The Roof, Thursday Afternoon

[seveninchmotto]

According to the radio, Isabelle had missed exactly her kind of party last night. While that had caused a little pang of regret in her – because she liked fun, goddammit, and it sounded like there'd been entertainment galore in the common room – it had probably been for the best that she'd missed it. Between her mood swings of late, as well as how last weekend had gone, she was still easing herself back into being social.

And clearly sitting on the edge of the roof and looking out over the town was an important step in that process. But she actually had a map of the town on her lap, and was marking some of the things she could see on it. And just marking places she thought seemed particularly vulnerable.

No reason.

Except there was totally a reason, and it was something her mother had said during one of their conversations over the previous weekend. Homes and protection. They were a thing.

[ooc: Open roof post, omg!]

Comments

[flickofthewrist]

"Yeah but...why now?" He didn't disagree with her but the timing seemed strange.

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle looked at him like she didn't know why that was even a question.

"Why not now?"

[flickofthewrist]

Flick shrugged, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder. "It's just strange timing since you've been here for awhile now. It just came out of nowhere, it seems."

[seveninchmotto]

"Flick, you live in Fandom," Isabelle pointed out with a little sigh. "Does this really count as strange?"

[flickofthewrist]

"If it's what you want to do, you can do it, Isabelle," he replied, shaking his head. "It just came out of nowhere, in my opinion."

[seveninchmotto]

"Well, your opinion is off." Through no fault of his own, though, so she didn't sound particularly accusatory. "Besides, it's in my nature to pay attention to these things. Some would say it's in my blood. Just because you haven't seen me do it so concretely, doesn't mean I haven't been doing it at all."

[flickofthewrist]

"I never said you haven't been doing it," Flick muttered, shaking his head again. "Never mind, Isabelle. You're free to do what you want. I was just curious and confused."

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle shrugged again. Apparently it was the best that she could do.

"And I'm a little confused about your confusion."

[flickofthewrist]

"It was just unexpected," Flick tried again. "I hadn't seen this level of it before after so long. But, you explained it so okay. Fine."

[seveninchmotto]

"I'm going to be here another year," Isabelle pointed out, looking down at her map again. "I should protect the place."

There... may have been something there.

[flickofthewrist]

"I get that sentiment," Flick told her, nodding. "I understand. So maybe you should bring other people into this plan and not just yourself. People here are capable and I'm sure they'd help."

[seveninchmotto]

"I know that." She just hadn't gotten that far yet. Maybe once she was out of the portion of this that was basically therapy. (No, she would not admit that that was it was. As he'd probably noticed already.) "But it's not really a plan yet. I'm just... scouting. I'm noting ideas I have."

[flickofthewrist]

"Okay," Flick said, nodding and looking down at his feet. "Well, when you're ready. Just ask."

[seveninchmotto]

"Okay. I will at least consider it." Was that a joke? Maybe. Maybe not. She sighed as she looked at the map. "I can't believe they don't at least have wards around the school."

[flickofthewrist]

"You think the things that end up here would be turned away by wards?" Flick asked, shaking his head. "If someone wants to get in, they'll find a way."

[seveninchmotto]

"I know that."

That... was a snap. And she knew it wasn't his fault and that he didn't know what a sore spot he'd just shoved at, because she hadn't told him everything Sebastian had done the night Max died, but it got out before the rationality took hold.

Once it did, though, she muttered, "Anyway, slowing something down is better than nothing."

[flickofthewrist]

"Okay," he snapped right back because he had no idea what the hell just caused that, no. "You do what you need to do."

[seveninchmotto]

That whole regained rationality thing did not work for very long at all.

Isabelle's jaw tightened, and she before she knew it, she was pointing back towards the stairs down into the building.

"Leave."

[flickofthewrist]

"Gladly," Flick said, pushing away from the ledge and stalking towards the stairs because fuck this.

Fuck this.

[seveninchmotto]

And Isabelle didn't even feel the least bit sorry. She might, later, and probably would. But not right now.

She did not make a single move to stop him, or even turn to watch him go. Instead, she stared out towards the town, feeling a knot of anger and grief building up in her chest.

Great.