Haunted House College AU

[worthallthis]

While the army is covering tuition, it doesn't cover living expenses, and temporary work on-campus is better than temporary work off-campus. So when the drama department managed to raise funds for a haunted house in one of the frat houses, James put on his best "I can kill you with my pinky" look, a shabby suit (shabby is really all he has, so, lucky), and his growing out hair loose around his face and "interviewed" for a spot as in-character for a creepy fucky as possible.

He had to refuse the first offer to be one of the ghosts inside. Dropping the character and donning a slightly sheepish smile, "Really not that keen on jumping out an' scaring people. Especially the ones that get punchy when they're scared." When the interviewer looked at his resume, saw his army tour (the whole "captured and tortured" thing isn't on there, but it doesn't have to be), she just nodded and stuck him at introductions and taking tickets. The pay isn't great, but it'll cover meals for a while.

So he shows up for opening night, gets his face done all pale with stage-make up and his suit a little spruced up with a very fancy shirt underneath from the costume department, and takes in the faces of the other people who'd been brought on.

Comments

[worthallthis]

Yeah, it kinda is painful. But he deals with it. Sure does contribute to all the eating, though, he's discovered. The more he uses the arm, the more it hurts, the hungrier he gets.

"Good memories, I guess," he says, maybe a little wistfully. "There was an open-air rink back in New York that set up every winter, and we went whenever we could afford it."

[shadowsran]

Aw. There's a telltale incline in her eyebrows, her smile twitching wider a moment. That's a sweet thought.

"Never been near enough a rink, but they must be nice. Outdoors is probably better though, I'd bet-- hear the animals, get a good winter sky overhead, it's magic."

[worthallthis]

"Is it pretty empty down there then? Not a ton of people?" Bodes well for not cracking the ice and drowning half the skaters, if so. Maybe slightly less well for the ice being thick enough to skate on, though.

[shadowsran]

"Depends when you're there, you're obviously gonna get a lot of people during the day and less at night, but I'd say night's better. Colder, but better odds of getting it alone, quieter, stars-- it's nice."

[worthallthis]

Also fewer people to accidentally get plunged into freezing water should he break the ice, but fewer people to call for help too. Hmm. He'll have to think on it. "So I take it you've gone at night, before."

[shadowsran]

"All the time! I go mostly at night. Never any classes, usually way fewer people if any, moon, I'd say all-around it's a better time at night. Not for everyone, though. Cold as hell."

Which she's acquired a certain taste for, within reason.

"Moving keeps you warm enough, but the walk back isn't as great."

[worthallthis]

"Then clearly you need company. Even if all I do it watch, still sounds nice." Though he hopes he doesn't have to just watch.

For now, they're just about at her apartment. "Looks like this is your stop."

[shadowsran]

"So it is!"

Hardly noticed, so pleasantly engrossed in both conversation and recollection. The steps are scaled, and he receives one more wave. "We'll be baking at one another pretty soon, so I guess it's not a goodbye-goodbye? Get home safe, anyway. G'night."

[worthallthis]

"Hold up a sec." He trots up the steps after her, and pulls out his phone. "You ought to have my number. For the skating." Since that will possibly happen before Christmas break and the next semester's classes, and, well, she did promise to show him around over Christmas break. He might be kind of hopeful that she'd actually do it.

and if he wants to scamper off I can timeskip us next tag :|b

[shadowsran]

"Oh-! Right, yeah, smart." It's all felt like such fortunate happenstance so far she'd half-imagined it would just continue to conveniently happen. "I'll keep it to the important stuff, promise not to spam you with pictures of birds."

It's been known to happen, now and then. The number is quickly entered and labeled, and she seems somehow brighter still for it.

"Skating, tours, it's gonna be an eventful winter as long as I've got anything to do with it. Real-goodnight, now."

excellent, timeskip away!

[worthallthis]

"Nothing wrong with pictures of birds." He doesn't ask for hers, letting her decide when to make that call herself. But she does get a smile. "Goodnight for real, Misty. Sleep well."

Then he steps back down off her porch, tucks his hands into his pockets, and heads off. He's still got a little schoolwork to get done tonight, and then it's class tomorrow. But at least there's money in the bank, and maybe a new friend. If she calls him.

[shadowsran]

Tempting as some are, she manages to restrain herself for some time. No bird pictures, however many she might catch on a particular patch of lawn.

What does get her is the first snowfall accumulating more than just flurries, exactly a week after the return from Thanksgiving off. It won't be enough to close roads, and the lake is definitely a ways from being frozen over, but it's real snow, and thus a wonder she managed to wait until she was sure any classes would be over before shooting over a message.

Hey! It's Misty. Are you free tonight? Finally the right vibe for cocoa, and there's a great little place in town. Start off easy.

