Earl K. Long Library

[More than Music]

OOC: Sorry for making you wait so long! D:


Raiu Wahei

"Hi."

"Um, hi," she said, a little nervously. "That's me, isn't it?" Cassie pointed at the drawing. Raiu looked at it, then stared blankly at her. She shook her head. "Sorry, stupid question. You're really good."

He smiled a little. "It's not a stupid question," he said, softly. "I need to get better. Your face is a little hard to capture on paper."

She laughed a little, looking confused. "Um...was that a compliment?"

Raiu nodded. "I'm not as good as you think. Don't you draw or paint or something?" She nodded, so he went on. "Can't remember where I know you from, but I definitely know you. You're Cassie Wright. Your sister is Shelby."

"How do you know my name?"

'Woah, stingy. Calm down.'

"I know you dated Clarence... he's my cousin."

"Oh."

Instead of commenting on her obviously darkened expression, Raiu put his chin in his palm, supporting his arm on the table. "But I don't know where I met you. Maybe you remember me?" He held out his other hand for her to shake, which she did, though carefully.

'You have a bad grip. People'll notice that.'

"Raiu Wahei."

"Raiu Wahei..." She looked deep in thought.

'Don't hurt yourself.'

"It does sound familiar. It's not really a name you can forget easily, no offense...were we in an art class together or something? I'm sorry, but I really can't remember...I know it was a few years ago though."

He nodded, tilting his head a little. "Couldn't have been years ago. I'm pretty new here." He thought for a moment. "I almost applied to a college around here. Do you attend? I might've ran into you at campus or something. I know I learned a bit of you from Clarence, but I'm sure I've seen you before." He paused. "No, because I know your sister." Raiu pouted. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'll remember eventually."

Sitting upright, he felt his face go blank again. "I bet you're mad because I mentioned Clarence. Everyone gets mad when I mention Clarence." He leaned forwards. "Right?"

[The Phantom of Paris]

OOC: Ditto on the taking so long to reply thing. Also, I'm assuming that this takes place in August, when we started the interaction, as opposed to now...but if you want the timeline changed at all, let me know, and I shall edit. Makes no difference to me. BIC:

Cassandra "Cassie" Wright

Although he seemed polite enough, Cassie couldn't help but be a little wary of this stranger that sat in front of her. The whole drawing incident wasn't bad--after all, how many times had she been caught sketching total strangers before?--but the fact that he knew not only her first and last name, but her sister's name as well, seemed slightly suspicious to Cassie. Do I have a stalker or something? Not quite sure how I feel about it. Not that I haven't had stalker-people before...that kid in middle school was obsessed with me, and Kagayaki has some borderline-stalker tendencies that should probably be looked at...but this is different. He knows way more about me than he should, and that freaks me out just a bit.

Some of the mystery was revealed, however, when the kid said that his cousin was Clarence Morgan. Some of Cassie's suspicion lifted, but she found herself putting her guard up around this stranger. He knew Clarence well, so his opinion of her was probably skewed by things that Clarence had told him--he'd only gotten Clarence's point of view about their relationship and subsequent breakup. Fantastic. So he probably already hates me from all the lies Clarence told him about me.

The kid introduced himself as Raiu Wahei. He's Japanese too...but he's Clarence's cousin. So he's probably adopted or something, or Clarence's aunt married a Japanese guy. What am I, a magnet for Asian guys or something? It was an amusing thought, but Cassie was still wary as she let Raiu shake her hand. He seemed nervous, too, which was a small consolation. "Raiu Wahei..." she repeated, her pronunciation of the name almost identical to his. She'd kept up with her Japanese lessons after her breakup with Kagayaki, going once a week to see her tutor, more out of habit and a desire to master something so difficult than anything else. It gave her a small sense of accomplishment, even though she knew she'd probably never be able to speak it perfectly.

"It does sound familiar," Cassie told him. "It's not really a name you can forget easily, no offense...were we in an art class together or something? I'm sorry, but I really can't remember...I know it was a few years ago though."

"Couldn't have been years ago," Raiu corrected her. "I'm pretty new here."

Cassie blushed at that, looking down in embarrassment. "Must have been someone else, then," she said lamely.

"I almost applied to a college around here. Do you attend?"

"Yeah," Cassie replied. "Well, not officially yet, because classes haven't started yet. But I will. I'm a freshman."

