004 Hope Estheim - [Action]

[noras_boy]

[Hope is having a good time keeping up with all his book heavy classes. And by that? I mean he's sitting with a take-out cup of tea at a table in the cafeteria two sets of books infront of him. His pad is lying open with his pen alternating between his right hand and his mouth and the page of course

Comments

[nvrstrikestwice]

['Sup, Hope. Here's your Lightning walking towards you, though she shakes her head upon seeing the ink on his forehead, and she doubles back to the counter for a water bottle and some napkins before coming over to his table.]

I don't think you want your notes on your forehead, Hope.

[noras_boy]

[Hope looks confusedly up at you.]

Wha?

[A gloved hand goes to his forehead. ... Ink. Fantastic.]

Great. That's... embarrassing...

[nvrstrikestwice]

[Lightning doesn't say anything to that, and instead cracks open the water bottle in order to get a napkin wet before handing it to Hope.]

Here. You can still get it off before it dries out.

[noras_boy]

I hope so.

[He takes the napkin and starts to wipe at the ink on his forehead. It fades... but if you're close enough? You can still see it.]

How do I look?

[nvrstrikestwice]

[Light'll just shake her head, taking the water bottle in her hands as if she's contemplating wetting another napkin and trying to get the ink off his forehead herself, but she holds still instead.]

There's still some left. You might want to go to the bathroom to wash that off.

[noras_boy]

...

[His teenager instincts told him that moving would be a bad idea. He looked down at his notes. A little smudging but it was still legible.]

I was working on my sociology notes. I couldn't get out into it... Global Stratification is... I understand it but it's not sticking the way the other stuff does.

[nvrstrikestwice]

[Peering at his notes for a second, then frowning a bit.]

Maybe you should take a break first. It might help them stick more if you're not thinking about going outside.

[noras_boy]

Maybe. Just got a lot going on right now. Maybe taking the maximum amount of electives on my first semester wasn't a good idea...

[Hope paused and looked up at his big sister.]

But I made the choice. Consequences, good or bad I have to deal with them.

[nvrstrikestwice]

That's right. But you'll know better for next semester.

[So, it's not a total waste, really. That, and...]

There's nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it, Hope. You know that, right?

[noras_boy]

I know Light.

[He smiles up at you.]

I'll talk to my instructor if I really can't get it to stick. Or maybe my classmates.

[nvrstrikestwice]

[A nod. She's proud to see he's learned that it's okay to ask for help.]

Your instructor would probably help make a study plan for you, but your classmates might have strategies you can use if that doesn't help.

[noras_boy]

Oh, I'm already a chapter ahead. But I figured since we were going over this in class I'd better make sure I get it.

[He wipes at his head again with the back of his glove not that it makes any difference now.]

I guess this just means I have something to ask about in my next class.

[He sighed. It's not often he didn't really get something, but when he didn't it would niggle at him till he stopped listening to his pride.]

[nvrstrikestwice]

But it's not going so well for you.

[Don't mind her, Hope. She's just surpressing the urge to clean your forehead herself, and that means sitting on the other chair that belongs to this table.]

You know...when I was your age, I had to ask for help in some of my classes, too.

[While she's saying this to prove to him that it's okay to ask for help if it's needed, it is true. Even Lightning had needed help in school sometimes.]

[noras_boy]

I know Lightning. I'm going to ask for help, it doesn't mean that I won't-- I know I'm being stupid about it. But it won't stop me from asking for help.

[He gives her a small smile.]

I wouldn't have made it this far if I hadn't asked for help.

[nvrstrikestwice]

Glad to hear it.

[And truly, she is. She's also making no comment about that "stupid" part: if he's realized it, there's no need to draw attention to it.]

None of us would have. Not even Snow could have lasted this long if he didn't ask for help sometimes.

[noras_boy]

Right.

[Hope smiles and looks down at his notes and shuts his books.]

I think I'm going to take a break. I've done the homework and there's no point in getting myself frustrated for no reason.