Lunar Duality (Spitfire x katuzov)

[Spitfire]

Selene was a stellar student, no one could deny. She had graduated at the top of her class and made it into one of the most prestigious magic schools in the world. The fact that she was on scholarship wasn't something she wanted to advertise but unlike many of her classmates, she didn't come from a wealthy family with a network of connections to get her into the place. All of that, added to the fact that she didn't look the part of a typical student, made Selene stand out all the more, and often in the worst ways.

However, she had promised her parents and her ailing grandfather, that she would make the best of this opportunity and she was diligent in doing so. She stayed out of trouble while other co-eds partied away most of their university years. She didn't feel as though she was missing out by not attending parties though, preferring quiet and orderly to chaotic and unpredictable. Even her club activities were serious to her. Women of Witchery Law Club, Wish Contract Debate Club, The Governing Secret Societies Club. Every one designed to make her a better student so she could some day be a better lawyer.

Her laser focus got her fantastic grades but zero friends. And then she began to annoy some of her Professors by questioning them in class. One in particular seemed to contradict himself and when she called attention to it, she was like a dog with a bone and absolutely could not let it go. She would be a great lawyer if she could make it through school without upsetting teachers so much that they fail her out of spite. The irony of calling a law student 'argumentative' was not lost on her.

Apparently said Professor had found his breaking point with her and told her that she would be assigned another student to tutor. She thought he saw potential in her so was giving her an chance to prove herself by helping him teach someone else. It didn't occur to her that this was one of the duties of his teaching assistant. Then she found out which student she was assigned. HIM?! "Please Professor, anyone but him." She was told that if she didn't feel she was up to the challenge, he would rescind his recommendation for her. "No. No, it's fine. I'll make it work." And she intended to. Somehow.

Ten minutes early to the negotiated time, she lined up her books, notebooks, sticky notes, pens, pencils, and backup writing utensils on the table of the small table in a side study room at the library. While she waited on him, she read the next chapter in the biography about the first female president of the university, who had been a law student at the very school she returned to after a decades long career in magical defense law.

 

[katuzov]

Twenty minutes later, Michael Templeton strolled through the library. His short dark hair in a spikey mess, and a couple days stubble on his face. In one arm, he carried the notebook he used for every class, a single textbook, and an old pen. Though he was late, there wasn't the least bit of haste in his steps. Why bother? One of the librarians looked him over, frowning at his simple tee-shirt and jeans. He paid her no mind.

Magic always came easily to him, especially Destruction, and other darker schools. His raw talent gave him two distinct advantages. First, no class had yet required him to truly try. With a bare minimum of effort, he found himself smack dab in the middle of the grading curve. 'Not showing off, not falling behind.' It was a joke he told with a practiced smirk whenever someone confronted him on wasted potential.

Wasted potential. What an absolute joke. Did it really matter if he knew which wizard first invented chain lightning? Not when he could drain energy from an enemy and cast a more powerful version in his sleep.

Thus his second privilege. Despite his middling performance at school, he'd certainly find success afterwards. Numerous professors wanted to claim him as their own, hoping that their name would be attached to his rising star.

There was no reason for him to take Intro to Magical Law. Except his advisor had decided that it would fill several general education requirements - thus enabling him to avoid a whole host of pointless other "soft-skills" classes. It seemed like a perfect plan, except it turned out that the class was actually kind of hard. Mike had assumed that he'd be able to just wing his way through creating legal arguments. In other classes, he found that just spewing enough nonsense eventually allowed him to trick the professor into thinking he'd given an actual answer. Not so with Professor Hale, who seemed utterly unimpressed with Mike's tactics.

Thankfully, his advisor was owed a favor, and Hale agreed to provide a tutor, some all star law student. Michael didn't care, so long as she gave him a method to sneak into a passing grade. She had set a time, and he was actually pretty close. Though it took him several minutes to find the study rooms. Truth was, that this was his first time in the library in his collegiate career. He found the right alcove eventually - 25 minutes after their appointed time.

Four closed doors faced him, though somehow he knew that the far left was the correct one. Odd. Even more strange, he swore he felt the moonstone necklace that he wore around his neck start to vibrate. Ignoring it, he opened the door, and blinked at the assortment of school supplies before making eye contact with his tutor. "uhh, hi. I'm Mike... Sorry I'm late." He spoke casually, and offered no explanation.

 

[Spitfire]

The twenty-five minutes he was later was spent checking the time, reading another chapter, checking her schedule, reading another chapter, and finally deciding if he wasn't there by half past, she was leaving and reporting his absence to Professor Hale. When he finally showed up, she gave him a look that mirrored the unimpressed expression their professor often gave him. She was fairly certain he had to be used to seeing that face from many others.

