Fifth floor common room, Saturday afternoon/evening

[kenselvren]

After yesterday's class on propaganda, a light had gone on for Jalian. This was how one person could change more than just their surroundings. She'd largely ignored movies and TV before, but now she was curious.

So, she was sitting in the common room, watching TV. She had a bowl of popcorn and was frowning at the screen trying to pick out which parts were stupid and which might be some form of propaganda.

So far the judgment had mainly come down on "both". For just about everything.



[OOC: Open post!]

Comments

[crimson_sister]

Lucille hadn't seen Jalian since the trip, and she had decided to stop by for a cup of evening tea. She found her in the common room in front of that thing called the TV.

"Good evening, Jalian. What is the TV like tonight?"

[SP due to sleep soon?]

[kenselvren]

Jalian rolled her eyes. "Tedious and annoying. But the teacher yesterday told us about propaganda, so I'm trying to figure it out."

She held the bowl out toward Lucille. "Hello. Popcorn?"


[No prob!]

[crimson_sister]

"Propaganda?" Lucille picked a popcorn from the bowl. "Is that what they are showing on the TV?"

[kenselvren]

"I can't tell," Jalian admitted. "Sometimes it all seems like it is, and sometimes I think it's just senseless. The propaganda in class was the teacher dancing."

In very skimpy shorts.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Eventually Ringo had to leave her room, if only because she really needed to eat. And get some more water. She still didn't look all that great, face a little puffy and eyes a little red, but she'd gotten some pretty restful napping done throughout the day.

"Anything good on?" she asked Jalian absently as she walked through the room toward the fridge.

Because she could use a lighthearted distraction like some good TV.

[tigerundercover]

Raven was on a wander, and stopped in to see what Jalian was up to.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen you watching TV before."

[kenselvren]

Jalian wrinkled her nose. "Not that I've found. You can change it if you like. Popcorn?" she offered.

[kenselvren]

Jalian smiled up at Raven. "I'm trying to understand what we talked about yesterday - the propaganda. But most things seem like they might be? Also most are stupid."

She offered Raven the popcorn. "But I have food."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, thanks." Ringo's smile wasn't as bright as usual, but it was genuine. "You want me to grab you something to drink while I'm up?" That would be a fair trade for popcorn she didn't have to make herself.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Hey, Raven," Ringo called softly, adding a tiny wave. She was totally going to act like it wasn't at all awkward talking to Kathy's roommate.

Super-convincingly!

[kenselvren]

"Tea or water?"

Jalian eyed Ringo a bit; she'd heard the radio about the Kathy thing, after all. But if it were her, she'd be tired of talking about it already. Maybe Ringo was, too. "Happy birthday, a little late."

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo blinked, then grinned. "Thanks," she said, grabbing a bottle of water for Jalian and putting on a kettle for tea to make that, too. "I don't think any of the cake is left," she stuck her head into the fridge to check. "Sorry."

[kenselvren]

Jalian shrugged. "I can't eat cake anyway." She took the water bottle and raised it in thanks. "I didn't know you could send a cake in the mail, though."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"No cake?" Awww, that was sad! Ringo scooped up a small handful of popcorn and tossed a piece into her mouth.

"And, yeah. It apparently involves boxes full of dry ice, so it's like a mini refrigerator or whatever."

[kenselvren]

"No sugar," Jalian clarified. "It makes me sick. What is dry ice?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Huh. I don't know." Ringo frowned. "I mean, normal ice is cold, too, so why don't they just use that?"

[kenselvren]

Jalian shrugged. "This is colder?" Without knowing what it was, it was hard to say.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I guess so," Ringo said, still frowning thoughtfully. "It's made with, um, carbon dioxide? I think? It's kind of cool, actually! I mean, in a neat way, not just cold. When it melts it just, like, evaporates!"

Which was totally neat!

[tigerundercover]

"Ooo, food." Raven took a handful of popcorn and plopped down next to Jalian with a grin. "And I can totally help you figure out the propaganda. Though I'm guessing these days it involves a lot less nuclear war and red panic."

[kenselvren]

"Oh!" Jalian nodded. "That makes sense, then. Carbon dioxide sublimates, so it doesn't make the food wet." She scrunched her nose. She didn't even eat cake, but soggy cake sounded disgusting.

[kenselvren]

"Maybe." Jalian stayed close, smiling back. "What's red panic?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Oh, of course!" Ringo nodded. "You probably wouldn't want the box getting all soaked, either, since that might make it fall apart." Good call, Jalian!

Ringo stuffed some more popcorn into her mouth and glanced over at the kettle, still waiting for the water to get hot enough for tea.

[tigerundercover]

"The US used to be terrified of communists. Pretty much the way they are now of Muslims. Totally irrational, totally full of paranoia and creepy stereotypes. Somehow as a country we seem to have missed being afraid of murderous dictators and decided instead to aim for really broad groups of people instead."

[kenselvren]

"The cake came from home?" Jalian asked, curious. She couldn't remember if Ringo had ever said much about her home before.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"I think it must have." Ringo smiled slightly. "When I called home to wish my sisters happy birthday, too, Rika said that they'd gotten the same cake for the house, so I think they must have bought two."