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Flinging is fun, but it also makes you hungry. Cameron gets some Booffffelu Veengs and takes a seat.

Vala stops by the cafeteria, figuring her food situation can't get any worse at the moment at least, and gets some seled and veengs.

Then she spots a familiar face in the hall... and tries to figure out where to sit...

Cameron tilts his head as he notices her and motions towards the empty seat by his table. He's not sure if this is smart, but they'll have to talk to each other eventually.

Taking a deep breath ~~and trying not to show it~~, Vala takes the seat he's indicated. Reaching immediately for her glass of water and making a face as she chokes it down.

"Hey," he says somewhere relieved that she's not running away, but too nervous and aware of how long they haven't spoken. He frowns as he notices her expression. "You okay?"

"Chicken," she says, enigmatically. "Chicken everywhere," she mutters, unaware of the irony of holding up a booffffelu veeng to demonstrate her point. "But other than that, yeah. How are you?"

"Chicken?" He repeats, really not following. "Muppet chickens? I'm okay."

She frowns for a minute. "Maybe I should check with the muppet. This could have something to do with her...," she trails off as she looks at him a little more critically. "So, has Jaye got you trying a new color scheme for your wardrobe or what?"

He winces because of course she's heard of him and Jaye on the radio. "I can't see colours," he says and slowly puts down his fork. "It's nothing like that."

"I take it this is a new development. Is it something you picked up from--" She looks down, embarassed to have gone there. "Well, I hope it clears up for you. Maybe you should get... someone to help you dress decently in the mornings." She stabs an inoffensive piece of lettuce with a bit more force than necessary. Then again, even it tastes like chicken, so maybe the annoyance is merited.

"Vala," he says softly, but he has no clue what to say because he feels like jerk right now. "It's not... We're just... It's nothing serious."

"Right," she says. "Nothing serious."

She gets up. "O.K. Well, I hope that works out for you."

She looks at his tray for a moment, particularly at the drink on it... but sighs and keeps her hands to herself. "I'll see you around then."

"Vala, please." He reaches out for her, just touching her arm. "There's nothing to work out. It's a fling. It doesn't come near to what we had. Please, just... talk to me for a moment?"

She sighed, then slowly sat back down. "So, what do you want me to say?"

((ooc: sorry, computer issues :-p))

"I don't know," he says honestly and he's not sure if he wants to discuss this here in public, but he doubts the setting will change that much. "That we can be friends. That there's a point where just talking won't hurt this much. That you..." He sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "That Eugene and Shamu are doing alright or tell me how it was like out there. Just... something."

Vala closes her eye for a moment. "I don't know if we can be friends and I don't know when it won't hurt or if it won't."

She sighs and looks up at him. "I've never done this before either, you know. Not where it mattered. Not where I stayed."

He tilts his head and swallows. "I don't want to lose you. Not completely."

"I don't want to either, Cam. I just don't know." She looks down at the table again.

"I know, it's all still fresh and..." He nods and rubs his forehead. "I'll understand if you want me to leave you alone. It's just that the dorms are only so big and we have the same friends and I don't want to stand between any of that."

"We're in separate rooms, Cam. We're not taking out hits on each other... Unless you really did get me cast for the play... and we're clearly moving on, right?

"I don't know what more you want from me?"

She's not angry, just sad.

"Yeah, clearly." Cameron says softly although he doesn't sound to convinced. He can't look up at her right now so he just stares at the food that he's lost all appetite for.

"I guess there's nothing more." He says and it feels so final.

Vala doesn't say anything for a long moment.

"I guess so, then."

She gets up again, maybe a little more slowly this time. "I'll see you in class then," she says, and walks off before he can respond.

(OOC: And zomg I did so *not* set this first-post-break-up talk to coincide with --*squee!*-- Aeryn's return (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomtownies/667205.html). I swear, I didn't even know. *headdesk* It's the characters. They're conspiring against us! ;)

He doesn't move for a long while. His fists are clenched on top of the table and it takes all his will power to not just swipe the plates off.

When he finally stands up to leave, he pounds his fists into the wall. He doesn't even flinch.