"I might've ran into you at campus or something. I know I learned a bit of you from Clarence, but I'm sure I've seen you before." Raiu trailed off, apparently deep in thought. "No, because I know your sister. Well, it doesn't matter. I'll remember eventually."

"How do you know my sister?" Cassie asked, confused. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound weird, but she's pretty shy and didn't get out much for a while, so...I don't know where you could have known her."

"I bet you're mad because I mentioned Clarence," Raiu said, abruptly changing the subject. "Everyone gets mad when I mention Clarence. Right?"

Cassie stared at him in surprise. "Well, I don't know about that. I'm sure he has some people who can stand to be in his company." She tried to smile, but only managed an uncomfortable grimace. "I wouldn't say I'm mad, not really. It's just Clarence and I didn't exactly part on the best of terms, you know?" She looked down at her book. "What did he tell you about me, exactly?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Erin had always gotten the feeling in the past that Yukito hated helping her with school, that it was a dreaded chore. And maybe a little of her had always worried it would change what he thought about her... the little part of her that said he'd see she wasn't nearly bright enough to keep up with him. And the last times they'd tried, he'd gotten too frustrated with her. Of course, she had been drawing pictures in the margins instead of doing her work, but still...

She was really going to try, this time, though. Yukito had suggested the library, and Erin assumed it was because she couldn't goof off with him as freely in a library. So several cop-out distraction methods were eliminated. She wasn't sure whether to be grateful or not. And if she were honest, she was dreading another attempt at a tutoring session... but Yukito, of course, was right-- it was important. It was important to try, to let him try too.

The first table she saw became home for her schoolbag and books. Erin dropped herself into her chair and started pulling things from the bag. The easiest was the actual textbook, even though it looked like it had been through a nuclear bombing. Then a bit more digging and, "I thiiiiink I brought the planner-thing in here...." She'd been trying to remember to write down her assignments, but half the time the notebook she was using wasn't anywhere to be found, and the other half of the time she forgot, so it had gotten little use. "Um... maybe it's posted online..." she muttered after taking every other scrap of paper out of her bag. And there were a few scraps too many.

Then the proverbial lightbulb clicked on and Erin excitedly thrust her hand into her purse, retrieving the little planner. "Aha!" she shouted, then looked around to see who would fuss at her outburst. "Aha," she repeated softly, then giggled. "Sorry, sorry..." She flipped through the book until she found what she thought was the right spot. Aloud, she said, "I think this is it... Can we save math for last? I wanna do anything else first..."

After a few more seconds of glancing around for her notebook, Erin decide to just grab one of the many scrap papers, uncrumple it, and use it for her work. "Okay, ready, now what?"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

When some people were giddy and feeling a little proud of themselves, they usually walked around with knowing smirks on their faces, trying in vain not to rub in their momentary superiority. Yukito kept a passive face, but inwardly he was pleased that he had made some headway with Erin and the homework thing. She had to understand, finishing highschool was a big deal for him...he wanted them to follow their dreams for music, yes. He was sure she could make it once she applied herself. But she had to understand how much it meant to him...he didn't want her to be one of those artists that never finished high school. She had to finish what she started. He was sure the pride of having finished it would be monumental for her. It would also mean a lot, that she'd let him help with this, the book-work that she always had a wall up about. Sure, she'd joke about it, make fun of how 'nerdy' he was, but he knew it bothered her, them being so different.

Erin plopped her books unceremoniously down on one of the library tables, rifling through her bag. Yukito followed, carrying his laptop bag and setting it carefully on the table on the opposite corner from Erin as she dug out several battered looking school supplies.

"I thiiiiink I brought the planner-thing in here....Um... maybe it's posted online..." she muttered. Not wanting to start off the session with even a light-hearted reprimand about taking care of her things a bit better, Yukito focused instead on pulling out his own notebooks. Then, he pulled out his laptop (they would use it for references and he'd found a generator online for different types of math problems they could use for practice) and sat down just as Erin let out a little whoop, indicating she'd found her planner. He looked up at her shout, and she glanced around nervously.

"Aha," she repeated softly, then giggled. "Sorry, sorry..." Yukito rolled his eyes at her, a smile playing on his lips. He couldn't deny that the library had been chosen for studying partially because he hoped it would keep Erin from being too loud. She was less likely to run into friends from school at the UNO library, so less chance of socializing distracting her. And he hoped the lack of a TV, internet, cat, or kitchen would help her stay focused. Either that or it would make her spontaneously implode.

“Find it?” he queried in a low voice, leaning forward while Erin flipped through her planner.

