Fourth floor common room, Saturday evening

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Today had not been Rapunzel's best day at Fandom. People had been acting strange. Confusing. Even her roommate had said things that didn't make any sense!

And, well, that other thing had happened.

So she was huddled up on the couch, her knees tucked up under her chin and her hair coiled around her like it could protect her from the bad day and trying not to sniffle.

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[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

Still feeling good (if not exactly great anymore) after that coffee earlier, Dave actually danced a whole extra floor past his own. He really barely knew where he was by the time he got into the common room. "Hi!" he said, sounding fairly chipper. "How are you tonight?"

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel looked up in surprise as her reverie was interrupted, but upon seeing someone with such a friendly smile she did her best to muster one of her own. "F-fine," she said, her own smile appearing, but weakly.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"You don't sound fine!" Dave said, inappropriately cheerfully. "What's wrong?"

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Nothing," Rapunzel said. Rather unconvincingly.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Come on. You can tell me," Dave said. "I'm a great listener!"

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Well. He seemed very friendly! And that was reassuring.

"Well. Things just seem so... off today. Have you noticed that?"

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah," Dave said. "I started the day in serious coffee withdrawal and tried to sell my body for some coffee beans. Don't worry, nothing happened there. And the day turned out decent anyway!" All because of that heavenly black gold.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Sell your body?" She'd never heard that particular expression before.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't matter. No harm, no foul! The DA's not even going to press charges," Dave explained happily. "So has it been that kind of thing with you, too? Aside from selling your, body, obviously."

Good job associating a Disney Princess with prostitution, Dave.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"The DA?" What was a DA?

"And I don't think I sold my body?" She still wasn't sure what that meant.

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"District Attorney. Luke Skywalker. Good guy," Dave said. Because he pointed Dave in the direction of drugs. Drug. Caffeine, which WAS a drug. "And that's good, you shouldn't! Have more respect for yourself than that. But what's been weird with you, then?"

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

She was beginning to think that Dave was weird, actually. "Well, people are acting strangely. Not like themselves."

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Really? I haven't noticed anything different with anyone," Dave said. "But I spent half my day in a haze from a lack of caffeine, so I might have just missed it."

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Caffeine?"

Dave kept saying lots of things she didn't know anything about!

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"Caffeine. The key part in java. Joe. Cup of mud. Coffee," Dave said. "You've had coffee, haven't you?"

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"I don't think so?" Rapunzel admitted hesitantly.

[awakestheghosts]

Two years here and Chloe was pretty sure she was never going to get used to the strangeness that happened sometimes in Fandom. Today was one of those days that everyone she knew had lost their damn mind and she was this close to calling Tori and asking her to arrange to come get her.

She was walking carefully past the fourth floor common room -- because she didn't want to attract the attention of anyone today -- when she happened to look in to see who was there.

"Hey," she asked softly when she saw the other girl. "Are you okay?"

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

Dave gasped in a manner that couldn't really be spelled. And then he pulled an insulated flask out of his pocket.

"Okay, I have a little bit left over to get me through the rest of the night. I can let you have a sip, but just to try it. I won't be able to get any more until tomorrow."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elfabian had spent a good hour laughing about his revenge. After a long break to hydrate and suck on a few lozenges, he went out to infiltrate his way into the good graces of the town. He'd make friends, then burn them all.

He almost wanted to laugh just from the thought of it. But no, he must first do other things. The laughing would come later. Oh, it would come.

"Well, isn't this a lovely bunch of good, good Fandom students," he said on his way in. "Feeling particularly studious today? Why yes, I think you must be."

It was time to switch on the oooozing charm.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Is it that good?" Rapunzel asked, reaching hesitantly for the flask.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

Rapunzel blinked, looking up. "I'm fine." And wasn't that an obvious lie?

She just didn't want to be a bother!

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"It's pretty much my whole reason for living," Dave said. If it were yesterday, he would have been exaggerating. Right now, no.

He removed the cap and handed the flask over.

[leavingthenest.livejournal.com]

"Studious?" Rapunzel was just sitting there, trying to keep from breaking down with all the weirdness.

[awakestheghosts]

Chloe shook her head and come further in. "You don't look like you're all right. Did someone upset you?"

She didn't think she had seen the other girl around, so she must be one of the new students. "I'm Chloe."

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

"It means spends much time studying, oddly enough," Elfabian said, walking over. "A fine activity for students to undertake, don't you think? After all, there is so much to learn. So much to find out. So many secrets to dig up."