Outside Room 101

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam adjusted her denim skirt, worried that it was a little too short. Her hair was wet and tied back in a ponytail (she definitely needed to find someone who was able to cut that mop into something attractive before the dance, but it was too late to worry about it now). Her short-sleeved, scoop-necked sweater was blue and was made of some kind of fuzzy material that she couldn't remember the name of. It just met her waistband--she definitely needed to find taller friends from whom to borrow clothes.

She smoothed her hair into place one last time, then knocked on the door.

Comments

[janet_fraiser]

OOC: *munches popcorn*

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

OOC: It's only fair. I'm waiting eagerly for Daniel to show up.

[janet_fraiser]

OOC: OMG, I have to stop by his apartment tonight still! Crap!

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

OOC: *is dead*

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Just a sec!" John stopped combing his hair in a futile attempt to make it look presentable and just let it do what it wanted. He smoothed down his vintage Ramones t-shirt, checked the fly on his sexay butt-hugging jeans, and made sure his shoes were tied.

He opened the door to reveal an attractive blonde who, he hoped, answered to Sam. "Hi, Sam? I'm John." Whew, dude, you totally didn't give her the once-over. And remind me to thank that Kawalsky, depending.


((OOC: Mad dash to work time!))

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"Hi, John. Yeah, I'm Sam. Nice to meet you." She nodded and stuck her hands in her pockets, unsure of what to do with them. "Where do you want to go? I mean, do you have a destination in mind, or do you just want to wander around until we get to town?" So far, so good. And it's possible that she was gonna owe Kawalsky big time before this was all over.

[janet_fraiser]

OOC: He never answered the door. *pouts*

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

OOC: Bummer. He does have classes today, though (I think).

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, actually, I do have someplace in mind, and something to show you, down by the firing range, if ou're interested."

He takes two steps away and turns, realizing that this last bit of dialogue should trigger a bauw chika bauw bauw type of music in other circumstances, and turns around.

"I, uh, didn't mean it like that."

Dammit, Kawalsky, why didn't you give me better intel on this Sam chick? I mean, interests, friends, the fact she's a looker?

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She laughs. It's nice to know he's just as nervous as she is.

"Sure, that sounds great." There's a junkyard down there that she'd been meaning to check out, but this probably wasn't the right time for that. Most guys weren't big on watching their date dig around in the dirt for spare engine parts.

"So, ah, your mom's the principal, huh? How's that working out for you?"

OOC: I checked with jerusalem_s and he said there's a junkyard and we're free to pillage at will

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's wonderful. Half the time I want to flee, and half the time I'm glad she's here. And half of each, I wish I didn't pick this dorm here and had a place off-campus. Wait. That's a lot of halves."

He hoped she was the kind of gal who was at least mildly interested in controlled explosions generated by eons-dead squishified animals and whose resulting energies propelled human-made transports, or at least tolerated people who did. Otherwise, this whole datemeeting would be a bust.

"Mom is... Mom. She's crazy, but she's got a good reason, y'know? It's complicated. Things from her past. Sorta."

He looked at her sideways, before holding the door open for her.

"You wouldn't happen to be familiar with time paradoxes, wouldja?"

((yay! junkyard, here we come! I've got me pillaging trousers on! hyarrr))

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

It was actually a novel experience to hear about the principal from someone who actually knew her and wasn't terrified of her. "Yeah, I get the whole 'past life making this one complicated' thing. A lot."

"What about time paradoxes? Theoretical physics is one of my are...hobbies." They weren't her specialty, but familiar with them? Oh, yeah. Maybe she'd get really lucky and they could talk about alternative universes.

She just realized how difficult this was going to be though--there was so much about herself she couldn't tell him.

((Laughing very hard at the idea of pillaging trousers))

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Past lives are always a problem. And future. Your life in the future, what you do, what you're supposed to do--"

He stops abruptly. There Is A Line You Don't Cross.

"Theoretical physics is a hobby? So you think about, what, time travel and parallel universes for fun, then?"

Birds chirping, they continued their walk to the junkyard slash firing range area

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Past lives are always a problem. And future. Your life in the future, what you do, what you're supposed to do--"

He stops abruptly. There Is A Line You Don't Cross.

"Theoretical physics is a hobby? So you think about, what, time travel and parallel universes for fun, then?"

Birds chirping around them, they continued their walk to the junkyard slash firing range area for John has worn his pillaging pants, his razing shoes, and his pirate bandanna hyarrr.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

She raises an eyebrow at his abrupt stop. That sounded interesting, and right up her alley.

"Oh, trust me, I know about the future causing problems, too. This one time..." She cuts herself off abruptly, shaking her head. "Sorry. Let's just say that sometimes you can take completely innocent actions in the present that have completely unforseen consequences later down the line. Actions, that, if you knew of the consequences, would absolutely keep you from taking those actions. The problem, of course, is that unless you've got precognition you can't know that ahead of time. So you've married the wrong guy and suddenly the fate of the world is at stake."

She blushes. "Sorry. Um, I get carried away sometimes."

"Yeah, um, time travel, parallel universes, stable wormholes created by an ancient race of aliens, . I find them fascinating." Oh, good, Sam. Because that didn't sound too dorky. This was exactly why O'Neill always got so frustrated with her. Not that she was thinking about Jack while on a date with another guy, because that would be rude.

She walked at his side, enjoying the slight breeze. "So, what do you do for fun?"

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you have no idea. Or knowing that something that you have to do affects something that will happen before you're even born... It's enough to drive you crazy. Not that I am." He looks back at the school, specifically at the tower, and continues walking.

