Noah hardly ever let his eyes break from Shiloh while he listened, only glancing away to make sure he didn't knock over his mocha when he reached to take a big gulp. It was hot, but he had a good handle on temperature resistance, be it hot or cold, and training had tempered it even further. Something would have to be boiling before Noah blanched now.<br/><br/>Unlike most teens growing up, the redhead never had that sense of awkwardness when it came to eye contact, or even talking to someone new. His sheer inability to pause and evaluate when something was awkward was what made him friends with Shy to start with. It had been easy for him to plop down next to someone new and strike up a conversation about a shared class. It never occurred to him that someone<i>wouldn't</i>want a random stranger easing themselves into their personal space bubble. It didn't always work out for him of course, but Noah didn't really mind.<br/><br/>A softer smile curled his cinnamon-covered lips, "You'll get it." He said confidently. Who wouldn't want Shiloh on a scholarship? He was certainly the smartest person Noah knew, and even if it was naive of him, Noah believed that had to count for something. All that hard work had to pay off, that's just the way it was supposed to go.<br/><br/>It looked like Shy still had a gift for transitioning subjects, but Noah didn't call him on it. Instead, his smile wavered slightly, and he shoved another bite in.<br/><br/>"Has it really been that long?" He marveled after swallowing, raising his thumb to lick away some of the sticky left behind. "Guess time really passed fast. Barely had a free minute to even know." Part of him was still slightly sullen he'd missed out on so much, but he wasn't so conceited to bitch about getting an amazing opportunity. Still, knowing everyone in school had got to live the teenage experience while he was literally being driven so hard he puked sometimes was a little bittersweet. It was for the good of everyone, and Noah would always keep that in mind. He<i>wanted</i>to be that Hero now. More than anything.<br/><br/>He sat back with a small hum, trying to think of what he could divulge without Champion hanging him up by his thumbs. "I get to start 'Stage two' now, which basically means I shadow an established Hero until they think I'm ready for solo work." His nose crinkled lightly, "I get the feeling that could take a while." He chuckled quietly, licking his index finger now. "It's a little different than I thought, you know? But not in a bad way!" At least, mostly not in a bad way. He would admit to being sheltered growing up, there were certain<i>elements</i>he hadn't been exposed to that he was seeing on the streets now that left him feeling cold and lost sometimes. The dark underbelly to a life he'd once viewed as bright and endless in opportunity. The classes in the Program had been more abstract, 'what if' scenarios, but the streets? They were a whole new beast.