standingonmyneck | FOREST COVERED: IC CONTACT

[ By the time Ethan's worked up a schedule for himself, everything goes to hell. What nice. What good. A day or two after his run in with a fist very well leaving his nose in a minor fracture (that didn't need any placing, thank God), Ethan walks about with a bruise to show for, by now a lovely mesh of purple and the beginnings of yellow just under the eye and stretching to the nose.

He didn't forget about Miss Riye, as he had never, arriving at the library on the same day every week. One hour reading and some kanji— perhaps today he had been a few minutes tardier than most days (he wasn't all that punctual to start), arriving with quickened steps into the building and gliding awkwardly to the table that awaited him, notebook in hand. ]

H-hey, sorry I'm late, Miss Riye, the farm's pretty busy lately— [ He clatters a chair, takes a seat— and with a quiet oh, he reaches behind him to drag his bag sideways, fish through it and—

Teacher gets a jar of strawberry jam, placed right by her. Fresh from the farm. ]

[Going back to a routine was easy come, easy go. After coming back from the woods, she didn't have much time to recover before everyone decided that switching bodies was a good old fun time.

When that whole annoyance was over, she groaned and sighed, like usual. Then she went right to it. That meant going to her regular appointments and following through with them.

So Riye made sure she set up the books on literature and Kanji, her notebooks and books. Why did she do this again? Was it because she gave enough of a crap about a genuinely nice guy? Maybe. As much as she knew she wanted to do it because he was eager to learn and was actually nice to her, it was still extra work she placed on herself when she could be resting and sleeping. But, hey, so far she hadn't regretted it. He may not be all that bright, but he really tried hard. All of the time. She wasn't SOOOOOO judgmental (anymore) that she would be blind to honest effort thrown at her face.]

Considering, I might actually believe you.

[Her head was pointed to the table, somewhat struggling to move her neck from the pain (thanks Raven). So when she saw the nice gesture of a jar of lovely jam, she took a look at it and reached on over to pick it up.

Aw...

Mhm.

That would be when she would look at her "student", and her eyes raised at the purple and yellow on his face.]

Um, I hope you have the concentration today.

[ Setting his notebook in front of him, Ethan adjusts his seating, finally meeting her eyes as she takes the jam. The farmers have so many, and sometimes they need the extra coins for themselves, their better form of pay being the product of their labor. The strawberries were coming by the dozen this season, and soon enough the pears would be ripe as well, not to mention all the vegetables. But fruits were usually the stars of their sales, and Ethan would get more than enough of a share when coins weren't plentiful (he didn't mind it one bit, but he had so much fruits and jam by now it would be a waste to have it spoil).

He doesn't associate the question with the punch mark noted on his face, trying to smile and shrugging his shoulders. He did pull a lot of genuine "I don't get it"s and "what's this word again"? There's some progress, but some. Ethan didn't learn so quickly by the books. ]

Promise I'll try and get as much as I can. [ Which was perhaps lodged at 30%. He points to the jar. ] That's from the farm! They're overloading with strawberries— that one's really good, It's Mr. Oyu's family receipt.

[ He meant recipe, but. ]

[That was why Riye was here, and so far...it was slow, but Ethan was working genuinely hard. That isn't something she can turn down. She was a teacher before, and she taught a group of empty faces Shakespeare. She could teach a guy who seemed to initially care as opposed to growing to care. She really appreciated the spirit, even in her own way.

Expect her teachings to be fair. Riye was sure to give Ethan the floor to see how he understood things or not, before redirecting if the later were true. If he was dead wrong, then she was actually patient if he was willing to correct himself.

Considering she got a lovely jar of jam, it was actually a sweet enough gesture. There was a tiny curve of the mouth before getting right to it.]

This teacher may accept this bribe, but it's "recipe". Butter up harder.

[She opened her book, deciding she wanted to question just a little further.]

But really, and I mean this as well as I could, you look like you fell face first on pavement.

[ Oh.

