It was always easier to whistle when you knew how and, unfortunately, Maeve did not. Though if she did, and she would have liked to, that's precisely what she would be doing while trudging through the frozen landscape of Keaton Campus on her way towards the cafeteria. As if to make up for her lack of whistling capabilities, the young woman was humming instead. Not being very musical however left her humming off-key and a little bit sporadic. Oh well, not everyone was gifted in the art of holding a note.

Conveniently she had chosen to wear a plain pair of boots. No stiletto, no platform and no fancy suede dangling ornaments that often got caught in doors. Not wanting to jinx herself too much, Maeve would have been proud to say that she had not yet commited a clumsy act that day and it was already five past one in the afternoon. A new record, perhaps? She hoped so.

Pushing open the cafeteria door, Maeve's gray eyes flitted about searchingly for an empty table, preferrably close to a window. She hadn't come in there to eat, but to read over her notes and things from several of her classes. She was still in search of a new idea for her end of term project. Since the first one was somewhat of a flop, Maeve had been in the library more often than she would have liked and this was just a great change of scenery.

Maeve finally picked out the perfect table. The place wasn't as full as it would have been about half an hour ago. Taking a seat at a small round table by the window, she dropped her shoulder bag beside her chair and leaned back into it, resting for a minute or two. She stared down absently at her shoulder bag and wondered if maybe she should have taken the year off from school. Oh well, it was too late now.

Greg sighed slightly, a little bored at the moment, and just wandering aimlessly. He somehow managed to wander into the cafeteria. Not exactly a place he was too thrilled about, prefering his own cooking. He observed there weren't many people around, though there were a couple. Seemed like a good time to meet somebody new, espically considering he didn't know hardly anyone.

Greg looked around, trying to decide who it would be best to talk to. It was a hard choice to make, but his eyes usually went back to Maeve. He just took a few moments to look at her. She was kind of good looking... a little short... boots... that was something a little unusual, but not too terribly. Greg finally decided that he should stop judging by looks and go talk to her.

He quietly and casually walked over to her, thinking over what he should say, not exactly one to talk very often. When he finally got near Maeve, he said "Hi, I'm Greg Thompson, mind if I sit down?"

Greg smiled as he spoke, but didn't reveal his teeth. He knew they were a little yellow, why though, he had no clue. He always brushed them, flossed and all that stuff. Greg silently shook that thought away though.

Maeve, on the other hand, did not judge others (or herself) on the colour of teeth, hair, eyes, clothes, etc. She was too busy wondering if they were judging her first. Ah, the ways of those who self-deprecate are often troublesome and a waste of valuable time and energy. Tell that to one of them though and they'd probably give a hearty laugh and continue putting themselves down. So, on the other hand, Maeve smiled in an exceedingly friendly way and shook her head in reply.

"Hey, um, I'm Maeve, ah, Sullivan," she added afterwards, figuring it only made sense to introduce herself as he had done earlier.

Greg took a moment to think a little bit. She definately seemed friendly. Apparently a little shy judging by the slight pause, but it didn't really matter. Even though Maeve didn't answer his question about if he could sit down, he decided that he might as well unless she decides she didn't want him here.

He took a seat across from Maeve and then took another moment, trying to think what to say. He did his best to be nice as possible, but conversations were such a hassle sometimes. He thought another moment before saying, "So, how long have you been coming to Keaton?"

Kind of an overly used sort of question, but seemed like the best thing to ask someone you've just met.

"A year and a half just about," replied Maeve simply, leaning on her elbows and placing her chin in her hand. She regarded Greg thoughtfully, wondering for a brief moment what program this guy was in before voicing her curiosity.

"What are you studying?"

"Well... kind of a long list, but I can shorten it up by saying that I'm studying to become a doctor," Greg said shrugging, "quite a few classes that I have to take for that, you?"

Maybe she wasn't quite as shy as he first thought, maybe she was, he didn't know. It was hard to figure people out right away. Of course, if you understood a person the instant you met them, where would the fun in conversation be?

Maeve gave a nod and then slowly leaned back in her chair, seeming a considerable amount more reserved than before. It wasn't that she was shy, she just felt a little belittled when he mentioned that he was pre-med. It meant he was absolutely brilliant or had enough money on him to bribe the entire government. Either way, it was slightly intimidating to think about.

