fandomhighdorms | the roof ; tuesday afternoon

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the roof ; tuesday afternoon

It was chilly today. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, the chill seeping into his bones and making him aware that winter was closing in, but he still wasn't a fan. His worn and battered coat was pulled tight around him and was doing an admirable job of keeping him warm.

He didn't know why he'd come up here today. Flick tended to keep to the gym or his own floor but he felt like getting some fresh air today. He'd hopped up on the roof ledge, letting his feet dangle over the side and he closed his eyes, breathing in.

Unbidden, Jude floated in front of him, arms crossed. Flick started, almost reaching out to drag his brother back towards the tangible ground but his hand didn't reach and Jude merely laughed.

"Already dead, big brother," Jude reminded him with a small smile. "Don't worry."

"Don't say that," Flick said, scrunching his shoulders up. "I should be the dead one, not you."

When Flick looked up, Jude was closer and his eyes were blazing. "Don't you ever say that again, Flick. Ever. I mean it. Promise me."

Flick shook his head and tried to wake up or banish Jude since he didn't want to have this conversation. "No. It's true."

There wasn't time for a reply because Flick jerked away from the small nap he'd fallen into while sitting on the roof. Jude was gone. The air was still seeping into his skin and he exhaled quietly.

[Open space, open post. NFB on Jude appearing since he's a ghostie so feel free to hear Flick talking to no one at all, if you'd like.]

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Yeul had heard a voice speaking as she reached the door to the roof and so, when she opened it and slipped through, she'd rather expected to find several people.

She only found one.

"Oh, hello," she said, smiling slightly. "I thought I heard a voice up here."

"Must be hearing things," Flick answered, glancing back over his shoulder at the new arrival. "No one up here but me."

The lie came easily even if Flick was still looking for traces of his brother in the air in front of him. Jude was gone, though.

"Maybe it was the birds."

"Entirely possible," Yeul replied agreeably. There were odder things that had happened on the island, surely.

... And Yeul would probably had agreed with him even if the lies hadn't been vaguely plausible.

"Do you mind company?" she wondered. "Or should I go?"

"Nah, you can stay," Flick said, kicking his feet against the side of the roof and taking a breath. "Didn't know many people cane up here. It's cold."

"It gets colder," Yeul replied calmly, making her way slowly closer to the edge. "I am not a frequent visitor up here, though I suppose I do not know how many visits are required to become one. Perhaps I am."

She probably wasn't.

"I know I'm not."

First time and all. He looked over at her, taking her in since he was fairly sure he hadn't seen her before.

"Think it'll snow?" he asked, going for idle conversation for the time being. "We got a lot of that up north."

Long blue hair, complete with headpiece and veil, green eyes, and absolutely unseasonal clothing: her usual white-blue skirt and sleeveless white and orange top. A great deal of beadwork completed the image. The only thing vaguely seasonal were her boots.

"It does snow here," she offered, returning his look with mild interest. "I remember that from last winter. I don't know if it'll snow soon though."

"Mmm. There goes all my hope of a white Christmas," he said, mostly sarcastic. He leaned back and blinked a few times. "Haven't seen you around before. Guess you're not that new since you know about last winter. Must not be a regular visitor to the fifth floor."

"I believe there's still a month until Christmas," she said, smiling a bit. "I'm sure it will snow before that."

Yeul shrugged. "I am on the second floor usually," she admitted. "And the stairs are not always comfortable." With her limp, which was evident enough, though not extremely pronounced as she stopped a few feet from the ledge.

"Yeah, you'd think a place as big as this would invest in a fricking elevator," Flick said, almost bitter. He'd dealt with a bad leg for a few weeks and taking steps wasn't fun.

"Flick," he said, pointing to himself before adding, "of the fifth floor. Up where all the miscreants must be or something."

He smirked.

Yeul smiled.

"Are you a miscreant?" she asked lightly. "Should I be careful?"

She wouldn't be careful.

"I am Yeul," she added. "Of the second floor, though it has no title."

"It's a label I've been called before," he admitted with a nod. "And most people should be careful around me but I find that they like to make their own decisions."

His opinions didn't easily sway the strong willed.

