Outside the School, Early Friday Morning

[moreofaponchoguy]

So, it turned out that when you let people with no fear of heights visit the Eiffel Tower as part of Earth Tourism, they returned to the island with some amazing ideas. Cal had been eying the tower on top of the school since he'd arrived in Fandom, and he only needed the tiniest bit of encouragement from Arden to be convinced to try to scale it. He didn't want his Jedi abilities to get rusty, after all.

Not wanting to be foolish enough to try this in broad daylight, they'd gotten started before sunrise, working up the main portion of the building, with Cal leading the way and Arden following behind. He wanted to encourage her climbing skills, like a good friend, and there were enough ledges and bricks that Cal could pull loose for her to have a clear path. The second part, on the other hand, was going to be a little more treacherous, and they'd stopped on the roof to catch their breath.

"It's already a nice view, huh?"

[For the partner in crime!]

Comments

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden was glaring at him now for not taking the very good out that she was providing. Did you have to be so damn stubborn, Cal Kestis?

"You mean like the yoga class we both have in a few hours?" she retorted. "Or the paintball class we both have on Monday? Or the Earth Tourism class where I egged you on about this? because we're both in it on Tuesdays?"

She turned back to Anakin. "Please don't listen to him, sir. He's just trying to protect me because he's a good--" Jedi "--person like that."

[moreofaponchoguy]

"Don't listen to her," Cal said at almost the same time. "Again, this was all my idea, you can do whatever you feel is necessary to me, but Arden didn't do anything wrong."

At this point, BD-1 finally made his way up into the tower as well. "They're both lying, I sent them here," he said, perching on Cal's shoulder with the saddest of beeps.

"Buddy, you really should have stayed below," Cal replied.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Okay, that was unfair. Arden didn't speak beep yet.

"Oh baby, you climbed all this way?" Arden didn't steal him off of Cal's shoulder to cuddle and that was very gucci of her. She did reach over and try to pet him, though, because he was just so good.

"What did he say?"

[moreofaponchoguy]

"He tried to take the blame for himself, like a crazy droid."

"It's what friends do!" BD said, resisting the urge to tilt his head in Arden's direction for emphasis.

"You weren't even there when I came up with the idea." Because no, he wasn't letting this go.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Oh, that is crazy," Arden agreed with a sage nod. "Because it's all my fault."

[sith_happened]

"What if I say it's everyone's fault," Anakin said. "Including the droid?"

He wouldn't put it past a droid, either, but his thoughts were skewed by knowing Artoo and Threepio.

[moreofaponchoguy]

"I would understand, but BD-1 and I will take the brunt of the responsibility, and the punishment." So there, Arden.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

She was gonna pitch you out of the goddess-damned window, Kestis, just you watch.

"I'm sure the Dean appreciates your willingness to be responsible, Cal--" You did notice it, right, Anakin? Cal was such a good Jedi that way! "--that's bullshit. This is still mostly on me, so it would be unfair for you to try to take it all on your shoulders."

[sith_happened]

Anakin was seriously considering concussing himself on the wall he was hanging from. Or...better idea!

"I will drop you all out of this tower."

Anakin.

"And catch you before you die," he added after a too-long pause.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden was really starting to doubt your commitment to the Light Side of the Force, Anakin.

[moreofaponchoguy]

It was going to be slightly less surprising when he discovered how Anakin had survived the Purge, that was for sure. "Sorry. For everything," he said. "I don't suppose we can just go down the normal way and promise to never do this again?"

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Very sorry," Arden agreed to put us back into proper ping order. "Definitely won't do it again."

[sith_happened]

"Because it was foolish or because you have been caught at it?" Anakin asked.

He'd been teaching headstrong idiots for a very long time. Sorry not sorry, Ahsoka.

[moreofaponchoguy]

"A little of both? I put someone in physical danger, but it also would have been less foolish to not get caught."

Did he get points for honesty?

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"I wasn't in any more physical danger than I wanted to be in and considerably less than I would have been if I'd decided to do this by myself," Arden informed him.

[sith_happened]

"Do you climb a lot of buildings, Miss Finch?" Anakin asked.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Erm...

"I climb up to the roof of Midnight a lot," she hedged, just eliding over the bit where she was climbing stairs. "I like being up high."

That was a very rude question, Anakin.

[sith_happened]

"Uh huh," Anakin said slowly.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Cal, BD, tell him," she said, though why she was looking for help from at least one of those two was a mystery.

[moreofaponchoguy]

"There are a lot of people here who enjoy throwing caution to the wind," Cal said. "That's why Arden and I get along so well. She's being honest, I swear."

[sith_happened]

"Let's throw caution to the wind in a way that does not include school property," Anakin said, pursing his lips. "There needs to be consequences."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Yessir," Arden said softly. "Um. Is this an expulsion offense?"

She could probably handle anything that wasn't expulsion...

[sith_happened]

"Not at all," Anakin said. "We once had a student turn into a snake and take out a wall to the library."

[moreofaponchoguy]

Cal grabbed her hand again and gave it a squeeze. "This is a first offense, and we didn't intend to hurt anyone. I'll take whatever consequences you decide on."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden managed to look both relieved and 'what the fuck' as she sagged a bit against Cal, squeezing his hand back. Thank the goddess.

What the fuck, yeah, but thank the goddess.

"Same," she agreed.