@eatdearth mentioned you on a post “[pm] [attached is the dance schedule] Just 'cause...”:
[pm] [user's writer does not know to reply to replies but is blaming tumblr for never notifying him in the first place] Why wouldn't I want it? I'd never want to miss out on watching you dance! I'm good. [user flashbacks to that time he lost his face] I'm...fine. Oh, yes, of course! Any time, just drop by, enter class, and it'll definitely make my day. [user always has space in his classes because it's never full]
[pm] Okay! I just didn't want you to feel pressured! But I look forward to it.
I'll come by soon, okay? I was thinking of trying to actually take one. But I can also just sit in. I like rocks. My best friend is a
Her fake ID was brought in her designer bag in case it was needed when she hit the bar. Home had been avoided as always by her. Estelle chose a seat by the counter. The attractiveness of the new bartender was noticed by her in an instant. Her eyes were raised to meet his. "A martini please." The order was made with a smile on her lips. "Are you new? I have never seen you before."
Time: Sometime in the perhaps not too distant future, though just far enough off. This future is one of multiple possibilities - a sort of AU, but not quite.
Queen.
Here she was, and there he was. Her Jasper, her fox, her home.
Consort.
She was still softer than her mother would have liked. Still porcelain at times when she should have been glass.
But Jasper didn’t care about that. He never had. He’d taken her just as she was, full stop, no questions. Homes were supposed to do that though, weren’t they? He was hers, and she his, ever since she was a tiny thing, wandering about the fey palace. Tiny, at first following him around so that he didn’t quite see her, until her curiosity became too strong and she went over to him and introduced herself (though of course he’d already known who she was, being the Princess and all), and that was where it all started, and she’d never once looked back.
He’d led a rebellion for her, and even though he now knew that there was perhaps more than one side to her, she was still always eager for him, still idealistic, with shining eyes of a better tomorrow.
Which was what she wanted, ultimately, even if sometimes in a different way than her consort and most trusted adviser might have.
She was still more breakable, though she’d come to be even more expert at hiding where she might fall apart than she used to. ( Too Seelie, still. ) ( To which she’d think, damn all those who think that - I shall never be Seelie, even though I may be soft. ) Though it had been years since her father’s identity was revealed, some of the Court still liked to jab insults at her about it - make remarks of her not being deserving of her status (back when she was Princess only, and even more so since she’d taken on the role of Queen). Camellia remained stone-faced at those remarks, not letting them pierce her.
How dare anyone think to remark about those she held dear? How dare they wish to do harm to anybody she loved?
Her mother had remarked that love might cause her to ache - and it did, oh it did not stop her from still loving. She overflowed with it at times. For her parents, even when they disagreed, when they clashed at the highest level.
For Jasper and Lark, always. Her home and her other half.
The two who remained most important in her entire life.
One of whom sat next to her now. Though not as close as she might have liked. “Jasper,” she began, smiling (the same smile that so many still said was disarming it its brilliance, in the way she could brighten up a room and get almost anyone to spill their secrets in the same breath, “will you indulge me in a shared seat, please? This couch is far too large for only myself.”
SG Jasper spots a figure strolling along the boardwalk during one of her recent patrols. Amber eyes narrow before she quickly marched over to see this figure face to face. C Jasper spots the approaching officer and turns to face her, eyes going wide for a second before also narrowing. The two face each other sizing one another up. At the same time they bring their arms up high to flex in a classic pose and then do the same with bringing their arms low. SG Jasper raises an eyebrow, impressed. C Jasper nods slightly trying to conceal her awe for the buffer version of herself. Fists are pounded together before the two share a firm handshake, both trying to crush the other’s hand. Amber eyes locked together. SG Jasper releases the handshake and laughs.
SG Jasper: “Well I’ll be, my own little mini me.”
C Jasper: “Mini me?” she rose to the unspoken challenge.
SG Jasper: “Yeah mini me, younger me, you remind me of how I looked in high school.” she folded her arms across her chest.
C Jasper: “Oh yeah? Well give me a few years and you’ll be my mini me,” she grinned.
