>You're typing away, trying to make sure the project is done early. >You'd rather take the time to finish it earlier than the others, so that you have more time in the evening to goof off. >The Chinese knock-off headphones are blocking off any external noise as you look at the screen through eyes that are both half-lidded and buried beneath your furrowed brows. >There is no sense of your surroundings - just you and your work. >Suddenly, you feel a something firm tap you on your thigh. Tap tap tap. >You start bouncing your leg on the balls of your feet when the tap-tap-tap comes again. >You break your concentration and look at the pony interrupting you. >It's Twilight. >She looks at you with purple eyes full of... something. >It's not just concern, it's a complex emotion. >Her face, however, is fairly impassive. >You take down your headphones and look at her. >She returns your stare and then finally breaks the silence. >"Hey Anonymous." "Hey yourself." >"It's been a while." "Yes." She kicks the floor a little bit with her front hoof, looking away from you for a moment, and surveying your room. >Her nostrils twitch as she looks over the various boxes, books, and items that are neartly arranged. >"You've been keeping busy. Took some lessons from me?" >You give a very soft chuckle. "Dear Princess Twilight..." >She rolls her eyes at you. "Mmmm. To some extent. Not as much as you." >"You've been keeping tabs?" >You give a half-shoulder shrug. "Not directly. Mostly I've been following through second-hand sources. I've been... busy." >"Too busy for your friends," she asks with a royally arched eyebrow. >You give her a glare with no heat in it. >She returns it. "If you're going to be a guest in my house, I would appreciate it if you didn't make baseless accusations." >She points a hoof at you. >It's almost imperceptable, and frankly, had it been somepony elese, you wouldn't have noticed or made a big deal. >Except here you can tell that it's trembling slightly. >Your eyes focus on the tip of her hoof. >She lowers it slowly and places it back on the floor with a soft 'clop,' and meets your gaze yet again. >You look at her and then at the calendar white-board on your wall. >The year reads 2020, in addition to other notes, arrows, and small illustrations. >She nods slowly, slightly opening her left wing, and re-adjusting it; then doing the same with the right. >You shake your head. "No, that wasn't it." >It's at this point you realize how silent it is. >You're barely breathing. >So is she. >It's deafeningly silent. >Her horn glows softly as she absent-mindedly takes a stack of your papers and arranged them in a geometric stack. >You start to nod, then draw your lips in a tight line, then steeple your hands and look at her again. >She looks away, her eyes momentarily shining with something reflective. >You unsteeple your hands and cover your eyes for a moment as your throat tightens up and then releases. >"Yes," she says with a hushed tone. "It would've been better if it wasn't like a balloon deflating, I think." >She looks at you again, eyes glistening. >"It was good though?" >Your throat seizes up again and you feel a warmth pool in your chest and spread in your body. "No regrets." >She chuckles softly. >"Then what was it that you just said?" >You remain silent for a while and close your eyes. >There is a small twitch in your shoulders and maybe you shake a little. >When you take your hands off your face, they're dry. >Looking around, you look at your desk and messy papers. >You swalloy dryly, put your headphones back on, and look at your computer screen again. >A thought strikes you as you focus on the REAL computer screen. >*One more line,* I think.
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