Apr 01 15:11:54 <LipstickThespian>	Yukihime stood in the middle of the gazebo, it had been a bit of a tradition for her and Callum to meet there.  She wasn't in her uniform for once, electing for a simple yellow babydoll cut dress. With trimmings of white around the edges, and short cap sleeves. As well as her picturesque sunglasses sitting atop her head, unused.  There might have been some eyeliner as well, in an odd
Apr 01 15:11:54 <LipstickThespian>	turn for the girl.  The dress was light for the weather, November chill was upon Sunnybrook and she hadn't completely adapted. At least she had thigh his on!  Maybe that would help.  She waited for Callum, checking her phone once more to look at the time. She was early of course, but she didn't want to wait.
Apr 01 15:15:14 <Knave>	Callum arrived early too, and looked pleasantly surprised to see Yuki already waiting for him. He wasn't exactly dressed up, still wearing jeans, but his shirt was a button-up today, surprisingly well-tailored around his muscular frame. As he approached, he raised a hand in greeting, "Hey."
Apr 01 15:17:30 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki brightened up when she Callum arriving, and she stood on the tips of her toes to give a very energetic wave with her free hand.  "Callum-chaaaan~" she calls out in her bright voice before she does a small half jog to walk over to him.  "I'm really glad you came, I hope you didn't forget to do your homework before hand!"
Apr 01 15:20:32 <Knave>	"Of course not." Callum smiled wide at Yuki's approach. "You look nice." He says softly, hands behind his back and his right foot shuffling.
Apr 01 15:22:25 <LipstickThespian>	"Thank you," Yuki says as she looks down at her dress and flares out the hem a bit to show it off. The light pattern of dots is really only visible up close but it gives it depth from afar.  "I haven't worn this since I went to the park last month."
Apr 01 15:24:36 <Knave>	Callum nods, clearly not really knowing what to say in response. After a moment, he gestures with one hand towards the path, "Shall we?"
Apr 01 15:26:24 <LipstickThespian>	"Okay," Yuki says as she turns on her heel and starts to walk, adjusting her purse.  Purse? Since when did she carry a purse?  "How was class?"
Apr 01 15:29:23 <Knave>	"I'm kinda lost." Callum says with a little grimace, "Science and math, anyway. Catching up's a little hard." He falls into step with Yuki, walking a little bit behind, so as not to accidentally walk too fast.
Apr 01 15:30:39 <LipstickThespian>	"The structure of the classes here is a little different than I'm used to," Yuki says as she walks along, "it makes it a little difficult!"
Apr 01 15:31:41 <Knave>	"Yeah?" Callum says, twisting his head, and sounding interested when he says, "What are classes like back home?"
Apr 01 15:34:43 <LipstickThespian>	"There's a lot more respect," Yuki says with a small half laugh.  "We did this thing where we bowed to the teacher and thanked them everyday.  Here it's like, if you're paying attention and not checking your phone, you're the different one."
Apr 01 15:36:50 <Knave>	"Huh." Callum nods. He's probably not aware of the fact that the right side of his mouth is hanging down, a little open, as he does so. "I can see how that would be jarring."
Apr 01 15:38:12 <LipstickThespian>	"Is it different from your old school? The one in Kansas?" Yuki asks as she looks over at him and then bursts into a bit of laughter seeing his mouth hanging open.
Apr 01 15:39:51 <Knave>	"Huh?" Callum looks down at Yuki, furrowing his brow and gesturing with his palm, "What's funny?"
Apr 01 15:41:07 <LipstickThespian>	"Your mouth was open," Yuki says as she tries to explain it, but she realizes it might be mean to point that out. "Sorry."
Apr 01 15:43:37 <Knave>	"Oh." He says, then looks forward, running a hand through his hair and wobbling his mouth in an obvious effort to make sure it's shut, "Yeah. No, school in Kansas was pretty much the same. At least, the school part was."
Apr 01 15:44:51 <LipstickThespian>	"Well, I don't think there's anywhere that is like the rest of this Academy."  Yuki says, "it's really different here."
Apr 01 15:46:45 <Knave>	"Yeah." Callum smiles a little, glancing at Yuki as he nods, "Different. Definitely different."
Apr 01 15:48:39 <LipstickThespian>	"So," Yuki says as she looks down at her feet. "Tell me more about you, Callum-chan.  We come from very different worlds, so I want to hear about yours."
Apr 01 15:53:44 <Knave>	"Hah." Callum intones, "Yeah. Well, I was raised on my parents' farm. We kept chickens, had a decent number of crop-fields. Been helping out there as long as I can remember." Callum rubs the side of his nose, "I did okay in school. Star of the baseball team. I was pretty popular, I guess." He shrugs, "I don't really know what to say."
