Fourth Floor Common Room [evening]

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

Aravis was curled up on the couch, a dog at her feet and a bag of popcorn beside her.

No, of course it wasn't burned. That might imply that she had followed the directions as best she could, and still failed. Which was certainly not the case.

She flipped through the channels on the television, no real aim in mind aside from steering away from anything with that obnoxious false-sounding laughter. Her mind was elsewhere, and possibly pondering how she could possibly mock that awful woman more. It had suddenly become vastly more appealing, now that she was not allowed.

[oooooooooopen like a thing]

Comments

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke popped his head into the common room and smiled when he found people. "Good evening."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Luke," Aravis said, waving. "How does the evening find you?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"In search of company," he said with a smile, "but that was easily fixed. How are you?"

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Bored," Aravis replied, as Ata hopped up and went to sniff at him. "...sorry. Hope you don't mind puppies."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Not at all," Luke said, crouching down to pet the puppy. "My best friend has a permanently hyperactive one."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

Ata eagerly licked at his hands. "He's friendly, I promise. He gets on quite well with the rat and the gray thing and the cat that all also live in my room."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke blinked. "Are any of them your roommate?" he asked carefully.

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"No, the cat and the gray thing are his, though," she assured him.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"So that's six creatures in your room?" Luke asked, counting them up. "Sounds a little crowded."

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Luke," Evie said, waving to him, making tea in the kitchen. "Are you well? And I'm making tea, would you like some?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"What kind of tea?" Luke asked.

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

"Earl Grey, Darjeeling, or Russian," Evie said, opening up her jar of Russian tea. "Russian is the sweetest. Do you have tea in space?" she asked, diverted by the idea. "Space tea trees?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I lived on a different planet," Luke said, "not out in a vacuum or anything. And our planet didn't have trees, but things were delivered. I'll try the Darjeeling, please."

Mostly because it sounded a bit like home.

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

"Of course. You did mention caff, I think, before." Evie prepared a cup with the Darjeeling tea bag, and carefully poured the hot water into the mug after a moment. "Milk, sugar, or lemon?" She sighed a little. "This makes me miss home, a bit. My mother always did this part."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke wrinkled his nose up. "No stuff, please," he said, reaching for the mug and cradling it in his hands. "Where's your mom now? Obviously not here, of course, but back in England, right?"

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

"Plain as plain, then," Evie said, nodding. "And yes, she's at Oxford. Teaching at the ladies' college there. History and archaeology."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Sounds fascinating," Luke said with a smile. "My mother was involved in politics."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"Luke!" A.J. said brightly and lifted a hand in a wave. "Hi!"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Leaf!" Luke grinned back. "How are you?"

[by137.livejournal.com]

"I've been painting!" Which might explain why A.J. was actually kind of bouncing a little from where he was sitting on the couch. He grinned happily. "So, how are you? Good?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Very good," Luke said with another smile. "What were you painting?"

[by137.livejournal.com]

"My room. I've got all the walls finished. I don't know what I'll paint in there now, unless maybe I put together a scaffolding thing like when Michaelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel and do the ceiling..."

With the way he trailed off like that and put a hand to his chin for light plotting stroking, it was clear that A.J. was already painting it in his head.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"The turtle painted the chapel?"

Luke was a little confused.

[by137.livejournal.com]

"The...turt--?"

A.J. blinked. And then it clicked and he laughed a little, shaking his head. "Nonono, man. Different Michealangelo. The painter, not the turtle. The turtle was actually named after this guy. That's what Donnie told me, anyway. Also names for an artist. Apparently, they all are..."

A.J. sounded a little envious; this perception was aided by a wistful little sigh.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"You could tell people the 'a' in your name stands for artist?" Luke tried.