Third floor common room, Tuesday afternoon

[notmyownage]

It was cold and the power was out. That could only mean one thing for Claudia -- time to hit the common room kitchen and try to make her homemade chemical heat packs again.

What else was a girl to do after classes on a quiet, cold, central-heating-free afternoon? Cuddle up beside the fire with hot cocoa? Please.

[ooc: as open as a common room could be.]

Comments

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully joined her there after the memorial, looking for a warm fire. "Thank god for fireplaces. Hey."

[notmyownage]

The fire would be especially welcome, yes, since Claudia had a window cracked to help vent her exothermic chemical reaction. "Hey. Enjoying the enforced break from electronic equipment?"

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully snorted, and settled next to the fire, holding out hands wearing fingerless mittens toward the blaze to warm them up. "Seriously? It's cozy. But I'm going to go into withdrawal if I can't recharge my laptop by tomorrow." She cocked her head. "What are you up to, over there?"

[notmyownage]

"Attempting to create a super-saturated solution of sodium-acetate in water to produce a resettable, self-contained exothermic reaction." Claudia shrugged. If anyone at the school would know what that meant, it was Scully. "I think gremlins got to the ones I made last year."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

She got half of it, and immediately got up from her place by the fire to go peer at Claudia's work. She blinked when she saw it. "Home-made hot packs?" she marveled. "What are you using for a container?"

[notmyownage]

"Last year I found some heavy duty ziplock baggies, but I haven' really hunted anything down, yet."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully started rummaging for some in the cupboards, and said absently, "Did you notice the amazing appearing cocoa?"

[notmyownage]

"I'm a bit more curious about the amazing appearing fireplaces, myself."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Cocoa seems more... personal? Something." She shook her head. "But yes, architectural randomizing is pretty bizarre as well. Do you need any help with that?" She put the ziplock baggies down that she had found, and peered into the bowl.

[notmyownage]

"I don't think so, not right now. Just have to get the stuff to boil."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"So how are your other investigations going? Any sign of Artie Whatshisname?" Scully leaned back against the counter, and wondered if the food in the fridge were going bad... or if it was cold enough to count as a fridge in here. Brrr.

[notmyownage]

"Not yet. I think I'm getting closer, but it's a lot of trial and error, you know? I'm almost tempted to start asking for advice on message boards." Claudia shrugged. "Hey, did I tell you my brother's old physics teacher contacted me? He wanted to see how I was doing."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Really? That was nice of him," Scully said, mildly surprised. "He just got your name, and got in touch?"

[notmyownage]

"Yeah, I guess. I think we sort of . . . stumbled on each other. On the boards, you know? I guess my screenname's kind of like something he and Joshua used to talk about a lot."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully folded her arms, watching Claudia's progress. "Does he remember anything about what Joshua was working on, do you think? Or how he met that supposed sponsor?"

[notmyownage]

"I don't know. I'm a little afraid to ask. I was only ten when it all happened. I paid attention, but they didn't always tell me a lot."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Another cup of cocoa had appeared at her elbow, so Scully picked it up and started to drink. "Maybe he'll bring it up. What's he doing these days, still teaching?"

[notmyownage]

"You know, I forgot to ask. I know he didn't get tenure at U of M."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Hmm. Well, it's nice that he contacted you... and for Joshua's sake, I hope he gives you a few leads." Scully sighed, then shivered. "And did you know Jacob's temperature is always about 109 degrees?"

[notmyownage]

Claudia grinned. "Well, I knew he was hot."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully choked on her cocoa, then snickered. "Not where I was going with that, but... hard to argue," she admitted.

[notmyownage]

Claudia shrugged, still grinning. "I knew it literally, too. Kinda hard to miss that his temperature's higher than normal."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"I think the only time I shook his hand, I was desperately hungover." She smirked a little. "I haven't kissed him like some people."

[notmyownage]

"Hey, I knew it way before that happened. He was one of the first people I met around here."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? On your first picnic day?" Scully asked, looking interested. "I was kind of -- impressed, and a little flabberghasted, when he just told me he was a shapechanger. Or werewolf. However you want to put that."

[notmyownage]

"Waiting for the shuttle from the airport, actually. And I'm pretty sure he calls himself a werewolf. And I didn't find out about that until I talked him into changing in front of me, one day. Have you seen him as the wolf?"

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

Scully shook her head. "He told me about it when Rosalind was a vixen for a week. He came by and she was playing with this candy I had out, and told me." She cocked her head. "How big is he, as a wolf?"

[notmyownage]

"As big as he is as a person."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Good grief." Scully was trying to picture that, and blinking a lot. "... I think I'm glad he's one of the good guys. That would be fairly terrifying to encounter if you didn't know him."

[notmyownage]

"Yeah, I guess." Having seen his wolf form and not been remotely threatened by it, Claudia could only shrug. "He's pretty much just big and fuzzy with the good guys."

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

"Probably a good thing, if he has to deal with vampires all the time," Scully said, remembering what he mentioned. "Given that some are always going to be a threat." She remembered Jessica. "Or ditzy airheads."

[notmyownage]

"Far as I can tell, he's got his hands full of both, back home." Claudia wondered about the whole imprinting thing again, but shoved the thought aside. "Seems like he's doing okay with both, so far."