Apr 01 15:55:18 <LipstickThespian>	"A real farm," Yuki says with some excitement, "that sounds like something out of a story. I've never really met a farmer before you know.  Were the chickens fun?"
Apr 01 15:57:57 <Knave>	Callum chuckles, "They didn't do much, most of the time. I liked watching them, though. It was relaxing."
Apr 01 16:02:40 <LipstickThespian>	"What else did you do?" Yuki asks, "besides sports and farming?"
Apr 01 16:06:03 <Knave>	"Not much," Callum chuckles self-consciously, "Took up a lot of the day, really. Outside of that, I guess I just... didn't do much. I'd read a little. Spend time with friends." He sounds a little sad by the time he finishes talking.
Apr 01 16:09:08 <LipstickThespian>	"Do you have a lot of friends here?" Yuki says as she slows down beside one of the small groves of trees that the campus has along it's paths.
Apr 01 16:12:02 <Knave>	Callum rubs the back of his neck, looking down and smiling slightly, "More than I expected to have." Callum thrusts his hands into his pockets, "What about you?"
Apr 01 16:12:53 <LipstickThespian>	"I have a lot!" Yuki says with a bright laugh, "I'm hoping to have even more!  Everyone here is really nice, and I think if I make friends with as many as I can I'll have a really good time here!"
Apr 01 16:16:29 <Knave>	Callum nods, unable to stop smiling at Yuki's simple innocence. "I hope so, Yuki." After a moment of smiling gently at her, he says, "I told you about me. Tell me about yourself."
Apr 01 16:18:12 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki was a different kind of innocence, one that was more idealistic than a lot of her fellow students.  She starts to walk again, this time into the trees. "Well, I spent a lot of time studying and in clubs. I had a lot of friends. Not the kind you hang out with, the kind who wave at you in the hallway.  Most of my free time I relaxed in my room, because going out is expensive!"
Apr 01 16:20:19 <Knave>	"What kind of clubs?" Callum says, following Yuki slowly and carefully between the trees.
Apr 01 16:22:47 <LipstickThespian>	"Tennis club, and flower arrangement." Yuki says, "that was all I could really fit in my schedule."  She fits between the trees with some grace, taking time to jump onto an exposed root and then off it.
Apr 01 16:25:29 <Knave>	Callum steps very deliberately over the root, "You must have been really busy." Callum says absently, watching Yuki prancing through the forest.
Apr 01 16:27:07 <LipstickThespian>	"Well, you have to keep busy if you want to get into a good University!" Yuki says, "did you want to go to University?"
Apr 01 16:29:26 <Knave>	"My ma wanted me to go." Callum says, focusing more on navigating Yuki's path, "I don't know about myself. I never really wanted to leave Little Springs, I guess."
Apr 01 16:32:41 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki is, if anything, a bit of a nimble person. Dancing around a tennis court makes her foot movements quick even in flats.  "Did you really like your town that much?"
Apr 01 16:33:48 <Knave>	"It's a great place." Callum says, only a little defensively. "I don't know. I was comfortable there. It's a part of me, you know?"
Apr 01 16:37:11 <LipstickThespian>	"It's like the city and me," Yuki says, "I don't know if I could ever let go of the sounds and the feeling of living among the skyscrapers."  She looks up at the trees above, "I think that's why I feel out of place here sometimes."
Apr 01 16:39:55 <Knave>	"You shouldn't feel out of place." Callum says earnestly, catching up with the girl, "Everyone's different here. And you're nice." Callum rubs his neck, looking down, "I don't know."
Apr 01 16:40:49 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki looks back at him, standing halfway behind an old oak tree and leaning to poke her head around it and look up at him.  "You're nice Callum-chan, I'm just acting like a proper lady."
Apr 01 16:42:17 <Knave>	Callum pauses, absently rubbing one hand on his forearm, "My pa says acting like something is the best way to be something."
Apr 01 16:43:34 <LipstickThespian>	"Well," Yuki says as she gives it some thought and then a smile comes across her face, "then maybe if I try hard enough I might be one.  What are you acting like, Callum-chan?"
Apr 01 16:45:46 <Knave>	Callum's eyes widen - very briefly. It's brief enough that she might not even have noticed the panic. /She knows. She's playing with you. She hates you./ He coughs, looks at her smiling face, tries to smile back, shrugs, "A nicer guy, I guess."
