Tensor

The school wasn’t very hard to find. There were numerous signs posted once she got within about thirty miles, and she had the distinct feeling that the school was just about the only thing that the area had going for it. She’d pulled into the lot outside of the administration building, and within an hour she was set up with her room and a basic welcome packet. She’d even run into one of the professors she’d been sending emails to, and he’d been kind enough to give her a day’s extension on one of her assignments so she could move in without having to worry about writing a ten page paper the same day. How thoughtful.

She followed the signs to the student lot, stopping to watch a group of what looked like middle schoolers bounce across the road in their matching uniforms. That was one of the downsides of her decision - she was right back in a uniform again. She’d thought that she’d left that behind in Chicago, but there she was, trading in the option to go to school in her pajamas for another school uniform. Once the kids passed, she continued on until she reached the lot she’d been directed to. There were a few open spots, and she pulled into one, glancing around for any sign that the spots were assigned... not that it mattered. She could play new kid for a little while and get away with parking in other peoples’ spots. It was one of the perks. She slid out of the car and closed the door, heading around to grab her bag and spotting a blonde girl coming out of a nearby car.

“Hey,” she nodded, raising a hand in greeting. “Any idea where Castle Hall is?”

Backdated to yesterday night.

Jono: It had been a long time in coming, but Jono was finally getting to show off Priscilla to Kevin. He'd been peripherally aware of things going on between Kevin and Josh, and part of why Julian was so bloody moody was them too, though Jono could only sense that they were somehow connected but not why. It made him all the more skittish around his roommate. But tonight was all about Kevin, and Miss Priss.

Before going out to meet him, Jono carefully brushed his rabbit, made sure her nails were clipped, and that she had recently gone to the litterbox. Velcroing on her harness, he gave her a pet between her ears and walked her past Julian's side of the room, down the hall to the common area. He brought her up to sniff the sofa cushions and bustle about, handing her one of her favorite toys, a ball made of metal wire filled with hay. She sniffed and nosed the ball about, picking out hay strands and chewing them busily. When Jono heard footsteps and felt the right presence he turned, eyes crinkling in what passed for a smile. *Kevin! Alright!

Kevin: Kevin smiled broadly at Jono's greeting. Things were still weird and he was still nervous as hell about what was going to happen, but the last couple of weeks had actually gone back to something as close to normal as he and Josh had ever experienced. Enough that he was making some effort to reconnect with the few other friends he'd made since transferring, and Jono was close to the top of that list. He felt bad about how little mind he'd paid to the younger boy for months now. "Hey Jono."

He slowed down a bit, looking cautiously for Jono's bunny and moving to keep Jono mostly between them once he spotted her at the end of her leash. Which was kind of adorable.

"Okay, the leash? Is really freaking cute," he told Jono. Though he was still more than a little nervous of her. He had no idea how hyper she might be or how high bunnies might hop or... anything, really. And he so didn't want to off the kid's pet.

Jono: Jono relaxed a little when Kevin smiled back. It seemed like a real, genuine smile, though Jono could sense some nervousness, which was probably due to Priscilla. But! *I can 'old 'er 'arness close, like.* And he demonstrated by holding the leash where it met the harness, so he had complete control over where she went.

*See? So she en't gonna be jumpin' up in yeh face. But she's a good gel, not too jumpy. Tis early. She won't get worked up till la'er.* Nodding toward the cleaned out sandwich meat container, he added, *Like t' feed 'er some veg?* With the hand not holding onto his buddy, he stroked her head. Priscilla was always for headpetting and squeezed her eyes shut in bliss. Looking back up, he said, worry in his mindvoice, *Yeh been... okay, Kevin? I bin worrit 'bout yeh.*

Josh was kind of weirdly edgy and standoffish every time Kevin saw him. They didn't have breakfast together - or Kevin didn't sit with Josh for his breakfast, since he didn't eat - like they'd gotten back into the habit of before spring break. Kevin didn't see him at lunch either, and he was starting to get pretty damned nervous about what was causing it, especially since he knew Josh had spoken to Julian right after he'd gotten back from Nepal and that he was still waiting for an answer. So he used the last few minutes of lunch break to log onto the journal network, intending to leave Josh a message, ask if they were still on for getting together after classes to hang out and do homework...and saw Josh's post.

Kevin dug out his earbuds and listened to it four times through before the end of lunch bell rang, and another three times before he was shooed out of his seat in a quiet corner of the library by a librarian and dashed off to class, chest aching. Even if he'd had time to replay at that point he didn't think he would have. He didn't want to talk to Josh about this online, he wanted to be able to see him and touch him, and he was jittery for the rest of the day as he waited for a chance to hunt him down and talk to him.

Which didn't come until after both classes and his mandatory daily training session were over. Kevin didn't bother changing after training, just made sure the ash was all wiped from his hands and almost bolted for Josh's room. Josh should be there by now, and Mark should be out and about. He knocked on the door, quick and soft, but didn't bother waiting for an answer before letting himself in.

"I saw it," he told Josh quietly as he pushed the door closed behind him. "But not until just at the end of lunch. I listened to it over and over until they chased me out of the library to classes. I...jesus, Josh, I miss you talking to me with your music."