Room 317 [after classes]

[tatooine_doofus]

After an interesting conversation with his father early in the morning, Luke had gone for a long run.

And then an even longer session alone with the punching bag.

And then he'd tried some meditation.

Now? He'd spread parts to a small droid out all over the floor, back carefully turned away from the half of the room that was supposed to have a Z in it, and fiddled around with electronics.

Loud Corellian rock was blaring from his stereo and out through the open door.

If you asked him? He was fine.

Comments

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled. "Just remember that if you go up against him. He wins. The rules don't really matter much."

[solo_sword]

"Oh, I already know I'd lose," she said. "Still, it's worth a shot to learn something. Even if he cheats."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Which he totally will," Luke predicted.

[solo_sword]

"And with that whole 'what'd I change' game, I feel a little more prepared than I did ten minutes ago."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke smiled at her. "It's the least I can do in return for you talking me back into being a rational person."

[solo_sword]

"It's not irrational if I get it," she assured him, and paused. "Or maybe it is, now that I think about it."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I don't think Skywalkers--or Solos--have ever been accused of being too rational," Luke agreed.

[solo_sword]

"Sometimes I forget you've never met Jacen," Jaina said.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Are you sure it doesn't stem from an irrational need to be as unlike the rest of us as possible?" Luke asked.

[solo_sword]

"No," she said, frowning as the idea of that couldn't seem more off to her. "He just likes to overcomplicate things. Or is a glutton for punishment, I haven't decided which."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I don't know him at all, but the second one sounds more like us. We've all given our lives to causes that are bound to put us through the ringer."

[solo_sword]

Jaina thought about this. "That's kind of depressing to hear, you know." Still, it was true.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke shrugged. "It's better to be dedicated to something than flailing around looking for meaning, right?"

[solo_sword]

"I'm seventeen, I'm stuck doing that anyway," she reasoned.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Point," Luke agreed with a small smile. "How was home, anyway? Has your mom's hair grown back yet?"

Not that the thought of short-haired Leia had kind of freaked him out at all. Really.

[solo_sword]

"I didn't really see her without a wrap on or something. But considering my dad's looking more or less normal again, I'm thinking Mom's not. Meanwhile I show up with this," she said, touching her own hair. "It was a good trip, though. I needed it."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad," Luke said. "I haven't been back since the second Death Star blew."

[solo_sword]

"Why not?" she wondered.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"The summer got really busy and then there were classes..." Luke trailed off. "I don't really know why."

[solo_sword]

"I think it just happens," she said, shrugging. "There are people back home I haven't talked to since I got here and I'm not sure how that happened."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"To explain here takes about three hours of straight talking and by then they are entirely sick of you?" Luke guessed.

It was his theory for not getting in touch with Wedge, in any case.

[solo_sword]

"Well, that, and I'm not sure how much they'd get it," Jaina admitted. "I mean, if I told them about you and Gavin and Grandfather, I can't even imagine how that conversation would go."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke gave her a bugged-eyed look. "Something like that?"

[solo_sword]

"Pretty much. Or staring in disbelief," she nodded.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Or calling the med droid for a psych work-up."