Traditional Education

Ross

Yeah yeah. I'm fine, no need to tiptoe around it I presume you'll be... Yup, memory serum, hurray. How are the rest of them? Good? Good, I was worried that they're be weirded out.

It's weird being back, how are- Oh, right what happened.

I was there looking at Kingston over Park’s head, and I was so tired I growled in annoyance. “What was that Kingston?” I shook my sleep-heavy head and rolled my shoulders, a reference to last night that he definitely picked up on. Park looked back at me in surprise, and I gave a crumpled half smile.

Kingston opened and closed his mouth and I chuckled as his soladis deigned to open small green eyes. “I thought so.” And I swept Park back into the dorm room.

When we re-entered, Alec was pottering around, Darragh in the shower. Park crossed his arms and stared up at me searchingly ears of his companion twitching nervously. His serious expression was almost intimidating almost, and I smiled awkwardly, before yawning again. My vision was groggy, and I stumbled to the drawers, pulling out my uniform and struggling more than I’d like to admit. Then back to bed, where I sat, leaning my head against the wall and facing the door.

“Come in~!” Alec called, and Tina poked her head around the door, mimicked, of course. She was in civilian clothes again today. She was brushing her hair and went and perched on Alec’s bed while he buzzed around her, chatting about Club Day, and how we’d be getting the whole afternoon off for it.

She had slid into the boarding school setting well, even if it was partly her resilient denial.

A shouting from behind me and Tina, mortified, stood up and turned to face the wall her Soladis strutting and fluttering back and forth anxiously. Scarlet red, Darragh stomped over to his bed clutching the towel around his waist. He got changed and when Tina turned around they burst into laughter.

I wonder if anyone is overseeing them, you know?

Park caught my eye and we grinned knowingly, and somehow I was ushered downstairs. I made it my business to keep and eye on Park that day, but we only shared English before lunch.

We sat together in silence, as we were apt to do anyway, but also because the class was focused today on watching a film, our first project being an analyse and essay on it, and we would be watching Spirited Away into our lunch break. I would occasionally turn my gaze and would be surprised to see Park mouthing along to almost every line.

We got up and headed to lunch, skipping out on going to our lockers. I watched in amusement as Park pulled my to the side when we reached a deserted hall. He rose to his tip toes and I bent down to accommodate. “What was that?” He hissed, obviously uncomfortable speaking. His soladis was even wider-eyed than normal its claws digging into Parks right shoulder, it’s tail upright and the feathers stiff.

“I was following some leads.” I shrugged, and he knew it would take a lot of pressuring to get the real answer out of me. What I wasn’t expecting next was for him to smile. Patience. Park was happy to signal he had plenty of it, and he simply re-adjusted his backpack and kept walking.

I turned and quickly caught up. We’d warned ahead, and our lunch was waiting when English 1:C arrived. Park and I grabbed our plates and headed down to the table, interrupting a serious discussion on the great black vs. blue pens. “I personally think it depends on brand.” Tina put forward, “I mean, it’s never Bic for a black pen, the ink flow just isn’t consistent.”

“I like that for drawing.” Tina nodded at Alec to note his point. She was in her element, the head of her long necked companion rested happily on her lap.

“Put you cannot use Staedler for blue, because it’s too damn light.” Tina shook her head, and then caught sight of us and smiled. “Hey guys. This curry’s pretty good isn’t it?”