[center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/24daaba0-49cc-4fa8-b410-40385f60caff/ddhboy0-5355baac-fcee-4f7c-b295-be60d0eda144.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzI0ZGFhYmEwLTQ5Y2MtNGZhOC1iNDEwLTQwMzg1ZjYwY2FmZlwvZGRoYm95MC01MzU1YmFhYy1mY2VlLTRmN2MtYjI5NS1iZTYwZDBlZGExNDQucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.401nf4kKh5IEyiVxzZBAl2A65iGqa-Ez8SSwqOZExWg[/img]

[color=#DDDD84]Time - Morning
Interactions: Keith [@Salenea], ([@Karisma] Anahita mentioned)[/color][hr][/center]

Rory cracked a dry smirk at Keith's happy response. A faint buzzing between the blonde's ears confirmed what had already been quite obvious - he was being sarcastic, of course. Not quite understanding the reasons but not minding one bit, Rory was happy that sarcasm didn't seem to set off her head-piercing "bullshit alarm" like lies did.

Speaking of lies, there was one person full of them. Rory's attention from Keith was broken as she noticed Anahita - the girl she'd lazily dubbed as "the liar" - walked into the cafeteria. Rory really didn't even know this woman aside from the fact that every time she opened her mouth, Rory got a massive headache. She wouldn't be surprised if everything she'd overheard of the woman was a fairytale to begin with.

Rory's eyes shifted back to the blonde boy before her, and for the first time her attention was brought back to her muffin. Rory glanced down at the object Keith had referred to, noticing that her fingers had picked the edges of its muffiny goodness into tiny crumbs that littered the table. [i]Sigh.[/i]
Despite Keith's words and how true they probably were, Rory knew she wasn't going to eat the muffin. But damn if it didn't smell delicious...
The bit about delusional disorder truly caught Rory off-guard. She almost appreciated that, however unwanted the information might've been. Something about this blonde man's staightforwardness was refreshing, charming, almost.
Almost enough for Rory to not comment on it.

She was just about to deliver an insensitive remark when Keith turned the question around. [i]And what's on your record?[/i] Those words flared deep-seated anger within Rory. What did he think this was, an emotions free-for-all? And who did he think he was? She hadn't invited this kind of interaction, quite the opposite actually. So why was this man thinking it was okay to swoop in and snoop around about her [i]personal[/i] life?
Rory's eyes flared as her hand clutched into a tight fist. Keith, however, didn't really leave room for a reply as he already debated on Rory's diagnosis.
That got her quiet for a moment.

[color=#DDDD84]"Nothing as [i]grandiose[/i] as that, I'm afraid,"[/color] the tired blonde hissed from between her teeth, lips pressed into a thin line. [color=#DDDD84]"Really none of your fucking business. Why don't you go and--"[/color] Rory began, only to be cut off by a sudden movement from far behind Keith. Her eyes met again with the staff person monitoring them in the cafeteria, their eyes delivering the message loud and clear. [i]Don't cause a scene. That won't be tolerated here.[/i]
So, instead of telling Keith to go fuck himself and jump off a roof in case he really could fly, Rory held her tongue. Something deep inside of her told her she really didn't want to say that, anyway. It was all just a defense she put up in case something got too close, she knew that all too well. Knowing it almost made it worse.

[color=#DDDD84]"Look,"[/color] Rory began anew, her tone less venomous and more just... weary, she supposed. [color=#DDDD84]"I'm here for the same reason everyone else - if I wasn't, I'd be dead. My thing's less thinking I-can-breathe-fire and more 'voluntarily destroying my own health and wellbeing for the hell of it'. Speaking of which... you got any cigs?"[/color]
Being clean - both alcohol and cigarettes - was surprisingly hard some days. It wasn't as bad as it had been when she'd first quit, but the cravings could get really intense sometimes. Alcohol wasn't something she'd ever enjoyed, really, but something about the burning smoke in her lungs, washed over by a wave of calmness, really made Rory crave it. It comforted her, made her think that maybe there was an alternate universe where she burned with her parents that one fateful night.
[color=#DDDD84]"...Nevermind. You don't look the smoking type,"[/color] Rory shook her head, thinking the better of it. She licked her lips, feeling their chapped edges sharp against her tongue. [color=#DDDD84]"In any case, I'm here because they think I'm a danger to myself. Which... [i]fair,[/i] if I'm honest, but doesn't really match to your delusions of being a unicorn or something,"[/color] Rory answered finally. The corner of her mouth quipped up just a bit at the words, although she couldn't quite believe she'd said all of that. She couldn't quite believe she was having what felt like an actual conversation with someone who was annoyingly positive but refreshingly straightforward at the same time.