Soul Resonance, Let's Go!

((augh I'm sorry bud, that sounds really dumb and annoying... Like you're the one driving, YOU should be the one deciding what you wanna practice. Only you truly know what you need to improve in. I hope that doesn't continue forever... <3 and seriously?! That's weird. Like, nosy much? You're allowed to have some privacy, no? :huggle: Luuuuurve you buddy! ))

~ y u m e ~

Sunday wasn't much of a work day for Yume, it mostly consisted of laundry and lounging around. She had finished her homework yesterday before the party had started. Monday morning came rolling around not soon enough. All day Sunday, Yume couldn't stop thinking about her new EAT class. She was mostly eager to learn from a new teacher and maybe possibly showing off her skills a bit. Yume wasn't even nervous to arrive in class Monday morning because all of her friends would be there, and she had made up with Kureno so there would (hopefully) be no trouble with him. When her alarm went off at 7:45 Monday morning, it was shut off right away and Yume immediately got herself out of bed. She decided on an outfit consisting of a pair of dark skinny jeans, a black v-neck sweater with a white tank top to go under it, and the same of black velvet close-toed heels she had worn to the graduation ceremony on Friday evening. Grabbing her 2 favorite towels and her shower caddie, she was off to the shower. 45 minutes later, Yume was ready to start the day. She grabbed a small container of yogurt out of the mini fridge in her room and decided to eat it on the way. Risking being late (or late for being early, in Yume's case) was something she did not want to attempt on the first day of a new class. Arriving at about 8:47 a.m., Yume noticed there was a surprisingly large amount of people already there 13 minutes before class started. Usually most students at DWMA were pretty good at being early for class, but not necessarily this early. Soul, Maka, and Kureno were currently the only ones there out of Yume's friend group so that's where she headed when she walked in. Soul and Kureno nodded their heads in acknowledgement of the girl and Maka brought her in for a hug.

"Fancy meeting you guys here," Yume joked with her friends after she was released from the hug. It brought out a little snort of air and a bit of a smile from even Kureno. Yume claimed that as a silent victory, considering the almost awkward relationship the two of them currently shared. She couldn't quite decide where they stood- had Kureno just decided to completely forget Saturday night's event and start over, or would their newly mended relationship take some time to get over their verbally (and now physically) violent past? Yume decided to just play it cool and act as if nothing had happened. The friends chattered for a little bit, greeting Kid, Liz, Patty, Blackstar, and Tsubaki as they entered the classroom. A couple minutes before 9:00 the students had taken their seats. There was a larger amount of students in the EAT class than the NOT class, and it was almost a bit overwhelming for Yume. So many students who clearly possessed a good enough student quality to be in a class like this, all together in one room. There was more of a serious feel among these students, unlike the other class. Yume's stomach began to flutter a bit, gazing around the room and taking in the talent and skills she was up against.

The clock on the classroom wall was about to read 9:01 when suddenly the door burst wide open and in comes a spinning caster-wheel chair at hyper speed with was assumed to be Professor Stein in the chair. He kept spinning around and somehow his chair managed to slow down and stop right in front of his desk. His facial expression revealed that this was probably normal for him. He removed the cigarette from his mouth by grabbing it in between his pointer and middle finger and briefly inspected the students sitting at their desks. A grin crept onto his face and he cranked the screw in his head a few times before speaking.

"Let's get started, class."

((yessss exactly!! parents. psh. but yeah he does things like that sometimes and it's kind of ridiculously annoying xP but yaaas :tighthugges: i luuuuuurve you my darling!!!! <3 ))

Kureno opted to actually sit near his friends this class, finding a seat between Soul and Kid. As Professor Stein quite literally rolled into class, Kureno had to hold back the impulse to raise his eyebrows as the man turned in a whirlwind, somehow managing to stop his twirl so he was facing perfectly towards his desk. He reached a pale, stitched hand to the side of his head where a large screw was, and turned it several times before welcoming the new class--and thus, their lives in EAT began.

Class seemed to fly by, but not in a particularly easy way. Kureno took more notes than he remembered taking in a good long while, and felt rather exhilarated by the several new challenges this course was already promising. It was mostly an introductory class, but Stein breezed through the openings and launched straight into new material within the first fifteen minutes or so. Almost as an afterthought, just before the bell rang, Stein spoke up as some students were beginning to pack their things. "Oh, also," his unnerving gaze swept the classroom, and Kureno wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or if the doctor's eyes lingered on him a bit longer than the others, "those of you who have not yet chosen your Weapon or Meister partner...you must choose by the end of the week when we return after Christmas break. This class will become near-impossible for you if you do not," just as the professor paused, the bell rang loud.

The students scrambled to pack up their things. Kureno slid his notebook and pen inside his bag, mind alight with a new fervor, and followed the throng of students out. He stole a sidelong glance at Professor Stein as he neared the door on the way. He caught the professor's golden, bespectacled gaze as he slowly turned the screw mounted in his head. Kureno's pale eyes held his new professor's unnerving hazel ones until he passed through the doorway and stepped to the side, leaning against the wall outside the classroom door. He waited until he saw his friends appear, and walked up behind them to decide whether he would join or not. Maka was talking aminatedly, quite determined to pick up her studies even more than usual with this new challenging class, to which Soul of course groaned in annoyance, "You're already boring enough--I don't see why you need to study more than you already do." Maka of course turned to argue with him, as Patty called loudly about a giraffe she'd drawn on her notes. Kureno barely suppressed a smirk, trying not to think about how glad he was that his friends were now in this class with him, and trying to stop his mind from returning to Stein's closing remarks at class today. For now, Kureno felt content to idle behind the main group, half-wishing someone would notice him and fall back to talk but half-gladdened to be able to just be an observer over this happy slice of life.

Soon, though, his thoughts wavered--'I must find a Weapon partner by the week after break...' he ran a hand through his hair, thin eyebrows furrowing his brow, 'By Christmas...'

((I cannot even begin to apologize for how late this is..... ))

~ y u m e ~

The first EAT class was, as expected, much more hands-on and right to the point, but it still threw Yume off a bit when she wasn't sitting in her seat for the entire class. But it was refreshing, and she felt mostly prepared to take on whatever Stein had to throw at her. The part that was gnawing at her was the professor's announcement about having to have chosen a partner by the time they returned from winter break. The fact that Yume still did not have a partner up until now had occasionally crossed her mind and she knew eventually the time would come that she would have to make a choice, but now that time was actually here and it brought out the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know many other people well enough to pick them as a partner. And in her friend group, everyone was already paired off. The only one in the same situation as her was... Kureno. Normally she would have immediately disregarded him and continue to search through her options, but he still lingered in her mind as an option. He is without a partner, like me, and he's a meister, but... are we even friends enough to become partners? I doubt he's even thought about me as a choice. He probably has lots of girls lined up asking to be his partner...

"Yume?" Maka was looking straight at Yume but she was too wrapped up in her worries that she didn't even hear what was being said to her. After the bell had rung the group of friends gathered outside the classroom and were chatting. Maka must've asked Yume something while she was thinking.

"Yeah, sorry, I was lost in thought... What's up?"

"We were just wondering if you wanted to come get some sushi with us for lunch?" Maka had almost seemed a bit worried at Yume's spaciness but she attempted to reassure her that everything was fine with a smile and a friendly "Yeah!" to answer her question. The friends began walking in one big group, with a few different side conversations going on between mini separate groups within the large group. Except for Yume and Kureno. She was almost tempted to bring up the 'picking partners' situation but she was afraid Kureno would think she was hinting at something and right now, the last thing she wanted to do was mess up their fragile friendship by giving him the wrong idea. She needed more time to think about whether she should ask him to be partners or not. But then again... it's not like there was a lot of time. It was nearing the end of November, and the deadline was the end of the first week in January, giving students a little over a month to decide. If Yume were to ask Kureno later on in December and he said no, that would give her little time to find someone else.

A mere 10 minutes later, they arrived at their favorite sushi place and everyone placed their orders, with Yume ordering her usual vegetarian sushi. It was a normal lunch on a normal chilly day in November, but with every minute slipping by, Yume felt that she was wasting precious time that could be used for finding a partner.

((I hope you're okay with the amount of time I chose for them to have to pick a partner? I just felt that if I gave them more time (like at least another month) it would just be kinda boring to keep fast forwarding time in our posts. But if you think more time would be better, I can do that! Lemme knoooooow. ))

((it's okay love don't worry about it!! I know you've been busy <:3 It's totally okay <3 and nah man I completely agree with your choice of time! We would have to keep fast-forwarding I feel like if we had tried to make it longer. Plus much longer would have been a ridiculously long Christmas Break 'xD))

Kureno stayed quiet throughout the walk to the sushi place, his bangs swaying in front of his eyes as his head was slightly bowed in thought. Even though he wasn't hungry in the slightest, and wasn't even that partial to sushi, he decided upon a small order and sat down with the group. He poked around at the food a bit, but didn't take a bite. No one seemed to notice, thankfully--all were chatting about the class they'd just left. Their first EAT class. Kureno kept turning his thoughts over in his mind, trying to remember all of the weapons who had yet to have a partner in the EAT class.

'There's Aiko...fairly intelligent but a bit spacey...don't see how that would work out. Etsuyo...she's too gullible and foolish. Probably turns into something idiotic anyways. Genji, maybe, but he's very quiet-spoken...not that there's anything wrong with that--wouldn't be as annoying as some of the others, like Maeko or Hisa. And I'm fairly sure Nasha and Reiko recently partnered up. Virgil is far too...loud. This is very troublesome.' Kureno scowled at his uneaten food, raking his brain for others in their class who weren't partnered. He glanced once around at his friends, wondering how they had all found someone that resonated so perfectly with their souls so easily. Well, almost all. His eyes fell on Yume for a moment before he flicked them away. 'Yume...no. That would never work. It would be too...Besides, if I even asked her she'd probably just punch me again,' he mused, a small smile ghosting across his features.

