

"Yeah?"

That was more a sigh than a question, really.

One of her legs was shifting, to hook over his hip.

[vrajna_kralis]

Hyacinthe rocked against her, just letting her feel him between her thighs. "Could there be any doubt?"

[sampippy]

"No." Okay, that one was a gasp and it was all his fault. Nngh. "I just like hearing you tell me."

She nipped at his bottom lip.

"I like how you feel on top of me, too."

[vrajna_kralis]

"I have a confession to make," Hyacinthe said, lips twitching. "I could also be quite happy rolling over and being beneath you as well."

[sampippy]

"That's not a confession," Xanthippe retorted, audibly amused. "I already knew that, too."

[vrajna_kralis]

"Quite happy behind you?" he tried. "Bending you over and seeing how deep I can go?"

[sampippy]

Xan's happy shiver was pretty obvious, with the way he was pressed against her. And right now, she liked it that way. If she could be open about better things than what had left her all red-eyed some moments ago, she would be.

"You've said that before, too," she said. "But you haven't, like... tried it." She affected her voice with a mock-sage, mock-sincere tone, batting her eyelashes at him. "I mean, I think you should try things before you say you like them."