[Drama] Potential Stress eating?

[Basil Benson]

Basil found his girlfriend in the cafeteria, and slid casually into the seat across from her after collecting himself a mug of hot water from the cafeteria line. He was steeping the Lady Grey he was so fond of in it, the smell of citrus getting stronger as it set.

"I don't normally do this sort of thing because I have a wonderful girlfriend who loves me ever so much but I saw you from the other side of the cafeteria and I thought 'God she's gorgeous, I must have her' ssooooooooo-

What up giiirrrrrrrlll?" He teased, borrowing a bad pick up line he'd gotten from some of the American boys.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette's tray usually sported a few desserts, but on this occasion it was almost entirely a collection of various cakes and puddings. And half of the plates and bowls were already empty. Her "complexion" grew opaque once she had company, instinctively courteous enough to not eat with her mouth open, as it were.

"Flatterer." She has a hint of a smile, the dark-haired man a welcome ray of sunshine.

"How are you enjoying ze new... pairing?"

[Basil Benson]

"I got Diego. Almost sad it'll only last a few more weeks. I'm training him how to flirt with girls without being a total creeper and I'm not sure I'm being given enough time.

Maybe that's a good thing. If he becomes as good as I, he'll have ample opportunity to replace me when I'm not here anymore. Then how am I meant to impress?" He replied. It almost sounded flirty still? Why'd he seem sad?

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Oh, are you considering trading up?" Colette cut the spotted pudding with her spoon and held it out for Basil to try, the gesture conveying that she was merely teasing.

[Basil Benson]

"Haha." Basil rolled his eyes, catching into her joke.

"I'm not allowed to live off campus and still be attending here by the new rules.

I'll finish up my bachelor's, and then move into the flat."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Pardon?" Colette apparently hadn't fully understood these new rules. "I do not understand. Zis is not a boarding school, why would living on campus be mandatory?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil opened the announcement on his phone, then handed it to Colette so she could read it.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette scrolled through it with an opaque finger until she came to the entry in question. The first words out of her mouth were not the most polite, which was probably why she spoke them in French.

"But, zis is only my first year. If I were to leave ze school, I would be forced to return to France." She immediately sounded defeated.

[Basil Benson]

"Which is why you will remain here on Campus during the week, and have sleepovers with me on the weekends."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette thought it over. It was definitely preferable to going back to France.

"How would zey know whezer or not I was staying on campus? If zey assign me a room and I do not tell zem I am not sleeping zere, how would zey know?"

[Basil Benson]

"I have... thoughts about that. Ones I would rather not share in the cafeteria.

Suffice it to say, there's a reason I'm not abandoning the house project. It may very well be a part of our fallback plan."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Oh my, zis sounds serious."

[Basil Benson]

"Maybe... Or maybe I'm just paranoid. Wouldn't be the first time." Basil leant his face into his palm, and brought the other hand onto the table to brush his fingers against Colette's.

"No matter what happens, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. You know that, right?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"It does no harm to be prepared."

Colette smiled softly, feeling a little better. "I know zis. I would never doubt it."

[Basil Benson]

Basil looked somber for a moment, then followed up his statement with.

"I would never want to force you into this... but if it was required.... would you be willing to enter into a civil partnership?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette's fork hit the plate with a clatter. Yeah that was kind of a bombshell to drop, even under the circumstances.

"... pardon?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil fell entirely invisible, as most people wished they were upon rejection.

"Nevermind."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette reached out into the "void" for him, trying to take ahold of his hand or something. "No no no no no! Do not be like zis!" People around them were staring at the googirl talking loudly to herself.

"I, it just... this is so sudden. While I know this isn't an actual engagement or something, it's still a pretty big deal. I just wan't prepared for that question Basil." She retreated into her native French to better try and express herself. Having to translate things in her head before she said them slowed her down.

[Basil Benson]

The chair didn't move and the lack of sound suggested he hadn't left.

After several long awkward moments, Colette would notice some kind of clear liquid substance pooling slowly on the table surface.

And after a few more, he spoke.

"I didn't mean to put you on the spot like this. I wouldn't have ever asked you to marry me. I don't deserve that.

It's just the only fix I could come up with to keep you from getting deported if they revoke your student Visa. One that wouldn't require you to be married to me, and wouldn't take months to get approved."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette pushed her chair chair back and slowly walked around the table to Basil's side. And without asking for permission or warning him, she sat herself down on what she thought was his lap. Hard.

"Do not talk like that. I don't ever want to hear you talk about yourself that way. I don't even want you to think that about yourself."

