Out of Hand

Boys Suck

"It helps to always have heaven to go to. Even if you don't believe in an afterlife and 'heaven' in the spiritual sense, have a place in your mind where you can go that's fit for you in every way. It has all your favorite foods, all your comforts, all your loved ones, and it's wherever you want it to be. It helps to remind us that a safe haven is possible in this life, and maybe even the next. It's certainly comforting for me."

Takigawa did manage to get his cot next to mine, even though there was a good two feet of open space between us. Though it was stupid how I was more aware of the professor's being on my other side instead, empty space in between included.

Why did this feel like all kinds of screwed up?

"You'll do half nights this time," said the professor, who had his eyes glued to the wall of screens. "I learned my lesson last time about your capability. I'll take over around two."

"Isn't half-time midnight?" I said.

"If you went to sleep at 6pm," he typed something into his laptop which was next to the control panel for all the cameras. "But it is nine, so two it is."

Takigawa leaned over to me from his cot, dressed in a ragged t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.

"Is it just me, or does he seem miffed with us or something," he whispered.

"For what reason would I be angry with you," said the professor, making us both jump.

"What the- do you have supersonic hearing or something?" asked Takigawa.

"No," he glanced over, his mouth in that thin line that was the closest he got to a smile, at least most of the time. "You're just bad at whispering."

"I thought I did alright," Takigawa looked to me. "I was pretty quiet, right?"

I couldn't answer. I had been caught by one of those inescapable, jaw popping yawns to end all yawns.

"Whatever. It feels weird to be here without any priests," said Takigawa, flopping back onto his smiley face covered pillow and sleeping bag.

"Church watching," I managed through the tail-end of my yawn.

"Why does that sound so much like graveyard watching?"

"Technically, that's not so far off, given there are a few hundred of the dead below us," said the Prof. "Mai, are you coming or are you going to sit there all night yawning?"

"Probably sit here all night yawning," I said, but I got up and meandered my way over to the watch station.

Once I was seated and situated with headphones, open laptop, more or less all the bells and whistles, Naru just up and left. The door hardly made a sound closing after him.

Takigawa snorted. "So needs to be laid."

"He's always been like that," I said, taking note of the temperatures. "You just have sex on the brain."

"No I..." but Takigawa paused. "Huh, maybe I do. You are attractive, and we're technically sleeping together."

A little warmth rose to my cheeks. "I thought I was only a six."

"Seven and a half. Maybe even an 8."

I could feel my smile twitching at that. "Who would you consider a ten then? Why not go for her?"

"Because ten is, like, makes you stop breathing, angelic perfection, only meant for the stage lights and heaven itself sort of thing."

"And I take it 9 is just your normal celebrity?"

"More or less."

"Well, then I guess I can say I'm flattered. Though you need to shut up now so I can listen."