[action] the lobby near the dormitories.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[Since arriving and being interviewed, Sollux had spent the entirely of his stay at Balamb Garden curled up in his room. He couldn't sleep - not when he was so wound up and distinctively lacking a recuperacoon. But the outward world was a scary place, and he didn't have very high hopes for it. Despite the fact that his hosts had yet to actually do something terrible to him, it was nigh impossible to put the possibility out of mind.]

[But eventually he goes out, if only to prove to himself that he can and that he's allowed to. He's almost surprised when nobody stops him from leaving the dorms, and once he's to the lobby he's officially out of ideas of what to do with himself. Everyone he's seen is the same, pink skinned alien race he saw in Timber, and he doesn't feel comfortable talking to them. At least not of his own accord.]

[So he finds a slightly concealed area of the lobby and perches himself on it, watching people pass by, and trying to coax himself down from persistent idea that he should be trying to escape. It's not like he actually has anywhere to go.]

Comments

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

So you decided creeping along the walls was a better idea than creeping in your room? [Okay maybe she should tone it down. This one seems a little. Chipped around the edges.]

Obviously yes, because the Captor I know isn't taller than me. [Or so flinch-y.]

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He nods slightly, mostly to himself. Okay.]

Yeah. I'm nine solar sweeps, kind of grew a bit since then.

The others said you were here.

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like a fucking weed. [Looks at him up and down.]

Which others? There's a shitton of others now.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He snorts at that.]

Shorter me.

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

I assume he only had wonderful things to say about me. [Sarcasm, naturally. Holds out the apple to him after a pause.]

If you just arrived then you're probably a cadet. I should show you around.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't know what to say to the first comment, so instead of saying everything he just kind of gives her a searching look, wondering where between the two Vriskas he knows of this one falls.]

[He takes the apple.]

Guess so. Seems kind of redundant at this point, but...I haven't looked at much besides here and the dorms.

[He moves forward to walk with her, if that's what she was planning on doing.]

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[Indeed she is walking.] If you're going to be staying here you need to pick out a major and fill out a class schedule. You can find an instructor to help you with that stuff. [Or she could. Maybe.]

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[This is strange, but okay, rolling.]

Major? [That phrasing confuses him.] Like...combat specialty?

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly that. [Where does she even take him first.]

So what's your deal?

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He's getting pretty used to explaining this, so he goes for the short version.]

Never played Sgrub. We all just grew up to enter the military.

[And after a cautious pause.]

...and none of us died when we were little.

after taking forever...

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[Glances back at him at that last comment, but otherwise shrugs it off.] You were lucky. My timeline was so fortunate in that area.

<3

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

...yeah.

[Hesitation. Some awkwardness. He doesn't know what to think.]

I heard about that from your version of me.

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[Suddenly she feels a nagging feeling that this is leading into a bad conversation. She doesn't turn to look back at him, continuing to keep pace.]

Yeah well, things happen. Not all of us can avoid casualties like your timeline could.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He exhales quietly, and stays quiet for a while, staring at the floor as they move.]

[Finally:] Why did you do it?

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[Damn it. She stops and sighs dramatically.] I was young and made mistakes.

[Looks back at him.] Of course it's also in our nature to kill.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He seems less emotional about it than he could be. He mostly just sounds confused.]

But why her?

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

She got in my way and there wasn't any way around it. Simple as that. [Maybe not.]

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

What was she stopping you from doing?

[He's just patiently asking questions until he understands.]

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[She almost answers that honestly.] ... I don't see why that matters now. It's in the past.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[There's a long pause after that as he thinks about it.]

...I want to find out if I still know you.

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

[She stares at him.] That's just it; you don't know me. [No one really knows her anymore.]

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He just watches her for a moment, then shrugs a little.]

People here don't really know me, either.

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

Then we're on the same level, I guess.

[agt-doubletap.livejournal.com]

[He's quiet for another long moment.]

Do you regret it?

[betwixttocks.livejournal.com]

I have my regrets, sure. [She'll toss him that bone.] But it's in the past. Can't change what happened back then now and there's no sense in sitting on it like a depressed wriggler.