Alani & Paige | Everyone is Totally Okay
Mar. 28th, 2024 08:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(backdated to March 28th) Paige pays Alani a visit, and the girls discuss how things are going for them.
“So, you’re alive,” Alani commented with an amused grin as she motioned to Paige to enter her suite, “congratulations. How are you feeling about the semester? Like you’re okay?” The question was blatant concern as she watched the younger woman.
“Yep, still breathing last I checked.” Paige smiled back. “Semester’s fine, I’ve been staying on top of my workload ok. Even if everyone says I’ve practically moved into the library here. Though I’ve been spending more time in my room now that Mel’s moved up here. Been trying to help her adjust.”
"You're a very good sister, and I'm glad you're utilizing the library, I think you're there more than me and I work there," a soft click of her tongue as Alani looked towards her calendar, "part-time. Do not be like me and get a million jobs, get one job with one of the rich people around here who'll pay you for chilling. Learn from my mistakes." She would have shaken Paige by her shoulders if she believed that would hammer down the plea.
“I’ve got an assistantship at school, actually. Don’t worry, I won’t over do it.” Easier said than done. But Paige was balancing full time classes, her assistantship, that class she was auditing, and her family stuff well. Ask anyone. “How’re you?”
“Thank god,” Alani sighed in relief on behalf of Paige. On the other question, she offered a slight smile, polite but nothing else to it. "Ehhh, I'm alive, and that's pretty good. Otherwise, uni, externship that goes with uni, and my many, many jobs. We're very happy together, my jobs and I." A snort of a laugh, before a sudden realization had her looking at the blonde in surprise. "Oh goodness, I didn't offer you anything, sorry, my brain's all scrambled I guess. Can I get you some water? Or something stronger?"
“You’re fine! Water’s good, unless you’re also planning on drinking.” Paige moved further into the suite and sat down in a chair. “You do keep busy. You sure you have enough time to hang out?” she joked.
At that, Alani couldn’t help but laugh, knowing full well what kind of life she lived. “Don’t worry, we’re operating on my smoko, which I am legally obligated to have.” Pouring herself and Paige a glass of water, she set it down in front of the blonde, and grinned. “Anything really fun come up in your studies?”
“My Cognition, Emotion, and Culture course has been fun….I think I have a test coming up in that class. Should do some more studying for that later.” Paige took a sip of water, trying to distract herself from going down the thought spiral of planning out her next few weeks. “What have you been studying?”
"Oh," Alani whistled appreciatively at the subject, "that does sound fun. Can I see your readings for that when you've got a chance? I'm enjoying my course on global mental health, because, I mean, it's likely something I'll get a taste of eventually. Well, if I get my way at least." This was followed by a huff as she blew her hair out of her face. While there was clear annoyance, a slight grin remained.
"Can I ask? Do you wanna go back home when you get your degree?"
“No,” Paige said firmly. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s things I miss from home, but it kinda has a way of trapping you there. I don’t think I’ll ever go back for good.” She stopped for a moment to think. “Might move back South, but definitely not back home.”
"I wasn't going to jump to assumptions, don't worry. I just — talking to people in my program, there's such a mix of plans, so I just wanted to ask you," Alani wrapped an arm around her knees, pausing to stretch and feel her back pop a little as some tension resolved itself, "I'm kinda weighing my options. Sorry, not to push you to share, I never want you to feel like you gotta talk about things you might not wanna."
“Oh, it’s fine.” Paige waved her off. “I just don’t want to go back home. But it’s nice that you’re thinking about it. And I’m only in my first semester of a five year program, I haven’t really started planning too far ahead yet. I’ll start making my next ten year plan over the summer. But I guess you’re at a point where you need to start thinking about that.”
"Nearly at the end of year two for my four, and honestly, god, that's scary as hell.” As Alani spoke she stared at her glass of water with an intensity that implied she was trying to change its base properties into something stronger. Snapping her eyes back up to flash Paige a grin, she set it back down. “I will say — if you want or need any help with that, I’m here. I’m not wiser, but I am older, and, let’s be honest, prettier than Samford.”