Apr 01 16:51:11 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki watches Callum with tender eyes, she sees something that he doesn't see. Little romance status bars, the mechanics of a dating sim overlayed with their little simple walk.  "Well I think you're doing very good at it," she says before she turns to continue walking through the trees.  "Did I ever ask you, your favorite color?"
Apr 01 16:54:47 <Knave>	"Thanks," He says, the smile working its way onto his face as he bounds to catch up, "Yellow. What's yours?"
Apr 01 16:57:24 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki looks down on her yellow dress and silently cheers herself for her choice.  "Pink!"  She says with a laugh, "I know it's kind of stupid, but I really do like it."
Apr 01 16:58:47 <Knave>	"Pink's a good colour." He says, laughing slightly himself, "It's not stupid. I've seen some very nice sunsets in pink."
Apr 01 16:59:24 <LipstickThespian>	"I miss the sunsets back home!" Yuki says with some excitement, "the ones here are kind of nice I guess."
Apr 01 17:01:40 <Knave>	"They're nicer in Kansas too." Callum says with pride, then, "Or it's my imagination. Everyone likes seeing the sky over home, I guess."
Apr 01 17:05:07 <LipstickThespian>	"Or maybe we're all just homesick, huh?" Yuki says as she brushes some hair out of her face.  "What kind of books do you read, Callum-chan?"
Apr 01 17:06:46 <Knave>	Callum shrugs, but with a smile, rather than the usual non-committal shrug. "All kinds. Any book someone gives me to read, I read, mostly."
Apr 01 17:07:38 <LipstickThespian>	"Maybe I should give you a book then," Yuki says as a thought before she remembers that all of hers are in Japanese. She'll have to get one!
Apr 01 17:09:06 <Knave>	"I'd like to see what kind of things you read." Callum says, "Maybe I could give you something I've read back."
Apr 01 17:09:41 <LipstickThespian>	"It would be like our own little book club," Yuki says with a nod. "Let's do that, then."
Apr 01 17:10:41 <Knave>	"Sure thing." Callum steps up to Yuki's side, hands in his pockets, smiling absently.
Apr 01 17:12:56 *	Lena|afkland is now known as Lena
Apr 01 17:15:05 *	Orb_Of_Nocturn is now known as GardenOrb
Apr 01 17:19:25 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki stays silent for a while as they make their way deeper into the grove and she eventually stops by some slowly fading bushes.  Fall hasn't been kind to them.  "Callum-chan," she says with a bit of worry in her voice.
Apr 01 17:20:04 <Knave>	"Yeah?" Callum says, his voice suddenly full of gentle concern, "What is it?"
Apr 01 17:22:30 <LipstickThespian>	"Well, I was wondering..." Yuki digs into her purse for a moment and seems to be searching for something. Then she has it, a small box. Red with a white bow around it carefully wrapped.  She holds it with both hands and offers it to Callum, giving a careful bow as she does. "Would you accept this gift of chocolate from me?"  Her face is flushed red in embarassment, and her voice might
Apr 01 17:22:30 <LipstickThespian>	have grown softer than usual.
Apr 01 17:26:25 <Knave>	Callum's cheeks flush too as he hesitates in surprise. Tentatively, he reaches out and takes the light box from hands with his right. "O-of course, Yuki." He says, clearly a little stunned, then chuckles, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Apr 01 17:29:09 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki smiles a little as he takes the box and she drops her hands back to her side. Giving a quick bow and then bouncing back to standing straight. "For protecting me!" She says very quickly like she practiced what to say but screwed up and can't remember, "back there. When we were in the house."
Apr 01 17:32:31 <Knave>	Callum smiles, looking at the immaculate wrapping. "I promised I would, didn't I?" He says, all nervous humility and self-consciousness.
Apr 01 17:34:53 <LipstickThespian>	It was, Yuki had to admit, over done.  She had stayed up late wrapping it, spent too much getting stuff from around town and picking the perfect chocolates to give him. The bow, she had to watch videos online to get it right and that might have taken her an hour of practice.  Even the little card slipped under the bow was written a hundred times before she got it right.  "I know," she
Apr 01 17:34:53 <LipstickThespian>	says, "but I still wanted to thank you. Callum-chan."
Apr 01 17:38:33 <Knave>	Callum nods, smiling at Yuki, "That was very sweet of you. Thanks." He glances back at the box, and seems to notice the card for the first time. He slips it out slowly, presumably out of fear of damaging the delicate wrapping, and reads it to himself.
