Cozy Math success.

John would have slightly mixed feelings if he actually knew why she seems so happy (he's supposed to be thinking about doing better next time), but he attributes her proudness to the fact that they're figuring out complicated set theory problems involving quantifiers instead. He, too, is pretty happy about the progress they're making. With any luck, the extra help (she's really clever!) will help him get further into the book than he ever has before. 

That is also an excellent and laudable form of Cozy Math Success!

John can keep at this for another hour or so (possibly long enough to start regretting the lack of couch, though every time he does he remembers why this is better and stops regretting), but at some point he'll start to worry about how late it's getting. 

Rosy may also be getting a bit worn out by that point. She stifles a yawn and admits, "We should probably call it quits so I can be in top form tomorrow. The first step of any ritual is getting a good night's sleep the night before." (This comes out in the cadence of a well-worn proverb.)

"That makes a lot of sense," John says. "I should head home and practice my lines some more and... try and negotiate with my mother." Ugh. "When should I meet with you again?" He giggles. "When should we two meet again?" Wait, fuck, no, that was a bad idea to- 

Heeeeeeeee 💖💖💖

Oh. Okay. Maybe everything is fine? He smiles back at her. And then tentatively leans over for an affectionate kiss? (Is that allowed, right now?) 

Very much so yes. 💖

Oh. Well, good. He's not going to linger there long (making out with her seems really foolish at the moment, though less so than it did an hour or so ago), but he will smile as he kisses her (and feel a little better yet again. How does she keep doing that). "Okay, but seriously, when should I come see you tomorrow, for the waking ceremony and everything?" 

"I think our tentative plan was for you to show up around 4 or 5 so we can wake the house, let it serve us dinner, maybe check out a few of the rooms in their spruced-up state, then start prepping the ritual."

"Right!" he remembers now. Also he hadn't realized the house would serve them dinner which is pretty neat. "Okay, that sounds good to me. I'll probably have done a bunch of homework and chores by then. And maybe secured a sleepover, I hope." Fuck, how he hopes. "Should we, um, head out now, then?" Part of him is worried that she's not going to want to go with him the way she usually does. The rest of him knows that's pretty unlikely. 

"Let's!" She kisses him ebulliently on the cheek.

John grins despite himself again. (Phew.) "Downstairs, then?" He gets up out of the chair. "Or, wait, let me put this back first," he realizes, regretting having made her fetch it for him in the first place. 

"Sure, that'll give me time to get my skates on. Meet me on the front porch?"

"Sounds good to me!" he says. And then he's off to open and close doors (man this was more annoying than he thought, he should have volunteered to get it himself, what was he thinking, clearly he wasn't was he) and get a chair back into its proper place, before heading down to see Rosy again. (And then say goodbye. He's not a fan of doing that, even if their rides together are kinda fun.) 

A wild Kallisto appears!

She's just heading up the stairs as he turns onto the final stretch from the first landing to the bottom, with a glass of water in one hand that may explain her presence here.

"Hello again," she says.

"Oh, um, hey," he says, all of his original embarrassment flooding back. "I, um, sorry about earlier." Isn't he supposed to be doing full sentences damnit? "I'm um, heading downstairs to see Rosy off right now." That was almost a complete sentence, right? 

"Don't worry about it," she says, continuing up the stairs. "I was the one being brash and inappropriate. Anyway, see you later!"

"No worries," John says. "See you later!" And, filled with relief at not having to continue this conversation any further (he'll do better next time, right?) he heads downstairs the rest of the way to meet up with Rosy. 

Rosy, waiting with her skates on, jumps up and bounces happily as soon as the front door opens.

He grins back at her. (Man, she really does just... love him. It feels good. Complicated at the moment... but good.) "You're cute, you know," he blurts. And then blushes a little. He's supposed to be controlling himself better than that! But she doesn't seem to mind, and so he doesn't mind either. (Mostly.) "Let me grab my bike, and we can head out." 

She needs to kiss him on the cheek first. But then yes.

He grins some more, and grabs his bike, and grins, and wishes maybe he'd kissed her more (but a bit too late now), and hops on his bike and off they go! 

Rosy is maybe more excited than she usually is when she's seeing John off. Probably something to do with what they'll be doing next time she sees him.