hisdarkmark | Thirty-Fourth Hex [Voice/Action]

[Draco Malfoy was starting to go a bit stir-crazy. After four straight days of snow, then cold, then more snow, and more cold, he had realized that staying in the confines of House 25 wasn't doing him any good. Hence today he's decided to head to the Battle Dome and test his programming skills. He's gotten pretty good at it, he likes to think.

When his journal clicks on, anyone viewing it will get a good glance of the front of a large manor.]

So...you really can recreate anything, can't you. [He's going to go ahead and walk down the path toward the front door of the house, and as he enters into the front hall he's going to continue talking to the village at large. This may just be a test to see if he can continue communication inside a simulation.]

How are the rest of you coping with the snow we've received over the last few days? I'd like a few back-up plans in case this doesn't serve to satisfy. At least when it was warm I could fly a bit, but this is starting to get ridiculous.

[And he's going to turn down the halls, wandering through the maze that is the manor with the ease of someone so familiar with the area. There are the sounds of other footsteps behind him, but if he hears them he doesn't seem to care.]

What's next, anyway? They've left us alone for a while...may as well start to prepare for something big to come. What are the chances they've grown bored with us? New Feathers. You might be the next targets. You ought to have a fair warning.

[His attention's drawn away from the journal then as the footsteps stop, and he finds himself facing a masked figure.] I was wondering when you'd turn up. [And he's withdrawing his wand, closing the journal. Though the picture's no longer available, the last thing heard is the sound of a spell firing off and ricocheting around the room.

[Though he'll stay in the chamber for the full allotted hour, he will be taking a break between enemies appearing and after his hour's up to answer anyone who's contacted him via journals. People are also free to find him in the main lobby of the Battle Dome as well after his simulation's over.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Routine completed, she lands neatly on the cushioned platform, the impact of the added gravity making her bend low.

Glancing up, she sees him watching and offers as casual salute before... returning to the beginning to do a similar routine. She's there to practice, after all. But if he's still around in about forty-five minutes, he can catch her when she leaves to program a different session.]

[He's still around, if only because he doesn't quite feel like going home yet. Hermione gets scary when she's doing research, and last time he looked before he left she had a whole new stack of books. When Rogue re-enters the lobby to set a different session, he just approaches as casually as possible, trying not to appear too curious.]

So...what exactly was that anyway?

[Her hair is sticking to her face with sweat and Rogue flicks it off and away with a gloved hand in an impatient movement before glancing over at him.]

Gymnastics.

Looks...surprisingly complex. [Sort of like magic, actually. It's not his fault he was a bit sheltered, okay.] How long did it take you to accomplish that skill set?

I've been in classes since I was a kid.

[You know the drill. Adopted at four, given pre-terrorist training since four and a half...]

[Oh of course, standard.]

Dedication. I'm somewhat impressed.

...that's not your only defense, is it?

[These raised eyebrows invite you to dig your hole a little deeper, Draco.]

Excuse me?

I don't believe I stuttered.

[Snort.]

Nah, you didn't. I was just givin' you the chance to prove you weren't thick enough ta ask a total stranger about her defenses. [An amused look that would have been a grin if she hadn't sensed some disdain for her "only defense."] Why the heck would I wanna tell you that?

Because I'm curious? And you're in a place where most people utilize their defenses in the first place.

[Right, and Rogue really feels the need to satisfy a stranger's curiosity. She shakes her head and starts turning towards the console. She could turn the question back around, but then she might end up feeling obligated to actually tell him something.]

No. The uneven bars ain't all I can do.

[This way's much better.]

[Come on, Rogue. You know you want to...actually it's probably for the better.]

Then I'm actually slightly impressed. A little bit. Congratulations.

[She dramatically puts a hand over her heart.]

Be still my beatin' heart.

[There's still some light amusement on her face, however, so the sarcasm may actually not come off as thick as maple syrup.]

[He snorts a bit. At least he can appreciate a good show and a good sense of sarcasm.]

Who are you, anyway? Or is that off limits as well?

[Yes, actually. It is. And she smiles a bit at that.]

Name's Rogue. [And then she turns to look at him.] You?

Draco. [...just a eyebrow raise, and then--] Is it actually Rogue?

[She'll match that eyebrow raise.]

Is it actually Draco?

[Touché.]

Family tradition. What's your excuse?

[This is a smirk, but it's a colder one. The coldness, however, is not directed at him.]

Personal preference.

It could be worse, I suppose. Sends out a bit of a warning if you ask me. [Especially when teamed with those kinds of looks.]

A bit of a warnin' ain't always a bad thing.

[There's no threat in that tone, however evenly it's stated. A certain amount of wry self-awareness may have crept into it as well. Rogue turns back to the console.]

[She's got a point. He doesn't say anything just yet, but he's watching again.]

How long do you plan on being here?

[Well, if he's close enough to see what Rogue's programming, then he'll see the beginnings of a randomized obstacle course.]

Until I'm finished. [And isn't he just Mr. Curiosity. She figures that it deserves a return question, and at least hers is within the bounds of 'her business.' She glances back over at him.]

Why?

I've come to find the amount of time one spends here says a lot about a person. That's all. [He's close enough, but he's not entirely sure if he gets why the course.]

[Great. She's surrounded by amateur psychoanalysists.]

Sounds ta me like you've got too much time on your hands.

[She said, without really looking at him, just concentrating on the final touches and deciding whether or not to add combatants.]

Edited 2012-02-02 02:30 (UTC)

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