"Nice to meet you. Can't say I've ever really visited the second floor."

“It’s a nice enough floor, if you like them,” Yeul said easily. “It is nice to meet you as well. People generally do like to make up their own mind about things, even when it’d be easier to just go with what they’re told.”

She took another few steps, until her legs brushed against the ledge and looked over the ground before glancing at him.

“Should I ask how well you listen when told what to do? I am terrible at it, myself.”

"Depends on the order," Flick said, shrugging his shoulder. "If it's something harmless, I might listen. Most of the time, I'm not gonna do something just because someone spits an order at me. Not a big fan of authority."

"And I begin to understand why you are a miscreant," she teased gently. "Have you been on the island long?"

"Just since summer," he replied with a shrug. "Longer than I expected to be, though. Can't seem to leave."

He could leave, he just kept coming back.

"Is the island keeping you here?" she asked curiously. "I hear it does that, to some people."

[Heading home so will be SP for a bit!]

"In a way," he answered after a moment of silence. "Unfinished business or something. Hard to explain. I can leave, I just tend to end up back here for one reason or another."

He was a professional at being cryptic.

[No worries!]

"You're very good at that," she said, sounding unruffled. "If you do not wish to answer, you do not need to, if that would save you the trouble."

Yeul considered that thoughtfully. "Unless you enjoy it, then by all means, continue. I do not mind."

Flick didn't answer one way or the other. He kept his silence in lieu of continuing on with any further cryptic statements.

"Why are you here?" he finally asked. "The education here really that good?"

"My Guardian sent me here to keep me safe," Yeul said, turning her gaze back over to regard the ground below. "I have no comparison for the education; this is my first school."

"Keep you safe?" Well, they had something in common there. Sort of. "From what?"

If she didn't want to tell him, he figured she wouldn't. Wouldn't stop him from asking.

"Change, I suppose," Yeul said, though it was an incomplete answer. "I remain uncertain if it will work, though it has so far."

"I thought change was what made the world go 'round or something like that," he said casually. "A static world would just stagnate and die."

"That's true," she replied cheerfully. "But Caius, my Guardian, has his reasons. Change doesn't agree with me."

That was... putting it lightly.

"Huh." He was curious but he didn't prod. "That mean you can't go back since change is constant?"

Yeul tilted her head slightly.

"Eventually, I would go back anyway," she said, after a moment. "It is my home and, if I want something, he will not deny me."

"Good luck with that, I guess," Flick said, glancing over at her. "You got a lot of time left here to prepare? I'm hoping to be gone within a few months."

"A few years," she said, smiling. "I am not concerned about myself. But you, are you eager to leave?"

"Yeah." That wasn't a lie. "I need to go home. Stuff to do there that's not getting done while I'm here."

"That is how it happens." Yeul nodded, the breeze tugging at her veil. "Will you be enacting changes or reacting to them? If I may ask that."

"Enacting."

If he had anything to do with it, he'd be enacting many changes.

"Probably have to do a bit of reacting as well. Just to see how the playing field levels out."

"Do you think it will?" Yeul wondered. "Level, I mean."

"Dunno."

There were a lot of irons in the fire when it came to Mandel Academy and the people within. "Best case scenario? Everything will level out without any trouble at all. But really, when does the best case scenario ever happen?"

"Very rarely." Yeul looked at him seriously. "No matter how many plans are made, that happens so rarely that it might not happen at all. The future is full of bumps, no matter how the future comes about."

"Yeah, I'm used to bumps." Both of the literal and metaphorical kind. "Just gotta adapt to the bumps. Expect them. And I do. I always expect the absolute worst thing to happen."

"And then are surprised when things aren't so bad?" she asked lightly.

"I like surprises," he said simply. "Nice when they happen."

"I shall hope for surprises for you, then," Yeul offered. "Good ones, of course."

"Thanks," Flick said, nodding and smiling very briefly. "My cynicism prevents me from thinking anything good will happen but I'll continue to try and be hopeful."

"It is good to try," she said earnestly. "Even if it's only the hope that the next day will be a little better, it's important to believe. Otherwise no one would get out of bed in the morning."

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the roof ; tuesday afternoon

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