this is what it feels like.

Like most college students, Stiles had a love-hate relationship with school. He loved it because it meant seeing the friends who didn't live close enough to visit, and it also meant getting back into a routine instead of lazing about, binge-watching things on Netflix all day and every day, but he had a number of different reasons for hating it too. At the top of that list was 8AM classes. The bane of his entire existence. There was always avoiding them, but sometimes that proved to be next to impossible. Stiles was at that point in his journey as an undergrad where his program and class requirements were winding down. He had a limited number of credits he still needed to fulfill, which meant a limited number of classes he needed to take. And of course one of those classes happened to only be offered at 8AM. Of fucking course.

He'd whined about it for a couple of days when he first registered for classes at the end of last semester, but it had been forgotten once the end of the semester rolled around. Between final exams, projects and papers he didn't have a second to think about that damn philosophy class that he'd been putting off since he registered for his first semester as a freshman. He remembered it now though as he stumbled across campus and into the building, bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, and not his normal loud, hyperactive-self. This was going to be a long fucking semester. He thought bitterly as he collapsed in the first empty seat he could find.

Derek had never been so strained in his life, but his morning workout allowed him to reflect on his thoughts. His transition from undergrad to grad school had been unexpected. Undergrad was a lot more maintenance and about doing well in his classes, and from what he gathered form his last semester, his first semester of grad school, grad school was more about research, participation, work in the field, collaborations, and etc. He had an undergrad double major in History and Urban Design and was now seeking a degree in Architecture so that he could pursue that career in the future. He couldn't just write papers, do readings, and take his tests and expect to pass, he had to actually start his career and it was hard. Nonetheless, he was glad that he still had his friends and family, and although he had experienced enough shit in his romantic life to tide him for another decade, he felt at ease knowing that he was at a stable point in his life. Remembering that he was mid-workout, he finished lifting weights and then ran about 3 miles on the treadmill at the campus' gym all before 7:30am. His aching muscles felt wonderful under the hot spray of the showers near the locker room and he got changed quickly enough in his favorite jeans and warm green henley.

Seeing it was only 7:50 (and that the campus was quite dead because who in their right state of mind signed up for 8ams anymore?), Derek grabbed some tea from the cafe and figured that breakfast could wait until after the 8am class he was supposed to survey. While he hadn't loved philosophy classes in undergrad, he didn't mind them as much and was doing this as a favor to Erica who was still out on vacation with Boyd until the rest of the week. Erica, one of his friends he had known along with Boyd since high school, was completing a graduate program in Education and was supposed to survey undergrad classes to gather research, but however could not do that while being out of state. Derek, being the great friend that he is, agreed (after lots of bribes from Erica) to do some of her research until he returned. It wasn't much really - it just meant sitting in on the classes, talking to students, the TA, as well as the professor to study mental health, access, teaching styles, etc. He had already corresponded with the professor and TA beforehand to let them know that he would be helping Erica until her return and so he sat there in a seat closest to the door at 7:55 surveying the sparse room, eyebrows raised at the students who stumbled in late. Ah, undergrads. When the class got started, the professor called out roll since this was one of the smaller classes, and then nodded at Derek, motioning for him to get up and explain his presence for at least the bit of time he would be in the class.

Derek nodded back, got up and stood in front of them, pushing up some glasses he had on since he might need to do some reading, and then tried to not make his grumpy face that his sister was his default face. "My name is Derek, I'm subbing in for this class's grad student surveyor who is temporarily out-of-state," he explained, clearing his throat because morning voice was annoying to talk with, and then took another minute to explain the nature of Erica's research and his own separate research with History and Architecture. He spoke in a deadpan tone and only took as much time as he needed, not really wanting to take up the spotlight or even pan to the students' interests - that's not what he was here for.

@ frank castle.