Paige blushed a bit at the last statement and took a drink of water to hide it. “I’ll keep that in mind. I should probably start thinking about internships.” She sighed. “Lots to think about.”
"That is the unfortunate thing about higher education," this was accompanied by a deep sigh, "too much to think about, and really you have to think about almost all of it at some point. Which means I've likely cursed you with future plans by voicing mine, and I am sorry for that.”
Paige waved her off. “I’m sure it’s fine, just need to update my bullet journal and excel sheet. Might be spending a few more hours in the library in the coming weeks.”
A grin picked up again on Alani’s face as she watched Paige explain her upcoming plans. "Well, perfect, we can have more sober time in the library if it's my shift. Ooor I think we hired people, haha, let's not get into how my first job fell to the wayside. Oh, actually, can I ask? Favorite book?" The interest in the blonde's response was clear on her face as she asked.
“Oh, there’s so many to pick from.” Paige paused, running through a mental catalog of books. “Uh, I love Discworld, The Princess Bride is a classic, A Wizard of Earthsea is also good, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens are great, too….I don’t think I answered your question, but I read a lot.” She cringed for a moment. “Or at least I did before school took over my life. What about you?”
"No, you did," Alani assured her. "Honestly, a lot the same, I admit, I don't care as much for classics as a re-read but understand the literary importance, but Discworld, anything by Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Louise Erdrich, and I really like Thomas King, too. But, just like you I'd have to say, I really haven't been doing a lot of reading for myself recently, and I should definitely think about that."
"We've both got too much going on," Paige sighed. She missed being able to read an entire novel in one go. "Maybe we should start a book club, keep each other accountable. Once we're free...though that's probably not happening anytime soon. Nice thought, anyway." She knew herself well enough to know that with everything she was doing, she would likely forget to do the reading for their meetups anyway. They'd just have to find some other excuse to hang out again.
“So, you’re alive,” Alani commented with an amused grin as she motioned to Paige to enter her suite, “congratulations. How are you feeling about the semester? Like you’re okay?” The question was blatant concern as she watched the younger woman.
“Yep, still breathing last I checked.” Paige smiled back. “Semester’s fine, I’ve been staying on top of my workload ok. Even if everyone says I’ve practically moved into the library here. Though I’ve been spending more time in my room now that Mel’s moved up here. Been trying to help her adjust.”
"You're a very good sister, and I'm glad you're utilizing the library, I think you're there more than me and I work there," a soft click of her tongue as Alani looked towards her calendar, "part-time. Do not be like me and get a million jobs, get one job with one of the rich people around here who'll pay you for chilling. Learn from my mistakes." She would have shaken Paige by her shoulders if she believed that would hammer down the plea.
“I’ve got an assistantship at school, actually. Don’t worry, I won’t over do it.” Easier said than done. But Paige was balancing full time classes, her assistantship, that class she was auditing, and her family stuff well. Ask anyone. “How’re you?”
“Thank god,” Alani sighed in relief on behalf of Paige. On the other question, she offered a slight smile, polite but nothing else to it. "Ehhh, I'm alive, and that's pretty good. Otherwise, uni, externship that goes with uni, and my many, many jobs. We're very happy together, my jobs and I." A snort of a laugh, before a sudden realization had her looking at the blonde in surprise. "Oh goodness, I didn't offer you anything, sorry, my brain's all scrambled I guess. Can I get you some water? Or something stronger?"
“You’re fine! Water’s good, unless you’re also planning on drinking.” Paige moved further into the suite and sat down in a chair. “You do keep busy. You sure you have enough time to hang out?” she joked.
