Fifth Floor Common Room, Tuesday evening

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce could be out of his room without feeling the need to find a more private place with the first person he saw. It was a good feeling. A good enough feeling that Bruce was willing to actually risk messing with the television in the common room again. But first? Threats.

"If you act up on me, I will end you," Bruce whispered while kneeling in front of the set. "There's a window right there. I will throw you out of it. You will be destroyed. And then I'll buy a new TV for the floor. I can afford something that will make you look like you're a black and white set. Nobody will miss you. So behave, or you'll force me to prove that I'm serious."

Bruce settled into a seat on the sofa and turned on PBS. It worked just fine. "I'm glad we could come to this arrangement," Bruce said with a bit of a smirk.

Good job badgering the inanimate object into working, Bruce.

[OOC: Much like the writing utensil I use exclusively for writing the third vowel, this post is open.]

Comments

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba, Melena the droid baby in tow, arrived in the common room just in time to catch that last bit that Bruce had said.

"Arrangement with what?" she asked.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure you really want to know," Bruce said. "How are you tonight?"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"Other than having to take care of a fake baby, I'm rather well," Elphaba admitted. It'd be cliche and incorrect to say she had a new lease on life, but there was a teeny bit more confidence in how she projected herself. "I think I've made my first true friend since coming here, actually."

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

"Elphaba, hello! How have you been?"

Ariel smiled at the other girl, remembering her even though she'd only talked to her probably once or twice. It was hard to forget someone after having to buy a green dress after talking to them.

And it was a nice dress, really...

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba thought about that earnestly, instead of giving an off the cuff response. "I think I'm on doing quite well, actually. Minor recent embarrassment aside."

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"Were you talking to an empty room just now?" Katniss wondered curiously, peeking around the corner. She'd ventured out of her room, actually seeking company other than Firekeeper or whatever she found in the woods -- the rain had driven her back inside after awhile, anyway. "Or is there someone else here?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Technically, I was talking to an object in the empty room," Bruce said. "And I'm aware that sounds mildly crazy."

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"Only mildly," Katniss agreed after a moment's consideration. "I've known crazier."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"He told me I didn't want to know," Elphaba told Katniss. She had her droid baby in her arms. "If you learn anything, please share."

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"I think he's just trying to make us guess," Katniss admitted, not quite smiling, but at least looking less severe. "Seeing what reaction he might get."

She slanted a look at the baby, and added, "...yours?" with a nod towards it. Elphaba hardly seemed...maternal, and dorms seemed like an inconvenient place for an infant, so she figured there was likely a different explanation.

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

"Dude, go easy on the poor guy. He's a hardworking piece of technology and he deserves our respect."

Also hi Bruce!

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Not this one. This one earned some tough talk," Bruce said, before flashing Zatanna a brief smile. "How are you tonight, Zatanna?"

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

"Has it been a nasty little boy?" Oh, it was on. And she smiled a bit too. "Me? Pretty good, enjoying the life while I can. You? Any other piece of machinery has been giving you a hard time today?"

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba greeted her roommate with a smile. A probably warmer one than she'd been giving before. "Zatanna," she said. "It's good to see you."

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

"Heeeeeey~!" She would hug her, but...that could wait for later. "And it's good to see you too!" It was good to hang with Elphaba under regular circumstances.

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

"That seemed a little dramatic for a television set," said the girl who collected forks and almost wished Bruce did throw it out the window so she could go collect the parts, from the doorway which she leaned on with her arms crossed in front of her and a smirk on her face.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"It's been giving me trouble the past couple months," Bruce said, a little surprised to see Ariel initiating conversation. "Frankly, I think it was well deserved."

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should just try reading a book instead," Ariel offered, the smirk going a bit soft and, having tested the waters a little, went ahead to come on in, plopping into a chair. "Is there at least anything fun on?"

[inneedofcoffee.livejournal.com]

Because, clearly, there wasn't enough estrogen in the room...

"Were you lecturing the television?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"What if I was?" Bruce asked.

[inneedofcoffee.livejournal.com]

"Will it be talking back?" Because, if it did, this was perfectly reasonable.

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

Bruce was countering all the ladies by himself? "If I were a guy, I'd say it's a guy thing. Then again, it might be, but I think he thought it sounded pretty funny." Destruction of public property wasn't so funny though.

[inneedofcoffee.livejournal.com]

Maladicta gave a serious thought to socks and men before responding. "No, I think it may be a uniquely Bruce thing."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba leaned over, droid baby still in her arms, and took in Maladicta's presence for a moment. "I don't think we've met," she said, unknowing of who she was greeting.

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

Hey, it was...that one girl who went dress shopping with them that one time!

The one who didn't even get a dress.

Ariel smiled, lifting a hand in a wave. "Hi! Maladicta, right?"