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It's the Saturday before classes start. Ellie has been driving all day, but it's worth it for an entire three months out of the house. And she even drew a single in the dorm lottery, so there's that. It's tiny, but she doesn't have to share.
Suitcases on the bed, she starts unpacking into the dresser that lives underneath. Tops here, pants there, hanging things in the closet. Computer can go on the desk, and then notebooks into the drawers.
Then: zoom!
Her childhood home is semi-rural, on the outskirts of a small town prosperity forgot. It's ramshackle, paint faded, porch stairs creaking, porch screen torn in a few places. A large tree in the side yard had at some point been taken over by a rather elaborate tree fort, since grown shabby - but not unstable. There's a tabby cat sitting on the porch, watching them, who springs up to wind around Ruby's ankles as she clatters up to the front door, knocking.
A man, dressed about as ramshackle as the house, opens it after a few seconds, and Ruby tackles him in a hug. "Cap!" she says, "I'm home!"
He chuckles, patting her on the back. "I noticed. This your girlfriend?"
She lets go, bouncing back to reach her hand out to Ellie with a grin.
"This is Captain Mal. He gets, like, half credit for raising me," she says, squeezing Ellie's hand.
"Nice to meet you - half?" He shakes his head, stepping a aside to let them in. "I get a lot more than half."
"You're not the one who taught me to knife fight, though!" Ruby chirps, heading inside. "So, half."
He rolls his eyes. And, fondly: "You're a menace. Have you two eaten already?"
"Served in the Army, while back. For all the good those bastards did me," he says.
"And it's only a matter of time until I get him a spaceship," Ruby says, still grinning impishly.
She kisses her girlfriend on the cheek. "Probably about the same time I get you your moon palace."
He asks a few questions about how their school's going, and how magic's going, after that. Ruby's apparently happy answering, not particularly bothering to sanitize the tale of the fights they've gotten into, though she also leaves room for Ellie to contribute.
Ellie fills in some details, but doesn't generally talk about specifics of her magic unless prompted.
He doesn't prompt.
After a bit, when Ruby's wandered off, he turns to Ellie: "So, how serious are you about Ruby?"
He nods. "She's real fond of you. More serious than I've seen her before." And, leaning forward a bit - "Now, I know I'm in no position to be threatening you without getting laughed at. But - she's had mighty big problems before, with a girl who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer."
"She tries to leave? You damn better let her go, no matter how serious you are."
And then Ruby returns, drink in hand, to flop against Ellie.
"Did I miss anything?"
"See ya around lunch, Cap!" Ruby calls to her foster dad, before pulling Ellie up the stairs to a room which is, as promised, decorated like it was inhabited by a goth serial killer. Black walls, red paint splatters, shaggy red carpet, lacy black curtains over the window, a four poster queen bed with its own curtains, big wooden desk with burn marks, bookshelves, floating shelves with dolls scattered around them... It's a pretty good size, too, especially for a teenager.
Ruby spins around, gesturing - "Behold! My complete lack of taste, age fifteen."
Ellie studies the room judiciously.
"As complete lack of taste goes, it's not atrocious. There's a theme, at least."
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