The Dragon and The Dinosaur (Bosco)

[Natalie Zhao]

On average, ‘early birds’ tended to be people who were ten or fifteen minutes early. This is, of course, perceived as normal. Sometimes, two individuals even end up just meeting fifteen minutes earlier than the assigned time. It’s disrespectful to be late, after all, so it was understandable that they did so. However, Natalie always found herself waiting for what felt to be decades. It was never because others were late, but because she was a different type of early bird: the early dinosaur. She was in the prefect lounge about forty-five minutes early to a twelve ‘o’ clock night patrol with a boy from Team D. There was an empty coffee mug on the table, and a textbook was propped open on her knee. Her finger ran across the page and, every once in a while, she was forced to stifle a yawn.

She hadn’t bothered to read the boy’s file, although she’d been told his name and his team. Now, this may seem uncharacteristic of the overachiever. It was common for her to read into every little detail so that she could perform the best. However, she didn’t believe in the concept of reading in to people’s lives. It was far, far too personal and she respected other’s rights to privacy. Nothing written on a page could describe the complexity of someone’s past. So, instead, the writing in front of her was a basic level biology textbook. Considering her powers, she figured it was important to learn the effects of pressure on the body, what various body temperatures do, and to try and figure out how her pores were connected to her respiratory system.

So far, Natalie wasn’t having much luck, although she’d read a few other books around the topic. It was true that she’d practiced around other people, and she’d learned to disorient others by altering the pressures on their inner ears. But, it was very impractical, as it required the subject to stand still while she figured it out. She also couldn’t seem to manipulate the pressure anywhere else inside anyone, and just trying caused her to grow so fatigued that she couldn't even think. Still, she was proud of herself for progressing and reading the textbooks gave her something productive to do, anyways. She was behind on education, so learning when she had the resources was crucial. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be on the island, after all, or where she would go. Another yawn interrupted her thoughts.

Natalie peered at her watch. Fifteen minutes. She sighed, closing the book and placing it on the desk in front of her. She’d pick it up again when she was done the patrol. Natalie leaned back in the chair, holding her head in her hands and rubbing at her temples. For the first time in what felt like weeks, she allowed herself to slump over and relax. There were permanent dark circles under her once lively eyes and her skin had grown far paler than before with the amount of time she spent indoors. And yet, she kept her eyes trained on the back of the vending machine door. She exhaled.

Soon, it began to move. In an instant, Natalie was on her feet with a straight back and her hands at her sides. All signs of her previous fatigue vanished and, instead, her shoulders tensed, prepared to meet whoever it was. She hoped it was the boy from his patrol so that they could get started. When he did come in, she was pleasantly surprised. Everything about him was well kept, from his hair to his clean clothes, and even his posture. His alert green eyes glimmered from behind his glasses, and he entered with a gait of confidence. Natalie paused, an eyebrow raised. After a moment of thought, she approached the other prefect with a polite smile.

“Hello, Bosco Hoppus?” she inquired, voice delicate. She, however, couldn’t stop her Chinese accent from weaving itself in to her speech. “I am Natalie Zhao, on patrol with you. Is very good to meet you.” She dipped her head in respect, before extending a hand forward for Bosco to shake. Natalie soon noted that although she stood straight, the boy towered above her. To compensate, she had to angle her head upwards which sent cracks running down her spine. And yet, she, all of the sudden, had a much more positive outlook on the patrol. Maybe it'd be better than she thought.

[Bosco Hoppus]

When Bosco had been assigned to a patrol with someone from another team, he was pleasantly surprised. While he had no issues with his team mates on a directly personal level, it could become vexing when the only one that shared this prefect's work ethic seemed to be Arthur. Arthur, however, did not seem to be able to keep up with the rest of team's stamina. That meant he could not keep up with Bosco very well, either. Their leader, however, took their duties seriously, but she seemed to be oblivious to the full effects that her some of her actions took her underling's opinion of her. The dragon himself became irritated from time to time, though he did believe that she meant well.
Bosco's teammates aside, he should consider the matter at hand.

The girl that would be patrolling with this straight-faced prefect was Natalie Zhao. He had been sure to look over her appearance, and more importantly her abilities, carefully before coming to meet her. The first thing notable about her had been that she had white hair. Hair color changes seemed to be very common among the gifted, and the thought of that somehow being related to what gave the once-regular humans their gifts came to mind. Or perhaps everyone here prefers to put dye in their hair. The young man was no scientist anyways, he could not tell if there was a connection. This was irrelevant to the patrol with Natalie, though. She had interesting powers that Bosco planned to question her on. The questions specifically being how they could use them together. He considered that as he entered the Lounge he expected his new partner would be in.

