[CLOSED to Tobias]

[espio]

[PM]

Hey Toby, where did you disappear to?

No idea if you'll get this message before I run into you, but JUST IN CASE, I'll be around the library most of the evening, then my room - it's changed to A107, just across the hall from our old one. Drop by if you want, or at LEAST tell me what you're doing tomorrow.

Also a warning: don't touch the BBS. Grell's got some stupid idea in her head that's not worth even looking at, let alone discussing, and she's airing it all over the BBS. It's ridiculous.

ESPIO

Comments

[corruptedsouls]

[Sorry, Espio, Tobias has just barely figured things out and doesn't remember everything, so he has no idea about PMs. Luckily, he does come to the library -- mostly because he's been practicing this "reading" thing he apparently knew how to do when he was here.]

[espio]

[Toby arrives just as Espio's packing his work away, ready to go. Just because he's teaching an almost entirely physical class doesn't mean he doesn't have to actually plan and structure his lessons, after all!

He's just up out of his chair when he catches sight of Toby.]

Hey!

You get my PM?

[corruptedsouls]

Huh?

[Tobias blinks, noticing Espio finally.]

What's a PM?

[espio]

[Sigh.]

I'll take that as a no.

It's a private message sent through the computers - I sent one, since I didn't get to tell you my schedule or my room number or anything.

[corruptedsouls]

[Ah, that's right, he is in his dorm alone. It feels... weird and he doesn't like it.]

Oh. I'm sorry.

[Ever the apologist.]

Where's your room?

[espio]

Right across the hall from our old one, if you remember it. A107.

[corruptedsouls]

I don't.

[It's hard enough to remember where his current one is -- he has no idea what his old one was. Why oh why couldn't Garden's layout be something he remembered clearly?]

What classes are you taking?

[So adorable.]

[espio]

Oh, I graduated already. And took the instructor training - I teach the Martial Arts classes now.

[corruptedsouls]

[Annnd little stars go into his eyes!]

Wow, you're an instructor?

[It wound sound condescending from anyone else... but it's Tobias. He's just awed.]

[espio]

Yep! Mostly the advanced class, but I do intermediate as well. And sometimes I take on missions, when I can get someone to cover the class for me.

I've just been working on some class outlines and stuff. It's not gonna be long before finals come up, too.

[corruptedsouls]

That's cool!

[He's too excited for that, but... are you surprised?]

I don't really know what to take yet. I want to go back to medic things like Dad asked, but I'm not sure what else.

[espio]

Self defense.

[Answered really quickly.]

Military movement. GFs. Martial arts. Recovery magic, advanced and intermediate. Indirect, intermediate... hm. I can help put together a class plan.

What do you remember of your old classes? It'll kind of suck if you have to start all over.

[corruptedsouls]

Okay.

[That was quick, on both sides!]

I don't remember anything at all.

[So starting over's really the only option.]

[espio]

[Quick is good! But... Espio looks a little uncomfortable.]

Your memory... it's kind of really spotty, isn't it?

[corruptedsouls]

...Yeah. It is.

[He looks down at that, fidgeting with his bracelet.

After a moment, regardless of whether or not Espio is saying anything:]

Did I... was there some time I didn't need to use this?

[espio]

[A nod.]

Yeah. From what I gathered, you were able to control it, and could safely touch things without them disintegrating...

[But... Espio's eyes narrow a little. He remembers a couple of moments where he wanted to question Toby's health.]

You'd also lost an eye.

[corruptedsouls]

[He reaches up at that, rubbing -- yes -- the very eye that he'd lost.]

I don't remember anything like that. I just... had a weird feeling.

[espio]

Just a feeling, huh?

[Hmm...]

I've got to say, I'm kind of confused.

You're sixteen, right? But you're referring to things that happened when you were nearly eighteen. It's like two different yous fused or something. But not properly.

[corruptedsouls]

...I don't know.

[Tobias sighs a little, rubbing his hand now.]

I don't really remember anything about it, it's just I felt like the bracelet shouldn't be here.

[espio]

Well, maybe it shouldn't. Wonder if you could learn how to - never mind.

And what about me? [Never mind Marco and Grell.] You seem to remember me pretty clearly, considering. And with the same sort of relationship in mind. Right?

...or are you just going with it?

[He is not taking advantage of Toby, right? Toby actually does remember more than just the "feel" of having him around... right? He looks genuinely worried about it.]

[corruptedsouls]

Learn how to... control it?

[Oh, thankfully, that's a subject change. Granted, for once, Tobias actually wants to talk about his hand, but he can actually see Espio is worried.

So he smiles brightly.]

I don't remember anything perfectly, but you and Mom and Dad... I remember almost everything about you. I mean, I don't remember everything we ever did, but I still love you, Espio.

[Does that help?]

[espio]

[AFLADAFF yes. Though Espio looks away and tries to hide it, there's no denying that he just went pinker.

TO THE OTHER SUBJECT.]

Well, I just thought I don't really know how you stopped needing the bracelet in the first place, so maybe it's something you learned.

[corruptedsouls]

...Maybe.

[He sounds a bit hesitant, but there's a tint of hopefulness in it.]

I... I'm afraid of it, but... I remember you telling me... I need to defend myself. So maybe if I knew how... I could do that...

[espio]

We could try... on monsters or random inanimate objects or something...

[corruptedsouls]

...I don't want to try it on monsters.

[Not yet. Maybe eventually, but not yet. He can't even condemn mindless beasts to it.]