Francis fiddled absentmindedly with the dog-eared pages of his novel. Normally, he would have been hunched over the paperback and intently poring over every word, but he was somewhat distracted today.
No, not distracted, he was expectant. A shaky burble of excitement had somehow lodged itself in his throat and try as he might, he couldn't get rid it.
'Not when Priscilla's going to board the bus soon,' an amused voice chuckled at the back of his head. Francis scowled at this unneeded intrusion and determinedly glared at his book.
He was not distracted, he was not expectant and he certainly did not smile to himself when he saw the familiar canvas knapsack perched on it's owner's back when the bus trundled to the fifth stop after he boarded. No, he was too busy being fascinated by the novel's dramatic retelling of how medieval artists ground lapis lazuli for ultramarine pigments (he hadn't seen ultramarine before, but he still liked the sound of it).
Yet his heart still gave a little leap when Priscilla slid into the seat next to him with a quiet, "Hey!", slightly out of breath from the run for the bus. "Hey." he muttered back, a quick, shy smile darting across his face.
"What, not sketching in your notebook? What's that book you've got there?" Priscilla poked her head over his shoulder curiously.
"J-just some historical novel." he stumbled, fumbling to shove it back into his rucksack. "About, um, painting."
"Sounds cool! Can I take a look?"
And as always, Francis found himself unable to deny her request.
After she has silently flipped through a few battered pages, she closed it again and handed it back to him. "I think it's pretty good, actually."
Francis turned slightly pink as he crammed the book back into his bag. "I'm glad you do." A slight breath of happiness, of relief.
He shouldn't have been seized by a sudden, terrifying urge to close the last fraction of an inch and link their pinkies together.
69 comments:
>//////< When you write this from his POV, I feel a distinct urge to root for Francis, the poor lonely guy he seems to be. >: I dun quite like this urge.
^^ I /do/ like this a lot, because it's awesome and you're awesome, I like it a lot... even if it plunges me into this... weird... touchy-feely mood... that makes me... feel so sorry for Francis.... and want to hug him.... Ngh-! You devious little thing, you just wait for more of my stuff to be written!!! *shakes fist*
W-why? D; Why don't you want to love and support Francis? He loves you too!! >:
Just give in to the urge and hug him. He would like that very much. U___U Go on, give him some lovin'.
Dx B-because it'll mean team Francilla /wins/!!! I-I can't have that! I won't give in! I can't surrender!
... I will give him a /friend/ly hug though. >.> *friendly, /platonic/ hug* ^^; M-maybe I'm just not ready for more.
...That is a total, barbaric, outrageous and blasphemous lie. >.> You /are/ ready for more, much more, and don't you try denying that.
Dx You're so harsh. *emos away in the corner* And so mean. >: I'm only FIFTEEN!!! >: But fine. Even if I'm ready and I'm just being naive and foolish, I'm still young and still strong and independently-minded, I will resist for as long as I can!!! *raises sword* FOR um... for... FOR NARNIA!!!
I'm just saying the truth! >: NARNIA REJECTS YOU!! Go back to your true love instead!! >:
:C *can't say I'm just fifteen anymore* Dx Nuuu, Narnia, lemme iiinnnnnnnn~ :C *curls up in a corner of the room with the wardrobe*
I said, go back to your true love!! >:
no, nein, non, nu, tidak.
D; Why? Why do you spurn Francis so?
>C Can't let you and him /win/. I must not give up or give in!
It's not about /winning/, it's about /loving/. >:
If I said I loved him right now, you'd do a victory dance, I know you would. My mission is to prevent that occurrence and instead, push for Mattelle.
So you mean you would abandon love in favour of winning, you cruel person. >:
It's not so much winning as it is dignity, and appearance and all that. You know how it is with China's kiasuness. :3
>: You mean that that is worth more to you than Francis?
No, no, it just has more influence over me because after all, it /is/ in my blood. U___U Where does Francis fit into my body system? Nowhere. U____U
Where does Francis /fit/ into your body? Oh, I could name quite a few places, Nano, quite a few places... ;D
I refuse to respond until you either choose to agree or disagree with the new equal-exchange-of-innuendos proposal.
*shrugs* Your loss.
No, no, it's yours. U___U
Nope, yours. U______________________U
Oh, it's youuurs, alright. U_______________________________U
Liar. U____________________________________________________________U
Dx Nuuuuu, you made the U___U so long that I can't out-U___U you without breaking it into two lines. >: How clever. Maybe you're a better villain than I... anticipated.. *notes down in little black notebook*
Seriously, what's with the little black notebook? Dx
Think of it like a camera I use to capture information to later analyze and re-strategize. Except, of course, it's a notebook so it'll tell more far more than a picture ever can. U___U
I thought it should be the other way round. 'A picture's worth a thousand words' and all?
Nevah. The guy who said that never had to work with a photo source for his IGCSE history paper. OTL
Ah, but that's when you're turning a picture into a thousand words, not the other way round. And I loved photo sources for History. xD Laughing at the agony that they put History students through, I mean. *is a Geography student instead*
So... the most beneficial course of action is to of course, have photos too. Alright, if you insist. *hunts for camera*
WELL, I DO NOT. MAPS AND PHOTOS, THEY HATE ME. ;C I understand everything in Geography as long as I don't have to infer it from a map. Dx Maybe I'm just bad at inferring in general. OTL
Thar thar, I'm sure you'll get the hand of inferring from picture sources if you get enough practice. ^^;
:C I never notice things until they're pointed out to me.
:C Then how are you even passing your exams?
:C I've never sat for any qualification exam before this so you could say I'm new to a lot of things. :C
Oh...well, it won't be too hard lah. :)
|x Says the Singaporean.
:C Would the same sentiments coming from a person of different nationality be any different?
You guys study and work harder. >.>
That's not true! I spend my days playing and go to sleep at 8, with my homework left undone. :P
._O Playing?? Playing what? O:
Um, Extreme Pamplona? :D
o____O I... see... |: So you dun study.. ._O At all?
Nope. :D Not until half an hour before the exam, anyway.
I suspect you're omitting a lot of the truth to comfort me but thank you anyway. ^^ I feel better. *hug*
No, really. i don't study at all. xD That explains my grades.
So... Are you still in Primary 6 then? O:
>: Primary 6? That was 4 years ago!
D'aww, are you still just in Form Four? *pats your head* Or wait, is the system different... x.X I forget what form I was in...
What's Form Four? x.X I ish very confuzzled. I'm in- or used to be- in Sec 4. :D
It's a stupid Malaysian-system name, prolly the same as Sec 4 really. I would've preferred to be a 'fifth year', like in Harry Potter/Britain. |: Anyway. What was the topic at hand again? x.X
Idk. x.X
O: OH well.
Smelly. :C
What is? Dx I took a shower today...
I just felt like saying that. :D
|: Not funny. *whack* U___U
Ouch. Dx What was that for? :C
>: Made me doubt my own hygiene. Shame on you.
Shame on you for having doubtful hygiene. xD
I'll take a shower today, okay?! >.< Just stop it with the pressure!!!
Alright, alright, I'll back off. xD
U__U THANK YOU.
YOU'RE VELCOME.
ARE YOU GERMAN NOW? O:
NO. NOT GERMAN.
ARE YOU PRUSSIAN? DID GILLY ADOPT YOU? ADOPTION DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY BUT STILL.
NO. WHY WOULD GILLY ADOPT ME? I WAS CHANNELLING MY INNER RUSSIAN. U___U
RUSSIAN? PFFFT. IT WAS GERMAN. YOU WERE SO OFF.
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