Apr 01 17:41:05 <LipstickThespian>	The label was, well, in Japanese.  She only had one envelope so she couldn't rewrite the damn thing.  The note inside, thankfully, is in English.   'Thank you for protecting me like a big brother, I really like you Callum-chan!'  Then it's signed Yuki, and the little dot over the i is a heart.  Stupid cutesy girls handwritting, it took her so long to get it just cutesy enough.
Apr 01 17:44:01 <Knave>	Callum smiles, putting the note into his breast pocket. Then he puts his free arm around Yuki, hugging her to him gently. "I like you too, Yuki." He says quietly by her ear.
Apr 01 17:48:32 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki is pulled into Callum, the suddent tug makes her stumble a bit and she lands against him. More her fault than his, but she ends up leaning against him.  Then she hears him talk quietly to her and her cheeks burn even more, but a smile comes on her face.  "Callum-chan," she mutters to him in answer, at a loss for words.
Apr 01 17:51:40 <Knave>	"Sorry," He says, breathily, backing up to give her space and putting a gentle hand on her back to help her right herself. He's blushing too, and takes a half step back once he's sure she's steady on her feet, "I didn't mean to trip you up."
Apr 01 18:04:14 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki rights herself and stands there feeling a little more small than she did before they went on the walk.  Still, she follows after him, even if it's only a half step.  She's close, far too close, and looking up at him. "It's fine," she says apologetically, "are you okay?"
Apr 01 18:06:48 <Knave>	"Um," He smiles, but his eyes are wide, "Yeah. I'm fine." His cheeks, ears, and neck are growing red as he tries to shuffle backwards without running away.
Apr 01 18:19:59 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki finally realizes that she might be doing something a little off and finally takes a step back when she saw him shuffle.  Then she tries to play it off quickly, "let's keep walking!" She says as she turns around and heads for the nearest path.
Apr 01 18:20:11 *	Cezar is now known as Reynard
Apr 01 18:20:26 *	Lena is now known as Hope
Apr 01 18:21:07 <Knave>	"Sure," Callum says, blinking and rubbing the back of his neck, "Sure thing." He follows, catching up and walking close by Yuki's side.
Apr 01 18:22:36 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki manages to get them back onto pavement and walks with her hands held in front of her skirt.  "It's getting cold." She says, "I guess it is fall, huh?"
Apr 01 18:26:32 <Knave>	"I don't feel the cold so much." He says absently. /Should have worn a jacket./ "Here," He says, before putting his arm around Yuki's shoulders and pulling her into his chest slightly, "Is this better?"
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Apr 01 18:34:28 <Knave>	"I don't feel the cold so much." He says absently. /Should have worn a jacket./ "Here," He says, before putting his arm around Yuki's shoulders and pulling her into his chest slightly, "Is this better?"
Apr 01 18:36:22 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki feels the arm around her and feels herself pulled over to him.   "Ya," she says quickly, "it's better."  She glances down at the pavement below. "Callum-chan, you said you had a lot of friends back home, right?"
Apr 01 18:36:31 *	Nemi (zareveh@xmf-31-990-344-803.nycap.res.rr.com) has joined
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Apr 01 18:38:21 <Knave>	"Uh, yeah, I guess." He says distractedly, focusing mostly on keeping his pace the same as Yuki's.
Apr 01 18:41:52 <LipstickThespian>	Yuki does have a short stride, it makes it a little difficult honestly.  "Did you have someone special?" She asks in Sunnybrook's most obvious probing question of the month.
Apr 01 18:45:18 <Knave>	"Kinda. Yeah." He admits. He has several false starts of sentences before sighing, "I'm not really ready to talk about it."
Apr 01 18:46:50 <LipstickThespian>	"Okay," Yuki says with another nod, "then we'll talk about something else." She says as a smile crosses her face. "Only two months until Christmas!"
Apr 01 18:48:23 <Knave>	"Yeah." Callum says. /Christmas at Sunnydale. Christmas without your family. Christmas without her./ His blank face moves into a small smile, "I'll have to start thinking about what to get you for a gift."
Apr 01 18:51:47 <LipstickThespian>	"No fair!" Yuki says as she looks up at him, tilting her head around to do so. "We haven't talked enough for me to know you! I want to get you the perfect gift!"
Apr 01 18:53:19 <Knave>	"I'm sure you'll think of something." Callum says, smirking.
Apr 01 18:56:31 <LipstickThespian>	"Want to walk until sunset?" Yuki asks him. "It's going to be soon you know."
Apr 01 18:57:06 <Knave>	"Sure." He says, smiling down at Yuki, "Maybe it'll be better today."
Apr 01 18:58:40 <LipstickThespian>	-scene sunset-