| Banshee
Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 50,244
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Abraham Orlando Botros-Giordano
Gryffindor Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Aurelio Kolya Kaiser
Slytherin Seventh Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Alexei Dragomirov Petrov
Slytherin Fifth Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Typhon Ulysses Prince
Slytherin Seventh Year
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Achilles Alexander Zacharias
Ravenclaw Seventh Year  x12  x12
|  Lovely™ | Captain Hurted | Ariana's Bane | Resident Antagonist | Unparalleled Delight
Nemesis did not react straight away - another useful skill, while they were on the topic - even when Recard seemed to get herself more and more wound up. No, they stood silently and waited, no arguments, no hint of return fire, nothing. More than the professor, they were suddenly acutely aware of Bernadette Grantham beside them, and the state she was managing to work herself into as well. Without looking directly at her, Nem shifted a miniscule amount to one side, as though shifting the weight of their feet, just enough for the outside of their arm to brush against hers.
She'd made some good points too, objectively speaking, even if they were evidently born of feeling. It was part of what had made her interesting after all, though now, at a time when those feelings might have been running rampant, Nem was deprived of the opportunity to dig into them. It was making no small contribution to this utter, utter ennui. As Nem turned to head back to their desk, they made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it attempt to catch her eye, but then the moment passed and they were back across the room.
In their seat again, Nem remained silent a little longer, though with every second that passed, they checked out more and more. On a good day, this activity might have even enough to provoke some kind of irritation, though ultimately it was hard to say. Three guesses on their reaction today.
Once Recard was done talking, Nem immediately raised a hand.
"I'm sorry, professor, but you've lost me. You tricked the class into thinking there were only two possible opposing choices, but some of us didn't fall for it." It was less than a question, and more than a statement, but any nuance was lost in the way they continued to deliver the words entirely without expression or affect. "I don't understand why you would be upset at those of us who reached the point of the exercise right away, unless the real point wasn't for us to understand, but to be deceived yet again."
Deception. A lot of that going around at the moment. Adults trying to get the best of a bunch of kids. Nem didn't actually believe that that was what Recard was trying to do here, or really that she'd even considered that. They certainly didn't rank her in even the same league as the Big Man, the most capable person they'd met, but they didn't shy away from the prospect of letting these other students think that they spoke a personal truth. Nem knew their words carried a heavy implication for those who cared enough to pay attention, and if they sowed some doubt, well... just another win for Rosier, wasn't it. Which meant another win for Nem.
All that was left was to see if these wins would all amount to something they could actually feel.
As for the attitude, sure, Recard could have that one. Nem didn't exactly feel capable of having an attitude in that moment, but were self-aware enough to know that it was essentially their default setting. When everything else shut down, not only did antagonism remain, but it became almost impossible to resist. And when there was no reason to want to resist it, well...
Nem looked down at the empty drawing of the hat in front of them, but their glance lasted less than a second before they nudged it away, and they turned their attention instead to the view outside the window once again. The hat could remain untouched, and it could still be considered a completed assignment, as far as Nem was concerned. If Recard wanted to try point deductions or detentions, she could certainly try, for all the impact it would have. |