As it turns out, She had been waiting here for him. It seemed that that politeness that Bosco had had been mirrored to the girl in front of him. The way she introduced herself, she bowed, she offered her hand, and her attentive posture, it was nice to see it in someone other than Arthur. Actually, a difference between the two was that Natalie seemed genuine when she did this. As if she wanted to be polite, and not because she felt she should be. She could also be good at acting. Although the dragon did not bow, or return the positive atmosphere of a smile, he gave her a firm handshake while giving a greeting himself. Careful not to crush her hand in his palms, of course. "I am Bosco Hoppus," He confirmed, "I am pleased to meet you as well, Zhao. I believe we will work well together." Although he sounded serious, he could not be entirely sure of how the two would mix. Their personal relationship could be odd if it turned out that Natalie had rambunctious habits. As a working relationship, however, they seemed to have made a fine first impression on each other.

The straight-faced prefect wanted to get a better handle on his partner's personality, and what would be more successful than getting their patrol underway? Although they were both rather early to the meeting, their patrol could be started a few minutes before its intended time without any drawbacks. As long as Natalie approved of this, of course. And then it came to mind that Bosco would not be entirely sure if she shared his interest in getting to work, but decided to prod the subject nonetheless. He stood aside as he gestured an arm to the door. "Shall we start, Zhao?" He asked, but the way he asked the question it may have sounded like it had been meant to be a demand. Hopefully this girl did not find that off-putting, since that was just how Bosco talked. That, and it could be difficult to work with someone you thought did not want to work with you.  Or she may consider me impatient for trying to start early...
His thoughts wandered a bit until a response was given.

[Natalie Zhao]

The other’s behaviour still surprised Natalie, no matter how long she examined him. His straight posture, calm disposition, and polite mannerisms were captivating, to say the least. Natalie surveyed him, her interest masked only by her blank, unchanging expression. She couldn’t help but be reminded of a certain individual she had met in the gym one morning. A glimmer of a smile tugged at her lips.

However, Natalie’s attention was soon brought back to the present as the boy shook her hand with a firm grip. She tried to return that same strength, but the two seemed to contrast. His hands were warm and powerful, opposed to her cold and delicate ones. A slight wrinkled formed between Natalie's brows, and she pulled away. She turned up the heat in her body. Overall, though, it didn’t phase the silver-haired girl that her bow was not reciprocated, nor her smile. She was not discouraged so easily, and she was beginning to get used to the Western culture on the island. Still, habits were habits, and it would be a while yet before she’d eliminate the Chinese customs from her introductions. She was working on it.

Natalie raised her hand to glance at her watch as Bosco suggested they begin the patrol. After a moment of pause, she nodded and dropped her wrist back to her side. “Of course, Mr. Hoppus.” The silver-haired prefect tugged on her sleeves and the bottom of her school blazer, straightening out the wrinkles, before making her way over to the door. Instincts guided her quiet steps to the hallways, and she expected Mr. Hoppus to follow. If he had any concerns with the usual path they took, she trusted him to bring them up. It was not as if night patrols often found anything dangerous, anyways. Perhaps a few beers were all.

Her black shoes clicked against the ground and echoed around the halls, no matter how much Natalie willed them to silence. Perhaps she was just tired, but her usually calm demeanor was rattled by the silence between the two. A grimace tugged at her features, and a crease formed between her brows. Without turning to face him, she began to speak. “Thank you fo’ coming early.” Her voice echoed through the hall, too, and the hairs along the back of Natalie’s neck stood up. A yawn threatened to erupt from her lips, but she held it back with a long, slow inhale. Focusing on releasing some tension from her shoulders, she took a moment to look over at the larger boy. The oceans behind her eyes glinted with vague curiosity.

“You are Team D, Mr. Hoppus?” Her gaze slid back to the endless hall in front of them, expression blank. Her body settled to a more normal temperature as she dismissed their contrasting hands from before. “You enjoy working wit' them?” Though her voice lacked intonations, she was sincere in her interest. After all, she had come across another of such professionalism from Team D, too. If their commander were to be held responsible for their behaviour, Natalie would be the first in line to commend her for her work.