He knew he had a month to decide, but that is little more than a few weeks. And for part of that time he would be away from most of his classmates on Christmas Break. He would have to decide soon, if he was going to ever find a partner. Time was already running short.

((do you think we should like skip to the beginning/middle of Christmas Break? Or did you want to rp more about like Yume losing her dorm and having to ask around and whatnot? I don't mind either way, I can think of something for Kureno to do ;3 ))

((well I think in this next post I was gonna have Yume go back to her dorm to find out that her roommate's moving out and then she starts freaking out and begins to try to find a place to live, then my next post after this one will fast-forward to the middle of break, if that's cool with you!))

~ y u m e ~


After a friendly lunch with all of her friends, Yume bid her goodbye to them and decided to head back to her dorm to hang out for a while before her next class. On the walk home she couldn't stop thinking about her lack-of-partner situation. Not only did she have to find a meister with no weapon, but also someone she could get along with and easily resonate souls with. She was almost a bit jealous of her friends and how they found their partners so easily. Deciding to shrug off her fears and take a nap once arriving to her room, Yume dug out her room key and jiggled it a bit before the door opened on her command. Yume suddenly stopped in her tracks once she walked in enough to see what was happening.

All of her roommate's belongings were being packed into boxes and her bed was completely disposed of her sheets and blanket. Posters and dry erase board were all taken off the wall and lying on a desk. Yume peeked around a corner to find her roommate taking clothes off hangers and stuffing them into a trash bag.

"W-what's going on?" Yume finally managed to speak after her initial shock disappeared. Tatakai looked up from her packing and stood up as if to give Yume some bad news. "I, uh, wasn't sure how to tell you, so I kinda didn't... I'm moving out!"

"I can see that! What I wanna know is why. I know we weren't really friends but I didn't think it was that bad," Yume was almost a bit hurt by her roommate's decision, but more confused than anything.

"Well I've been wanting my own place for a while, and it has nothing to do with you, I just like having my own space. I've been looking around at different apartments and I finally found one for a reasonable price! Wanna move in there right away," Tatakai excitedly announced while packing the last of her clothes, which was the last of her things to pack.

Now Yume was becoming a bit angry. "Why didn't you tell me?! You know DWMA's rules on the dorms! 'Each student who lives in one of the dorms must have at least 1 roommate at all times, or he/she must live elsewhere in Death City.' I can't afford an apartment by myself! What the hell am I supposed to do? You've left me with nothing!"

A couple of guys, who had looked like they had heard their whole conversation by the awkward looks on their faces, suddenly walked into the room and began to help Tatakai carry her boxes to her new apartment as she taped up the last of her boxes and tied up all the garbage bags. If she felt sorry for Yume, she wasn't showing it at all. As Tatakai was about to walk out of the room for the last time, Yume grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her back so that she was facing her. "What. The. Hell. Am. I. Supposed. To. Do?" Tatakai stood there and looked like she began to think but then after a couple seconds blurted out "Figure it out!" and pulled her wrist from Yume's grip and out the door she went, leaving Yume with only her belongings and barely any help with finding somewhere to live. Figuring it was too late to find another roommate, and the fact that there was no way she could afford an apartment by herself, there was only one other solution: Bunking with someone in their apartment.

((ah yiisssssss man that's totally fine oahofuahegaiaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH IM SO EXCITED xDDDD <3 also dude okay I'm like listening to music as I write this and I really want at some point for something music related to be involved in their relationship or something because reasons. Also I've been thinking about giving Kureno a beautious singing voice. Because reasons. I mean it could be super cute with her musical talent and whatnot x3 but he like doesn't sing a lot or anything because he doesn't think he's that good and whatnot but he's actually a really good singer ^^ if that's okay. Just for future reference. Like he loves music but he doesn't know how to play an instrument and blah. BUT BRO IM SO EXCITED FOR THE DORM APARTMENT LIVE-Y STUFF AUFHANEGJAWNEGOIAWEN YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE5EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)) sidenote: the part in italics are the actual song lyrics, and the part in this font are the flashes of kureno's memory breaking through to him. hope it makes sense! ^^' if you want to/are able, it might help to listen to Dance With The Devil by Breaking Benjamin on repeat when you read this heheh ^^' that's what I did when I was writing it. It's kind of fun too, it feels like it gives the posts a new sort of life and whatnot. If you ever wanna do it too you can! It'd be fun :3 But you don't have too <3333 I feel like this song might be Kureno's theme song or something xD <333333 </3 ))

Music from his skull-shaped headphones blocked out all outside noise as Kureno leaned on the railing of his balcony, watching the day around him. He stared distractedly out at nothing in particular, his thoughts lost in tumbles and dark whirls of debate and shadow.

Unbidden, his thoughts flashed back to the first and last weapon partner he'd had. He shut his ice-grey eyes quickly, furrowing his brow further as he grimaced at the memory, forcibly shoving it away back into the darkest recesses of his mind. He turned all his mental attention to the song lyrics blasting to his ears, ignoring the thoughts in his mind.

"I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies;" "Don't you trust me?! DO IT!!" So heavy now...it was so heavy...
"I won't stay long, in this world so wrong!" Can't...hold it back...
"Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight." A flash of blood...so much blood, so much...
"Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight..." It was him...

With a cry, Kureno slapped the headphones from him, stumbling back. His back hit hard against the whitewashed wall of his apartment, and he slid down to sitting, breathing hard. He could hear the music beating away from his earphones, now discarded on the cold ground. His eyes were wide, and with a choked noise he closed them tight, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He lowered his head to his hands, trying to hold on to himself. 'It's just a memory now. It won't...can't happen again...it won't...' he pleaded with himself, taking a hand away as he realised it was wet. He stared incredulously for a moment before brushing a long finger against his pale cheek. When had he started crying...?

((okay so I hope that made sense but basically his PTSD from his past experience with his weapon (the one from the 'history' thing or whatever where it turned out his own weapon had been a kishin and had been tricking him) is part of why he doesn't have a weapon partner yet, because he's really fucking terrified that something like that will happen again because he wasn't quick enough or strong enough or smart enough. it's probs the main reason he doesn't have a partner yet, even if he won't admit to himself that's one of the reasons because its kind of a subconscious reason since he's kept all that crap bottled deep down since it happened because he doesn't want to face it and yeah. weeeeee horrific pasts!!! I'm not sure how I feel about this post. I either hate it or love it. Please tell me what you think!!! <3 ))

((I just wanna give Kureno all of the hugs after that post!!! </3 very nicely done buddy. I think it's a nice addition to our posts, and a fabulous reason as to why Kureno doesn't have a partner yet! But YES I love the idea of the whole music thing it'd be ADORABLE like when they're living together they could have like jam sessions or something IT'D BE GREAT. I seriously can't wait for when Yume and Kureno live together, it's gonna be super awkward and adorable. ^^ this is gonna be a fun post... I have a feeling you're gonna love it ))

~ y u m e ~

I can't believe I'm doing this. So why am I here? NO. I can't ask him. It'd be too weird. But there's literally no other choice. I've tried everything and nothing ended up working out. Just leave. I can't. Why not? Because I have nowhere else to go...

In the couple years that Yume had been at the DWMA, she never even imagined in her wildest dreams that she would end up here. After Yume's roommate had moved out without telling her, she immediately had to begin looking for another place to live. Looking for another roommate was out of the question since it was the middle of the school year and there was no way there was a student in the same situation as Yume. Living on her own in an apartment was also not an option, since she could never afford even a crappy one, plus the everyone-is-already-paired-up situation ruled out sharing an apartment. Her last option was to ask around and see if someone who already had an apartment would let her stay with them, at least until another living option appeared. On that day that she was left roommate-less, she decided to quickly pack up her stuff and begin searching. First she asked Maka and Soul if they were willing to take her in. They happily agreed and helped her move her stuff into their place. Yume would've continued staying there, if it wasn't for Blaire, and Soul and Maka's constant arguing. Next on the list was Blackstar and Tsubaki, which was a big mistake. Yume enjoyed Tsubaki's company, not so much Blackstar's. His workout schedule and loud aggressive voice at ungodly hours of the night did not agree with Yume, and she wondered how Tsubaki was able to stand it, even though they were partners. And the final choice (or so Yume thought), was Kid, Liz, and Patty. They all welcomed Yume into their home, but she should've seen Kid's obsession with symmetry and orderliness coming. She knew it was just a part of who Kid is, but constantly being interrupted by his need to straighten things up drove her away. After packing up her things for the third time, Yume sat them down outside Kid's mansion on the sidewalk and sat herself down to figure out yet another solution. What am I gonna do? I'm running out of decent options. I can't just let myself become homeless...

That thought is what brought her to where she is standing now. In front of Kureno's apartment, with her hand in a fist ready to knock on the door and ask him if he'd be willing to take her in.

I can't just let myself become homeless...... Oh crap. No way. No way in hell. There's no way I'm living with Kureno. I'm sure he still hates me, and I don't even know how I feel about him myself. Regardless, I doubt he wants anyone else living with him, let alone me. I'm not doing it.

