(no subject)

[shortofcrazy]

One computer geek--dressed in jeans, T-shirt, dark green track jacket, chucks, and glasses--in a bar, curled up on a couch with his laptop. Riley's fingers fly over the keys - maybe the light tapping is a little louder than he realizes. At any rate, he's not thoroughly intent on what he's doing; from time to time, he glances up to look around the bar, watching the other patrons with a great deal of interest. He would very much welcome company, as always.

Comments

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Don't tell me that I should be putting you down on the Wall of Weird as the world's fastest typer," Chloe snarks, plopping down on the couch next to him.

The mun tried to resist, but a Chloe and Riley thread is the perfect happy fix.

She leans over his shoulder to spy on the screen and her short blonde hair brushes at his arm. "What's the hurry, anyway?"

[shortofcrazy]

Riley-mun squeals with the happy.

Riley himself is suitably startled at her sudden appearance, giving a simultaneous yelp-twitch. It's all very graceful, really. And then he looks to his side, and a grin appears. "Hey! No hurry, I'm just looking up some information on temporal displacements and stuff." He gestures at the screen. "Taking some notes in Word."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"On temporal displacements," Chloe states, as if she actually knew what she was talking about. She leans closer towards the screen again and then shakes her head. "Okay, Riley? Mind translating that into English?"

[shortofcrazy]

Riley tilts the computer toward her and waves a hand at the screen. And he doesn't notice that they're sitting close together. Nope. Not at all. "Oh, you know, time travel and stuff. Somebody I talked to the first day I was here said she thought it was part of the way this place works."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Chloe grins. "Cool! So, care to share?"

[shortofcrazy]

"I haven't found much so far, actually; most of what's on the Internet is crazy conspiracy theories, since a lot of the scientific world say temporal displacement and time travel don't exist. I'm looking for scientific stuff, you know?" This is a mournful, slightly indignant face. Because the stuff does exist, stupid academics!

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

Chloe places a hand on his forearm and flashes him a sympathetic smile. "Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find something. You seem like the smart, brainy type."

[shortofcrazy]

Riley is a flusher from way back, though he'd vehemently deny it if it were ever brought up to him. And thus there's a distinct red color to the back of his neck and a little in his face right now. He laughs. With a hint of nerves. "I think I'm just gonna have to hit up a library or something; the Internet isn't exactly super reliable to begin with." A smile, and a quieter, "But thanks."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Anytime," Chloe replies. "Let us know what you find, okay?"

[shortofcrazy]

"Of course." And then, with the reminder of what he'd been doing before she came over, he glances at the computer and then gestures at the screen again. "Look how much just a little bit of your tutoring helped; my notes don't look like my nephew wrote them." He grins.

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Only doing my part to save the world, one grammer abuser at a time." But she looks really pleased at the compliment. "It was fun!"

[shortofcrazy]

"Yeah, it was. I owe you one, though; not typing like a four-year-old is awesome. The next time you need any computer or technology or random information help? I'm all there." Of course, he'd likely be all there even if she didn't need any help. He considers a minute. "Or Easy Mac. I'm really good at that, too."

[torch-reporter.livejournal.com]

"Easy Mac?" Chloe eyes him. "I've had less obvious offers, but I'm going to go on a hunch here and ask if this is your way of asking me on a date."

[undignified]

That passing pilot -- dressed, alas, in Earth clothes -- squints at Riley and the computer.

"There's two of you guys in this place?"

[shortofcrazy]

Riley blinks and looks up at the other man. "Two of what guys?"

He hasn't noticed the blaster yet. Give him a minute.

[undignified]

"Slicer guys," with a wave at the computer. "I met another one a while ago, uh--"

Pause. He never did get Mr Universe's name.

"Anyway. 'msure having more'n one slicer does all sorts of things to time and space, right?"

...yeah, he shiftily glances out of the window.

[shortofcrazy]

"Slicer? What, you mean like a hacker?" And he laughs, typing a few last words. "I don't know, I think this place has got the 'screwing up of time and space' down pretty well already."

[undignified]

"Slicer, hacker -- same difference, right?"

Wes grins ruefully and nods. "Maybe so. S'pose even two computer geeks can't unbalance physics an' all even more in this place."

[shortofcrazy]

Riley closes the window on his computer and looks over at Wes. "Yeah, I--" He stops. Because. Um. "...Is that a blaster?"

He's proud of how calm his voice is right now. Very proud.

[undignified]

Wes blinks, glances down at his holster, then grins ruefully at Riley.

"Uh, yeah. Probably shouldn't carry it in here, but there's crazy shavit like curses and all, y'know?"

[shortofcrazy]

The laptop has now been entirely forgotten. There are large blue eyes staring at Wes. "So, you're, like, from Star Wars?" The even tone might go up into a bit of a squeak at the last two words. Maybe.

[undignified]

Wes' grin turns lopsided, and he nods. "Those holos on Earth, right? Yeah."

Pause. And a slightly shifty look.

"Well, 'mnot in them, apparently, but 's Han and Luke and Leia and all that, right?"

[shortofcrazy]

Riley's grinning from ear to ear. Seriously. You've never seen a smile quite like this one. It's a bit scary. "That's so much awesome! Who are you?"

[undignified]

Wes, really, would be hypocritical if he were to complain about scary grins.

He laughs. "Well, 's one way to ask. Wes Janson," he says, holding out a hand for shaking. "Pilot with Rogue Squadron."

[shortofcrazy]

"Holy crap." Having yet to notice the hand extended, Riley is now gaping GLEEFULLY. "You are in the movies; you're 'Nice shot, Janson!' Janson from the one on the ice planet! You're in Rogue Squadron!!"

Uh. His social skills might come back to him in a minute or two.