4th Floor Common Room [Thursday, Evening]

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

This was nearly two days without power, and Angela was actually surprised just how much she missed it. Not just because it the entire place was dark and freezing cold, although that was a major factor. Even aside from that, without music and television it was very quiet, and she wasn't really a fan of that.

The common rooms seemed to be the only places where it wasn't ice cold, so she took herself and her trashy novel down there, and curled up in her blanket on a beanbag near the quietly crackling fire.

For some reason she couldn't stop yawning. She'd only been to one class today, so she was blaming all the hot chocolate, the dim light and a warm fire. It was totally that.

[[open, as a common room usually is!]]

Comments

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Ahhhhh." Cal wasted absolutely no time in moving over to the fireplace when he walked into the common room, pulling off his gloves and holding out his fingers to it. "Warmth!"

Feeling his fingers thaw, he gave Angela a small smile. "How's it going, Angela?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela glanced up from her book when she heard Cal, shooting him a little smile. Reading in this light was probably bad for her eyesight anyway.

"I am a big fan of the open fires, today," she said. "So right now, I'm okay."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Couldn't be any worse for her than what Cal had been doing. He knew there was a reason he liked his vintage typewriters so much. Didn't need electricity to type on them. But he did need heat to keep his fingers working.

"Yeah," he said. "I thought of just maybe setting a match to Merlin's bed so we could have one in our room, but thought maybe I'd just walk down the hall for now."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"The more sensible plan," Angela confirmed with a grin. "How's it going with you, pyro tendencies aside?"

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Grinning a little lopsidedly, Cal couldn't help marvel at how one could still manage to reinvent oneself. He'd never be known for pyro tendencies before and now it was all people could mention.

"Very good," he answered, with a rarely enthusiastic confidence. "Don't even mind the cold. I'm one of the lucky ones from the Arctic North."

Er, well. Close enough to it, anyway. Canada was just a stone's throw away.

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"You don't mind... even when the freezing cold is inside?" Because as far as she was concerned, that was just never right. Brr.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"That's what layers are for!" Cal said with a laugh.

That, and armor for a body-conscious mind, which he had, so the excuse to pile them on made him feel almost comforted.

"Besides," he added, "it's way too amusing seeing everyone from warmer climates bitch and moan."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela, as one of those whiners from warmer climates, pouted at him briefly.

"I just prefer not having to spend my week wrapped up in fifty layers and hardly able to move," she said.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Come on," Cal offered, wiggling his fingers a little more at the fire, "look at it this way. Knowing this island, we'll probably be complaining because it's too hot next week."

There was a pause.

"Or we'll all go swimming from the flood it causes when all this snow melts from it being too hot next week."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"That's about the least comforting thought I've heard voiced on the subject," Angela told him with a laugh. "Congrats."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Beaming slightly, Cal ducked his head a sort of bow. "Why, thank you. Good to know that I've still got the relentless cynic in me."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"What would we do without you there to keep us from letting our optimism get away from us?" Angela asked with a grin.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure there's a technical medical term for it."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Probably..." There seemed to be a term for everything if you looked hard enough. Angela shrugged. "But I really don't know it."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, neither do I," Cal admitted. "I'd make something up, but all my creativity is being poured into a different project right now."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Ooh. Anything exciting?" Angela asked.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Time will tell," Cal said with a cryptic sort of musing tone. "It seems, however, that the winter of our discontent is pretty good fuel for the literary soul."

Just see how poetic he was being and everything, without effort!

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"So, writing a very wordy book?" she guessed.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Typically," Cal mused, "I find that, when writing a book, words are good things to put in it."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure it'll be better than this," she decided, holding up her own novel.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, what's that?" Cal asked, pulling himself from the fire enough to plop into a chair for a closer look.

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Something incredibly trashy about the Tour de France," Angela replied. "But it gives me nice mental images of men in lycra."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Wait a second," Cal boggled at Angela slightly. "This is a trashy novel. About...the Tour de France?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"There is," Angela confirmed, holding it (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat-Freya-North/dp/043400538X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232673449&sr=1-3) up for him to see.

"The things I can find when I need entertainment," she said with a grin.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"That's almost inspired."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Isn't it?" Angela agreed cheerfully. "It's keeping me entertained at least, which is good when there's really not much else to do around here."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"If any cyclists start working their way into my story," Cal said, giving the book a suspicious look, "I hope you feel proud of the evil you've wrought."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela beamed at him. "So proud," she said. "And I'd better get a mention in the back cover under inspirations," she joked.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, Angela," Cal assured her, nodding stoutly. "Back cover inspiration won't do. I've got a whole character lined up now. Angelina Morteblanco. Subtle, huh?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"You know? I would never have guessed if you hadn't said anything," she said. Subtle like a brick.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"See, it's a good thing I mentioned something. Subtle nuances like that are a specialty of mine. I'll bet you'd never imagine that the main character, Cole Mephenides is actually a reflection of myself."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"You're giving away all your best character creation secrets here," Angela teased. "I might learn to work them out myself if you keep that up."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Do you write?" Cal asked, tilting his head a little more genuinely now. He knew Angela painted and all that, but...

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Not at all," Angela admitted. "I stick with my artistic leanings, and some reading." She indicated the book. "But that's not the point."

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

"Then where are you going to implement what you've stolen?"

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"I was thinking more when you're a famous author in a few years, and I read this book of yours," she replied. Figuring out who everyone was, that was part of the fun.

[not-a-mused.livejournal.com]

Cal nodded. "I see, I see," he said. "I'll have to try to throw in a few real tough ones for you."

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"Do your worst," Angela told him. "I do love a good challenge."