5th Floor Common Room, Monday Evening

[trigons_child]

Raven knew she couldn't and shouldn't hide in her room all the time, so she ventured out to the common room for Rumor Gal. Her shields were still strong from the boost Anakin had given them, for which she was very happy because she could feel an increased amount of arousal from those in the dorms.

Hopefully doors would be safe tonight. Then again, given that Rumor Gal was going to be about Charlie and Claire having sex everywhere and anywhere, maybe not.

[oooopen]

Comments

[life_inshadow]

"Hey, Raven," Tara said, setting into a chair in the common room. "... Your hair is really nice today."

Getting out of town with Kennedy seemed to have agreed with her; she was feeling much better than she had since before Kaeleer.

[trigons_child]

"Thank you," Raven said with a tiny smile. For some reason when she glanced up as Tara walked into the common room she couldn't help but think of her first slumber party when she'd kissed Tara. Where had that come from?

"How was your trip with Kennedy?" she asked. "I hope it was enjoyable."

[life_inshadow]

"it was really nice," Tara said. "Just ... relaxing. We both let Karla's stuff get to us a lot, you know? N-not that it shouldn't have."

That put her in a more somber mood than she wanted to be in, so she moved on to, "Did we miss anything here?"

[trigons_child]

"I spent much of the weekend alone," Raven said. "But there was singing again -- the kind when people could not help but break into song about their feelings. Did you two feel compelled to sing at all?"

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head, a bit wistfully. "Nooo ... I mean, um, I might have sung, but that was just 'cause Kennedy likes my voice." Blush. Blush. Blush.

"Sorry I missed it, though. Last time I ended up singing about driving with Penelope, remember her?"

[trigons_child]

Did Kennedy make Tara complete?

Raven nodded. "Yes, I remember," she said. "I hope she is doing well wherever she is now. I did sing a song, but I was alone in my room at the time so no one heard." Something about wanting someone to wake her up inside, call her name and save her from the dark.

[life_inshadow]

Partially, at least.

"That sounds like a zen thing or something," Tara observed lightly. "Y'know, if you sing a song but nobody can hear it, are you really singing."

[trigons_child]

Raven didn't entirely understand what zen meant. "It did not matter that no one heard it," she said, puzzled. "I know that I still sang."

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head awkwardly. "No, it's like -- if a tree falls in the forest but nobody hears it, did it make a sound?" she explained (kind of). "But ... I guess you're right. If you heard yourself, it counts as much as anybody else hearing would have. Sorry for being so random."

[trigons_child]

"That is all right," Raven said, smiling. "There are still concepts and phrases I do not understand. And it is good to have someone as lovely as you to explain them." Wait, she'd meant to say nice there.

[life_inshadow]

The compliment was unexpected, but not unappreciated. "It's good to have somebody like you to listen," Tara said, tucking her hair behind her ear as she gazed at Raven. "S-seriously, anytime you need me to explain something, just ... ask. I l-l-like talking to you."

Her stutter was worse than it had been in months. Why was she nervous all of a sudden?

[trigons_child]

"I have enjoyed the time we have spent together talking in the past," Raven said, watching Tara tuck her hair. She was pleased she'd done that, since now she could see Tara's face more clearly. "And I look forward to spending more time in the future."

[life_inshadow]

"I'll make sure it happens," Tara promised.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Oh look who was back to watch Rumor Gal?

She'd deny it vehemently, of course, but yet Elphaba came into the room with an apple and sat down on a sofa. She took a loud bite of the apple and chewed. "I still don't know why you watch this," she said, totally deflecting.

[trigons_child]

"To learn about human emotion and how many use it to guide their actions," Raven said. Which was true, but tonight she was rather interested in watching Charlie and having inappropriate thoughts for some reason.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"But they aren't any more real than people from story books," Elphaba said. She winced when she said that. "The ones that aren't true, I mean."

[trigons_child]

"But the stories are written by people who draw upon their own experiences, are they not?" Raven said. She didn't quite understand exaggeration in that case.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba snorted a bit. "I don't think they're all based in real things. Even when a writer experiences something fantastical, they're bound to shape it how they want."

[trigons_child]

"To fulfill some sort of emotional need of their own!" Raven decided. She was still clinging to that as an excuse for watching and not just because the actor who played Charlie was hot. And Claire wasn't bad, either.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"An emotional need for what, exactly?" Elphaba asked. "This show is just... mating rituals of the rich and pretty."

She was watching it for some of the same reasons, tonight. Her faux-outrage was just a smokescreen.

[trigons_child]

Raven's cheeks turned pink. "There does seem to be a great deal of physical relationships depicted tonight," she said, squirming a tiny bit. Was it getting warm in here?

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"Physical relationships," Elphaba repeated, fidgeting a bit with the apple in her hands. "Must be rather strange, actors having to do that sort of thing for pretend."

[trigons_child]

"I imagine it could be very strange and awkward," Raven agreed thoughtfully. "Even unpleasant if the actors do not like each other. But they do a very good job with the acting on this show."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"They must have a lot of experience with the... physical relationships," Elphaba said, taking a bite of her apple. "Or they've researched them deeply."

Was it warm in here? It seemed warm in here, to Elphaba.

[trigons_child]

"I wonder if they become caught up in the moment," Raven said, imagining she were an actress on the show and had to make out with Charlie. Mmmm.

This could inspire fanfic.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"With everyone watching them?" Elphaba said, and that time the emotion was genuine. "I've always thought that sort of thing was meant to be private."

For all of the two weeks she was fully educated on the concept.

[trigons_child]

"Many people feel that way," Raven said, "but I have found...some people enjoy an audience." Not her, but she was still blushing.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba's eyes went wide. "I think I could have lived happily without knowing that about you, Raven," she said. She of course had interpreted the blush entirely wrong.

[trigons_child]

Raven's eyes went just as wide. "No!" she said. "I did not mean me! I do not do such things!"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"Oh, sorry," Elphaba said with a wince. "You just sounded... experienced."

[trigons_child]

Raven shook her head. "No, I am not," she said. "Not in such matters."

Chuck totally didn't count anymore. Really.