He eyed Severo. The man was currently holding a digital pamphlet, with Skya strapped to his back. She was looking around at all the people and things as Severo talked away with the tour guide, asking way too many questions. The Dweller was the main reason they were here.
Severo, that morning, had woken him up with tons of actual printed brochures of colleges in the area that had his program. The man had gone on and on about the tours currently happening. Seri should have said no…but the Dweller had looked so excited, he…hadn’t had the heart to even question ‘why now?’.
He made a face at Skya, because he was in no way paying attention to anything being said. She giggled, drawing the eyes of other people in the group. A few looked at him, most looked away quickly…except one woman, whose eyes got wider the longer she stared.
Ahh, shit, he’d been recognized. Seri averted his gaze as the tour guide started them moving again.
He winced when there was a feminine clearing of a throat next to him. Slowly, he looked over with a smile plastered on his face. “Yes?”
“I…I wanted to say… You are an inspiration, and there are a lot of people rooting for you.”
He blinked, eyes widening. “I…”
“Surviving isn’t always the hardest part…” she whispered, eyes looking off into the distance as she said it. There was a touch of sadness in her gaze. “It gets better, though. I promise, it really does.”
Seri's smile fell into something genuine. “Thank you,” he said softly.
She smiled and nodded, before sort of scurrying away to the other side of the group.Maybe he hadn’t been the only one feeling awkward, he thought with an even wider smile. And he obviously wasn’t the only one dealing with trauma.
Seri agreed though…it did get better. He glanced at Severo, the man still talking away.
It had already gotten better. The moment Severo had been set on his path, better had been waiting for Seri just around the corner. Unfortunately, he had needed to deal with more shit before he could get there.
Severo glanced back, beaming on meeting Seri’s gaze. He turned, said something to the guide, and then beelined to him.
“So, what do you think?” Severo asked. “I think, out of the ones we've visited so far, this one is the nicest. And the guide was actually able to answer my questions, unlike the other ones.”
Seri snorted. “It’s nice. It’s also close by, which is more important, I think. So maybe, when I’m ready to go back, it will be the top option.”
“I mean, close doesn’t matter really. If you wanted to, you could go to your old university.”
“Severo, it’s three hours away. We talked about this…it’s too far.”
“I know, but as nice as this one is…it’s nothing compared to your old university, and your old program.”
“None of them will compare well to my old university and program, Severo. It’s the top school for that field on this planet. But unless that study is back, and that professor returned, there is no point. I can go anywhere and be happy. I don’t need to be at a top school to get my Doctorate.”
And he didn’t. Seri had gotten accepted into multiple programs back then. Had he felt slightly smug about it? Yes. Being wanted by so many amazing schools was gratifying. However, as much as he loved his old university, he wouldn’t have gone there if the offer hadn’t been what it had.
It was expensive. Multiple other schools had offered full scholarships and other grants. If the school hadn’t been able to meet and surpass their offers, he’d never have gone there. Unless they were willing to offer him the scholarship, and the various other things he'd lost when Preston took him, what was the point?
“But wouldn’t it be better if you were?” Severo rasped. “I know taking you to all these colleges today must seem weird, as you aren’t ready to go back yet…but I just wanted to show you the options. And let you decide now, if maybe they aren’t what you want.”
“You mean, you are secretly trying to show me how they pale in comparison?”
Severo winced.
Seri smiled. “Severo, I appreciate it. Really, I do. But to be honest, I don’t need to get my doctorate from an Ivy League university to accomplish my goals. I never did. It just sort of happened that way.
“I’m not looking to be famous… I feel I'm well known enough as it is, with all that is going on. I don’t want to develop some miracle and get rich. I just want to do my research.
“And as ridiculous as it was when you asked your boss to give me a job…I actually think working there would allow me to do all that I want to do. Because the CEB’s Research and Development Department for the Betterment of Cryptid Lives is well funded. And I don’t need a fancy Ivy League diploma to work there. The schools we saw today, while they aren’t comparable, will work for my purposes.”
“Dah-Dah, Dah-Dah!” Skya squealed, the straps on Severo’s shoulders moving a bit, telling him the little girl was wiggling like crazy.
Severo spun. Skya giggled on seeing him and reached out. “Aww, was someone feeling left out?” he said with a chuckle, pulling her free of the harness, and resting her on his hip.
Severo turned back, a smile on his face. “I guess, I just want to make sure that you don’t miss out on whatever you want in life. And if that is only accomplished by us temporarily moving, then…well, we can.”
