2023.07.30: Summer Schoolwork

07.30.23 Summer Schoolwork
Two UCP students discuss summer on campus and the upcoming semester.
IC Date	07.30.23
Players	Eilonwy, Vic
Location	UC Prospect - Main Quad
Spheres	Mage, Bygone

Even in the middle of summer there's students on campus. Either hanging around to do some administrative tasks, or perhaps taking summer classes to spread out the load of the other semesters. It looks like Vic might be lingering on campus for the later reason. He's dressed for the warm weather in a tank top and shorts, as well as a pair of sandals, but even still he makes use of an umbrella's shade.

Sitting at one of the tables outside the student union, he has a half eated lunch and drink in front of him, the cup covered with more than a little condensation. Most of his attention is on a book flipped open in front of him, a highlighter in one hand with the cap covered end held between his teeth as he glares at the text in front of him. Whatever he's reading either it's annoying him or he's having trouble focusing on it. Still the highlighter drops after a moment, making a quick line across the page.

Eilonwy may not be taking any of the summer curriculum, but she is very much invested in her extracurricular partnership program with the journalism department of the school... and therefore is one of the ones who tends to be around, even during the off hours. Besides, it's cool being around when there's not many people. The vibe's right... and you see the best weirdos. Speaking of weirdos, There's one all alone right there! Besides... she could really use a distraction. She keeps looking over her shoulder, cautiously. Approaching the man, she speaks up loudly. `Hah, that's some crazy hair, dude! How much time does it take to dye that?`

Another slash of the highlighter is taken to the book, followed by another, then after a moment's consideration he just starts coloring over the entire paragraph with a bit of a scowl. It takes him a second to realize he's being addressed and his eyes pop up from his reading to focus on the woman speaking to him. There's a delay, as if his brain is trying to catch up with his senses, or else just clear through the mass of information he's been dumping in it.

"Hair..?" He says, almost stupidly, then blinks as it works it's way through, one hand going up to touch a lock, highlighter dangerously close to adding some yellow up there. "Not long, really." He answers with a shrug. "Almost like it grows that way." Which is said with a casual smile.

Eilonwy raises a brow, thinking, then just laughs. `Right! Grow! That's awesome, isn't it? Never seen hair that red that's natural outside of insta filters... buuut you must be some nerd to be studying at this time of year, huh? Or do you like watching the dread on the faces of those coming out here to see what hell they're about to be dropped into for the school year?` Vic laughs and shakes his head. No matter what he says about the color, there's no way it sticks up like it does without help. He taps the cap of his highlighter against his cheek as he thinks on that. "Well, I guess I'm just an artist then." His smile remains fixed on his face at least until the studying it brought up.

"Nah, I just have a nasty courseload so I'm trying to take a couple classes over the summer to ease it up. Scaring the new freshmen is just a bonus. What about you?" He redirects. "What brings you down to the campus on a perfect beach day?"

`See! Nerd! Good on ya though.` Eil comments, pulling out a fancy looking camera from the bag slung around her side and fiddling with it. `I study Journalism here, and there's a lot of work to be done with the partner program in the summer. Stuff happens all the time, after all. Say... I could even put you in the school newspaper as an example of a hardworking student!`

"Never said I wasn't." Vic replies to the nerd comment, nor does he look offended by it. Nor does the book in front of him look particularly easy, which probably explains why he was staring at it cross-eyed. "Journalism, huh? Then I better get you on my good side now before you write awful stories about me." The comment is definitely meant os a joke, though there is a dubious look given to the camera. "Well, if you need me, it must be a slow news day, but I guess I might need to get used to it." He sets down the highlighter and extends his hand out for a proper greeting. "Vic. Pre-law."

`Do awful things and I'll write awful stories, if that's what you want~` she teases, laughing. `But yeah, it's a school newsletter and it's summer... very slow, lots of room.` When he extends the hand, she brings her own forwards, giving it a very firm, though nothing of abnormal strength, very exaggerated ahndshake. `Nice to meetcha! Say cheese!`

"Hey, I'm just getting ahead of the all lawyers are awful thing." Vic jokes. His own handshake firm, but nothing out of the ordinary. He takes an exagerrated look around the quad, at the bare few people wandering around and nods. "Yeah, we could probably do with some tumbleweeds to drive it home." He sighs then strikes what he probable considers an 'academic' pose for the camers, picking his highlighter back up and folding his hands together under his chin as if he's being studious, and waits for the camera to be pointed at him before offering a overly cheery, "Cheese."

Eil brings up the camera, taking a few moments to step around to get the best angle. `Yeah, jus tlike that, keep yer eyes open...` she mumbles, before taking a few photos to get some options. No flash needed in this light! She glances over some of them, making sure it looks right at all before more closely examining them later, nodding. `Perfect. I'll show this to you later when you needed to be reminded of the humanity and spirit you left behind pursuing -lawyering-` she quips.

Vic holds the pose, those golden colored eyes of his staying fixed on the camera. He does the unblinking thing a bit to well, at least until the shoot is done and he relaxes, going back to a more casual posture. He laughs and sighs. "Or when I was fun before I had to make my hair something normal for some weird standard of professionalism." He wrinkles his nose in a show of annoyance, but still keeps his grin.

