2 // [action]

[windbreak]

[Man, it's that shitty time of year...

In between exams, Yosuke attempts to escape the heavy atmosphere in the already stuffy library by retreating to the quad. As for why he felt the need to claim an entire bench just for a couple of relatively thin textbooks - well, nobody else was using it at the time.

Neither the fresh air nor the ample elbow space are doing him as much good as he'd hoped, though. Even being by himself isn't enough to stop his mind from wandering. If anything, it's making things worse.]

It's been all cloudy lately, too... How's anyone supposed to focus?

[He sighs and lets his pencil drop. The bench shakes a little as he flops face-first into the notes he was supposed to be looking over.] Ugh, I can't do this!

[Without much fanfare, the pad of paper at the corner of the bench slides off its precarious perch and thunks onto the path - as well as, quite possibly, into someone's path.]

Comments

[espio]

[The pad of paper lands on Espio's foot. Sigh. He picks it up, and throws it at Yosuke's head.]

It's just some exams. Quit whining to yourself about it.

[windbreak]

[Yosuke glances up at the voice with perfect timing for the pad to hit him in the face.] Oww, hey! [He extricates his nose from the paper and puts the pad back down.] I know it's just...

[...Of course, since he glanced up, he doesn't see who's speaking right away. When he does, he does a very brief double take. That's all, though.]

I know it's just exams! That's the part that really bites!

[espio]

Tough luck. But whining about it and the damn weather is gonna help you through 'em... how?

[windbreak]

Dude, I wasn't whining! [He is, however, pouting.]

You've got a point, though... Sitting and spacing out like this won't get me out of them. [He sags a bit again, resting his chin on his hand.] Maybe I could tell 'em I was sick...

[black]

[ Yosuke may have been able to take up a good chunk of the bench, but not all of it. Saber had noticed him sitting there, but had long ago made up her mind that she had also wished to sit there.

And Saber had little concern for social etiquette, at least as far as asking if she could sit with someone first when they were already there. A bench was meant for more than one person, as she saw it, so Yosuke would be her lucky bench partner for the day.

Wearing her gothic lolita casual attire, Saber was relaxing for the day. The clunk the sounded at her feet, however, stopped in her in her tracks as she looked down at it. Picking up the pad of paper, it was set back down onto her stack of items on the bench.

She seated herself at the free side of the bench, as far away as she could. Saber had no papers or pens on her person, so she could either give the illusion of a non-concerned student or someone who wasn't a student at all. ]

[windbreak]

[Yosuke looked round at the sound of his fleeing stationery, and immediately started. Was he more out of it than he thought, or had she just... walked right up to him without a word? Huh. Awkward.

He could handle that, though. After all, he figured, it didn't hurt to remember that he was a misfit himself in this place; best to be charitable, right?]

Whoa, what are you wearing?

[...Wait, no, that wasn't it! He coughed hurriedly.] I-I mean, sorry... [Trying not to quaver too much, he reached over and tugged the pad of paper back towards him.] Um, do you want me to move over?

[black]

You're fine. [ Saber is looking out, straight ahead of her, as she speaks. ] And clothing.

[ Luckily, the Instructor has no reason to be defensive and has no sense of humor. Yosuke's outburst about her appearance is shrugged off entirely. Besides, this isn't the first time she's had a reaction like that to her clothing. Apparently, it's not very "Instructor-like" either. ]

[windbreak]

Er, yeah, I can see that...

[She doesn't sound too much like she's taking offense - she doesn't sound like much of anything, in fact - but Yosuke still can't help wondering if he did provoke that brusqueness. Ugh, him and his big mouth. How should he smooth this over? ...Is it even worth trying? She does have a certain air about her, going around in that kind of get-up...]

Well, in any case, thanks for picking this up. [He waves the pad of paper in his hand almost hopefully, as if fishing for a friendlier response.]

[espio]

That wouldn't get you out of it. That'd just be putting it off. Besides, you just said that to an instructor, so...

[black]

You're welcome. [ After speaking, she turns her head towards the boy and looks at him closely before continuing. ]

It's pleasant to see someone invested in their studies even between testing.

[windbreak]

Huh? You? Seriously!?

[Not that he sounds like he doesn't believe it. In fact, he's suddenly sitting bolt upright.]

Uh, just kidding! You know me, always spouting a load of crap he doesn't mean! Haha... W-Well, I guess you don't know me if I've never seen you around before, but...

[Yosuke's panic is palpable...]

[windbreak]

[It might be the first time anyone has ever told him he gives that impression. That's only one reason he recoils a little as she fixes her gaze on him, though. Gold eyes... he would've liked to think he already had a decent enough weirdness filter in place for attending a school that frequently picks up the dregs of entire other universes, but apparently those can still catch him off guard.

On the other hand, she sounds relatively normal, if kind of curt. He's... probably on the wrong track. He takes a deep breath and tries to put the thought out of his mind, although the sudden tension in his shoulders isn't too subtle.]

Oh... that must make you one of the teachers, huh? In that outfit... [His tone of voice suggests that that just slipped out, not that he's actively trying to needle her. He scratches his head.] Yeah, honestly, it's just 'cause there's a whole week of them. If I took a break now, I don't think I'd wake up in time for the next one. [He manages a wry smile.]

[espio]

[Crosses his arms and just tilts his head.]

Done freaking out yet?

What's your name?

[windbreak]

[He was freaking out!? Okay... okay. Breathe, Yosuke.

Once he relaxes just a bit, he's marginally closer to Espio's eye level, too.]

My name? [Still, that is slightly ominous...] Um... Yosuke Hanamura. S-Sir. [Something about being formal with the bright pink whatever-the-hell-is-talking-to-him rings distinctly awkward even by his standards, but what else can he do?]

[espio]

Yos...uke...

[It's not entirely clear at first if he's struggling with pronunciation, thinking, or both.]

Oh. You're Toby's roommate.

[windbreak]

No, like I said it - [Wait, what? That was out of left field - and, coming from a purported teacher, is just a little creepy. He blinks. "Toby"... he must be talking about...] Er, yes?

[espio]

Don't let your bad study habits rub off on him.

[windbreak]

[And that was uncalled for. Ouch.]

H-Hey, I am studying, aren't I? It's not my fault the exams are like this!

[espio]

They're not that hard. I got through them, didn't I? And I'm not exactly Mr Genius. You're making studying hard on yourself by blaming everything else for your lack of attention span.

[windbreak]

[Since he can't seriously argue the point and knows it, he just wilts a little in the headlights.] Ugh... Yessir. Sorry, sir.

...But, geez, you'd think a school as out there as this would be the one place where finals weren't the way they are everywhere else in existence. [That last part is mumbled largely to himself.]

[espio]

[He catches it anyway.]

You studied weapons and magic at home?

[windbreak]

Well, no, but...! Wouldn't you expect that stuff to be cooler than just a bunch of lectures and tests!?

[Okay, when he puts it like that, it sounds a bit more pathetic than he intended. He lets out a long, exaggerated sigh.] I guess I should try and find a study partner or something, huh...

[espio]

That probably would be a good idea, yeah.

[windbreak]

You really don't give an inch, do you...?

[In no great hurry, he starts to pull his assorted stationery and rather pitiful-looking notes into a rough pile in front of him.]

So, is that kid a friend of yours, or... [Actually, on second thoughts, he's not so sure that plying the angry lizard with small talk would do much to improve his standing at the moment.] Uh, never mind.

[espio]

He's not a kid. And he's my fiancé, actually.