Katchoo and Francine's Dorm Room, St. Louis, Wednesday 3 Weeks Ago (But Early Thursday Fandom Time)

[thismaskiwear]

Katchoo was never going to know who in the pantheon of your choice they'd managed to piss off and please at the same time, but whatever mishap had landed them in Camelot for several weeks had also managed to get them to St. Louis a week before classes started.

Which was just barely enough time to get de-time-lagged and . . . okay, to call it 'unpacked' would be a lie the size of the stacks of boxes and clothes that still weren't anywhere near their designated places. (Katchoo's stuff wasn't, anyway.) At least her class schedule was pinned up on the bulletin board?

As for Katchoo herself, she wasn't in the room at the moment, but wait for it -- that was the rattle of her key in the room door, which shouldn't be that hard to open except she was balancing a drink tray of mochas from the coffeeshop across the street (score one for living on the edge of campus).

Oh, and there was the BANG of the door opening.

"Holy$(*#!Francineyouwillneverbelievewhatjusthappened."

[OOC: For that girl. Yeah, that one. No, not you.]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

"You ran into Griffin Silver and tried to punch him again?"

The sad thing was that as soon as Francine said it, she realized that couldn't be the answer because she'd totally believe that.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"No, you'd believe that," Katchoo told her, lending huge chunks of credence to the narrative. "Guess who works in a gym in the neighborhood?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"That creepy little bellhop guy from the BustyBra Convention?" Chalk that one up to a combination of Francine going for one she really wouldn't believe, and the fact that she was folding one of the aforementioned articles of clothing right now.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"No, not that one, or the one from the video store, or the one we ran into at the taxi stand who tried to talk you into the minivan with the leather interior." Were they all the same guy? Maybe. Katchoo had a hard time remembering that after all the Fandom doubles. "Remember Casey from San Diego?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Casey from San Diego who flew in from M--- REALLY? OH MY GOD!" That was probably not the kind of oh my God Katchoo would be hoping for. There was too much bouncing and waving of the bra in her hand.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Yes, Casey from -- GEEZ, FRANCINE, YOU'RE GONNA PUT AN EYE OUT!"

No. That was the kind of oh my God that made Katchoo want to hide in the corner.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Whoops!" Said while flinging the aforementioned eye-putter-outer onto the nearest bed. "But how cool is that? We're not all alone here; there's somebody we know already!"

In another life, Francine would be exponentially less pleased to know that Casey Bullock lived anywhere near her -- but in this life, Francine hadn't been dumped on her anniversary by Casey's soon-to-be husband, and never would be.

Meeting over whole-grain trail mix in a Bitterwoman line instead of soaking wet in a supermarket while you get told about the upcoming Hawaiian honeymoon makes all the difference.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

To you, maybe, Francine. To Katchoo, the allergy to that level of perky was entirely the same.

"Of all the people," she said through a tight smile. "Aren't we just that lucky?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"What were you doing in a gym, though?" Wow, that hadn't come out the way Francine meant it. also wow, way to not notice the tray of coffee.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Wondering how the hell I ended up there when I walked into the coffeeshop to get mochaaaaaaaaaaaaaas, maybe?"

Oh, Francine, it was a good thing you were adorable.

Also that Katchoo wasn't spilling the tray of coffee, waving it at her that way.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I would be too. Gyms don't look anything like coffee shops. Though it'd be cool if they did. You might get me in one again if I could have a mocha while I walk on the treadmill."

That would be Francine reaching for said mocha. Well, the one in Katchoo's hand; not the imaginary treadmill one.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Dork," Katchoo said, relinquishing the mocha (because she needed so much convincing to do it, really). "Casey'd probably lecture you in the most nauseatingly bouncy way ever about no drinks on the equipment. Actually I think she did that to someone in front of us in line."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You know you'd like her if you gave her a chance," Francine said, taking a tiny sip of potentially very hot coffee.

It wasn't. Poooosssibly due to someone's aggressively friendly bouncing.

"You like Dinah, and she's blonde and bouncy."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"I do n--" She was going to lose that argument, wasn't she?

"Well, people aren't supposed to know that, geez."