"I think this is it... Can we save math for last? I wanna do anything else first..."

Yukito's mouth tilted to the side, unsure if that was the wisest choice. If she knocked out her worst subject first, they were more likely to have her eagerness to spurn her own, while studying was still a fresh task. If they put it off too long, she'd be frustrated and tired by the time they started it. But it was her homework, and her choice.. “If you want,” he said simply, keeping his tone neutral. He thought over the scores she'd mentioned were on her report card. Chemistry was the next lowest score after math at 66, but he was sure she'd immediately say that would be done at late as possible, too. Next up after that was American history with 69. “Maybe we'll start with history,”

Erin pulled out a scrap of notebook paper, flattened it somewhat, and looked up at him expectantly, "Okay, ready, now what?"

“Well, what are you studying in history right now?” he asked, automatically pulling out one of his empty notebooks and flipping to the first page while he lifted his pencil to the ready. “Just give me a general idea, whatever you can remember that stands out.” He didn't expect her to reel off certain dates or events, but if he knew what things in history she could remember, then maybe he could see some common thing in them that would help make it stick with her a little better. His mind wandered to flash cards, but those were so lame and boring. And he doubted even color-friendly Erin would think decorating them with stickers would make the repetition any better.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"I thiiiiink I brought the planner-thing in here....Um... maybe it's posted online..." Erin dug around a bit more in the depths of her bag as Yukito neatly set up his own things. The contrast was always there, but making it so obvious didn't feel so great, so she stuck her head farther into her digging until she hit pay dirt, letting out a victorious, "Aha!"

Yukito shot her a look, and Erin repeated herself in a softer tone. "Sorry, sorry..." Yukito rolled his eyes at her, but Erin's eyes soon started wandering the shelves, the ceiling, and anything but the school work. She'd never been in this library before. It was huge....

She felt Yukito's eyes on her and started flipping through to find wherever she'd written the assignments, if she'd remembered at all.

“Find it?”

Erin pursed her lips, flipping a few more pages, then halting. "I think this is it... Can we save math for last? I wanna do anything else first..."

Yukito seemed to pause, and Erin felt her face setting into a frown. If he was going to tell her what subject to do, like a teacher, like he could boss her around, they'd have some serious problems here. But he didn't. “If you want,” he said simply. The tension in Erin's muscles loosened. Yay! “Maybe we'll start with history.”

Erin pulled out a scrap of notebook paper, flattened it somewhat, and looked up at him expectantly. "Okay, ready, now what?"

“Well, what are you studying in history right now?”

He looked poised, ready to go, like at a business meeting or something. The uncomfortable feeling lurched in her stomach, and Erin automatically shrugged. "I dunno, something with dead people probably." Even though she knew good and well more than that. It was automatic. She sent an apologetic glance to Yukito. That wasn't trying, stupid... "I know more than that, really..."

“Just give me a general idea, whatever you can remember that stands out.”

Nearly inexplicably, the simple request sent Erin squirming in her seat. Her fingers automatically fell to fiddling with the charms on her bracelet. She never took notes, and had lately been taking naps in the class since it was all lecture and so boring, but she heard enough just through passive hearing, not even listening, to make a decent score. She knew they'd been learning about the conflict in Vietnam, even that it was in its early stages in the 40s and 50s with France involved. So why did this request send her into the same mode of a kindergartner called to the principal's office? Because she didn't know what the conflict was about? Because it was school? Because it was Yukito? Because she would be dropping the facade? "Ehh... Vietnam, I guess.... with the president with the peace signs that no one liked?" More squirming as Erin gave a tight shrug, glancing around her as if something would help. "I guess.... at least I know we didn't win that one," she tacked on dumbly, sending a smile his way.

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

“Maybe we'll start with history.”

Erin pulled out a scrap of notebook paper, flattened it somewhat, and looked up at him expectantly. "Okay, ready, now what?"

“Well, what are you studying in history right now?”

Erin gave a shrug, avoiding his eyes and with a strange expression on her face. "I dunno, something with dead people probably." She sent him an apologetic look. "I know more than that, really..."

He nodded, believing that she did. Erin was smart, and he knew it. She just had this huge wall up about the whole thing, determined to not care so she didn't have to deal with failure. Somehow, they'd have to ease into this. “Just give me a general idea, whatever you can remember that stands out.”

