( open ) it's 19c in london right now and i'm jealous

[apolly]

A. REDBRIGHT INSTITUTE: CLASSROOM

It's after hours for Apollo and he couldn't be happier, even though the feeling of exhaustion he could do without. While it's a job he loved he could definitely do with a vacation anyway.

He's currently struggling to erase the top of his chalkboard where a taller student wrote out the answers. Smart kid, but liked to quietly pick on Apollo for his size anyway, and he's close to stomping into the nearest library and grabbing a stepladder.

B. ON THE TUBE.

Apollo has a better idea of where to go for this and that, thanks to it being a few months since his move. He's currently sitting in one of the trains, coming back from Harrow, though there's one problem.

He fell asleep, earphones in, cheek pressed into the silver rail and leaving an opening for anything to be taken. Genius.

C. MISC tell me whatever and we'll do it. brackets are awesome

Comments

[apolly]

You know what I meant, so shut up thank you very much.

"I don't want to hear about being 'too defensive' from you," Apollo responds dryly. He sighs anyway, forcing himself to calm down.

"Thank you. You can do the homework at work if you want."

[eyeforaneye]

"I did a little of it as we were going along." He learns through action and involvement, after all, not just sitting still and listening.

"Should make it quicker, though." As soon as he's finished he casts an almost wary look at the ground, taking a step back before just dropping back to the floor with relative grace. Well now he knows something else he needs to work on. "I'm surprised you have time to teach and work that job simultaneously."

[apolly]

"I take a lot of coffee and little sleep." Like that explains everything, or something.

"...But if everything goes well, this'll be my last term." Yep.

[eyeforaneye]

"If it goes well? I didn't realize your aim was to leave this job already." That seems strange. "Are you moving on to something else or focusing on your legal job full time?"

[apolly]

"I'm not telling you," Apollo responds with a grin, reaching forward to start writing instructions for tomorrow on the board. Whatever it took to save time, he'd do it.

"But if not, I'll be staying another term. Which isn't bad, I really like teaching."

[eyeforaneye]

"Refusing to say anything sort of gives away that it isn't the second one." But if Apollo can juggle this he doesn't doubt that he can do more.

"Maybe you can give a few private lessons to older students or hire them on as paralegals."

[apolly]

"Not likely, I'll still be too busy either way." Now officially satisfied with chalkboard, he turns back to his desk and starts organizing the papers, everything under very specific dividers as he takes out his suitcase and starts packing everything.

"... I just like working to make a difference. I'll be doing that for the rest of my life."

[eyeforaneye]

"You're a pretty idealistic guy." Is it optimistic to think you can make a difference or pessimistic to see all the things in the world which need to be improved?

"You sound like an American television character or something, spouting off a line like that with a straight face."

[apolly]

"It's not idealistic if you make it happen, which I've done. I've won all my cases and I'll just keep that record up," Apollo shrugs, swinging the bag over his shoulder.

"I'd say it's more... ambition. If that's an American trait."

[eyeforaneye]

"You say it like it's so simple." Apollo's movements prompt his own memory and he reaches back for his own bag, digging around for a thin file.

"Here, this was in with your other papers at work. It's all student information so I figured it was lost in the shuffle; I reorganized."

[apolly]

He blinks, taking the file from Sasuke and flipping it open to read down the names.

"... Oh!" Recognition shows on his face before he opens the drawer behind him to slide the file in. "It's all summer students. Were you planning to take classes over summer, too?"

[eyeforaneye]

"More or less.

Even if I don't sign up for any officially there's plenty I can learn by lingering around places like this. I'll take the opportunity to harass the professors on their topics of interest." And he's totally unashamed of that fact.

[apolly]

"... You are not stalking teachers on campus grounds."

[eyeforaneye]

"I said 'harass', not 'stalk'."

[apolly]

"...Is there supposed to be a real difference?"

[eyeforaneye]

"Of course, and as a solicitor it's important that you know it. If I were stalking them it'd be to the detriment of my other work and would be a serious invasion of privacy. Harassing them just means that I plan to talk to them repeatedly during their free periods to glean information that they voluntarily give up."

[apolly]

... Impossible.

Sasuke Uchiha was seriously impossible. And it shows on Apollo's face.

"I." Okay. "This is why you don't have friends, just in case you ever wondered."

[eyeforaneye]

Wow.

"You think it'll annoy them? I figured they'd be interested in talking."

[apolly]

"I was definitely not interested in talking to you at first. It's called, I don't know. Appointments? Meetings? An arranged conversation? Try to go about it rationally."

It was no use trying to teach Sasuke anything about this, though. Apollo knew from experience.

[eyeforaneye]

Fair enough, he can't really lure them in with his personality. Back to square one.

"I suppose it's better if I just study on my own after all. I've been asking for the book lists for the different classes so I could read on my own time."

[apolly]

"... You're nervous around people, aren't you."

It wasn't really a question, it was just more and more obvious as the days went by. "You're socially anxious."

[eyeforaneye]

... he's not even sure how to respond initially, unable to deny it outright but unwilling to accept such a weakness either.

"I don't communicate the way most of them do." That's an understatement. "I'm aware of that, so I try to minimize my trouble."

[apolly]

"So that's..."

[apolly]

Wait a minute.

[apolly]

"Did... did you just say yes?"