Yet somehow a voice in the back of her head convinced herself otherwise. As much as she hated herself for what she was about to do, she had to face the fact that there is literally no other choice. It was either suck it up and ask Kureno, or possibly live on the streets. She stood there with her favorite stuffed animal in her arms, a few bags on her shoulders, and a couple bins sitting behind her, her fist in mid air ready to knock. Inhaling deeply, and swallowing her pride, her fist hit the door 3 times and her heartbeat immediately increased in speed and volume. About 10 seconds, or what felt like forever, later, the door swung open and Kureno's face went from completely blank to suddenly surprised once he realized who was at the door. Yume kept her head low, afraid to face him. "I need a favor..." she choked out. Her head slowly rose up and she gazed into his eyes, hoping to reveal how desperate she was without having to actually say it. Kureno looked past Yume and saw the bins located behind her and she stood there waiting for an answer from what could be her future roommate.

((OHMYGODODDDOAGSDGA BEST POST EVER IM DYING I CANNOT THAT WAS AMAZING THIS IS SO GOOD I LOVE THIS I LOVE YUME AND KURENO I LOVE US SO MUCCHCHCIAUCHTIAUNTAIEUHTHT *faints* itsjustsofab. but yeah man dude some super adorable jam sessions would be so cute!!! And I can totally see them (once they get closer like a lot) like playing/singing each other songs for birthdays and other cute shit like that xD <3 *listens to I Will Follow You Into The Dark on repeat* <--this would be a cute song for them to like...listen to together or something x3 sorrryyyyy I'm probably gonna be doing this a lot because now I'm like all excited for this music thing and listenonrepeat is amazing. also WE HIT PAGE 3 FINALLY WOO! *fistpump*))

It was now nearing the middle of December, and the students at DWMA had one last week of classes before Winter Break. The air was chillier than ever, but the spirit of joy was almost palpable in the air wherever one went. It was the Sunday before the last Monday of first semester classes, and so of course Kureno had been catching up on homework and studying for the last few exams he had, along with a few regular classes from the professors who had decided upon early exams last week. He spent the day inside his apartment, wearing a navy blue scarf inside along with long, warm, cream-coloured socks and a long-sleeved black turtleneck sweater as well as black sweatpants, and of course his glasses that he most often donned for such days, shut up at home with reading to do.

It was about 8:46 pm, and Kureno was just beginning to reach for his messenger bag to put his school supplies back when there was a surprising knock at the door. He choked back a sigh, assuming it may be carolers or some religious nut trying to preach about the "reason for the season". He reached for his stereo remote, turning down the music to a quiet, comforting purr just as Death Cab For Cutie's I Will Follow You Into The Dark starting chords began. He plodded quietly through to the short hallway leading to the front door, shoving his right hand in his pocket in an attempt to covet some warmth. Reaching his left hand forward, he deftly turned the knob and opened the door, his expression as bored as he was. When he saw who was standing there, he would've been a liar if he'd said he wasn't surprised.

There, at his doorstep, was Yume. Yume, holding a well-worn stuffed lion, a couple of bags on her shoulders and several more heavy-looking bins beside her on the walkway. She wore all black--black skinny jeans, a black long-sleeved band shirt, and a black wool overcoat. A dark beanie adorned her head, her short blonde hair peeking out from underneath it, looking a bit windblown in the crisp night air. He wondered for a moment how she'd known where he lived, but assumed she probably just asked Soul or someone. She avoided his gaze at first, preferring to look at her black converse as she spoke. "I need a favor..." her voice was quiet, almost scared but obviously a bit annoyed too. Probably at herself. 'Or at her situation,' Kureno thought, his eyes flicking towards the bins behind her. His icy eyes switched back to her, now meeting her own pleading deep green eyes. He delicately raised one thin eyebrow, reaching a hand up to adjust his glasses before asking with a passive expression, "Your roommate finally kick you out?" She huffed, her cheeks burning and he could have sworn he saw her eyes begin to water before she promptly turned away, reaching down to reach for the first of her bins. He reached a hand out and even took a step forward, and before he could stop himself, he called out, "Wait! Wait...I..." he lowered his arm, bringing his foot back as well as she turned to him, glaring. He averted his gaze for a moment, continuing, "I apologise. That was uncalled for," he looked back up, opening the door a bit further to seem more inviting and open. She had turned back to him now, and although she wasn't as close as she had been, she didn't look like she was about to leave just yet.

Clearing his throat, he addressed her original question. "What is it? What do you need?" he asked gruffly, curiosity piquing his interest. If her dorm situation had indeed gone awry--as it certainly seemed--he didn't know why in the world she would come to him instead of living with Soul and Maka or even Tsubaki and BlackStar. Hell, he was probably the last person she would ever consider asking for help.

((random fangirling over my character because I'm just that obnoxious: okay though but like Kureno in sweatpants i can't even i just think its adorable because like he would never wear stuff like that if he was going anywhere or seeing anyone just for lazy days at home and that's so cute and *fangirls* sorry done ^^' #obnoxiousfangirlrantover))

((oh my god I totally agree with you on Kureno's outfit choice. It's even cuter because he definitely wasn't expecting to see anyone so when Yume knocks at the door she gets to see him like no one else ever does I JUST LOVE IT OKAY. <33333 this RP is starting to get reeeeallly good PAGE 3 FTW!))

~ y u m e ~

This process was going a lot smoother than Yume imagined, despite Kureno's rude and uncalled for comment. He seemed a bit curious when he asked what she needed, which gave her high hope for his response when she asked to stay with him. Of course, he would still probably be reluctant to help her in any way. Typical Kureno. "I, uh... I, don't have anywhere else to go..." Yume suddenly became nervous and hesitated to actually verbalize her request. Kureno raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, as if he were inviting her to go on, as if he wanted to actually hear her say what she needed. "I need a place to stay," she blurted out. She bit her lips as a way to cope with the silence that followed. He simply took a deep breath and continued to stand there, as if he was deciding what he wanted to do with her.

"Why did you come here? Kureno finally said after a minute. "Isn't there someone else you can stay with?"

"Don't you think I've tried that already? I've been to 3 places in the last week and a half and they all didn't end up working out. You know that if I'm here at your door I've gotta be desperate. And I am," Yume kept her cool while explaining herself. Having to move all of her stuff 3 times and having to continue to look for shelter took a bit of a toll on her emotions. The last thing she needed right now was a bad attitude. Kureno ran his hand through his slightly messy dark hair and again inhaled and exhaled deeply. Clearly he wasn't excited about the idea of having to share his apartment with someone else. And Yume wasn't looking for pity from him or anyone. She simply just needed to have somewhere to sleep at night. Kureno had responded to Yume's request by walking out into the hallway and picking up one of her bins to take back into the apartment. The shock of him saying yes kept her from moving from her spot. When Kureno had began walking back to retrieve another bin, he spoke up. "Well c'mon, I'm not moving these by myself."

His words snapped her out of her shock and she picked up one of the last 2 bins that remained in the hall. She set it down next to where he had placed the first one, which was by the couch. His apartment was warm and it had a bit of a home-y feel to it. Yume had guessed he was working on homework, before she knocked on the door, looking at the sprawled out notebooks, folders, and pens. When Kureno brought in the last bin and closed the door behind him, she then took a good look at him and was almost surprised at his wardrobe choice. She always assumed he dressed the way he did all the time, even when he remained at home for the day (except for when he slept, of course). Sweatpants and a simple long sleeve shirt seemed unusual for Kureno Hanuraichi. "You'll have to sleep on the couch since there isn't another bed," he announced after dropping the last bin. It's what Yume did when she stayed with Soul and Maka, and Blackstar and Tsubaki, so it wasn't a big deal. Now that the task of asking Kureno for a favor was over, and all of her stuff was inside, she didn't know what to do now. It was only 8:39 and she didn't feel comfortable enough to do as she pleased just yet. So standing next to her items was what she ended up doing. The 2 of them awkwardly stood there looking anywhere but at each other. And Yume couldn't decide who felt more awkward in this moment. Finally Kureno broke the ice and motioned to the couch, inviting her to sit down. She did so but stood up completely straight, as most people do when they enter a new territory. He sat on the coffee table as far away as he could possibly sit from her, half facing away from her. Yume was beginning to wonder what she had gotten herself into.

((I hope this post is okay... It's what I imagine the 2 of them doing once Yume entered Kureno's apartment. Like they're both not too thrilled about the situation but they're not saying anything about it either xD <3))

((YES EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING AND YOU JUST PUT IT INTO WORDS AUGH im so glad you thought the sammmeee xDDDD *squee* and I know right?! This is awesomeeeee <333 Hee yes I agree! They're so cute and adorableeee~ also just for like reference i was thinking he would have a little mini stereo (the kind that can fit like an iphone or whatever they have xD) that's like under the tv in an open shelf-style kind of thing and like below that are dvds and games and crap. just so ya know :3 ))

Kureno sat, unsure. He didn't know why exactly he had agreed to let her stay. Well, perhaps because she'd had no other choice, but how was that his problem. Either way, he couldn't kick her out now. She'd probably only last a few days anyways. He was sure some little thing he does will probably get on her nerves until she can't take it anymore. He shrugged noncommittally to himself. Not his fault if it did happen. Still...

His grey eyes flicked up to her--sitting ramrod straight with her hands in her lap, her eyes downcast as she fiddled with her thumbs. He was making things awkward. This was his house, and she was guest. No matter the circumstances, he would not be unchivalrous. He spoke up, eternally glad his voice didn't break, "I could show you around, if you want," he offered, his voice a bit quieter than usual, and he allowed the smallest of smiles to ghost over his lips, "This is your home now too, after all. For now at least," he said, adding the last bit when she looked up and caught his eyes, possibly a hint of worry in their deep green depths. 'She's worried about imposing herself upon me..?' he guessed, standing. He swiftly grabbed the stereo remote and flicked off the quiet music as he stood, then replaced the remote on a shelf under the television, beside the small setero. She had nodded lightly to him, returning a tiny smile that looked just slightly forced, and stood as well.