Erin squirmed, something about just asking her to give what she could recall making her nervous. Come on, Erin. We just started. There's no wrong answer to this one, just tell me what you know, so I now what I've got to work with here. "Ehh... Vietnam, I guess.... with the president with the peace signs that no one liked?" Yukito arching an eyebrow at the summary.

“Peace sign?” His brain raced through several flags and symbols but he couldn't think of what she was referring to. Maybe I've forgotten...

Erin continued to squirm. "I guess.... at least I know we didn't win that one," she added with a smile, pulling him from his mental search.

“Okay, so who did win, and how did it start?” He figured staring at her would just make her more nervous, so he faced ahead and played with his pen, flipping it over repeatedly between his fingers.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Why was this already getting difficult? It wasn't even a hard question, it was just... school. And she was pretty sure that's what would show up on her obituary in the end. Erin Chloe Spenser Maki passed away this weekend do to school-related stress. She is succeeded by... "Ehh... Vietnam, I guess.... with the president with the peace signs that no one liked?"

Yukito just raised an eyebrow. She knew she was already playing around too much, probably.... he was going to get tired of it quickly.

“Peace sign?”

Erin nodded, briefly mocking Nixon's famous "V for Victory" hand signal. The started feeling that second-guessing kind of feeling, like there was a huge red arrow above her pointing down saying, DUMMY!
"I guess.... at least I know we didn't win that one," she added with a smile, trying to redirect him from hopefully too many thoughts on how much this was gonna suck.

“Okay, so who did win, and how did it start?” Yukito played with his pen, and suddenly Erin really wanted a pen to play with, too. She bent her head into her bag to search for something else to occupy her. Gum or a pen that clicked or something.

"No one won. It was the only stalemate we've been in," Erin said surely, but then looked up at him at the sight of no gum in her purse. "But, look, I don't know when it started, okay? It confused me at the beginning, 'cause my teacher's so boring and won't repeat anything and all he wants us to do is to take notes all the time, and I don't really have any notes... I don't like that class... I just remember the stuff I hear, and if I don't hear it...." She trailed off, shrugging. I'm really not good at this.... "Can you tell me? I like hearing you talk, so I'll listen better..."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

She demonstrated what she had been saying by giving him a peace sign with her index and middle fingers, looking pretty crestfallen since they had started working. It felt like they were speaking different languages, now, and the irony didn't pass Yukito unnoticed. "I guess.... at least I know we didn't win that one," she added with a smile

“Okay, so who did win, and how did it start?” Yukito played with his pen casually, trying to give her room to answer. He would wait patiently for her to figure out what she did and didn't know, and personally, he believed she knew more than she realized. Between her 'um's and 'I guess'es, there was uncertainty, not lack of knowledge. She dug in her bag to keep herself busy, further affirming that she was nervous. That's not stupidity. Gosh, Erin, if you could just trust yourself a bit more, this would be easier, not awkward..

He realized the irony of that statement, too.

"No one won. It was the only stalemate we've been in," Erin said, "But, look, I don't know when it started, okay? It confused me at the beginning, 'cause my teacher's so boring and won't repeat anything and all he wants us to do is to take notes all the time, and I don't really have any notes... I don't like that class... I just remember the stuff I hear, and if I don't hear it...." She trailed off, shrugging. "Can you tell me? I like hearing you talk, so I'll listen better..."

At first he was taken a little aback, a smile twitching at his lips from her statement. She was finding additional ways to distract them both, now. “Well, how about this? In the future, if you take whatever notes you can, then I can help read it aloud to you once you get home. If nothing else, then we have an idea of where I need to read to you...” he didn't give her time to agree or disagree before he pulled open his computer, using Google to look up an online retelling of the Vietnam war.

He began to read, trying to add a little extra inflection to his voice so it would be easier for Erin to pick out the general information - “The Second Indochina War, from nineteen fifty-four to nineteen seventy-five, grew out of the long conflict between France and Vietnam. In July nineteen fifty-four, after one hundred years of colonial rule, a defeated France was forced to leave Vietnam. Nationalist forces under the direction of General Vo Nguyen Giap trounced the allied French troops at the remote mountain outpost of Dien Bien Phu in the northwest corner of Vietnam. This decisive battle convinced the French that they could no longer maintain their Indochinese colonies and Paris quickly sued for peace. As the two sides came together in Geneva, Switzerland, international events were already shaping the future of Vietnam's modern revolution.” He sat back and looked over at Erin. “Now, see, here we could take some brief notes on the dates, so we can get a mental timeline of the events.”

Yukito took his notebook and wrote Dates at the top, then beneath he wrote -
'1954-1975: Second Indochina War. (1954: France forced from Vietnam.)

“Then on another page, you write some general events...” He wrote on the other side of the same paper,
“Vo Nguyen Giap – Nationalist general.” After a moment's thought, he took the empty space at the top of the sheet and scribbled two triangle 'mountain peaks', in the middle a little upright rectangle, labeling it as Dien Bien Phu and drawing a little triangle flag on it. In the top-right corner he scrawled 'NW'. “It's in the Northwest of Vietnam,” he explained, tapping the paper with the tip of his pencil. He looked up and sent her a smile, his eyes sparkling behind his bangs. “Whatever works, right? Just don't laugh at my little flag..”

OOC: Works cited: www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/history/index.html (LOL) BIC:

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Can you tell me?" Erin asked, already feeling the usual weariness and impatience building inside of her. It felt like he was quizzing her, and he'd be really disappointed with the answers.... If he wasn't already. "I like hearing you talk, so I'll listen better..."

“Well, how about this? In the future, if you take whatever notes you can, then I can help read it aloud to you once you get home. If nothing else, then we have an idea of where I need to read to you...”

Erin pursed her lips. She could take notes, yeah, but part of her didn't want to give up the habits she'd gotten into during high school of texting or doodling or making up music in her head instead of listening. But there was no real reason not to try... and it was really, really important to Yukito....

Quickly Yukito had pulled up some online textbook thing and started reading aloud, not waiting for a cue. “The Second Indochina War, from nineteen fifty-four to nineteen seventy-five, grew out of the long conflict between France and Vietnam. In July nineteen fifty-four, after one hundred years of colonial rule, a defeated France was forced to leave Vietnam. Nationalist forces under the direction of General Vo Nguyen Giap trounced the allied French troops at the remote mountain outpost of Dien Bien Phu in the northwest corner of Vietnam. This decisive battle convinced the French that they could no longer maintain their Indochinese colonies and Paris quickly sued for peace. As the two sides came together in Geneva, Switzerland, international events were already shaping the future of Vietnam's modern revolution.”

He sat back and looked over at Erin, who was looking back at him with a curious expression. Nothing was connecting, even though she'd listened. France got kicked out of Vietnam, but what did that have to do with a second Indochina war, and why weren't they calling it a Vietnam war?

Yukito just went right on, like it was nothing. “Now, see, here we could take some brief notes on the dates, so we can get a mental timeline of the events.” Yukito began to make said timeline. Erin looked at it, almost wary. "Am I gonna study that or something?" And how do I study that, anyway? Just look at it for a long time, or what?

“Then on another page, you write some general events...” He wrote on the other side of the same paper: “Vo Nguyen Giap – Nationalist general.”

"What's so special about being a Nationalist general, anyway?" Erin wondered aloud, peering over Yukito's hand as he penned a neat-looking outline before her. She dropped her head to rest on her hand, so that the curled fist was squishing her cheek. This felt like the same thing they did in school....

Suddenly Yukito moved to begin doodling in the corner, making two mountains of triangles and a giant platform between them. "What the crap is that, Yuyukun?" she asked, pointing at the lineart and trying not to laugh.

“It's in the Northwest of Vietnam,” he replied simply, tapping the image and smiling himself, so she knew it would be okay to laugh. “Whatever works, right? Just don't laugh at my little flag..”

"So that's.... a map? Yuyukun, I don't think Vietnam is made of two giant mountains with a stage in the middle, and that looks like Napal's flag, not Vietnam's." She smirked at him, letting the slight tease silently hang. "I thought you were my tutor."

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

He went right into his studying mode, not realizing he was going too fast for her, that she didn't absorb the same facts he was. She didn't protest, or knit her brow, so he continued. “Now, see, here we could take some brief notes on the dates, so we can get a mental timeline of the events.” He took hold of his notebook and started making the timeline, while Erin started to looking warily on.

"Am I gonna study that or something?”

He nodded, “It's mostly just to get it in the right order in your head later. Like...chapters in a book. Or songs on an album...” he wanted an analogy she could understand, could see on her own level. But he was always terrible at this...why couldn't he just find out her level on this one thing? He just had to continue, to keep trying. “Then on another page, you write some general events...” He wrote on the other side of the same paper: “Vo Nguyen Giap – Nationalist general.”

"What's so special about being a Nationalist general, anyway?" She queried, as he suddenly doodled on the edge of the paper. He opened his mouth to explain at least a brief summary of social, economic, and political parties, but she cut him off. "What the crap is that, Yuyukun?" she asked, pointing at his little visual aid.

“It's in the Northwest of Vietnam,” he replied simply. He could see the amusement on her face, and glancing back at his handiwork, he couldn't suppress a smile, himself. She laughed. “Whatever works, right? Just don't laugh at my little flag..”

"So that's.... a map? Yuyukun, I don't think Vietnam is made of two giant mountains with a stage in the middle, and that looks like Napal's flag, not Vietnam's." She smirked at him, letting the slight tease silently hang. "I thought you were my tutor."

He pouted, keeping the light-hearted playfulness in it for her. “It was supposed to just be Dien Bien Phu, the outpost..thing. And it's in the mountains.” More pouts, as he tapped the drawing more adamantly. Mimicking Erin's friend Chance, he rolled his eyes and said, “Honestly, gurl!”

Then he considered her words for a moment, looking over at her curiously, “How many flags do you know, anyway? You said it looks like Napal's flag.” He pushed the pencil and notebook toward her, “Show me,” then, sending her a teasing look he added, “Bet you can't do any better, anyways.”

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Am I gonna study that or something?” Erin questioned warily, eying the hastily-drawn page of notes.

Yukito nodded. Erin looked over at him dubiously. Really?

“It's mostly just to get it in the right order in your head later. Like...chapters in a book. Or songs on an album...”

Her brow furrowed. How did that compare to an album? It was all about sound, and keeping the listener engaged and... not about what happened first....

“Vo Nguyen Giap – Nationalist general,” Yukito said aloud. He didn't miss a beat, just kept truckin' along. It was kind of like being in class again. Erin bit her tongue so she wouldn't say so.

Instead, she looked at what he wrote, and commented, "What's so special about being a Nationalist general, anyway?" Another glance at the paper, and this time she hovered over it a bit, peering at Yukito's handiwork, or lack thereof. "What the crap is that, Yuyukun?"

“It's in the Northwest of Vietnam,” he explained easily, then looked at the picture again. She laughed, and he cracked a smile. “Whatever works, right? Just don't laugh at my little flag..”

"So that's.... a map? Yuyukun, I don't think Vietnam is made of two giant mountains with a stage in the middle, and that looks like Napal's flag, not Vietnam's." She snickered and added teasingly, "I thought you were my tutor."

“It was supposed to just be Dien Bien Phu, the outpost..thing," Yukito said, seemingly wounded. "And it's in the mountains.” Sudenly, Yukito assumed an over-the-top diva tone with, “Honestly, gurl!”

The totally out-of-character comment sent Erin into a louder-than-it-should-be fit of laughter that echoed off the high walls. And she couldn't care less if it disrupted any poor fellow poring over a textbook four tables over. At least she could laugh.

“How many flags do you know, anyway? You said it looks like Napal's flag.” He pushed the pencil and notebook toward her. Erin cocked an eyebrow, trying hard not to laugh again. “Show me. “Bet you can't do any better, anyways.”

Erin rolled her eyes. What was so impressive about a flag? "Napal's flag is a triangle, duh....It's the only one that's not a rectangle. They also don't have a WalMart...." Erin pouted, mentally distracted by the thought of an entire country with no WalMart. "A bunch are just boring ones, though," she blurted, pulling herself out of the daydream. "Like France's and Italy's and Ireland's.... they don't even get creative enough for the crests in the middle...." She shrugged. "I saw them at fairs and stuff. They're bright and colorful and everywhere, so you can't forget them anyway. What, is that next in the study-textbook-thing?" she joked, poking Yukito in his side. "Now who's getting distracted, Professor Poppycock?"

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"So that's.... a map? Yuyukun, I don't think Vietnam is made of two giant mountains with a stage in the middle, and that looks like Napal's flag, not Vietnam's." She snickered and added teasingly, "I thought you were my tutor."

“Well, I'm certainly not your art teacher..” He grumbled,
“It was supposed to just be Dien Bien Phu, the outpost..thing. And it's in the mountains.” He pouted at the drawing. A beat. Then he mimicked an overtly dramatic, “Honestly, gurl!”

Erin burst out into a loud fit of laughter, making several people glance over at them. Yukito leaned forward, grinning as he shushed her. “Honestly, Erin..” he chortled, finding it hard to contain his own laughter as he sat back, shaking his head. The silliest things could send her over the top, sometimes.

