Logs:Of Rooftops and Relatability (Or. Something Like Home)

Of Rooftops and Relatability (Or. Something Like Home)
Dramatis Personae Astrid, Kavalam	2021-01-04 “Consider your challenge accepted.”
Location <XAV> Roof - Xs Third Floor
The view from up here is phenomenal, a panorama of the expansive Xavier's grounds, forest and lake and rocky cliffs alike. Even without the view outwards, the rooftop itself holds its own delights, in the form of the tiny jewel of a flower garden tucked away up here, tended by one of the school's teachers. From the edge of the roof, with a veeery careful jump, it looks like it just might be possible to reach the treehouse in the old oak tree. Tomorrow classes start back up and the majority of the students that traveled back home for the holidays have already descended back upon Xaviers. It is starting to feel crowded again, or that is at least Astrid’s interpretation based on the photo’s Kavalam kept posting to the group chat she was a part of during the break that made the school appear so desolate. It doesn’t help that both her parents have ended up moving back in with their parents, making both houses she bounced back and forth during break feel extra crowded. The rooftop seemed like the best place to go for some quiet - something she hasn’t experienced in some time. Besides, a little calm is never a bad thing before school starts back up. The sun is just starting to descend as the crisp air is only getting colder. Astrid is decked out in her familiar black beanie and a similar looking dark brown raincoat similar to the one she lost during the last break. Dark blue jeans and worn hiking boots round out the ensemble as she sits near the edge of the roof, absentmindedly plucking at her banjo. It's hard to say how long Kavalam has been here, exactly, snug in a hip-length dark blue coat with a mandarin collar, worn open over a bright yellow collarless shirt, slim blue jeans, and brown chukkas. By the time he appears he's sitting nearby Astrid on the roof, cross-legged with his elbows propped on his knees as he watches her play. He appears in her awareness kind of gradually, an uncertain and very intent frown on his face like something is taking great concentration. The already slow playing begins to take on an ever slower pace as strings become sporadically and haphazardly plucked once Astrid catches Kavalam out of the corner of her eye. She’s not entirely sure when he first appeared and has a vague feeling it was prior to her noticing. She does a quick double take, not quite sure he was there at the first glance. Offering up a brief smile, her plucking completely winds down. “Hey.” She simply stays while laying the banjo flat into her lap. Noticing the look of concentration she quickly adds “Everything alright?” "Oh!" Kavalam's intent expression breaks into a look of relief when Astrid sets the banjo down. A smile flits across his face and he sits up straighter, lowering his hands and glancing a little sheepishly from her to the drop off the roof and back. "I just did not -- want to startle you." He reaches up to push his glasses a little further up the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. To be awkward. Though maybe less awkward than falling off the roof. When did you get back?" Astrid laughs, mirroring his movements as she pushes her own glasses further up the bridge of her nose. “Yeah…” she leans forward, peeking towards the roof edge, “... definitely preferred over falling off the roof.” Her smile remains, softening. “And no need to apologize. Really.” The banjo is quickly picked up and set down in the ground opposite Kavalam. “Just got back this morning. I’ll be honest… I am not ready for classes to start back up.” Kavalam scrunches his nose up, head wobbling from one side to the other in agreement. "I don't know about classes, though I am glad to have everyone back. It does not feel the same with so many more teachers here than you-all." His brows scrunch up deep. "They try to schedule fun-time activities over break. You have no idea the nightmare you missed watching Mr. Summers try to get everyone to do group dances. Makes you almost miss the Sentinels." “I imagine it would be weird as hell.” Astrid’s smile grows toothy as she slowly shakes her head back and forth. “Really? Group dancing is what he came up with? Man… sorry you had to deal with that.” She crosses her arms as teeth bite down into her bottom lip. “I mean, my family is annoying but not that annoying.” She lets out a light sigh, eyes scanning past the roof edge. “Feels great to be back. Oddly like coming back home.” "Don't worry, I took pictures," Kavalam assures Astrid earnestly. "You can experience the trauma vicariously." He digs his chin down against his palm, eyes straying out over the schoolyard. "You know, it's one funny thing, I spent half the break being jealous of people who got to -- leave for it. Maybe I should think of it more like --" He shrugs, small. "A kind of home." Astrid’s eyes light up at the mention of the pictures. “I bet those are amazing and the only trauma I want to invite in my life right now.” She balls up both hands before shoving each into her coat pockets. “It is one way to look at things.” She says, momentarily turning to face Kavalam. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and all, but…” There is a pause as her head tilts down and her eyes focus on the ground directly in front of her. “This might make me sound awful, but I kind of don’t have much in common with them anymore, right? It still feels like home there, but not necessarily any more than here.” Kavalam's eyes stay fixed outward, his brows dipping in close together. He hums quiet and uncertain, and is slow to pull his gaze back to Astrid. "I do not think," he replies uncertainly, "that it makes you sound so awful. This is -- kind of its own other world we are in, no?" The laugh that comes out of him is quick and a little startled. "Sometimes so literally. I have not talked to my family in some long time but -- probably I do not have so much in common with them either. And with you all -- well. Kind of much more that we share." He scrubs at his cheeks with his knuckles, shifting a little awkwardly where he sits. "For better or for worse. Maybe I need to give that more weight." Astrid starts nodding her head in appreciation of the confirmation that what she said is not as bad sounding as she originally thought. “Thanks.” She adds to drive the appreciation home. The abrupt laughter catches her off guard, but she’s not startled for long and quickly adds in laughter of her own. “Exactly. I mean, it felt like my family was just humoring me at times when talking to them. I can’t blame them either. They haven’t experienced what we have.” Her gaze falls back over to the school grounds as her left hand is momentarily pulled free in an attempt to straighten her glasses. “We may not experience the same thing, but we can relate, right?” "I haven't even tried talking about it to anyone who was not there," Kavalam admits with a small dip of his head. "Even thinking about it sounds so -- crazy. It's not. I took so many photographs and they do not lie. But -- how to explain all of --" His head shakes slowly. "Other dimensions and -- oh my god dead clone sister this entire life is -- there's no way. Double weird to have that back to back with algebra and industrial-sized mac n cheese." He stands slowly, stretching, before offering Astrid a hand up. "Speaking of, it should be near to dinner-time? If it won't make you lose your appetite too much I can show you what the teachers' Mandatory Fun Time Activities looked like over food, hm?" “I honestly shouldn’t have even tried.” Astrid says, head slowly moving side to side. “Won’t make that mistake again!” She laughs once, loud, abrupt and choked short. “I honestly don’t even know what to think any more on what is what.” She looks up at the now standing student with a toothy grin and grabs the offered hand to help pull herself back up to her feet. “My appetite doesn’t ruin easily.” She challenges, pausing just long enough to bend down and grab her banjo. “Consider your challenge accepted.”