roof | late afternoon | monday | january 4

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

A little cold wasn't going to keep Alex from spending time on the damn roof. It was the quietest (unless there was someone interesting up there to talk to) place to smoke and it'd given him some pretty good memories. Cold just meant he had to wear a coat. Problem easily solved.

He also decided that he had every right to complain about the cold since he was out, spending time in it. It was his logic and he liked it.

Besides, once he'd situated himself against the wall of the roof, blocking out any of the wind, it wasn't that cold. Once he'd lit the cigarette, it felt even less so. Until it started fucking snowing, Alex wasn't going to wimp out and smoke inside. He was stronger than that.

[our systems are borked so i'm bored. open roof, of course!]

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[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

It had been a while since he'd been up there, and he'd been put into something of a contemplative mood since his class.

That was why Liir went up, with broom. He also had the Witch's cloak, since it was cold

When he noticed Alex there, he gave him quick, polite wave. Then it was just a matter of figuring out if it would be wise to fly at the moment. Was the wind too rough?

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Hey man," Alex said, keeping his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't have to wave. Give them a little warm up since they'd been holding his cigarette. "Needed some fresh air too?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Indeed," he agreed with a soft puff of breath.

"And starting to rethink a flight. The wind is a bit much."

But he made his way over to Alex. He was up here, after all.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Flight?" Alex repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You hiding some wings somewhere?"

Half a year ago, he would have expected the answer to be 'no.' Now, it was even on what answer he'd get.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir held up the broom and waggled it a little.

"This. And" he pulled the cloak up a little tighter "with this. I'm not quite that mad yet."

Mad as in insane. He was relatively calm today, really.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Alex couldn't help the escape of some surprised laughter. "Thought that only happened in fairy tales and someone's acid trip."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He shook his head with a short laugh of his own. Thank the Nameless Name. No dirty jokes.

"Really. I thought everyone knew about that. Then again, I haven't gone out as much lately."

He scratched behind one ear as he considered that.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Been awhile since I've seen you," Alex said, shrugging. "And I don't think I've drowned my brain in enough alcohol to forget that. Genetic thing?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded quickly, glancing at the broom as it bucked a little. It certainly wanted to fly.

"It was my... mother's."

And there would always be that hesitation; there was nothing he could do about it. He might have had her acknowledge him and, in turn, he might have been able to acknowledge how he really felt about her but that lump? The accompanying anger? Wasn't going to go away any time soon.

"I claimed it after she died."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

That was something Alex could identify with. His mother wasn't dead but there'd been close calls in the past. Couldn't say he'd talk about his family any easier.

"Sorry, man," he said, giving what sympathy he could. "It's a nice broom. And if it let's you fly, even better. Kind of a legacy then, huh?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"People die," was his only reply. It wasn't biting or harsh, but it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.

"But I like the broom well enough. I'd be a rotting bit of sewage if not for it."

The prince and the Witch's son wasn't touching 'legacy' with a twenty foot pole.

"I'd offer to take you up, but I'm not sure that'd be possible."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex waved a hand and shook his head. "I'm not much for that sort of thing anyway. Keeping my feet on the ground is hard enough sometimes. My luck, I'd fall and break my fucking neck. No offense against your skills. Just have shitty luck."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I completely understand," he said with a wry smile.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Gotta be something that comes in handy," Alex said conversationally. "All the weird shit that goes down, if you don't wanna deal, you can just take off and not deal."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He actually smiled.

"Exactly. I'm shit in a fight and I know it, so I generally stay out of the way, scout, provide transportation when things come up."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"And sometimes being shit doesn't really matter here. Island'll do what the fuck it wants with you." Stupid vampire place. "You ever tried to learn to fight or just not something you do?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I took lessons every week when I first came, practiced most days," he said with a little smile.

"I was taught to box by soldiers. I can dodge extremely well. But I don't... hit people. It doesn't work for me."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"And I prefer hitting the shit out of people," he said, snickering. "Not very good at dodging. Soldiers? Military or something?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"There was a garrison stationed down the hill from where I grew up," he shared, more freely than usual.

"There wasn't much of anything else and home wasn't exactly warm, so I'd head down. They taught me things, played games, sang songs. It was something."

Until they'd kidnapped everyone and tied him in a sack to keep him from following.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"And I just learned to fight because I was bored." Or because he'd had to if he wanted his mother to survive. Same difference. "Probably a little cleaner than I am."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

His own chuckle was a bit dark.

"Certainly not. The Gale Forcers... I've learned since then that some of the things I'd spout weren't to be spouted by a sprite my size."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Gale Forcers?" Cool name if anything. "That something you want to do when you're done here? Military?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Part of the military back in Oz. They were considered something of a special group, from what I've come to understand."

...yes, Liir was partially raised by what amounted to Storm Troopers.

Then he shook his head.

"I almost did just that before I came here. But I've no desire to join them when I leave. I doubt they'd take me anyway."

Being the son of a known terrorist and the nephew of the man currently on the throne had it's interesting sides.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry, the military here would take one look at my lungs and laugh at me," he commiserated, taking another long drag. "Do you have plans for after this?"

The class earlier had sent him thinking and that was never a happy thing.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He considered his answer. Of course, he knew what he thought.

"No plans. I don't expect it'll be a problem, though."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Glad to hear I'm not the only one." Everyone seemed to have plans and charts and ideas. He had nothing. "Keep getting asked what I want to do after school ends and I don't know. I'll figure something out later."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Life only happens one day at a time. And plans have a way of becoming impractical at any given moment."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Tell that to the shitload of teachers that make this week all about introductions and future plans," he said, wiggling the fingers of one hand. "All I got is that some version of me is a doctor and I haven't died of lung cancer yet."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Well, that's one step better than anything I'm expecting for myself."

Frankly, Liir was pretty sure he was going to die before he graduated. Or shortly after.

"Nothing we say now means much, I think. It's just an exercise."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Think if I started toting around a notecard with all the pertinent information on it, I'd get away with skipping intros?"

Probably not but it was a nice thought.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Think you might get detention. Some of them have a bit of trouble with those who're clever."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex shrugged. Wasn't like detention was a big deterrent. "Not like it'd be the first time. It'd save me some time and trouble. Haven't had detention yet so I should get that first one out of the way."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"You haven't?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmm. I suppose that would be my luck then."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"It's pretty fucking hard to get detention in this school." And he hadn't exactly been a saint. "And I've toned my aggressive tendencies. Sex is helpful for that."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I've actually found it ridiculously easy," he admitted with a short laugh, "but who could say?"

He wasn't speaking on sex. He'd had it, but he wasn't having it now and as long as he didn't think about it too much, he wouldn't miss it.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we've just had different teachers," he decided, shrugging. "Most of mine don't give two shits as long as I look like I'm paying attention."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I've actually just come up on the list once," he explained, "no teacher involved. Not quite sure how it happened."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Fucking island, of course." When in doubt, Alex tended to blame the goddamn island.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Yes. Though to be fair, random punishments back in Oz could be much worse. Detention is interesting more often than a true punishment."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"You make me wanna get detention just so I can see for myself," he said and smirked. "Detention at my old school was boring. Be nice to see if this island can make it interesting."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Well, I could tell you about the detentions I've had," he offered with a little shrug.