Meerkat, Isabel's Alcove B?, Wednesday afternoon

[izzyalienqueen]

Karate had been interesting. It was obvious she had a lot to learn, but Isabel was fairly certain she was going to enjoy the class. But for the moment, she was sitting on her bed, playing a few thousand hands of Spider Solitare and trying to refine a plan of revenge in her head.

[the curtain is open!]

Comments

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"I heard about the ducks," Anakin said. "The guys at this school really need to find other ways to spend their time, huh?"

He ran his left hand through his hair. "And all the new people are giving me a bit of a headache," he admitted. "Lots of emotions for me to filter out."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry," Isabel assured him with a wicked grin. "By the time we're done with them they'll have learned not to mess with us. We're making plans."

"Really? I never realized you could pick up things like that," she said. "That's got to be annoying after a while."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"Plans are good," Anakin said, returning her grin. "I like plans." He shrugged. "And yeah, I can pick up emotions--it's not something I like to talk about. Tends to freak people out--like I could read their thoughts or something." He put up his hands. "Which I would never do."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I understand exactly," Isabel replied. "It's why I don't talk to much about being able to get into people's dreams. Because I can literally see what they're thinking when I do it." She shook her head, "I'd never dream of doing that to a friend. That's just wrong."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin nodded. "Kind of laid out in front of you. It's not a comfortable thing, is it? And then there's the temptation of just...making it better. Fixing everything." He shook his head. "But that's wrong, and an abuse of power."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's not," Isabel admitted. "But when you're wondering if someone is going to turn you in to the FBI? It's nice to be able to leave town before they come gunning for you." Shaking of the bad memories that always came back at the thought of the FBI, she smiled. "I'm glad you came back. I was getting worried you'd left for good and I didn't get a chance to say good-bye."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin nodded, thinking of similar situations. But his hadn't been for such...altruistic...purposes.

"I got called home suddenly," he said apologetically. "The Council decided they needed to see me in person to decide if I could come back for the summer. And then there was a mission that came up." He hid his right hand behind his back. "It took a little longer than I had planned."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's okay, I understand. Actually this is better in a way," she said with a wry smile. "Aeryn left and came back, you left and came back. It gives me hope that someday I'll be able to leave, and more importantly, come back."

Isabel sat down at the head bed and gestured at the foot of it. "Have a seat, sorry the accomadations aren't better. How'd the mission go? Did it involve aggressive negotiations?"

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin sat down, curling his arms around his legs. "Yeah, things got a little...hinky. But Obi-Wan and I both walked away--under our own power, no less--so I'll count it as a win."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Makes sense to me," Isabel agreed. She tilted her head at the sight of the glove on Anakin's hand. "Why the glove? New fashion statement?"

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin looked uncomfortable. "Not exactly. As I said, the negotiations got a little...hinky."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine," Anakin said, waving her off. "We just had to negotiate with a group of aliens who...respect strength." He stared down at his covered hand. "This was part of the ceremony." He cleared his throat. "Obi-Wan said I did very well."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

If there was one thing Isabel regretted, it was that she'd spent too many years believing Michael when he shrugged off the numerous cuts and bruises he'd turned up with because of his foster father. She raised an eyebrow.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

"Part of the Jedi thing," Anakin said firmly. "Obi-Wan would never let me get hurt for no reason."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel frowned. "See, here's the thing. The word hurt is still in that sentence." Biting her lip, she wondered if she was being too pushy. But he was a friend, and that meant she could be concerned about him. "Anakin, what happened?"

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

He looked at Isabel. "I appreciate the concern," he said, "but really, it's fine. Just a bit of a cultural exchange that is going to sound very weird out of context, and the context took me eight solid days to learn."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Somehow the fact that you refuse to answer questions, is telling me that you're not fine," Isabel said firmly. "What happened to your hand?"

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin's lips thinnned. "I'm not going to talk about this, Isabel," he said, standing up to leave.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Fine," she said quietly. "But if you ever need to..."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin gave her a sharp nod. "I appreciate it." He tone softened. "Really. I just don't want to talk about it yet."

He tilted his head towards the voices in the common room. "See you around, though, right?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

Isabel bit her lip and nodded. "Okay, sorry I pushed."

"Don't worry, I'll be around."

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

Anakin gave her a small smile, then walked towards the common room.