He began showing her around the apartment, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious of it for reasons he couldn't quite place. It wasn't messy--if anything, it was greatly cleaner than most any other boy his age would keep their apartment--but Kureno still felt a bit strange showing Yume around. He didn't show it though, courteously pointing out even where the cup cabinet and silverware drawer was in the kitchen. "The restroom is just past the kitchen down this hallway, and down here..." he toured, flicking on lights to rooms momentarily to offer a basic layout before flicking them off again. He brought her to the opposite hallway, running his hand a bit nervously through his hair again, "This is, er, my bedroom," he motioned, turning rather abruptly to point out the hallway closet and the extra room. An idea popped into his head, but he kept it to himself, continuing, "that's just the hall closet and, ehm, a spare junk room," there was honestly nothing but old boxes that he'd used to move in his stuff when he'd arrived in that 'junk' room, but he'd thought up another use for it. 'To be worked on later,' he filed away in his mind.

They made their way back to the living area, and she thanked him quietly for the tour. "It's not a problem," he waved it away, and blinked lightly in surprise as she tried and failed to stifle a yawn. He glanced at the clock, just before she herself did. Almost 10:50 already. A few of her boxes had been heavy, so it had taken them some time to carry in, but both were still surprised at the time. Kureno's grey eyes flicked to the couch--her bed for the who-knows-how-long. "Ah, I will, ehm," he pointed abstractly over his shoulder, towards his bedroom hallway, "I'll get you some blankets and pillows," he turned, treading down the hall to find some spare sheets. He uncovered a fluffy, clean pillow accompanied by a small but comfortable extra couch pillow in the closet, and then rooted around in the extra drawers of a dresser to find pillowcases and clean sheets. He managed to get a dark forest green, soft cloth pillowcase and some generic but clean off-white sheets. He made his way back to the living room, depositing the bedclothes on the couch haphazardly as he realised his school items were still unceremoniously sprawled on the coffee table. "Ah, sorry, my apologies, lemme just..." Kureno orderly packed his items, closing his messenger bag and sliding it against the wall to the hallway that led to the door. He stood, to see Yume already working on making her 'bed'. He walked over to help her, but paused, thinking better of it. She probably wanted her space...even if it was unfamiliar space. He opted to instead go back to his room and change into clothes more suitable for sleep before going in to check on her one last time. As he walked towards his room, he shook his head, breathing out a snuffle of amusement and flicking his hands through his hair. 'This is ridiculous. This will never work.'

((OHMYGOD THIS IS SO CUTE I CAN'T. She's being all adorable and unsure and he's being all flustered and strangely accommodating because he feels strange and they both just feel strange and aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh and dude okay so you know how in the beginning Kureno was thinking how like 'she is probably gonna get annoyed at something little i do and leave within a couple of days anyway' and crap? well it's like super cute because i was thinking how like it'll be the 'little things' he does and the 'little things' she does that make them realise that they ~kind of maybe like each other psh wait no that's not right we have to hate each other this is weird but really (s)he's not that bad...~ and *DIES*

((alright alright that actually helps me for this post thanks bud! <3 and I knoooooow! I love Kureno all flustered. And I totes agree- like they don't realize that it's the little things they're most attracted to and yeah, they're like "no! I can't like her/him..." GAH it took me a long time to recover from that last post, as I mentioned in my text earlier.))

~ y u m e ~

After being given a rather generous tour of the apartment, Yume decided to head to bed early. Kureno had retrieved some sheets, a couple pillows, and a blanket for her, and once he did she began to create her temporary bed. He had retreated back to what Yume assumed was his room. A moment before he began to walk toward her seeming like he was to help her with making the 'bed' but then immediately backed off, as if he suddenly came to his senses. She shrugged it off and continued on with her task while he walked away. Once the sheets and pillow were placed to her liking, she collapsed onto the couch, only then realizing how exhausted she had become throughout the day. Noticing some DVD's on the shelf below Kureno's TV, Yume's curiosity got the best of her and walked over to the TV stand. Rifling through his DVD and game collections, she was intrigued by his choices of entertainment. Among the DVD's were a couple Shakespearean classics that had been made into films, a few horror flicks (which Yume was a huge fan of), and some classics that you couldn't help but love to watch, no matter how cheesy they were. A sudden clearing of the throat scared Yume and made her drop the 2 cases that were in her hand. She slowly cranked her head around to find Kureno standing at the end of the hall and to Yume's assumptions he looked a bit angry. "I, uh, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be going through your things like this, it's rude of me to-"

"It's okay. Impressed by my collection?" Kureno cut Yume off mid-sentence and whatever annoyance he contained seemed to have disappeared and was replaced by lightheartedness. He made his way over to where Yume was squatting and knelt down with her. He picked up the cases she had dropped from being frightened by his entrance and studied them a bit before revealing a small smile. "One of my favorite's," He held up a copy of The Breakfast Club. Yume was touched by his passion for the movie he was holding.

"Yeah. The soundtrack is phenomenal," Yume had seen the movie as well, but of course she took more of a liking to its music.

"It really is," Kureno agreed, which surprised Yume. He didn't strike her as the kind of person to particularly care for music. After a moment of the 2 of them staring at the DVD case, Kureno stood up and announced that he was heading to bed. If she didn't know any better, she'd guess that he was attempting to change the subject from music to bedtime for some reason. "Help yourself to the TV or whatever you need to help you sleep," And that was the last of Kureno she would see for the rest of the night. Deciding to go to bed as well, she rummaged through one of her bags to retrieve pajamas for the night. Although this was an unfamiliar place to Yume, it didn't take long for her eyes to close and her mind to shut down for the night.

((I hope you are satisfied with the "moment" I created between the two of them. I must say, I'm pretty pleased with this post as well ^^ ))

((Of course yeah man no prob! ;D and i knowww augh they're gonna be so cute and ridiculous and amazing and eiuahrfawiefh yesssssssssss! Yeah darlin that was really cute x3 they're so perf augh so perf and they don't even know it~~))

Kureno didn't actually end up falling asleep until close to a-quarter-til-two in the morning--which was quite normal for him. He'd stayed up reading Tolkein's The Two Towers, and was nearing completion in the book before he got to a good stopping point and felt tired enough to sleep. When his alarm began going off at 6:30, he turned it off swiftly and sat up, almost too awake. He remembered the events from the previous night, and his eyes darted to his door, wondering if she was awake, if she'd remembered to set her alarm, oh no would he have to wake her up? this is ridiculous he didn't even know if she had a class this morning; of course she did they were in EAT now they would be in all the same classes for this, having just started out. Plus neither of them had partners. He closed his eyes and twitched his nose, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Swinging his long legs over the edge of the bed, Kureno pushed the sheets off himself and went to choose some clothes before showering. It was actually surprisingly warm in the apartment--well of course, he'd forgotten to lower the heat for the night because of all the commotion.

Kureno settled on a dark, navy blue button-up and black skinny jeans--his usual. He decided to also choose a thin black tie today, for no reason in particular. The young meister ever so gently cracked open the door to his room, casting his eyes down the hallway. No movement yet. He opened his door further, stepping out silently and peering through the hallway until he could just barely see a disheveled blonde head nestled quietly in the pillow on the couch. Breathing out a sigh, Kureno made his way as silently as he could down the hall, through the living room, and into the bathroom on the opposite side of the apartment. 'This is ridiculous. I don't need to tiptoe around my own home' he reprimanded himself as he closed the bathroom door behind him, flicking on the light before he began turning on the water, stripping off his pyjamas and discarding them in the laundry basket he'd slid under the sink. The water was hot, not quite scalding, and Kureno took his time. He at times brought his portable speakers to the bathroom in the mornings and sang in the shower, something he of course would never admit to anyone, but decided today would not be one of those days. He allowed the pounding droplets to loosen the tight muscles in his shoulders, reveling in the warmth.

About thirty minutes later, the dark-haired youth had a towel around his waist and was roughly rubbing another towel through his hair, trying to get it at least partly dry before he let the towel fall to his shoulders to collect any loose droplets from his still-slightly-dripping dark hair. He'd left his clothes in his room, as he usually did, assuring himself that he had not heard an alarm so Yume would still be asleep, and anyways he had a towel--two in fact--and would only be crossing the living room to go to the opposite side of the apartment anyways. It wasn't that he was self-conscious or anything (he wasn't proud or obnoxious about his physical form either), he was merely wondering of her feelings of uncomfortableness. Be that as it may, he did not particularly intend to change his habits just to fit her needs. Scoffing inwardly, Kureno reached to turn the knob, the steam of the shower still fogging up the mirror in the bathroom a bit and tendrils of it whirling into the cool air as he opened the door, preparing to head to his room.