SG Jasper: “Go ahead and try. So tell me you got any goals you’re pushing to? What year of high school are you in?”
C Jasper: “Going to be starting my senior year soon, and I’m gonna become the captain for the basketball team, just gotta beat out Garnet to do so.”
SG Jasper rubbed her chin. “Hmm, the other captain?” Mentally she took note of the mention of a Garnet. If the past situations were all connected the mentioned Garnet may have been one of the Garnets SG Garnet ran into.
C Jasper: “Yes, I’m going to show that I’m the better player and will be made captain!” fire burned in her eyes.
SG Jasper: “Do you care for your teammates?”
C Jasper: “What?”
SG Jasper: “Do you care for your teammates? Do you want to help them and lead them to be the best they can be?”
C Jasper scratched the side of her head. “I guess so…”
SG Jasper: “A true captain is not just the best player, they are the one who inspires, drives, and supports their team! Are you willing to celebrate and cheer for a teammate who may have more success than you? Are you willing to be an emotional rock and support for them at ALL times?”
C Jasper: “Well I…”
SG Jasper puts her hands on C Jasper’s shoulders. “AT ALL TIMES!”
C Jasper’s eyes widen.
SG Jasper relaxes a little, hands still gripping the teens muscular shoulders. “Because that is what a captain does,” she says in a softer voice. “A captain will celebrate all of her teammates successes and cheer even louder for those who have few. A captain will let someone else take the winning shot. It’s a responsibility to care for your teammates and to be there for them whenever and wherever they need you. If there is strife, you work to help fix it. You make the tough decisions of stopping another teammate from bringing the team or another player down.” tears could almost be seen forming at the edges of the police captain’s eyes. “And a captain is there to help and care for a teammate when they get hurt or are in trouble.”
C Jasper’s eyes were lit with fire and understanding. “I WILL! I will be the best captain there ever was. I will care for them, push them to be their best, and take on the responsibility and challenges.”
SG Jasper grinned. “I have no doubt you will, you’re me after all.” she stepped so they were standing side by side. “And just so you know, the Garnet of my universe, I’m her captain,” the last sentence was punctuated with a wink and a toothy grin.
C Jasper: “Don’t you worry I won’t let me down.”
SG Jasper: “I know you won’t.”
They began walking together.
SG Jasper: “You like pizza?”
C Jasper: “Of course!”
SG Jasper: “Great, I’ll treat ya to some.”
C Jasper: “Really?”
SG Jasper: “Yeah. It’s also about time for me to kick out some loiterers,” she chuckled.
TIMING: Before the end of the school year
LOCATION: UMWR campus, Jasper's office
PARTIES: Jasper @eatdearth and Ariadne @ariadnewhitlock
SUMMARY: Ariadne and Jasper talk while she's leaving his class, and have coffee in his office. Wholesome bonding occurs, despite them both being awkward. Maybe they are friends now?
CONTENT WARNING: none!
Jasper only had three minutes left before the bell rang but he was not even close to finishing his lecture. He had distracted himself by going on and on about the different kinds of rocks found in the mines, which weren’t really important to what he was supposed to teach. The recent ongoings, however, meant more talk about the place, so his brain couldn’t help but do just that.
Even seconds before the bell rang, Jasper could see some, if not most, of his students scramble to pack up and leave the room. Maybe they had other classes to go to. Or maybe they just didn’t want to spend another minute more with him and his boring anecdotes.
“Class, remember to stay safe out there! Don’t go sneaking into the mines during these strange times! That would be a terrible idea!” Jasper chuckled before shaking his head, his attention on the books on his table he had to clean up now. He should know. He and the mines have a very special relationship, after all.
She wasn’t entirely sure why she’d decided to take a geology course, other than the fact that, as far as the science requirement at UMWR went, it seemed like one of the better options for her. More hands-on, that much was certain. Ariadne liked the class well enough too, even if the professor was a bit odd.
She didn’t mind odd, though - she never really had, and at this point, odd was significantly better than evil or cruel. It always had been, but now that Ariadne had become more aware of the world, she had an entirely newfound appreciation for anything and everything that didn’t cause pain.
