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His bag was slung over his shoulder, his face set in what he hoped was a blank look that didn't show the tumult of emotions still raging inside of him. He shuffled slowly along the hall of the undead dorms, heading towards the exit. His escape. He was going home, and while he told himself it was only for a week or two...well, things had a way of changing. Who really knew how long this short vacation would really end up lasting.

There was a part of him, a small part, that really didn't want to leave. He had classes he could be taking, a job to go to, pets to take care of, a friend that he was supposed to be helping with her studies. But none of that really seemed to matter anymore. None of those things would make him understand why Yin had pushed him away, or give him the answers to what he was supposed to do now. How was he supposed to just move on from this? It seemed impossible, though he knew that was just because he was making himself see it that way. He hadn't wanted this, and it all seemed incredibly unfair, but if he kept telling himself it was the end of the world, then things were never going to get better.

And so, a break was needed, and a break is what he was going to take. The text from his mom had either come at the worst moment possible or the best, he couldn't quite decide. He had been angry enough by it to that he had smashed his phone against a tree without even responding, but since then had at least given her a call from the schools skellyphone.

Slouched over, head hanging, hands shoved deep into jeans pockets with a bag bouncing behind him on his shoulder, Alex looked to be the epitome of one very sad zombie as he made his way through the halls.

If Alex had been looking up he might have noticed the ghoul that he very nearly walked into. As it was, he barely caught a glimpse of her in time to make himself stop his slow and steady trudge through the hallway, his head lifting so that his pale gaze landed on the ghoul in front of him. She was...familiar, yes. But he didn't know her. He tried to offer her a smile, but it did nothing to hide the raw emotion in his eyes. The anger, the pain, the sadness. It was all there, for all the world to see. He was too tired to try and hide it.

"No no, it's okay. It was me I---I really wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. I'm so--" He was going to apologize, but she was suddenly thrusting something in his direction. An...an icecream? He frowned at it a little, hands pulling out of his pockets as his eyes flickered to the ghoul and back towards the cone filled with an icy cold substance that he hadn't ever particularly enjoyed. But still, she was offering, and he was just standing there, not speaking, almost stunned by the gesture.

"Uhhh, thank you?" He reached out a hand, closing it around the cone and pulling it towards himself, eyeing it wearily. He wasn't a fan of eyescream, but to be fair, he hadn't really eaten it very often. Perhaps this one wouldn't be so bad. Still, he made no movement towards eating it, just kept glancing at the ghoul. Why had she said he needed it more? Was eyescream some kind of magical substance that could erase horrible feelings?

Oh Alex, if only you knew.

"You are uh..you did that year book booth, right?" That was where he thought he had seen her before. "I filled out one of your forms. I'm Alexander." She probably had no idea who he was. He was a nobody. Nothing special. Always at the back of the crowd. A follower. Would anybody even notice or care that he was leaving?

Probably not.

Okay good, so he did at least somewhat know who she was. He lifted the eyescream up towards his face, tongue darting out for a quick taste as his nose already began to wrinkle up as though knowing before he even tried it that he wouldn't like it. Still, it was cold, which was nice, and it was sweet, which wasn't horrible. Most importantly, it was something to focus on, to distract himself with. Just get through eating this eyescream and having some odd and awkward chat with a ghoul he didn't know in the hallway then leave. But there was something he couldn't quite miss in the ghouls face shortly after he mentioned his name. Why had she looked so horrified?

"....Yes, Van Rotte. That's right." He was looking at her with open suspicion now, wanting nothing more then to hand the eyescream back to her and leave. But then she went on about pictures that he had given to the yearbook and he relaxed ever so slightly. She was probably just one of those overly uptight types that got upset when things didn't go absolutely according to plan. She had looked like she had because she realized she hadn't sent his pictures back to him. That was probably all it was.

Right?

Somehow he felt like he was just trying to find a reason for the look she had given him, just going with whatever might fit. It did make him feel a little better, however.

"Sure, I can take them back now. Are they just in your room...?" He didn't sound all that enthused about it. He had in fact, completely forgotten about the pictures he had handed in, and couldn't even quite remember which ones he had given to them, honestly. He didn't really have many pictures of himself, or of his friends.

And then, suddenly, something else occurred to him. He probably should have asked sooner, but he was quite distracted. "I'm sorry, I don't think I know your name."

Alex would have pulled out his phone to check the time, if he hadn't broken it a few nights before. As it was, did it really matter what time he left? If he missed the train, he could always just wait for the next one. Really, he wasn't in a huge hurry to spend his time at home with family that he didn't really care to be around. Still, anything had to be better then staying here, with the one he loved so close..yet the distance that Yin had put between them was so far, and much too hard for him to deal with right now.

His room was in the basement as well, and yet he had never run into the ghoul before. He gave her a weak smile, nodding to indicate that she should lead the way, before following along at his usual slow shuffle.

And then he stopped when she did, though he didn't start walking again after she offered her name and a hand to shake, the words slowly sinking in. Amrita. That was the name of one of the students that had gone missing at the same time that Yin had, wasn't it? She was moving further away, not even looking back at him.

"W--wait up!" He finally managed to stammer, the hand that was holding the cone suddenly crushing it in his grip as shuffled a little more quickly after her. "Amrita. That's not..a very common name, is it? I mean, I don't think I've met another ghoul with a name like that before." Really, there was no saying that this wasn't a different Amrita, and by asking this it really could just seem like he was making idle conversation as they walked along, though his eyes flickered towards her and back to the hallway that they walked along several times while he waited for the response.

