behave

[mrmage]

There's a total lunar eclipse two weeks later, the first one since January 2001. That semiquarter and most of the next pass without much more noise. Jackson is occasionally sad because of his dom's electric toy, and he's occasionally more stripey than he wishes to be, but there's not a whole lot Sadde can do about that. Against his hopes, Mason doesn't dump Jackson, and nothing gives.

Sadde continues socializing with people, but no one new. And as the semiquarter approaches its end and summer break gets closer, Sadde receives an email from Tobias, saying that he fully expects his daughter to come home and tell everyone all about her first half year at magic school.

The email tells Sadde to behave.

Sadde is not in a good place.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Shrug.

[mrmage]

"Anyway, I do know for a fact that having fun produces hormones that make your body behave better and are good for your health, even if they're not endorphins."

[alicornucopia]

"I dunno that I can really do anything with that advice."

[mrmage]

"Well you can still exercise. Like, run, maybe, or swim, or play some sport."

[alicornucopia]

Jackson looks skeptically at Sadde, as though Sadde has suggested that since horses are conventionally understood to be healthy he should turn into a horse despite being a psion.

[mrmage]

"What? It's fun! After you exercise you feel all energized and such, I know it starts out boring but it's really not."

[alicornucopia]

"Maybe you do."

[mrmage]

"I think it can take up to an hour of exercising before the effect kicks in, usually between half and three-quarters of."

[alicornucopia]

"That's a long time."

[mrmage]

"I think it's sorta the standard amount of time for an exercising session? Perhaps for this reason."

[alicornucopia]

"I keep hearing, like, twenty minutes three times a week or something."

[mrmage]

"Huh. Maybe I'm wrong, then. It doesn't work at all for me until I hit the thirty-minute mark, though, and only does so reliably after forty. The feeling-really-good-about-myself-after-exercising thing, that is."

[alicornucopia]

"Huh."

[mrmage]

"...how about you come with me next time I go exercise?"

[alicornucopia]

Jackson considers this. "When?"

[mrmage]

"I dunno, I don't have much of a schedule, we could go today after class? Or tomorrow before lunch, I don't have morning classes at all tomorrow."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't either, I guess that works, you might have to remind me at breakfast though."

[mrmage]

"Sure, sounds good."

[alicornucopia]

Jackson manages a little smile.

[mrmage]

Ooh! Little smile! That's good! "I usually like to jog or run around town when I do that, you cool with that or do you prefer something else?"

[alicornucopia]

"That sounds okay. I dunno if I can run very fast."

[mrmage]

"Doesn't need to be very fast, jogging's good enough."

[alicornucopia]

"'Kay."

[mrmage]

"Alright!"

[alicornucopia]

Jackson indeed comes along the following morning, although it seems like this might have to do with not being able to come up with a good excuse on the spot.