"I'm Selene," she said curtly as she snapped her book closed to punctuate her irritation. "Have a seat and we'll get started." She placed the book in her bag and focused on the one for their class, "Do you need a refresher on the previous chapters or are we good to pick up where we are in class?" The question was admittedly a bit more passive-aggressive than she usually behaved, but she was annoyed at his cavalier attitude and his lack of respect for her time. "Also... since you were late, I will have to cut this before our one hour block. I have another appointment to get to after this and I can't be late." She was fairly certain he would consider that to be good news, but she also didn't want to lose her place in Debate Club.

She couldn't help but feel that it must have been nice for him to coast for so long. While she didn't have to try hard to get good grades, she did work at other things and made sure she had a 4.0 across the board. She was determined to work at the same firm as her idol and nothing could stand in her way. Not even a lackadaisical oaf who didn't seem to care about his grades as long as he was passing.

 

[katuzov]

Does everyone in the law department work on that disapproving stare? The thought made Mike chuckle internally, though he still felt rather uneasy. The stone around his neck suddenly felt heavy. The snapping of the book nearly made him jump. He managed to remain motionless as she introduced herself - though as she instructed he took a seat on the other side of the table. Her annoyance at his tardiness was quite apparent.

Irritating others was nothing new to Mike. Professors, classmates, and team members in particular had displayed their displeasure at his half hearted effort and lackadaisical attitude. Normally he had no issue shrugging off any embarrassment. What did he care? He never had any issues achieving his own 'academic goals,' and magical talent alone enabled him to impress the right people.

Law was a completely different issue however. In a courtroom, a fireball had... limited application. A shadow bolt had even fewer uses when creating a magical contract. Perhaps that was the reason he felt so off balance as Selene lightly berated him for being behind in class, and late for their meeting. The fact that he couldn't eek his way to passing with an impressive destructive display could be the reason why he felt genuinely bad about wasting nearly half of the time set aside for him.

Guilt mixed with a desire to do better. Each alone was a foreign feeling to him, and to experience them both at the same time... Still, no reason to let her know. Who was she anyway? What gave her the right to make him feel this way. He disliked her. Though he decided not to be late again - if only because he was certain she'd rat him out to Hale.

Her question, gave him pause. He wanted to tell her that he was fine with older material, but... that might be inaccurate. He worried that he might be further behind than he realized. How could he know what he didn't know? Opening his book, he answered. "Since we have limited time," He stopped short of apologizing again. "Maybe it's best if we review the previous chapters, and make sure that I've wrapped my mind around them." He gave his best grin, wanting to hide his uneasiness. "Just to make sure I'm up to speed before we delve into the current material."

 

[Spitfire]

Resisting the strong urge to roll her eyes, she clenched her jaw and nodded slowly. "Sure. We can do that," trying to sound pleasant and mostly succeeding, she opened her book. "Chapter One..." She went over the material slowly, but not unnecessarily so, her bit of passive aggressiveness having ended quickly. Watching his face to see if there were signs of struggle in his expression, she'd stop and address anything he needed clarification on. All-in-all, she seemed as though she'd be a good tutor. The material came naturally to her and she seemed to read him well enough to focus toward a topic when he needed it, even if he didn't want to admit it.

As she watched him, she tried very hard not to think about how attractive he was. He may have been nice to look at but men were a distraction she couldn't afford and men like him were always signs of larger messes yet to come. He'd peak. Then he'd break. Then he'd topple everyone and everything around him. Selene had managed to avoid the mess her idiot brother-in-law made for her sister and she wasn't about to fall in like with someone so carelessly destructive and continue the pattern for the women in her family.

Still, she was expected to be the sensible one of the family and that was what she would do, remain sensible in the face of chaos incarnate. It was easily done when the only available and attractive young men were also apparent narcissists.

Her alarm went off to call time and she gave him another curt nod. "I have to get going but I'm available later in the week if you need more help before next Thursday's exam." As she packed up her things, she removed a business card from her pouch and handed it to him. It read: Selene Alinac - Law Tutor and gave her phone number. "Text me if you'd like to see me again." It wasn't a social invitation and it was clear in her mannerisms that she wouldn't have even thought to misconstrue the interaction in such a way. "Best of luck," she said as she finished packing and hurried away.

The realization dawned on her about thirty seconds after leaving the study room. She almost stopped and turned to clarify but she'd gone too far and finding him would've seemed a desperate act. Instead, she moved on to Debate and hoped that she wouldn't get another call or text from or about him.

 

[katuzov]

In spite of himself, Mike found the abbreviated session to be very helpful. A simple process repeated itself several times over. She would ask if he understood a topic, he'd say yes, and explain a bit about what he knew. She'd either nod and they'd move on, or she'd ask a follow up - which he usually couldn't answer. In these cases, she helped him simplify the topic - give him a better way to think about it, and a few areas to study. Her passion for the subject rubbed off on him. It still wasn't as exciting as Destructive magic, but he could see the appeal.