Don't mind his ears going red at that— luckily, he can keep his own face from overheating, smile going meek and lopsided. Man, she was merciless with that snark. His lips mouth the correction, recipe, as palms rub together and shoulders raise. He was going to say something, but—

His face on pavement. Right. That smile takes a hike down frown lane, wrinkling his nose at some of the tenderness still there— he couldn't even brush his fingers over it without feeling the tiny screams of wounded tissue. ]

Yeah. The pavement was my asshole roommate. And he fell on me. [ Thick brows scrunch in clear annoyance, resting his chin to the table with a light huff. ] Asshole . . . Know someone named Mallory?

[There was a noticeable emotion change on her face. She made a bit of a frown, and a curve of her eyebrows. The change in Ethan was enough to already be shocking, then it was her turn.

This was alarming.]

Mal? You got into a fight with Mal?

[ Some flags raise when she uses "Mal" instead of either the full name or not even knowing the name to begin with. His head raises, surprise setting there and brows lifting, all until they slant with question.

—Don't tell him Mallory actually had friends. With that attitude? ]

You . . . Know him. Right?

[ As if to say: You know the man baby we're dealing with, right? ]

Yeah.

[She went right to the point with it. To make it an effort to keep moving on, she was going to rummage through her notes like she was still making headway into the, so imposed, "lesson". Also as if to hide just the wide amounts of concern for the situation.

She knew inside her heart as well as her brain, and neither could really find the logic in justifying getting into the middle of a scuffle between her student and one of her closest allies she met on the island. So, she decided this WAS upsetting to see, but after all she had learned...?

Well.]

He's a friend.

[ "Friend".

Friend.

Friend. You can bet ten thousand things are going through Ethan's head at once. Friend. Friend? Mallory is friends with Miss Riye? ]

. . . Like, friend, friend? Him? I— [ Suddenly, he shakes his head. He just openly called her "friend" an asshole. ] I mean, I— He's just . . . [ And his shoulders droop, completely. Peony said they were friends too, and he's pretty into Luna . . . Or was it Luna that was into Peony? Or Mallory?

God, not that again. Who is boyfriend will never be discovered, and that wasn't even the point. ]

S—sorry, Miss Riye.

[ It doesn't change his opinion much right now, but— he doesn't want to be the asshole, either. ]

[Friend. Amigo. Companion. Brosis. In fifty other languages and skins could that word be processed and it would be the same thing.

Was it that much of a shock? Maybe it was. After all, why would a small, sarcastic, and nerdy chick be friends with an aggressive ex-boxer? Both outcasts and having small circles, and react with passive or actual aggression...alienating them from others.

In other words, plenty of reasons? Riye would have been waiting for a "bad friend" remark to come immediately, which would earn a scoff but one with an air of little surprise. After all, she was always the social outcast who judged others who would probably judge her just as fast.

That wasn't the remark that came from Ethan. There was that shock, sure. But there was also some kind of respect in there to follow up with.

It caused her to really think, yet keep her feet still planted.]

Relax, Ethan. I'm not going to crucify you.

[See? She was still writing stuff down in her notebook.]

It doesn't really matter how you two fought, or what it was even about. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for anyone either.

[ Did his shoulders visibly relax there? Yes, yes they did. You don't know how much he wants to go off on him, say this and that like he already did (an asshole, what kind of asshole wants to kill someone over ~~accidental blackmail~~ ~~walking in on gay cuddling~~ strawberries?).

And in the way she says it, Ethan decides with a tight swallow: he's not going to make excuses here, either. With a nod, he goes quiet, hands on his lap and fingers scratching at the fabric of his pants.

So, ever so quietly, with indoor library voices and a touch of surprised curiosity: ]

He's . . . Cool, with you?

[Daria turned to look at Ethan once more, doing her hardest to read his body language. He grew more nervous and silent. Asking her such a question in a hushed whisper almost.

