Location: Evergreen Academy Dormitories

Time: 12:46 2/1/08

I was carrying a box of my possessions to my dorm room. I spent most of my time living at the Oldridge estate in order to keep a closer watch on Mistress Oakley, but that didn’t mean I could completely overlook my school assigned dorm room. Especially after all the effort I had to exert in order to get it assigned to me.

I also wanted to make my dorm room look more lived in to make my visitor feel more comfortable.

She was in my way. A girl whose poses fluctuated between timid and obstinate was standing in front of my door. I decided to wait.

She wasn’t moving. I needed to intervene.

“Inquisitive. How long do you plan on standing there?”

Her entire body shook as I called out to her. She glanced at me over her shoulder before turning around completely. Even then, she left her hood up and focused her vision on the floor. Perhaps hiding her face, at least in public, had already become instinctual.

“Wha, What are you doing here?” She wasn't in any position to be questioning me.

I was the one she was there to meet. Was she really that surprised?

“Slight annoyance. I’m attempting to carry my possessions into my room, but you’ve been blocking the door.”

“Why didn’t you just say something?”

“Confusion. I did say something. I asked you how long you planned on standing there.”

“No, why didn’t you say something when you first got here? I would’ve moved.”

“Explanatory. There are still twelve minutes until our scheduled meeting time, so I figured you planned on waiting there. I had no reason to initiate communications at that point. After a few minutes I realized that I was mistaken. I needed to carry my possessions into my room before our scheduled meeting time. That is why I asked how long you planned on standing there. If you were to answer, ‘until our scheduled meeting time,’ then I would have had to ask you to move, so I could enter my room and store my possessions.”

Emi Emi moved to the side.

“Go right ahead, I was just waiting here. I didn’t want to run into anyone else in the halls.”

That’s why she had her face practically buried into my door.

“Agreeable. Very well.”

I walked past Emi Emi and into my room, closing the door behind me. It didn’t take long for someone to start knocking.

“Curious. Who is it?”

“Who do you think?” Despite her lack of verbal cues, I could tell the voice coming from the other side of the door was expressing slight annoyance.

“Certain. Based on what information I have, the most likely person is Emi Emi.”

“I don’t know who this Emi Emi person is, but it’s Emelia. Why did you even ask?”

“Explanatory. Because it could have been someone else.”

“Who else could it have been in this situation?”

“Exaggeration. It could have very easily been Alli or Mira. But it wouldn’t have made sense for Alli to knock, and I don’t think Mira is going to be coming back here anytime soon.”

“So basically you couldn’t think of anyone. And are you going to open the door? I really don’t like being out in public like this.”

“Slight annoyance. I hadn’t planned on it.”

“What? Why not?”

“Annoyance. I have no reason to open the door.”

“You know, for someone so expressionless you manage to get your feelings across a little too well. And you know, you could let me in.”

“Agreement. I could.”

“Will you?”

“Understanding. You wish to enter. Very well then.”

I opened up the door to find Emi Emi still standing in front of it.

“Explanatory. There are still nine minutes until our meeting time, so I assumed you planned on waiting outside.”

“You know, I’ve been wondering. Is this whole thing a joke? Have you been messing with me?”

“Confusion. A joke? No. I have not yet learned how to produce humor, but I have been taught how to recognize a humorous comment. It appears you haven't received that lesson. Sincere. I’ll make sure to notify you if I sense someone is making a joke.”

“I really wish you were joking.”

“Suggestive. If you want me to start producing humor, I will try. However, I cannot guarantee success.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Reassuring. I wasn’t worrying about it in the first place.”

“Alright, I really need to stop being dragged along at your pace. Let’s just get this lesson started.”

Emi Emi didn’t want to wait for the appointed time. It looked like I’d need to distract her for eight more minutes. I should point out, she wasn’t visiting me for social reasons. Ren wanted Emi Emi to develop her augmentation, and I was the natural pick as a tutor.

Obviously, I refused. But upon learning of the situation Mistress Oakley suggested I reconsider, in order to apologize for my actions.

Naturally, I accepted.

Once Emi Emi got inside she shut the door and took down her hood.

“Why is your side of the room completely empty?”

I matched Emi Emi’s gaze as she scanned the room. Two beds, two closets, two desks. What you would expect from a school dorm room.

What Emi Emi was probably referring to was that one side of the room was so normally furnished that it wasn’t worth describing, while the other half was completely empty.

How observant. It seems her time in the slums made her more observant than the average person.

“Defiant. You shouldn’t assume you know which side I live one.”

“No, it’s pretty easy to tell, but whatever. Why is the right side of the room completely empty?”

“Obstinate. Your right? My right? Some other kind of right? You really need to learn to be more specific.”

“What other kind of right could there be?”

“Helpful. Stage right, I suppose.”

“And which direction would that be? I don’t see a stage anywhere.”

“Amused. I don’t know, you’re the one who brought it up.”

“I didn’t. Why is one side of the room less furnished than the other side?”

“Honest. I don’t stay here very often. I’m just moving into this room today.”

“Eh? You’re moving today? I didn’t realize. I’m not going to volunteer to help though.”

“Reassuring. Concern is unnecessary. I’ve already transported all of my possessions. Remember before, when you were obstructing me from completing my task?”

“You don’t hesitate before complaining to my face, huh? And that’s it? One box?”

“Certain. One box.”

“I really shouldn’t ask, but at this point I’m too invested. What’s in it?”

“Mostly socks and knives, along with a few other basic necessities, like my watch collection.”

“I wasn’t going to bring it up, but the socks, they all like that?”

I took a moment to observe my socks. Bright blue, over the knee, and covered in lightning bolt patterns.

“Proud. Of course. When I’m not on missions I always make sure to wear a stylish pair of socks.”

“Stylish, huh? And you don’t have any other clothes? When do you wash what you’re wearing?”

“Thinking. I can wash my outfit in the evening before I go to sleep.”

“Then what do you wear while you sleep?”

“Serious. Nothing. I’m an exhibitionist.”

“Huh?”

“Explanatory. That was my attempt at producing humor. Curious. How was it?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Condescending. Yes. That was my attempt at humor. I believe I made that clear. I’ll make a second attempt. Don’t miss it this time.”

“No, it’s alright. Let’s forget about jokes. You mentioned you have a watch collection? I wouldn’t expect something like that from you.”

“Thinking. Yes, I love them. If I’m not wearing a watch I feel completely naked.”

“Oi. I’ve never once seen you wearing a watch.”

“Serious. I already told you, I’m an exhibitionist after all.”

“Please tell me that was your second attempt at a joke.”

“Successful. It is now our scheduled meeting time. I will ask you to review my attempt at humor at a later point in time.”

With a few flashes of black lightning I stopped blocking my connection to the information dimension. The lights momentarily flickered off, but it didn’t take me long to regulate myself to a reasonable level.

I suppose I could have kept myself restrained, but where’s the fun in that? Teaching Emi Emi about using her augmentation while keeping mine locked away would have been a real pain.

“Alright, alright, Emi Emi. We wasted a good bit of time discussing trivial matters, now let’s get to the meat of it.”

“I wasn’t looking forward to this at first, but now, I’m completely onboard. Getting lectured on augmentations can’t possibly be as difficult as discussing trivial matters.”