First beat

[toocoolforthis]

Well, I can't say I've ever been this late to school before.
Unfortunately, I can't claim to be awesome enough to have played hooky for half a year.
Maybe next year.
In the meantime, I'm back.
I'm sure you're all either completely ecstatic or completely disgusted, so please, contain your looks of horror and/or joy.
A simple "Sup, Dirk" will suffice.

Comments

[shitknickers]

[Fine, fine, gosh you're just no fun at all. He sets him down, dusting him off carefully.]

No potions! Just pure unadulterated missing your crabby shades-wearing face. I was rather hoping you might lose those silly things while you were away. [He taps the corner of one.]

[toocoolforthis]

[Oh, good. Dirk's just going to take a moment to breathe and straighten out his hair. Not his robes, though, because apparently Jake's got that.]

Jake, you've seen my Bro. It's a Strider tradition to wear these things.

Though for what it's worth, I missed you too, even though you just tried to break my spine.

[shitknickers]

[Jake is occasionally fastidious. Or maybe he just likes contact because he missed you.]

Ughh, have I ever. You'd think a grown man would wear something a bit more professional. [He shakes his head.]

Apologies, for that. You know I get overzealous.

[toocoolforthis]

[Dirk's not about to complain.]

You're not allowed to talk down on the shades. I bet you'll never get me to stop wearing them.

[He shrugs.] It's been months. I should have expected it.

[shitknickers]

[Of course he's not. Jake just rolls his eyes a little and reaches a hand up to feint taking off Dirk's shades.]

Not even just once?

Of course you should have! Your time away has knocked you down on your game, Strider.

[toocoolforthis]

[And Dirk steps aside, though he doesn't lift a hand to ward Jake off.]

Not even once.

Damn. I'll have to train in the art of avoiding bear hugs all over again. There goes all my free time.

[shitknickers]

[He'd never actually, since glasses are sort of an important thing and he understands that, even if there is a bit of a difference between prescription and sunglasses. Though for all he knows Dirk's are prescription sunglasses.]

Luckily you have me to train with, and I'm simply the best there is at bear hugs.

[toocoolforthis]

[Dirk will be perfectly fine with that. It's not even that he minds his eye color all that much, really, but he's still not about to take off his shades.]

I'm the most fortunate. I have the champion bear-hugger to help me.

[shitknickers]

[He lifts his arms in a triumphant pose for a moment, making a silly face.]

So, tell me all about your time away?

[toocoolforthis]

[Jake stop showing off before he gets an anime nosebleed.]

What's there to tell? I was studying. It just wasn't here.

[shitknickers]

[Swoon.]

Oh come off it. Surely something interesting happened? [He drops his arms from their stance and pointedly swings one around Dirk's shoulders.]

[toocoolforthis]

[The charm of Jake English is too strong for him to escape that arm. It is simply a law of the universe.]

If something interesting had happened I'm sure Bro would have made me come back to the castle sooner.

[shitknickers]

Well good lord then why did you stay away so long? That's complete horseshit. [He squeezes Dirk's shoulders a bit.] But no matter! That only means that we'll have to make up for lost time.

[toocoolforthis]

Because I wanted to see this thing through to the end, why the hell else would I? I don't give up once I've started.

[shitknickers]

You never have. [A sideways grin.]