xp_logs | Forge/Crystal: Distractions

Beginning shortly after this email, Forge makes sure Crystal is okay, and comes up with an idea for keeping his girlfriend from embarrassing herself on the journals.

Crystal was, to put it mildly, in a bit of a panic. Whatever this was that seemed to be randomly affecting people at the school, it was also affecting her. She wanted to stay away from her computer and away from other people, and yet she felt as though she needed to keep talking or writing what she thought, letting people know how she felt.

A rather insistent knock sounded at her door, and in a departure from usual polite convention, Forge actually opened the door unbidden and stepped inside. "Is everything all right?" he asked without preamble, shutting the door and walking to Crystal's side and taking her hands in his. "I mean, are you feeling okay?"

Crystal shook her head, eyes wide. "No, I am not okay. There are things I do not wish to say. Yet say them I do, and all of them true. What is happening today?"

Part of Forge's brain wanted to erupt in laughter at the utter absurdity of a Princess of Attilan spouting rhymes, but the fact that his girlfriend was obviously troubled overrode any amusement he could find in the situation. Add to that the fact that the people who were rhyming seemed to be under some sort of compulsion of blunt and direct honesty - Crystal's well-trained tact was likely being sorely tested.

"You can't help yourself?" he asked, glancing over to the open laptop on a side table. "I mean, I know you're fundamentally honest anyway, but you generally don't tend to speak your mind like that in public to everyone - we'd better keep you off the journals, just to be safe."

He put an arm around her shoulders, holding her in close to his chest protectively. "I'm sure the Professor's already working to figure this out, it'll be all right."

"This situation is as horrid as muck; do you really think he will have such luck? People feel that they must, place all of their trust, in Xavier. Why? What the - "

Instinctively, Forge leaned forward to kiss Crystal firmly before she could finish the obviously not-at-all-proper rhyme. After the initial shock and surprise, he broke the kiss and looked down at her and smiled. "Sorry if that was a bit forward. I'm pretty sure you'd have regretted that breach of decorum a fair bit less than what you were about to say."

Crystal's face reddened. Had she actually jut been about to say...? What was going on here? And as for what Forge had just pointed out... "Your observation is right; overhead there is a light. This could be a good way, so that I do not continue to say, things that could result in a fight."

Forge paused, then the implications of Crystal's suggestion hit him and he blushed to his hairline and cleared his throat. "I... of course, yes. That's a definite idea. And a favorable one, I mean, obviously I..." His gaze wandered over to the couch and he raised an eyebrow. "That is, if you're sure you want... you know, I probably shouldn't ask any questions when you're not exactly in full control of your responses, but I have to - are you sure you want to?"

"For more than two months we have been dating, and now I am standing here stating, that kiss me you can, for there is no ban. For what in the world are you waiting?"

With a grin, Forge impulsively reached down and caught Crystal's legs, sweeping her up off the floor, kissing her again. "Well, then. As minha princesa commands," he said as he walked the two of them over to the couch, leaning down for another long kiss.

...

time passes

...

more time passes

...

Not for the first time in one afternoon, Forge was overly grateful for the wide, overstuffed sofa. Stretched out, he vaguely wondered where his shirt had gotten to. Probably somewhere under one of the couch pillows, although the thought passed when he felt more than heard Crystal sigh against his chest.

Glancing down, he brushed a lock of hair away from her face and smiled. "Hello there," he said, admiring her for a good long moment. "Comfortable?"

Crystal nodded. She'd hoped that her rhyming time was over, but quickly realized it wasn't as soon as she spoke. "The answer to that is yes, but it appears I cannot say anything less, than five lines at a time, and they must be in rhyme; classes tomorrow will surely be a mess."

"You could always take a sick day," Forge suggested, idly rubbing her shoulder with his fingers. "Or put the kids on independent study until this blows over?"

Crystal shook her head, relaxing. "I have never missed a class yet, and I have to say that I was all set, to keep it that way, but this is an odd day. The library is a good place to learn, I will bet."

Forge nodded and reached around, fumbling one-handed on the nearby end table until he found his PDA, called up the journal software, and handed it over to Crystal. After a few tries and edits of "You might not want to tell them that" and "there are things your students don't need to know", an appropriate post was formed and sent.

"Now that's taken care of," Forge said, stretching out with one arm under Crystal, curling to tuck her into his side comfortably. "If you're still feeling the peril of impending poetry, I have just the solution..."