Fifth Floor Common Room, Tuesday night

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

The end of the semester was starting to approach quickly. This week, prom. No date. That was fine, Bruce could go without one. Next week, finals. That was simple, of course. Graduation in a few weeks? Wasn't his, didn't matter.

But now he was trying to work out his training schedule for the summer and, of course, he had to pick a mystical hidden city that was spoken of only in rumors. You had to figure out where it might be, get clearance to land your plane someplace nearby, make sure you had the proper mountain climbing gear.... It was a much bigger ordeal than just scampering off to New York for some boxing training.

But even Bruce needed a break from that. And that meant challenging the television until for one of the final times before summer. Bruce was, of course, aiming for Mobsters on the Biography Channel. So the television gave him Dancing With the Stars.

Oh, TV. Bruce was glaring at you so hard. He was staring with the kind of intense hatred that would pop popcorn if it got in the way and... huh. There was a bowl of popcorn on the table. Bruce was positive it wasn't there before he started glaring.

In actuality, a gremlin dropped it off, but Bruce had been too busy glaring to notice that.

[OOC: My brain is apparently odd tonight. And always. OPEN CR.]

Comments

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure I ever pictured you as a big fan of the sequins and cha-cha combo," Ramona remarked dryly as she wandered in, staring at the television. "Will wonders never cease?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'm a man of many surprises. You don't want to know how many pairs of tap shoes I own," Bruce said.

It was only one pair. Look, it was a long story.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"If it's more than zero, you can count that as another surprise," Ramona admitted, taking a seat and reaching for the popcorn. "Your interests are bizarrely widespread and varied."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I have hopes of being considered an eccentric billionaire someday. You have to lay the foundation for that early, or else you're just somebody who can't use any of the crazy stuff you buy," Bruce said.

That was more true than not, actually.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"You better start cultivating interests in things like wearing tissue boxes on your feet and acute real or fake agoraphobia if you want to beat Howard Hughes for eccentricity," she advised.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"You can't beat the master," Bruce said. "I just hope to learn a few things from him."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Imitation, though," she noted. "I heard something about it being the sincerest form of flattery and all."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"But not the most appropriate in all situations," Bruce said. "If you imitated me right now, I don't think I'd be that flattered."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"I'm neither handsome nor broody enough," she assured him. "It wouldn't be a very good imitation."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"See? That was pretty good flattery, and you did it while denouncing imitation," Bruce said. "I'm going to go ahead and assume it's sincere, too."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Not as sincere as imitation," she replied, shaking her head. "I mean, I assume, since that's the sincerest."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I can't argue with that logic," Bruce said. "Although it does make me wonder how often you imitate people."

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"Rarely," she replied, shaking her head. "I don't believe in inflating people's ego unduly."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"So should I take those compliments earlier with some extra weight?" Bruce asked.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"There's a difference between compliments and facts that happen to be flattering," she said, smiling at him.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Overdefine it all you want, but you think I'm handsome," Bruce teased.

[dabblinginbitch.livejournal.com]

"I have pretty good eyesight, so yeah," she said, grinning at him. "Duh. And also brooding. Don't forget that part. They go hand-in-hand, in this case."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to remember to think deep thoughts when I'm around you," Bruce said.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, dancing!" Rilla squealed with delight when she saw what was on television

You thought Rilla Blythe wouldn't love a show about dancing?

"Hello, Bruce," she added with a little blush.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Rilla," Bruce said. "I should have expected you would enjoy a show like this."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I don't know why they're stars," she said, "but I can certainly tell when someone is terrible at a waltz."

She sat down after grabbing a handful of popcorn. "How have you been?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I've been well. It's getting a little too close to the end of the semester, so I'm afraid I might need another new hobby soon, though," Bruce said.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"How are you with gardening?" Rilla asked. "My mother goes absolutely mad this time of year."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I've dabbled," Bruce said. "But mostly I leave that to my butler, Alfred. He's pretty insistent on how the gardens should look."

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Mother is the same way," Rilla laughed. "We can help, but only with weeding."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"It's work that needs to be done," Bruce said. "Any other suggestions?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"Flower arranging?" Rilla suggested. "Learning to make jam? Haberdashery?"

Mostly she just liked the last word.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I probably have more experience in haberdashery than you might expect," Bruce admitted.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla stared at him. "Truly?"

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"A man has to know what to do with buttons," Bruce said.

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

No, this wasn't her floor but that'd never stopped Alex from wandering before. Plus, there was popcorn. Bonus.

"So, who are you cheering for?" Her tone implied she was clearly teasing.

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"The professionals. They really have their work cut out for them," Bruce said. "Are you rooting for a certain star?"

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

"I can see that," Alex nodded, her eyes on the television. "I don't even know who's on it this year. It's not one of my must-watch shows."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I guess that's my cue to ask what shows are on your must-watch list," Bruce said.

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

"Besides the occasional football or baseball game?" Hey, she was big sports fan. "I'll admit I watch celebrity gossip shows now and then. Mostly, Rumor Gal and repeats of Wendy the Werewolf Stalker. I guess I have a thing for the supernatural."

You could say that. "Don't hold any of those against me."

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"I have to judge you a little for the gossip shows," Bruce said. "But don't worry, you rise above that small judgement easily."

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

"It's an indulgence of mine," Alex admitted, sheepishly. "Okay, good. For a minute there I couldn't help worrying."