[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_excessive]

... oh.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[chuckles in spite of herself]

See? I told you.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Whatever, no fair. You know when you get self-deprecating my brain immediately goes into "no, stop that, you're amazing" mode.

[the_ex_in_xp]

I'm not self-deprecating. I'm having standards for, like, once in my life...

And nice wasn't a good compliment either. It's so generic and usually I hear it as an excuse for a lack of anything else to describe someone like handsome or talented or smart. But you're...you're actually nice. Like, dictionary definition, decent human being, how the word should be used nice.

[shrugs a bit, like this attempt of sincerity is really unsuited for her]

...even if your brain goes into the wrong mode sometimes.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

... I really like that. I feel like I owe you one back now.

[the_ex_in_xp]

You really don't owe me anything.

[which could be said of everything, but clarifying]

I'm already having trouble keeping up, remember?

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Fine, then, because I want to.

It's... there's something about hanging out with you that makes me feel safe. Which is funny, because I basically got into more trouble with you than I ever had in my entire life up to that point. But I always felt like things would work out okay, you know? Even that time where we were fighting, like... thirty-five people at once because you punched out UC Subterranea's mascot out. I guess you made me more okay with going on adventures and taking risks, and that's... you know. Really cool.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[no, why did you have to bring Feelings into this, running a hand through her hair]

Even when the risk didn't turn so great?

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[because I'm me]

Yeah. I mean, it's okay for things to go wrong if you learn stuff from it, right? I like to think that some of the bad risks have made me stronger for getting through them...

[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.