The Dorm Roof, Tuesday Afternoon

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally has suited up in her Dad's old jumpsuit, grabbed a toolbelt, and headed up to the roof in order to do some routine maintenance on the Viper. She'd hoped to have moved it, as per the school's request, but she couldn't ever seem to get a hold of anyone willing to fly the frakking thing. She'd made arrangements for it to be stored over at Quark's Garage, but the ship had to get there first.

So, until then, she just double checks the fuel lines for leaks, the hull for cracks, and so on and so forth. It's tedious, but it's a fun kind of tedious for her.

[ooc: Open for interaction, yay. She'll be here all afternoon unless someone drags her away or throws her off the roof or something.]

Comments

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

In a sheer fit of boredom, Archie wanders all the way up to the roof. Hey, at least he's not wandering up in a fit of sheer emo this time.

"Hello, Cally!" he says, determined to not make this another nasty incident.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Hey Archie," Cally says, dragging herself out from underneath the viper. She rubs her face with a cloth, but she's still smudged with motor oil. "How's things?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie shrugs. "Well enough, I suppose." And because he may as well get it over with, "Listen -- er, I'm terribly sorry about that stirrups thing."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally laughs. "I think it's funny, actually."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie crosses his arms and leans against the wall, shaking his head. "You would. You're not ashamed of that, are you?"

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"What've I got to be ashamed for?" Cally says, trying to wipe her face again.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Archie says slowly, picking at a bit of rock protruding from the retaining wall. "Nothing, I suppose."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"So, things going okay after the... thing?" Cally asks, trying to be tactful.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"The thing?" Archie looks quizzical. "Oh, with Jaye? Other than embarrassing myself horribly on the radio last Tuesday, yes, I suppose I'm doing all right. Veronica baked me cookies."

He picks at the pebble some more. "You know, I rather envy you."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"You do?" Cally says, walking over to be a bit closer to Archie. "Why, exactly?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"It's almost as though you lead a charmed life," he says diffidently. "You seem so happy every time I see you, and all the radio reports . . ."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah," Cally says, smiling. "Things are pretty good for me." She nods. "But I have a future of so much OMG TRAUMA to make up for it. Just lucky, I guess."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"Well, I hope they stay that way for you. And for God's sake, enjoy it while you can, because OMG THE TRAUMA IN YOUR FUTURE."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Well, me too. And I hope stuff looks up for you, okay?" Cally smiles. "Even if I have to, like, force you to be happy."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie smiles a little bit at that. "I hope so too. And if you really feel it necessary to force me to be happy, well . . ." He lowers his voice for some reason, even though no one else is around. "You might want to do that before the term ends."

[OOC: OMG, self, so NFB.]

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally blinks. "Why?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"I might not be around after that," he says simply.

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"What? You're not dying or something, are you?" Cally bites her lower lip.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"What? No!" Archie looks surprised. "Not as far as I know -- not again, anyway. No, I just suspect I've . . . well, run my course here, that's all."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"...there's other girls in the school other than stupid whorey Jaye, you know," Cally says.

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"She's not --" Archie begins, then decides not to pursue the topic. "That isn't what I meant."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Well, what did you mean?" Cally says, pocketing the rag she's been wiping her face with. "Cause I don't know why anyone would want to leave here."

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

Archie smiles, maybe a touch bitterly. "That's all well and good for you to say. You fit in just fine here, and you have someone who loves you, and this world makes sense to you. It doesn't, to me. The more I learn, the less I understand."

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

Cally frowns, and wrings her hands a bit. "The culture shock isn't dying down, huh?"

[actingltcrumpet.livejournal.com]

"It just gets worse, I think," Archie admits. "No need to look upset about it, Cally. It can't be helped."

He tucks his hands in his coat pockets and looks out over the school, thoughtfully. "It's not to say I haven't enjoyed my time here. I'm just coming to believe that I shouldn't be here, that's all."