Arsenic

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ni functionalism

ni functionalism

"C'mon, get up. If you're gonna be a Jujutsu sorcerer and not have a cursed technique, at least learn how to fight."

You looked up at Maki before looking over at Panda and Toge. They both shrugged before Panda waved his hand for you to 'go on' with a smirk. You rolled your eyes then got up with her.

"Can you at least punch?" She asked before holding her hand up. You huffed before attempting to punch her hand. Fortunately, you hit it, but unfortunately, she scoffed in disappointment.

"I see. Smart people aren't exactly accustomed to fighting since they must think it's immature and unnecessary." She chuckled before grabbing her polearm and poking you in the side. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Just testing how weak you are. Not gonna lie, you're like a piece of paper." She scoffed with another chuckle before walking backwards a couple steps for you to get back up.

You frowned at the smug look on her face. "Alright, what do you wanna work with?"

"...Doesn't matter?"

She grunted before dropping her polearm and walking towards you, stepping behind you and adjusting your body to what she calls the 'strongest fighting stance.' Her hands guided themselves along your arms, her chest pressed against your back and her feet almost touching yours.

"There. Are you a quick learner?" She asked, stepping in front of you. You nodded in response. "Good. This shouldn't take a while then." She said before stepping back.

"Come at me."

"ACK-"

You yelled as your back hit the ground once again for the 500th time today. You groaned, knowing that your old uniform was dirtied up and you'd have to get a new one, or just leave it be, since you wouldn't really need it anymore. You heard Maki chuckle at your state, her silhouette seen in front of the unforgiving sun before the two of you.

"You're literally a pencil! A twig!" You grunted at the rude comparison. Standing up, you dusted yourself off and looked at her with a frown. "How could someone be so weak?! Jeez, I wouldn't even hope to be a Jujutsu sorcerer if I were you." She continued before popping her neck. You felt your skin boil, and you couldn't tell if it was from anger or from the heat from the sun.

"You're just gonna let her beat your ass like that? After she insulted you earlier?" Ryo asked. You shook your head to ignore it and got into that fighting stance from earlier.

"You still up for more, eh?" Maki asked with a small chuckle. Your eyebrows knit together even further before you ran up and swung. She swayed her head to the right before gripping your left shoulder. You were quick to Move your arm to the left to pull her down by her neck, causing her to flip onto the grass.

She grunted with a frown before rolling over to grab your ankle and pull it forward. You fell down on your stomach with a yelp. She chuckled before getting back up. Dirt stains were on her outfit, but she didn't mind.

"You had me for a second there, I'll give ya that. But you're still weak! It's disgusting!" She exclaimed as she walked past you. You groaned before sitting up and crossing your arms over your stomach.

"Damn. You got her down and she still beat your ass." Ryo commented while you got up as Maki tossed you a water bottle. You caught it before frowning and taking a swig.

"You look a little sour compared to when I first saw you. Guess brains don't mean everything when your limbs are as thin as a leaf." Maki commented roughly before picking up her polearm and walked over to Panda. You huffed and sat down on the bleachers.

Toge tapped your shoulder before handing you a small piece of paper.

'Are you gonna let Maki beat you up like that?' You read to yourself before frowning and looking at him. "Tch, it's still my first day here. I've got a lot more ahead of me and soon enough I'll be the victorious one." You grunted before handing him back the parcel and leaning back.

Later on, at the dining hall, you walked in to find Panda, Toge and... Maki...sitting at a table peacefully eating while Maki had a few papers sitting next to her.

You silently took your seat next to Panda before you began to pick up your utensils. You felt an uncomfortable pair of eyes on you, so you looked up to find Maki boring holes into your head with her eyes. You swallowed the pit of saliva sitting in your mouth, breaking eye contact and continued eating.

After a sigh of irritation, Maki decided to break the silence. "Oi, new girl. I...need help with this one question on my homework...could you possibly.....help me?" She bluntly said, a tint of red forming on her cheeks from being embarrassed by the fact she's asking for help on homework to the new kid.

You lifted your eyebrows before quickly getting up and sitting next to her. Your shoulder accidentally brushed hers before she frowned and slightly scooched away an inch or two.

"...You need help with this? This stuff is easy!" You judgmentally chuckled with a scoff. She rolled her eyes before turning to face the paper in front of her. "Shut up. Not everybody's got a high IQ like you do." She grumbled to herself. You chuckled and took the pencil sitting behind her ear.

"So what the question is saying," You slowly started, looking at her to make sure she's paying attention. She lifted a brow at your pause. "Is, do you think that with what Usher was saying, do you think that something was suspicious about his sister's death?" You said slowly. Her eyebrows knit together at your restatement of the question. 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by Edgar Allen Poe, was a difficult read, in Maki's opinion. The questions didn't make it any easier for her, and a tiny part of her felt glad that she had you to help her.

"I remember reading this story. It was a great tell, I'm still confused as to how my friends were so stumped as to why Poe had so many commas for just one sentence." You stated with a chuckle before handing her her pencil back. She snatched it out of your hand before thinking.

"Well..the narrator did notice a pink tint in Usher's sister's cheeks...and Usher kept on saying that 'she's alive..' so they're saying that Usher buried his sister alive?!" She exclaimed before she began writing down everything she just said. You nodded your head with a warm smile.

"Next time you want help, never start the question with the word 'could.' Example, could you give this to my friend for me? Yes, I theoretically can, but didn't agree to it." You informed with another soft smile before getting up and sitting back down in your original spot next to Panda and Toge.

"You seem to be getting comfortable on your first day here." Ryo commented as you lay down on your bed after getting a shower. The feeling of laying on a clean bed after getting clean yourself felt so relaxing after the following weekend's event. "Oh trust me, there's nothing comfortable about being in this school except this bed." You replied, earning a chuckle from the curse.

" Such descriptive words coming from you after only your first day. " It replied. "And technically this is only our first day of being friends, too." You added. Ryo huffed before you got under the covers and pulled out a book that was sitting on your nightstand.