Issue 1 Downtime

Murphy went into the dorm room, with an armful of new books. Crossing through the common room and heading to the door to her room, she tried to open it. It took some effort, pushing over a few large stacks of books that were in the way before the door opened enough to let the tall girl inside. She sighed, moving a few stacks to just outside her door before closing it behind her.

Her roommates wouldn't mind, right? It was just a few books in the common area.

Janice knocked at the door to the suite, aiming to see her favorite bookworm.

Murphy answered the door, smiling brightly when she saw Janice.

"Hey."

"Hey. Figured I'd make sure you didn't get buried. What's up?"

"New books," Murphy says, giving Janice a peck on the forehead before letting her into the suite, "You?"

"Not much. Hit the gym for awhile."

She stepped in, glancing towards Murphy's room.

"Am I gonna have to give you the 'shelves talk' again?"

"Had shelves," Murphy says, "Broke."

"Well maybe we can find you some sturdier ones?"

"Maybe," Murphy agrees.

"Otherwise I am never going to find your bed," she teased.

Murphy blushes, "...That is a problem."

"Yeah. I am totally not coordinated enough to snuggle in a hammock," she laughed.

"What if it was a very big hammock?" Murphy asks, looking thoughtful.

"It'd have to be, you're a growing girl." She teased with a poke.

Murphy growls playfully.

"Bigger then you."

"Always were. What'd you do over the summer, anyway?" She asked, looking Murphy over.

"Hunted," Murphy says, "In Nambia."

"You never do anything halfway, do you?"

Murphy shakes her head, "Mother lives there. Lion preserve."

Murphy lifts her shirt a bit, showing a healed claw mark on her stomach, "Fight hard. And mean."

"You... picked a fight with some lions."

"I don't know whether to be worried or impressed."

"Both?" Murphy teases, "It's okay. Heal fast."

"Yeah, well, you're showing off scars to me. I don't know where this falls in the typical relationship," she stuck out her tongue.

"Thought girls loved scars," Murphy says, smiling.

"Well I guess you put up with me when I got half of London dropped on me, followed by that lady who could melt my skeleton," she reasoned.

"Who's bragging now?"

"I needed something to balance it out," she laughed. "It's a pretty cool scar."

"You should come with me," Murphy says, "Next time."

"You are aware that I'm not large and in charge unless I put the silly Union Jack togs on, right?"

"Protect you," Murphy teases.

"Most lions are sweethearts anyway," Murphy says, "Mom lives with eight."

"Well, baby steps. This summer my mum let me stay at the school rather than at home. She doesn't know that I've been out of the UK, let alone another universe."

"It might be... kind of shocking to ask to go to Africa, with... well, she doesn't really know what you are to me," she admitted with some guilt.

Murphy laughs, "Just tell her we're friends. Don't mind."

"We'll see next summer, huh? Don't run off until then."

"I won't. Promise."

"I should probably also be all responsible and tell you to get a haircut, but I think I like it like this," she smiled.

"Like it wild?" Murphy asks with a smirk.

"Yeah," she said with a faint blush. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"I don't think so," Murphy says, leaning down and kissing Janice.

Janice kissed back, putting an arm around the taller girl and leaning against Murphy.

"I really missed you, you know?"

Murphy sighs happily, "Missed you too."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Still getting those... night crazies, huh?"