[Bosco Hoppus]

While thoughts wandered through his mind, the little mannerisms Natalie made were fleeting through as well. Bosco could not help considering she might have felt unease with the way she pulled away, and the expression on her face changing. Perhaps the warmth of his hands were too different from how she normally kept hers? The girl's hands were notably cold, and he could not help wondering if she did that on purpose for some inexplicable reason. His thoughts on what negativity she held around him began to dissipate after she looked at her watch.

...Or perhaps she does not mind it at all.
Or at least, that was how it seemed. And in all honesty he had no reason to think one way or the other. At the moment it just seemed like Natalie did not mind altering the original patrolling start time by a few minutes. She had given no direct signals that she disliked Bosco, and she had only be polite thus far. Speaking of polite, the straight-faced prefect could not help noticing how Natalie straightened her clothes before walking out the door. Even if he had made her uncomfortable somehow, the willingness she showed in staying presentable was appreciated. Bosco had no need to straighten out his clothes, since the only thing he had done since arriving was wave his arm. His uniform fit perfectly, so he would remain wrinkle-free unless something extravagant happened. Besides, if worse cames to worse he could always use his iron again. Wrinkle-free garments aside, Bosco made his way out the door with Natalie after she walked by.

Although this prefect had always disliked idle conversation, he found pleasure in his partner talking over the sound of their steps in the quiet halls. At least while she was not talking just for the sake of talking. Natalie seemed to have a general interest in Bosco. It could just be curiosity. Whatever the case, he offered her a response. "It was no trouble, I assure you." He stated as he looked to her. She was breathing deeply, and it caused the prefect to think she had something to say. He confirmed that had been the case when theirs eyes met. He could only wander what the Beta Prefect was thinking until she turned her head once more. He would have nodded in response if she had not looked away. He had to consider how to respond to that for a moment, and found himself looking back towards the hallway. 

"As long as it is centered specifically on our professional relationships, I have very few issues with my team. Everyone has an interest in upholding the law, and are not willing to let anything blatantly offensive to the school slip by. Our powers could use diversity outside of being close ranged, but because the way we fight is so varied I think it balances that out nicely. We all have our strengths, especially as individuals, but on a personal level our team has issues." Bosco took a breath before continuing. He definitely had to consider this before just throwing it out there. He could not name any issues that were his own personal opinion, only things that were fact. Nothing that was just speculation, and he had to be careful not to get carried away on any specific  person. Not one of the team's members meant harmful to the team itself, many of them just did not mix well.

 "No one on my team gets along very well with our leader, Artemis, on a personal level, and have found some of her decisions questionable, or entirely frustrating. While I believe she means no offense, I feel as though someone already familiar with our team should have been appointed leader. Our newest regular member, Simon, seems to have instability issues that can be hindering in combative situations. I plan on approaching him about that soon in hopes of at least understanding him, though. Devlin, someone who had been apart of the team before me, I do not know very well. I cannot tell if he is quick to anger or if our leader just pushes all of the wrong buttons. And nothing specifically bothers me about Arthur's personality, but his asthma creates issues in keeping up with the rest of his team. And I have my own anger issues that I have a hard time handling, but I have luckily yet to be in any fights with them."

Bosco rambled. He believed he had not not given away anything directly harmful on any of his team members. Unless if Simon's issues turned out to be worse than what they were on the surface. Devlin definitely had a softer and personable side which had hardly been experienced, but that did not have to do with him and Artemis's issues. Arthur's asthma would be obvious if you did almost anything with him, so that had not been a give away to anything. And Bosco even noted his own leading issue, which was good, but it did occur to him that perhaps Natalie had not been looking for what she received. A monologue could be expected from the straight-faced prefect when you asked him about something he actually cared about, but since this girl had only just met the young man she had had no idea. He could only think of one way to cover that up. 
"Does your team happen to be any where near as rambunctious?"

[Natalie Zhao]

At first, Natalie feared she would get nothing more than a gruff ‘humph’ of a response. The other prefect seemed like he might be of that sort, and she eyed him in preparation. Waiting, the clicking of her shoes against the ground became the thin hand of a watch, ticking away at each unbearable second of silence. However, the moment soon passed as he began to talk and her nervousness dwindled. The worry of having a withdrawn and unapproachable patrol partner faded. Instead, she found her eyes widening at how willing he actually was to speak about the subject. She listened with an unmistakable attentiveness that flickered behind her blank mask, reflected in the slight tilt of her head.