Eil hums to herself, camera strap around her neck as she covers the lens once more. At his comment of having to make his hair 'normal', it seems to make her frown for the first time. `Normal... ugh. Pricks. Why do you want to go into a field where you'll have to be in stuffy suits and conform to that kind of thing anyways? I don't think I can think of anything more boring than litigation....`

"First of all, the right suit always looks good." Which may seem strange coming from Vic who is currently dressed one notch above 'sitting on the couch and binging NetFlix' chic. Not that that's that weird on a college campus, in fact it's probably fairly normal. "Honestly? One gave me a chance when no one else would and I guess I want to do the same for someone else." He reaches out to pick up his drink, slurping some of the liquid through the straw. "Why journalism?"

Eil's eyes grow ever so slightly narrower, but her face stays mostly blank at that suit statement. `Well... if someone saved you, that's understandable. Hopefully you bring some pizazz to the profession rather than get broke.` Then, at the question, a smirk emerges from the blankness. `Why journalism? Well, becuase there's -so much- out there that people don't know... that other people don't -want- them to know. The world's more mysterious than people give it credit for nowadays, they could use some of that in their lives!`

"Well, considering what I think I'll want to do with it, broke will probably describe my bank account pretty well. Not that it's a pile of money to start with." He actually laughs at that, shaking his head. He wiggles his cup before taking another sip. He lets the cup dangle from his fingers as he mulls over those words about journalism, finally giving a nod. "I guess that's a good reason, unless you want to become a P.I. or something like that. Guess it's a lot of the same skills. Gotta agree with you though, used to think the world was pretty straight forward. It's not."

Eil glances around the open part of the campus again, staying silent for a biiit too long in those stares before seeming to decide to sit down at the table with the man, letting out a sigh. `That's good. What kicked you out of that mental rut? Oh and... name's Eilonwy. Eil for short.`

Vic pulls his half eaten lunch in closer so he's not got his stuff sprawled across the table and Eil can at least have some of it. "Well, never heard that name before." He says, dog-earring his text book and flipping it shut befor leaning forward and crossing his arms over the cover. He tilts his head to the side, considering. "My apartment burnt down with me in it. Somehow made it out without a scratch. Someone's gotta be looking out for me, right?"

Eil chuckles a bit. `It's Welsh. Parents wanted some faux eccentricity... something to do with my great grandmother, but they're uh... yeah.` She pauses, eyes glaring down at the food for a moment before tilting her head back up to the man. `You giving that to me, Mr. Hasn't Told Me Their Name yet?` she coos. `And... man. It burned down with you in it and you didn't get hurt? Were you stuffed inside something?`

"Vic, short for Victor, which always sounded sort of egotistical to me so I keep it short." He looks down at the half a coldcut sandwich still sitting on the plate untouched and shrugs. "If you want it, sure. I really just wanted potato chips but then there was a sandwich, kind of just ended up in my hand." He rambles for a bit. The question has him shrugging. "No clue. Don't remember. Maybe I jumped out a window and hit my head or something." He shrugs, not sounding terribly bothered by it all.

That confirmation seems to be all Eil needs to take the sandwich and start scarfing it down, despite all her prettiness. `Good man! Vic. Vicky. Victorino. Mhm mhm....` she mumbles. `Now that would have been a story I'd like to dig into! But hey, there's always new things. Speaking of new things... have you heard like, anyone talking about sightings of weird things around the campus lately?` "Eh, don't know how much it'd be worth digging into." Vic says with a shrug. He leans back in the chair as the remainder of the sandwich vanishes, tapping a finger on the cover of his book. "Other than me?" He jokes at first, but then frowns as he digs into his memory and comes up empty. He just shakes his head after a moment. "Nah, but I've been pretty busy the last couple months so not exactly following school gossip."

Eil nods, finishing up the sandwich in no time at all. She chuckles lightly at his comment. `Yeah. Other than you, nerdimus prime. Just a rumor, guess I'm trying to see if it has merit. Developing story, you could say... but uh... thanks for the free grub! You're cool for a law student, should come by the party coming up in pre-celebration of the new semester. Will be fun~`

Vic shakes his head. "Sorry, like I said, been a little preoccupied. But hey, if I hear anything I can try to pass it on. There's a few gossipy sorts in my classes." That way he says that though makes it sound like he usually avoids those types, or else just doesn't get along with them. "Don't mention it." He says in reference to the food, an easy grin appearing on his face. "Yeah, maybe I should. I avoided parties last semester. Didn't do my social rep any favors."

Eil nods. `Good on ya! Should be... Tuesdayish? If you're around then, feel free to show. But until then... I'm afraid I gotta run. Have fun studying~` then, without any more fanfare, she stands up and begins leisurely trotting away.

"Tuesdayish it is, I'll make a note of it." Vic says with a nod of his head. "Was good meeting you." He adds, before Eil gets too far off, but then he's back to looking down at his text book with a little bit of annoyance. "Well, distractions can't last forever." He mutters, flipping back to where he was and diving back in.