[center][img]http://i63.tinypic.com/2ijgg9d.jpg[/img][img]http://i65.tinypic.com/2lsi06d.jpg[/img] Tryhard + Leprechaun Sept 7, Lunchtime [/center] After class had ended, Savannah had rushed to the cafeteria. She hadn't had a chance to eat that morning due to a rude awakening, and was awfully hungry. Sitting through a class for a couple of hours hadn't helped either. Unlike her classmates, who had thought that the material was easy, Savannah was in the 8th grade. The stuff that they were learning- she hadn't learned that yet. So she actually had to pay attention. And what made it hard to pay attention was several animals yowling and barking, not to mention the students not paying attention. And the origami guy. That was distracting. When she got to the buffet, she got a bean and cheese burrito, and a cup of iced tea and headed to a seat. Meat meat meat meat meat. With tongs, Brent grabbed thick slices of beef and stacked them on top of white rice, before spooning himself a large portion of seasonal vegetables. On the tray too was a large bowl of chicken noodle soup, accompanied by a whole handful of saltine crackers. Two tall glasses of milk precariously balanced on the edge, but, not showing any sort of anxiety about an inoppurtune trip, the amethyst-eyed youth looked around, searching for a good place to sit. Angel wasn't there, no doubt concerned about the whereabouts of her Norwegian puppy. Callan, Emma, Siena, and Marcus all looked to be busy with the new guy, while Sophia...well, where was Sophia? Upon scanning further though, he caught a shock of blond hair on a milk-despising little girl's head, and grinned. Walking over and placing his own full tray opposite of her, Brent sat down in front of Savannah. [color=B0C4DE]"Heyo, still on a diet from all those McDs?"[/color] [color=ed1c24]"I'm eating a bean and cheese burrito. Does it look like I'm still on a diet?"[/color] Savannah said, taking a bite of the aforementioned burrito. Damn, this was good. She looked inside of the burrito, and viewed a tortilla full to the bursting with beans and cheese. Nothing else. Just beans, cheese, and a flour tortilla. [color=B0C4DE]"You're eating one,"[/color] he smiled, [color=B0C4DE]"So yeah, pretty diet-y. Only 390 or so calories, after all, and there's no meat at all in it. Cheese is a good substitute for milk though."[/color] As he spoke, Brent began to tear open the packets of crackers one by one, dropping them into his soup. Savannah scowled at hearing the milk mentioned again. He really wasn't giving up, was he? [color=ed1c24]"Y'know, there isn't even that much cheese in this at all. It's mostly beans. And plus-"[/color] she said, cutting herself off to take a bite- [color=ed1c24]"Aren't beans protein too?"[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Yup, beans are indeed protein, and you don't have to worry about fats when eating them, which makes them pretty good for the whole dieting thing,"[/color] Brent replied. [color=B0C4DE]"I would mention that beans don't have the amino acids you need...but the cheese makes up for that."[/color] WIth a fork, he pulled a fat slice of beef into his own mouth before chomping down, an expression of childlike bliss blossoming on his face as he let out a satisfied sigh. [color=B0C4DE]"Can't beat meat in terms of taste though. And hey, meat doesn't make you gassy either."[/color] [color=ed1c24]"Hey, you know what they say." [/color]Savannah said, taking a sip of her tea. [color=ed1c24]"Beans, beans, the wonderful fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot."[/color] Savannah said this with a small smile. Immature, really, but Brent grinned regardless. For all her angry small child attitude, Savannah did have a nice smile. [color=B0C4DE]"Never actually heard stuff like that in my own school. Everyone was more interested in doing rhyming couplets that insulted their teachers."[/color] With one gulp, he downed a glass of milk. [color=B0C4DE]"Stuff like 'Mr. Mare's such a bear/Underwear? No, it's just hair.'"[/color] [color=ed1c24]"Damn. They must have been English nerds."[/color] Savannah said, biting a chunk off her burrito. [color=ed1c24]"To be fair, I didn't learn it at school either. My classmates didn't even rhyme. They just cursed and made bad jokes."[/color] Savannah made a face. [color=B0C4DE]"Wow, I thought rap music made poetry 'hip' and 'neat' again."[/color] Savannah scowled. [color=ed1c24]"Apparently not."[/color] Brent chuckled. Must be at the age where she thought everyone else was stupid. Taking the soup bowl in his hands, Brent carefully sipped on it, until his tongue became accustomed to the heat and he downed a whole mouthful. Another long, satisfied sigh passed through his lips, before he turned his attention back to the little lady. Absentmindedly folding a napkin into a rose, he asked, [color=B0C4DE]"By the way, how're you finding the classes, Savannah?"[/color] [color=ed1c24] "Actually, they're pretty hard. What do you think of them?"[/color] Savannah asked. She took a chunk of the burrito and shoved it into her mouth. [color=B0C4DE]"I'm, like, 18,"[/color] Brent replied, [color=B0C4DE]"so it'd be pretty pathetic if I couldn't do algebra in my sleep. Pretty sure you learn that sorta stuff in elementary though. Wonder why they're starting with that stuff..."