[thatsamilkshake]

"What, so you can only ever like one bouncy person or the secret will get out and they'll just swarm all over you?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Yes." Katchoo gave her an aggrieved look. "Exhibit A: Dinah, because everybody knows I like you."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I'm not blonde; it doesn't count." So there.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Only figuratively, Francine. Only figuratively.

"But bouncy," Katchoo pointed out. "Geez, have I mentioned how much I missed indoor plumbing?"

Only about a million times by now, Chewie . . .

[thatsamilkshake]

"They had indoor plumbing in Camelot. ...Sort of."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo gestured with her mocha. "Flushable toilets are a frikkin' godsend, Francie, and don't let anyone tell you differently."

For one, they drowned annoying alarm clocks so well . . .

[thatsamilkshake]

"Like I'm arguing with that." Francine reached back to free her hair from its ponytail and scrunched her nose when it flopped sweatily on her neck. "And showers. God, showers."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Especially in this weather," agreed Katchoo. "Oh, god, especially in this weather. And let's not forget shorts. And here's to being able to run around in my frikkin' bra."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine gave her a Look. "Run around in your frikkin' bra where?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Wherever I damn well feel like it." Well. "In principle, but mainly just in the room."

Because she wasn't the one in this room who had the monopoly on public nudity, see.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I was gonna say. Let's not get kicked off campus for indecent exposure before classes even start. This isn't Fandom."

Where the definition of 'indecent exposure' was about as strict as the definition of 'drinking age.'

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Huh. That means no shirtless newbie picnics, doesn't it?" Katchoo mused.

That . . . did not necessarily preclude gratuitous shirtlessness.

[thatsamilkshake]

"There's some kind of orientation thing on Saturday... the fliers don't mention shirts one way way or the other."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"But it's not the same," Katchoo pointed out.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Well, no. There's probably no gremlins, either." Francine took a much bigger swig of coffee before adding, "We could always have our own welcome picnic."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

". . . I don't think I want to see half our hallmates shirtless, Francie." Katchoo nudged a box aside with her foot to give Clocky a clear path to roll around.

[thatsamilkshake]

"But I could make cupcakes!" Francine's original answer had been Who said they were invited? but then the cupcakes occurred to her and now it was suddenly an actual idea instead of a come-on.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"If it keeps the shirtless hallmates away, maybe." Katchoo went over to peer out the window and down onto the grounds. "If that doesn't work, we get Karla to bake 'em some special ones."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Don't be mean, Chewie." To Karla, or to the hallmates, Francine chose not to specify.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"You never let me have any fun," Katchoo complained. Which spoke to the lack of specificity as well, yes.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Sure I do. It just has to be fun that doesn't involve poisoning people."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"But they'll get better! We haven't heard of Karla's cooking killing anyone!" Yet.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I want our neighbors to like us, not sue us. Besides, Karla tries so hard. It'd be totally mean to use her cookies as a weapon." Even if you could. A projectile one.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Bet you could knock someone out if you hit 'em in the head right with one," Katchoo considered. It was a million times safer than eating them, anyway. "I could probably wing one from here and hit Margie McCoy all the way down the hall if I wanted to."

Which she did. A lot.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Hmmph." Francine's eyes narrowed. "I might be willing to make an exception for her."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"How does she manage to be coming down the hall to take a shower every time I'm leaving the room, anyway?" Yes, complain, Chewie, complain. And give Francine a weird look for the eye-narrowing.

[thatsamilkshake]

"You mean how does she always manage to drop something every time you're leaving the room and she's coming down the hall to take a shower in that robe she's apparently too poor to afford buttons for?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"When those cheesy shower baskets are three for a buck at the dollar store down the street . . ."

Katchoo raised an eyebrow. "What are you tryin' to say, Francie?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"What do you think I'm trying to say? Have you seen how she looks at you when she's busy dropping her boobs soap at your feet? I have."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Whaaaaaaat?" Okay, this was kind of cute. "Francine, she does --"

Wait. Blink.

". . . not. Oh."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Or the way she talks?"

Francine put down her coffee and put her hands on her hips, leaning close over Katchoo in an imitation that... may or may not have been accurate. Hush.

"Good Mahhhhhning, Katina! Oh, how clumsy of me. I'm just never at my best in the morning until I've had a niiiice, hot, steamy shower. I'm shuuuwah you understand, don't you?"