Misc RH OC Scraps

[PARIYA] Penelope's Dorm

Pariya knocked on Penelope's dorm room door. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently. Between preparing as a group for the big runway project, working with Penelope's roommate Elena in many common classes, and carrying messages or packages from the family to her cousin, Pariya almost spent more time in that dorm than her own. Which, frankly, she was fine with. Pariya was finding it hard to get along with her roommates. At least she knew Penelope well.

Her cousin opened the door and smiled at Pariya. "Riya! Need something?"

"I just wanted to—" Pariya hesitated before using the slang term— "hang out."

"Oh." Penelope opened the door wider so the main room was visible, revealing her roommates in their pajamas, apparently in the middle of building a pillow fort. Both of the girls stared at her, wide-eyed. Pariya avoided their gazes.

"I see. You're busy."

"No! I mean, you're welcome to join us! It'll be just like back home! We could even invite Bebe if you wanted."

"No, that's alright." Pariya had been avoiding Bebe since the summer. She'd started feeling really weird and self-conscious around them. She was nervous enough already, trying to excel at school and her being so far from home and everything. "It's not important... Goodnight," she tried to turn and walk back to her own dorm, but Penelope put a hand on her shoulder.

"But you wanted to hang out," she said, a sympathetic note in her voice, "how about just for a few minutes? You must have free time if you came over here to begin with."

She had shot down Pariya's usual fallback to studying without her even having to mention it. Pariya rolled her eyes. That's what you get when your only friend is your cousin who's known you your whole life. Still, Penelope was right; Pariya accepted her offer and followed her into the room, nodding a greeting to her roommates as the cousins passed them on their way to the kitchenette. There, Penelope leaned against a corner and spoke in hushed tones to Pariya.

"Is something bothering you, Riya?"

Pariya shifted uncomfortably, but she and Penelope had always been close, and she trusted her. "I just... I try to focus on my studying and not waste time on people, but... then sometimes I feel lonesome."

"You know so many people are here for you. What about Arabelle and Bentley?"

"I can't exactly call them at any hour."

"Bebe, then." Penelope gave Pariya a piercing, searching stare. She had to look down.

"I don't want to talk to Bebe. I'm done being their friend."

"What happened?" Penelope's voice became sharp, urgent. "If they did something wrong to you then I want to avoid them too, I just don't know what caused you to suddenly cut them off like this."

"They didn't do anything to me, I just—! I don't want to talk about it. They're just not an option," Pariya insisted. A short silence followed.

"Well, you have me."

"I know."

"I'll always be here for you, Riya."

"I know."

Penelope outstretched her arms, and Pariya sank into the offered embrace. Penelope was one of the few people who was taller than Pariya, she was strong, and she usually wore a fluffy jacket; which is to say, she was the perfect person to hug. Pariya felt safe and supported in her arms.

Penelope patted her back and murmured, "You're welcome to stay here for the night. You don't have to be friendly with my roomies, but I want to hang out with you."

"...Alright. Let me retrieve my blanket and pillows from my dorm."

The cousins stepped out of the kitchenette, and Pariya crossed the living room to exit.

"Oh! You're leaving already?" Elena, the small roommate of Penelope's with blue hair and round glasses, asked excitedly. Pariya stiffened, but replied "I'm only getting something. I will return."

"Oooh!" Elena's eyes sparkled, "You need any help carrying your stuff?"

Pariya considered this. She didn't much like the idea of looking ridiculous trying to carry everything by herself. And besides, Penelope was wiggling her eyebrows encouragingly at her. So she accepted the offer, and the two girls walked back to Pariya's dorm together.

Elena had been in the dorm room before, but she still looked around in wonder when she entered. She hadn't, however, been in Pariya's own room before. The little room had white walls, but pink curtains were hung along them although there were no windows. Next to the door was a shelf that held a small shrine. Along the far wall was Pariya's bed, neatly made, a simple bedside table which held her glasses and notes, and a bookshelf. There was a closet, but the doors were closed. Pariya took the baby pink blanket off of her bed, folded it into a neat square, and handed it to Elena. Then she piled a pillow on top of that.

"Your room's real neat," Elena piped up as Pariya opened her closet– also incredibly organized– and rummaged around for some pajamas. "In both senses of the word!"

"...Thank you," Pariya enunciated clearly. She hadn't asked for the demigirl's opinion, and didn't think much of it, but she had to say that to keep people happy.

"Is that a pixie hollow bo–" Pariya immediately slammed the closet door shut, cutting off Elena's question.

Pariya gave a stiff smile. "Please go ahead of me to the other dorm. I have to change."

That she did, and when Pariya finally joined the others in their dorm, she was wearing her pajamas; a hot pink silk collared shirt and matching flowy pants. Her hair was in a braid down her back.

Elena stared at her. "I think this is the first time I've seen you in pants."

Penelope laughed, "usually it would be the other way around, right? Riya's so formal!"

"I prefer to present myself professionally," Pariya huffed. She intended to sit on the couch, but the cushions had been pulled off of it, so she begrudgingly sat between Penelope and Ebony in the pillow fort.

"Good luck with that," Ebony mumbled just loud enough for only Pariya to hear, "so much as associating with those two is unprofessional." Pariya almost wanted to comment that Ebony's gothic style and refusal to talk to most people wasn't exactly professional either, but she held her tongue. Instead she looked around at her surroundings.

"Elena," she began, "were you in charge of designing this fort?"

"Penelope designed it, Ebony and I built it. Why?"

Pariya tapped on one of the cushion walls, and the entire thing collapsed, burying Ebony, Penelope, and Elena in blankets and pillows. "Good. It's incredibly unstable." She grinned to herself. "I would have been disappointed."

Penelope took one of the pillows that had fallen on her and launched it at Pariya. "Rude! Let's see you do better, then!" Her voice was light with amusement.

"Gladly."