в чём сила брат [danill]

Rumors drifted around the students like bees amongst the flowers. Kalevi wasn't one to really care about gossip, but when he heard Daniil's name come up, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation. It couldn't be true what he heard. To be sure he was right, he went straight to the young man himself to find out. The Krov had always been a firm believer that if he wanted to know the facts, he had to go straight to the source or subject of the matter. He wasn't ashamed to be so bold and forward when he inquired. Rarely did he care. People should be left to their own devices. It was their business, not his. If only everyone thought the same, the world would be a quieter place.

He was a hypocrite at this moment. The rumor did not focus on him but he was going to stick his nose right in it. It was all completely for unselfish reasons so he decided he had a fair pass to make such a move. It didn't take long for Kalevi to find Danil. The housemate was a creature of habit so naturally, he knew to find him amongst the dragons.

Kalevi went looking about stall to stall. When he had no luck there, he marched right up the steps to find him sitting at one of the tables made available for studying. Since he had just scouted out the place looking for him, he knew they were alone. "You!" He started as he drew closer. "Tell me it isn't so. Please tell me that you've asked Marja out and that the two of you are dating? I just heard someone say that you haven't. Is that true?" The dark curly-haired boy sat down across from Daniil with his bag at his feet.

@Daniil Krylov

Today was Daniil's designated stress day. He'd decided that once a month he would dedicate an entire day just to studying, homework, and trying to figure out what to do with his life after he graduated, which is what he was currently doing. The seventh year had corralled himself in a corner at the very end of the stables and unleashed upon his little nook a mess of blank parchment, diagrams, quills, and various note scraps, all of which he referred to as his stress tornado, or rather, his "stress-nado." On the top of the mass of parchment was his most recent project: a pro/con list of every profession he was considering. Though he was only considering two and a half professions, he had already spent an inordinate amount of time on this stupid list.

It really shouldn't have been this difficult to choose between becoming a dragonologist and just working in the family perfume business, but yet he found himself wavering. Of course working with dragons is what he wanted to do, but what if he just wasn't good enough for it? What if he failed all of his exams and they wouldn't take him? He really only had two classes that he did well in, while results in the others were . . . less than satisfying, to put it lightly. On the one hand, he already had his dragon flying permit, and he'd done pretty well taking care of Anya, but he was pretty sure being a dragonologist took more than that. On the other hand, the perfumery was an easy option. Like his aunt Galina, Daniil was quite good at Alchemy, and he'd already spent multiple summers working at his grandparents shop, but it just sounded . . . boring

Daniil was yanked out of his thoughts by a shout that could have only been addressed to him, considering he was the only person in this part of the stables. Or rather, he used to be the only person in this part of the stables, but as he looked up from the stress-nado he saw none other than his house and yearmate Kalevi. Oh no! he groaned to himself. While Daniil considered the other boy a friend, he really did not have the energy to talk to him at the moment, especially not after the other boy was done speaking.

"What!?" He exclaimed, as his mouth fell open. This was one of the strangest things he thought he'd ever heard. "What are you even talking about?" He asked his friend with an incredulous look. Since when did Kalevi care anything about Daniil's personal life? And who on earth was talking about him? Daniil was pretty confident that he was the most boring person in the school, and definitely not one to have any sort of gossip following him. He didn't like the thought at all, even if it was true. He really hadn't ever asked Marja on a date, nor had he even told her he liked her, though the boy was absolutely terrible at hiding this fact.

"Um, no, I definitely haven't done that. We're friends - just friends!" He said, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks and hoping the other boy didn't notice "and besides, why do you care anyways?"

This guy! Kalevi scoffed in disbelief. Was her serious? He had to be joking. Marja was rather pretty. She was still single-so the rumors said. That meant she wasn't looking to date or had turned down any other suitor who came knocking on her door. Kalevi had respectfully kept his distance and refrained from flirting with her to give Daniil a fair chance with her. And to avoid the wrath of her overly energetic older sister. Why was he taking so long to ask her?

"Usually I don't care but you're mussing your chance." He leaned forward a little in his chair with his hand on the table. "Anyone with eyes can see that you and Marja like each other. You're in your seventh year and you haven't asked her out yet! We only have a few more months before we leave." Kalevi raised an eyebrow at Daniil as he studied him carefully. He noticed how nervous he was and how the heat rose in his cheeks. It was a curse fair-skinned guys like the two of them had.

The two were made for each other. Anyone with eyes could see that! They always walked on glass around each other. Both were naturally a little awkward when they tried to suppress their feelings for one another. They were obsessed about each other. They were as obsessed with each other almost as much as they both were about dragons. From watching the two of them anytime they were in the same room, he'd picked up on how they reacted to each other. Daniil smiled so much his worrisome creases on his forehead seemed to disappear. He'd compliment her or ask her about different things. They always did everything together. Kalevi was a little surprised to see that she wasn't in here studying with him. When one of them was in the dragon stables, the other was bound to follow soon. Kalevi knew he needed to get to the bottom of this before she appeared.

"You're just friends because neither of you will admit to the other you lile them! By the red in your cheeks, your flustered persona, and how you're always looking at her in class, at meals, and in the common room, anyone can see you like her. Don't wait any longer. You'll regret putting it off. Ask her on a date. They aren't that bad. I can give you some ideas. If you're just friends, then it would be just a date. What's kept you from asking her out one one?"

Daniil's face burned even brighter as the other boy claimed that everyone knew Daniil had a crush on Marja “I-I don’t like her!” he lied, though after meeting Kalevi’s eyes and seeing the expression on his face, the boy simply sighed. Gosh dang it, that was rather embarrassing. “Is it really that obvious?” he asked, fearing the answer. He’d tried so hard to hide it, but apparently his efforts had all been for naught.

“Look,” He said, electing to look back down at his stress-nado, rather than looking back at the other boy. “You somehow already know that I like her, and I guess I can’t deny that, but I’m going to be real and tell you that one reason I haven’t asked her out is because . . .” He paused, unsure if he was actually willing to admit his fears, “Well, it’s becaus I don’t know how.” He said, finally. “I-I’m not the best with words, and I can barely talk to her in a normal, friendly way without getting all tongue-tied, let alone have enough courage to ask her out.” Daniil’s gaze fell even lower as the other boy continued speaking. He hated being so vulnerable and honest about his feelings. He hated them, honestly, and sometimes wished he didn’t have those pesky emotions. He just felt like life would be so much easier without them.

At Kalevi’s final question, Daniil quirked an eyebrow and looked up at his house mate. “What’s kept me from asking her out?” He asked, “Other than, y’know, not knowing how and all that, I don’t even know if she likes me, or if she’d even say yes.” It was true. The pair had had a very interesting relationship, and had actually started out disliking each other before they’d become friends. Even now though, Daniil still had doubts that the girl wasn’t judging him for his blood status. “She’s kind of a blood purist, and I’m, y’know . . . halfblood.”

Daniil sighed again as he looked back down at his table and began to clean up his mess, not really caring to sort the papers nicely or really put them in any semblance of order. He just couldn’t be bothered and he really didn’t want to look at the mound of stress right now. “And besides,” he continued, shoving various bits of parchment into his bag, “what do you even do on a date? Even if I did somehow get enough courage to ask her, I have no idea what we’d do.”