Emma's Dorm Room, Empire State University, NYC, Marvel-616.

[icecoldfrost]

The fact of the matter was that college was fucking expensive, and while Emma's investments were by no means depleted, her checking account had dipped precariously low more than once. Point of fact, she currently had $25 to her name, and that had to feed her for the next two weeks, when a few stocks she'd been nursing would be ripe to sell.



Someone was going to be pulling a few telepathic dine-n-dashes for the next few days.

"You never told me that the books for my classes were going to be so expensive," she bitched into her phone, as she made faces at her budget sheet. "It ate into everything a lot, Hank."

"So did your various and sundry portals," the big man rumbled on the other end, and Emma was rather sure she heard the bone-saw in the background. "And your taste for expensive clothes, drinks, and parties at the Hellfire Club." Disapproval? Thy name was Hank. "You have to live like a student, Emma."

"This student has an image she has to maintain, if she's going to do the things she wants to do with her life," Emma snapped, teeth chewing on her lower lip. "And there's no on-campus housing for non-freshman...I'm going to need to find a way to pay for rent next year, dammit."

"You could come home...."

"No offense, Big Blue, but it's a little hard to study down there when you're playing mad scientist," Emma retorted cheerfully, affection softening her tone. "I'll find some squat in Brooklyn, I guess, and some sucker to split it with." Ew. Brooklyn. "So whip me up some sort of anti-roach thinggie...sooner rather than later, since I don't know how long they'll let me stay in the dorms."

"You are not living in Brooklyn," Hank rumbled. "Get a job, Emma."

"How, exactly, am I supposed to have a job as a full-time student with two majors, three minors, and my extra-curricular activities?" she asked plaintively. "'No, sorry Mr. Nishimoto, I can't come to the launch of your new polymer fabric being used in the new Thierry Mugler Haute Couture line because I have to flip fries?' Like hell."

"You need to compromise somehow and find a solution, Emma. Free housing doesn't appear by magic," Hank chided, but Emma was already tuning out the rest of what he was saying.

"Hank, you're a genius," she breathed, leaping off her bed to dig around her desk for a notebook.

"Of course I am...and why does that not reassure me?"

"Because magic is totally the solution, as much as I loathe it as a whole," Emma sang. "Fandom. I can probably rent a room from Ronan - if he'd even take the money," he wouldn't. And he'd feed her! "- and get one of my old jobs back. I earn money for next year, I save on housing, and I can train with my powers openly. It's ideal."

"One of these days you'll get eaten by one of those deer..."

"Don't fret at me," she pleaded, taking down notes. "Here. I'll call Karla and Ronan to see if it's even possible, before I start packing."

"You can't even afford a portal."


"I'll bring you a teal deer DNA sample."

There was a pause, then; "That's not fair, Emma."

"Never said I play fair, Big Blue."

[OOC:  NFB, phonecalls, texts OK, but am AFK & pinging from iPod after 5pm CST]

Comments

[bitten_notshy]

From London, where Emma had a boyfriend who would loan her money if she wasn't too proud to ask for it and he wasn't a touch too self-centered to remember she'd need it, a text arrived:

have you slept off hangover from kates yet? reception desk din's been like hammers in my head all week.

He exaggerated only slightly.

[OOC: SP = my favorite.]

[icecoldfrost]

Please, that would require more self-awareness and humility than either of them possessed.

hangover? what hangover? I didn't drink any of her science projects.

Cruelty, thy name is Frost.

[NOT getting notifs!]

[bitten_notshy]

lucky woman. ive developed a taste for the green things. need to feed you one next time.

Because that would end well.

[icecoldfrost]

you will have to have a very good bribe to get me to imbibe any of that stuff.

There was no way that would end well....for other people.

[bitten_notshy]

i can think of a few things. Probably dirty. what are you doing now anyhow?

[icecoldfrost]

filthy, mr. priest.

What? She didn't need to be a telepath - or in the same room as him - to know how Jack's mind worked by now.

making lists and plots. what else does a girl do with her spare time?

[bitten_notshy]

Jack's mind was a touch predictable that way, yes.

nails, shopping, baking cookies. but those girls are not frosts. plots i should know about?

[icecoldfrost]

not yet? but you may need a different mailing address for me for this summer. Teasing Jack was fun! And good entertainment!

[bitten_notshy]

Should I be worried?

He was, either way.

[icecoldfrost]

only for other people.

