UN: STEADFASTSTANCE

[betheman]

[With midterms over, surely, study season is over right?

Wrong, particularly not for poor Gongenzaka, who had to take his midterms late. The timing of the supermoon was not kind- and it leaves little time to study for finals for that matter.

So what better way to put up a positive attitude than a study group! Or something.]

With only a few weeks before final exams, I think we could benefit from studying as a group! It gives tutors and staff a break from one on one assistance, and helps everyone to enjoy the study period!

[Y'know....if you're a nerd.]

I've managed to reserve one of the larger rooms, and with permission, will have tea and small snacks! We just need to keep the room clean afterward.

Let's share what classes we have exams for, and we can arrange to meet and help each other out!

[The message is initially posted in French. It is also repeated beneath, in English, and then Japanese (with some notably awkward linguistic nonsense going on.)]

I'll start; most of my classes are basic (though help for English would be appreciated...), though I am also taking classes in Cryptoliterature, and Runes!

[He does, to be fair, list all of those basic grade 8 classes though.]

Comments

[suddenlybees]

Nonononononoooooooo—-!!

[ Kano launches himself forward to throw the entirety of his body over that popcorn bowl, Gon will have to pick both of them up if he wants to take his leave. Or leave but also leave the popcorn. ]

Wait, don't go!!! I didn't say anything, right!!??!?

[betheman]

[He can, in fact, lift both- ...But he won't.

Instead, he is carefully going to try prying him off actually-] I recognize your expression..! You are trying everything in your power not to laugh, I am certain of this..! If you are going to quietly mock me for how I speak naturally then how can I, the man Gongenzaka, expect you not to do so when I am struggling with English?

[suddenlybees]

I tried my hardest and maybe I should be commended for it???!?

[ He could have laughed! But then Gon might put him through the wall— not that he would, but that he's very capable of it despite his insistence on strength not being used for such purposes, and Kano always sort of suspected he might be the one to make Gon snap someday. ]

Me laughing, it's not a bad thing, you know!! It's endearing? It can be thought of endearing?? The way you speak? But we're working on it, right? Don't be afraid to laugh about it too!

[betheman]

[He pauses in trying to pull the other off the popcorn, sighing. You'll not make him snap today buddy.]

If you are referring to how I, the man Gongenzaka, am speaking now- in my native language- that is not something I intend to change. It is the way of my family- and it is indicative of the things that I stand for; and I am not going to laugh about that..! [He huffs.]

...I, the man Gongenzaka, can certainly laugh if something is truly amusing.

...To myself however, amusement cannot be found in the struggles of one practicing in another skill.

[...But that's probably getting a bit too heavy for their sort of interactions. So with another sigh, he sits back on one of the nearby chairs, dropping the matter.] ...How did you intend to help with my English, Kano....

[suddenlybees]

[ Oh thank god he's sitting down, so Kano can also sit down— he chooses one with an armrest, so he can sit on the armrest and have his feet on the seat, still clutching that bowl of popcorn to his stomach and probably getting his shirt all sticky, but that's okay, he doesn't intend to eat any of it. ]

Heh~ We gotta work on your sense of humor along with your English~ But it'll be like this! From now on, Japanese is BANNED!!! French is BANNED!!!!! It's practice, right? So long as you're in this room with me, you're only allowed to speak English! And you'll stay here until you laugh!!!

[betheman]

AUH- Ba- [He catches himself before he breaks that rule immediately.

It doesn't help the confusion however.] Banned..?

I suppose, I can see why this makes sense...but...

Why, 'banned', until I laugh?

[For all that his english is broken as heck it's. Actually still understandable! Yay. It's just really choppy so far.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Kano switches to English too, since it'll help Gon if he listens to how Kano speaks. It's basically the same as his Japanese, very casual, very long winded; Gon should not try to talk like him, even though it'll be funny. ]

Because I want to hear you laugh~ Now, go on~ Why won't you tell me a joke? The funniest one you know~!

[betheman]

Auh....a joke, in English..?

[kano no he doesn't

he doesn't think he knows any,,,]

[suddenlybees]

A joke in English~!! It can be anything~ A knock-knock joke, a pun, one of the classics, whichever one has made you laugh in the past, that's the one I want to hear!!

[ Start of with something small... Come on, Gon, you can do it, he believes in you. ]

[betheman]

Auuh....I...auh...

[He thinks. And thinks. And seems to just have more and more trouble, given the steady furrow of his brow.

Except-] I, bearly know any 'sayings', let alone jokes, in English though..!

[did he just-]

[suddenlybees]

[ Did he just!!! ]

A good start~! I'm curious, Bonbon~ How do you do it? When you speak English? Are you thinking in Japanese first and then translating to English, or do you go straight to English?

[betheman]

Mn? I- [Wait, English, English...] ...Well.

Truthfully, even speaking in French, I think of Japanese first...and, when hearing it, translate first, to Japanese, and then back...

...I feel, even while fluent... ...it is the result of, perhaps, it simply not being...my first language. French, or English, that is.

[.........]

...Even so, so many insist on 'bear' puns... [...he memorized the pun...]

[suddenlybees]

[ It becomes a lot more obvious when Gon is prompted to speak at length, and all those pauses come to light. If Gon's open to memorizing bear puns, though, then this lesson would really go easily for him. ]

I see, I see~ But lots of people have a hard time coming up with stuff even when it's their first language, you know? So I have lots of faith in you, Bonbon~!! See, just do it like me~ How I do it~! Listen carefully how I talk! Can you spot the trick?

[betheman]

Auhhh...I suppose, that is true...

[Well anyway. Um.] ....

...You...have a lot of...tone? [He squints- Kano does seem to put a lot of cheer in his words anyway, uh...]

[suddenlybees]

[ Tone— Right, right, English is one of those stupid languages where at first, Kano thought Gon was talking about muscle tone and poking fun at his noodle arms, which would've been funny except he's talking about vocal tone. ]

That's something helps a lot, yes~!! It wasn't the point I was going for, but it's also worth a try! Go on~ Let's try it~ Try speaking in a louder, more confident tone!

[betheman]

MNH- Y...You mean, more akin to how, I speak in Japanese..?

[It's true he's pretty darn 'present' in Japanese. Hrm. N...No pauses though.]

...V.

[He already failed. He coughs, trying again.] ...Very well! I shall do my best to keep from pausing!

[That's great. He did great! He's gonna not do so great when he doesn't have time to get the whole sentence planned in his head.]