Lynne
Finley had lurked around the corners and shadows of Newton's Cradle since the "Grand introduction". They liked it well enough, lingered in the halls between classes before being ushered off to the next one, drinking coffee and drinking up time all the same. The dorms were comfortable, the people were interesting, and they were, for the most part, content to observe.

Now, holding a small metal thermos, Finley watched the clouds toil through the skies in puffy, parchmented pieces. Not enough sugar, they wrinkled their nose to themself. Another bitter sip, and the wind musing with fallen leaves beginning to gather under the trees outside. 

They let out a long sigh. Another sleepy day, dragging on.
Bryan
Finley was not the only one content to observe, and was in fact *Being* Observed. The courtyard was an open space, and the wind was strong enough to drown out the sound of footsteps in the grass - it was easy enough to hide in plain sight.

Not that Hyun-jin had intended to. He elected to approach calmly, standing next to Finley with a cup of his own, but he didn't say a word.

The cup was full of tea. *Cold* Tea, on account of the weather. It was absolutely nasty, but Hyun-jin's sleep schedule had been thoroughly wrecked since he arrived, and he still preferred cold tea to coffee.

He looked around. No one around.

"Cloudwatching? See Zeus up there?"
Lynne
Ah, yes, Hyun-jin. Finley remembered him, the shy boy who had first introduced himself at their introduction ceremony. At first, he had seemed thoroughly unremarkable to Finley, as they assumed they had also been to him. After all, strangers owed no semblance of admiration. But, Hyun-jin seemed, at the very least, competent, and most people at Newtons Cradle possessed a criminal record of some sort - so, Finley had elected not to underestimate him, or anyone else.

It wrought a sort of tension. 

"If I do," Finley told him, "You will surely be the first to know. But, I'd prefer to spot Freyja, if we're being perfectly frank." 

They took a sip of coffee, and their gaze flickered to Hyun-jin's cup. "What's your poison?"
Bryan
"Tea. Cold. Poison sounds about right." 

At home, it would have been 10:30 AM. He would have been awake for maybe one-and-a-half hours. A good time for a spot of tea.

At Newton's Cradle, it was 7:30 PM. Also a good time for a spot of tea, but not for being outside. Not that that stopped Hyun-jin, who had still only been awake for one-and-a-half hours, in spite of the time difference.

"You're drinking coffee," He remarked nonchalantly, as though it were obvious. "I can't stand coffee. I'd be drinking it if I could, though."

Funnily, among all the violent criminals at Newton's Cradle - convicted of arson, assault, whatever - Hyun-jin's charge was drug possession with intent to distribute. If either person in the conversation had a reason to feel tense with the other, it was probably Hyun-jin.

"I remember you saying you were... Was it 'struck by Zeus'?"
Lynne
"Only if you've elected for black," Finley replied. They glanced down at their coffee cup, the light steam still lifting from the porcelain rim. They nodded. "Ironic, though - you seem as if you would do better with a latte, perhaps."

What Finley wouldn't give for a real latte, these days. They took another sip.

7:30pm. The sun was finishing its cycle, Helios's chariot riding across the skies, Selene brushing the horizon with her silver horses and dainty fingers. It would be colder, they supposed, back home, in Canada. Another wind blew across the trees and rattled the decaying branches.

Struck by Zeus. The suddenness of the phrase almost made them chuckle. "Yes, indeed. I was. And you... Dust, wasn't it? I'd hate to offend you in an ancient library. You'd be rather formidable there. That, perhaps, or an elderly home."
Bryan
"Oh, goodness, I'd make you sneeze. The horror." Hyun-jin's delivery was extremely deadpan, to the point of being entirely devoid of emotion. He wasn't annoyed, that was just how he expressed sarcasm.

"I wouldn't be afraid of me anywhere except a science lab. The worst I could find would be asbestos."

As horrifying as asbestos might be in theory, it did not make for an effective weapon.

"I know it sounds *Really* Canadian, but I have to say I miss Tim Horton's. The chocolate here is undrinkable."

There was hot chocolate at Newton's Cradle, in the 'cocoa powder mixed with water' sense. That never worked well for Hyun-jin. He could practically feel all the little grains gliding down his throat, every time. Not that he'd actually had much success using his powers on the little cocoa packets.

Plus, it was too sweet.
Lynne
Something in Finley perked up at the mention of Canada. Finley hadn't even *Touched* The hot chocolate in Newton's Cradle. The coffee even seemed bitter here. They did, though, smirk at the deadpan humor. It reminded them of their sister.

"Asbestos - how terrifying. Is it not a silent killer, then?" They tilted their head. "I'm sure you'd be devastating in the long term, Hyun-jin."

While sarcastic, if you looked deep enough, there might have been a trace of reassurance in there. 

"I'm from Canada, too. Tim Horton's is my favorite." They rocked back on their heels. "Terribly mundane of us both, isn't it?"