[ his face falls, and he deflates somewhat, clasping his hands at his chest... he looks very delicately forlorn, though he wouldn't at all be happy to realize that came naturally. ]
My dormmates have been supportive. Maybe too supportive sometimes. And I explained it to Jack ahead of time so he wouldn't be surprised... so there's that, but...
It's been at least as tough as any spelldrive practice!! People just keep looking! I know some of them are laughing... every time I smile back trying to be all sweet and adorable, I imagine I'm stabbing them... you know, with cuteness? But it'd be a whole lot easier to do it with my fruit knife! ...anyway, most of them look away after that... and they look kind of embarrassed, so I can't help feeling embarrassed... A, am pure scunnered wae it!!
[ he bites his tongue. yeah, what epel's doing right now... it tugs at his heartstrings? it's grating in the worst way: genuinely causing leona a little bit of sympathy pains as well as grief. if epel could somehow stab someone with cuteness, then that would be like. that'd be the play.
but also? that's not how they do things around here! magic first. then if that doesn't work? physical beatdowns. right. ]
Think 'bout it like this. You're putting 'em in check. That's a pretty powerful position to be in.
[ he snakes an arm around epel's shoulders. ]
When you do that, you're makin' someone else move around you. You're forcin' their hand. So you should be proud of havin' that kind of power without liftin' a finger.
Heheh, that's a nice way to think about it! [ he reacts to leona's touch like a particularly friendly and affectionate rabbit, instantly leaning in and even impulsively grabbing a couple of the fingers on the hand draped over him. (it's holding-hands-adjacent, but it's not holding hands.... because that would be kinda gay...) ]
Maybe it'd be easier if I didn't try to do all that stuff, though, and just got mad at 'em... though I'd feel a little bad if I ruined the outfit Deuce's mom gave me because I was fighting.
[ yeah, they can't hold hands! otherwise the entire world school would know there's something going on, and there's absolutely nothing happening between epel and leona. just because they're in the same club doesn't mean anything else. definitely not.
he does flex those fingers, wiggling them in epel's hand. ]
There's a lot someone can do without needin' to go into physicality. You're a Pomefiore, aren't ya? Not all poisons are fast actin'.
[ protectively, leona glowers at every passerby as they move to the lab. ]
Let's hide out for a little. Get some privacy away from all those idiots in the halls.
That's a nice way to think about it, too! I've run into some Savanaclaws with a pretty low opinion of our dorm, so I'm really happy to know you don't feel that way.
[ epel would normally resent the idea that he needs protection, but being dressed up like a bunny makes him feel significantly more vulnerable than usual, and also, since it's leona doing it, it would always have been exciting instead of annoying!
moreover, since he really only has eyes for leona, he barely notices the passersby to begin with. ]
Hide out? I'm happy to, but... weren't we going to Savanaclaw?
They're the ones that'll take a bite out of somethin' and not understand they're gonna need an antidote right away.
[ which he won't stand for. as much as he doesn't want to think of anyone as expendable, sometimes examples have to be made. a few eggs need to be cracked in order to bake a cake. a nice apple-flavored cake. ]
Yeah. We're still goin', but I also wanna take a moment and grab somethin' from the classroom that I left behind a day ago.
[ he offers epel an easy grin. he's not plotting anything. ]
Just hang and keep an eye out. Promise it won't take me more than a minute.
[ wow what a laser-targeted thing to say... epel's pre-seduction level reaches previously unheard-of heights and his eyes turn into hearts ]
Yeah... yeah!
[ epel settles in to keep a lookout, but it's hard to focus on it when he's so thoroughly enveloped in a haze of leona adoration. mentally he is doodling hearts around the name 'epel kingscholar.' ]
[ hey, he knows what buttons to press to get those kinds of reactions! it's just not how he usually operates. when is leona kingscholar a people pleaser? never. but when he wants to be charming, he can do it with very little effort.
anyway. leona gathers up a few of his working experiments, shoving them into a bag before coming up to epel from behind and just...
