\THURSDAY/
.
*It's early morning before the first class, rooms are still locked. Early students hang out in the main university's pavilion.
*Cyan is seated, quietly sketching. Then he feels an odd presence, a bright energy shining nearby.
*Cyan glances at his surroundings and notices someone familiar.
*It was Ember, and she wasn't just walking, smiling. She was practically glowing, bouncing on her feet. Her eyes, usually alert, were unfocused, with a happiness filter mode.
*This was not the standard campus exhaustion. No, quite the opposite. The energy she was giving was immense, abnormal.
*This was not simply the look of someone who had a good dream. It was more.
*A student anomaly standing out in the sluggish 8am crowd.
*Ember feels a stare and notices Cyan. Beside him is a free seat.
*She hurries her stride and takes the seat with the urgency similar to spotting a seat in a subway.
[Cyan] You look happy. Did something happen?
[Ember] \grins\, \shows dancehall userpass\
[Cyan] Dance club? Congrats.
*Cyan, still curious, further asks.
[Cyan] Spill the tea?
[Ember] \grins\
[Ember] Well senior Josh showed us a choreo, and we had to follow it, so I go pop, drop, lock, flow, and like it's really fast.
[Ember] And the tension of fellow trainees dropping out and getting kicked out...
*And she continues the story.*
[Cyan] The second part where you freestyle to that, complaint-message-vibe track. You danced femme to that song? \holds his laugh\
[Ember] Hey, stop laughing! Femme is what I'm most comfortable at! I don't know much about choreo.
[Cyan] So how was it? Did you ace part 2? What did the seniors say?
[Ember] They said "try again", I really thought it meant try again next year, you know \T_T\, but I got in at the end!
[Ember] We were so happy! I even met a new friend, her name is Alyssa, but we call her Lisa. We were so stressed out after the announcement, that without knowing each other we celebrated with a hug. \haha\
[Cyan] Sounds painful.
[Ember] Worth!
*Ember ponders a thought.
[Ember] You know, this info costs.
[Cyan] \in disbelief\ Are you seriously asking for payment right now?
[Ember] Come on, buy me a coffee! Auditioning was stressful, you know.
[Cyan] No.
[Ember] As a friend, that fully supports his friend, shouldn't a celebratory drink, maybe coffee, come with the congrats?
[Cyan] Are you seriously gaslighting me to buy you coffee right now?
[Ember] \grins :>\
[Cyan] \stops for a moment and really think about it\
[Cyan] (buying her coffee, cons: I lose money, pros: Friend, huh. First college friend, doesn't that mean less effort to start my college circle?)
[Cyan] (A coffee for the benefit of convenience? Yeah, why not?)
[Cyan] Fine, coffee, my treat. Let's go.
[Ember] Venti?
[Cyan] Venti? There's no Starbucks inside campus?
[Ember] Outside.
[Cyan] \looks at time\ We won't make it. So after class, okay? But I'm not buying cake.
[Ember] \hmm\ Still great! \Yay!!\
*Time for class.
*Lectures continue until the end of the day.
*Cyan is leaving.
[Ember] Hey! We got a deal! Why are you leaving first? Escaping, huh?
[Cyan] \*caught\ Fine. Let's go.
[Ember] (suspicious)
*They walk outside, talking about the lectures.
*Arrives at Starbucks.
*They decided that Ember will fall in line, while Cyan saves a table.
[Ember] Wait! What's your order?
[Cyan] Iced Caramel Macchiato, grande, no whip cream.
[Ember] Okay, \extends hand\ money.
[Cyan] \hands her his Starbucks card and goes to a table\
*Time to order.
[Ember] I'll take Dark Chocolate Mocha, frappe, venti, and an iced Caramel Macchiato, grande, no whip cream. That will be in this card.
[Ember] And I'd like to buy a slice of dark chocolate cake. To go. \hands cash\
*-orders taken-
[Cyan] \doodling again\
[Ember] \sits down\ So wanna see the dance?
[Cyan] \glances at her, then glances at the surrounding\ Are you sure?
[Ember] \glances at everyone\ Yeah. It's fine. \smiles\,\hops up and stands in front of Cyan\
*So she explains, with pop, drop, lock, as she moves, then she starts rambling countings and finishes.
[Ember] So yeah, like that.
[Cyan] \smiles as if waiting\
[Ember] And the performance is like this. \dances with actual speed\
[Cyan] Wow. That's indeed very fast and hard. You got that?
[Cyan] A talented dancer in our major. They might try to scout you for those Inter-College competitions, you know?
[Ember] \stares\ Depends. Am I getting coffee?
[Cyan] What?
[Ember] \hides her laugh\
[Cyan] Anyway, how about the other dance?
[Ember] Hell no.
[Cyan] Dismissive.
[Ember] No arguments.
*Barista calls out "...order for Ember", for the nth time.
*They didn't hear their orders called out.
[Cyan] \notices the barista waving\ I think our order's here.
[Ember] Oh! \turns around, walks, receives the coffee, and goes back to the table\
[Ember] \hands the drink and sips her own coffee\
[Cyan] \takes coffee and sips\ Starbucks is getting crowded, shall we go?
[Ember] Yeah. Thanks for the coffee, see you tomorrow.
[Cyan] Guess we will, see you tomorrow.
*They sip their coffee as they both go their separate ways.