[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]

[staring at you, a sad expression on her face]

There was one part about college that was my thing...

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[staring really intently at the floor, not looking angry or miserable really but maybe being a little evasive]

The ability to find a party going on pretty much any night, or...?

[the_ex_in_xp]

[that's cool, evasive is her Thing]

Nah, I had that ability even back home in the middle of nowhere. Besides, the quality of frat parties meant I didn't really want a repeat.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Oh. Well, if it's not that...

[the_ex_in_xp]

[tilts her head, a faint smile at the corner of her lips]

C'mon, you really want me to spell it out?

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[she's smiling a little too in spite of herself]

Well, okay, I guess I'm being a little silly...

[the_ex_in_xp]

[cautiously reaching out, like she doesn't want to be mistaken for being aggressive, and running her knuckles across your cheek affectionately like she used to as part of a "see? I have not pummeled my hands into ground chuck, be proud of me" after numerous fights]

No, I should've told you. Maybe not about the problems, but about the good stuff. You made college worthwhile.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[and as always when you did that, her cheek has a certain warmth to it because of your touch, affirming that yes, she is proud]

So did you, Ramona.

[the_ex_in_xp]

I might've made it "interesting." But the degree's the thing justifying thousands of dollars worth of debt.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

The degree's a line on a resume. I mean, the training and art theory was important, but I don't really think about a lot of that when I think about college.

[the_ex_in_xp]

It's what got you your job and all your other fun adult things. Meanwhile, I gave you tons of bad date stories you can share in your social gatherings.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

And, you know, other, more important things. But yeah.

[the_ex_in_xp]

[eyes flickering briefly to your tattoo before covering it up with the excuse of running her hands through your hair and over your shoulder]

I thought stuff like a very visual demonstration on fire safety was pretty important.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[lapsing from the insecurity to smile in spite of herself at both the comment and the hair-touching]

That one was actually pretty helpful, yeah...

[the_ex_in_xp]

[since that seems to be working better than talking about feelings, using it as an excuse to keep her hand there]

See? That could potentially save lives. Or destroy incoming zombie hordes if you want to use the molotov cocktail part...

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[reaching up to hold your hand]

I'm going to hope that that bit of information never becomes relevant, sweetie.

[the_ex_in_xp]

Apparently there are zombies here too. But they're lazy and don't even bother shambling towards people, so it's not exactly relevant...

[letting you hold hands, her face that confused expression where too many feelings are going on at once to really make a display]

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Oh. Well, hey, there's something I definitely don't want to sketch.

[she knows that face and is just going to reassuringly run her thumb across the back of your hand in the meantime]

[the_ex_in_xp]

[chuckles]

Yeah, it's not greeting card appropriate. Unless you count Halloween, but they're not even photogenic zombies...

You think I could get a sketch of this place later? Not the dog costume one but just...one in general. As a reminder that this hasn't been a weird fever dream, or if it is, you shared it with me?

[the_ex_in_excessive]

[smiling warmly again!]

Of course you can. I guess the sketches would be the proof...

[the_ex_in_xp]

And a nice memento. Or at least the nice part of being suddenly kidnapped into an alternate universe.

[the_ex_in_excessive]

I think I need proof on your end too, though. Do you have a phone?

[the_ex_in_xp]

Uh, sure. What kind of proof are you thinking of?

[awkwardly pulling out a phone with the hand currently not being held]

[the_ex_in_excessive]

Maybe some photos?

[the_ex_in_xp]

[blinks, because she doesn't really use her phone for photos unless it's insurance claims but alright]

Okay. We can do that. --wait, how do you not have a phone that takes a billion pictures?