Second Floor Common Room, Monday Evening

[cantgetnorelief]

Savannah's letter from the past, and his conversation with her earlier today, had convinced Anders that there was something he had to do tonight that he hadn't done in a long, long time. And he was really past due for doing it.

So yes, that's right, he was in the common room with mixing bowls, baking tins, and a whole lot of boxes of cake batter

Comments

[oncourtandstage]

Troy wandered into the common room, the scent of baking enough to draw him down a couple of floors. "Ooh, cupcakes," he said. "I missed cupcakes." Without even asking, he walked over and grabbed one. "Hey, Anders," he said, just before he stuffed half of it in his mouth.

[cantgetnorelief]

"You say you missed cupcakes like it's been forever," Anders noted, snickering at him. "Which is sorta backed up by the way you're inhaling that one. Oh, hell, were you stuck in Egypt too?"

[oncourtandstage]

"Nah," Troy said, shaking his head. "New York. Well, and a boat ride across to London." He was being decidedly casual about it. "Was kinda fun, actually, for some of it, just... Challenging, I guess?" He shrugged. "Anyway, I didn't have much money to spare for cupcakes and that kind of stuff. It's only been a few weeks, but..."

[cantgetnorelief]

"But it feels like a lot longer?" guessed Anders. "I've sort of given up trying to wrap my brain around all the specifics. I still don't know if Fandom's in the past or present or future compared to where I came from in my world."

[oncourtandstage]

"Yeah, it does," Troy said. "... I'm glad to be back. I know... Sky was really worried about me. And... well, yeah. I didn't just miss the cupcakes." He shrugged a bit. "I guess your world doesn't have contact with Earth, then?" he asked. "That must be kinda weird for you. Not being sure, I mean."

[cantgetnorelief]

"I --" Anders frowned. "Not really? I know a couple of people have been able to call home, but I haven't heard from my family in forever. I haven't even heard from the Colonial Pyramid League in over a year. Dude, I didn't know you were gone too, or I would've freaked worse."

[oncourtandstage]

"You don't sound like you miss it much," Troy said, after a moment. "Your home, I mean. Or your family."

[cantgetnorelief]

"I feel like a jerk for saying it, but I really kind of don't," Anders admitted. "Feels like the longer I'm here, the less real they are to me."

[oncourtandstage]

Troy nodded. "No, I get that," he said. "I mean, not that my family back home feels less real? But... I dunno. I definitely feel distant from them now, in a way I never did before." He shrugged. "I dunno," he said again. "Maybe it's just 'cause they'd never understand Fandom."

[cantgetnorelief]

"Mine doesn't believe Earth exists at all, so I think I win, dude," Anders replied.

Jocks. What are you gonna do?

[itsjustlanguage]

Hoshi kind of waved at the other boy. "Do you live on this floor?" she asked.

[oncourtandstage]

"Nah," Troy said, shaking his head, even as he waved back. "I'm up on four. But I could smell the cupcakes." He grinned and held out his hand. "I'm Troy."

[itsjustlanguage]

"Hoshi," she said, shaking hands. "I must not get out of my room enough because I'm on the fourth floor too."

[oncourtandstage]

Troy couldn't help but laugh. "You or me," he said. "Although I've been spending a lot of time with my boyfriend lately."

[itsjustlanguage]

"You're dating Sky, right?" asked Hoshi. "He mentioned you when I was talking to him last week."

[oncourtandstage]

"Yeah!" Troy said, happily. "We've been going out for a while now." He paused. "... I guess maybe over a month now? Maybe?" He wasn't really clear exactly when they'd started going out.