Xaviers!

"Are you sure you should be uh... spreading that around? Sounds like she's incognito."

"It's not like I'm telling just anybody... Besides, I'm pretty sure the incog is about to be a lot less nito judging by what she's been saying."


"And... uhm... I might be helping her out. With... a thing."

"A... thing?" Janice asks, quirking a brow.

"Like a... PR thing. Somebody's blackmailing her with a picture of her kinda... smooching on Jez and there's like this whole court... drama situation? I didn't ask about the details, but she'd be in big trouble if her people found out so me miiiight be pretendingJezDrunkenlyKissedTheWrongRoommateAndShe'sActuallyGoingOutWithMe?" Nailah rattles off a little too quickly, face scrunched up awkwardly.

"I didn't... quite get that but drunk kissing was somewhere in there."

Nailah takes a deep breath and snaps open her eyes with some more steel in them than Janice is used to seeing. It's a bit of the edge that lets the awkward Sphinxling go out and throw punches.

"They're going to pretend Jez came into our room and that the picture they have is of her accidentally kissing the wrong roommate. It means pretending I'm going out with her, taking a couple fake pictures for Instagram and such."

"Oh geez, am I messing that up for you?"

"What? No! What? It's just... kinda weird and... you're not jealous?"

"Well I mean it's... just pretend and all, right?"

"But it means I can't be dating you until that's over..."

"Not officially at least." she winks.

"Does sneaking around with your girlfriend tie into the sexy jewel thief fetish?" She smirks.

"Only if it's in a museum, at night..." she says, aiming for cool, but gets at least a little bit distracted by the idea itself.

"That's a big ask for a second date."

"Not saying we could break into the Natural History Museum and have a midnight picnic with the dinosaur bones, but we totally could..."

"Might have to wait until you're done getting into trouble for a princess," she chuckles.

"Oh. I guess..."

"What, did you already have it all planned out just now?"

"What? No! I mean... I could have. Sort of. But I get it. It'd be weird."

"Don't worry. I can still slip you some nice things on the downlow, to let you know I'm thinking of you."

"Or possibly just to make you blush. Fifty-fifty."

Nailah's eyebrows scrunch up a little. "Wha--oh!" She suddenly looks very flustered.

"You're not mad?"

"I mean, I guess it makes about as much sense as anything else that goes on at this bloody school."

That's not a no... Nailah thinks to herself, but then instead says "Yeah, I guess. Thanks! For being so cool about this..."

"Well you did just save my arse and all."

"One captured villain equals one time get out of trouble free?" she chuckles weakly.