“Tha’ is good,” she noted, just as he finished referring to his team’s decent professional relationships. Without a doubt, the young adult could understand the importance of a team’s collective maturity. A nod accompanied her thoughts, but his gruff, husky voice soon reached her ears once more. She perked up to listen. So, from what she understood, their leader, Artemis, was not to be given credit for the professionalism displayed. It was unfortunate that Mr. Hoppus seemed to think that she was an unsuccessful head. And yet, Natalie found herself almost envying the Team D commander’s position. Just as she was, the team members seemed to be powered with an obligation to their own responsibilities. Well, she couldn’t say that with too much confidence, but that statement at least held some merit with the two she’d met. Her opinions on the others, however, were not yet formed. The descriptions given by Mr. Hoppus were far too brief to draw any conclusions from. However, she gave a courteous nod as he admitted his own faults. “Anger must be... hard. Is ve-ry good you have no fights with them,” the girl commented, but her voice wasn’t much louder than a whisper. It felt wrong to slice through the thin layer of silence that blanketed the halls. Soon, though, she was asked a question and she pursed her lips. 

Pulling her shoulders back, an unwelcome bead of sweat trickled down her neck. “Ai, not quite.” The girl paused, her voice echoing down the hall. “There are on-ly t’ree of us. Ms. Molaire, Mr. Walsh, an’ I.” She tugged at the collar of her shirt, seeming to be lost in her thoughts. Explaining her scenario with maturity wouldn’t be too easy, especially since her views on Ms. Molaire were not altogether positive. 狗腿子。 (’someone’s dog’, meaning ‘teacher’s pet’ ) “Mr. Walsh has’a very close power to me. He is very… de-pen-da-ble. I like him, but I wish he will be more tactful. Ms. Molaire…” Natalie drifted off for a moment as the two rounded a corner, digging her teeth into her lips. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like sandpaper, but she no choice but to continue. The language she had one known was so foreign to her, and sometimes it felt so far from her grasp. Could she ever regain it? “She is a dog…mimic. Is very difficult to predict and is forgetful, but her intentions are good. She listens good to Mr. Walsh.” The words left a sour taste in her mouth, but they still were able to lift a weight off of her squared shoulders. The incessant ticking in her ears ceased, and Natalie forced her eyes shut. She could do this - of course she could.

“For them, I hope that my way of talking is not so bad,” she finally continued, cracking her eyes open to look up at the boy once more. However, even the dim halls burned her watering eyes, forcing her to blink to try and see the other’s expression in detail. “And for you too,” she added, peering up at him. He was a rock; his expression remained unchanging and he didn’t falter at all when he spoke. She felt like a babbling buffoon next to him. Frustration pulled her eyebrows into an angled frown, but she soon shook the thought from her mind. “Wha' powers you have, Mr. Hoppus?”

[Bosco Hoppus]

It certainly seemed that Natalie's curiosity had been genuine. Her nods could be caught from the corner of the eye, and her positive reassurances, were not sarcastic. She could probably not tell the same with Bosco, though. His face remained fixated on the hallway in front when he spoke, even when she started speaking, despite how much his eyes observed. The only time he turned his head had been when she paused whilst talking about her teammates. Speaking of her teammates, it could be safely assumed that she had no ill feelings towards her patrolling partner, however, it could be assumed that she held ill feelings towards her teammates.

Both of their team's leaders may have an issue in common with the way they handle things, but there was something else. Bosco had already been previously aware of Beta Team's leader, but he knew little about 'Molaire'. Basically, he knew that she existed. Anyways, the way she paused seemed rather uncomfortable, as if she had underlying emotions. Natalie could have paused because she brought up Aiden, maybe there was something personal between them? But she was also about to bring up Molaire, so perhaps she had personal feelings towards her. In the end, it could be she was having trouble coming up with an answer to the question due to a language barrier. Whatever it was, it was making her uncomfortable. As much as Bosco would have liked to ask about the subject, he let her change it.

He looked down to her for a moment. She seemed bothered. At no point had her accent hindered the conversation, however, so Natalie had no reason to think that it should be bothersome. He actually enjoyed talking to her. She wanted to talk about the faults in their teams, and if she had been willing to do that, then that meant they could formulate a way to address as well as fix them with their respective teammates. The young man definitely felt they were on the right track for conversation. Perhaps if she had not asked another question, Bosco would have told her as much instead of letting the subject go once more. Maybe he could get back to that before the night ended. The young woman probably wanted to get onto their powers, so Bosco wasted little time in speaking. "I have three powers, actually." He began, turning his head back to the halls.

