You know that paper that's due in Talbot's class next week? I'm really struggling with it and you always seem to know what you're talking about in there, so I was wondering if you'd maybe be willing to help me with it. I'm ready to bribe you with food if necessary, too. :)
[ If necessary, Shane knows of at least a couple other classmates that could help her, but she's hoping Bryn agrees. There's just something about her that Shane really likes, even if she's sometimes super blunt about the mildly unnerving aspects of her life. ]
[ Food isn't a reward for Bryn. She doesn't indulge in sweets or greasy junk food or salty snacks. She eats what she needs to, when she needs to, and puts food out of her mind until the next time she needs it.
And maybe helping the ice bird with her poetry paper wasn't strictly part of Bryn's mission, but passing her classes was. And so was fitting in with her classmates. Sort of, anyway. Besides, she was already almost done with her own paper. She had time to help Shane with her paper. Maybe she could get some work of her own done at the same time. She'd heard it was common for civilian students to engage in group study gatherings. Why not engage in one herself? ]
Okay. I don't mind grabbing something anyway, though, even if it's not a bribe. Studying always makes me hungry.
[ If Bryn doesn't want her to supply dinner, Shane will figure out some other way to pay her back for the favor. They may be friends - or are becoming friends, she's not too sure which it is just yet - but Bryn's still taking time out of her own busy schedule to help and Shane wants to make sure she knows it's appreciated. ]
I was thinking either E.E. Cummings or Yeats, but I haven't really narrowed it down yet.
I'll grab something, then. :) Is there anything in particular that you like/don't like?
[ There's a few minutes' delay in Shane's response as she reads the poem through a time or two. Something about it - about it reminding Bryn of her, mostly - causes a strange flutter in her chest that makes her feel almost... giddy? It's not something she's really felt before so she just ignores it, chalks it up to the poem just being really beautiful.
Because surely that's all it is, right? ]
That's way better than what I was looking at. Thanks. :) I'm definitely going to use it.
[ And forever think of Bryn when she reads it from this day forward... ]
[ That's not exactly what she asked, but okay. She'll probably just end up getting a pizza because it's pretty universally liked and is also tolerable at room temperature, in case they get too distracted by their papers to eat right away.
Uh, no, definitely not. I've never met one before, but something tells me panthers and I probably wouldn't get along very well.
[ Her heart is racing just at the thought, actually. ]
My roommate's a naga, but she's pretty chill, so we can do it at my place. Or in the air common room, if it's quiet enough.
[ Shane had set off early enough to get the pizza and get back in time but when she returns to the air dorm, the common room is relatively packed with people. It's not necessarily loud like the fire common room gets (she's passed through there a time or two since Scarlett's in that same house) but it's enough of a distraction that she decides her room is probably the best bet. Angelique said she had plans, so their side of the room was empty.
Keeping a loose hold on the pizza box, her hands covered with the ends of her sleeves, Shane decides to wait for Bryn to show up so they can walk upstairs together. It's only about five minutes to six when she gets back to the dorms, anyway, so she shouldn't have to wait too terribly long; Bryn seems like the kind of girl that prefers to be on time. ]
[ Bryn is at the Air dorms by 6:15, but she doesn't walk inside right away. First she circles the building, analyzing exits and weak points. Old habit. Finally, at 6:25, she enters the building, immediately spotting Shane waiting. She smiles, walking over. ]
[ Shane smiles when she catches sight of Bryn heading her direction, nodding some to the question. ] Yeah, but I only just got back, so it's not like I've been waiting long.
[ The clarification feels necessary for some reason, like she's worried Bryn might think her overeager or something. Rather than dwelling on that, Shane gestures with an elbow toward the stairs. ]
Are you still cool with doing this in my room? If not, I can go grab my things.
Okay, great. [ Shane smiles again and turns to head up the stairs, grip still loose on the pizza. It's unlikely she'd end up turning the whole thing cold with a tighter grip, especially through the box, but it's happened to food before in her hands. She doesn't want Bryn being forced to eat cold pizza if she can help it.
She glances over her shoulder when they make it to the landing on the boys floor. ] How's your paper coming? You're not putting it off to help me with mine, are you?
[ As they walk, Bryn's head is on a swivel, constantly checking out her surroundings. If this were an undercover mission, she wouldn't be so obvious. But she doesn't have to hide, here. She's here for a purpose. Might as well judge the air dorm for possible infiltration points while she works on her poetry paper.
At the question, though, she focuses her attention on Shane. ]
No. I'm almost done. Just need to write a conclusion.
Oh, [ she says with a little laugh, holding Bryn's gaze for a moment. ] You're way better off than me, then... I'm not normally this bad with homework. [ She turns her attention back to the stairs, leading them up another flight. ] I can't really figure out why I'm struggling so much, either.
[ Maybe it was just that she didn't have the right poem. The one Bryn had sent her earlier, the Dickinson one, at least seemed to start some possible ideas percolating in her head. Still, she's unbelievably thankful that the hunter agreed to help. ]
[ Bryn stays focused on Shane and only Shane until her attention turns back to the stairs, at which point Bryn looks down, blinking twice rapidly. ]
I suppose I had a head start. I picked my poem before we left class. [ And already had ideas on how to analyze it formed in her mind before she started writing. ] I'll help you, though.
If I can ever return the favor, just let me know; I'd be more than happy to. [ She has a feeling Bryn doesn't need much in the way of tutoring, though.
It's a short walk from the top of the stairs to Shane's dorm and once they get there she shifts the weight of the pizza into one hand, the other opening the door. She's half turned toward Bryn as she pushes it open, her roommate nowhere to be seen. ] Are you a fan of poetry, then? Since, you know, you had one in mind that quickly and you found one for me pretty quick.
[ Bryn follows, tugging at the sleeves of her jacket in preparation to take it off when they get in the room. ]
It's a hobby of mine. [ She feels strange admitting it. Poetry has always been her private obsession, cherished in secret in between missions and training. ] My father bought me a book of sonnets when I was young.
[ Shane's never been that into it, but she can definitely appreciate a nice poem when she reads one. Or when one's sent to her.
She pushes the door open the rest of the way and walks inside, depositing the pizza on the nearest desk. There's a larger than average heat lamp on one side, currently turned off, which makes it clear which bed belongs to Angelique, Shane's roommate. The other side of the room is mostly neat, though there's a sweater tossed over the foot of the bed and some school supplies - a notebook, pen, highlighter, and a currently asleep laptop - in the middle of it. ]
[ Bryn shrugs out of her jacket and folds it over her arms, unsure where to set it down so just holding it for now. Shane's room looks more... lived in than her own. Looks more how a teenage girl's room should look. Looking around, Bryn doesn't see any weapons. She smiles briefly at the thought, then lets the smile fade. ]
A favorite? [ She'd heard the question, she was only repeating it as a way to buy herself more time to think. She'd never been asked to choose a favorite before. ] I suppose I like American poets best. Dickinson, Plath, Frost. Langston Hughes.
I don't think I know any Langston Hughes poems. [ She's familiar enough with the others (Dickinson even more so now, thanks to the poem Bryn had sent her earlier) but poetry's never really been her favorite thing in the world. She prefers music, which some could argue is a form of poetry, and visual arts. Hence why she was struggling so bad with her paper.
Closing some of the distance between them, although still leaving enough for them both to be comfortable, Shane reaches a hand out and nods to Bryn's jacket. ] I can take that, if you want. Or you can set it on the chair, [ she gestures with her other hand toward the chair in question at the desk nearest them. ]
[ Rather than hand her jacket to Shane, when given a choice, Bryn opts to drape it over the back of the chair herself, uncomfortable with the thought of having someone else do work she can easily do herself. ]
I’ve known rivers: [ She says, launching right into a Langston Hughes poem. ] I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
[ Shane steps aside, though she wasn't exactly in the way, so Bryn can put her jacket down. The sudden start to the poem confuses her for a moment and she stops, having begun heading in the direction of her bed to grab her laptop, turning to face Bryn again, her eyebrows raised faintly.
But as she continues, it's pretty clear Bryn's not just starting on some strange story. Shane stays put, listening quietly and intently, almost inspired by Bryn's love of poetry to try to love it, too. At the end, she lets out a quiet breath of a laugh. ]
That's really impressive. [ There's a pause where it's unclear if she means the poem of Bryn's memorization of it, but she clarifies: ] I don't think I know anything well enough to just recite it like that. [ She smiles. ] The poem's nice, too. Does he write about rivers a lot?
Just in that one poem. But it's not really about rivers. It's about connecting yourself to your past, to your ancestors.
[ That's something that means something uniquely special to Bryn. She doesn't have ancestors in the traditional sense-- she wasn't born to a mother; she sprang forth from a magic tree on a ley line-- but hunter culture was all about learning from those who came before you to better protect the world from dangerous myths.
As an answer to how she knows it well enough to recite: ] I wasn't allowed to read my poetry books very often. I had to memorize them to keep them with me.
Oh. I could see that, [ she says with a slight nod. Though truth be told, she probably wouldn't have connected that, at least not without knowing a little more about the poet or something.
That second bit, however, has Shane frowning somewhat and she finishes making her way to her bed. She grabs her laptop, letting the power cable rest on the bed once it's unplugged, as well as the binder and a pencil that had been near it. ]
At least you could memorize them, I guess; it's better than not having them at all. Do you still memorize them now that you're at the school?
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text. | most exciting starter ever, yes sir
I'm really struggling with it and you always seem to know what you're talking about in there, so I was wondering if you'd maybe be willing to help me with it.
I'm ready to bribe you with food if necessary, too. :)
[ If necessary, Shane knows of at least a couple other classmates that could help her, but she's hoping Bryn agrees. There's just something about her that Shane really likes, even if she's sometimes super blunt about the mildly unnerving aspects of her life. ]
I am so excited by this starter
[ Food isn't a reward for Bryn. She doesn't indulge in sweets or greasy junk food or salty snacks. She eats what she needs to, when she needs to, and puts food out of her mind until the next time she needs it.
And maybe helping the ice bird with her poetry paper wasn't strictly part of Bryn's mission, but passing her classes was. And so was fitting in with her classmates. Sort of, anyway. Besides, she was already almost done with her own paper. She had time to help Shane with her paper. Maybe she could get some work of her own done at the same time. She'd heard it was common for civilian students to engage in group study gatherings. Why not engage in one herself? ]
Do you have your source material picked out?
glad to hear it C:
[ If Bryn doesn't want her to supply dinner, Shane will figure out some other way to pay her back for the favor. They may be friends - or are becoming friends, she's not too sure which it is just yet - but Bryn's still taking time out of her own busy schedule to help and Shane wants to make sure she knows it's appreciated. ]
I was thinking either E.E. Cummings or Yeats, but I haven't really narrowed it down yet.
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[ Probably not much, but she still will. She knows eating is a social activity for many people. ]
You actually make me think more of Dickinson. Specifically #254, "Hope is the thing with feathers"
[ She sends a link. ]
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Is there anything in particular that you like/don't like?
[ There's a few minutes' delay in Shane's response as she reads the poem through a time or two. Something about it - about it reminding Bryn of her, mostly - causes a strange flutter in her chest that makes her feel almost... giddy? It's not something she's really felt before so she just ignores it, chalks it up to the poem just being really beautiful.
Because surely that's all it is, right? ]
That's way better than what I was looking at.
Thanks. :) I'm definitely going to use it.
[ And forever think of Bryn when she reads it from this day forward... ]
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[ Beyond that, she has no preferences one way or the other. ]
You're welcome. Where did you want to meet to work on this? I'll warn you, my roommate has a pet panther so my room might not be the best study venue.
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Uh, no, definitely not. I've never met one before, but something tells me panthers and I probably wouldn't get along very well.
[ Her heart is racing just at the thought, actually. ]
My roommate's a naga, but she's pretty chill, so we can do it at my place.
Or in the air common room, if it's quiet enough.
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curse you ruined html!!!
[ Never mind that Shane never actually specified a time or date... ]
Re: curse you ruined html!!!
Sure.
What time?
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i suppose it's common courtesy to mention fast-fowarding, whoops!
[ Shane had set off early enough to get the pizza and get back in time but when she returns to the air dorm, the common room is relatively packed with people. It's not necessarily loud like the fire common room gets (she's passed through there a time or two since Scarlett's in that same house) but it's enough of a distraction that she decides her room is probably the best bet. Angelique said she had plans, so their side of the room was empty.