Ariadne took her time gathering her books and computer, waiting until nearly everyone else had left the class, before she approached her professor’s table at the front of the room. “I liked the lecture today,” she began, fingers wrapped around the strap of her bag. “I - I don’t want to appear rude, but for some people - the warning about the mines might only make them more interested in going.”
Jasper knew all his students by name. It was required. Well, not technically, but he required himself to know all his students by name. Every single one. They all knew his name. Well, most of them, and mostly because they needed to; otherwise, it would be more of an inconvenience for them to go looking around for a professor whose name they did not catch for clarifications or submissions to the same professor’s class or classes. So, it would have been rude for him to not know theirs.
Ariadne Whitlock was a strange case. She wasn’t a geology major, but she still took this course, this class. Students do that all the time, sure, but not when he was the professor assigned to the class. Most students preferred Nancy Go to him: She was a beautiful woman, and he was, well, Jasper was Jasper. But maybe Ariadne was just bored or maybe she just needed a change of pace. There were numerous reasons for her to have taken this class, most of which would be considered strange.
“Aria,” Jasper tried to use a nickname for her without her consent. Either she’d allow it or she’d correct him. Either way, he’d learn something new about this blonde student. “I don’t think that’s rude, and I very much appreciate your insightful input.” He offered her a smile as he took a moment from dumping his books in his bag. “Speaking of the mines, though, are you aware of any specific student that’s…interested in going?”
Geology was interesting. It didn’t always make sense to Ariadne, but she liked it all the same. If nothing else, it was one of the forms of science that felt more artistic (though her mother had said that all science was its own form of art), and she enjoyed it. Which was what mattered, anyhow, right? Even though enjoyable classes were still hard to make herself always do the work for, she was managing. Well enough, at least. Or at least that was what she told herself. Even if she was dead, she still wanted to pass her classes.
Straight As and Bs were unlikely, but that wasn’t something she was going to focus on. Nor was she going to focus too much on the fact that he’d used a nickname. Not that Ariadne had never had any professor do that, but it was usually the ones in her major-related classes, and even then it was rare. Still, she flashed him a small smile. “Oh - okay, good. I - thanks.” She looked down at her shoes. “I - well, I’m not sure, a lot of them talk about it, but people talk about stuff in this town all the time and a lot of it doesn’t ever happen - why?” She bit her lip. “If I can ask?”
Jasper’s eyebrow was raised without his consent. Jasper was a lonely man. He was very lonely, so very lonely. So, when he caught a glimpse of that lip bite, he immediately thought of a very bad thing. Well, it wasn’t that bad, per se. He just thought it was bad enough. The fact was, he thought it was cute, that was all, really, but perhaps, it was that very thought that his eyebrow tried to distance itself from.
To be fair, however, Jasper had never had such a relationship with his students. He would never. Or more precisely, THEY would never. He’s tried before, establishing a less formal friendship with a few of them outside class hours. He’s never stepped over the line, never would, considering this was the only thing he has in his life, only tried befriending some of the students. Even invited them to a “rager” at his place. Terrible idea. Jasper has never been to a “rager” before, so he thought it was just one of those parties with charades and movies. When he realized what they actually were, he felt relieved no one came. Not even his teaching assistant.
“I see, I see,” Jasper feigned a dignified cough as he finished chucking his books in his bag. He even added an obvious look at his watch, implying he could be busy, even though he wasn’t. Outside of the paperwork, there was nothing else for Jasper. Maybe the mines, his obsession with finding his lost childhood friend, but that was it. A life mostly wasted. “Well, of course, you can ask, and as I said, sneaking into the mines is a very, very bad idea, so if you hear about anyone doing just that, and if they invite you, do tell me, won’t you, Aria?” He then began to walk out of the classroom, assuming already that she would do the same.
Even though she’d always been a good student (or at least relatively good - the drive to be as perfect as possible didn’t stop even when she was struggling), she’d never really been a teacher’s favorite. At least not as far as she was aware. So for Professor Langston to be asking more of her made Ariadne feel nice. There was something about the professors at this school - a surprising number of them looked almost as though they could have been models, or some such thing.
