She giggles. "If you say so. I'd rather do laundry than wash dishes but I'd rather play Civilization than do either."

"I think I'd prefer laundry folding to playing Civilization to the rest of laundry to washing dishes? All of those are nice though."

"Ooh. We should have a LAN party."

Oh wow she's really pretty when she makes that expression.'

"Oh uh. Yeah that sounds fun!"

"I uh, mostly play on peaceful if that's alright with you?"

"Huh, I usually don't but I don't mind taking peaceful for a spin."

"I'd enjoy non-peaceful where you manage the military side of things for the both of us."

"Would you. Building us wonders of the world while I stomp on the barbarians. Well, we can try it whichever way, though you'll have to link me to your mod for peaceful mode."

"I'd like to build wonders for you!"

... What did he just say.

Whatever it was it's making her grin at him.

"Eep!"

And that cracks her up.

He would like to hide behind his hands now if that's okay.

Yes, that is okay. Cuuuute.

Flustered giggling comes from behind the hands.

"Lucien'n'Isabella sittin' in a tree," whispers one of the other kids at the table, but they don't complete the doggerel when Isabella blinks nonchalantly at them.

Aah! There are other people at this table!

"Ignore them," she says.

"Okay."

This gets more titters and Isabella sighs and stands up, collecting her cane. "Get the dishes and then I think we were going to do the econ reading."

Lucien is happy to be instructed so and scurries off with the dishes.

She waits for him by the exit and walks with him to the dorm at a sedate pace. "Sorry about them, some people manage to completely avoid maturing while they're in virtuality somehow."

"I'm um. Sorry for how I handled it."

"Eh, you were fine. Honestly I think he might have been trying to needle Jackson, who goes after him about as often as me."

"Oh, that does sound like quite a difficult situation to be in."

"Yeah, and the administration won't do anything at all, because, uh, he'll go away if... we tell him to."