She sought out his hair to stroke it gently, a one-sided token of public affection for the boy whose heart she just kept breaking.

"Don't take my hesitation as rejection, my tomcat. It hasn't been a year and we've gone from dating, to a couple, to the brink of living with each other, and now this. You've gifted me so much, swept me up into such a fairytale romance, it all just makes my head spin. Everything is happening so fast, I'm almost afraid to believe it could be real or else everything will come crashing down and I'll be forced to return to my old life. A life I thought was happy, but would now leave me listless and melancholy.

"Of course my answer is yes. I don't need to consider it or weigh my options. I want to stay here, with you. If I wake up in the morning and find you aren't sharing the bed with me, I want to be able to smile because I know I'll find you in your study with a book and a cup of coffee, or in the kitchen making breakfast, or in the shower because you've got a busy day and you want to get it done quickly so we can spend the afternoon together. I don't want it to be because I'm across the channel."

[Basil Benson]

Basil made the appropriate 'oooof!' As Colette made herself comfortable in his lap forcefully. Bones or not, she still had weight behind her landing.

When he realized she was attempting to comfort him, he nuzzled his face against her neck, making finding him a bit easier. Especially since he was beginning to dampen her blouse with his tears.

He seemed contented enough to stay like this, judging by the weight of his arms against her body as he wrapped them around her.

"I would never want you to do something you don't want to do.. It's just..." Basil paused. French was his second language, so now it was his turn to trip over his own tongue.

"You make me so happy, it would hurt too much to lose you like that. "

[Colette Rosenhof]

"How can you say zis, when I so often make you sad?" Colette tittered softly, giving Basil's hair a little peck, careful not to get him dirty.

"Your family is going to be so upset when zey find out about zis."

[Basil Benson]

"All the best things are terrible for you. Smoking... drinking... sweets... love..." He replied in that melancholic, wistful sort of tone he got when he went to that dark, romantic place of his that creeped Colette out just a smidge.

On the topic of his family, Basil added- "They may not have to. We may not have to. But I'm not going to risk losing you on a legal technicality."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette gently stroked Basil's hair, doing her best to try and make up for her earlier foible. "Zen I can rest easy, knowing zat when ze time comes I need not worry or panic." She looked down at him, or where he should be.

"Feeling any better now?"

[Basil Benson]

Colette wouldn't get an immediate response, but she felt Basil's body shift ever so lightly under her, and after a moment her tray started to slide slowly towards his side of the table.

"Perhaps you should stay just a little longer...? "

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette wiggled a bit, an arm draped around Basil's shoulder as she settled in for the long haul. She retrieved her fork and put it to work.

"Zis is acceptable."

[Basil Benson]

Ever the gentleman, Basil kept things classy while he was invisible and allowed her to eat in peace, his mug occassionally floating in mid-air.

Eventually, his suit would come back into view, his arm wrapped around Colette's waist, his left hand on the table in front of him, fidgeting with his mug.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette continued to eat, not taking too long to finish her plates.

"I am going to miss having Chisaki as a roommate. Ze alternative ze school has provided is... less preferable."

[Basil Benson]

The frown on his face was clear in his voice.

"What's wrong kitten?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"She zrows knives."

[Basil Benson]

"At you?" Basil replied, sounding concerned.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Not yet. Just ze ceiling so far. I do not understand why people break zings."

[Basil Benson]

Basil was silent for a moment or two before speaking again.

"I think sometimes those who weren't taught how to show care don't know how." He replied.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"It seems razer selfish to me. Zat because somezing holds no value for you, it is okay to damage it. Perhaps it is because I have had to depend a lot of public property, but I do not see ze appeal of breaking somezing zat can benefit anozer."

[Basil Benson]

"What I mean to say is we have many under-loved and orphaned children here under one roof, all grown up. Your parents tend to be the sort that teach you valuable life lessons about these sorts of things..."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Zat is true... perhaps I have been unfair. It just felt as zough she looked for reasons to try and spark an argument. Pushing ze buttons, as it were."

[Basil Benson]

Basil's tone took an unusually playful tone, considering his girlfriend was so vexxed.

"Sounds like you'll have a lot of pent up frustrations to let out by the end of semester..."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I hope not. Zough I zink zat my attempts to not provoke her may... provoke her."

[Basil Benson]

"Well.... what did you do?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I tried to suggest perhaps she could practice zrowing her knives... somewhere ozer zan in ze room. And... I do not know. It just felt like she would pick at my words to try and twist zem or mock zem."

Colette hugged herself to Basil more, petting his head as he might a cat.