3rd Broken Illusion

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ Phone ]
Whoever messed with the punch at the dance? Good going, idiot. Maybe you thought you were making things "fun", but all you managed to do was ruin an evening that could have passed without incident otherwise.

This town's bad enough. Why would you do something like that? Gah. [ U MAD, TOUMA?

Seriously, he didn't even want to be there, but it messed Misaka up badly, and thus subsequently cut something short that Mikoto was looking forward to. Even if the vomiting saved his ass. That's what has him all pissed off. ]

---

[ Action : 840 Hastings : Open ]
[ Now that he's gotten that bit of frustration out, Touma was back to being restless. He's currently milling about the house, trying to find something to do. The drones are off doing whatever it is that drones do out of the house. He is used to living (mostly) alone, so he's doing stuff just to have something to do.

This includes but is not limited to:
a) Cleaning his room, or organizing all the books in the house.
b) Raking the yard and bagging up the leaves.
c) Washing the car -- and contemplating getting driving lessons. ]

(ooc: Back-dated to Sunday, and action is open to anyone passing by the house, or stopping in to visit himself or Morgiana. o/ )

Comments

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ The movement surprises him, but he doesn't flinch. ] ...yeah. The punch was spiked, and it made a friend of mine really sick because she didn't know any better.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

I see. [She is the most helpful not!sister.]

It was sabotaged, you mean? Is it curable?

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

It's not that serious, she just had to get taken home because she-- [ Touma makes a face at the memory. ] It was a mess. Her sister was watching after her after that.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she's quiet, curious on what could have led to that. she passes on another book.]

I'm sorry for your friend. I did not think these things happened at simple dances.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ Sighing, he takes the book and shifts some things around to put it in place. ] Me, either. I thought the adults who were there would've been watching for that sort of thing.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

I did not know it was a common thing. Is someone being targeted? [boy some of these books are thick. can someone actually read the whole thing?]

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

Common or not, it seems irresponsible. [ He pauses. ] ... I don't know. Seems awfully rash to contaminate the whole bowl just to get at one person. What if they didn't even get thirsty? Then they're being stupid AND ignoring the collateral damage.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she doesn't really get half of this, and is kind of imagining a sneaky hooded figure putting some poison in glasses or something.

tentatively, to possibly make him feel better about this:] Perhaps they were found by these adults eventually.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

Hope so. They're lucky I didn't catch them. [ Angrily shoves the next book in place. ]

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

Um. These books. Have you read any of them? [look at this stealthy change of subject!]

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ So sneaky. Touma pauses and blinks to look at the cover of the next one. ] --oh. No. Not yet.

You?

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she carefully brings over the next stack and sets them down.]

I see. No, I do not think I could.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ He looks at the book that he can understand even though he doubts that all houses in this day and age carried Japanese copies of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", so it can't be a language problem. ]

Why not?

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she could play it off as saying it was too long for her- but it would not feel right.]

I am still learning.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ ...wow. Way to put two and two together, Touma.

Not. ] Oh...

Sorry. I didn't think about that. [ Furrowing his brow. ] What grade did they put you in, again?

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

Fresh-year. [she means first year/freshman...]

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ He gets her meaning. ] They put me in as a... sophomore. [ Touma at least knew what the school system years were like, beforehand, but it was still weird to refer to it like that. ]

Are the teachers helping you with your reading at all, or are they expecting you to be able to keep up already?

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[since some students don't really take fake!school that seriously already, it gets hard to tell whether she is struggling or just not doing it. some have noticed, at least.]

Some help. I do not ask. [she pauses, not really proud of this, before speaking again.] I can 'sound it out'.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ Ah, she has some pride. He can respect that, and appreciate why she wouldn't want to make a big deal out of it in the school environment. The drones might tease her mercilessly for something like that. (And he's already feeling protective enough to where he'd chase them away if he saw that happening. It doesn't take him long!) ]

[ Sadly, he has no memories of who taught him to read, or how he learned, just that there were steps taken and now, he just knows! Though he does at least know that at home there would be several steps to learning the language fluently and, in English, there's only one alphabet that's ever taught. ] Maybe I can help. I mean, practice will be your best bet, if you're already that far, but ... I don't know. [ He scratches his head. ] I'd be a pretty crappy housemate if I didn't try.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

You would not be. [she says that, but she does look a bit hopeful if not touched.]

I try to practice often but... I can't know if I'm correct or not. Or making mistakes.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ He smiles a bit. That doesn't come out so often, here. Nor does he sound so... enthusiastic. ] Then I can help with that part. I promise I won't laugh or anything. It can be hard to admit what you just did to me, but I think it's great that you're working toward improvement!

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she seems to brighten a bit! maybe. it's kind of hard to tell with her.]

Thank you, Touma. So long as it is not in your way- I will try my best.

We are reading something for, ah, English I think. A play.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

It wouldn't be in my way, trust me. [ As far as he saw it, it was helping someone in a way he was capable of AND it filled in for time. So, really, it's a bigger help to him than he'll freely admit. ]

Can you show me which it is? I doubt it's one I've read before, but that won't matter.

[abovelions.livejournal.com]

[she leaves after a nod and returns not too long after with a tiny book. the play is, of course, by shakespeare.

there's little wonder why she had troubles with this assignment.]

This one.

[punch_illusions_get_harem]

[ Staring at the book after just a few pages. ] ...sheesh. Can't they use one of the modern translations?