((sooooo I left it open for you so you can decide what to do. You can have her wake up a few minutes later when he's already in his room again, or even when he's out and making breakfast or something, or ya know. Yeah. ;3 whatever you want yo~ I dun care I'm totally good either way ;D ))

((alrighty so I decided that I'm gonna have the little bathroom incident happen in this post, just because I'm impatient and want it to happen like right now xD sometimes I just wanna grab both of our characters by the shoulders and be like "YOU LIKE HIM/HER AND YOU KNOW IT" because I'm convinced that's what needs to happen to them heh ^^'))

~ y u m e ~

Although Yume forgot to set an alarm for the next day, she still managed to wake up before her first class, even earlier than she normally would awaken every morning. Running a hand through her hair, her eyes quickly darted around the room and it took her a second to remember what had happened the night before to bring her to where she lay now. Her phone read 7:02 and normally her first task to be completed in the morning was to pick out an outfit for the day. But being in someone else's apartment stopped her from completing her morning routine as she normally would. Regardless, it wasn't like she could just lie in bed all day not wanting to move simply because she was sharing an apartment with the last person she would ever share an apartment with. Removing the covers from the top of her body and stretching while doing so, Yume stood up from the couch knelt down to one of her bags to fish out an appropriate outfit. A pair of light jeggings, a white tank top, a navy blue jacket to go over the tank top, and black converse again. While picking out these clothes, Yume remembered that she hadn't changed her industrial since the night of the party at Maka and Soul's apartment and decided to change it today. There were 5 bars in total, and she picked out a silver bar with a red bow that went in the middle of the jewelry. She would change it after she took a shower. Speaking of showers, she realized that there would be no public shower waiting for her, but a hopefully clean and private shower in a private bathroom. Maybe living here isn't so bad... she slightly rejoiced. Grabbing her clothes, jewelry, and toiletries all in one haul, she began to walk toward the bathroom, which wasn't far from her 'bedroom'. Due to the large pile of items in her arms, she was looking down rather than straight ahead of her and wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. Suddenly her head met with a damp and nude chest and Yume let out a small gasp before looking up to what she had run into. Standing there was a half-naked Kureno, wearing only a towel around his waist and another towel hanging from his neck. His dark hair was slightly dripping onto the neck towel, and he didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the sudden occurrence.

Normally Yume would've immediately began to apologize for not watching where she was going, but there was something different about this situation, and although she didn't know it, it had something to do with Kureno's lack of clothes. Her mouth dropped slightly and her eyes managed to do a once-over of him, staring in awe at his torso. He wasn't completely ripped with a 6-pack, but he certainly wasn't lacking in the muscles, either. What finally snapped Yume out of her practically hypnotized self was the small drop of saliva beginning to fall from her mouth and rapidly shot her head down to wipe it away with her arm. "Ah, I'm so sorry, I uh, should've watched where I was going," she stumbled over every other word. Kureno only let out an amused laugh as if he was enjoying watching the girl make a fool out of herself. After gathering herself, she pulled up her arms to keep everything from falling and, with weak knees, stumbled over to the bathroom for a shower. "Towels and washclothes are in the closet next to the bathroom!" Kureno announced over his shoulder while returning to his room. It was only when Yume checked her reflection in the mirror and saw her red-as-a-lobster face that she was completely passed embarrassment and entering mortified.

((can I just say that this was probably THE most fun post I've written so far ;D because reasons. I don't know whose reaction I love more, Yume's or Kureno's. It's just so good I can't take it <3))

((OMFG THAT IS THE MOST PERFECT THING TO EVER GAGUAOIGHNWAEG IM SO GLAD I WAS HOME ALONE WHEN I READ  THAT BECAUSE IM LIKE SCREAMING ITS SO AIETHNAWIEJHTNFACIW IM SO HAPPYYYYYY *rolls around and kicks pillows and squeals* literally though like UAGH I AOITWEITNW I CANNOT dude im fangirling so hard over our own characters this is the best thing to EVER OTAWMOTGKWAGW OMFG *dies* <333333333333333333333333 but yas that was so perf because i imagine Kureno to have like the perfect amount of leanness and musculature like not too muscular but not exactly lacking either and its perf and you're perf and Yume's perf and everything is just perfection righ tnowwwwwwoitenctijant i physically cannottttttttttawutngwaijeirug *punches self in thigh enthusiastically even though it hurts* i literally canteat oaiwehtiaeutgawheiuthceiutjteaciue SO GOOD okay okay sorry soryr im just dyin over here ignore me ^^' <333333))

Kureno smirked to himself as he continued to his room, trying his best not to laugh. 'If nothing else, having her as a roommate will probably be highly amusing,' he thought to himself, carefully filing away this most recent incident to think of when he was in need of a laugh and possibly for future blackmail. He finally reached his room, and tried to dry himself off the rest of the way before discarding the towels and pulling on his chosen clothing for the day. He ruffled his hair a bit to shake out the water, and left it to air-dry as he usually did. Sometimes he ran a comb through it if he had time, but for now he decided to instead go make breakfast. Even though he didn't particularly want to change anything about his lifestyle now that he had Yume as a roommate, he knew that some changes would happen even unconsciously, so he may as well accept it. The dark-haired meister emerged from his bedroom, buttoning up his shirt to the second-highest button and laying his tie over his neck lazily, intending to tie it later, perhaps before leaving or even on his way.

Kureno went to the kitchen, slipping on his shoes as he went--he often wore shoes around the apartment, especially if other people were about. He stopped as he entered the kitchen, suddenly unsure. What did she usually eat for breakfast? Did she have some special diet--maybe she was a vegetarian, or a vegan, or maybe she was allergic to something? Gluten? That would make things difficult. How was he supposed to know? He knew next to nothing about her, when it came to it. And even so, he himself usually just had toast or cereal--if anything at all--for breakfast. Would she mind that? Even if she did she might not say anything. Maybe eggs. Eggs were safe. But how should he cook them? 'This is ridiculous,' he rubbed a hand across his forehead, underneath his still-damp bangs, 'if she wants anything she can get it for herself,' he told himself firmly, deciding on just making toast for himself.

Seven minutes later, Kureno sat cross-legged on the floor of the living room beside the coffee table, glasses on and textbook open, his dark hair sticking out messily in many directions. His shoes now sat beside him, and his toast lay rejected on a napkin with only a single small bite out of it. He was swiftly reviewing the material for his first class exam. It would be a short one, as they'd had the first half of this exam the week previous, and the rest of class would continue on as a mini-lesson wrapping up on extra information before break. He was confident that he knew the material well, but still, an extra skimming over would do no harm. He didn't glance up as he heard the water turn off in the bathroom, nor spare a look as he heard the door open several minutes later. Kureno pored over the information, even though they had a good twenty minutes before they would have to leave for class to be able to get there fairly early still.

"There's cereal in the cupboard and bread for toast on the counter. Feel free to rummage through the fridge as well to find anything you like," he expressed, keeping his eyes on his book until his final words, when he glanced up and flashed a genial smirk in his apartment-mate's direction.

((heeeeeeeee i hope that was okay!! And yeah man I'm sure that post was SO fun to write hah I'm a bit jealous but not really that much because it was also RIDICULOUSLY fun to read!!! ;D I'm fairly happy with this post, but I'm just so hyped on this roleplay right now it's so fun! I'm not even joking, I feel like this roleplay and talking with you will honestly really help me in the first few weeks of college ^^' I will definitely try to check it at least once a day no matter what, because this is honestly really important to me as cheesy as that sounds ^^' <333))

((I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HAVING THESE REACTIONS TO MY POSTS IT MAKES ME SUPER HAPPY AND LESS SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT MY WRITING OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH <33333 but for real, I am in love with this RP so much, I'm in love with our characters and you're right everything is just perf SO GOOD. And yes, I will always check the site at least once a day, it will pretty much be therapy for me. Nothing else could really help <3))

~ y u m e ~

Yume couldn't be happier about taking a shower for more reasons than one, mainly because today it gave her some time to get over this morning's incident and for her red face to return to its normal pale tone. She was furious with herself for looking so vulnerable and idiotic in front of Kureno. It seemed like it was starting to become a habit, which meant even more occurrences like this one were more than likely to happen in the future due to their current living arrangements. After finishing her shower and preparing for the day, Yume wasn't quite sure what to do with her used towels, since they weren't hers, so hanging them over the shower rod was what she decided the best solution is. Upon entering the kitchen Kureno informed her of the breakfast options and giving a friendly smirk in her direction, which Yume read as "So, did you enjoy the show this morning?" Shrugging it off she decided to have cereal today, as it probably required the least amount of preparation and with her living here now, she would attempt to cause as little trouble as she could. She decided on shredded wheat, feeling that it would help her in the second part of an exam today. She searched up and down in the refrigerator for some milk and finally found it in the way back. The last thing she needed was a spoon and of course, didn't know where they were placed. Kureno must have looked up and saw her confusion and mumbled "In the drawer next to the fridge." After finally preparing a simple bowl of cereal that seemed to take more than just a minute, the youth carried the bowl to the coffee table where Kureno was completing some last minute studying for the exam. So she decided sitting by the other side of the table was best, for more reasons than one. The two students sat in silence the entire time, besides the occasional crunching of the cereal and biting of the toast Kureno had. After finishing her breakfast, Yume washed her dishes and placed them on a towel next to the sink to dry. By this time it was nearing the the start of the first class and since the 2 of them had the same class/exam at this time, it seemed they would be walking together today, which Yume would have never guessed would happen in her time at DWMA. They put on their last minute articles of clothing and headed out the door. Just like breakfast, the walk to class was completely silent, neither of them looking anywhere but straight ahead of them. Yume's biggest fear was being seen and people thinking they were dating or something like that. As if I could ever date this jerk. That would be weird.... right?