"English literature... Not the most exciting of majors, but..." She let herself trail, giving a half-hearted shrug as she directed her her gaze back out the window for a moment.

"Hey, if it's something you enjoy, you shouldn't worry about it... I don't worry about how boring some people think my field is going to be... though I'm going to be pretty dang deep in debt after I graduate...," Greg said, sighing slightly, then looked up at the ceiling.

"I'll be happy helping other people though... I'm not too big on seeing a lot of blood, but I'll get used to it, looking through anatomy books really helps with that," Greg said, slightly cheerfully, then looked back at Maeve.

The way Maeve mentioned her major though bothered him a little. He wasn't sure why, but something didn't quite seem right.

"I lack the attention span for medicine, for any kind of science, too actually," Maeve remarked in a matter-of-fact kind of way. Her gray eyes averting themselves back to Greg's face in a studious kind of stare. He didn't much look like the type one usually saw in pre-med, but she wasn't exactly sure what an ordinary pre-med student should look like in the first place. Waste of a speculation, but who would give a damn if she kept it to herself?

Greg laughed slightly at Maeve's remark, "Yeah, you do have to be pretty dedicated in science... medical science espically... but like I said, if you're good at something, and you like it, do it... though I didn't say it in those exact words, but still..."

Greg sighed slightly, wondering if him studying for a medical career seemed intimidating to Maeve for some reason. Sure seemed like it at the moment, and Greg wasn't too comfortable with that thought. There were few things that made him uncomfortable, and people being intimidated by him in some way was one of those things. He wasn't the smartest person in the world, not even close, he was just determined. Determination, he thought, was the most important key to success.

Hadn't she just implied that?

Maeve appeared suddenly less intimidated and more forward, at least she was leaning that way in her seat now. There was nothing that irked her more than when people felt the need to repeat something previously stated or implied. Unfortunately she never had the balls to mention it to anyone when it's happened. She let her gaze travel downward towards the table top in an attempt to forget. She was good at that. One had to be when used to embarrassing themselves constantly. At least she didn't have to worry about making a complete fool out of herself by tripping over her feet in front of a pre-med. The worst she could do while sitting was say something remarkably stupid.

"Yeah, well, sure, that makes sense."

"In any case... what kind of things are you interested in? I mean, school has it's interesting moments and such, but that isn't all you like talking about, is it?," Greg asked curiously.

Greg watched Maeve carefully, but still looked as friendly as he could. He figured, it might be a good idea to start paying a bit more attention to her facial expressions, as he was slightly doubting that she was open with her feelings all the time. That was normal, but it was still something good to watch out for.

"Film, mostly," Maeve replied to Greg's initial question. It was strange to think that she hadn't gone into some kind of Cinema or Communications program instead of English Lit. People had their quirks though and she was pretty quirky.

"Film, huh? You mean like movies and such, right? Sorry if it sounds like a stupid question but... still, it's better to ask stupid questions rather then pretend you know what a person is talking about," Greg said, laughing slightly.

Greg followed so many philosophies that is was hard for him to go through a day without mentioning three or four. It was probably a bit odd to people at times, but why should he care?

"I mean, it sounds like you would be talking about movies... but some people have strange names for certain things that it's sometimes hard to tell... for all I know, you could be talking about photography."

Gee, and she thought she sounded like a scatterbrain. Maeve was suddenly enjoying this conversation. Despite Greg's mention of being pre-med she could sort of hear herself in his words. Well, some of them. It was nice knowing that she wasn't the only self-conscious nut out there. They could start a cult. Hm, what an intriguing idea.

"Well, usually, when people mention photography, they call it photography unless they're speaking of the actual film used when taking pictures," she noted with a quiet sort of giggle. She knew it sounded odd, but for some reason Greg's obvious uneasiness gave her cause to relax herself.

"Film as in movies would be a correct assumption, no worries, Greg."

"The word is usually... there are some pretty strange people out there so you never know," Greg said, smiling, "I guess I shouldn't be talking though..."