[ a cute sound that isn't accompanied by leona getting coldcocked by the first year... would've made a pretty good story for one of them if it did happen, but leona's jaw is happy for it. ]
Mm, of course I did.
[ he might look strikingly handsome, but there's no avoiding some amount of ridicule. ]
And I told 'em that I was matchin' with ya specifically. Don't think anyone would be stupid enough to challenge me.
[ anyway. with stuff in tow: ]
Good to go back to Savanaclaw dorm, if you're ready.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ his face falls, and he deflates somewhat, clasping his hands at his chest... he looks very delicately forlorn, though he wouldn't at all be happy to realize that came naturally. ]
My dormmates have been supportive. Maybe too supportive sometimes. And I explained it to Jack ahead of time so he wouldn't be surprised... so there's that, but...
It's been at least as tough as any spelldrive practice!! People just keep looking! I know some of them are laughing... every time I smile back trying to be all sweet and adorable, I imagine I'm stabbing them... you know, with cuteness? But it'd be a whole lot easier to do it with my fruit knife! ...anyway, most of them look away after that... and they look kind of embarrassed, so I can't help feeling embarrassed... A, am pure scunnered wae it!!
no subject
but also? that's not how they do things around here! magic first. then if that doesn't work? physical beatdowns. right. ]
Think 'bout it like this. You're putting 'em in check. That's a pretty powerful position to be in.
[ he snakes an arm around epel's shoulders. ]
When you do that, you're makin' someone else move around you. You're forcin' their hand. So you should be proud of havin' that kind of power without liftin' a finger.
[ it's all chess to him, baby ]
no subject
Maybe it'd be easier if I didn't try to do all that stuff, though, and just got mad at 'em... though I'd feel a little bad if I ruined the outfit Deuce's mom gave me because I was fighting.
no subject
worldschool would know there's something going on, and there's absolutely nothing happening between epel and leona. just because they're in the same club doesn't mean anything else. definitely not.he does flex those fingers, wiggling them in epel's hand. ]
There's a lot someone can do without needin' to go into physicality. You're a Pomefiore, aren't ya? Not all poisons are fast actin'.
[ protectively, leona glowers at every passerby as they move to the lab. ]
Let's hide out for a little. Get some privacy away from all those idiots in the halls.
no subject
[ epel would normally resent the idea that he needs protection, but being dressed up like a bunny makes him feel significantly more vulnerable than usual, and also, since it's leona doing it, it would always have been exciting instead of annoying!
moreover, since he really only has eyes for leona, he barely notices the passersby to begin with. ]
Hide out? I'm happy to, but... weren't we going to Savanaclaw?
no subject
[ which he won't stand for. as much as he doesn't want to think of anyone as expendable, sometimes examples have to be made. a few eggs need to be cracked in order to bake a cake. a nice apple-flavored cake. ]
Yeah. We're still goin', but I also wanna take a moment and grab somethin' from the classroom that I left behind a day ago.
[ he offers epel an easy grin. he's not plotting anything. ]
Just hang and keep an eye out. Promise it won't take me more than a minute.
no subject
Yeah... yeah!
[ epel settles in to keep a lookout, but it's hard to focus on it when he's so thoroughly enveloped in a haze of leona adoration. mentally he is doodling hearts around the name 'epel kingscholar.' ]
no subject
anyway. leona gathers up a few of his working experiments, shoving them into a bag before coming up to epel from behind and just...
giving his butt a pinch. ]
You still there? Cat got yer tongue?
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Oh, I was just... letting my mind wander! Eheh.
—So, I guess I didn't ask...
Did you get any weird responses today?
no subject
Mm, of course I did.
[ he might look strikingly handsome, but there's no avoiding some amount of ridicule. ]
And I told 'em that I was matchin' with ya specifically. Don't think anyone would be stupid enough to challenge me.
[ anyway. with stuff in tow: ]
Good to go back to Savanaclaw dorm, if you're ready.