“How many flags do you know, anyway? You said it looks like Napal's flag.” He pushed the pencil and notebook toward her. Erin cocked an eyebrow, looking amused and confused. “Show me.” Then as a tease he added, “Bet you can't do any better, anyways.”

Erin rolled her eyes. "Napal's flag is a triangle, duh....It's the only one that's not a rectangle. They also don't have a WalMart...." Erin gave a pout, but Yukito's eyes sparkled. He leaned forward, leaning his chin in one hand as his elbow rested on his notebook, fighting an amused smile.

“Yeah?”

"A bunch are just boring ones, though," she said.

“Because who can beat a triangle, right? That's up there with those tennis shoes that have wheels on them.”

"Like France's and Italy's and Ireland's.... they don't even get creative enough for the crests in the middle...." She shrugged. Yukito nodded, adding a pensive, “I see...”

"I saw them at fairs and stuff. They're bright and colorful and everywhere, so you can't forget them anyway. What, is that next in the study-textbook-thing?" she joked, poking Yukito in his side. He was unable to hide his massive grin at this point, impressed by her flag-knowledge. "Now who's getting distracted, Professor Poppycock?"

“Professor Poppycock?” he queried, arching an eyebrow at her. “Heh..I was just intensely interested in your flag-ramble. It was very....” he mulled over the thought for a moment, trying to find the right word, before adding a flippant, “For a moment there, you sounded almost as nerdy as me.” He smirked at her, still leaning one cheek on his palm. “But seriously, I didn't know any of that. So it's only fair we swap the things we know, right?”

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"So that's.... a map? Yuyukun, I don't think Vietnam is made of two giant mountains with a stage in the middle, and that looks like Nepal's flag, not Vietnam's." She snickered and added teasingly, "I thought you were my tutor."

“Well, I'm certainly not your art teacher...” he grumbled, making Erin giggle a bit. “It was supposed to just be Dien Bien Phu, the outpost..thing. And it's in the mountains.” He pouted at the drawing. A beat. Then he mimicked an overtly dramatic, “Honestly, gurl!”

Immediately the joke made Erin bubble over in loud laughter. And the more Yukito tried to shush her the more she laughed. She looked up at his smile, close to her, and she beamed back. "My stomach hurts from laughing," she stated with a trail of leftover giggles.

“Honestly, Erin..” He shook his head, but she knew he was laughing, too. “How many flags do you know, anyway? You said it looks like Nepal's flag.” He pushed the pencil and notebook toward her. Erin cocked an eyebrow. Was it really that interesting to him? Really? “Show me.” Hm... I guess it is... weird. Okay. He added, “Bet you can't do any better, anyways.”

Erin rolled her eyes. "I have over twelve years' doodling experience, thank you very much. Unlike you, who actually takes notes and asks questions." She sighed and took the pencil from him. "Nepal's flag is a triangle, duh....It's the only one that's not a rectangle. They also don't have a WalMart...." She doodled as she talked, then turned the paper to show him.

“Yeah?”

"A bunch are just boring ones, though," Erin tacked on, drawing a sad face next to the Nepal triangle. She doodled a little tear coming from it, as if to say, "Gee, being a country with a boring flag really sucks and I am so jealous of you, Nepal, even if you don't have a WalMart!"

“Because who can beat a triangle, right? That's up there with those tennis shoes that have wheels on them.”

"Like France's and Italy's and Ireland's.... they don't even get creative enough for the crests in the middle...." She shrugged.

Yukito nodded, and Erin was sure his brain was melting on the inside. So she drew a star. “I see...”

"I saw them at fairs and stuff," she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "They're bright and colorful and everywhere, so you can't forget them anyway. What, is that next in the study-textbook-thing?" she joked, poking Yukito in his side. "Now who's getting distracted, Professor Poppycock?"

“Professor Poppycock?” he queried, arching an eyebrow at her and making Erin break into laughter again. Any distraction was a good one, it felt like. “Heh..I was just intensely interested in your flag-ramble. It was very....”

"Very what?" Erin probed, hoping the word in his head wasn't "nerdy" or she might have to pummel him. She didn't like the way the tables had turned on her and even though it was cool knowing something Yukito didn't, the shininess had worn off fast.

“For a moment there, you sounded almost as nerdy as me.” He smirked at her, and automatically, Erin gave him a punch in his arm. "Take it back!" she ordered teasingly.

“But seriously, I didn't know any of that. So it's only fair we swap the things we know, right?”