Which she knew was probably not what she should be thinking about when she thought about her professors, but her mind had a tendency to wander at times, and she figured that those were positive thoughts, and having them, acknowledging them wasn’t bad. She didn’t let it change her mind about their work, so Ariadne decided that focusing on any of that wasn’t going to do her any good, and focusing on the present moment was what was best.
“Yes, of course.” There it was. The nickname, again. At least he knew her name, Ariadne figured that was a pretty big win. She followed him out of the classroom. “I - I don’t like doing bad things.” She wondered if Chance was going to try to sneak into the mines. She would ask, but if he wasn’t planning to, that would only put the idea in his mind and she didn’t like that much at all. “I’ll tell you, yeah. Just - like, anonymously. I don’t want people to think I’m a tattle-tale.” Also the likelihood of her being invited was slim. Not none, she tried not to think like that, but still. Very, very slim. “Is that okay?”
Jasper unintentionally raised an eyebrow when the blonde student mentioned doing bad things, which initially felt to him quite unprompted. Fortunately, however, after a second more, he realized she was probably just talking about sneaking into the mines as the bad thing she didn’t like doing. He heaved a sigh of relief in his mind that he desperately needed to get out of the gutter. “Of course,” he shook his head, gesturing that she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t like before following it up with a supportive nod. “That’s very okay.”
It was actually more than he expected of her, of anyone in his class. Usually, most kids would just ignore him. Fewer would even give him the time of day, so this one was heaven sent. She was fast becoming his favorite student “Here,” Jasper fished out one of his many unused business cards, a boring design with just his name, phone number, and unnecessary address on it. “Give me a call when you need to. On this matter and on anything else. I’ve always got time for my students.”
“Now, how are your studies, by the way?” Jasper gave her a grin as he caught sight of a gaggle of kids accidentally looking their way. Ha. Now there was proof he wasn’t all that bad. A professor talking to his student in school. He wasn’t a weirdo. He was just doing his job. That was a win for him, a very sad win but one he would take. “Finding anything difficult?”
“Really? Okay, good.” She wanted to continue saying that she very much doubted she was the sort of person to ask for help regarding - well, anything - but especially things that involved people talking to you and telling you secrets. Still, if he believed in her, that was something that she could work with. Something Ariadne wouldn’t want to admit how much she needed.
“Oh.” She couldn’t help but blink a few times, in stunned silence as she accepted the card. Offering him another smile, Ariadne nodded. “I will. Call you, I mean.” Thankfully, she held herself back from saying yeah, I don’t really have many people to talk to, so… because calling your professor because you felt lonely was not a step she was willing to take. Yet, at least. Ideally never, with Wynne and her other new Friend - not that Professor Langston would be bad to talk to, but she figured that it was still not the best of options. “Thanks for that.” She tucked the card carefully into her jacket pocket.
She offered him a cautious grin back, eyes flitting to the students who watched them as they walked by. “They’re going well.” A beat. “Mostly.” Ariadne wasn’t ready to get into her newfound tendency to forget about assignments. “Sometimes, yeah - but that’s to be expected, right? I’ll be a senior next year, so things shouldn’t be too easy.” No matter how much she wished they could be. “You won’t rat me out if I say I am looking forward to a break from schoolwork over the summer, will you?”
“Of course not!” Jasper let out a chuckle at that question. “I mean, I’m also looking forward to a break,” except he wasn’t. “All this professor-ing isn’t easy as well.” That part was at least true. Yet Jasper would rather struggle with his lesson plans than spend the summer break all alone in his late uncle’s manor. It was a lonely life, only made bearable by rocks and stones and the classes he had about the rocks and the stones. And the mines. Maybe he could make the summer break better by spending more time venturing into the mines, ironically what he keeps warning people, including his students, against.
“But I digress,” Jasper led Ariadne to his office, his hand on his door knob. He wanted to invite her in but of course she wouldn’t accept it. No student of his ever does. Why prolong the suffering, making small talk with your professor after the same professor’s boring class, but joining him in his office? Still, Jasper made the polite gesture, just in case she wanted to continue the conversation…and risk her reputation with her fellow students and their scathing rumors. “Senior year will be much more difficult, so don’t hesitate to approach me or any of your other professors for help. We’re always here for our students.”