That probably didn't help.

[bitten_notshy]

Not so much, no. Jack sighed aloud -- and got a dirty look from the lawyer passing through the lobby, who apparently did not believe receptionists were paid to text.

darling, would you do me a favor + tell me where you're moving? thx.

[icecoldfrost]

working with law has stolen your sense of humor, Emma chided, and chewed her lip slightly before typing out the rest of her response. Giving answers would provoke more questions she didn't want to answer, and so she had to steer the course properly.

as to the where, perhaps Fandom. I'm too lazy to hunt for a summer job here & there's no air conditioning at Hank's place.

[bitten_notshy]

no, just know i get better answer w/direct q than by guessing. sorry to spoil your fun. Except now Jack was gloating over having spoiled Emma's fun, if he was perfectly honest. He bit that back.

fandom's a good place for a summer. back to devils nest?

[icecoldfrost]

or to Dite's, whichever will pay me money, came the cheerful reply. although I might end up spending all back if I go back to 'Dite's.

Enjoy THAT mental image, Mr. Priest, as revenge for spoiling her fun.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack was at full risk of enjoying that mental image so much that he suddenly remembered he'd promised to make sure all the copiers had enough paper. Taking a walk seemed a bit urgent.

When he returned:

would defeat point of a job, i suppose. staying w/ronan or in hotel?

[icecoldfrost]

ronan, if he'll have me. NOT DIRTY. renting from hotel would rather defeat the purpose.

[bitten_notshy]

It was Ronan. It was always dirty.

maybe i should get a job there too to keep eye on you two.

Jack was (mostly) joking. Mostly. He thought.

i'll have to visit a lot, anyhow.

[icecoldfrost]

Fine. Maybe Dirty.

you type that as if we can't be trusted not to plot nefarious things.

Newsflash, Ms. Frost. YOU CAN'T.

[bitten_notshy]

No comment, Miss Frost.

That was Jack for duh.

[icecoldfrost]

you are a hard man, mr. priest.

Well, only if she was lucky.

besides, how much trouble can I get into? i'll be hard at work.

[bitten_notshy]

no way to list possibilities within character limit, Jack returned. besides, it'll be past my bedtime long before i run out of ideas.

[icecoldfrost]

email me a list of the best ones when you get bored and need to sound busy w/ typing? Emma asked. to remind me not to do them, of course.

Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiies.

[glacial_queen]

My birthday is the WORST this year.

Karla hadn't wanted to whine at Dinah on her birthday, but she really did need to vent about how much her birthday was was going to suck this month.

I hate everything.

[icecoldfrost]

Well now, someone she needed to talk to anyway!

your birthday isn't for another three days. how is it the worst?

See! Emma hadn't forgotten!

[glacial_queen]

Graduation. Of everyone left on the island that i even remotely care about.

Okay, someone was being just a liiiittle melodramatic there. Though only just; the vast majority of her remaining friends were graduating this year, including her boyfriend and her roommate.

[icecoldfrost]

melodrama, line one. graduation doesn't mean you'll never see them again. how many times did you see me this year? Logic probably wasn't going to work? But Emma could try.

[glacial_queen]

Nope! Karla was determined to be miserable. Be glad she was at least aware of how idiotic she was being, especially when it came to the 'Warren is going to meet some wonderful, beautiful, brilliant, nice female in college and fall for her instead' nightmares and was keeping those locked tightly behind her teeth.

Not enough, she replied instead. I didn't get to see you nearly enough for my liking.

[icecoldfrost]

easily solved. give me a few shifts at the store, and you can have me for a summer. Assuming she got Ronan to say yes, too.

[glacial_queen]

Won't that cost you a lot in portals? Karla was a little confused, yes. Unless--ENMA ARE U COMING BACK TO THE ISLAND FOR THE SUMMFR?!

Stupid keypad.

[icecoldfrost]

maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe. Emma teased. if Ronan will take pity on a poor, homeless Emma stealing his couch.

[glacial_queen]

Like ronan will ever turn you down! Karla said. You can have any shift you want at dite's.

[icecoldfrost]

darling, I shall take whatever is available. I would like to live somewhere other than Brooklyn come fall. Vanity, thy name is Frost. I dislike commuting in the mornings.

[glacial_queen]

Ew. Commuting means you have to wake up earlier. And Karla was never a fan of that. What's wrong with brooklyn? Besides being far away?