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 Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:56 pm
Sunsets usually brought people to eat or to get together at different places around the Academy. Classes for the day were usually over, and so it was with this in mind that he had sneaked into one of the classrooms. Russell relished the chance to have quiet time, especially time with which to get done with his homework.
Sitting against the wall on which the door sat, albeit away from the entrance, he hid from intruders who might be kicking recruits out of unused classrooms or even from his fellows seeking help from someone who had taken all of their classes before. Such were the woes of being old.
Crossing his legs, Russ pulled out the work he was supposed to do, sitting it on one knee while he put a notebook on the other. His left leg had finally decided to man up and stop hurting so badly, but he could tell that he'd have to shift positions soon or else it would start misbehaving.
Leaning against the wall, his head bounced slightly. Russ hated math. E was better at it, had usually helped walk him through it outside of class. He tried to look at the problems again, hoping to hear her voice coaching him through it like she had used to, but there was none.
Agitated, he dropped his pencil on the notebook tapping on his leg inaudibly. When would he ever need math, anyways? There are seven giant centipedes. You shoot three, how many are left? Pff, that was just perfect. Better, still, There are three Wolfriders in your Patrol. You come across eleven centipedes. It takes three minutes for the each Wolfrider to dispatch one, how long will it take for all eleven to die?
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:50 pm
The hallways were crowded and bustling with recruits just out of class, discussing their day and causing a general rumpus. Hurrying hither and thither, they took full advantage of the short respite from their teachers and Adrian Black. Kaela shuddered at the sheer amount of people. She wasn't afraid--really--but hated to have so many individuals so close by. Glancing back over her shoulder, she slipped into the nearest doorway for a moment of solitude and peace.
Shutting the door as quietly as she could, she turned to face the empty room, dark blue eyes darting for a space to hide, and think. Almost imperceptibly she flinched. There was a boy in here already. She backed up a step, not wanting to bother him. Her footsteps were barely audible, her movements unintrusive and fluid, but it was the slight moan of the door that gave her away.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:50 pm
He sighed in frustration, attempting to focus on the problems while his hands continued to move. He honestly might have maintained the illusion of being alone were it not for the sudden sound of the door. Russ's eyes snapped up, his hands freezing. The pencil slipped from his fingers, a jagged line running down the paper as the lead scraped. For a moment, he feared that someone had walked in and was going to kick him out - okay, it was less a fear, more the want not to be inconvenienced.
However, his tenseness left after he recognized his fellow recruit. "Afternoon," Russell greeted, picking up his pencil and starting to erase. "Don't supposed you know how to do this math stuff, do you?" The line was, thankfully, not very deeply marked, so it was coming out easy. "In any case, you're welcome to stay in here. Better than being in the crowd."
He peeked up from his work to see if she remained, an eyebrow quirked as he waited patiently for some sort of response.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:40 pm
Her first reaction when the boy looked up was to stifle a gasp. It was the dark-haired boy she'd seen a few days past with Keeva's...undergarment...who'd triggered another painful flashback. Instinct told her to flee, but her recently surfaced, more reasonable side recognized him as just another boy at the Academy, not at all likely to harm her. After all, his part in the odd escapade before had turned out to be rather unwilling. She forced herself to remain as calm and friendly as she possibly could.
Clutching her books to her chest, she tiptoed forwards a bit to peek at his paper. The problems were not too hard, so she smiled shyly. "A little, why?" He was a good deal older than her, after all. She pushed a light blue ringlet behind her face as she spoke, making a conscious effort to be friendly.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:37 pm
It was the girl from the dining hall the other day, the girl who had looked so lost and afraid for a moment that it had worried him. For a brief moment, he feared a second episode, in which case he might have found a bag to place over his head forever because he hated making people feel terrible.
When she approached him, Russ offered a gentle smile. He turned the book to help her see better, peering back at the problem and waiting for a hit or something to land for the stunt he'd played a minor role in with Keiran. That was the last time he ever helped a younger male catch fairies.
"I hate it," Russ gave a small laugh. "I'm pretty bad at it. I used to have a friend who helped me, but they," left me to rot here in misery, "went back to the City. Kind of left me high and dry with this stuff." In truth, he didn't want to work on it anymore; he wanted to talk to her, but he doubted that it would end well if he should suggest it.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:36 pm
Puzzled, Kaela glanced at the textbook again, then back at the older boy. The questions weren't too difficult, and math never hurt anyone like people did. What was there to hate about it? Though she didn't trust him enough to sit down, she opened her own textbook to the same page and read the first question again before laying the book on a desk. "You see," she explained, holding up seven fingers, "Each of these is a centipede. If you shoot three," she hid two fingers, "There are four left." And then it hit her--she was teaching someone...not only that but he was much much older than her.
