[Sometime during AU week]

[the_ex_in_xp]

[meanwhile at the dorms, a half-pirate and some girl who managed a +3 lockpicking skill in her bag of tricks are trying to break in to "their" room]

This lock is way more sophisticated than the others. You'd think they were worried about unsavory people trying to break in...

Comments

[the_ex_in_xp]

[looking down so she won't be tempted to point out that the fights and messes are rarely learning experiences and more of a constant stream of her fuck ups]

At that rate you must have levelled up a lot.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[siiiiiiiiiiiigh, though she's still smiling warmly and not letting any frustration over that reaction show]

Anyway. I just wanted to say that.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[there's a little frustration on her face, but it's obviously directed at herself, and she's working on hiding it, tapping out a little tune on her glass to draw attention away]

Thanks, Rox.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[but you being frustrated at yourself is worse than you being frustrated at me :/]

You're welcome. How's the bourbon?

[the_ex_in_xp]

[don't worry, she is curently making all signs of it vanish and giving you a distracting smile]

It's good and probably expensive. You have good taste in booze.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[warmly smiling back because ha we can both hide our feelings see that]

So that means her art's probably selling.

Or she just stole it.

[the_ex_in_xp]

Hey, don't throw your ninja self under the bus.

...maybe I stole it. With my inconspicuous-ness.

[but looking thoughtful]

How much would a gallery painter get anyway?

[the_ex_in_excessive]

I mean, that's a tough question. There are a lot of variables, like the commission that the gallery takes and what the artist values their art at, factoring in stuff like the materials and time it took to make. Could be hundreds, could be thousands...

[the_ex_in_xp]

What would you value it at? From what you saw so far...

[the_ex_in_excessive]

-- oh, I seriously don't know. I've never even sold my work in galleries, and I haven't seen what it looks like on a canvas or anything...

[the_ex_in_xp]

Can I ask why not? I mean, you were always better than those pretentious art majors who thought it was clever to paint shit for gullible critics, wanting to make themselves sound smart by deconstructing it or whatever.

It's not like what you're doing isn't also awesome, I'm just curious aftee seeing a you that's into it.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Oh, uh, jeez...

[biting her lip and clearly trying to figure out how to explain]

I guess I just don't like putting myself out there the way you have to? I don't... I'm not really good at high-concept stuff or revealing stuff that's really personal, I guess.

[the_ex_in_xp]

Oh. I get how you might not want to get too personal. I thought you could just do what you wanted as long as you painted it well, but you aren't the pretentious faker type like those guys.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

I guess not.

That's really sweet of you to say I'm better, though...

[the_ex_in_xp]

I'm not being sweet, especially some of those guys couldn't draw anatomically correct boobs to save their lives.

But this shows that you obviously could make it if you wanted to.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[making a brief :/ face because oh c'mon take a compliment]

Because of her art? I don't know about that. There's probably a ton of different stuff that happened to her that never happened to me.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[I DON'T WANNA, but kind of mistaking the :/ face for something else]

I mean, I'm not saying you'd be exactly alike but if you wanted to put yourself out there or something it'd work. Obviously, you guys have your differences...

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[augh dammit this is what I get for letting frustration show ever

reaching out to place her hand on top of yours because no don't take that the wrong way]

It really means something to me that you think that. I dunno, I do do actual real art sketches sometimes. Maybe I'll try to do more.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[it's what you get for trying to be nice to someone like me, but at least I am turning my hand a little so you can get a better grip]

You mean, like, personal stuff? Because your card things are real art too, just...cutesy and for a different purpose. Like how a barbershop quartet isn't going to be like punk rock.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[except I know someone like you can also be sweet and super-dorky and I have mental records of this :|

also squeezing your hand appreciatively after the real art comment]

That's a really good way of putting it, yeah...

[the_ex_in_xp]

[I deny both things, but if I were going to be sweet, I'd prefer it be not mentioned and just let your super-dorkiness carry the day :|

and not moving her hand away]

They're the same type. But I've got a lot more experience dealing with pretentious elitists in music than painting...

[the_ex_in_excessive]

I think they're probably a lot more aggressive in music. The whole live performance adrenaline thing...

[the_ex_in_xp]

Which is funny because the most aggressive displays I've seen were at teen shows and those wannabe folk singers with a guitar--hey, like that time at the coffee shop during midterms.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Probably because they're not getting the aggression out. It's all just building up.

[the_ex_in_xp]

And that's terrible, totally why I recommend letting that anger out as soon as possible.