"I have super strength, which is rather self explanatory. It has to do with my body being naturally stronger than what is considered normal for others. My second power, however, can be a bit strange to explain. My 'Flowmotion' ability is a sort of acrobatic enhancement. It has to do with increasing momentum, ease of trajectory changing, and general agility. A great asset in combat, in combination with my other two powers. My final power is one you may be familiar with if you have heard about me before. It is called "Dragon Mimicry"." The prefect paused a moment to raise his hand. He would demonstrate his power as he spoke of it. "I can turn parts of my skin to tough scales for a period of time, allowing me to withstand most weapons." The flesh along his hand alternated from its regular form to being scaly. He let out a weak breath of flame to make it clearly visible. "Breathing fire is another of my capabilities, along with smoke. Needless to say, since I can take it into, and form it within, my lungs, I have a natural immunity to high temperatures."

That straight face turned once more to the alpha prefect. Rather than keeping his thoughts to himself, Bosco kept talking since this woman seemed to like listening. "While I cannot say for certain how well the powers will work with you, I am interested in the possibilities they provide. Considering something like being able to manipulate pressure must be extraordinary on its own, the amount of ways you could use that increase my own mobility would be incredible if we were to fight as a team. Your ability to alter your own body temperature could be incredibly useful as well, since you could stop your own body from overheating with ease." He shot a glance to Natalie, suddenly feeling like he said something he should not have.

[Natalie Zhao]

Natalie eased into her heels as the other began to speak, letting him take the lead in the conversation. She only had the slightest idea of what he meant when he spoke of his ‘flowmotion’. There were far too many large words with far too little context clues, and it sent her brain whirling. But, she decided that interrupting to ask for an explanation in plainer English wouldn’t be worth it. She at least would focus on understanding the other two powers. His hand rose, and Natalie’s eyes flickered over out of instinct. The ripples across his skin shifted into scales, and her intrigue was reflected in her raised eyebrows. She couldn’t help but wonder if his tissues and organs had developed such defenses, too.

Soon, a flicker of a flame escaped his mouth, though, and the girl was distracted again. There was so much to address and ponder; yet there seemed to be little time to linger on each thought. First, she couldn't help but feel that he seemed to be showing off, and that irked the silver-haired prefect. However, shifting off of that thought, Natalie noted that his ability to generate smoke would be sure to end her if she wasn’t wary. Not that she assumed they would fight, of course, but he could be careless or lack full control. Though she considered mentioning it, the girl decided against it almost the instant after. Revealing such weaknesses was unlikely to help; she could handle herself if it came to such a situation anyways. So, instead, she pursed her lips and kept quiet. The boy seemed to enjoy talking.

However, her shoulder muscles tightened the moment he mentioned her powers. The boy must’ve read her file. The prefect averted her gaze to the hall in front of her, and her face returned to a formal, blank mask of indifference. “Indeed,” she answered, though her voice lacked cadence. Natalie walked in silence for a few seconds, her lips pressed together. When she spoke again, her tone held forced formality and much deliberation. It was similar to how she would often address Ms. Molaire. “It’s goo’ we will work well together,” Natalie declared, though there seemed to be little authenticity in her voice. All evidence of her previous unease with the boy had vanished. “But, tonight, I hope we will not have a use of powers.” As she finished, her eyes flickered over to him. The silver-haired prefect was unsure if the boy enjoyed conflict, so she surveyed him for a reaction. Then, she reminded herself she didn’t care. Her hardened gaze returned to the halls once more, and they started to approach the exit. She leapt at the opportunity of escaping the bright halls.

On a normal patrol, Natalie likely would have tried to contribute to the conversation further. Perhaps asked another question, or turned the subject back onto the other boy. But, this time, the situation was different. The silver-haired prefect had withdrawn into herself at this point, evident from the blank mask she now refused to remove. The shadows outside seemed like a safe haven for her to conceal her expressions within. Of course, despite her eagerness to escape, she still held the door open for Mr. Hoppus with remarkable patience. As she did, the cooler air of the outdoors nibbled at her skin, but the fresh air extended to her lungs and even to every surface of her body, rejuvenating her. Idly, she adjusted her body temperature to find the familiar warmth envelope her, flooding her veins and causing her cheeks to flush a subtle pink. Despite the internal whirlwind as her body reacted to the changes, she kept an eye on the other prefect, wondering if he’d try to initiate conversation once more.