Keeping a loose hold on the pizza box, her hands covered with the ends of her sleeves, Shane decides to wait for Bryn to show up so they can walk upstairs together. It's only about five minutes to six when she gets back to the dorms, anyway, so she shouldn't have to wait too terribly long; Bryn seems like the kind of girl that prefers to be on time. ]
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Were you waiting for me?
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[ The clarification feels necessary for some reason, like she's worried Bryn might think her overeager or something. Rather than dwelling on that, Shane gestures with an elbow toward the stairs. ]
Are you still cool with doing this in my room? If not, I can go grab my things.
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[ More confined, fewer exit points. But they're just working on schoolwork. It'll be fine. ]
Lead the way.
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She glances over her shoulder when they make it to the landing on the boys floor. ] How's your paper coming? You're not putting it off to help me with mine, are you?
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At the question, though, she focuses her attention on Shane. ]
No. I'm almost done. Just need to write a conclusion.
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[ Maybe it was just that she didn't have the right poem. The one Bryn had sent her earlier, the Dickinson one, at least seemed to start some possible ideas percolating in her head. Still, she's unbelievably thankful that the hunter agreed to help. ]
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I suppose I had a head start. I picked my poem before we left class. [ And already had ideas on how to analyze it formed in her mind before she started writing. ] I'll help you, though.
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It's a short walk from the top of the stairs to Shane's dorm and once they get there she shifts the weight of the pizza into one hand, the other opening the door. She's half turned toward Bryn as she pushes it open, her roommate nowhere to be seen. ] Are you a fan of poetry, then? Since, you know, you had one in mind that quickly and you found one for me pretty quick.
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It's a hobby of mine. [ She feels strange admitting it. Poetry has always been her private obsession, cherished in secret in between missions and training. ] My father bought me a book of sonnets when I was young.
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[ Shane's never been that into it, but she can definitely appreciate a nice poem when she reads one. Or when one's sent to her.
She pushes the door open the rest of the way and walks inside, depositing the pizza on the nearest desk. There's a larger than average heat lamp on one side, currently turned off, which makes it clear which bed belongs to Angelique, Shane's roommate. The other side of the room is mostly neat, though there's a sweater tossed over the foot of the bed and some school supplies - a notebook, pen, highlighter, and a currently asleep laptop - in the middle of it. ]
Do you have a favorite poet?
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A favorite? [ She'd heard the question, she was only repeating it as a way to buy herself more time to think. She'd never been asked to choose a favorite before. ] I suppose I like American poets best. Dickinson, Plath, Frost. Langston Hughes.
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Closing some of the distance between them, although still leaving enough for them both to be comfortable, Shane reaches a hand out and nods to Bryn's jacket. ] I can take that, if you want. Or you can set it on the chair, [ she gestures with her other hand toward the chair in question at the desk nearest them. ]
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I’ve known rivers: [ She says, launching right into a Langston Hughes poem. ] I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
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But as she continues, it's pretty clear Bryn's not just starting on some strange story. Shane stays put, listening quietly and intently, almost inspired by Bryn's love of poetry to try to love it, too. At the end, she lets out a quiet breath of a laugh. ]
That's really impressive. [ There's a pause where it's unclear if she means the poem of Bryn's memorization of it, but she clarifies: ] I don't think I know anything well enough to just recite it like that. [ She smiles. ] The poem's nice, too. Does he write about rivers a lot?
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[ That's something that means something uniquely special to Bryn. She doesn't have ancestors in the traditional sense-- she wasn't born to a mother; she sprang forth from a magic tree on a ley line-- but hunter culture was all about learning from those who came before you to better protect the world from dangerous myths.
As an answer to how she knows it well enough to recite: ] I wasn't allowed to read my poetry books very often. I had to memorize them to keep them with me.
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That second bit, however, has Shane frowning somewhat and she finishes making her way to her bed. She grabs her laptop, letting the power cable rest on the bed once it's unplugged, as well as the binder and a pencil that had been near it. ]
At least you could memorize them, I guess; it's better than not having them at all. Do you still memorize them now that you're at the school?
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[ An eidetic memory, or something close to one, is an invaluable skill for a hunter to have. ]
text, post gavin's broadcast.
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The broadcast was just a prank.
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I take it you know who's responsible for it, then?
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[ She's teasing.
Mostly. ]
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Thank you for finding them.
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