"Now here you go talking like your mother!"
"Sorry, father-"
"You'll finish your semester out like a real man! No son of mine will fly back for the sake of a bloody holiday."
"Yes, father." Leopold hung the phone receiver back to its holder. Not coming home for Christmas was a big letdown. It showed on Leopold's face as he left the telephone booth.
Outside, Aida was eagerly waiting for him.
"How was your conversation with, your father, Alistar Fitz?" She asked. Covered from head to toe in mud and snow, they strolled back to the Academy's dorms. He shivered on the inside as the cold intensified his feeling of hollowness. Aida, however, seemed as though the snow had no effect on her. She was giddy for an answer.
"It was fine." He grumbled. The slush of frozen mud swished between his boots and the pavement. His grouchy exterior hid his disappointment.
This caught the attention of Aida. The sudden change in Leopold's attitude was rather new. Earlier he was excited to hear from his father. Now, he was…displaying an emotion unknown to her.
"Based on the tone of your voice, I suspect that your conversation with your father was not satisfactory?" Aida pestered, "Could your change in mood have been caused by the proximately to Christmas, your father's disappointment in your latest invention, your failed combat field test-"
"Oh bugger off, will ya!" Fitz violently interrupted. Aida quieted.
Silence fell upon them.
Ultimately, Aida's curiosity overpowered her and she was back to asking Leopold questions. Normally he would have been more than happy to answer all her questions, but with his temper peaking, her intrusive prying happened to be the catalyst that set off his temper.
Leopold stormed off leaving Aida with even more questions unanswered.
You'd think she'd be an incorruptible software virus, Leopold thought as he trekked across his new path. Instead of the dormitories, Leopold ended up at the center of the Academy's laboratories. A perfect coincidence as he was due to check the updates on his engineering software.