"Fun? Most anything. I've tried to learn bass, like to shoot, talk about geeky things like time travel, that stuff. But mostly, at least right now, I'm interested in something specific."

"In fact, it's behind you."

And IT turns out to be FUCKING TIM CURRY IN A CLOWN OUTFIT!! RUUUUN a slightly dilapidated barn-like structure that nearly blended in with the woods.

"C'mon, let's go inside."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"Bass? Guitar or string? What do you shoot? How are you dealing with the weapons ban? I still feel kind of naked without my combat knife and P-90, but I understand why the administration did what they did."

She turns around, looks, and is a little unimpressed. "It's a barn." She's a little wary, but decides to follow him. She's simultaneously trying to remember if she told anyone where she was going or with whom, because that would certainly make finding her body easier.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"String. Wasn't very good at it, but I learned enough to get by playing for bar bands, for some pool money. As for guns, well, I tend to favor an old 6 gun shooting iron for reliablity, and a .45 for bowling pin shoots. I was thinking of starting a club for it, see who's interested. Maybe that British guy I saw here last time."

John studiously ignores the part about weapons ban,

"It's a barn, but it hasn't seen a flesh and blood horse in a while. It's got mechanical ponies in here now. You interested?"

Great, do I sound creepy or something? She's already checking out the exits and line of fire. Does she know Mom?

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Her interest perks up (as if it wasn't already--she really can't believe this is a regular seventeen-year-old kid. She remembers them as much less interesting.) "You play pool? And I'd join a gun club, as would most of my friends. British guy? I don't think I've met a British guy yet."

She notices that he doesn't take a position on the weapons ban, but isn't surprised. His mother instituted the thing, after all. Besides, most people on campus are tired of talking about it.

"Mechanical ponies?" She starts forward eagerly, ignoring the fact that she's in a short skirt and pair of sneakers. She spots her first victim. "Is that what I think it is? Because it looks like the body of a Harley."

In her enthusiasm, she forgets to be wary and stops waiting for her bad dating karma to catch up with her. Maybe he'd even make it past a couple of dates without dying.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"No, it's a Vintage Harley, which means it needs vintage parts, and even more TLC than a modern Harley. I think that was you calling dibs?"

He stepped into the bard and pulled a tarp off of something else to reveal a dirtbike in decent shape.

"I call dibs on this. And if you play your cards right, we may go halfsies on the Jeep there. So. You're into cars and guns? And time travel? Any more interesting hobbies I should know about, Sam Carter?"

He hides his awkward so-not-blushing face by squatting near the rear of the dirt bike and tinkering.

Remind me to thank that Kawalksy

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Well, in my spare time I like to blow up suns and save Earth from alien attack. Although maybe that's more of a vocation than a hobby.

She grins. "That was definitely me calling dibs on the Harley. Hopefully there are others around here I can cannibalize for parts." She looked down at herself. "Damn. I'm definitely not dressed for this. I've never wanted a pair of overalls and a my toolbox so much in my entire life Except for that time with the Shavadai, but I've blocked that out ."

As far as dates go, this may be the one that suits her better than any other she's ever been on. Plus, now she's old enough to know better and appreciate it.

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I think there's another Harley over there. At least, that's what most of the parts are. I think someone used the tank for target practice. Probably the owner."

Studiuosly avoiding looking at Carter bending over, John gestured vaguely at the Jeep. "There's some tools on the Jeep, but nothing fancy. I hear ya about the toolbox and the overalls. I've got a basic set in my room, but nothing here--Jackpot!"

John raised a hand, full of somewhat grimy wrenches.

"Seems the previous owner kept a toolbag. Hrm. I'm tempted. Should I go change or start mucking around with this now? I mean, I don't want to abandon you, here, working on your new ride when we're supposed to be discussing Homecoming."

He looked back at Carter.

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam climbed over the corpse of the Harley to get to the Jeep. She went to the driver's side and pulled the hood release, then walked to the front and lifted the hood with a loud grunt. My mother would be mortified at me being so unladylike.

The engine was completely missing. "Huh. That's going to be a problem."

She walked over to John and selected a wrench from his hand. "Well, since you're not offended, I'm going to be mucking to my heart's content. I can take care of myself," she said, waving the grimy wrench in a vaguely threatening manner. "If you wanna run back and get us grimy clothes, we can talk about Homecoming while we work. You know, if you want."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, Ma'am," drawled John as he tipped an imaginary hat, "I don't know if'n I have any clothes your size, as the wonders of female clothing sizes done makes my head hurt worse'n a taaaahm paradox, it does."

He fake spits into a fake spittoon in the real corner and drops the accent.

"I do have some grubs you can borrow, if you like. Or you can make other arrangements, as I'm sure you don't want to get that all greasy. That sweater looks like it was made to snag on sheet metal and soak up oil."

He stands up and peers over her shoulder (or at least around it) at the engine compartment.

"Well. That might complicate things a little."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam laughed. Okay, he was a little goofy, but he wasn't afraid to laugh at himself, which was definitely in his favor. She looked at his incredibly nice butt, then down at her skinny hips. His pants would probably fit her, but she didn't want to risk the embarrassment if they didn't.

She picked at the sleeve of her sweater, immediately transfering some kind of sludge from the wrench or Jeep hood onto it. "Damn it. I hope there's a mystical dry cleaners somewhere on this rock. I wouldn't trade my firstborn for a pair of grubs, but I'd at least think about it for a second. If I had known we'd be doing this, I definitely would have dressed differently."

She smiled at John. "Yeah, it might complicate things. Or...it might give us an incredible opportunity. We could start from scratch, design an engine for this thing that would send us to Mach speeds. You game?"