Week One: Tuesday When: Later Afternoon Where: Outside hedge garden Who: Jasper and Kissy
Rain made most students at Halcyon go racing inside to hide from it; at least it did for those that weren’t water lovers. Jasper happened to be in that gray area. He wasn’t a water creature but he didn’t mind the rain or the cold that much. He found it relaxing actually, that steady patter of the rain hitting the ground over and over again. It didn’t always make for ideal reading conditions when he was outside but Jasper always found a way. Today that way was pretty obvious, being that he was sitting on a bench in one of the schools gardens that had a roof like covering. Normally his method of choice was finding a large tree to shield himself by, that would probably happen later. For right now he was almost done with his book so he didn’t wander too far out if he was just going to have to come all the way back to go find himself another book.
The day so far had been as it always seemed to be for Jasper. He went to his classes, sitting far into the back as to be out of sight and out of mind. He listened to the teachers speak as he read ahead in the books and finished assignments not even really assigned yet. Classes never went quite fast enough for Jasper, none really challenged him in the way he wanted to be. But he never complained and he still went despite the fact that he had all the course information memorized. Most of his teachers knew how Jasper was though and never approached him for reading other books in class or seemingly not doing the same work as everyone else. Some even tried to give him more work and advanced readings but Jasper still breezed through it all.
That was why he was so often found as he was right now. Sitting somewhere with a pile of books next to him, most of which were in varied states of being finished. One book was rarely enough and he liked the variety of being able to learn more on one topic one day and another the next. It never stopped him from speeding through them though, that was why he only had the one book left that he was currently absorbed in despite the fact that his backpack was loaded down with books that probably weighed more then he did.
A cigarette was perched at his lips as was so common with Jasper. His pack was tucked into his pocket; the lighter was in his hand idly being rolled back and forth in his hand as he read. He wasn’t exactly the sort that could be called fidgety but that slightly nervous energy tended to need an outlet and constantly having something to move around like the lighter or cigarette helped with that. He got crap for it from people at times, but he never seemed to let it phase him. He knew why people didn’t like it, but he knew why he smoked too. They didn’t have to see eye to eye on the topic and he never argued it. He knew it was pointless. Plus he simply didn’t like to argue.
He was absorbed in the book but not so much that he didn’t notice sounds or movements around him that seemed to counter the faint tranquility of the rain falling. Steps made him glance up briefly, his free hand falling to the book to mark the sentence he’d left off on. He didn’t expect to see anyone he knew, most of the time it was just a grounds keeper passing by or students in a rush to get somewhere and avoid as much of the rain as they could.
When he did recognize the person though he offered up a light smile.