2014-03-12 - Study Guide

One might think with the mix of privilege and personality present, that the Massachusetts Academy would be a den of debauchery and hard-partying virtually every night, but in actuality, that's pretty far from the case. Oh, there's almost always -some- degree of mischief happening somewhere, but while Ms. Frost is...quite flexible in terms of moral and ethical standards, she is -not- flexible on educational standards. Party all you like, but you'd better still be getting your schoolwork done, and done right!
So over the last couple of years, Julian Keller has settled into a fairly stable routine during the week: Once class is done, it's to the gym for the evening workout, then shower up before dinner, then there's usually some kind of study group in the evening (most of the other kids looked at Sophie like she was crazy when she suggested it, but when Quentin and Julian both openly agreed that it was a good idea the shock of the two of them agreeing publicly on much of anything beyond the inherent superiority of mutantkind was great enough that they agreed to it before they fully realized what was happening), and then more private study time afterwards. Which is what Julian's at work doing right now. He's in the Academy library, pulling quotes for a research paper due in a couple of weeks. Procrastination? Not something Julian's particularly guilty of. Because in this school, falling behind results in harsh punishment, and Julian isn't about to sacrifice his "class leader" position for being lazy.
As he sits at one of the tables here, a pencil moving with the power of his mind to write out the information he seeks even as he's reading it, a look of mild concentration paints his face. He's multitasking, as books he's already finished are floating back to where they belong even while he's doing all the rest. Did we mention he's hovering in mid-air, too? Not far enough off the ground that he'll get anything more than bruises should he fall, but apparently he's squeezing in some power practice while he does his research.
"Oh, c'mon," the purplish-pink mohawked sophomore slides into the seat across from Julian, apparently giving little to no care that they were a) in the library and b) Julian was trying to get a jumpstart on his research paper. "I can't believe you're in here, Jules," Quintavius Quirinius Quire, better known as Quentin to friends, enemies, and frienemies alike drawls with annoyance. "You /knew/ we had plans." Knowing Double-Q? Plans generally revolve around borderline malicious pranks against a human member of the school or surrounding town that couldn't exactly be traced back to him.
He is dressed down, and most definitely in violation of dress code: ripped jeans, a white t-shirt that proclaims in bright red ink 'Wake me when the HUMANS are dead', and a dark magenta leather jacket that would look patently ridiculous on anyone else, but somehow Quentin managed, just barely, to pull off. A black tote bag with a stylized skull is slung over his shoulder, the flap pinned closed, though its contents rattle slightly as he sits and jostles it.
"Seriously. We owe the Xavier bastards for their last asshattery." Of course, the prank war between the two schools had been escalating, not matter what the adults from either school had said to their students. Xavier's kids had recently completely defoliated the greenhouse-- a favored make-out spot for many at the Massachusetts Academy due to the green-covered walkways and paths having many a dark corner to sneak off too.
Not anymore, of course.
"Had to change them. Something's up at Xavier's. Was getting ready to come grab you when Ms. Frost politely informed me it's off-limits until she says otherwise." Julian shrugs a shoulder, "Sounds like they might be unwittingly running interference for us...again." Lots of bad guys know about Xavier's. A lot less know about the Massachusetts Academy's "gifted student" program. "Besides, it's another couple weeks before pool season really kicks in. You've got the "special additive" for their pool ready to go, right?" You know, the one that's going to make anyone that takes a dip as bald as Xavier. Or well, hairless really. It'll grow back, though.
Quentin scowls, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, of course I have it. Was going to spray paint a few walls on the other side of campus so they don't suspect we hit the pool, too. Got Haroum to agree to help, even." He looks annoyed more than anything the plans have been postponed. 
Booted feet prop up on the table, then. "So, what, we're grounded? Or just not allowed to go to Xavier's?" he shrugs off the bag and hangs it over the back of the chair next to him. "We could go into town instead. I got a buddy said he could get us hooked up with some contraband to bring back here." Alcohol and cigarettes, most likely, like most live-in high schools. "Maybe get the quints to come to an impromptu party in the chem lab, like the one we had last week?"
"Nope, not grounded. Just from Xavier's." Julian notes, closing the book he's reading and floating it back into place, turning his attention more fully to Quentin, "Sophie was going to be typing up her rough draft tonight. Mindee's practicing for her audition next week. Phoebe and Celeste are working on their AP Chemistry homework. Not sure about Esme. Jenny's always up for a party, though." Julian half-smiles at Quentin, "But I -do- need to get some more work done on this paper before we do anything. Not all of us have brains as big as yours, Q."
Quentin's expression of disappointment is obvious for a moment as Julian mentions Sophie being unlikely to come if a party was held. But he quickly wipes that look off his face and replaces it with a smug sneer and a shrug of the shoulders. "Guess I'll go into Salem by my lonesome, just me and my big brain. You want anything while I'm there?" He stands, grabbing the bag and making ready to depart.
