Room 528, Friday Evening

[icecoldfrost]

Emma was in a mood.

She'd skipped the undignified chaos of the newbie picnic in order to sulk get some quiet time in her room, and the raw noise this time of year left her in perpetual headache. She'd managed to make it through class today, although barely, and her temper was starting to fray again at whomever in the building had thoughts nattering away like some demented parakeet.

But the volume of the dorms, coupled with the residual crankiness she had left over from the rest of the week and situations not to be recognized, had sent her back to her room to scowl and pick over her closet, tossing last season's things in a pile to drop off at the Salvation Army or something. She had money now, dammit, she was going to spend it.

And despite promising herself that she wasn't going to do anything that sappy or petty, she was occasionally sending text messages over her phone.

bored now.

No answer.

am now trying long distance telepathy. do you have a compulsion to pet a duck yet?

She wasn't going to wait for an answer, really. Her ex...whatever...was just going to have to suffer her texting whims today.

tell me when your homework starts quacking.

be very very quiet. it's talking to you.

booooooooored.

The door was open, but Emma would be alternately bemused or pissy, depending on if that person had shut up yet. God.

[OOC: Open door, open post, fear the Fun Dip.]

Comments

[bitten_notshy]

"I can tell when you're lying," Jack lied. "But never mind that. What have I missed?"

He should have texted her. He was just ... being stupid, really.

[icecoldfrost]

"You cannot tell, and the only thing you've missed is a small crop of kids who are so new, they still have stars in their eyes," she replied, flopping on to the bed. "I have classes on heroes and villains and the art of the con, and even an econ course, but the Danger Shop teaches that."

"Is it just me, or does the idea of the 'Shop teaching anything seem frightening?"

[bitten_notshy]

"It's going to turn you all into supersoldiers or tap the powers of your brains for energy," Jack declared. "Watch and wait, m'dear."

[icecoldfrost]

"I'd like to see it try and tap my brain," she retorted smugly. "A machine can't be nearly as creative as I can."

[bitten_notshy]

"Now this I want to hear," Jack said. "How are you going to get your revenge against an evil machine?"

[icecoldfrost]

"Unplug it?"

Really, Jack, it was rather obvious.

[bitten_notshy]

"You know where the plug to the danger shop is?"

Jack didn't. And, more to the point, he doubted Emma did, either.

[icecoldfrost]

"Doesn't matter if I go to the basement and punch all the buttons in the fuse box!" Emma knew that much about electricity, at least. "You ought to have a bit more faith in me, Jack."

[bitten_notshy]

"It has nothing to do with faith and everything to do with the fact that if I were programming the Shop to do something evil, the first thing I'd program it to do would be to lock the door," Jack pointed out. "And this is an absurd discussion."

[icecoldfrost]

"You started it!"

Mature, Emma, very mature.

[bitten_notshy]

"Technically you did," Jack said.

They were competing for prizes in maturity today.

[icecoldfrost]

"I sent you a text. You started in on what would happen if it went evil," Emma argued. "So pick a new topic if it's too inane for you to handle."

[bitten_notshy]

"All right," Jack said precisely. Then, to needle Emma, he went with, "What do you think about bears?"

[icecoldfrost]

"I think my teddy bear is the only bear that I've ever encountered," she replied warily. "Why?"

[bitten_notshy]

"No reason," Jack admitted. "We have a picture of one on the wall. I was trying to think of something that wasn't the Danger Shop."

[icecoldfrost]

"A bear." There was a pause as Emma considered this, then: "That's what you get for letting your Sebastien do the decorating before you got there."

Your Sebastien. It didn't matter that Emma had called him that from the start. The saying the words hurt more than they usually did, and she ruthlessly stomped down the urge to hit something.

"You're going to have to go shopping, you know. If you expect me to come visit on holidays, I'm going to start redecorating for you if there are bears on the walls."

[bitten_notshy]

"Rental agency decorated it, actually," Jack said smartly. Hearing her say your Sebastien that way stung, even though it was true, even though it was what she'd always called him.

"Sebastien is as blameless as I am. But I'll try to get the place up to snuff before luring you this way."

[icecoldfrost]

Ah, minions. Emma was capable of dealing with the faults of hirelings. "They're fired, then," she announced loftily. "I've decided."

"I'm already going shopping for myself, so don't be too shocked when a package or two ends up at your door."

[bitten_notshy]

"I'll look forward to them," Jack promised. "What are you shopping for, anyhow?"

[icecoldfrost]

"Clothes. I'm cleaning out my closet," she replied, forcing more cheer into her voice. "But if I'm going to New York already, then I may as well shop for other people, too."

[bitten_notshy]

"Don't get rid of that red sundress," Jack said. "I like it."

It was a very important sundress.

[icecoldfrost]

"Since you asked so nicely, I won't add it to the pile for Karla," Emma teased. "But you'll owe me a favor."

[bitten_notshy]

"As if I'm not perpetually in your debt, Miss Frost," Jack said lightly. "Did you have a favor in mind, or is it to be called in later?"

[icecoldfrost]

"I like the idea of perpetually in my debt." You shouldn't sound so smug, Emma, it makes it sound like you have Ideas. Ones that most likely involve doing things that a responsible college student shouldn't get caught doing.

"Why don't we leave it on the books for later?"

[bitten_notshy]

"As the lady wishes," Jack said.

He didn't want to hang up. He didn't have anything to say.