talk about a reunion...

[usedkunai]

[He barely made it through the end of the first day of classes. The realization had dawned on him sometimes through one of Mr. Yamada's creepy lectures, and he's been shaking with frustration since then. Even though both Chie and Yukiko were eying him cautiously through class, Yosuke left no time for it to be questioned

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[tiercelet]

["Merlin" pauses in the middle of shuffling a pile of papers, clearly not expecting company after classes ended the first day. After the summer break, students tended to flood out of the school with relief, wanting to quickly reach their homes for some respite.]

Yosuke. [Blinking, he takes in the now third year's appearance, frown making his eyebrows crease in concern. All things considered, Merlin had known Yosuke would take Souji's absence badly, even if they weren't together here like they had been in Johto. The two of them had always been close.]

You look like hell. [He tells his friend with a bluntness his other students would never really be exposed to; he reserves it only for the Investigation Team.] You should get some rest--what are you even still doing here when you don't even have my class today?

[usedkunai]

D-dude, it's not-- ugh... [It doesn't take much for his expression to morph into something more exasperated, looking to the door and realizing he should make sure he's completely closed. The last thing he needed was people gossiping even more about him. A few hours and everyone is already talking.]

[Once he does that, though, his weight shifts -- less from the awkward teenager he was known to be -- standing straighter and more poised while looking down at him from where he stood.]

I'm gonna say two words, I need you to tell me if they mean a damn thing to you, okay? [No, he's not even acknowledging any of the other stuff. Not yet, at least.]

[tiercelet]

[Now that Merlin notices. It's not easy to pinpoint the change, but something is different, and Merlin's expression grows pensive as he considers Yosuke.]

All right. [The words are spoken slowly, cautiously. Even if he doesn't know what Yosuke is trying to get at, Merlin can tell this is important--far more important than maybe he'd suspected at first.

He glances at the door, too, and for a second his fingers twitch on the table before he catches himself. True, Yosuke had known about his magic back then, but he didn't now. None of the others did. The only hints of his discomfort are a slight pursing of his lips....and the index finger of his left hand rubbing absently over his thumb--as if it remembered something that had once been there but no longer is.] Go on.

[usedkunai]

[He hesitates, watching the motion, and countering with his own; he makes an attempt to adjust glasses that are not on his face. Right. He has to keep reminding himself that he doesn't wear glasses yet. A small sigh, and he closes his eyes.]

[It's hard to spit the words out. But he knows he has to be right about this; there's no way this can be anyone but the Merlin he once knew -- there were far too many coincidences. If anything, it's one person who has to remember -- and right now, he needs a confidant.]

[Drawing in a breath, his expression falls a bit. The confrontation of his own memories is a bit much for him to bear. Though his tone's serious and firm, there is a slight breakage in it.]

...Breeding Centre. [He immediately winces a bit as the words come out of his mouth.]