Room 406, Late Monday Afternoon

[izzyalienqueen]

After Interstellar Relations, Isabel returned to her room, booted up the laptop and started to surf through political blogs in preparation for Wednesday's Political Campaigning class. Occasionally she needed to move Annie when she tried to curl up on the laptop keyboard.

The door was open.

Comments

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge stops by Isabel's room, carrying something under one arm.

"Hey!" he says, poking his head in.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Hi!" Isabel grinned. "What's up?" Annie stuck her head up from where she'd been investigating Isabel's pillow.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I finished it!" Bridge says triumphantly, holding up the object he was carrying. "Granted, it took me a *little* longer than I thought it would, but it's done now," he grins. He then waves with his free hand at the kitten. "Hi, Annie."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Bridge you are the best," she said, tucking Annie into her hand and getting up from the bed. "It'll work? And won't hurt her?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"It's keyed to her," Bridge says, handing Isabel a small remote control. "So people can walk in and out of the room without encountering the field, but she won't be able to. And it won't zap her." He moves to go put the device itself on the floor by the door.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Just to her? Perfect!" Isabel said as she took the remote. "What happens if she goes near it?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"It'll sort of... nudge her away," Bridge explains. "Kind of like what happens when you run at a wall in one of those inflatable bouncy-castle things."

If Isabel examined the remote, she'd find two slightly glowy buttons just below the power button.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Nudging is good. God knows I do it to her often enough," she grinned. "Especially when she tries to walk across the laptop keyboard." Isabel studied the remote, "So what do the buttons do?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"This one," he points to the one on the left. "Is for kitty-treats for Annie. This one," he points to the other button, "is for people-treats for you. Jellybeans. Tabasco-flavoured ones." He grins briefly before his smile falters as something occurs to him. "Just, um. I know you're friends with Luke- don't show him that part, okay?"

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Kitty and Isabel treats? Bridge you're awesome," Isabel gleed, popping out treats for both herself and Annie. "Is there a problem with Luke?" she asked, growing serious.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"He doesn't seem to like me very much," Bridge admits, troubled. "Or the things I make."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Why?" Inwardly Isabel boggled, how could anyone not like Bridge?

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Because I have a date with his crush I don't know! Usually people at least have a reason, even if that reason is 'has freaky mutant powers'."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Well I don't think that's the reason," Isabel said firmly. "There's nothing freaky about what you can do. It's neat. Besides, I was helping him figure out how to move stuff around without touching it earlier today, and he didn't have a problem with me." She sighed, "And here I thought you could help us. I mean Anakin was helping me figure out what I could do. How am I supposed to turn around and teach his son? At least stuff beyond oh, float that ball of paper around the room."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I guess no matter how much I might want them to, not everyone here's gonna like me," Bridge says with a shrug. "I would've liked to help too, if I could."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"It's his loss if he wants to be a putz," Isabel said, squeezing Bridge's arm. "You can still help. If you don't mind me being a go between. I can help him with the basic telekinetic stuff since what I do and using the Force seem to work on the same basic principles. But the mental stuff that he should be able to do. I don't have a clue what to tell him. Dreamwalking is nothing like that."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"That'd be cool," Bridge says, smiling slightly. "I like helping people."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"And I for one appreciate your help," she smiled. "And I owe you dinner or something for helping me with this. She's been good so far but as she gets bigger I'm sure she's going to want to wander."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"You gave me a project to work on," Bridge says. "Which was helpful for *me*."

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"Ah yes, the keeping busy form of coping. I know it well," Isabel said with a small smile. "How's that working out?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I still miss him," Bridge says, "but it... doesn't hurt as much as it did, three weeks ago," he admits, looking slightly guilty.

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

"I get that," she said quietly. "You have to deal because what's the other option? Staying miserable forever? He wouldn't want that."