She was honestly wondering if she was shocked to hear such a question as she heard it. A big guy who looked like a thug, and a small frail young bookish woman. She didn't care if it turned some heads, but having it asked now didn't make her more of less prepared for such a question. Riye had standards.]

If he wasn't, we wouldn't be friends. Trust me on that.

[Her brain nagged at her some more, taking his question into consideration one more time. Ethan wasn't the type for cold hard interrogation, not to her anyway. He was the kind of guy that asked that out of...either curiosity or concern. She might as well tackle one of the two for now. Class seemed to halt for a minute.]

You're not worried, are you?

[ She hit the hammer square on the nail with that one— killing two birds with a single stone, both of her assumptions are correct. Concerned he was, for he had met a side these friends have not. Equally, that's what got him curious. He had to be pretty hated, didn't he? And even if he had walked in on him and Luna, why would he even care that much? It wasn't as if Ethan would go around telling the world. He didn't even care— eventually, that all turned into more and more assholery to the lovely snowball effect.

Ethan's shoulder tempt to give a shrug, inhaling, only to exhale fruitlessly with a slump. He couldn't help it. He couldn't lie, and for some reason . . . The demi human feels guilty of the act, features already showing it cleanly, no matter how much he ducked his head. ]

A little bit . . . Sorry. It looks like I'm doubting you, Miss Riye.

[ Its not you, it's him!! ]

[Riye was looking right at him. Of course, right? A guy that told her he did some many things he wasn't proud of and Daria took the bullet based on that. What mattered was the guy who threatened to mutilate ghosts for purposely breaking her glasses. For convincing her she wasn't alone anymore. Someone who had a bad reputation, and didn't give a shit about it.]

Ethan, I'll be fine. I put a lot of thought into what I decided to do going forward and despite any reputation he has, he's been a good friend to me. No one has to be responsible for any of it but myself.

[She grabbed another book. She knew how blunt she was. Riye never really cared about that, but maybe she should care a bit if it was a student she liked.]

Regardless, I'm not saying whatever fight you had should have gotten physical. I really just don't feel comfortable defending or condemning people in a scuffle I wasn't in. So...I am sorry it happened.

Edited 2017-04-25 17:57 (UTC)

S'alright. One thing just sort of . . . Pulled the other.

[ Nothing justified the bullying, and maybe as Eiji had said it, he could've . . . Kept his head down. At that point, what self worth he had didn't allow it, and look where that led them. One asshole comment leading to another, leading to a punch, leading to a scream. ]

Eiji said it didn't have to be put back in place, so— just gotta wait it out now.

[ . . . On both fronts. ]

—I shouldn't be talking about other people, anyway.

[ Even if they were the epitome of asshole to him, there were other opinions. He's had this lesson before, and once he's reminded of it, it stung some. He shouldn't be talking when he doesn't even know them like most do. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time, consistently. ]

Ice for swelling, ibuprofen at the clinic for both pain and swelling.

[Medically, at least she could truly pinpoint on what to do then. Although, with that last moral remark...maybe there can be one thing.]

I'm not one for gossip, it's petty and superficial. All it does is cause problems where you don't need more of. You had no clue. You had a fight. Now you know.

No point in harping on what you already did.

Edited 2017-04-27 02:09 (UTC)

Y— yeah.

[ Actually— now there is something bothering him. A small worry that stems back from the place he would call home, even though it felt very little like a home and more like a war zone ready to test some bombs.

At least to Mallory, he definitely didn't come off as someone completely normal anymore. ]

He didn't, uh— say anything about it, did he?

[ Not too bold, yet not too superficial either. It's more a worry than anything else, and maybe his shoulders would relax a little more if it came up as a blank. ]

No.

[She was rather quick with that response too, as if beating around the bush with it was something she didn't want to do.

Why was he worried about THIS now? Gossip? Or maybe Mal had said anything to sway her with?]

I never saw him as the type to directly involve people in his problems, at least, not easily.