((kinda a short post, my apologies ^^' also, I'm in need of a grip on time. So should this be the last exam they have to take, or like do they have more later in the day/in the next few days? And how long should their break be, like 2 weeks? Just trying to plan for future posts ))

((*SQUEEEEEEEEEE5EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLSSSSSSSS* same though man yesss i agree <3 but uhm sure yeah yeah I mean I feel like...okay how bout this--they had a few classes who had exams the previous week so the professors wouldn't have a whole crapton to grade before the semester end and so how bout they have this half-an-exam and then maybe one or two more this week but otherwise they don't have any more classes. And maybe...okay well if this is the "middle of December" like i said in my post a while ago, let's say that its the week of the *checks* week of the 15th so their last day is the 19th and then they are on break til about...January 5th? Does that seem acceptable? We can always tweak if we wish <3))

Kureno walked on, his long dark winter coat flapping behind him in the slight winter breeze. His navy blue scarf was coiled around his neck, leather-gloved hands in pockets with his messenger bag slung across his chest. It was a bit strange walking with Yume, he couldn't deny that. They had been somewhat like enemies for so long, and even now he considered that their relationship was shaky at best. He snuck a glance at her, trying to guess her thoughts. Her expression seemed troubled, and she was staring at the ground, her shoulders hunched almost as if she was trying to disappear. Or perhaps it was the cold. But either way, he wouldn't be surprised if she just didn't want to be recognised by anyone when she was walking beside him, Kureno Hanuraichi. He wondered momentarily if she would ask him to wait behind, so that they wouldn't have to walk into the school together so as not to seem as if they'd seen each other at all of late. He wouldn't really mind it, in fact he kind of expected that. She was at least certainly thinking similar thoughts.

Before long, they had reached the famously long staircase up to DWMA. They began ascending in the same quiet that they'd spent the whole walk in. Kureno dismissed any thoughts about his companion and began focusing on the upcoming exam. Today was the second part of Professor Stein's exam, and as such it would be part of the hardest exam they've had yet. The first part was certainly difficult, but merely a good challenge for Kureno. He looked forward to it, and looked forward to having it out of the way. Afterwards, perhaps he could focus on trying to find a weapon partner during Christmas Break. He had wanted to try to find one before exams began, as everyone was high-strung then, but he'd had no luck. No one, he felt, would be able to resonate souls with him. A few of the girls in class would certainly be willing if he asked them, even a few who were already partnered up, but he knew they would not settle for just being Weapon-and-Meister partners, and their constant pestering would quickly become more trouble than it was worth.

Kureno and Yume reached the top of the steps, and stopped at the same time without a word. She didn't look at him, but he watched her calmly. "After you," he murmured, knowing she wanted them to enter separately. He looked away, over the short wall of the Academy and out onto Death City. He felt her eyes upon him for a few moments, but then her footsteps echoed without a word as she went inside. He waited a few minutes more, then followed her lead. No one had seen them walk together, at least not that he'd noticed--although he hadn't exactly been trying to notice either--so hopefully she would be content with that. 'You're already making allowances, because of her. Oh well, how much longer would this last, anyway?' he thought to himself, sighing inwardly as he walked through the corridors to Professor Stein's room.

((hope that was okay. If you want me to change anything just let me know. I just feel like they would do that for the first few weeks or so beacuse I feel like she wouldn't want their friends to know she was living with him until she was ready to tell them herself or something, or they found out by accident xD but yeah <3 ))

((yeah that sounds good to me! How about this: Today is December 17 (Wednesday) and they just have 1 more exam tomorrow (like maybe later in the morning) and after that they're finished and yes they will resume classes again on January 5. Sounds good to me, alright with you? :3 and I completely agree on them entering the building one at a time with a few minutes between each other, I definitely think that's what they would do. Totally gonna have their friends ask about it though and it's gonna be super awkward but hilarious at the same time xD <3))

~ y u m e ~

Yume was glad Kureno was on the same page as her, for once. He gestured for her to enter first, with him following a few minutes behind to ensure that no one would see them together and question why they arrived together in the first place. She wasn't completely ready to tell her friends about her living arrangements right now, mainly because they would be questioning the 2 of them until no end. And of course, it's almost mortifying to even say it out loud. And on top of that, if word got around, more than likely Yume would have some fangirls who are head over heels for Kureno trying to poison her food or something. Sometimes she wondered if Kureno even realized how many girls were "in love" with him, or willing to be his partner. Unfortunately she couldn't say the same. Like any other day Yume's friends who had arrived before her waved to her upon her entrance and motioned for her to join them in their usual spot. After a minute or two of chatting Kureno made his way to the group, and the two apartment-mates felt even more inclined to ignore each other in conversation, still fearing their friends discovering their secret despite the fact that it would never happen. Maka decided to suddenly change the topic and directing a question toward Yume and Kureno. "So, did you guys get any last-minute studying done this morning?"

Although everyone else thought nothing of it, Yume and Kureno suddenly froze a bit, for some reason thinking that her question was directed at them to reveal that they somehow knew what was happening between them. Their eyes shifted to the other's, both remembering what had happened earlier that morning. Kureno ended up being the one to snap them out of their short stare-down and replied as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Yep, went over the material a few times while I was eating breakfast."

"Nah, didn't want to get too worked up over the test," Yume casually replied. Their chatter continued on through the last few minutes before the second part of the exam was to start. Right before Professor Stein's entrance, Tsubaki had spoken up. "Yume, I've been meaning to ask- where did you end up finding a place?" Thankfully Stein entered a moment after that and announced for the class to take their seats for the exam and prevented Yume from answering the dreaded question. Of course she felt bad about lying to them, but if there was a better option, she had yet to hear it. Stein began to pass out the test as the students were rummaging around their bags for an appropriate writing utensil. He made the usual announcements of where to leave the test after it was completed and there was to be absolutely no cheating, or there would be consequences. He started the timer on his desk and began to grade other tests. The first part of the exam was fairly challenging, but today the difficulty had definitely increased, and the student could tell the others thought the same thing. Regardless, she still felt pretty confident about the test when she handed it in about an hour and ten minutes later, with only twenty minutes remaining in the testing period. Since there was a rule about no electronics until the timer went off, she just lied her head on the desk to recover from the challenging exam.

((uhm yeah sure sure that works! hah though that's so perf yessss lav ittt!!! x3))

This half of the exam was a bit more difficult, but still Kureno finished with slightly less than half an hour left in class. After he turned in his test, he strode calmly back to his desk and sat up straight, hands clasped in his lap and looking ahead, slightly up, thinking. He was eternally grateful that Soul and/or BlackStar hadn't made a scene from cheating again, as it happened fairly often. It had been a quiet, but a bit mentally straining, test period, and Kureno felt he was not alone in being glad this test was over so they had only one more until Christmas break.

As he waited, Kureno pondered his Weapon Partner Problem, as he often did. It was beginning to become obvious what the only logical choice was. Yes, he could just refuse to get a partner, but then the classes would become impossible to complete and he might be dropped down or have to sit out and fall behind until he got a partner. The only option left was...his ice grey gaze slipped across the classroom, eyes falling upon the short-haired blonde girl with her head on her desk. 'Yume.' Ugh. He suppressed a shiver--even thinking about it turned his stomach. Although, he noticed, perhaps not in as revolting a way it may have months before. Their relationship was better than it had been. Perhaps it could evolve further. Well, as of now, it seemed to him they were almost walking on eggshells around one another, and it was getting utterly exhausting. He decided to revert mostly to his previous air with her, though perhaps not as biting as before. Kureno still had his doubts that she would want to stay with him, but they didn't have to live together if they did become partners. 'I shall see if she lasts until Christmas. If we maintain it until then...well, I suppose we'll see what happens. Perhaps she'll find a meister partner before then anyway,' he sniffed, raising his chin a bit and closing his eyes for a few moments, before flicking them open to check the time. Still twenty-one minutes left. Kureno fished out his book, deciding to spend the time in Tolkein's world of Middle Earth instead of in this dreary classroom.

The testing bell rang out sharply, and with it came the suddenly-infuriated scribblings of late testers. Stein spoke up, "Pencils down, everyone. Turn in your exams, and have a wonderful break," he called, as a few groans came from worried students and the scrapings of people getting up to hand in their tests. As everyone packed up and excited chatter evolved, Professor Stein lowered his voice but still seemed to be heard above the crowd, "I trust I don't have to remind you all that you must have a Weapon or Meister partner by the end of the week once we get back..." his hazel-golden eyes peered strictly through his glasses as he surveyed the class, then gave a huge smile, "Have a wonderful break!" and with that, Stein laughed as he whirled around in his chair, spinning out of the classroom closely followed by students.

((the whole time I was reading that post I kept thinking "heh... Kureno has no idea that Yume is gonna be his partner. HA. xP and I love that you mentioned about Blackstar and Soul and cheating. Heh ))

~ y u m e ~

When Stein rolled out of the classroom on his chair laughing, that meant that class was officially over. The students who had finished early already began filing out, while the other students that barely or hadn't finished at the bell were still packing up their belongings. As per usual, Yume and her group of friends gathered right outside the room to decide if they all had time to hang out. Although Yume was probably one of the bigger social butterflies in the group, she decided to step out and spend some time with herself only. Although her reasons mostly had to do with her apartment-mate, not wanting to spend any more time with him than she had to. Despite how much she tried to convince herself that Kureno was a big-talk asshole that was no good for her, there was always that little voice in the back of her head telling her that she needed him in her life.

Waving goodbye to her friends, she was off to the library for a music practice session. It sometimes acted as a therapy session, as needed. It wasn't too far a walk to her destination, and upon arrival, found dozens of students in the library. "Tis the season," Yume mumbled and entered the connecting room that, as always, contained the piano and the 2 guitars. It wasn't so much of a practice session as simply letting out unreleased emotions that she could never reveal to anyone else. The musician placed herself properly on the bench parallel to the piano and began to play. She played whatever came to mind first, striking the keys hard; out of frustration, mostly. The room was completely sound proof, so there were no worries of disturbing the working students. It wasn't until after twenty minutes when she decided to take a break from non-stop playing that Yume realized she had been crying the whole time. Her thoughts swirled around trying to determine what was so upsetting that brought tears to her eyes. It was, of course, the one who caused her all kinds of emotions day in and day out. He's letting me stay with him, and he really doesn't have to. I know he can't stand me, the feeling's mutual. I think. No, I'm sure of it, we hate each other. I just hate having a relationship where we have to walk on eggshells every time we're around each other. There was no determining why Yume was feeling the way she did; too much confusion. Making a bad decision to lay her head down on her arms in front of her, she quickly fell asleep.

