Fifth Floor Common Room, Monday evening

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

With the new semester upon him, two classes today, a new TA-ship, and plenty of new people to interrogate... err, meet, Bruce was actually in what counted as a good mood for him. Good enough for him to head out to the common room and relax for a little bit. And it looked like somebody left a lot of popcorn out to be eaten. That was more encouragement to relax for a little bit.

When he turned on the TV, it was tuned in to The Bachelor. He couldn't get the channel to change, no matter what he did. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the TV. "This again?"

Although Bruce had to admit, a show like this would be brilliant for him in the future. Nothing could cement someone as an idiot playboy who cared more about being in the spotlight than he did about people more than a show like this. Maybe it would actually be worth studying....

[OOC: Hey, there's something to do with Bruce in the future. Anyway, open CR for the new semester! Free popcorn and mocking Bruce's accidental TV choices ahoy.]

Comments

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"...what are you watching?" Elphaba asked as she entered the room. She rummaged the kitchen for an apple then went to sit near Bruce. "Educational?"

She didn't hold out much hope.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Not in any way you'd care about," Bruce said. "It does give an informative picture of how people interact in bizarre situations, though."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"And I suppose I come off at not caring about how people behave," Elphaba said.

She mulled that thought over for a second.

"I do, though. I just normally think they behave like idiots."

Her new little sibling was the poster child for that.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry, I was less than clear there," Bruce said. "The majority of this show is the kind of mind-rot you normally take issue with. But there is a silver lining in the politics and ethics that crop up when a bunch of women are trying to convince one man to marry them."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"A... what?" Elphaba said, her face aghast. "What's so special about the man?"

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

"Kind of," George offered, from her spot on the couch. "It's education in a How-Not-To sort of way. Basically, this show is a litmus test. If your life resembles these people's in any way, then kill yourself."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"Well then, I think I'll live to learn another day," Elphaba said. "It's... good to see you, George."

They'd not left on good terms, last they'd conversed. Or so Elphaba remembered.

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

George's attention span was way too short for grudges. Or remembering who she was pissed off at, or why. So she had a vague inkling that there might have been weirdness between them, at one point, and no real idea what that was about. Therefore, it must not be important.

"You, too," she said, nodding. "Do you think maybe this is a big hoax? Proof that people will believe the worst of anybody?"

She didn't have that much faith in humanity, but it was nice to dream.

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"People will believe the worst, even without proof," Elphaba said. "If it's easier to believe. Or more convenient."

That was how Elphaba was widely treated back in Oz. "But I'm not sure where you're going."

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

Stephanie wasn't planning on any awkward encounters; let's just state that for the record right off. Steph never planned these things.

All she had been planning on was a trip around the dorms, because someone wanted her to make a detailed recon of the building, but a craving for some sort of breakfast food had hit her on her way back up to her room afterward, and that just happened to lead her into the common room.

It wasn't entirely a shock, thanks to class earlier today, but she came really close to just turning around and running right back out when she spotted Bruce.

"Sorry," she blurted out, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "I didn't mean to interrupt -- ohmygod, are you watching The Bachelor?"

God, that made a disturbing amount of sense.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

It did, didn't it?

"Don't worry, you're not interrupting anything important. The TV in this room seems to have an issue with me," Bruce said, just a little defensively. "But it's actually kind of interesting to see how everyone reacts to each other."

"You're in Jaina's class, right?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"The TV has an issue with you," Stephanie echoed.

Hee.

"It makes you watch trainwrecky reality shows, so you analyze them? Talk about lemonade out of lemons."

She inched into the common room, heading for the cupboards in search of some cereal, and nodded. "So yeah, I'm in that class too." Where he'd been talking to her about the TA spot. Of course.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I thought I solved the issue last semester. I'll have to take another stab at it." He shot the TV a glare that he strongly felt would terrify a human. There was no clear reaction from the TV. Then he turned back to Stephanie and put on a smile. "Stephanie, right? I'm Bruce, in case you didn't catch it in class. How's Fandom treating you so far?"

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

She'd seen that look make criminals wet their pants, and the TV hadn't so much as gone staticy for a second. Stephanie couldn't help snickering.

"Yup, that's me. Hi, Bruce." Had to remember not to act too familiar. "With the really good memory, apparently. So far, the biggest shock was getting a boy for a roommate but otherwise it's been just fine."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba turned and raised an eyebrow from where she sat. She took a noisy bite of her apple. "I think it is. His choice, not mine."

She was nothing if not frank.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"I'm not judging!" Stephanie was quick to assert. Except it had kind of come out that way, hadn't it? She couldn't help giving Elphaba a slightly askance look, though. Interesting skin tone. Maybe that was normal in her world?

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"I would," Elphaba said, with a shrug. "Though Bruce seems to think there's a grand social experiment behind it all. I'm... yet to be convinced."

But she was still watching.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"They're all throwing themselves at someone for the sake of money," Stephanie answered, just a tiny bit of bitterness sneaking through along with the need to back Bruce up on this. Stupid sidekick tendencies. "I can actually see that. People will do a lot of things if there's a bunch of money involved."

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

"His fault," George announced, pointing to Bruce. "I'm just here so my roommate can get laid."

She assumed so, anyway. He'd said something about being naked. If he liked to get naked and hump his guitars, she really, really didn't want to know about it. So for her own sanity, she was going to decide he was just having sex like a normal person.

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Thrilling," Stephanie remarked dryly. "Oooh crap, I didn't even think about that being a problem. How do you know these things? Do people have some kind of signal? Oh god, don't tell me you walked in."

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

"I think a sock on the doorknob is standard," George said, as if she had sexile down to an art form. This was the first time Jono had ousted her, and she'd only kicked him out once. "My roommate ... can ... psychically project his voice? So I got something in my head about him being naked and me needing to stay the hell out, and I don't really want to ask questions beyond that."

Seriously. She was going to sleep here tonight, and if there were follow-ups tomorrow, she'd get a hotel room or something. Nothing in her room was that important.

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

George had been headed back to her room, but she'd gotten a frantic psychic message (http://furnaceface.livejournal.com/10310.html?thread=503878#t503878) that had involved the words 'naked' and 'camp out.' Your basic sexile request.

She couldn't grump too much. She'd kicked Jono out the one and only time she'd gotten laid, and he'd been cool with it.

So. Time to seek out the accomodations of the common room.

"Are they auctioning him off to the highest bidder?" she asked, nodding to the TV. Ah, reality shows. Such bastions of intelligence and sensitivity.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"The other way around. He gets to choose among the women," Bruce said. "He eliminates a few each week until it's down to only a couple."

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

"Based on serious criteria like who puts out and who has the best rack," George said, seeing where this was headed. "Is there a talent portion, or does he just check their teeth and flanks?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"They put themselves on a TV show where they're trying to convince a man to marry them. They all put out," Bruce reasoned. "As far as I can tell, they mostly try to convince him by showing how compatible they are, how they share interests, and by putting their chests on display, yes."