At that, Alani couldn’t help but laugh, knowing full well what kind of life she lived. “Don’t worry, we’re operating on my smoko, which I am legally obligated to have.” Pouring herself and Paige a glass of water, she set it down in front of the blonde, and grinned. “Anything really fun come up in your studies?”
“My Cognition, Emotion, and Culture course has been fun….I think I have a test coming up in that class. Should do some more studying for that later.” Paige took a sip of water, trying to distract herself from going down the thought spiral of planning out her next few weeks. “What have you been studying?”
"Oh," Alani whistled appreciatively at the subject, "that does sound fun. Can I see your readings for that when you've got a chance? I'm enjoying my course on global mental health, because, I mean, it's likely something I'll get a taste of eventually. Well, if I get my way at least." This was followed by a huff as she blew her hair out of her face. While there was clear annoyance, a slight grin remained.
"Can I ask? Do you wanna go back home when you get your degree?"
“No,” Paige said firmly. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s things I miss from home, but it kinda has a way of trapping you there. I don’t think I’ll ever go back for good.” She stopped for a moment to think. “Might move back South, but definitely not back home.”
"I wasn't going to jump to assumptions, don't worry. I just — talking to people in my program, there's such a mix of plans, so I just wanted to ask you," Alani wrapped an arm around her knees, pausing to stretch and feel her back pop a little as some tension resolved itself, "I'm kinda weighing my options. Sorry, not to push you to share, I never want you to feel like you gotta talk about things you might not wanna."
“Oh, it’s fine.” Paige waved her off. “I just don’t want to go back home. But it’s nice that you’re thinking about it. And I’m only in my first semester of a five year program, I haven’t really started planning too far ahead yet. I’ll start making my next ten year plan over the summer. But I guess you’re at a point where you need to start thinking about that.”
"Nearly at the end of year two for my four, and honestly, god, that's scary as hell.” As Alani spoke she stared at her glass of water with an intensity that implied she was trying to change its base properties into something stronger. Snapping her eyes back up to flash Paige a grin, she set it back down. “I will say — if you want or need any help with that, I’m here. I’m not wiser, but I am older, and, let’s be honest, prettier than Samford.”
Paige blushed a bit at the last statement and took a drink of water to hide it. “I’ll keep that in mind. I should probably start thinking about internships.” She sighed. “Lots to think about.”
"That is the unfortunate thing about higher education," this was accompanied by a deep sigh, "too much to think about, and really you have to think about almost all of it at some point. Which means I've likely cursed you with future plans by voicing mine, and I am sorry for that.”
Paige waved her off. “I’m sure it’s fine, just need to update my bullet journal and excel sheet. Might be spending a few more hours in the library in the coming weeks.”
A grin picked up again on Alani’s face as she watched Paige explain her upcoming plans. "Well, perfect, we can have more sober time in the library if it's my shift. Ooor I think we hired people, haha, let's not get into how my first job fell to the wayside. Oh, actually, can I ask? Favorite book?" The interest in the blonde's response was clear on her face as she asked.
“Oh, there’s so many to pick from.” Paige paused, running through a mental catalog of books. “Uh, I love Discworld, The Princess Bride is a classic, A Wizard of Earthsea is also good, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens are great, too….I don’t think I answered your question, but I read a lot.” She cringed for a moment. “Or at least I did before school took over my life. What about you?”
"No, you did," Alani assured her. "Honestly, a lot the same, I admit, I don't care as much for classics as a re-read but understand the literary importance, but Discworld, anything by Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Louise Erdrich, and I really like Thomas King, too. But, just like you I'd have to say, I really haven't been doing a lot of reading for myself recently, and I should definitely think about that."
"We've both got too much going on," Paige sighed. She missed being able to read an entire novel in one go. "Maybe we should start a book club, keep each other accountable. Once we're free...though that's probably not happening anytime soon. Nice thought, anyway." She knew herself well enough to know that with everything she was doing, she would likely forget to do the reading for their meetups anyway. They'd just have to find some other excuse to hang out again.