Greg laughed slightly, surprised that this conversation was turning out so well. Even though he was nice to people, for some odd reason, people could act pretty strangely around him... or maybe he was just imagining it. Either way, this was a nice change.

"Anyways, yeah, it's hard to hate movies... unless you're Amish of course... though some don't mind technology as long as they aren't the ones operating it... or so I've heard... well... that was an odd subject change... anyways, do you have a favorite movie?"

"The amish?! That's a good one!" Maeve exclaimed as she burst out laughing. Wow, she had no idea doctors could be so entertaining. She smiled widely and leaned forward on the table, waves of giggles continuously washing over her as the laughter quickly subsided.

"I'd have to say The Importance of Being Ernest would be a favourite, I have a weak spot for Oscar Wilde plays transformed into film... Though that could partially be blamed on Rupert Everett," she added as a side note, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. She couldn't help it, the actor was exceptionally good looking and he was always portraying the best kinds of characters.

"What about you? Or are movies not really your thing?"

Greg was slightly surprised that Maeve laughed at what he said about the amish. He didn't mean to be funny, but it was still a nice thought to him that he was making someone smile.

"Hmm... well, I would have to say my favorite is UHF. Slightly odd at times, but I thought it was pretty funny," Greg said, deciding to ignore the comment Maeve made after she mentioned she had a weak spot for movies based on Oscar Wilde plays.

He did feel slightly uncomfortable about it anyways though. He could easily tell by the fact that Maeve was blushing that she thought Rupert Everett was a good-looking actor. Which famous people looked good was a subject that made Greg a bit uncomfortable when he heard people talking about the subject, or even if it was suggested.

Honestly, it wasn't just because Rupert Everett was attractive. Oscar Wilde was an incredibly entertaining playwrite if you understood the twists of his works. It was the high comedy of the late 1800's and when performed correctly, was absolutely enchanting to watch. Of course, being that Greg was pre-med, Maeve wondered if he even understood the art of theatre or film.

"UHF? That doesn't really sound familiar," she remarked, furrowing her brow as she racked her brain for the title. Nope, couldn't say she knew it.

"I don't think it is a very widely known movie... it was made during the 1980s... a guy called Weird Al Yankovic is the main actor in it... he mainly makes funny variations of popular songs though...," Greg said, shrugging, "I think it's a really good movie, but different people have different tastes."

Greg looked at the ceiling for a moment, thinking, then looked down at Maeve again.

"I don't really watch many movies actually, but yeah, there aren't too many horrible ones... Reign of Fire is also a favorite of mine... not quite as good as UHF but it comes close... it isn't a comedy either..."

Weird Al, yeah, that was familiar. Almost too familiar. Couldn't stand the guy. He was absolutely rediculous most of the time and not even funny. A frown crossed Maeve's features for a split second, but was replaced by a vague sort of smile.

"Reign of Fire was a little bit lacking," she intoned quietly, gaze flitting back toward the window and then returning to Greg's face.

"How about The Shawshank Redemption? Have you ever seen that?"

"No... hmm... and either lacking is an understatement to you for Reign of Fire, or you don't like Weird Al judging by that frown you had for a moment...," Greg said, thinking they might have hit a dead end in conversation possibly, "What about The Mask of Zorro, ever see that one? I used to love the old Zorro cartoons..."

Greg also began wondering why Maeve was looking out the window so much. Maybe it was bothering her a bit about being inside in something. He decided that if she looked outside again, he would ask if she wanted to go outside and walk while they talked, or maybe he would anyways, he felt a bit in the mood to go outside for some fresh air.

"Well I did specify that it was the movie that was lacking and not Weird Al," she informed pointedly. He did it again! Repeating what she had just mentioned! Maeve nearly laughed out of exasperation, but continued to smile instead.

"I'll have to agree with you about Zorro though, that movie was good," Maeve stated with an approving nod, smile suddenly appearing less forced. More genuine.

"I don't think you quite understood what I asked, but nevermind... anyways, I was really surprised by the Zorro movie... I didn't expect the guy who was Zorro to get caught right away and eventually teach someone else his skills," Greg said laughing slightly, "but plot twists are what make any kind of story good I guess."

