The Valley Campfire: Monday Afternoon

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

Anyone coming across the campfire today would find Layla sprawled out on a blanket as she traced a convuluted route on a map of the Northeastern part of the United States. She was lying on her stomach with her feet up in the air as she munched on a snack of raisins and goldfish crackers

And while a fire wasn't lit in the firepit, there was a cooler of drinks and some goodies from J'GOB sitting on top of them for visitors to enjoy.

[Open campfire is open]

Comments

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Planning a trip?" Valentine couldn't help asking when she passed by and spotted Layla and the map.

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Kinda," Layla replied. "Not for me really. How are you today, Valentine?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Who's it for?" Valentine asked, with a slight grin. "And shouldn't you know that, Layla, how I am today?"

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Someone who needs it," she said with a smirk. "And I was really just making conversation. Soda?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Well, who needs it?" Valentine asked. "And, yes, please, root beer if you have it."

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

Layla was already pulling the bottle out of the cooler and handing it over. "Well sometimes I find it's better if people tell me about their day as opposed to me telling them about their day. Makes for less awkward pauses."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps with some people," Valentine agreed with a shrug, feeling that if she was thrown by something Layla would say to her at this point, she was really, really slacking off. "But how about we just skip my day and go onto yours, since I don't know how yours was."

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"I had awesome class, made a fake online profile and then came back here," she said with a shrug. "Then I tried to get Hannibal King to take his pants off."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"All in a day's work, really," Valentine said, casting a glance toward Hannibal. "I take it you didn't succeed? Or did I just miss the good stuff?"

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"Didn't work but I didn't think it would," Layla shrugged. "That's okay. He'll take 'em off sooner or later but I don't need the credit."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Well, everyone takes their pants off sooner or later," Valentine said. "It's more a matter of who's there to see it."

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"I'm betting Angela will be the lucky one," Layla chuckled. "Anyhow that's my day in a nutshell. And tomorrow I'll be working at Things Reborn."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"How do you like working there?" Valentine asked.

[iknowstuff.livejournal.com]

"It's pretty nice actually," Layla replied. "The clothes there are mostly vintage and with my discount I don't have to scrounge for clothes. Plus I make enough so I don't have to rely on the cafeteria on a daily basis. I don't think I could work at the hotel like you do. Too service oriented."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"I work in the middle of the week, though," Valentine said, shrugging a little again. "Not many visitors coming in to rent rooms on a Wednesday. Mostly it's just dealing with Gunther, but he's easily swayed by bad German grammar."

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes waved and smiled at Valentine.

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine smiled, waving a little back. "Agnes, right? I've been failing hard at remembering everyone lately."

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"That's right," Agnes answered. "And you're Valentine, Andrew's sister. It is hard to keep everyone straight, isn't it? Especially when new people keep arriving."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"New people coming in," Valentine agreed, gesturing, "getting caught up with other things. Some of it does get kind of murky."

But, really, something else Agnes had said caught Valentine's attention much more. "I don't hear many people calling him Andrew much," she noted, her head tilting slightly.

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes frowned, confused. "It's... how he introduced himself in class," she replied. "Does he usually go by something else?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

"Ender," Valentine said, "though I'm not surprised if he says Andrew in class. It is his name, but he'll always be Ender for me."