"Yeah." Julian reaches to his wallet and pulls out a couple hundred bucks, pressing it into Quentin's hand, "You know what I like. The top shelf is starting to look a little bare." Julian grins, "Don't ruin -too- many baselines' nights along the way."
An entirely too-wicked grin crosses Quentin's face as he pockets the cash. "Wouldn't dream of it," he replies, snickering. "See ya later, Jules." And the bane of Headmistress Frost's existence strolls out of the library, bag rattling as he leaves.
"He's going to get in trouble," a soft voice from behind Julian says quietly. "A /lot/ of trouble."
"I think that's his -other- mutant power." Julian comments without immediately looking behind him, but after a few moments he turns to glance at Marie, "You see it, or just making a very educated guess?" He smiles towards her, sliding the last of the books aside, though it "continues" to slide all the way down the table and off, floating over back to the proper shelf.
"A little of both," Marie replies quietly, with a shy half-smile. She glances towards the door Quentin had departed through. "Just not sure if the trouble comes tonight or later. I'm sorry." She gives him a sheepish look, pushing the tarot cards she had been toying with underneath the open book she had been trying to study from.
"Nothing to be sorry for, Marie-Ange. Even if you warned him it'd probably just egg him on." Julian shrugs, "Didn't hear you come in." He shifts about, lowering down to reverse-seat himself in a moderately high-backed chair, resting his arms on the top and watching her, "Working on your paper, too?"
"No, I've got a test tomorrow in biology," she replies, glancing down at her book. She sighs. "I'm going to fail it." She glances back over at him, eyes flitting appreciatively but quickly before forcing themselves back to her book. "If I don't study," she amends. "I hope."
"Wait...you hope you're going to fail it if you don't study?" Julian looks a little perplexed at Marie's wording, "Well, I'm not exactly a genius, but what're you having trouble with? I took AP Biology last semester."
Marie-Ange blushes. "I mean, I... saw myself failing. I'm hoping studying will change that." Her fingers trace over the page. "It's just... this whole cell thing. All of the pieces inside I keep mixing up their names and what they do... and I have to look at them through a microscope tomorrow, too, and I'm really just..." she trails off. "It's nothing. I'll figure it out," she says with forced cheerfulness, giving Julian a smile. "You have a paper to write, right?"
"Was just here to get some sources. Already pretty much pulled what I need." Julian replies, moving over to look over Marie-Ange's shoulder, "C'mon, it's not that bad. The best way to remember them is to either decide to go outside-in or inside-out and kinda take 'em in order, y'know?"
"But... all of these things are floating around inside," Marie-Ange laments. "I shouldn't have let Jenny convince me to skip class to go shopping with her..." she sighs. The proximity of Julian is definitely bringing out another blush-- the past couple of months working with him her crush has been obvious enough that Jenny had made a few... less-than-kind comments about it. Thankfully not as cruel as some of the barbs she had about Quentin's obvious thing for Sophie, but still, enough that there probably wasn't a single Hellion unaware of it.
Even if Marie-Ange herself wasn't entirely aware yet that everyone else knew.
The girl bites her lower lip, keeping her eyes pointedly on the drawing of an animal cell. "The squiggly lines with the dots on them make no sense," she mutters.
"Use that. The thing that makes no sense has the weirdest name. It's the Golgi Apparatus." Julian suggests, then chuckles, "I could go, if you'd rather just study on your own, though."
"It doesn't look like an 'apparatus'," Marie-Ange points out with a slight huff. "No, it's okay, I don't... um, want to run you off. Unless you have to study. Yourself. Because you really should if you were." Totally smooth there, Tarot.
"I'm good. Don't have any quizzes or tests tomorrow unless they're the "surprise" kind. Either way I've done all the readings that were assigned. I'll get by." He smiles brightly and notes, "So I can help you if you want. Either way, it's cool."
Marie-Ange glances up and over at him, and gives him a slight grin. "Um, well... there's only maybe a couple hours until the library closes and--"
She's interrupted by a handful of the guys from the football team coming in, jostling and making noise as they noisily find a pair of tables to 'settle' (for certain values of settle) down at.
She regards them with a wince. "Or maybe I should just... not study any more tonight. You don't have to be a precog to know that they won't be great for a study environment."
Julian glances towards the new arrivals and frowns, then nods, "Yeah, you're probably right." He agrees, "Come on. We'll find someplace more quiet." He does momentarily consider -making- them leave but...supposed to keep things...mostly secret. He steps back just a bit, but offers a hand to help Marie-Ange to her feet, should she accept it.
Which she does, though her cheeks tinge the same dark red as her hair for a brief moment as she does. She scoops her books into her satchel, marking the page she was one with a single one of her cards.
"So, where to?" Marie-Ange asks curiously, following him out of the library.
"Don't know yet." Julian notes as they step outside, looking around the campus with a thoughtful expression on his face, "Most of the labs are probably empty. Or our Private common room might be quiet." Since of -course- the Hellions have several of "their own" places they can go on campus. "Or I guess either of our rooms."
Category:Historical Log