“I guess that makes sense. I hope you get to do something nice and fun this summer. I figure when you work as hard as you do, you deserve that.” Ariadne was grateful that she had plans with Wynne. Maybe she could convince Chance to hang out in a non-dangerous fashion. It was a high hope, and he might just go home for part of the summer anyhow, but it was still worth hoping for. It had to be.
They’d arrived at his office, and Ariadne wasn’t sure that was was quite entirely ready to stop talking. So when his hands gestured toward the door she nodded. “Only if it’s okay with you.” He was nice, and having someone to just talk to was nice. Someone who didn’t really know her. Someone who so clearly wished to help, just like her professor did. “I might - if you’re sure that’s okay, even though my areas of study aren’t what you cover.” Are you sure? You don’t have to take that on, you don’t have to offer that. “It might be nice to know I’ve got somebody to reach out to.”
“Oh,” Jasper’s face brightened up, even more so, when his student said something nice about him, for him. Was that the first time a student wished him well, someone else wished him well? Definitely the first time he’s heard someone wish him well inside the university and even acknowledge all his hard work. He couldn’t stop beaming. “Thank you, Aria. That’s so nice of you! I hope the same for you and your friends.”
“You guys can even come to my place if you’d like.” That last part was definitely weird for a professor to say to his student, but Jasper was too sad and lonely to realize that. Later, however, he’d be figuratively smashing his head on the wall when he finally realized the words that came out of his mouth were less than appropriate. For now, however, he just made room for Ariadne to enter his office. “Oh, it’s always okay with me. I love hanging out with my students!”
Jasper caught sight of another pair of students passing by who saw him and smirked to themselves, chuckling under their breaths as they walked on by. He thought they were also happy to see him, so he gave them a wide, goofy smile. He would later realize he had thought wrong.
“Oh, thank you.” It was nice to have that sort of positive wish, even if it was from a professor, who was probably obligated to say things like that. Still, it was nice, and Ariadne let herself relax just the smallest bit more. Which meant that she probably shouldn’t say ‘oh yeah, I don’t really have many friends’ because that was just going to open up a whole new route of conversation that she didn’t want to venture down.
“I - oh.” She hid her surprise as best as she could. “That’s very nice of you to offer, but I - we - wouldn’t want to impose or anything.” She ducked into his office, not paying any attention to the other students walking by. In part, because Ariadne hardly noticed them, and in part because she wasn’t sure she wanted to look at them, right now.
Ariadne sat down in the chair in his office, gaze flicking all around the room. She wrapped one leg around the other and offered him another smile. “I - if you’re a geologist, does that mean you get to travel for work ever? I’d figure maybe you would, just ‘cause there’s lots of rocks in the world.” If she could have blushed, she would have. “Sorry, that’s reducing your job to make it sound - I - I just meant, there’s a lot of stuff in the world, and I hope you get to explore that.”
“No imposition at all,” Jasper gave her a smile as he followed her inside his office. He carefully dropped his stuff on his table and then proceeded to head to his coffee machine, plugging it in to heat a relatively fresh batch. “Coffee?” The geology professor took a moment to turn to the student, offering her a cup for herself.
It has been a long day, and while it was already over for his teaching schedule, Jasper usually waited until everyone else in his department left before he’d go home. There was nothing else, no one else, waiting for him in that manor anyway. Well, except for Val, his uncle’s dog, but he had someone to look after and feed the snobby little cretin while he was gone.
“Used to, but now I just teach more than I travel for work,” Jasper explained with a polite smile as he turned his attention back to her while he waited for the coffee to be ready, leaning on that counter with his arms crossed. “I sort of prefer this set-up than traveling, to be honest,” he didn’t, not really, but it was all he had now. “More stable, more comfortable, less hectic… You plan on traveling a lot after…all this?”
