Tour around Campus

“Excellent!” Lochlann said, clapping his hands together. He pulled out his phone and texted Cabel, his thumbs moving slowly over the keyboard. He was still not used to the device, though since it involved the skill of his hands, he was learning much quicker than one might anticipate.

Lochlann was almost giddy with excitement. He circled around the two girls again, a sudden, predatory motion like a wolf circling a stray deer, but it was only to again stand before the two girls and walk backwards. His hands were tucked into his hoodie, his head high and tilted like a cliff face to the right.

He looked care free, but of course, it was a lie.

Lochlann was trying to keep his eyes from dropping to see how Anastasia’s legs worked, and then from shifting them to Adelene to compare the speed of the two girls. Adelene, he knew, would kick his ass if he tried anything. He suspected that the only way to catch her would be to catch her off guard; the two of them would already have to be in location when he would turn, and he would have to make it quick, grabbing her by the throat with his teeth and dragging her into the water and—

Lochlann dropped his eyes to the ground.

“So Anastasia,” he said. His eyes were on her face now, examining her reaction when she spoke. “Are you thinking about joining any sort of extra circulars? I don’t know if you participated in any at your old school, but the clubs here are actually rather fun.”

They were almost at the turn for the roof and Lochlann was grateful, because his leg was starting to kill him. When he felt it start to weaken, he pivoted on the heel of his other foot and spun to link his arm with Adelene’s, disguising the action. Now, any chance in his walk could easily be mistaken for accommodating the height difference between Lochlann and Addy.

Acting weird was one thing, but Lochlann clinging to Adelene's arm as they walked was something else. She didn't flinch or move away, but she looked at him with wide and attentive eyes, and she was more wary than ever because Lochlann was really giving her the creeps.

"Lochlann, you okay?" she asked.

But her attention was quickly pulled towards Anastasia, when she mentioned something about fighting clubs. She thoughtfully moved her eyes around, before looking at her again. "There are martial arts classes... And sports clubs," she said, "but if you mean street fighting, I heard a rumor that some underground stuff like that exists in the city slums."

She turned to Lochlann again. She could feel his weight, even though he was on his own feet... Maybe he was feeling ill? She looked at his bad leg, because no she hasn't forgotten about it and she still hated whoever shot him and she'd kill that person, really, but for now, she shot Lochlann a worried look and asked once more, "Are you reeeaaally okay? Because you're acting stranger than usual, you know."
@"ReD" @"Thoth"

Lochlann glanced at Addy when she asked if he was fine and nodded.

"I'm fine," he said, and then he tried to look bemused. "Is there something wrong with wanting to link arms with my favorite person?"

He gave her a tired smile and bumped her shoulder with his. The pain was coming in and out, but it was tolerable right now. He kept his arm linked with hers just in case.

He wished he could just enjoy meeting a new person with Adelene instead of having to think about her with every footstep. Lochlann was not sure what he would do if he ever saw her again. He might try and kill her. He was tired of hurting.

He shook his head though and took in what Anastasia was saying, nodding in agreement with Addy.

"There are a lot of fighting clubs here," Lochlann said. "And she's right--rumor has it that there's a fightclub in the Underground. I think you can win money if you're good enough."

He shrugged and jarred himself with the movement, frowning. "I'm a lover though, not a fighter, so I don't know much about them. Addy could probably take you to some of them. She kicks a lot of butt, she probably knows someone who could take you to a fight club, right Addy?"

Adelene decided she'd let it go whatever seemed off about Lochlann to her. She let him hold on, just in case her guess was right, at least nothing would go wrong this way, right?

"I don't kick butts unless they're someone like you," she told him, sharply eying him for a moment before turning to Anastasia.

"For the record, I just heard about the rumor from somewhere, I've never really been there." She left the part of actually wanting to go unsaid. While street fighting was illegal, and while she'd never resorted to it for money, she would love to see what it was like. "I don't need street fighting. I'm enrolled to a self-defense class, and I train by myself almost every afternoon so there's really no reason for me to want more physical work."

She glanced at Lochlann. Besides, this guy just can't help but be a sandbag sometimes, she thought. A small chuckle escaped her, and she looked away in attempt to hide it.
@"ReD" @"Thoth"

Lochlann laughed at Adelene's comment, but said no more on the subject and otherwise let it slide. It was all in good humor, and since he'd teased her so mercilessly about her tour, he didn't have the heart to try and think of anything back.

They were at the stairs now, so Lochlann unhooked his arm from Addy's and grabbed onto the railing.

"Ladies," he said to them. "I am pleased to present to you...the roof."