((so not really sure where I was going with the whole 'mixed emotions' thing. Like, I think I know what I'm trying to say, but I'm having trouble describing it, if that makes any sense. If that part confuses you, let me know and I'll try to clarify xP))

((heheh yes x3 but I thiiiiink I know what you were tryin to say with the mixed emotions thing...like somewhere inside does she maybe kind of know, or feel, that they're gonna get closer and she kind of wants to be she's like pretty positive he hates her and she's supposed to hate him? Is that kind of it? ^^' please do describe in your own words though darlin, it's your charrie <3 I don't mean to assume, that's just what it sort of sounds like is the issue i just wanna see if that's right at all~))

Kureno walked out of the classroom and started down the hall, but was pulled back when Maka rather slyly but roughly grabbed the sleeve of his coat and tugged him to join their circle of friends. He chuckled at her, ruffling her bangs in a friendly, jokingly-annoyed way, as the others began talk of hanging out the rest of the day. Maka shortly piped up to offer having a group study session for their last exam, to which Soul and BlackStar immediately disregarded as being "uncool"; Maka returned the reply with a pouty frown and lightly punched Soul on the arm.

After some debate and scheduling, the group was still divided. Patty and BlackStar were both all for going to the park and playing frisbee or basketball, and so of course Liz and Tsubaki would go along with what they wanted to do. Kid had something he had to do for his father, and Maka preferred to head home to study a bit and wind down after the test. Soul, although he said studying was lame, he would probably end up doing whatever Maka decided to do. And Yume had already gone...somewhere. As the groups went their separate ways, Kureno thought for a moment before running to catch up with Maka and Soul, reaching out a hand to Maka's shoulder. "Hey, Maka," the girl stopped and turned, smiling gently at him in question. Soul had half-turned as well, his hands behind his head. Kureno's gaze switched between them, lowering his head a bit as well as his voice, "I have something I would like to ask you..."

~Later that day, approximately 1 o'clock~

Kureno had gone home shortly afterwards, and had done a bit of tidying up around the apartment. He finally finished up, refolding the blankets he'd given Yume to use and setting them with her things in the corner of the living room. He sat back on the couch, flicking on the tv but there was nothing good on, so he opted instead for his stereo. He turned it fairly quiet and figured he may as well study a bit, since he had nothing better to do, and he took out one of his notebooks from his bag and lay down on his back on the couch.

After about fifteen minutes of trying to focus on reading, tendrils of thought kept peeking into his brain, distracting him. Kureno did his best to push them away, but eventually decided to just lay the book down, maybe for a moment, and rest his eyes. With slim, pale fingers he lowered the book page-down open on his chest, saving the spot he was on, closing his grey eyes from the light of the world around him. He grabbed onto the strings of thought, following wherever they led. He found himself thinking of the cat that came to him for dinner, the spare room in his apartment, of bedsheets and music, and of course of his friends, most notably of Yume. Before long, the young meister felt himself slipping off into sleep, and even though he wasn't particularly tired, he let himself fall into a gentle slumber.

((yeah actually you explained it pretty well. Like, she likes him but denies it and tries to tell herself that she's not supposed to. So she's fed up with him, even though he hasn't done anything but still tries to blame him for everything. Does that make sense? I hope so ^^' oooooo secret mysterious question Kureno asked. I WANNA KNOOOOOOWWW. Warning: this post will probably make you roll around in fangirl feels ))

~ y u m e ~

Yume was out for about two hours, practically unconscious rather than simply dozing. When her biological clock decided to awaken her she was completely blind to what was happening for a few seconds, as what usually happens when one is dead asleep. Her memories and common knowledge began to return to her after looking around the room. Rubbing her eyes out of exhaustion she decided that two hours wasn't long enough, Yume decided to head back to the apartment to continue her nap instead of sleeping somewhere where anyone could find her. She packed up her things quickly and took her time walking back to the apartment. The girl wondered if Kureno would be there, and if he was, what he would be doing. Probably studying, or possibly relaxing. The day was a bit chilly, but the wind was bitter, making it feel like it was colder outside than it actually was. Yume was glad to enter the apartment building, enjoying the warmth it had to offer. Walking up the stairs and opening the door, Yume was a bit surprised at what was in front of her. Her assumptions of Kureno studying were correct, but it seemed that he was also in need of some sleep, so he had placed the book he was reading on his chest, keeping it open to a certain page, and had only planned to close his eyes but instead ended up dozing off. Yume thought Kureno was the kind of guy that wouldn't let himself be seen in any other state besides how he acts in public. Then again, it's not like he was used to living with someone else. Feeling sympathetic for her apartment-mate, she took away the book he was slightly still gripping onto and placed it on the coffee table while taking a piece of paper to keep his stopping place. She then grabbed the blanket she had used last night to sleep that he must have folded up and laid it over his body. He looked peaceful; it was as if that tough guy layer had been peeled away and a new, innocent layer was revealed. It brought a smile to Yume's face.

After practically admiring Kureno in his sleep, Yume remembered why she had walked all the way here. Then it hit her that there wasn't anywhere else to lay, since he was taking up part of the couch, and there was no way she was sleeping in his bed. Although there wasn't enough room to completely stretch out on the couch, she could still lay there with her legs curled in. She grabbed the sheet she also used the night before, and made herself comfortable on the couch, with her head next to Kureno. The last thing she wanted to do was get too close to him, but after she dozed off for the second time today, she wasn't aware of her nuzzling her head into Kureno's leg. Yume would never admit that she felt almost comforted lying next to him.

((I AM SO PROUD OF THIS POST OKAY I FREAKIN LOVE THOSE TWO CAN THEY JUST NOT THEY'RE KILLING ME))

((yes yes i totally gotchu! That makes sense ;3 I understand where she's coming from. And heeeehee if you want me to tell you I cannnn, but it's not like super plot-y or anything. It's like just a little side thing. but OHMYGODOIHAIEWGSD THAT POST WAS SO FREAKING CUTE LIKE ALL THE FLUFF IM DYING I FREAKING LOVE THEM BRO BRO YOU SHOULD BE SO PROUD OF THAT POST!!!! Cuz like i sort of purposely left it open like that, with him falling asleep and stuff hoping you would make Yume come home and they would have a cute moment BUT THAT IS NOTHING TO WHAT YOU ACTUALLY DID OMG THAT WAS ADORBS YOU ARE PERF OAEIHFNAWOFW THEY ARE TOO MUCH THEY NEED TO NOT.))

Kureno felt himself nearing the waking world, and grumbled lightly in protest, his brow furrowing gently. As of now, he had no wish to open his eyes to the far-too-bright light of day that was no doubt encroaching in his living room, uninvited. He shifted, trying to get comfortable again and perhaps catch a few more minutes, but his eyes snapped open as he realised there was someone else on the couch. He lifted his head a bit, seeing that a blanket had been placed upon him, obviously by the one who was sharing his couch. Yume was curled up on the other end of the sofa, nuzzled close to his legs.

One of her arms had reached across his leg in her sleep, gently holding onto him as one would a stuffed animal or other sleeping companion. She'd gotten a blanket as well, and even as he watched her incredulously for a moment she sighed lightly in her sleep, the smallest of smiles on her lips. Kureno tried to ignore the fact that he thought he might be blushing and instead tried lifting his torso up, sliding away from her in the process. At first, she tightened her hold on him, and he stopped moving right away, holding his breath for some reason. She relaxed again, and as she shifted he was able to disengage himself from her hold, carefully getting off the couch. When she noticed the sudden lack of presence by her, she snuffled and fidgeted unhappily, dangerously close to waking. Kureno cast his eyes around and they fell on her stuffed lion, resting on top of her bag. He quickly grabbed it, dropping it gingerly by her grasping hands, and he was reassured as she seemed to fall back into a deeper sleep, holding the plushie close.

Kureno gave a quiet, relieved sigh and watched her for a moment, his brow furrowing lightly in thought. After a while, he took a step forward and pulled the blanket to cover her exposed feet, and finally glanced at the clock. Almost four o'clock, already. He'd napped for almost three hours, and now it was nearing dinner time. And, in about two hours, his calico visitor would show up for some supper as well. As he made his way to the kitchen, he wondered about how Yume would react to that. Perhaps she would warm up to him. Or perhaps she would think it was just an act, because she knew he was actually a horribly arrogant, rude excuse for a friend. Either way, he wasn't going to deny the poor stray her food. He smirked to himself, 'I seem to have a weakness for strays,' he thought, as he glanced in on the blonde girl fast asleep on his couch, huddled contently, almost as if she finally felt she belonged.

