(Untitled)

[needthepractice]

There's a select group of people scattered throughout the Compound today, any of which someone might happen to run into, but only if they know where to look.

In the IPD Office, there's a tall woman with long brown hair sitting behind one of the auxiliary desks and filling out some long-neglected paperwork. She's been putting off her patrol

Comments

[honestlyrubbish]

"Well, now I feel considerably less special," Hermione greets as she approaches the board, reading from where she stands, a step back and to the side of Steve. She's been meaning to find him these past few days, wanting to offer congratulations on being nominated for the island Council, but if there's anyone whose schedule happens to be rather rigid and inflexible on the island, Hermione would be it. Most of her time as of late has been spent on classes, on current Council work, on her engineering project on the side, and somehow, though it leaves little free time for anything else, Hermione finds that she couldn't be happier about her schedule on the island. Better to keep herself busy.

"Do I at least get the pleasure of being the first for a surfing lesson?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest with a soft laugh and an arched brow.

[newkindofcop]

"Oh, that's not true," Steve's quick to assure, although he surprises even himself with the quickness of his reply. It may not necessarily be in his nature to lend comfort right from the get-go, although maybe this is mere proof that Danny, with all his projects, all his assistance with some of the young people on the island - it's all rubbing off on him in some way. These days, it seems like they're hosting any number of guests, whether it's the young boy who comes by for some food and playtime with Zulu or Coraline asking to spend the night in their guest room. He's not complaining, though. Back home, living in his father's house all alone had become somewhat lonely from time to time - and in certain cases, having company was more of an advantage than not.

"Of course. You did have the first request," he informs her, mimicking her posture to a certain degree. "Everyone else is on a first-come, first-served basis."

[honestlyrubbish]

"I wouldn't actually be upset if you decided to offer the first lesson to someone else," Hermione reassures him in turn, her nose wrinkling with amusement as she shakes her head. Much as she's capable of obsessing over small details at times, there's not a single part of her that plans on doing so for something like this. Favors are, after all, favors. They're not owed, and with this in particular, there's endless flexibility- both she and Steve have other matters in their lives to concern themselves with. Surfing's only meant as another activity to enjoy on the side.

And, perhaps, a way of solidifying the friendship as well.

"Rather, I'm simply glad that this sign seems to suggest that you've managed to fashion the first surfboard?" Hermione asks, brushing her knuckles against her cheek as her eyes briefly scan over the rest of the bulletin board posts, some of them faded and washed out by the sun. "Easily enough to be capable of making that offer to others."

[newkindofcop]

"You sure about that?" Steve asks, looking mildly surprised for a second. Granted, their arrangement was something they'd only tentatively agreed on, so he's not going to belabor the point or force her into it if she's having second thoughts now. That being said, he's under the impression that she's a quick study and would probably catch on to the whole concept after one or two lessons - maybe even one, if they're out in the water long enough. She can learn on Danny's board, since it's slightly more fitted to her height than his own.

"Well, I've got the one Danny arrived with, but I'm working on the other as we speak. It's a little easier said than done, but I'll probably have to take it out for a test run to make sure the wood is the right density. It's got to be light enough, too. We don't want someone stepping up only to sink right down to the bottom of the ocean," he adds, grinning crookedly.

[honestlyrubbish]

"I wouldn't lie to you," Hermione jokes in turn, crossing her arms with a knowing look, though she breaks into light laughter again. It's impossible for her to keep a straight face, at times, generally with those especially kind and patient with a girl like her, who tends to get overly caught up in the details. "But yes, I'm sure. My schedule's generally full to the point that I can always find something else to focus on in a heartbeat if an hour frees up. But, that being said, I'm still heavily invested in learning how to surf. I think it'll be a fantastic break from everything else, and even when thinking about the art of making surfboards, I find myself fascinated, which must be a good sign."

Pursing her lips, she tilts her head and smiles at him again. "Though, speaking of busy schedules... congratulations on the nomination. Well-deserved, from what I've heard of your ITF work," Hermione commends with a nod.

[newkindofcop]

"I know you wouldn't," Steve assures her, and he's half-convinced she isn't about to break out into a smile before she does, assuring him in return. Their schedules might end up overlapping in terms of commitments, but that's why they've agreed to keep this fairly casual in order to make the situation more easygoing. When they have time to meet, they will, and when they don't, they won't. Ultimately, that's island living in a nutshell, although most people tend to have more free time than not, at least compared to their lives before arriving here. He's found ways to occupy most of his time, but it's definitely at a slower pace than what he was originally used to.

"And to you," he adds, nodding quickly. "Although it came as something of a surprise, at first. But I think I can maybe lend a unique perspective."

[honestlyrubbish]

"I'd be interested to hear your views, although- of course, this may or may not be the best time for it. I don't want to usurp anything that you've intended for your platform, obviously," Hermione quickly disclaims first, feeling a slight flush of embarrassment rise to her cheeks. As much as she's tried to distance herself from the immediate emotions she has surrounding the matter, the truth of it is that she's more invested in this election than she'd like to admit. While she can't say that failure is her greatest fear in the same way that it was in third year, that doesn't mean that she's managed to distance herself completely from it. Once she decides to make an effort, some kind of return is the only way to calm her frayed nerves. Mentally exasperated with herself, Hermione shakes her head with the quiver of curly locks. "But... well, the mention of a unique perspective is always intriguing, isn't it? Ideally, all of us would be able to see the world from any number of positions

[newkindofcop]

"Me?" Steve looks surprised for a minute, genuine surprise creeping in over his features as he looks down at her. The real issues if the fact that he really hasn't intended on anything for his platform, not at present, not beyond his initial consenting to run in the first place after learning Danny had submitted his name for consideration. He hasn't even started in on a speech beyond the initial outline of some ideas, and even those haven't been turned into a cohesive, united platform from start to finish. Danny's been giving him a few pointers already, ways to avoid stumbling and reverting to the unconscious behaviors of his posture, but other than that, he's really winging it here - and even though he's no stranger to pressure, there's a different kind of expectation riding on this, most of which he's placed on his own shoulders

[honestlyrubbish]

"I agree that diversity is a good idea," Hermione smiles and nods, pleased with Steve's answer- there's something about it that seems so wholly him, true to his earnest personality. She's never detected a hint of judgment from him, and although they haven't known each other for long, something tells her that he's probably the calmer of the two between himself and Danny Williams. Against many of the other candidates, even including herself, who are driven to the point of a possibly narrowed point-of-view, Hermione thinks that he'd be a great addition to the set. "I feel very fortunate that I was given the chance to serve on the Council, considering how much younger I am than most of the other candidates... but in some ways, one could even argue that it's an advantage for that very reason. Being able to look at matters from the eyes of a younger set of people, or even remembering more recently how frustrating it might be to be underage here