you know we can't go on forever this way...

[youthundying]

His parents have only just now dropped him off at the Academy's buildings, on their turf. He already doesn't like the feeling of this place, but he decides against complaining on it, as it won't do him any good. He's waiting amongst other students, except he's sitting on the ground with his back against a wall

Comments

[notyetadoctor]

Theta is not where he should be

[youthundying]

Koschei pokes around in the dirt at his feet, drawing figures and symbols, finding his mind was already wandering from this entire event.

He almost jumps, though, when the other boy settles in next to him. There's a moment where he merely stares at the other but he finally resides to speaking, "It is. The way they talked it was going to be brilliantly entertaining. But I don't think so."
He glances over to the boy and notices just how messy he appears. "Aren't you going to get in trouble for that?" Not that his own were much cleaner. He's been laying around on the ground for a while, so his will be terribly dirty, too.

But there was something about this boy that intrigued him, that made him even grin just a little bit. Which might actually look a little odd on his face, as he's always giving a straight expression.

"What are you in for?" Maybe this kid was recruited, too. Maybe his parents sent him off to this horrid place as well.

[notyetadoctor]

He can't help but feel a little proud when he realizes that he'd startled the other.boy. Theta does many things but being good at creeping up on people or making them jump was never really something he mastered

[youthundying]

"I hope things will pick up." Koschei didn't find this place stimulating in the least. The environment felt very much like his own home, considering he really didn't live very far away from this place. He found his mind wandering over the infrastructure of the place, calculating possibilities and questions through the whole thing

[notyetadoctor]

He couldn't imagine living here all the time, waking up every morning to see a filtered sky, walking passed buildings that loomed over you instead of trees. There were no rivers here, no tall grass to hide under

[youthundying]

For Koschei, this place is too much like his home. He's only known the Citadel all of his life, so the false skies and tall buildings are everything he knows. Sure, he's seen trees and hills and the lot in books, but he just assumed they weren't natural to Gallifrey. Perhaps outside of the Citadel they might have something, but he doubted it

[notyetadoctor]

It's strange for him to think that someone's never had any experience with such things, that a place like this would be all they've known. Sure he's never been off-world before but it feels like he's seen so many places, lived so many lives through his books and movies and the stories that his parents tell him. When he looks at the sky here, sees that it's not quite the fiery orange that it is at home, it makes him want to look away, look at something alive and real because things aren't feeling how they're supposed to and he's not sure they ever will.

But he likes to see Koschei smile, likes to know that he's the one who made him do such a thing, since he gets the distinct impression that he other oy doesn't do it nearly as often as he should. In his mind, it was real and that was good enough for now

[youthundying]

Listening to the other's description of the jails, he wrinkles his nose and shakes his head, "Those sound horrible. But I bet people escape from them all the time. Seems like it'd be easy

[notyetadoctor]

"Oh, of course," he replies quickly. "Jails are around more often than not so you can break out of them, I think, or that's how it is in all the movies. You're either getting in so you can get out or just getting out to begin with, and even if they say you're going ot be there for life, you never really are."

Grinning a little, he looks to the other. "I always wanted to break out of jail. Sometimes innocent people get locked up because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, so maybe I"ll be one of those people and break out. You can come with me if you want. We'll break out together and go exploring all over the place, what do you think?"

Yes, he knows he just met this boy and yes, he knows that saying he wants to be arrested and imprisoned may not be the best things to say to him but it would be such an adventure and what better way is there to get to know someone than by going on an adventure with them

[youthundying]

Koschei watches as Theta's enthusiasm grows, as he talks of elaborate plans to break out of prison. And when he's finished, when he's finally only glowing from the moment of energy? Well, Koschei might giggle all over again, pressing his face against his knees until he's stopped

[notyetadoctor]

Theta nods vigorously. "Oh, yea. We'd be the best! They'll have books all about us and how clever we we are because we broke out. Just wait and see." Oh, he's absolutely overjoyed that Koschei didn't reject his idea on the spot, that he even seemed excited about it himself.

Theta's never been off-world, he's got all these grand ideas of what must be out there, after Gallifrey, after everything that he's ever laid eyes on but he's never really seen any of it. He wants to though, he's got this burning need for more for things beyond his little house on the hill, the Academy, this whole place

[youthundying]

'Oh, I will. Why would I mess up a book? It's not worth it." Koschei shakes his head. He could never see himself destroying a book. He loved them far too much, no matter what was in them, to do anything of that nature.

Following the other (and holding on as he is tugged behind Theta), he looks around as they go. "That's okay. Don't wanna get caught." There's a devious smile, almost, to his lips.

Sure, he had a taste for mischief. What kid didn't?

And when they see the rugged old building in the distance, he shrugs. "I don't know. Wanna go look?"

He might not sound too interested, but if Theta looks at his eyes, there's a great curiosity in them. "Maybe it's a library. Kind of looks like one of those old, old libraries. The ones they keep records and papers in, you know?"

How the other brought out his more childish, free side was beyond him.

But he likes it.

He likes it a lot.

[notyetadoctor]

The more devious smile is mimicked on Theta's face for one brief moment before the other boy agrees to actually go in. In his mind, he knew that Koschei wouldn't be scared (or he hoped anyway) but he was still a little worried that the boy might say no

[youthundying]

"I haven't, either. Only seen pictures of them in books my mum gets."

Looking over to the other boy, he listens carefully and nods, "We can hide them all under these robes, too. Makes them good for something." Koschei grins almost wickedly at the thought.

Free books. It was a beautiful thought for him, it was.

"It'll be the biggest one anyone's ever seen, I bet. Just ours. Theta and Koschei's."

He almost seems a little surprised at how easily their names fall in line with one anothers. How they fit and roll from the tongue as if they'd been like this for centuries.

"I'll race you there." He challenges, a genuine competitiveness in his eye.

[notyetadoctor]

Koschei's words make the whole experience even better. It would be the first time for both of them, a moment they could cherish together, the first of a countless number of shared moments.

Or so he hoped.

Giggling softly at the thought of putting their robes to good use, he nods. "Yeah, nobody will ever know either. They probably won't even think we're clever enough to have our own library but they'll see."

After the other speaks their names, he's silent for a moment, thinking of how nice they sounded when said together. A part of ihm thinks that was it, the true moment when he knew they just had to be friends.

"Theta and Koschei's," he repeats before nodding affirmatively. Yes, he definitely liked the sound of it.

Blinking, he looks from the other boy to the library and back again.

And then he starts running as fast as he possibly can., only slowing occasionally to look back and make sure that the other was still around.

[youthundying]

He starts to run as quickly as he can, trying his best to keep up with Theta. Koschei was never a very athletic sort of kid, so it's a bit hard to keep up with the other boy. So, don't be surprised if he does fall behind just a little bit.

When they reach the building, he runs until his palms press against the wall, stopping and breathing heavily. Breathing so hard, in fact, that he just laughs it all out.

"I think you won." He admits, but doesn't seem to mind, even. "Shall we explore now?" He grins and offers out his hand almost shyly to the other boy, but it felt like the right thing to do, so. He did it.

Follow your instincts, right?