*lunch table*

Sunday had grown bored, bored of everything. Bouncing from one corner of her room to the next. Sitting in that chair, then hanging off the side of her bed. Looking through her closet, dumping out a basket of bracelets, getting it half sorted before deciding that wasn't doing it either. It was honestly frustrating. She had spent a good while with paint, and a pair of jeans. Covering it in stars. Realizing she hated it. Giving the stars funny faces. Liking it a little bit more. Then she had become hungry, or maybe she was just bored enough that food sounded good. So she made Theo gather her a snack of grapes and cheese.

It was in a plastic baggie, that she held between her teeth. A barely audible
"'ank you Te'o!!" And Sunday made it off again, to her room. Bouncing past other students. Back in the room of boredom, and nothing interesting. Ignoring the Dunken's correction of 'Theodor Sunday, it's Theodor!' Her room normally rather clean and organized, it looked messy to any stranger looking in. But to her, it was just her room. A little disheveled from her task bouncing sure. But she knew were stuff was.

Sunday reached for the overturned basket. Of course still holding the snacks in her mouth, she needed her hands after all! Speaking of hands, dang her nails were quite chipped. She needed to repaint them, she tossed her nail polish in the basket. Then some beads, string, a plastic needle as it made things sooooo much easier. In went boring plain headbands, oh oh-! and this, that and the other. Popsicle sticks! Glitter glue! Glitter! All the supplies that she needed. Realistically the girl didn't need all of this. In no universe would any person need this much for a simple outing.

But Sunday was Sunday. She'd come to the conclusion that the reason for her boredom was the bedroom. She held the basket around the bowl part of it, holding it tightly against her chest. Arms wrapped soundly around it. Like it was pure gold. To her, it really was. With much little grace, she maneuvered her door open. Leaving it all behind. Not Purpleberry though, the puff was planted gently in the basket. Sunday once more made her way through the halls. In this half walk, half skipping motion. To the lunch room. Finding a table in the middle of the room. Empty and perfect. She put the basket down, and took the snack baggie. Opening it, grabbing a grape and enjoying the crisp taste, and nice juicy nectar of the grape was so good.

Purpleberry hopped out of the basket onto the table. Sunday placed a cheese square for her pet. Could they have cheese? Ehhh, who knew. She grabbed beads, a piece of string. And sat down, eyes filled with sparkles. She started to make a simple bracelet for her love of grapes. "Dark green, light green, dark gree-" She spoke gently to herself. Swinging her feet. Just her heels resting on the floor. She hummed to herself. Oh yeah, this was much better. She looked up, and at the very first person she saw. Sunday leaned on the table. Elbows resting on it. "You! Hiii!" She cheerfully called, smiling ear to ear. "Do you like grapes to?" Normal Sunday things, a bunch of DIY crafts, a purple pom pom pet, and asking random strangers about there food preferences.

april 5th, 2026 | interacting with @Sunday Crestmont

For the first time since becoming an apprentice, Al was not spending the day with his dukun. They had days off, of course, like the weekends and holidays. But when it came to regular teaching hours, they generally hadn't missed a day. It was jarring, to say the least, and he didn't really know what to do except sit in the common areas and read a book. He had zero interest in doing anything else, not playing sports or other games or even finding other students to talk to.

Except that was exactly why his dukun had called for the day off. She had dumped him back in the dorms and insisted that he stayed on the school grounds. Go find people to talk to, she'd said. The conversation had gone something like—

"Wala kay friends sa imong edad?" Ate Imani asked, her tone a bit higher than normal.

"Wala," Al said.

"Then what do you do kung wala ako diri?"

Al blinked a few times. "I just study..."

He didn't see what the big deal was that he didn't really have friends at Tenūsa. When his sister was still here, he just went to her and let her talk about whatever was going on while he read more books. He wanted to be a doctor, after all—not quite a nurse like his dad but definitely something in medicine, and that involved a lot of studying, didn't it? Ate Imani knew this. That was why she had chosen him as her apprentice when he turned eleven. So what was the issue now?

Well, he was in the cafeteria now, still with a book in hand. Ate Imani hadn't exactly taken away his book stash, so he still had them as a sort of safety net. If someone tried to start a conversation with him, then he could respond for a little bit until the conversation tapered off and then hide himself behind the pages. He hated small talk, but it wasn't like talking about how much blood the heart pumps every second was an acceptable way to start a conversation.

Occasionally, he would look up and judge the people coming in—not in a mean way, but more like figuring out who might approach him and start a conversation. Many chose not to, mostly because there was already someone else they knew in the cafeteria or they just didn't find a boy with a book too interesting (fair enough). When someone with bright-coloured clothes and beanie walked in, Al didn't think too much of it except that they had an interesting wardrobe. He turned back to his book and tuned out their mutterances, only for them to suddenly shout—

"You! Hiii!"

Al looked up and met their eyes. He turned his head to the side and back. Maybe there was someone they knew around him. Only, there really wasn't. He turned back to them and tilted his head.

"Do you like grapes to?"

Al blinked a few times. "Uh—yes?" He replied. Grapes were okay. He just wasn't sure what brightly-coloured-hair person wanted from his response.