fandomhighdorms | 4th Floor Common Room: Late Sunday Afternoon

Entry tags:

4th Floor Common Room: Late Sunday Afternoon

After her sojourn to the pool, Lana came back up to check on Shep (still sleeping) and decided that while she didn't want to go too far away from him, she also didn't want to sit in the darkened room.

So she left him a note saying she'd be in the common room if he woke up, grabbed her book and headed out.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Han's been all over town today and had no good luck taking his mind off the trouble he was in.

He peeks in the common room, as he always does when coming back in. Lana will at least be company.

"Hey doll." he flops on the couch beside her.

Lana smiles at him. "Hey Han. How's it going?" She looked at him closely. "Hey, you're not looking so well. What's up?"

"Got myself detention. Back a whole week and I'm already in trouble. Shoot, it was all Vice Principal Pierce could do to keep Zero from taking off my knee-caps with her mallet. Don't ask, I don't wanna talk about it. That damn pirate'll have it all over the radio and Beautiful already chewed me out by voice mail for egtting into trouble without him."

"Detention? Oh, Han..." Lana was shocked. "What - I'm sorry, you didn't want me to ask. Wait - is this about the bathroom thing? You weren't - tell me you didn't write anything about me or Shep on the walls!"

He nods. And he grins a little. "Completely flattering and totally true, honest. Let the ladies know Shep was taken. Let the guys know you were taken. Don't want there to be trouble for you guys if the new kids start poaching."

Lana drops her face into her hands. "Just what I always wanted - my name written on a bathroom wall." She shakes her head ruefully. "Great."

"Hey, did you get my message the other day? About your message to me? I totally didn't understand it. Calling me beautiful and talking about someone named Frank?"

Han shakes his head. "Only message I got was Phoebe saying I needed to take Celtic lit. Already got an A in that." It's his turn to facepalm. "Oh man. That one was for Bagoas. I call him now and then. Sorry, doll, long complicated history."

"Oh right," Lana shakes her head. "The whole phone thing. I wasn't even thinking of that. And here I was just talking with Angel about it." She flushes. "Somebody got a message that I really only intended for Shep to hear. Don't even want to think about facing whoever got it."

"You don't want to know how many calls I made to Bagoas. But nobody's come looking for me to take me up on 'em or beat me senseless, so i guess I'm ahead of the game."

He reaches for the remote. "Anything good on this thing?"

"I have no idea what might be on, but feel free."

Lana hesitated then decided to ask. "You never told me what happened with you and Bagoas. I just know it really broke you up. Did you want - I mean, I'm glad to listen if you want to talk about it."

Han sighs.

"We went off-world over Thanksgiving break. He got drugged and kidnapped by a slaver. Chewie and I got him back, but there were...complications."

He sighs. "We didn't cope. I couldn't keep him safe, Lana. Not even over a godsbedamned dinner in a restaurant. I sure couldn't take him off-world permanently in the spring. We talked it out and decidecd it would be best if he lived with an old friend of ours. Him failing last semester was just the last push over the edge."

"I'm so sorry, Han," she said quietly. "Not being able to keep someone you love safe... even if it isn't your responsibility... It's got to be terrible. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"Not much you can do, doll. You know, I think you and CJ are the only ones who know? And CJ lost her memory."

He shrugs. "I kinda bet if it'd been anyone else failing every class suddenly, someone, a teacher or somebody, would have said something. But who cares about a eunuch whore 'living in sin' with crook?"

"Oh Han, no one was cruel enough to call him that, were they?" Lana looks shocked. "I know you kind of gave me a cleaned up version, but I can imagine that what happened must have been terrible if he ended up failing all of his courses. God, I wish I'd known at the time."

She reaches out hesitantly to touch his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Never where I heard 'em, but I know more than one thought it. Not a male student in this school, barring Shep, would talk to him. Like they were all afraid the cutting was catching."

He holds her hand for a minute. "Not your fault, doll. Some people are like some plants, they don't do too well outside of their native environment. He was one. Wish he'd been able to stay with his Al'skander. I couldn't be the hero he needed."

Lana dropped her head, "God, that is so horrible. I had no idea. I mean, I didn't really even meet him until Solstice. But still..." She sighed.

"I wish... well, I guess if I had my way I'd want to get rid of all that sort of injustice, but..."

She shakes her head then sighs again. "For quite a while I thought I was probably one of those people. I just couldn't seem to adjust or make friends here. I almost gave it all up and went back home."

Han gives her a real smile. It's a little sad, but very warm.

"You got me, now, and Shep and Maia. Sometimes it just takes time. I did fine with classes, but the rest, I feel like a bantha shoving my way through."

"Yeah, I do." She smiled back at him. "It's funny to think I owe so much of my happiness to a terrible accident, but if that sword fight hadn't happened... I'd probably never have what I do now."

"And you, you have all of us now too. We'll all watch out for each other."

"That's what friends do, isn't it?"

Han clicks the TV on. A woman in a skimpy costume is charging about in high heel boots. He shakes his head. He flips channels until he finds an old, black and white pirate movie: Lieutenant Bile the Privateer, with Errol DeHavilland and Olivia Flynn.

"Yes, it is."

Lana watches as he switches channels, "Ooh, good choice! I love those old cheesy movies." She tucks her legs under her and settles in to be entertained.

During a commercial break, Han ducks down to the room and picks up his box. He settles in and starts cabling his way through the next sweater he's working on.

He knits fast and neatly, enjoying Lana's silent company and the old swashbuckler.

At the next commercial break Lana glances over. "I didn't know that you knit," she said. "What are you making?"

"One of the many Useful Life Skills for Delinquents I picked up in the better reform schools and jails." Han's almost back to himself after the brief emo interlude.

"I like it, keeps my fingers light and fast. Working on a sweater right now. Traditional Corellian Tree of Life style." He holds the black piece up to show her an intricate piece of cabling (http://www.livejournal.com/community/advanced_knit/192178.html) that is half finished.

"Oh Han, that's beautiful." She smiles at him. "Wow, I never would have guessed."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

4th Floor Common Room: Late Sunday Afternoon

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject