Third floor common room, Wednesday night

[chasingangela]

Angela has a beautiful copy of Handmaid's Tale to flip through, a kitty curled up next to her and purring, a fresh episode of Vanessa Saturn to watch, and soda and candy to munch on.

Yet, strangely, she is not smiling. Perhaps it is just because she isn't on the FLOOR OF AWESOME, but she seems vaguely uneasy.

Comments

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"New kid," Rory shrugged. "I don't know his name. Tall, had an accent, and with very long braided hair." She reached over and tugged once on his braid. "Not as cool as yours, though."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin frowned. "I know him. He's in Tactics of War with me--he was apologizing to a bunch of people right after study group. Not to me, though, but I guess I didn't know why he should be apologizing." He stared at the floor for a moment, thinking, then smiled at Rory. "And his braid is in no way as cool as mine."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"At least he apologized," Rory said. "I mean, that counts for something. I don't like being called amateurs, even if I kind of am one. You guys at least don't deserve that."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin snorted. "I don't care if he comes from some universe where he's, I don't know, a diety or something. I don't care if he can fly, blows things apart with his amazing laser eyes, shoots fairy dust out his ass and reverses the rotation of planets by burping the correct alphabet. I don't care if he's the biggest, baddest being I've never, ever heard of. No one goes up against Darla, Drusilla and and fifteen vampires and walks away unhurt." His eyes looked at the wall. "Not me, not Angel, not anyone. And we're hardly amateurs."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory blinked.

"God, I hope he can't do any of that," she said, raising an eyebrow.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin shrugged. "If he can, I'm sure his equally amazing hearing has already alerted him to my insults and he's trying to kill me with his brain."

He rolled his eyes. "But hey, Chosen One. And better hair. Bet I could take him."

He grinned. "I brought Yoda out. Did you see? He's making friends."

Over in his tank, Yoda is doing turtle-y things and completely ignoring the activity around him.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"You totally could," Rory said solemnly before turning her attention to Yoda.

"Oh yes. He's completely making friends," she said, peering through the glass at the turtle. "Such a social butterfly, this one. Vladdie liked him when I was keeping him in my room, anyway."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin smiled at Yoda. "Well, he's having his own kind of fun, anyway."

He stretched out on the couch and, hey, look at that, scooted a little closer to Rory. "So other than Zero in the library, how was your day?" His expression went serious. "I heard you said goodbye to Aeryn."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"I did," Rory said, her smile fading. She leaned back against the couch, moving just a wee bit closer to Anakin.

"I'm going to miss her."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"Me too," Anakin said, tilting his head to look at Rory. "It's hard to say goodbye."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"It is," Rory agreed quietly. "Poor John."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"John has people here who will watch out for him," Anakin said. "Aeryn's going to be alone."

Yes, he was identifying just a little too closely with John and Aeryn.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Poor Aeryn," she said softly. "But she said she loves what she'll be doing once she gets home. I mean, that's something. Right? John should be happy for her."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin nodded. "But it's natural for John to worry, too. I mean, Aeryn's very, very good at what she does, but not being there..." Anakin's eyes were trained on hers. "It'll be hard for a while."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory swallowed, her eyes wide. "It will," she said. "I like to think John and Aeryn will be okay, whatever they've decided to do."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"I think you're right," Anakin said, leaning over to look into Yoda's tank. If his knuckles happened to brush Rory's hand, well, these things do occur.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"And I think that y'know, if John and Aeryn had had more time to think about it, I would have advised them to just enjoy the time they have and not worry," Rory continued quietly, watching him.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

He nodded. "I think that's very good advice."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"So, yes," Rory nodded. "I vote new topic, because I don't want to be sad. Did I tell you John got turned into a Vladdie-lookalike yesterday? He saw Steve."

She looked a bit desperate for the shift in conversation.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"You didn't," he said, equally desperate for a conversation shift. "And today was a stick bug?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Yes. I set him on her head."

Rory's smile? Really about as close to mischievous as she could get.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"You didn't," he repeated, coming very close to a giggle. "I think I kind of love you for that. What did Professor Skeeter do?"

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"She turned him human again. While he was on her head."

She grinned. "But I guess she messed up the spell or something. Because she turned into him, too. It was like having John and Cam there, except one of them was still wearing bifocals and a skirt and stuff."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin was definitely giggling now. "Did you get pictures?" he asked.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Not of her as John. I didn't want to be a grasshopper or something," Rory said sadly. "She was really mad. She turned into a bug, too, before she went back to normal."