"Let's see... what other movies have I seen... Spawn was a bit overly violent... I think I have Tomb Raider sitting around somewhere, but that movie doesn't sound too good... ever see Princess Mononoke?," Greg asked.

"Movies with plot twists are exceedingly entertaining though," Maeve remarked with a lopsided grin. It was conversation like these that made her wonder why she hadn't gone into Film. Why? Why? Why?

Parents. Oh, yeah. That would make sense.

After a moment, and another glance outside, Maeve decided that she really wasn't in the mood to work at all and took unknowingly took Greg's idea to go out for a stroll.

"No, I haven't--Hey, you wanna go for a walk or something? Conversations like these always fair better out of doors anyways."

Greg laughed slightly, "You read my mind... I kind of decided that if you looked out the window again that I would ask that same question."

Greg smiled then nodded, "Yeah... I could use the fresh air... going to need my jacket though... last I checked it was kind of cold outside..."

Greg also kind of wondered why Maeve didn't take film classes, but he didn't really have an answer. He did realize he never talked about literature at all to her, so he had no reason to even wonder about that.

((a little short but... yeah...))

"Perfect, I probably wouldn't have gotten any work done anyway," Maeve stated pointedly as she began to rise from her seat. She was careful not to do so too quickly or with too much fervor, it had happened many times when she'd done either or and ended up on her ass with a chair pinning her to the ground. Besides, things had been going well for her so far, she didn't need to start bringing out the big guns now. The brunette was enjoying her place at the moment, remaining upright and on her feet. Maybe it was the lack of stilletto heel, maybe not.

"I get distracted easily, you see, sometimes it doesn't make a difference, but sometimes it can be a heckuva handicap."

"Ahh, you were planning on doing some work before I came to talk to you? Heh, sorry, hope I don't make you not able to finish it on time," Greg said, scratching the back of his head as he stood up.

Greg sighed, and stretched his legs a little, always cramping up easily after sitting down.

"Anyways... shall I go get my coat and meet you outside or what?"

OOC: short post, but short on ideas atm

Maeve carefully lifted her bag and slung it haphazardly over her shoulder, having it nearly knock into someone who was walking behind her carrying a full tray of food. Apparently, she hadn't noticed.

"Sounds like a plan to me... I'll meet you outside then?" She asked, jerking her thumb toward the cafeteria entrance way located more than several feet behind her.

((It's ok, no worries.))

"OK...," Greg said, instinctively not mentioning the person Maeve almost hit.

For some reason he decided it better not to. He wasn't sure why, but.. yeah, he got odd feelings about what to do and what not to do.

"Wel, see you in a little bit I guess... you'll probably beat me... I can be a little slow. No worries though, at least I won't forget that I'm supposed to meet you like I've seen some people would," Greg said, smiling.

He suddened realized that what he said could be easily misinterpreted, so he quickly added, "Well... not meaning they would forget about you... just that they would forget that they are supposed to meet someone after a little bit... bah, I hope you know what I mean."

Greg decided to start walking before he said anything else potentially embarrassing.

The young woman watched Greg's retreating form for a second or two before turning and starting on her own way. A pleasant smile had now made a permanent home on her face as she considered the possibilities of finding someone just as (or more than) embarrassed as she was. Greg certainly fit the bill, unless he was just having a bad day or he had recently broken a mirror, walked beneath a ladder and eaten the last piece of something all at the same time. Somehow Maeve strongly doubted the latter, but who knew.

As she swung the door to the cafeteria open, she was met with a blast of cold air which left her squinting and shielding her face. Pulling the collar of her jacket up further, she stood just at the end of the short walkway which split off toward the caf and waited. Her hip jutted outward slightly as she shifted her weight onto one leg, but she looked content. At least for the moment.

It took a couple minutes, but Greg made it outside, wearing a leather jacket, gloves, and a winter hat.

He smiled slightly, then said, "Sorry, told you I was a little slow..."

Greg seemed to be a bit stiffened from the cold, but it didn't to seem to bother him much. He was pretty used to cold weather for the most part.

"Wel, at least I didn't forget, right?," Greg said, laughing slightly.

Greg then waited for Maeve to respond, hoping she wasn't too upset about the wait.

OOC: bah... another short post... oh well... the moment will come when they'll be a little longer...