((OMG I CAN'T EVEN RIGHT NOW I'M DYING I'M AHVING TROUBLE TYPING HFKDAHGKDAGKHDKHGDS I STILL HAVE'T RECOVERED EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE5EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ah okay, I gotta calm down. I need to start reading your posts when my roommate's not in the room ^^' but yeah man, as soon as I read that Kureno had fallen asleep too I instantly had the idea of them like almost snuggling and I couldn't stop smiling while I was typing the post. So perf <3))

~ y u m e ~

Just like her previous nap, Yume woke up out of a dead sleep and was still slightly confused as she awoke. But not because she had been sleeping so soundly, but because of the stuffed lion that had been somehow placed in her hands; she knew she didn't grab it when lying on the couch. Then it all started coming back to her. Yume had positioned herself next to Kureno when he was already asleep and at some point he must have awoken and given her the stuffed animal, since he was no longer next to her. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, but she was sure she felt something was taken from her grip in the middle of her nap, although what she was holding onto, Yume couldn't figure it out. Slowly sitting up and checking her phone for the time, the girl searched the room for her apartment-mate but he was nowhere to be found. Moments later he entered the room from the hallway containing his bedroom, taking notice of Yume waking up and making a half-sarcastic comment. "Well gooood evening sleepyhead," Kureno smirked the way he did whenever he was attempting to mock her. "Like I was the only one asleep," Yume responded half-jokingly. "Yeah, well, you sure looked comfy," The humor in Kureno's voice disappeared immediately and Yume was left wondering what he meant by that. Surely nothing happened...

After their little exchange, Kureno went to the kitchen to retrieve what looked like a bit of cat food. Yume hadn't been here very long, but she had yet to see a cat hanging around the apartment. Perhaps he/she was just a bit frail and didn't venture out very often. He carried the little bowl to the door leading to the balcony and out of nowhere a little cat appeared outside, and it seemed to know it was going to be fed. He opened the door and placed the bowl on the ground for the cat to enjoy. Yume guessed it was a stray cat that kept returning each night for a bit of food and Kureno was supplying him/her with a meal a day. She was actually quite touched at the sight of the man gently caring for a homeless cat whom would probably be close to starvation if it wasn't for him. When he re-entered the living room Yume realized she was staring intently at him the entire time and immediately looked away, fearing that her face was revealing emotions she would never want Kureno to see. If he noticed her, he didn't make any indication that he did. "So, are you hungry?" He asked the girl. It took her by surprise a bit, not because Kureno was the kind of person to refuse to feed anyone but himself and the cat, but because he went out of his way and genuinely asked her if she was hungry. "Um, yeah, actually," At her response he walked into the kitchen again and began gathering ingredients for whatever he was about to make. "You're not picky, right?" To which Yume responded with a head shake. While Kureno was preparing dinner for what she assumed the both of them, she was folding up the blankets still placed on the couch and tidied up the area a bit. She figured it was the least she could do, since dinner was being cooked for her. Soon the apartment was filled with a delightful scent of what smelled like cooking vegetables. Around 15 minutes later 2 plates were being brought out with a bit of steam leaving the food. When her plate had been placed in front of her, she finally figured out that Kureno had cooked them a vegetable stir-fry that looked delectable. He motioned for her to begin eating, as if he was proud of what he had just created. After just one bite Yume's mouth was salivating for more. The dish was incredible, with the vegetables cooked just enough where they were almost slightly burnt but too much. It didn't take her long to finish the meal, although she still attempted to enjoy it as much as she could with the speed she was eating at. Kureno was still eating when she was finished and was only focused on his plate. Yume caught herself staring at him again, with even more admiration than when he had fed the cat. This time, though, she couldn't make herself look away. Her heart began beating a bit faster and she cursed herself for it. Once Kureno had finished his meal, he placed the plate on the coffee table and looked over at Yume, and even didn't attempt to stop it. They had practically shared a silent moment with each other and was abruptly ended when Yume realized what was happening and announced that she needed to use the restroom and practically ran away.

((YES YES augh I'm SO GLAD YOU DID THAT THOUGH LIKE I AM SO HAPPY THIS. ROLEPLAY. And oufhaginaieruaghwiu THEY ARE TOO CUTE I CAN'T ERMAHGERD SUCH ADORABLEEEE))

Kureno smirked to himself as his blonde roommate all but fled from him. As he stood to pick up the dishes from dinner, he heard the bathroom door slam obviously much louder than Yume meant it to, only widening the dark-haired meister's smile. He strode to the kitchen and placed the plates in the sink and washed them, and put the leftovers in the fridge. As he walked back into the living room, Yume was staring at her phone, and as soon as Kureno walked in she seemed to become especially interested in the little screen in front of her. Not bothering to surpress his smirk yet again, he continued through the living room and went to the door, going to check on his calico visitor. She was washing her fur beside her cleaned plate, and as soon as he came out she stopped her grooming and mewled happily at him, rubbing against his legs. As he collected her dish and stroked the cat, Kureno thought, 'Perhaps this housemate situation will be more interesting than I thought...


~Later That Week~

The students had finally, finally finished their last exam of first semester, and as they poured out of the classroom a happy air of excitement, relief, and exhaustion accompanied them. Maka, Soul, and the group gathered nearby, talking in smaller groups about Christmas and winter break plans. Kureno found himself talking to Crona--the shy, but extremely dangerous, demon swordsman may be a bit odd to most people, but Kureno found something in him that he could identify with, and the two were quickly becoming pretty good friends. Of course, Crona still adored Maka the most of anyone they'd met. At the general buzz of conversation continued, a particular sentence caught Kureno's ear.

"So, how did your roommate situation go? I never got to ask you," Tsubaki's quiet voice asked Yume, a smile on her face. The poor blonde weapon froze, and in the lull Maka piped up, "Yeah, where are you living now? I'd love to come visit you!" At this point, pretty much everyone in their group was now looking eagerly at the stuttering Yume for an answer. "W-well, it's just...just a temporary thing, i-it's not like--" Patty interruped Yume, jumping happily forward and calling out, "Hey, that reminds me! I saw you and you," she pointed enthusiastically at Yume and Kureno in turn, "walking to school together a few times this week!" she wrapped up her big news with a giggle, and Liz looked as surprised as everyone as she exclaimed, "Wow, really? What's up with that? We thought you two didn't get along all that well," she said with raised eyebrows, before looking pointedly at Yume and smiling in a knowing way, "Is there something you'd like to tell us, Yume?" There was a silence that followed, and Yume began stuttering again, "I-I said it's just temporary! It's not like that, we, he just--" before she could embarrass herself more, Kureno decided to take a turn at it and spoke up now. Trying to hide how amused he was by all of this, he gestured to her, "It's true," he sighed dramatically, "She's hopelessly in love with me. But then again, who can blame her?" he looked over his shoulder and cast his usual smirk towards Yume, winking at her as she stared at him incredulously.

((I hope that was okay!! 'xD ah jeez yessss....yes. sorry. but yes.))

((ah gawd I'm still in shock over Kureno's comment xD I'm trying to imagine how I would react if I was in that situation. Like, I think I would just faint because I was so shocked lol))

~ y u m e ~

Yume was pretty sure everyone around her could see her heart beating out of her chest from Kureno's last comment. Instead of feeling pure anger towards him like the last time he decided to say something only he thought was funny, there was nothing but embarrassment coursing through her body. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and her legs became almost unstable. All of her friends looked to her for some sort of response to Kureno's remark but Yume was unable to give them what they desired. Instead her eyes began watering, it became hard to swallow, and for some reason she decided running away was the only option. A couple of them called out to her but no matter how much she wanted to return and explain herself, she couldn't face them. But it wasn't the explaining-her-living-conditions-to-her-friends issue that was the most upsetting. It was that damn Kureno that once again decided to open his big mouth and watch her suffer because of it. Clearly their relationship hadn't been healing as well as she thought and the girl scolded herself for ever asking him for that favor. But at the same time, it wasn't possible for her to move out and live somewhere else so unfortunately it seemed as though she would have to continue putting up with Kureno at least a little bit longer. Somehow she ended up at the apartment but Yume didn't want to take the chance of Kureno somehow arriving there before she did and was waiting for her upstairs. Deciding there was really nowhere else for her to go without at least a few people seeing her puffy eyes, she walked around to the side of the building and sat down leaning against the wall, hoping she was to never be found... for a few hours, at least.

Long before Yume's 3 hours of loneliness was up, she could hear in the distance a faint call of her name. She couldn't quite make out the voice, but she had a feeling of who it was. A few minutes after hearing her name, footsteps began sounding and by the volume of the steps, whoever was coming was very close. And to her surprise, it was more than 1 person. Not wanting to see the face of who was about to appear, the youth turned to her right and leaned against the wall on her right shoulder. Suddenly a voice sounded from behind her. "Maka, she's over here!" Soul yelled in the opposite direction. Maka came running toward the 2 of them in a mere few seconds. "Yume, why are you sitting outside in the cold? You need to come back with us," The concern in Soul's voice was apparent. Yume was still too shocked to even explain herself. It was clear he wasn't going to accept silence as an answer when he walked around to face Yume and knelt down, arms resting on his legs and hands hanging off the knees, similarly to a parent talking to his/her child.

Realizing there was no getting out of her current situation, Yume returned to her original position, wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, assuming she wouldn't be able to be understood from her previous crying. "I haven't been honest with you guys... I asked Kureno to live with him temporarily until I could find another living situation that suited me best. What he said about me being in love with him is completely false. Do not listen to that asshole, he hasn't liked me from the beginning and I don't even know why I thought I could live with him in the first place. I was just so devastated by what he said and the fact that he thought it would be funny. I'm so sorry guys, I should've told you the truth," The mention of Kureno's name brought back a few tears to her eyes and therefore made it that much harder to continue her apology/explanation. Maka and Soul had exchanged a glance and proceeded to grab Yume by the wrists to pull her up and brush her off. "You guys need to work this out," Maka stated in a parent kind-of-voice. "No. No matter what that dick has to say, I don't wanna hear it," Yume furiously shook her head. The 2 of them raised their eyebrows at her and positioned their heads down, as if to say "Really?" But deep down she knew what needed to happen, no matter how much she desired to continue sitting outside with no contact to anyone.