Gem: This is what happens when I try to explain the random relationships in FFIX to my roomie and am bored with my work. I also wondered what would happen if Tantalus (just the boys) and Dagger went to college.

Ruby stared at her roommate as she starting cracking up. The girl had been busy typing up developmental sequences notes and then just busted out laughing.

"Wha' the hell hun?"

"The words ham sandwich shouldn't be that funny."

"And I'm the one who had espresso chip ice cream."

Ruby's roommate, Gem, continued to crack up. Maybe now the writer's block Gem was whining about would end. Or more specifically the plot bunny would come back. That had to be a funny phrase. Ruby got up and leaned over Gem's chair to see what exactly she was typing.

"Bit bored there?"

"Whaddya think?" Gem asked turning her head towards Ruby. "Is it snowing?"

Ruby grinned and walked over to the window to check. It was supposed to snow as far as she knew. And if her roommate wanted to ignore her work for a bit, fine by her. Half of what was written in the notebook sitting in front of Gem made no sense to Ruby.

"It's snowing! This is amazin'!"

Gem nearly fell over the pile of stuff under her chair in her haste to get to the window.

"Snow!" Gem squealed before phone went off. "Hiya!"

Ruby giggled. That had to be the funniest greeting ever. It was always delivered in that upbeat, happy tone too. She could hear part of the conversation and something about look outside.

"It's snowing!"

"My roommate is insane!"

"Hold on, I'm putting it on speaker. Seems like Ruby wants to add her two cents in. Hey!"

Ruby had found two pennies and chucked them at Gem; she could hear their friend Marcus laughing. It also sounded like his three roommates were there with him and cracking up. Zidane seemed to be carrying on a conversation with Dagger.

"I have a better idea. Is Zid talkin' to Dagger?" Gem asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Give us a moment."

Ruby and Gem ran upstairs to Dagger's room and opened the door. "Hey Dagger, let's have a huge convo with one phone."

"Hold on. Zid, if Marcus's phone isn't on speaker yet, make him put it on speaker and hang up your phone."

Ruby could hear the echo of Dagger's phone through Gem's. It sounded very funny.

"It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing!" Gem yelled into the phone set on the ground.

"Ruby, Dagger, get Gem away from any juice and any form of chocolate," Marcus said.

"Wha'? All I've had is milk!"

"Can the two of you prove that?" Zidane asked.

"Yup," Ruby and Dagger both replied.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"You don't trust your girlfriend?" Dagger pouted.

"Do I need to come over there and convince you?"

Marcus hit his roommate over the head. Honestly, couldn't Zidane keep his mind out of the gutter for more than three minutes? He could hear the girls laughing some from the phone the group of them were gathered around. Zidane was busy laying on the ground moaning about his head.

"I honestly did not hit him that hard. Dagger, why did you decide to go out with him?"

"How else are we supposed to keep a supposed ladies man in line?"

"None of us is going looking for a brothel in this dinky town," Gem said.

"I don't know why you girls would go," Zidane replied.

"They have guy strippers. Why can't there be male whores?" Ruby asked.

Blank had fallen over in shock. Those were probably the last words he expected out of his own girlfriend's mouth. Marcus was more in surprise with Gem's words than with Ruby's; he had expected something like that from Ruby but not from Gem. The girl was too damn innocent!

"I'm less innocent that you think!" came Gem's voice before the girls ended the conversation.

"Why do I know them?" Marcus asked the room.

"Boredom," Zidane said.

Marcus smacked and shook his head.

"What possessed me to room with such people?"