Erin shrugged. "I guess.... If you wanna win trivia games or whatever," she added with a casual smile, then pointed back at the notes. "So, France backed out, right?" If he was trying to get her back on schoolwork, it was working. Somehow having school-related attention on her didn't feel so hot compared to other kinds of attention...

[Elda Forever]

Yukito Maki

"I saw them at fairs and stuff," she said nervously, "They're bright and colorful and everywhere, so you can't forget them anyway. What, is that next in the study-textbook-thing?" she joked, poking Yukito in his side. "Now who's getting distracted, Professor Poppycock?"

“Professor Poppycock?” he queried, arching an eyebrow at her and making Erin break into laughter again. “Heh..I was just intensely interested in your flag-ramble. It was very....” He paused for the correct word, taking his sweet time with it. To be honest, he found her very pretty when her brow was furrowed in concentration, but her flippant tone and knowing doodling was also quite attractive. But he wasn't going to just tell her that.

"Very what?" Erin probed.

“For a moment there, you sounded almost as nerdy as me.” He smirked at her, and automatically, Erin gave him a punch in his arm. "Take it back!" she ordered teasingly.

“Shh!” he ordered, leaning forward to put a silencing finger to her lips, then sitting back in his chair. “But seriously, I didn't know any of that. So it's only fair we swap the things we know, right?”

Erin shrugged. "I guess.... If you wanna win trivia games or whatever," she added with a casual smile, then pointed back at the notes.

He gave her a little smile. “That's exactly what I plan to do.” Final exams were kind of like a trivia game, right?

"So, France backed out, right?"

“Eh...not so much backed out as got kicked out,” he said, “Ho Chi Minh, who was the leader of the Nationalist group, and his people were controlling the northern part of Vietnam. So..France was all, 'we're still the boss over you', and Ho was like, 'nu-huh!' So Ho's forces kicked France's butt, holding their own. So France moved to Southern Vietnam and continued to rule by using a king, I'm fairly sure. But they struck up a peace with Ho's people.” He was giving all effort possible to explain things in 'Erin terms', but it was feeling like a total failure so far. Plus, he was trying to be quiet in the library so as not to make too much disturbance. Not that Erin hadn't already shot that plan to pieces, but it couldn't hurt to avoid problems so they could at least finish a subject.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

“Heh..I was just intensely interested in your flag-ramble. It was very....”

"Very what?"

“For a moment there, you sounded almost as nerdy as me.”

He smirked at her, and automatically, Erin gave him a punch in his arm. "Take it back!"

“Shh!” Yukito made a shushing gesture with his index finger on her lips, which only made her giggle as she tried to keep herself a bit more quiet. Those two things didn't work together so well, but neither did she and libraries. “But seriously, I didn't know any of that. So it's only fair we swap the things we know, right?”

Erin shrugged. She really had no reason to know any of that and was pretty sure the only time it would be useful would be on Jeopardy. (Which was probably where she'd learned some of it, since it was her dad's favorite show.) "I guess.... If you wanna win trivia games or whatever." Now please stop waiting for me to perform some kind of intellectual miracle and let's just get back to the notes, please??

He gave her a little smile. “That's exactly what I plan to do.”

Erin let out a happy sigh of relief. "So, France backed out, right?"

“Eh...not so much backed out as got kicked out,” Yukito explained. And if she hadn't known it was for school, Erin was sure that would have actually made it easy to listen and remember.... She leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her hands.

“Ho Chi Minh, who was the leader of the Nationalist group, and his people were controlling the northern part of Vietnam. So..France was all, 'we're still the boss over you', and Ho was like, 'nu-huh!' So Ho's forces kicked France's butt, holding their own. So France moved to Southern Vietnam and continued to rule by using a king, I'm fairly sure. But they struck up a peace with Ho's people.”

The comment struck a thought in Erin's mind, and she looked up at Yukito like he'd just said something ridiculous, and she'd finally caught him. "Wait a minute.... France is nowhere near Vietnam. Why were they even over there? Don't they have their own issues to deal with? All up in everyone's bui'ness.... Clearly they sucked at whatever they were doing in Vietnam since there was a billion-year war over it. Which I guess in the end made more Vietnamese come here, which gave us their awesome food, too, so-- Hey, have you ever tried Vietnamese food? Mmm, now I'm thinking about those spicy springrolls.... Can we go get some later? Take me out on a date, Yuyukun." She sent him a playful smile, adding, "We never get to go out anymore, it's like we're married or something!"