[PRP] Study Break [Ellian/Glenn]

[Indigo_Plateau]

“Guine”

“Hhhhhuuuughh-“ Ellian flopped down unceremoniously into a chair at a table in the library. Honestly one of the worst places to be in general, all quiet and dusty and weirdly dim, but it was even less appealing because of how much of a chore it felt to be here, having to do this stupid lab report in a subject he wasn’t actually interested in. …Though he wasn’t actually interested in University at all besides for the consistent opportunity to be around people his own age.

But Physics was incredibly dull. Even their professor had the driest tone imaginable, so Ellian was not even slightly inspired to do this work. And why was there so much math? Why was it so tedious.

Nothing about the situation was exciting, and it seemed cruel to have some shitty report due so early in the semester. He pouted, dropping his chin on the table and extending his arms out in front of him as he typed a message out on his phone. ’I’m here, in the back, got a table.’ He sent the text to his designated lab partner, some guy he didn’t know very well, that Ellian had super helpfully put in his phone as “Lab Bro,” which he realized now was a mistake since he didn’t know Bro’s name. Gary or Gale or Glade or something like that.

Not important. It probably wouldn’t come up.

Maybe it would’ve been easier if they’d agreed to meet at somebody’s house or a Starbucks or anywhere else. …Or maybe it would’ve been harder because then Ellian would have excuses to do literally anything else. But they could’ve been by his pool… That would’ve been nice. There wasn’t much of the summer weather left, and he was eating it here. Ellian huffed, grumbled, tap, tap, tap, taptaptap his fingers aggressively against the faux wood of the table. Just get through it, and then maybe they could go out and do something more exciting after.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

Guine

"Ah, no worries, you're not late," Ellian replied dismissively, picking himself up to prop on one elbow as he reached with the other hand to swipe up one of the candies that had scattered across the table. He wasn't typically one to seek out sweets (more into spice, himself), but they were offered and already there, and Ellian would take literally any distraction that presented itself if it meant he had a few more seconds to not bother with Physics.

Looks like he was safe with a nice sour apple one. He twisted the candy free of the wrapper and popped it into his mouth, swishing it into his cheek. "It's Ellian, yeah. Ellie, if you want or whatever. You work at the community center? What do you do there? Do you man the front desk or something? How do you find time to, like, do anything?" The whole work-and-school thing was apparently necessary for some people, but Ellian didn't think he'd wish it on anyone. Classes were already chore enough, he couldn't imagine sitting in a big, empty building, checking people into... do recreation, or whatever. That would totally eat into his personal time. Candy simply would not be adequate compensation for that.

He slid his notebook out of his bag and smacked it open on the table. It was legible enough, but any available margin was littered with black pen scribbles. He'd say it was easier to keep his mind focused while his fingers fiddled, and that was just what it translated to.

"Guess they figured we'd have plenty of time outside of class." He shrugged. "We're pretty early in, so at least nothing is that hard. It's just kinda tedious and boring." He pulled out his pen, tossed a rainbow braid over his shoulder, and scribbled down anything he saw in Glenn's book that he didn't have in his own. "I did the acceleration calculations in class. Do you wanna check them?" Ellian asked, sliding his notebook closer to his partner. Provided Glenn could find the answers amidst the other random scratchings.  

[Indigo_Plateau]

Guine

He volunteered at the fire house.

An uncontrolled choke of laughter bubbled up from Ellian’s throat, uncomfortably loud, considering where they were. But, like, honestly? Who wouldn’t find that ironically hilarious? Glenn was out here telling people to not start fires, be safe, volunteer, do good! And Diesel was pretty much the definition of a fire starter. Only sometimes metaphorical. Poor Glenn probably knew the people who went out at 2AM and cleaned up Diesel’s messes.

But Ellian definitely couldn’t say any of that.

He started to justify it before the other could even ask, “No, no, I don’t mean it’s funny. I just didn’t expect it is all?” He offered. “Volunteering at a firehouse sounds much more entertaining than what I was imagining when you said you got off a shift. I guess I expect most people to be grocery store checkers, or something, which sounds much more lame.”

And this guy had finished a lot of his requirements already? “You sound, uh, motivated.”

Ellie had stuck it out for the past couple years, but he really was just plodding through these classes with no particular sense of purpose. Rationally, he knew he really should go ahead and decide what he was going to make of himself, the sooner the better, but it didn’t seem there was much he was interested in that he could classify as a ‘career.’ And even if nothing worked out (but things always worked out), he still had his mother’s concrete company to fall back on. She’d wanted one of her kids to take it over, anyway. Though honestly, literally nothing sounded more boring than concrete. “You must have something you’re going for,” he said quietly. If Glenn had already knocked out a bunch of requirements, and was volunteering and wanted certifications. “What are the certifications for? Do you want to actually work at the firehouse, or something?”

He tapped the end of his pen against the table, and even the click-click of the pen n** popping in and out sounded like it’d probably be annoying to someone, but Ellian hardly cared about that. His eyes scanned over Glenn’s notebook, and he reached to scratch notes on the corner of his own page for later.

In the interim between notes, Ellian beamed at the compliment, and was much less quiet when he enthusiastically said, “Thanks! I used to shave it in the winter when I swam for school, but I can wear it like this all the time now! Which I guess is one good thing about not being in high school, anymore…” Though it had been two years ago, it was still among the more recent and memorable experiences Ellian had.

“I don’t really have a focus,” he admitted. “My parents want me to go, so here I am. I’m just going to get a General Studies degree, and that’ll be good enough. Dunno what anyone is supposed to do with something so basic, but at least I’ll have it.”