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[selfconcept]

Congratulations! You survived the first week of Personal Enrichment Class! Or at least, your body did if you feel like astral projecting. It's time to mingle with your fellow students after the Saturday lesson. Maybe get revenge. Or maybe you're going to your room right away. Either way, it's free time! Let loose. Go wild.

Comments

[mirrite]

Sure I do. Lots of things, in fact.

[It's so much easier to deflect, to take Phantom's words at face value and ignore the underlying question: Why are you even talking to me? It's certainly far more simple than puzzling through their link and trying to piece together what does and doesn't come through it, and perhaps more importantly, what the feelings that do leak over actually mean, or worse yet, trying to decide why he's having this conversation in the first place.

Marcus isn't sure he wants to think too hard about that part, at least not right now.]

You better not have used up all the hot water, by the way. I still need to get this hairspray out of my hair too.

[exofractured]

You're a terrible liar. There's nothing to do here.

[Which, if they had been anyone else, might have been enough of an explanation for why Marcus was speaking to him. Phantom considers lying to himself enough to accept it provisionally anyway. Perhaps... it really doesn't matter.

He dries off quickly and tugs on the comfortable clothes from the gift shop, nevermind that he looks absurd in a t-shirt and sweats. It's not like he's leaving the room in them. Reflexively cautious still, he eyes Marcus when he tugs the door open. If Marcus was going to punch him again, he almost certainly would have felt the impulse by now.]

Why would I be coming out if there were still hot water left? I suppose you're stuck like that.

[mirrite]

Unlike some people, I actually like to work out.

[Even though he may have pulled back a bit from the poking at Phantom, he still can't resist the urge to make one last jab. It's not mean when it's the truth! Or at least that's what he's going to be telling himself.

Fortunately for Phantom, Marcus makes no move to punch - or indeed do anything else - when Phantom opens the bathroom door. Instead, one eyebrow goes up as he takes in the sight of Phantom in a pair of sweatpants that are definitely a bit too large for someone that slender; rather than laugh, however, an odd look crosses his face. This... is more vulnerability than he'd ever really wanted to see from Phantom, and after a moment of staring he averts his gaze to study the floor, feeling oddly uncomfortable.]

But thanks, I'll make sure to use up all the hot water without telling you next time.

[exofractured]

Yes, I'm well aware you were constructed with muscles in lieu of brains.

[Is that even Marcus's attempt at a jab? That's no more barbed than something he could, or has, said to Phil. Phantom shoots him a look that's intended to read as judgmental but probably comes across halfway between dissatisfied and relieved.

At least whatever that look is on Marcus's face says he's not any more at ease with the situation than Phantom is, and Phantom is at least marginally certain that the larger share of the discomfort is coming from Marcus. Which is information he can use, he tells himself.]

Do that. I look forward to waking you up by showering in the middle of the night.

[mirrite]

I'll even get all the towels wet just for you.

[The thought of Phantom reaching for a soggy towel is enough to cause the corners of his lips to curve up into a smirk, and just like that, the spell of awkwardness is broken and he settles back into his former ribbing, albeit somewhat less pointed now.

As long as he doesn't have to think too hard about any of this, it's fine. It isn't really fine, of course, but it's not as though either one of them has a choice in the matter, and this much at least is familiar. Mutual hostility is what he knows and expects; he can deal with that far better than he can not only knowing that Phantom has feelings that can be hurt but actually feeling said hurt himself as well.

This entire situation really does suck.]

[exofractured]

Then I'll have to hide them while you're showering.

[Would either of them actual resort to such petty pranks? Well... Phantom can't trust that Marcus wouldn't, which may mean he has to strike first. He all but rolls his eyes at that smirk on his way past to haul himself up into his bunk bed.

A week hasn't made it seem either safe or reasonable yet to fall asleep in a room with Marcus. But the evidence of each day that passes with nothing happening does count for something. He isn't sure what. Absentmindedly, he touches the mark on his wrist again. At least the shared pain provides him a reasonable explanation for why Marcus hasn't taken this very convenient opportunity to simply remove him as a problem.

Again.]