[Bosco Hoppus]

Suddenly, Natalie became withdrawn. Rather than add on to the topic she brought up, she disregarded the young man almost entirely. At least, she stopped trying to carry on the conversation. As if something made her want to stop talking about their powers, since that was when she seemed to lose interest in Bosco. If she had not wanted to talk about it in the first place, what on Earth was the point in bringing it up? She seemed interested up until that point; she did not like her partner talking about her. She started talking like she had to be polite. Some students are not comfortable talking about their powers, but if Natalie did not like talking about her own, then why bring up Bosco’s? Did his demonstration bother her? Was I showing off? It bothered him that he could not figure it out.

This would easier if the young woman gave a clue as to what about it made her uncomfortable. It may be possible that Natalie had heard of her partner getting himself into a fight without knowing that it was actually him and only just made the connection. A man breathing fire may not be a surprise at this school, but it would warrant attention regardless. That remark on hoping they would not have to use their powers may have been a jab at him for being so quick to violence as well. The thing that kept him from saying something rude was that he knew he was wrong. The reality of the situation was that Bosco needed to stop jumping to conclusions in his head. Both of these students were young, but they were not stupid. They could talk like adults about their problems, as long as one of them tried being a little more sensitive about it.

"I only hope I do not get pushed that far."
He stated simply when Natalie looked to him. He had to stop himself from saying anything else. That remark really did feel like a jab at him, and he had to make sure he did not react harshly. He took a deep breath. The last thing Bosco needed was to have an outburst here, or to start acting anything like a child. He watched as she held the door open for him. There was a breeze that helped calm the dragon. It felt nice to him. It felt easier to take a breath and say what he though he needed to. When he paused when he had been taking a step through the door to the outside's shadows.  "I am sorry if I offended you." He tried to say that as sincere as he could. Bosco did not want to seem fake, or like he was just saying that. He just wanted for her to talk to him a little longer.

[Natalie Zhao]

It was true that the young girl was upset by the other's actions. She felt that her personal life had been invaded by judging eyes without reason, and that the other had violated her privacy. Files were not to be looked at for unimportant everyday purposes, rather, they were useful for individuals who displayed disobedience so their history of crime needed to be seen. Though it was true that Natalie had such crimes behind her, she would never do such a thing again. So, her pursed lips and stiff stance were only slight insights into the disrespect she felt had been shown to her. She was not a delinquent student: she was a Beta prefect who deserved her own privacy. 也许我应该问 Mr. Walsh 隐藏我的文件。(Perhaps I should speak to Mr. Walsh about hiding my file.)

Emanating an air of cold confidence, Natalie glanced up at him and nodded as he apologized. After the moment of silence that followed, she relented and gave a response. “You didn’t, is quite OK.” With that, she began to walk again, expecting the other to follow in stride. However, she remained tight-lipped and quiet. Hidden behind her eyes was the same glimmer of anger at the disrespect from the other, but it soon faded and she raised her chin. She was a high-ranking prefect; this should not concern her. The last thing the young adult desired was to stress without reason since, if she did, sleep would never come. So, Natalie settled into a comfortable pace, and turned her mind to the world around them. She expected little from such a limited exploration of the courtyard; if there was anyone out at night, they often were more than capable of hiding themselves. Unlike many other prefects, her powers weren’t adapted for childish games of hide and seek. She kept her eyes peeled, though, until the two of them approached a fork in the concrete paths. Her sharp gaze returned to the larger prefect, and she fell into a much more pleasant position of leadership.

“If you feel OK, we can split up. When you find trouble, make a signal or yell and I will come. This way, more ground will be covered faster and we can finish more quickly,” she said with her usual professionalism, though her suggestion was something she rarely did. Whenever she was with another for patrols, she made an effort to spend the whole time beside them. Otherwise, they could get in danger, and as a Beta prefect she felt responsible for ensuring their safety. But, she was exhausted and desired silence, and, based on the abilities he’d listed, Bosco seemed capable of taking care of himself without her help. If he couldn’t, then she’d be nearby and she would keep an eye out. The paths in the courtyard weren’t very far apart. “We can go back in offices to give our reports after. If we aren’t in lounge by…” she paused, holding up her watch and struggling to see through the darkness, “…by 2:30, I will come lookin’ for you.” That would be more than enough time to complete the patrol, and if she got to the lounge early, she could finish reading the chapter. Another polite smile was brought to her lips, and she dipped her head. “It was good to meet you, Mr. Hoppus.”