Maeve gave a faint giggle and reach up with both hands to cover her ears. She'd forgotten her trusty headband at home so her ears were nearly frozen already. Her cheeks were also tinged pink as well as the tip of her nose.

"Well I'm glad you decided to remember, although waiting forever out here wouldn't have been so bad... You get used to the frostbite after a while," she stated airily, wondering if Greg would appreciate her little anecdote or whether he'd turn in the other direction and run. She felt the warmth spread to her cheeks and they suddenly appeared a little darker though that had nothing to do with the stinging wind.

Greg smiled slightly, glad that Maeve wasn't angry.

"Of course you do, considering that frostbite makes you lose all feeling... but I'm getting a little too into detail...," Greg said, shrugging, "You should really wear a hat... this isn't Mexico, this is Canada.... it gets dangerously cold around here, much unlike it commonly is down there..."

Greg looked around in his pockets for a moment, "Hmm... must of left my headband in my dorm... I usually keep both... one for when I don't want my hair to be flying all over the place, and this hat for when I need a little extra warmth..."

Greg shrugged again, "Well, anyways, let's get walking... it doesn't help a whole lot, but it does help keep you a little warmer..."

"Well thank you Captain Obvious, I'd be lost without your marvelously helpful observations," gushed Maeve in a way that left the comment light-hearted and hopefully wouldn't embarrass him. She seriously hadn't meant it to be rude, so she could only hope he didn't take it the wrong way. Deciding not to dwell too much on the matter, she began to walk slowly forward, away from the cafeteria, assuming Greg would follow her lead and fall into step beside her.

"So are you living in res. or what?"

Greg followed closely and laughed slightly as Maeve called him 'Captain Obvious', being able to judge that she wasn't being mean by the tone of her voice. Sometimes he thought he wouldn't be too bad of a psychiatrist... if he could be a little more open about talking that is.

"I live in the dorms... not sure if that's what you mean or not, but, I think that's a good enough answer... I really want to get my own house or apartment though... for quite a few reasons...," Greg said, sighing, "espically to get my own bathroom and kitchen... kitchen because it gets annoying when i go out to buy something... and when i want to use it, it's gone..."

Greg also was about to say something else, but decided to leave it at that.

"I know exactly what you mean. I only lived in residence for about a month, couldn't stand it," Maeve informed with a small shake of her head. She exhaled a long sigh and watched the mist of her breath float upward. Despite the cold, it was a beautiful day.

"Could be worse, I guess," Greg said, "at least I don't happened to be roomed with a bunch of gang members or something... or at least not as far as I know..."

He looked around at the scenary then said, "either way though, I really wish I could find a temporary job of some sort so I could at least get an apartment..."

Greg stretched a little bit, put his hands on the back of his head, then looked at Maeve again, "I know this much, I'm not moving back in with my parents..."

Maeve giggled as she recalled two years ago when she was still living with her parents. She was just finishing high school and her mother's business hadn't been doing very well which led to a lot of unpleasant things. Late nights, irritating squabbles and lots of sleepovers at friends' houses. Parents always had this built-in tendancy and need to be involved in the lives of their children and, as lovely as that might be, it was always deemed bothersome by their offspring. It was a lose-lose, really. Maeve felt as though she were being suffocated, which was why she just couldn't wait to get out of there and go to university.

"Amen to that! I couldn't stand to live with my parents, too much nagging, too much disappointment for them," she stated firmly, shaking her head with a somewhat rueful sort of grin. "The only way to live, truly live, is on your own."

"My parents kind of kept my life pretty sheltered... kept me in believing in fairy tale stuff... I guess in some ways it led to me optimistic attitude... but I really prefer to know the truth, no matter how gruesome it is," Greg said, "my parents still try to be overprotective of me, which I can't stand."

Greg shook his head, leaving an important point out, but it was something that normal humans were not meant to know...

"I guess though, in a way, I'll have to kind of be like my parents... try to make sure patients don't do things that endanger themselves... but somehow I doubt I would have to resort to making people know nothing about war and violence existing in the world..."

Greg sighed, looking at the ground for a second, then Maeve, "but parents are humans too... so can't expect them to be perfect."