He knew before she even looked back over her shoulder and stammered out her reply. Eyescream was falling out of the crushed cone, trailing down his hand and on to the floor, though it wasn't melting against his skin since he was already ice cold. He had managed to catch up to her once he started moving again, even as he shambled along in his usual zombie way, his skeletal leg slowing him down as it often did.

Yes, this was the same Amrita that had been kidnapped with Yin and the others. And he hadn't known because...well, until now she had been acting so very normal. Though maybe he had just been too wrapped up in his own personal drama to notice.....

He suddenly felt inexplicably awful.

"So you were...one of the one's who were kidnapped then. I'm so sorry." He murmured as he followed her down the stairs, trudging along slowly just behind her. A small part of him wanted to ask her what had happened, to get the answers from her that Yin would not give him. But at the same time, he felt like that was a sneaky and underhanded way to get the information that Yin obviously didn't want him to know. So, he kept silent for a time, dwelling on things, eyes cast downwards and crushed eyescream cone still in hand.

If he could just get his pictures, then he would leave the poor ghoul alone.

Well, she had confirmed his suspicions, but he had no idea how to respond. He didn't know her well enough to try and offer her comfort. He had already given his condolences, however ridiculous it was to do so. So, he followed her along in awkward silence, finally deciding to do something about the icecream cone and shoving it all into his mouth at once to crunch it down.

Uuuuuuck, it was just like that one that Mei had gotten him to order at Dairyscream that one time! Only now he was getting the full effect of the taste, and not just small, semi-bearable licks. When she turned towards him to mention something about damage control, he just nodded, his cheeks puffed out as he tried to chew. The cold sensation didn't bother him much, but was it his imagination or was there a sudden brain numbing tingling starting in the middle of his forehead, becoming more and more painful by the second?

"Nnnyyaaaggghhh!" Alex had swallowed down what was in his mouth just before crying out, bowing his head and brimging his hands up to rub at his forehead. It was a horrible feeling, whatever it was, and he just wanted it to stop!

Luckily Amrita was already gone into her room so she didn't get to bare witness to Alex's first ever brain freeze moment.

Eventually the feeling subsided. Alexander raised his head back up slowly, blinking, just as the ghoul called for him to come in to his room. He shuffled his way forward and inside, noting the scorch marks everywhere with increasingly widening eyes.

What. The. Jack.

"Oh uh, do you need some help with that?" He asked, moving forward towards her but probably far too slow.

Alex let one outstretched hand drop back to his side, is offer of help refused but at least in a polite manner. He just nodded at her in response, and then waited for her to search through the box for the photo's while listening to her explanation towards the scorch marks that were all over the room.

"Wait what? You...you actually keep one of those in the undead dorms?" Alexander was suddenly very happy he spent very little time in his room. "Doesn't it scare you?" He knew Lady Terror scared him, and that was why he had traded vaisels with Yin.

But his questions likely fell on deaf ears. Amrita seemed to have found his pictures and she was staring at them with an expression that could have only been described as horrified. Alex, really, had pretty much forgotten what photo's he had even submitted, but now that he was forced to think about it (also he was tall enough that he could see what she held in her hand), he remembered that at least two of them were pictures of he and Yin together.

Oh well...that might have explained it, considering what they had just gone through together. Really though, the weremantis was one of the last things Alex wanted to think about at that moment, and just seeing the photo's brought on a fresh pang of grief combined with anger and frustration. But the ghoul was actually trembling as she looked at them, and Alex reached out a hand to take them away, quickly stuffing them all in his pocket to get them out of both of their sights.

"I--I'm sorry I...." He started to mumble, turning his head away. He really should just leave now. But then she was talking, and his attention went back towards her.

"I believe it." He said, quietly. "And I'd rather be here too but...even more so, I'd rather just go home. I was actually just about to go to the train station. I--I really just can't be here anymore." Yes, he was admitting that he was basically running away, and he was feeling quite ashamed for doing so.

Memories. That's all they were. There was no happiness now. Not for him and Yin at least. Maybe he'd be able to find happiness again when he was back home. Maybe...

"I don't plan on forgetting." He gave her a small, sad smile, listening to the rest of what she had to say. She wasn't far off with her assumptions, but he didn't feel any shame in it like he probably should have.

"My boilfriend." He replied automatically to the question of what their relationship was, even if she hadn't exactly asked. "At least, I still think..." He shook his head, brows furrowed in a frown, "Anyways, if he needs me well..He'll know where to find me." He finally answered. "But this was his decision. It was his choice and I---I just need to get away. I'll be back, I think. I don't really plan on staying gone forever." He assured her, even though the thought had crossed his mind more then once. Was still crossing it, in fact. He could lie to this ghoul though. He didn't know her. She didn't know him. Yes, she had gone through something horrible, with Yin, and with others as well. Something he probably could not even hope to understand. But he could still lie to her.

And Yin had other friends he could turn to, if he should need it. The thought was a painful one, and his chest began to tighten in an all too familiar way.

"Thank you for the pictures." He said, unable to keep the pain from showing in his eyes and on his face. "But I should get going. Need to get on that train before it's too late." He explained.