He walked up without ever taking his hand off the rail and managed to make it up the stairs without betraying the ache in his leg.

He was busy processing the information he'd learned about Anastasia. She fought. He wondered for how long, and how good she was at it. It explained why she moved like a predator, at least. He wondered how fast she could run.

He wondered why he was thinking these sorts of thoughts.

"I don't recommend doing it up here while we're picnicking, but I think fighting on the roof would be kind of cool," Lochlann said.

He couldn't wait to show them the secret of the roof.

"Anastasia, have you fought for a long time?" he asked. He hated that he asked. He hated that he wanted to know how much of a chance he had.

The roof was flat with a banister that went up roughly to his hips designed to keep people away from the ever sloping edge. The view from the top was breath taking; the glimpse of the ocean in the distance was a royal blue that contrasted the warm sky. The city stuck up with jagged, shiny skyscrapers like teeth, and on the other side the dark expanse of the forest seemed to eat up the horizon.

Lochlann loved this view. He hoped they loved it. From up here, the island didn't seem so small and confining.

He couldn't wait to jump.

Cabel Sokot was standing at the top of the roof, too, and when he saw Lochlann he shook his hand and slipped something into it. Lochlann transferred the small baggie of unmarked pills into his pocket. He was unaware if the two women behind him saw the exchange or noticed anything other than a familiar handshake.

"Food is here," Cabel said, and then he waved to the two ladies and winked behind his ridiculously big sunglasses and neon cat-shirt and darted down the stairs.

The roof was Adelene's hang out area at noon, whether she was alone or not. The first time she enjoyed its marvelous view was with another friend, and they had a pretty nice picnic here, too. There was also wine. Adelene smiled at the memory, a little lost from the real world for a few moments, until she realized that there was a fourth person.

Cabel. She's met him only once before, during that time when she and Lochlann had to find some good booze for her boss as an apology. But that was all. And Cabel was still a mystery to her. And so her eyes were focused on him for a fee moments and she caught what was under that handshake with Lochlann, though she didn't see quite clearly what it was. While she felt suspicious, she didn't dare to bring it up.

"Hi," was all she was able to say to him before he ran down the stairs. A pair of disappointed eyes followed him before they turned back to Lochlann. "Loch, why not have Cabel stay?" she asked. And then she turned to Anastasia, figuring it would be just right to fill her in with some details. "That guy was Cabel. He's some kind of... uh... supplier for everything Lochlann needs. Unless I'm wrong," she said, the last three words addressed to Lochlann himself for some kind of confirmation.
@"ReD" @"Thoth"

Lochlann made a low noise that could be interpreted as a whistle.

"Eight years," he said. "Damn."

He hated himself, but he had to ask, "What is the biggest thing you ever fought?"

He was pacing the perimeter of the roof to make sure that they were alone. As instructed, Cabel had left a small basket with take-out from a local Japanese restaurant with a fox and a koi stamped onto the bag. He'd left the badminion rackets, too, and a few bottles of soft drinks and one bottle of plum wine. Lochlann wondered if Cabel had stuck cups or glasses in the bag, or if they were going to have to drink right from the bottle.

He didn't mind, but the thought of seeing Addy and Anastasia's lips on the neck of the bottle filled him with an uncomfortable, guilty delight and shame.

"It's better if Cabel is not here," Lochlann said in lieu of an explanation. "He'll get drunk and tell you my dark secrets and then neither of you will look at me the same away again."

Lochlann found the edge where the roof was flattest. He crawled onto the railing and hoisted himself up onto it. His leg shook but otherwise he was steady as he walked along the railing, surprisingly balanced

He was mostly joking about Cabel and his dark secrets, but when Addy explained, Lochlann nodded.

"Cabel has a way of getting whatever you want or need, for a price. He's probably the best supplier on the island. If you ever need something, call for Cabel."

He appreciated that Addy did not say dealer, but that was probably because Addy didn't know that Lochlann got his sedatives from Cabel.

"Okay, I want to show you ladies this. This, " Lochlann said, looking over the edge. "is the best part of the roof."

Lochlann extended his arms and then fell forward over the edge, plummeting like a sea bird into the ocean for a dive.

At first, he fell.

he fell for a long time and Lochlann enjoyed the sensation of his jacket and shirt pulling up in the wind and his dark hair trailing behind him. When he was almost halfway to the ground, however, something caught him.

Lochlann started to float back upwards, falling in reverse, until he landed back where he'd fallen.

"They don't want people killing themselves," he grinned, his face flushed with excitement. "It'll catch you every time."

He held his hand out to the girls.

"Do you want to try?" he asked them both.