[/color] [color=ed1c24]"You kidding me? I've never even learned algebra. I'm pretty sure they start that stuff in like the 8th grade."[/color] Savannah replied. [color=B0C4DE]"Mmm, might be a difference in schools. By the time I got to Grade 12, all I had were AP courses to take."[/color] [color=ed1c24]"Oh wow, AP?"[/color] Savannah said. [color=ed1c24]"You must be really smart."[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Naw, pretty sure that was average,"[/color] Brent laughed. [color=B0C4DE]"There were these crazy kids who skipped like, two grades and then got into university early. There were musicians and athletes on a national level as well. The school I was at just churned those types out. Super duper insane shit."[/color] Really, compared to them, he was still falling behind, huh? [color=ed1c24] "Oh, wow. That's so cool. I could never do that."[/color] Savannah said with a big-eyed look. [color=B0C4DE]"Well, they did get a headstart probably. The whole multiple tutors plus starting at an early age multipled by intense parental pressure thing."[/color] He shrugged then, stuffing four slices of beef in his mouth. After chewing and swallowing, Brent said, [color=B0C4DE]"You could totally do that though. If you have something you're passionate about, well...your parents aren't here, and you don't have to worrying about basic necessities, so outside of your classes, why not devote yourself to something you like?" "Talent isn't necessary if you're willing to go all out, after all!"[/color] Savannah chewed a bit, and then swallowed. [color=ed1c24]"You see, I'm what people call a dumbass. I don't exactly have the-"[/color] Savannah searched for a phrase to use for a few moments. [color=ed1c24]"mental capacity to do that."[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Ah, here's a fun fact though!"[/color] Brent snapped his fingers, summoning random sex ed trivia from a couple years ago. [color=B0C4DE]"Puberty lasts from two to five years, and for girls, starts from 9 to 14, depending on the individual. Now, what's one of puberty's most important functions?"[/color] A rhetorical question, really, because he didn't wait for Savannah to answer. [color=B0C4DE]"Brain development! Of course people would think you're a dumbass when your brain hasn't even fully matured yet. The important thing is to not let those losers drag you down because of that. Though genetics may have some hand in it, your brain could be compared to a muscle in that as long as you use it a lot, your intelligence will increase incrementally."[/color] Pushing up glasses that do not exist, Brent grinned. [color=B0C4DE]"That's why school makes you learn things that you'll never use again. It's not the knowledge that's actually important, it's the exercise your brain receives while attaining that knowledge." "Little known fact: my parents always said I was dropped on the head as a baby, but I managed to get fairly good just by bashing my head through obstacles until my brain became a wrecking ball."[/color] Savannah just gawked. [color=ed1c24]"I didn't know that. Th-thanks for telling me?"[/color] she said. The whole monologue had been unnecessary, just a reason for him to keep talking. But she apparently wasn't a dumbass. At least not yet. That was... relieving? She really didn't care. [color=B0C4DE]"You're welcome,"[/color] he beamed. He noticed, of course, her disinterest and mild confusion, but Brent also didn't particularly care. Savannah was likable in the way kids were all sorta adorable, but she wasn't particularly great at anything else. [color=B0C4DE]"Whatcha like doing anyways? Got a hobby that isn't video games?"[/color] Savannah nodded excitedly, suddenly interested in the conversation again. Finally, a topic that she actually cared about! Her foot danced around, and her fingers bounced against the table. [color=ed1c24]"I play the violin! Actually, I just got a new one from the school, so I'm really happy about that. It's a Cremona, it's actually good for my size, even though I'm really small and all."[/color] she said, gushing over the topic. If there was one thing that could catch her attention, it was any conversation about classical music. [color=B0C4DE]"Oh, right, you got that, eh?"[/color] Brent nodded along, watching the blonde's fingers dance on the table. Her left hand sure was agile. [color=B0C4DE]"How long have you been practicing? And huh...is a Cremona supposed to be a high-end brand or something? Only violins I know about in detail are the Strads."[/color] Savannah nodded. [color=ed1c24]"Yeah, Cremonas are pretty high-end. They cost a bunch, but they're not nearly as high-end as the Strads. I, um uh, I started when I was like eight."[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Six years, hm..."[/color] Brent nodded at that. He had no real idea what six years of practice could bring out, but it was definitely longer than the amount of time he spent pursuing any particular 'hobby'. [color=B0C4DE]"I'd love to hear you play some time. Got any specialty songs, Sav?"