fandomhighdorms | Third Floor Common Room

It had been a busy day of classes and Neil was still a bit unsettled from the subject matter of Ethics. While some of the rumors started and flung around had been funny, it was also a stark reminder of the power of words and perception.

Dropping off his books in his room, Neil sifted out the ones he needed for Traditional Fairy Tales and then he decided to head back to the common room for a bit. He'd seen enough of the inside of his dorm room this past weekend and felt a change of scenary ~~and the chance to observe some of the post AU weekend awkwardness~~ might be a nice change of pace.

The TV didn't really interest him, so he flipped on a radio and made some popcorn. As microwaves were still a bit of an oddity for him, he made the popcorn the old fashion way, on the stove with oil, salt and fresh butter and he probably made way too much. Shrugging, he dumped it all together into a large bowl, which he placed on the table near the couch he flopped upon. Opening his books and perching his reading glasses on his nose, Neil put his feet up on the opposite cushion and set about doing some extra credit.

[Open, as common rooms tend to be.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Alec shook Neil's hand with a grin. "Nice to meet you, Neil. And don't worry about it, really. We do look exactly alike, except for our hair, how we dress, and I'm obviously way hotter."

Laughing as he returned the shake, Neil visually marked his place in his book and closed it as he swung his legs down off the couch in a polite offer for Alec to sit.

"Obviously." He agreed, used to such statements from Nuwanda and so long as they were deserved, he'd never had any trouble agreeing.

"Pleasure to finally meet you."

Taking the offered seat, Alec popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth as he beamed at Neil for agreeing. "I think I like you already. And since I haven't seen or heard about you already, I'm guessing you're new?"

Really, Neil couldn't help chuckling in response to Alec's infectious friendliness.

"I think I like being liked." He said with a quick, impish grin then he nodded. "But I must own up to the fact that I am fresh meat." Lord knew he'd used the term often enough back in Welton to describe new students, he was almost honor bound to own up to it for himself.

"Started this semester, junior class." He offered. "And given that I've already heard of you, I'm guessing you've been here for a bit?"

"Beginning of summer," Alec said, nodding with a hint of pride, as though he were somehow the only person who'd managed to hang on through months of Fandom-related weirdness. "You enjoying yourself so far?"

"Ah, the voice of experience?" Neil said with a quick grin that said he might just have to needle that pride a little. At least on this one point.

His expression sobered a little and he looked down at the book resting on his thigh.

"It's a good school." He said, echoing what he'd told Mr. Aziraphale the other day in the park.

Alec smirked. "I got lots of experience," he said somewhat mysteriously.

He watched as Neil's attitude changed - noting it but storing it for later - and responded, thoughtful and curious at once. "Yeah? I mean, I don't have anything to compare it to, so I agree, but it's kind of non-conventional, isn't it?"

The mysterious tone caught Neil's attention and he looked curiously at Alec. The other boy's discreet adjustment of the topic was welcome and Neil jumped at it with a grateful smile.

"A bit but in a good way I think. It makes you think outside the box and that's kinda the whole point, learning how to think for yourself."

Then because he realized he was going to have to stop the intricate tapdance at some point, Neil gave a haphazard shrug and shifted slightly on the couch to face Alec, his elbow on the back of the sofa.

"I went to Welton Academy from age 8 till just last year. In nine years, you make some close friends...get used to a place. It's been hard, having to leave all those guys behind. But to kinda answer your question, Welton was what you would call really conventional. I learned a lot there but it didn't really teach me how to think. This place...keeps you on your toes, makes you apply what you learn. It's a great thing I think."

Tilting his head, Neil asked with focused curiosity of his own. "Do you like it here?"

Alec echoed the tilt of his head as Neil spoke and nodded at the question when it came, thoughtful. "Yeah, I do. It's a lot better than where I came from, anyway."

Neil thought about it for a moment then nodded. "And much better than where I could have ended up."

Alec smiled. "I think that's true for more than a few people," he said. "Fandom's the kind of place people end up when there's nowhere else."

Okay that was a little closer to home than Neil had expected anyone to hit and he froze slightly but there was a truth to Alec's words that Neil's upbringing wouldn't let him ignore, even if his teenage self wanted to do just that.

Blushing, a color that was somehow more about shame than coy embaressment, he ducked his head and nodded.

"I think, you make a very good point, Alec." Looking back up from beneath his bangs, Neil smiled lopsidedly. "So that sort of means it's gottah be up from here, right?"

Alec grinned suddenly, charmingly cocky as he flicked a piece of popcorn over Neil's head. "Only one way to go after you've hit bottom," he agreed.

Deciding that it was enough dwelling for a first conversation, particularly since Alec was being all charming once more, Neil laughed softly.

"I think I like that upward view better, indeed." He agreed and where one piece of popcorn was good two was better and thus he retaliated in kind.

However, his aim wasn't that great and would probably result in both of them zinging past Alec's ears.

Grinning, Alec ducked to the side and caught one kernel in his mouth, flicking another back at Neil in retaliation. "You looking for a fight?" he asked, teasing.

Ducking, Neil reached up to swat the kernel away from his hair, impressed that Alec had been able to catch one in his mouth.

Straightening he gave Alec a now, look what you've done expression.

"Well, you realize that a battle with a food stuff is now demanded by the Dorm Deities, right?"

And another kernel went winging across the space towards Alec.

Alec ducked under that one, grin turning wicked. "Well yeah," he said slowly, hefting his hand full of popcorn. "So take this!" He pelted Neil with all the popcorn in his possession just before leaping to grab more.

"Oh...this is going to get messy." Neil exclaimed as he quickly scrabbled up to his feet, smiling like a fiend as he dove for his own fists full of popcorn. One of which was immediately flung at Alec so that Neil could reload before darting behind the couch.

[ooc: I'm afraid my EST working stiff self needs to be in bed. I can totally SP this from work tomorrow or if you want to call it a fade with the idea that the popcorn ended up everywhere but in their stomachs, I'm good with that also. :D]

[ooc: Fade is good! Messy popcorn battle ftw! *crashes like a crashing thing*]

Third Floor Common Room - Monday Late Afternoon

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