Flustered and embarrassed, she hastily swept her books back into her arms, the sudden movement swinging her blue curls to hide her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--" Suddenly feeling uneasy in a room alone with a boy, she opened the door which gave a soft squeak as she slipped outside.
((Kaela usually would be in trouble with Aston if she was explaining something to him, because it injured his precious pride))
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:47 pm
(( Poor dear. D: ))
She seemed to relax a little as she opened her book. True, what they were working on now might not be the most complex, but seeing her not wound tight was definitely pleasant. He listened to her explanation, nodding along and his fingers repeated the movements she gave.
However, she stopped mid-explanation, grabbing her books. Her apology was met with a worried, soft, "There's nothing-" but she was already gone. Russ's books slid from his lap as he jumped up to go after her, if nothing more than the compulsion that this was something he could help with.
He made sure not to slam the door against the wall as he left, but his feet picked up a quick pace. He was taller than her, probably more used to running if she had quickened to that pace, and so he caught up with her, grabbing her elbow with a gentle hand. "Would you please stop? This doesn't have to be long, if you've got somewhere to be, but I like to know why people are running from me," his voice was soft toned, yet obviously demanding an answer, the truth, preferably.
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:19 pm
((Em...Kaela is quite used to running...away. wink ))
Before she had gone more than a dozen steps down the hallway he caught her, his gentle hold like a vise in her suddenly frightened mind. He was angry with her! He would hurt her, like Aston had, hurt her and force her to be silent about it, and pretend nothing had happened. Perhaps she had been right after all, right to be wary, and right to run. A soft whimper was all the outward reaction she gave of her terror as she squeezed her eyes shut against the imminent pain...
Then, nothing. No silent, vicious slap across her face, no shaking, no twisting. Only a soft voice, firm but not threatening. Why was she running away? Hesitantly she turned and looked up, not quite meeting his earnest gaze. "I...I am afraid." Of punishment, of humiliation and pain, of the terrors she had come to associate with the male gender. "I should not have been so bold..." Wasn't he going to strike her, or yell at her, or laugh at her pitiful terror? "Please, I meant no disrespect."
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:11 pm
(( You don't say o: ))
The response, a whimper so pitiful that it tore at his heart, made his eyes widen and mouth drop open. The idea of wanting her to tell him why she was running had suddenly turned into a terrible idea. Some things weren't meant to be unburied. Yet, try as he might, Russ couldn't force his hand open.
Her actual worded replies made him almost certain that he had stumbled on a secret that would be better left alone. Yet, as he stood there, he began to see red. Yet, he kept cool. "There was no disrespect on your part. I asked you for your help and you gave it to me." He considered for a moment before loosening his grip on her arm, easy enough for her to tear away, if she would. "I'm sorry." His voice was remorseful, an unhappy frown alighting his lips.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:59 pm
Kaela looked up, unconsciously revealing the faint tear-tracks that ran down her face. "You...are sorry?" No one had ever apologized to her before, for anything. Least of all a...boy. So taken aback, she forgot to pull away from his grasp, but looked up at him. He seemed upset, something even she could recognize. Had she caused him pain, inside?
"There is no reason for you to be sorry," she said hesitantly. "I should not have panicked and run." After all, she had met him before, with Keiran. She looked down, ashamed.
((Fweeeee...lamepost))
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:38 pm
She was crying. He had expected that to come next, and the feeling of helplessness that it recalled did little for his own emotions. Her question made him nod, simply, unable to voice his own distress. Phantom eyes, a voice from his past tore at him with hooked claws.
Her insistence that she was in the wrong made Russ shake her ever so gently, as if to rouse her from a nightmare. "I upset you. That's reason enough to apologize." He attempted to meet her eyes, a small smile daring its escape. "You going to be all right?"
His hand's grip had turned into a gentle touch of sympathy before moving away completely. If she wanted to, she could leave, and he was well enough to be okay with that. As it was, Russ was going to be feeling bad enough about his past issues, there was no reason to drag her down with him. "I hate when other's are upset," he mumbled, almost as an excuse for his sympathy with her. In reality, he wanted her to not think of his as an enemy. She looked like she needed a friend.
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