[ His shoulders ease down with a sigh. And, looks like it's the truth, no one's been treating him differently, as far as he could see. He's glad! Ethan nods, soon shaking his head as his eyes dart around, clearing his throat. ]

R-right, yeah. Sorry for— bringing it up. [ Even though she had been the one to ask in the first place— they were just caught in a string of bad luck and wrong person at the wrong place at the wrong time. ] I still gotta . . . Talk to him sometime, anyway.

Stop apologizing.

[...

What was Ethan trying to gain with talking her about this in particular? Just about when she asked that question to herself, it came to her. He probably is really trying to resolve this thing, or at least put it to rest. After a fight that leads to an injury on Ethan like that, it was probably nerve wracking to the extreme.

She won't concede and get in the middle, but she could...maybe sway the situation to be better? Who even knew, it wasn't her place.]

You should, definitely. If you're both mad and/or hurt, sure. Being roommates doesn't make it any easier either but-

...Look, Mal isn't just about his fists and what he does with them. As crazy as that may seem, I stick to that opinion pretty strongly. It's not in the realm of impossibility to talk to him.

Sor— . . .

[ Zip. Just a nod. No apologies.

But that had been most of the case. That, and a second opinion mattered a ton when he's heard it twice. From two different people. Two different people who wouldn't lie, as far as he could see it. He listens, considers, rolls his shoulder a brows slant forward. ]

I haven't really been in that room since it happened, so . . . [ He shrugs, not particularly happy to be living the hobo life, especially when he finally realizes that, well, Mallory had wanted him to leave in the first place. He got what he wanted. He's good at avoiding the government for years, avoiding one person was a breeze. ]

. . . But I believe you, Miss Riye. You and Miss Peony. [ I'll talk to him. Eventually. ] Thanks.

[Riye's heart may seem cold to a lot of people, as it was hard to get her to open up and say so much truly heartfelt. Any hostility or walls were set down when there was just a little bit of trust.

Daria was no liar, at all. She was always completely honest.

So Ethan being so heartfelt with her kind of kept tugging at that heart bit and bit. Ethan spoke to Peony too, and she knew that she would give a similar answer. Mainly because she was such great friends with him for years.]

Listen.

[She considered her words for a bit.]

You're a pretty nice person, I know you want things to be right again. As long as it's what you really want, no matter what anyone else says.

[ "Listen" makes him turn in his seat to give her complete attention, leaning over with a nod. He's listening, and—

For one, she was really, really cool. So cool? So cool. And secondly—she said the thing. He was a nice person, making his lips part slightly as he stared, reddening ears a sign of how he took it. Luckily, the color keeps to the tips of his ears and spreads no where else. Riye had given him one very easy thing to make him go for it, go for anything: just a little bit of encouragement and he felt he could floor it. ]

I do! And— if you guys are saying that about him, it's . . . Gotta be true somewhere. [ He looks!!!! Invigorated!!! He probably has to explain his weird screaming to Mallory eventually too, but! ] I think it's 'cause we already got off on the wrong track. But I'll talk! And let you know!

[Should she be happy for this? Hopeful? She didn't quite know. All she knew is that she didn't like her best Koriko friend and her "student" fighting so bad like that.

But, if he was serious, then that was what she had to place her faith in. So she just cocked her head and gave him a very serious nod and a "hm". For a few seconds, and then she realized she had to say SOMETHING.]

For now, at least, you can let me know what kind of progress you made on your grammar.

[ —Oh! He almost forgot! ]

Yes ma'am!

[ He flips his notebook to the most recently used pages, and slides it over to the little kanji review he did. One of the smaller exercises, but pretty useful in pinpointing his weak spots.

It's lacking and poor, misspelled in a ton of places, but. There's this tiny litttle thing called progress visible if you squint. ]

That's what I did last night. What're we doing today?

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standingonmyneck - 2017-05-04 00:09 (UTC) - Expand

FOREST COVERED: IC CONTACT

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;u;

:)

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i'm dying

DONT die

Too late

goodbye, now I too must leave this world

bye

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