[/color] Savannah shook her head. [color=ed1c24]"No, not really. I'm really into Lindsey Stirling right now, though. I can play a couple of her songs." [/color] Lindsey Stirling? He could have sworn that she died from a three-headed giant turtle dropping from a kilometer above onto her concert hall. Well, fame was attained post-mortem anyways, so whatever. [color=B0C4DE]"That's cool. Got them memorized?"[/color] Savannah shook her head quickly. [color=ed1c24]"God no. It's so hard to memorize them- I've only memorized really short songs. Like Mary had a Little Lamb and Hot Cross Buns. You know- that short stuff."[/color] ...after six years? Brent smiled, overwriting his disappointment with a reflexive motion.[color=B0C4DE]"So stuff like muscle memory doesn't apply to music, huh? I guess it isn't really a sport or a martial art."[/color] He dwelled upon that for a moment, making edits to his assumptions and the knowledge he attained in the past. Was music a more cerebral task after all, that required active thought? Or was Savannah just a 'dumbass' that couldn't even remember things with her body? It was a bit of a pity, that the only examples he had were high-level, talented musicians and a 14 year old kid, but, well, he'll just have to broaden the sample pool more in the future. Another task to focus on during class. [color=B0C4DE]"Got any plans on requesting a violin instructor? Or are you going to go the self-taught route?"[/color] [color=ed1c24]"Oh, no no no." [/color]Savannah replied, shaking her head quickly. [color=ed1c24]"I can memorize parts of a song- just not the whole thing. It's actually really weird. Do you ever listen to a really popular Taylor Swift song and just memorize one or two lines?"[/color] she saked. But it wasn't really a question. Mostly because she didn't wait for him to answer. [color=ed1c24]"It's sort of like that- but muscle memory instead of your head."[/color] At Brent's second question, Savannah shook her head yet again. [color=ed1c24]"No. I've taught myself for a while- and I'm sure that no one will want a subnatural student, right?"[/color] she added a weak grin at the end of this. It was a shame really- she couldn't learn properly. Taylor Swift? The country star that was beheaded by a headless centaur during the Emmy Awards? He did in fact only recall a couple of lines from one of her songs, but that was really only due to said lines being from the chorus. Still, if she had taught herself the whole time, it did make a little more sense, her lack of progress. Six years trying to figure something out by herself because circumstances conspired against her desire to get proper training. Six years spent fighting a lonely battle, trying to perfect an art without the assistance of knowledgeable musician. He may be embellishing it a little bit, but... [color=B0C4DE]"You're probably right about that,"[/color] he shrugged, [color=B0C4DE]"But online teachers exist too, these days. With proper camera positioning and a believable excuse, you can probably get someone to teach you while concealing your subnatural existence. Or put it on your request form. Daisy seems to be more or less happy to deal with non-violent requests, after all!"[/color] Yeah, he might be getting his tank any time soon, but surely there's one competent violin instructor out there who was more interested in music than in race. Savannah snorted. [color=ed1c24]"Yeah, you could be right. But how do I explain when I flip out? Or in the event where a guard comes in and aims his gun at my head? You can't explain everything, Brent. Especially not the weird stuff that goes on here."[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Weird stuff, huh?"[/color] Memories of the basement of the hospital popped up in his mind once more, before it was then replaced by images of life outside USARILN. Monster attacks. Activist organizations. Police bashing down doors. [color=B0C4DE]"Weird stuff happens everywhere, but I see your point."[/color] He thought for a moment, wondering if it was possible to help someone learn a new ability if he didn't have that ability himself. [color=B0C4DE]"Well, if the request form gets you nothing, I don't mind helping you out with pitch and all that. Not like I really have anything better to do when I'm so far ahead in school. I didn't devote six years to violin-ing, but hey, a second set of ears is always useful for improvement, right?"[/color] He was trying too hard, but on the other hand, Brent didn't care. It was like Emma all over again. His curiousity was ignited. Savannah hesitated a bit, biting her lip. [color=ed1c24]"Nah, no thanks. Wouldn't wanna take up your time or anything like that."[/color] [color=B0C4DE]"Taking up all the free time that I'm dying to get rid of? Alright." [/color]Brent laughed, before he bit down on his fork. Looking at his plate, he realized that somewhere along the way, it had been emptied completely. [color=B0C4DE] "Well, I'm going to go for round two. Want me to get you anything?"[/color] [color=ed1c24] "No thanks. I'm pretty full. That burrito was huge."[/color] Savannah answered his question. [color=B0C4DE]"Really now?"[/color] There was a tinge of disbelief in his tone as he scooted off, disappearing off into the crowds. He never did return to that table.