After a Long Night (open)

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn ruffled his hair and hoisted his backpack onto one shoulder, which shifted the neckline of his knit top a bit. He was an odd combination of tired and hyper aware, perhaps stemming from the fact that his magic was more active today.

At least he was able to focus in class. It wouldn't do to fall behind in his lessons.

He yawned and ambled down the hallway, staying close to the wall to keep out of the way.

[Sarah Sternberg]

Sarah smiled as she caught sight of Tebryn in the hall ahead of her, and quickened her pace to catch up to him.

"Hey Tebryn, how are y-- Heilige Scheisse, are you okay?" What had happened to his neck?

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn turned at the sound of his new friend's voice, and started to smile before something startled her. His brow furrowed and he tipped his head.

"Am I... okay?" He rubbed his neck, confused for a moment before the realization hit him.

Ah, maybe he should have worn a turtleneck today... At least the scratches on his shoulderblades weren't visible. Those would be a little harder to explain.

"I'm fine," he mumbled.

[Sarah Sternberg]

Sarah's eyes narrowed as she regarded him. "That's what they all say. Seriously, what happened?"

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn arched an eyebrow. He was quiet for a long moment before he could find words to string together as he continued to rub his neck.

"I'd rather not... I mean, out here in the hallway. It's not important, Sarah, really."

[Sarah Sternberg]

"Well, you should at least go see Ellie about it. That looks like it hurts." She had to agree with his "not in the hallway" comment, but she still intended to ask him about it later. In private.

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn ducked his head a little bit and adjusted the neckline of his shirt. "They'll heal on their own. I don't think I need to bring Ellie into it."

[Sarah Sternberg]

"You sure? That's kind of her job. What if they get infected?"

[Peace Emberlain]

Peace was heading down the hallways between classes when he started hearing words like heal and infected. He'd seen Tebryn before- quiet little guy, kinda adorable- and immediately started imagining things. He walked up and poked his nose into the conversation.

"Wait, what's going on? Someone's hurt?" He frowned. "Does someone need to be punched?"

[Il Tebryn]

Oh, for the love of--

Tebryn's brow furrowed and he made a tiny squeaking noise as he used both hands to pull the wide neck of his shirt higher and close to his neck.

"It's nothing. Just some... Just some marks. Nothing bad."

He turned to look at Peace. "Didn't even hurt. They'll heal on their own." He offered him a half smile, appreciating the protective sentiment but not wanting to call forth anyone else's attention.

[Blaise Des Rosiers Park]

Blaise had been watching quietly the conversation between his brother and the other two students, a sly smirk creeping onto his face. Blaise had enough experience with those kind of bruises to know exactly what they were from.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him." Blaise slid up behind Tebryn, a mischievous lilt in his voice. "I'm sure he those were quiet pleasantly acquired. Right, Tebryn-ah?"

Blaise gave him a knowing grin. "So tell me, who's the lucky lady?" Blaise grabbed him by the shirt and pulled his collar down past his clavicle. "Or man, or... whatever the proper way to address the people that aren't either is. No judgment. Damn, they got you good, huh? Do they go all the way down?"

[Il Tebryn]

"Hyung!" Tebryn's eyes widened and his neck and ears burned.

He would survive, as long as Blaise didn't look at the scratches on his back. He tried not to look his brother in the eye, because the bruises did in fact go all the way down and he wasn't about to give Blaise any indication that he was correct.

"Y-you don't know her. Just... can you keep it down, or what?"

[Sarah Sternberg]

Sarah blinked at the other boy's assessment, and forced herself not to look away awkwardly, for fear of falsely incriminating herself. Of all the possible reasons behind those bruises, as much as it made sense, it wasn't one she wanted to hear. Might be a good idea to just keep heading down to breakfast.

[Peace Emberlain]

Peace paused, then grinned. "Ooohhh, a girlfriend. Okay. Sorry, didn't mean to freak out over your hickeys. You should still take care of them if they broke the skin, though!"

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn grumbled in a someone save me manner as his hand moved reflexively to one shoulder, if nothing else than to keep his shirt from being tugged around by Blaise.

"Say it louder, why don't you." He looked around nervously as passers-by glanced at them. "I didn't think they were that bad... Are they really that bad?"

Well, he wasn't about to go to Ellie to have her heal hickeys and scratches. She would give him the mom look.

Tebryn resolved to wear turtlenecks and scarves for the next few days, as he continued to blush. He also resolved to ask the person responsible to be more careful with the placement of her marks.

"No skin broken," he insisted. "I don't need them taken care of." He slouched more, as if trying to shrink.

[Sarah Sternberg]

"They look like they hurt," Sarah said in response to his question. "If you're worried about people seeing them, why not cover them with makeup or something? I'd lend you my foundation, but it's nowhere close to the right skintone for you."

[Dmitry Gilespi]

Dmitry was heading along, minding his own business, until he saw Kazari's roommate huddled in a corner surrounded by people. He slowed down and raised an eyebrow.

The guy was cute, though really not his type. He wondered at Kazari's decision not to go for that for about a quarter-second before remembering Gussu.

[Il Tebryn]

"I think I have some bb cream or tinted moisturizer something floating around," Tebryn mumbled, trying to remember if he owned any cosmetics outside of the occasional eyeliner pencil. He tried to hook his hair behind one ear, only to have it fall right back in his face.

"They're just a little sore," he added, trying his damndest to ignore the residual heat in his ears.

[Blaise Des Rosiers Park]

"Pfft." Blaise rolled his eyes. "Why would he need to cover them up?" He looked back at Tebryn and reached up to pinch his cheeks. "Wear those hickeys like a badge of honor, Tebryn-ah. People should know that you're finally getting some action."

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn grumbled something about Daisy probably giving him more bruises if she saw him trying to cover the old ones up. He batted Blaise's hand away and reached forward to flick his brother's forehead.

"I'm not about to go and buy concealer, so I guess having them visible is my only option."

[Blaise Des Rosiers Park]

"I mean, if you want concealer, I could let you borrow some of mine, but it might be a bit on the metallic side for you," Blaise replied, before smacking Tebryn's hand away.

"So when am I gonna get to meet this girl? Or was it with some sweaty stranger at The Drunken Loa? Because if it was the green-skinned thing with the forked tongue, you'll wanna have Ellie check you out. I won't say what I got from them, but it won't be pretty in a few days if you don't get a couple of shots."

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn's eyes widened for a long moment and cringed, folding his arms over his head and slouching. A muffled groan escaped him and he slouched, trying to purge any resulting mental images. He didn't want Blaise to say what he got from the reptilian bar lurker.

"I swear, hyung, you'll only meet my girl if you agree to wear duct tape over your mouth."

[Blaise Des Rosiers Park]

"Ah-hah, so it is a girl! I knew it." Blaise grinned. "And fine, fine, I promise not to embarrass you in front of your little gi~rlfriend, Tebryn-ah. But I can't promise I the same for Himmel and Frog."

[Il Tebryn]

Tebryn looked through his sleeves at his brother, cheeks burning red but expression hopeful. "Himmel and Frog I can deal with. You, hyung, you are sinister in your potential for embarrassment."

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