He wished he couldn't, however. He knew plenty of girls like her. Smart, attractive, great conversationalists.... and completely unable to cut loose. A few years ago he dated someone similar. Always focused on her future - never willing to just enjoy a quiet evening without filling it with discussions of fulfilling personal and professional goals. What was so wrong with merely watching a movie or playing a video game or two? School always sorted itself out, and life would go on. Why spend more time than necessary dwelling on them?

Still, when her alarm went off and she began to pack up, Mike found himself a bit disappointed. He really wished he had been on time, or that she didn't have to leave so promptly. "This was very helpful," he conceded. "I would definitely like to meet before the exam, if that's alright." He took her card and read it. He quietly wondered if she had other students that she tutored, or if she carried business cards with other titles on them.

She then asked him to text her if he wanted to see her.

Though he merely nodded and thanked her again, his mind was racing he watched her exit the room and close the door behind her. She had said 'see me again.' Not, 'schedule another session.' Had she misspoke? That seemed unlikely. People like her never misspoke. He knew enough about law to appreciate how much words matter. However, he had to admit that 'See me for another session' made sense and was logical.

But what if she meant seeing her socially. He had to be careful. The wrong text could ruin things. He took a deep breath. Did he care if he ruined things? Maybe it was better to just accept her help and move on. The next few days, his idle thoughts were filled with similar debates. What to do about Selene? On Thursday, one week from the exam he decided to try something. He pulled up his phone and sent a quick message.

"Hey Selene, it's Mike." He rolled his eyes at the opening, but couldn't think of a better one. "Are you available Saturday evening? There's a nice coffee shop on 5th street that's open late, but is always pretty empty after 3 pm. I definitely owe you a drink or two for your help." He hit send before he could think on it too much. The message accomplished what he was looking for - an acknowledgement that he appreciated her help and sought more of it. However, Saturday night on 5th street was definitely more of a date setting. He was vague about what sort of drink he felt compelled to buy. If the study session went well, it'd be quite easy to try to continue things at a bar, or even a restaurant.

 

[Spitfire]

A few minutes went by before he got a text back. "3pm Saturday is fine. Text me the address." However, Selene didn't make it to classes on Friday. While Professor Hale seemed to note the absence of the 'star pupil' in his class, he made no mention of the reason. Calls and texts went unanswered all day and Mike would get another message confirming their appointment in the late morning on Saturday. "Attended to family yesterday. I'm back. I'll see you later today."

While she was still early to their meeting, it was only barely. She sat at a table, books laid out but not nearly as neatly organized. Instead of reading, she was looking at something in her hands, which she quickly stowed back in the bag when she saw him approach. Her eyes were reddened and glassy but she seemed otherwise herself. "I have notes from yesterday's session and I've had a chance to go over them. Where would you like to begin?"

Clearly she hadn't read the situation as a social engagement and it was possible, in fact highly probable, that she didn't know what being asked on a date was supposed to look or sound like. It seemed entirely likely that she didn't even care about their surroundings in the slightest.

 

[katuzov]

Uncharacteristically, Mike texted right back with the address of the coffee shop. 3 pm was earlier than he had hoped, and her use of the word 'fine' certainly pushed their meeting away from the date side of things. It was a 'yes' however, and he would take what he could get. He watched his phone, hoping for a return text. When none came, he actually began studying. Intending to ask some insightful questions during the next day's lecture. His phone frequently went off, all from his friends hoping to go out. Thirsty Thursday and all that. He politely declined them all.

The next day, he was rather shocked that she wasn't in class. The one time I study, and this happens. There's a lesson here. He thought to himself. Regardless, he asked his questions, a couple actually made professor Hale pause and consider his answer. All in all, the old man seemed pleasantly surprised by the change. One of Mike's friends gave a confused, nearly horrified look. As if something very wrong had happened. Mike ignored all of it.

That night, he again passed on social activities - though he spent a little time practicing fireballs in the training center. Most of his time went towards preparation for the next day. He was as ready as he felt he reasonably could be. The next day, he arrived a minute before three. He had intended to arrive much easier - to be there first, but... he was still himself. Again, as he approached, he could have sworn he felt the moonstone around his neck pulse with energy. Though anytime he tried to focus his mind on it, the thrumming would cease. It was quite a distraction.

Selene seemed rather distracted herself. The last time, she had bowled him over with her focus and enthusiasm. Now, with her red glassy eyes, and slightly disorganized study materials, he felt something was amiss. "Let's start with yesterdays class. I had a few questions..." Might as well get some use out of my preparation. He paused for a moment. "Is everything ok?" He quietly wondered about her absence yesterday, and considered her text regarding her family.

He was not totally unsympathetic, having lost his great grandfather only a few years ago. "If you need some time... I'm probably ok for class on Monday. There's still time before the exam."

 

[Spitfire]

"No," she replied with a shake of her head before realizing he'd asked a question first. "I mean... We came here to study so let's do that. I don't need to reschedule. There are a lot of things in the air next week so I'm not sure when I'd be able to fit you in again." It was a fact that clearly bothered her in and of itself and it could be easily assumed that it was due to the deep personal need to schedule everything in her life. She didn't respond well to surprises, missed plans, and 'shaking things up' in order to be spontaneous would likely prove detrimental to her.

Still, the look in her eyes said she felt lost in what to do or where to start with their session for the day, upset and distracted by something else she obviously didn't want to talk about. She took a deep breath as she looked at the array of books and other items in front of her, then let out a slow sigh. Shaking her head, she realized she was about to ask her question again but he'd already answered. Yesterday's class. Yes. He was caught up with their last session and they could move on to the current topics. That was at least assuring enough.

She met his eyes, hers still reddened and glassy but at least she was able to focus on his face. "Yeah um... Yes... Yesterday's class." Flipping through her papers, "I printed off the notes. Professor Hale said you had a few questions during class. Were there any others? Things you had follow-up on?" Her search continued as she spoke and she was becoming increasingly frustrated and confused. Muttering to herself, "Dammit. They were right here." She looked in her bag. Pausing for a moment, she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes curiously at something inside. Her eyes grew wide when something inside it began to glow and she snapped it closed. "Dammit," she whispered the repeated curse. She hadn't used such words in her vernacular or anything remotely vulgar before.

Swallowing hard, she looked at him with the expression matching a deer in headlights, "IIIIIII... might have to take that raincheck after all. I just got a text." That could have explained the glowing if her phone weren't face down on the table right in front of her. The young woman was a terrible liar, at least when trying to lie while thinking on her toes. It wasn't the best trait to have in a lawyer but perhaps she'd stay away from defense law. One would hope.

 

[katuzov]

Things were definitely not alright. Everything about her screamed that fact. Where she had been poised and prepared before, she was completely out of sorts this afternoon Mike got the feeling that he just joined a very exclusive club of people she had allowed to see her like this. Normally, he'd feel inclined to comment on it, poking the bear was one of his specialties. Right now however, that seemed needlessly cruel.

Though she appeared determined to press on with their lesson, he began thinking that she likely needed a stiff drink and a chance to vent. He leaned back and waited patiently while she tried to look through purse for her notes in a near panic. This was too much. He opened his mouth to come clean, to tell her that he had only come up with questions to show her he was taking the class seriously when he saw a faint glow coming from her purse. He barely registered that the stone hanging from his neck pulsed in unison.

She claimed that she had gotten a text, but her phone was right there, on the table. Besides, there hadn't been enough time for her to open and respond to a message. "You have a second phone? Do you deal drugs?" He regretted the jab as soon as he said it. Apologetically, he held out his hands in front of him, his fingers splayed wide. "Look, I get it, this might not be a good time. We can try to make another day work."

The stone pulsed again, and he felt a strange bit of courage. "Or, if you'd like we can get out of here. I can buy you a drink and you can talk about it. Family stuff can be really hard, sometimes it helps to talk to an outsider." Looking down, he tilted his head side to side as he gave himself a mock evaluation. "I think I could be that outsider."

 

[Spitfire]

Her eyes widened at the accusation of dealing drugs, jest though it may have been. She didn't seem angry or offended, but rather confused and perhaps a bit frightened. Any question of impropriety could mean the end of her scholarship and all her dreams would be lost and her hard work would be for nothing. "No," shaking her head emphatically, "of course not. No way." The action wouldn't have made her seem more innocent were he serious but she didn't know how else to respond.

She let out a sigh and hung her head in shame, seemingly ready to admit defeat and tell him she was guilty of just that before he made his assessment and placed his offer on the table. Confused, she looked up at him. "You're... actually being nice to me? You're not gonna make fun of me for being completely off my game and like... not myself?" The fact that he was showing her any sort of empathy had her near tears in an instant. It truly appeared as though she may have been more prepared for further ridicule than kindness.

Blinking, she considered his offer for a moment before taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh. "My grandfather passed away yesterday. He called my father and I to his house Thursday night to say goodbyes. He's been sick for a while so he said knew it was time. I wish that made it easier to deal with but it doesn't. He told me not to miss school. He knows I worked my a... butt... off for a scholarship that I can't afford to lose. He gave me the only thing he said he had left of value."

She bit her lip and looked at him, clearly wanting to say more but skeptical of something. She didn't want to sound completely insane. They don't make crazy people lawyers and in addition to not being able to afford losing her scholarship, she couldn't afford the damage to her reputation if the rest of this conversation came out. "I just don't think I can handle the responsibility of knowing I have... this thing that... meant so much to him and... is so impor... expensive. I don't even know what to do with it."

After another sigh, she nodded, "Yeah. I think I could use a drink."

 

[katuzov]

The occasional thought about the moonstone that he wore suddenly made total sense. He too had experienced loss with his family, and had received a mysterious gift, and a cryptic message that made no sense. Using darkness and chaos to bring light and order. His magic was certainly dark, and his life a chaotic mess, but that only brought about more destruction and chaos. Still, it did give him the excuse to live his life as he wanted.

All of this was neither here nor there.

He could remember the feeling of loss, and could appreciate how some trinket did little to alleviate it. The way unanswered questions had left him feeling truly empty and alone. The mysterious attention he'd been giving his moonstone now resolved, he found it easier to merely block it out.

He reached out and touched her elbow in a feeble attempt to comfort her. "I'm a lot of things," he said with a grin, "but making fun of someone for being a bit tore up after losing her grandfather isn't really my style. Especially so soon after." A small smirk formed on his lips. "Though, opting to say 'butt' over 'ass'... that might earn you a bit of light ribbing. Don't worry, not tonight." He quickly added. "Let's get out of here, I'm buying." This time of day, they could choose any bar they wanted and it would likely be empty, it was way too early for the Saturday night crowd. Assuming that she did not really know where to go, he planned to walk her to one of his favorite watering holes.

"If you want, you can tell me about what he left you, or about him, or we can talk about something completely different. I'm happy to hear about magical law," It wasn't completely true, but not exactly a lie either. "Or I can tell you all about the College of Destruction."

 

[Spitfire]

She was surprised by his gesture. His attempt wasn't brushed off immediately but she made no effort to lean into his touch. She smirked at his jest about her verbal alternative to the word she had actually wanted to say. Feeling defeated by a lack of productivity, she let out a sigh and began packing up her things.

When he told her they could talk about what her grandfather had left her, she became even more nervous. It all sounded so far-fetched that she'd accepted then necklace in an effort to appease the man, thinking the whole story was some crazy idea in a dying man's head. It was just a pretty rock, wrapped in decorative wire, and hung on a chain. That was, until it started glowing in her hand. How was she supposed to explain that she had some new destiny to anyone and sound sane? Even in a world of magic, reuniting a broken rock to save the world seemed ill-contrived at best. Add to that, the instructions were complete nonsense. Something about being the order and light to rule the darkness. And how did he know she was exactly where she needed to be to find the solution?

The whole thing gave her a headache so she was willing to listen to Mike talk about anything, even something as boring as the College of Destruction. "Yeah," nodding as she finished placing her belongings back in her bag, "tell me all about it." Oh boy, did she need that drink if she was going to listen to that. She slung her bag over her shoulder and stood up from the table. "So umm... yeah. Lead the way." She gave him a weak smile and secretly hoped she would just drink enough to maybe get some sleep.

 

[katuzov]

On the one hand, she didn't lean into his touch, on the other she agreed to see him in a purely social setting. A mixed result, but Mike would take it. Though, he took note on initiating physical contact, at least for now. He certainly wouldn't press if it wasn't wanted.

She acted the way he did when he had first received his moonstone. He supposed that anyone who just received a mysterious item might feel the same way. A general nervousness, a sense of not knowing what to do. He assumed that Selene would likely come to the same conclusion he did... That life would go on and even if answers never came - restful nights would return. He considered showing her the stone around his neck, but he didn't want to jump right in with that. If things went well at the bar, he would still have that option.

He led her a few doors down from the coffee shop. The bar was empty, except for Gus, its usual bartender. He greeted Templeton, one of his better customers, warmly. "Mike, come on in. Spot at the bar, and your usual?" His hand was already going to a bottle of Irish whiskey.

"We'll um, take a take table, and a menu." Mike said nervously. Perhaps not a great start.

"Sit where you like, I'll be right with you."

Mike chose a table in the corner. They would have privacy for a while, even as the bar started to fill with patrons.

"Well, the College of Destruction is way more intellectual than most people think." He said it dryly and held a straight face for a few seconds, before exhaling with a laugh. "It really isn't. There's some research, well some people do it... I generally don't. We've probably more than earned the reputation of being the magical meatheads around campus."

 

[Spitfire]

Following him out of the shop and down to the bar, she seemed even more nervous. She wasn't sure what to expect from a place he would frequent. As they entered the bar, she swallowed hard. Somehow it didn't surprise her that a bartender knew Mike by name. She imagined he had a lot of time to spend in places like the one she found herself in.

As she followed Mike to the table, she gave the bartender an anxious smile. She took a seat across the table from her classmate and bit her lip, looking around. With a slight shake of her head, she realized she'd never been in a bar before. People would ask her but she always had a reason not to go. Most of those reasons were academic, much of it having to do with her scholarship, but the rest was excuses so she didn't have to feel obligated to spend time surrounded by people she didn't know. She avoided them simply because she didn't want to be hit on by... guys like Mike, if she was being honest. Cocky guys who don't seem to understand that not every girl loves them. Full of bravado and even more full of themselves.

And yet, he was being nice to her. It was a strange shift she wasn't prepared for. Nor was his comment about the intellectual side of Destruction. She lifted a brow, clearly skeptical of his assertion. "Yeah well," shrugging, "destruction is easy. We live in a world attuned to chaos so it's basically the nature of things. You don't have anything working against you. Which explains the reputation of magical meatheads. You don't have to try at anything."

Shaking her head again, "Yeah... I definitely need a drink." She sighed and rolled her eyes, mostly annoyed with herself for letting him get to her and even more for being judgmental when all he did was make a joke, at his own expense no less. "Sorry. I'm just... defensive. People act like trying in class is stupid but like... why go to college if you're not trying when there are people out there who would love to go to college but can't, ya know?"

 

[katuzov]

It seemed that Mike's joke didn't land. He had hoped that a little self deprecating humor would bring a laugh, or even a grin. Instead she piled on. He disagreed with the assertion that Destruction was easy. The fact that it was easy for him was beside the point. A number of his classmates worked quite hard. There was a kernel of truth in her words though. If one had talent, then things did come easily. This was different than law, or any of the other more intellectual magical pursuits. Being smart helped, yes, but without considerable effort, success would never come.

He was looking towards the exit when she backtracked a bit. She even apologized. He supposed that he could see things from her perspective. The College of Destruction was put on a pedestal, the university bragged about the program, and treated the students and professors like royalty. Though walk into the library, and you rarely saw any of his classmates.

Of course, when it came to trying or not, there was more to Mike's calculations. He wasn't sure why, maybe it was her vulnerable state, perhaps he desperately wanted her to like him - even as just a person, but he felt the desire to come clean to her. The moonstone around his neck thrummed repeatedly. "The truth is, I'm afraid." He looked down at his hands atop the unopened menu. "When things don't go to plan, I'm always able to shrug and say 'well I didn't really try. I would have succeeded if I put in effort." His blue gaze met her eyes. "If I really went all out, and failed..." He shuddered briefly. "Probably the reason why I've been middling all my life." His weak chuckle did little to make him feel better. "That's probably enough about me." Though his face became serious. "Look, I know that you are putting in effort for me, I am going to do the same. I don't want your time and energy to be wasted, so I'm really going to try in this class. If I crash and burn... well then I guess..."

He trailed off as Gus approached. The old man was warm and friendly. "What can I get you two?"

"I'll have an old fashioned, and..." Mike gestured to Selene. A cocktail was quite a departure for him, but he wanted something a bit classier than a whiskey shot and a light beer chaser.

 

[Spitfire]

She noticed him looking toward the door and sat back, assuming he'd just get up and leave. Although that wasn't the intention, she supposed her apology kept him in his seat. If he wanted to leave, she wouldn't ask him to stay but she knew she was harsh and he deserved to hear her say she was sorry.

Further skepticism is written in her expression as he admits his fear. Guys like him were never afraid. Do they even know the definition of fear? The thought wasn't even an insult but more a bit of admiration for their boldness. For a moment she wondered what it was like to be a woman in his male-dominated field. Her own department was mostly men, of course, but the College of Destruction required more than brains. The women in his classes would have to be brave and cunning to outshine the often boisterous men in their midst.

As he began to open up, she wasn't surprised by the fact that someone would put in so little effort in order to avoid disappointment, but she was certainly not expecting him to be among the people who did. She lifted a brow when he laughed and said he was done talking about himself then proceeded to talk more about himself. Still, he said that he'd put in effort so as not to waste her time, which made her feel better about helping him. She took solace in the fact that as little time she had spreading herself so thin, he was at least going to avoid putting her studies at risk.

Given the panic in her eyes when asked such a simple question from the bartender, one might've thought she was being given a pop quiz when she knew nothing about the topic. It wouldn't be far off base. She didn't drink and she hadn't even looked at the menu. After Mike ordered without so much as looking at the menu. "Um... I'll... I'll have the same thing." She clearly had no clue what she just ordered but she let the bartender walk away without another word.

"I appreciate that you're actually taking my help seriously. You're not the first person I've tutored but... I usually charge hourly to help sa... I agreed to help you because I want Professor Hale to like me. He's never asked me to help someone before. I thought he was annoyed by me. I guess... At least he acknowledges that I know the material."

 

[katuzov]

Lawyers drank. At least, the was the stereotype Mike had from consuming all sorts of media on the subject. However, he recognized a fish out of water when he saw one. The corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards. She had every advantage when talking about Law. The bar was his world, however. It wasn't a College of Destruction training room, but it'd do for now. An old fashioned was hardly a drink for a first timer as it tasted very much like the whiskey it was made from. He held no real animosity for her, but it would be fun to see her have to drink something she probably didn't care for, or to admit to being a total novice.

Mike had not intended to open up as much as he had. To be honest, his fear of trying and failing was something he barely admitted to himself. Coming right out with it was not in his character. Though, he felt that she was offering him an olive branch. He said he'd actually try, and she appreciated it. Something else struck him, however.

"You mean you aren't being paid for this?" He boggled at the thought and didn't press further on what she had started to say. The way she seemed so prepared for their first meeting, he assumed that the university was kicking in for her effort. The idea of a professor like Hale being annoyed with her was amusing. How hard would it be to annoy a law professor by being a know-it-all? He didn't pursue the question further lest it drive him mad. "It seems we both need to impress Professor Hale."

Gus arrived at that moment with their drinks. Two old fashioneds in rocks glasses. He placed one in front of each of them and departed.

Mike picked one up and offered a toast. "To surprising Professor Hale."

 

[Spitfire]

"No," she said with a slight shake of her head in response to his question in regards to her payment. With a sigh, she replied, "I guess we do." Usually it was easy for her to impress instructors. Her intellectual acuity alone made her the envy of classmates and as easy as it would be for her to skate by, she put in the work and still took on extracurricular activities and students to tutor in other subjects. Maths, English Composition and Persuasion, which any good lawyer needed to master, and other subjects 'normal' colleges taught. Magical Law was definitely tougher than that of the mundane world. Dealing in Fae contracts alone was a two-semester class.

She offered a smile and a quiet 'Thank you' to the bartender as he set down the glass. Looking down at the glass, she said nothing for a moment. When he lifted his glass, she moved to take hers and held it out in a toast. "To surprising Professor Hale," her voice was barely a whisper. She took a deep and very quick drink before gulping down a mouthful of the liquid she was fairly certain contained gasoline. Coughing and sputtering, she shook her head and put the glass back on the table. She gasped for breath and managed to eke out, "Ohmigah... what's in that?"

Blinking, her brow furrowed, she looked at him, "That... is... strong?" She meant 'awful' or 'disgusting' but was entirely too polite to actually say that aloud. With another shake of her head, she pushed the glass away. "I don't think I like that one." Stating the obvious was well within the capabilities of a future lawyer. "I'm sorry. That's not what I thought it was." It wasn't a lie, but she also hadn't even considered what might have been in it when she ordered either. "Maybe something ummm... sweeter?"

 

[katuzov]

Selene's reaction to taking a sip was so much better than Mike had allowed himself to hope for. He kept his face fairly still, but could not hide the dancing amusement in his eyes. "It's just rye, some bitters, sugar and some fruit. Nothing too crazy." A calmly raised eyebrow joined his flat expression to meet her explanation that she didn't care for this particular drink. It was a bit of payback for the look she gave him for being late. However he opted to night be vindictive.

Instead, he smoothly slid her drink next to his on the table. "I'll have this one as well then," he said with a shrug and waved Gus back over. "Sorry man," Mike apologized. "Could we get a Long Island iced tea as well?" It would have been a simple thing for Mike to merely magically force Gus's mundane mind to bring them whatever he wanted, but there were rules. Selene certainly knew them all, and probably the numbered codes as well. Gus was happy enough to oblige anyways. Mike was one of his regulars after all.

Of course, Selene was unaware that she was about to get a much stronger drink. While Mike had no intention of taking advantage, the entertainment value of seeing her slightly tipsy was too tempting to pass up. "I think you'll like this better." Mike said with a grin. "It doesn't taste nearly as strong." He chose his words carefully, avoiding an outright lie. When Gus brought the drink back, Mike again raised his glass. His face became serious for a moment. "To your Grandfather." A bit of sincerity to mix with his mischief.

 

[Spitfire]

The lack of knowledge regarding the first two ingredients he listed was evident in her expression. She also wasn't entirely convinced he was telling the truth. She tasted absolutely nothing of sugar or fruit. As he took the drink and ordered her another, she gave him a nervous, apologetic smile, "Thank you." It was her hope that the next one would be as he promised, better tasting and not as strong. She was fairly certain it was still against mundane law to serve automotive fuel as a beverage but she could no longer be sure.

When the second drink is placed before her, she thanked Gus again and gingerly took the glass. She lifted her glass and raised it with his, a whispered emotional two words. "To Grandfather." With more caution than her previous drink, she took a sip. Offering him a smile and a nod, "That is very good. Thank you again." She sat back a bit, trying to relax a bit but it was clear she was perpetually aware that she was out of her own element in such a place.

"What is it that you do here?" She asked after taking a long drink from her glass. "Just... drink? What's the point?" It seemed as though 'wasting time' wasn't a concept she was familiar with.

