Room 203, Thursday Night

[stykera]

Classes had been finished for nearly a week, and for Stark that meant his all-too-brief school career was coming to an end. And that meant things were going to change and he was going to have to leave the island, eventually. He'd known that all along, but it was suddenly becoming much too real. Somehow he'd managed to not freak out about this too much. Yet.

He'd paced around the room for a while, muttering to himself and trying not to think too much. That hadn't worked too well, and now he was sitting on the floor trying to be still and calm and not think too much. This was marginally more successful.



[The door, like the post, is somewhat open. "Somewhat" because I have to crash in about an hour and a half]

Comments

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker was still wandering. Still avoiding her own phone. The door being open, she peeked inside. "Hey. Stark."

[stykera]

Stark, still on the floor, looked up at the voice. "Hello Parker."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker cocked her head. "Meditating? Should I leave?"

[stykera]

"Just trying not to think too hard," Stark said with slight shake of his head. "Sometimes it works."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I hear that." Parker smiled, leaning against the wall. "I try it occasionally. Helf the time I calm down. Half the time I end up having to go running, or beat up the bag in the gym."

[stykera]

"Does that work? Never tried beating up any bags. Maybe I should."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Depends on why you're thinking too much. If you're mad, or just frustrated, it does seem to work... once you're physically exhausted enough to just lie down on the mats again." She cocked her head. "Are you going back home from here? Or on to something new?"

[stykera]

Stark nodded, then frowned a little. "Not really anywhere else to go, besides back. Not sure about the home part. Could be home again, maybe. Not ready to go back there yet though, not yet. I think I'm staying, for a while."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"For the next summer session?" Parker looked thoughtful, folding her arms. "Are you going to teach, maybe? All the grads who stayed last year did."

[stykera]

"I don't know that I have anything to teach," Stark said after a pause. "But I will find something to do. Because I have to, or I have to leave."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker gave him a sympathetic look. "If nothing else? I think there's going to be an opening at Caritas pretty soon." Jarod had said enough to let her guess that he wasn't going to be sticking around for very much longer. "Know anything about mixing drinks?"

[stykera]

"...No. But there is always the clinic," Stark said. "Or I could learn. Maybe. I don't know."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"The clinic's probably a good bet. Alanna and Janet will be leaving. They can't afford to lose you too," Parker pointed out encouragingly. "Plenty of time yet." She smiled a little. "I hope that 'home' is more inviting, by the time you leave. Is there any way to know before then?"

[stykera]

Stark gave a small smile at that. "Thank you. And home..." He shrugged. "No way to know really. But there's always hope it will be better than when I left. Or at least not worse."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker looked thoughtful, trying to remember what had happened to his home. They'd definitely talked about this before, a long time ago. "It's occupied right now, isn't it?"

[stykera]

"More being chased around the universe," Stark said. "The last time somewhere was home, home was Moya. The ship. Now...I'm not so sure."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I hope you can get back to her," Parker said quietly. "And that things quiet down for your people." She shook her head. "Same out there as it is here; refugees everywhere."

[stykera]

"Thank you Parker. So do I." He sighed, very softly. "And yes. The same everywhere. Someone is always running from something."


[Alas, I should sleep now.]

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Depressing thought." She shook her head, then smiled a little. "Let's hope we can make a difference." She smiled. "I'll leave you to the thinking. Or not-thinking. Hang in there. We're almost through."

[night!]