(B1 Morning) Get me to the Class on Time (Open)

The trip to Vienda had been at a more modest pace, but the return was rather hasty. Hunter had overslept, left later than expected and then been delayed by his encounter with the truants (a designation which he only escaped by way of technicality). So Bumpsy was rather tuckered and his thighs were rather sore. When he dismounted, he took a few seconds to get his legs properly under him.

The young galdor contemplated leaving the moa with a note and some extra coin, but one look at her cured him of the thought. She needed a proper seeing to after such an exertion.
"Hallo?"
He looked around for the keeper briefly before setting himself to the task of unloading his tack and tending to Bumpsy's grooming. He might be a few minutes late to class, but he could still make it if he wasn't too picky about his own grooming.

******

Having tended to the moa, and settled Streak back in at the kennel, Hunter had just enough time to dump both his bags and his road clothes in his room and throw on a not-too-terribly mussed uniform. He still needed a bath, but for the time being he settled for slathering on a liberal amount of sage oil to make his presence less distasteful. Still stiff-legged he rushed across campus.

Chimes! I might yet make it to class...

"Excuse me!" A piercing, firm voice sounded out from one of the buildings as he dashed past. It was Professor Dallium. She looked down her nose, through her glasses at the boy.

"We do not run through the school like headless chickens young man!" Approaching him, she frowned.

"What are you doing coming from the stables at this hour?"

Gulp!

Frederick Vespasian recognized Authority when he heard it. He stopped at the professor's first exclamation, managing proper posture only by resisting the urge to muss with his clothing.
Chimes! Not a long trip, but enough time away to have let your non-school habits creep back.


"I do beg your pardon, Professor. I'm afraid I've tried to do too much in too little time and was afraid I might be late for class. I've been out collecting these botanical specimens and need to get them to the lab, but no one was there to take care of the moa I borrowed so I had to get her properly stabled and now I should probably change my uniform, but I don't want to be late for World History with Professor Darius."

Hex sifted through a textbook casually. He enjoyed the odd hours of his classes. There was nothing like having the halls to yourself, well almost to yourself. Servants, both passive and human, ran about doing this or that. He wasn't sure how he felt about them now, especially after that incident in the cafeteria. The Incident; that's what everyone's calling it.

When he had been a younger student, passives had always been the brunt of jokes and pranks. Finding out that he, himself, was not a galdori at all, was like a revelation. Were passives any worse than him? He couldn't hate anybody now, not even the galdori; he had been one of them.

Perhaps... he didn't like these times between classes so much. To much time for retrospect and introspective thought. Looking out an alcove, he noticed a nervous looking student being stared down by a professor. Glancing between his book and the two, Hex closed the book and slid it into a back pocket. He hadn't been able to go the circus, but perhaps he could have some fun here anyways.

~*~

"There you are!" Hex ran from an archway toward the two. Arriving beside the professor and Fred, the sneaky student faked a deep breathe or two, leaning down and placing his hands on his knees before standing up at attention and bowed in deference to the professor.

"Professor Darius sent me to check your room! You knew we had that presentation today, how could you be late!?" Hex said with a few discrete winks in Fred's direction.

Turning a pleading gaze toward the older woman, Hex put on his best act. "Please, Professor Dallium," He said with all the respect and anxiety he could muster, "I only have two more minutes to get back to class with him before Professor Darius fails our presentation!" Hex bottom lip quivered, eyes almost tearing as though the thought of failing the presentation would give him no reason to continue living.

Hunter's eyes went wide with surprise. The Hoxian student's interruption was so timely and so unexpected. And so convincing he thought at first that he had in fact forgotten a presentation. Adrenalin was still high from his earlier rush, and his blurted explanation had left him out of breath. Busily calculating all the things wrong with the other student's ploy, And why risk it for me?, Hunter could only look up to the teacher with a helpless expression.

Dallium looked sternly at Hunter, not believing his story for a moment. The boy had an air about him. It reminded her far to much of Master Nauleth, trouble followed boys like that. She was just about to tell him as such when Hex interupted. The Professor truely liked Hex. He was a good student with a bright head on his shoulders, and he'd always been punctual. Looking between the boys, she smiled lightly at Hex.

"Good boy looking out for your less than, exempliry peers. Do run along dear, and if your late, just tell Darius I kept you." Reaching out, she ruffed his hair a little, then waited for the boys to leave.

"Thank you so much, ma'am!" Hex bowed profusely before grabbing Fred's arm and pulling him away.

In moments the two of them were rushing down the hall towards Darius's classroom. "Ha-ha! That was great! You totally owe me, and we're not even late." Hex grinned; what a rush! He did feel somewhat bad for lying to Ms. Dallium, but there was really no harm done. They were on time, and Fred was an honest enough person.

"You don't know the half of it. If she'd found out where I've really been..."
Hunter stifled a yawn. This was going to be a long day.

"You even had me going for a minute."
Hex... that was his name. Hunter had the impression that the other boy was something of a recluse, so the impromptu rescue was doubly shocking.
"You can pretty much name your price for that one. I mean it."

"Heh, I'll bank it for later. I don't think there's anything you could do for me at the moment." Hex chuckled a bit before entering the classroom and taking a seat near the middle row next to the windows. It was a strange feeling to trick a teacher. How... strange... The Hoxian already had his textbook out, getting ready to take notes.

Ordinarily, Hunter would sit up front. However he was still feeling a bit unprepared and opted for a seat nearer the middle. To sit in the back would have been an obvious signal that something was wrong. Besides, it was more natural to sit near Hex, since they'd walked in together. As he opened his notebook he realized that he'd grabbed the wrong one. It was his travel notebook, and opening it sent papers scattering: a detailed map of the East Garden, one of the area surrounding Brunnhold, a practice sketch with the outline of eastern Hox and a couple of rough sketches of the chroven from Vienda – one of which featured Ilyia.
Clock it! If the rest of the day continues in this fashion, I might have done better to stay with the Circus.
He scrambled to recover the papers before class started.
I guess I'll just transfer the notes to my class log later...