 

[katuzov]

For a few moments, Mike actually felt a bit bad for choosing such a strong drink. He should have opted for something else, or at least warn her that she should take her time finishing the 'iced tea.' Various parts of his brain debated silently. Advising her on the drink's strength was definitely the right thing to do. However, to do so now would admit that he had not done as she asked and ordered her something not so strong. It was a small deception certainly, but confessing to it would likely not earn him many points... though certainly more than if she became inebriated.

Did he want to score points with her?

He did, he decided. She had been through a lot that day, and she had clearly made effort at being friendly and understanding of him. He opened his mouth to offer a friendly warning, but she started speaking first. Clearly showing at least some disdain for him, and his way of cutting loose from the stresses of school. So he quickly switched gears, taking a gulp of his old fashioned before answering.

"In the College of Destruction, we rarely have classes on Fridays, outside of the odd seminar that no one pays attention to. So a lot of us come here Thursday nights. It's a great chance to socialize and blow off steam from the week. We drink, and we cause a little trouble. Sometimes we see what spel..." He stopped himself, feeling a bit buzzed, but still clearheaded enough to know that casting spells in mundane areas was not permitted. A law Selene would certainly know. "We talk about what spells would be fun in places like this. How we might try to impress mundane folk with 'magic tricks.'" He made quotation marks with his fingers. "It's actually pretty fun. Just cutting loose with friends for a few hours." She was likely to get to experience the activity soon. "What do you do for fun?" He asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

 

[Spitfire]

As he answered, she looked at him. Her lips were on the straw and the liquid was being drained from the glass at a rate that may or may not have surprised him. 'Impress mundane folk' certainly sounded like getting the attention of women so they could have sex. And she wasn't drunk enough yet to miss his near slip. He was shady but he didn't actually admit to anything so she simply decided that keeping an eye on him. She immediately regretted coming to a place where she had to babysit a classmate to make sure he didn't break the rules. It was bad enough that she was expected to tutor him. He had at least told her he wouldn't waste her time in that regard, but there she was, wasting time with him in a bar.

"I usually read," she said with a shrug. "I have a list of biographies to get through." Assuming he'd likely make a comment about how boring that sounded, she added, "I do read some fiction." She wasn't sure romance novels would change his mind about her being boring so she decided to leave it at that. Waving to Gus, she asked for another before the alcohol from the first half of the Old Fashioned she drank in one gulp and the Long Island even had a chance to settle in. There was no doubt she was going to get drunk. And fast.

"Do you have any friends outside of the College of Destruction?" The pressure of being the only good influence in his life wasn't a responsibility she was ready or willing to take on.

 

[katuzov]

Surprise bordered on alarm as he saw how quickly she was draining her beverage. Maybe she had been messing with him, maybe she knew exactly what she was doing - though Mike doubted it. Especially when she asked for another so quickly. Tonight was going to be interesting. Though, it was his fault that she was here, it would be his responsibility to make sure she got home safe. He sighed thinking about how that might go.

Of course she liked to read, biographies were always the worst. Who really cared what some old guy did 50 years ago? The fiction she read was almost certainly historical; probably court intrigues about treaties or some other tedious topic. The two had almost nothing in common. Yet somehow, he kinda liked her. There was no reason to, she certainly seemed to be trying hard to have the opposite effect. At least he had a good answer to this question.

"Oh sure. Plenty!" He answered truthfully. Though, most of his popularity came from being in the College of Destruction. Everyone wanted him and his ilk at their parties, and few wanted to make enemies of those who could burn them to a crisp with a thought. "Most of the schools really, especially in artefact study." The two colleges had a good deal of overlap, and there was a time when he had spent a lot of time trying to research the dark moonstone he inherited - all to no avail however. This was his first time hanging out with a future lawyer however.

"What about you? Do you venture outside the law school much?" He himself finished his first old fashioned, and moved onto his second.

 

[Spitfire]

"I have a few friends in Politics and Criminal Justice, Public Service, and uhhh after year one, my ex roommate went the direction of Destruction with a focus in Punishment Rites." There was also quite a lot of overlap in the others but to go from Law to Punishment wasn't as common as people may have thought. Due to her history in Law, the other girl had made quite the name for herself in the College of Destruction. Not that it gained Selene any other friends or any kind of popularity being associated with Ashtah Mizrahi, the pair were surprisingly still fairly close. Being in the same clubs helped with that.

As the second drink was set in front of her, she thanked Gus again and took a quick sip before continuing. "I actually considered Artefact Studies at one point. I settled on Law because..." Money. People paid top dollar for good lawyers in the mundane world and negotiating contracts and navigating criminal trials was even more involved in the magical realm. "I just thought it was more interesting." She was a terrible liar.

"What made you want to take a law class anyway? I didn't think you guys had to go that far outside your own realms unless your focus required it."