[worthallthis]

It's been a long month, especially with the holiday, lots of hours worked, and one of his classes assigning a massive project with scheduled check-ins so nobody can really procrastinate on it. James is laying on his bed with his laptop, ostensibly reviewing articles but really staring out the window in something of a blue mood, when the text comes through.

He'd half-forgotten he'd given Misty his number, actually. Wondered once if he'd dreamed that whole damn weekend-- wouldn't be the first time. But apparently not this time.

He writes back, "All I've got is homework and I'm happy to ignore that a while longer. Do I meet you at your place or in town?"

[shadowsran]

My place if you don't mind? The walk's half the fun. Snow's not bad but it's windier than it looks, maybe spring for a scarf and gloves. I'll be on the steps.

A seasoned winter explorer, she's prepared nearly minutes after sending the text. It's early enough in the season she can stubbornly cling to her skirts, but has to accept lined leggings or risk a miserable outing. Her coat is thin, but whenever he shows up he'll find her looking far from uncomfortable. A little nip in the air, is all.

"Hey!" Comes the proper greeting. "Thanks for being a good sport about the short notice."

[worthallthis]

Oh wait, does she mean now? He frowns at the text, then scrambles to get some clean clothes on. ... and to shave, oops, he hasn't done that in a couple days. Then he jogs most of the way to her place to save time, grateful for the changes that'd been made to him at least in that he's not out of breath or even sweaty when he hit her block.

He does walk from the corner, because running towards where he can see her waiting seems kinda dumb. "Hey. So is spontaneous your thing?" But he's smiling as he says it, hands in his pockets.

[shadowsran]

"Not always, I promise." Laughing, up a hand goes to rub the back of her neck. "Didn't want to waste the atmosphere though, we've got the snow finally and this is about when the sun starts setting earlier - don't want to send you home in the dark."

Seems only considerate, charitable as his speeding over was.

"And I'm thinking the cafe tonight, which'll take a minute unless you want to drink and walk."

[worthallthis]

"I'm at your disposal, Misty," he says mock-gallantly. "This is your surprise trip, and my procrastination on a class project, so I'll let you take the lead here. Whatever you wanna do, I will be happy to try out."

[shadowsran]

"Such a gentleman," she coos, followed by a laugh as she hops off the steps. The trip to the cafe can be a meandering one then, more scenic than a beeline would be. He'll know to follow.

"Nothing too exciting to start, just see the place all snowy and watch the little side street with cocoa. Start you off easy."

[worthallthis]

"I have seen snow before, Misty," he chuckles, but not in a way that makes it sound like he thinks it's a waste of time. He does indeed fall in beside her, looking around, hands in his pockets. The metal one is especially cold-seeming after the job to get here, the rest of him warmed up nicely. "New York gets it pretty regular."

[shadowsran]

"Novel to me, then, respect your snow guide's awe here." Not everyone has the fortunate to roll in from a cooler climate. "And this is the first real one of the season, you know? You're getting to see the whole town just a little blanketed, before it gets all cumbersome and turns to slush."

Her pleasure with the afternoon is worn plainly. Every other passing flake is a source of excitement.

"And cool enough cocoa'll feel good, always better when it's actually warming you up. Too early for the lake, but sightseeing's nice."

[worthallthis]

He smiles and bumps her shoulder lightly. "I don't think I've had cocoa since I was a kid. I take it I'm in for a treat."

[shadowsran]

"You serious? If I weren't brought up in such hot spaces I'd have never stopped with it. You're in for an experience, then." It's warm chocolate, how could anybody go long without it? In the service, maybe, but not back home. It's so accessible. Her shock runs humorously deep. "Hot cocoa, walk in the snow, it's gonna be magic."

[worthallthis]

He chuckles at her. "I believe you." He's been a coffee aficionado for a long time, and it just edged cocoa out, he thinks. He hasn't really thought about it. "Tell me how you've been. I never got any bird pictures, not sure if that's good or bad."

[shadowsran]

"Oh, I didn't want to bother you!" Laughing, one hand goes to the back of her neck. "I heard projects were coming up in a lot of programs on your end, figured maybe it wasn't the time to be spamming you with pigeons."

Friends of kind-of friends, of course. She doesn't have any fingers on that pulse. "I've been good! Quiet. Settling into the season, waiting for snow, ticking off more classes. Bracing for final projects before things totally turn over, waiting on Christmas break...excited. I like winter a lot. No disasters to report, glad to say. You?"

[worthallthis]

"Work and classes," he shrugs with a sheepish little smile. "Literally nothing interesting at all, unless you want stories about jerks who tell me to rearrange their groceries after I've finished bagging 'em, or want to hear about tensile calculations." He's pretty sure neither one is going to be fun to hear, much less to tell. "What classes are you in this semester?"