FIRE DRILL!, Outside of the Dorms, Very Late Thursday Night/Very Early Friday Morning

[suitablyheroic]

The wind roared around campus this time of night. Temperatures had dropped to close to freezing, and clouds blocked out most of the fragile light of the moon.

Perfect time to ring the fire alarm for a test, right? Right.

Somewhere deep in the middle of the night, the alarm went off. Loudly. So grab what you can and bustle on outside, students

Comments

[doesnotkneel]

Edward looked mostly bewildered. He'd been asleep only five minutes prior and now he was standing outside in his hooded sweatshirt and old set of trousers and Isabelle's scarf wrapped haphazardly around his neck.

He wasn't sure about anything right now, besides that he wanted it to stop.

[seveninchmotto]

"This is stupid."

Said the girl who looked like she hadn't slept in days. So, you had to believe that that was her very serious opinion.

[doesnotkneel]

"Yes," Edward agreed, nodding vigorously. "Very stupid."

[seveninchmotto]

"I should've just gone home," Isabelle grumbled, although there was an exhaustion-caused mildness to her tone. "Foolishly, I assumed this was the place to be for a night of uninterrupted sleep."

[doesnotkneel]

"Usually it is," Edward felt he had to point out, if simply because he'd have been saddened if she stopped showing up to sleep 'round here.

He pulled his hood over his head. "It's just being contrarian now, I wager."

[seveninchmotto]

"Well I need it to stop." Because going back to New York right now wasn't something she was feeling up to doing right now, either. She pulled her glittery robe tighter around herself, mostly just for something to do. She had a Mark on, keeping her body warm. "This isn't funny."

She might have found it a little bit amusing at some other time. Or at least she would've appreciated all the half-naked people.

[doesnotkneel]

Edward, meanwhile, was largely trying to curl into his own sweatshirt, hoping beyond all hope it would suddenly achieve mystic warming abilities of its own. "You've been here longer," he said, "How long do these things usually last?"

[seveninchmotto]

"Too long." Sorry, had to get that out there. "I don't know, a while. Long enough that we'll feel properly grateful to be let back in."

[doesnotkneel]

"Perhaps I could climb back up to my room," Edward mused, "No one would notice..."

[seveninchmotto]

"Well, you could try."

What, like Isabelle of all people was going to try and thwart that idea? She came from a whole race of reckless people.

[doesnotkneel]

"Been thinking about it for some time," Edward said. "Actually, Kathy and I're still supposed to try leapin' off the roof one of these days."

Beat.

"...With ropes."

Give him a couple of years and he wouldn't even add that qualification.

[seveninchmotto]

She almost told him he reminded her of Jace, just now.

But, just the thought brought an unwelcome pain with hit, so she kept it to herself. Did the best to keep it off her face, too.

"I can see how that might be fun."

[doesnotkneel]

"You're welcome to join us, if we ever get 'round to it," Edward offered, because of course he did.

[seveninchmotto]

"Maybe," Isabelle replied, shrugging and carding her hand back through her hair. "If I'm around."

[doesnotkneel]

Edward blinked. "Why wouldn't you be?"

[seveninchmotto]

"I'm in New York a lot now." Isabelle tugged on her robe again. "My brother's missing," she added flatly.

And that was an overly simplified way of putting it, too.