Sunday evening, Room 405

[emo_padawan]

Anakin walked into his room, limping slightly from his adventures in ice skating, and sat down with a sigh.

He pulled his boots off, laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. He concentrated on removing some of the soreness in his muscles.

It wasn't going very well.

Comments

[auroryborealis]

After stopping by her room (by way of the lobby) Rory checked her voicemail, and decided to stop by Anakin's room.

For his sake. Really.

She got up to the fourth floor, and hesitantly knocked on the door.

[emo_padawan]

Anakin reached out with his senses. Rory.

He sat up.

"Door's open," he called.

[auroryborealis]

Rory stuck her head in. "Hi. Got your message. Thought I'd stop by," she smiled.

[emo_padawan]

"Come in!" Anakin said, waving her into the room.

"I hope I didn't sound like as big an idiot as I felt leaving that message," he said quietly, blushing. "I started with a plan and then it just went all babbly and wrong on me."

[auroryborealis]

Rory's smile widened as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "It was a nice surprise for me when I listened to it," she assured him. "Thanks for thinking of me."

[emo_padawan]

"I feel bad that I didn't hear about it sooner." He winced. "I'm just kinda used to the wave of anger and hurt that seems to swell from that classroom every Friday. I should've been paying closer attention."

[auroryborealis]

Rory made a face. "Don't worry about it. It was just a really, really bad class. Tara didn't think. I mean, she means well, but bringing up that kind of topic without warning anyone..." She sighed. and shrugged.

[emo_padawan]

Anakin looked at Rory closely. "Uh-huh," he said, not for a moment thinking he shouldn't be worrying about it. "What was the topic?" he asked softly.

[auroryborealis]

Rory cleared her throat. "Rape," she said softly, looking at her feet.

[emo_padawan]

Anakin closed his eyes and pinched his lips closed against the stream of inventive curses he was thinking of that would describe that teacher. He took a couple of deep breaths and when his eyes opened they were full of sympathy.

"Oh, Rory," he murmered. He stood up and walked over to where she was standing. He reached his hand out towards her uselessly, not knowing what to say.

[auroryborealis]

Rory looked up at him and smiled shakily. She quickly transferred her gaze back down to her hands, wringing them uselessly. "It was just handled badly. I wouldn't have even gone if I had known. And the way she acted was...wrong. She was...happy. It was completely inappropriate. All of it."

[emo_padawan]

Anakin wrapped his arms around Rory and held her.

"That's beyond ridiculous," he spat. "The topic, the tone, the entire thing."

[auroryborealis]

Rory rested her head lightly against his chest, suddenly very aware of how exhausting the past couple days had been. "She means well. I kind of understand what she was trying to do. But it was all wrong. The tone, and...and not telling us first. I actually ended up walking out. I don't do that."

[emo_padawan]

Anakin pulled his arms a little tighter around her. "Totally the right thing to do," he said. "Even if it's not normally you."

"You talk to anyone about it? Anyone in charge, I mean?" His eyes went hard. "I could go have a chat with the teacher if you'd like."

[auroryborealis]

"I went to Professor - I mean, Dean Jerusalem. I don't know what to call him now. In any case, I told him. He didn't seem very happy about it," Rory replied, her voice low and slightly hoarse. "I don't envy her. There were a lot of people upset. To the point that there apparently was a fight after I left."

She smiled softly. "I somehow think that if you went to talk to her, you'd have to get in line."

[emo_padawan]

Continued here.