“Sure, coffee’s good. Could I have it with sugar?” Ariadne didn’t prefer coffee, but it was still good, and more than welcome as something to do with her hands. Just fiddling around didn’t seem like the best sort of idea, even in the usual circumstances, let alone when she was trying to make some sort of good impression on a professor. Because even if she never took another class with him again, the last thing she wanted was to come off poorly to him.
“That’s nice - but -” she cut herself off, unfortunately finding herself fiddling with her hands while he prepared the coffee. At least it wouldn’t last much beyond whenever she got the mug of coffee, or so Ariadne hoped. “That makes sense, I know I prefer sticking local,” which was far more true as of this past year than it had been before, but he didn’t need to know that detail.
“I might.” I’ll have to, eventually, “I never got to go and study abroad in Europe, so I think I’d like that.” Ariadne offered him another smile, “but if you have any recommendations of must-see places, I’d be more than happy to hear them.”
Jasper simply nodded with a smile. He had the sugar ready already. Outside of the ancient members of the faculty, he wasn’t sure who else in their right mind would have coffee without sugar during class hours, especially when the day was already on its last leg. Maybe those guys over at the Chemistry Department, but those guys are hella weird. “Local? Hmm, yes, that’s fair.”
The geology professor carefully took both cups, his and his student’s, once the coffee was done and ready, offering Ariadne hers while making sure to emphasize how hot it was and for her to be careful not to burn her fingers or tongue with basic gestures. Once she held her cup in her hands, then and only then did he take his seat opposite hers. Not behind his desk as he usually did but on the other chair that paired the one Ariadne sat on. For a more comfortable conversation. At least in his head, that was what he envisioned, again forgetting how professors always have an innate advantage in the power dynamics against a student. In his defense, however, Jasper has never been acquainted with such notions like power and confidence.
“Europe,” Jasper took a moment to blow on his coffee. As if his tongue was delicate and fragile. If it held some sort of importance to him. Even though he’s dipped it in hotter and weirder things more times than he could count or care to remember. What were those weird egg things in China and the Philippines again? Blech. Those weren’t his style. “It’s a good place to study, especially in Switzerland or maybe even the Netherlands.” Heck, England was good enough for geology. “You’ve got family over there? Japan’s not that bad either. I went there for some seminars. Pretty great.”
“Though that could just be an effect of having grown up here and never lived anywhere else,” a shrug, “so I’m biased, big time.” Except she wasn’t sure just how biased in favor she was of the town right now. Ariadne nodded as she accepted the cup of coffee, the warmth welcome, though she blew on it just slightly in order to attempt to cool it. There was the slightest hint of confusion as he sat down next to her, but that quickly turned into a smile, if no other reason that to assure him that she was at ease. Which she was, at least for the most part.
“I’ll have to look into those places too.” Another smile. “I - well, my mom’s parents moved from France, but my dad’s family’s been in the States, even like, this town, for centuries, so I don’t think I’ve got family over there, no. Japan? I’ve seen photos and it’s beautiful. So’s their art.” Ariadne took another sip of her coffee. Well, if I become a professional ballet dancer or something like that, maybe I’ll get an excuse to tour to lots of different countries.”
“You’ve never been anywhere else?” Jasper parroted the information. It was a little unnecessary, considering he’s had other students that were the same. Not everyone gets to travel somewhere else, especially at that age. Those who do don’t even do it because they can, usually more that they had to. Realizing that, he heaved a sigh, trying his best to mask his pity with a warm smile. When he realized he sucked at that, he tried to cover his face with his cup of coffee, taking a quick sip of his drink.
Jasper himself didn’t get to travel that much on his own accord either. His late uncle had to be, in a word, incapacitated to allow him to travel and that was only because, and through, his studies, too. The seminars on the other side of the world. The required field work in parts of Asia and Europe. When he came back, he found himself shackled to the town again, though there were still few opportunities to travel for work and study elsewhere. He could sympathize with Ariadne. “Well, I’ll see if I get any travel scheduled to France and Japan, and maybe I can take you with me?”
At that last part, his curiosity was piqued. Jasper crossed his legs and lowered his coffee cup, eyes glued to the young woman in front of him. “Ballet? You do ballet?”
“I mean, I’ve traveled a little bit, but uh - yeah, never really lived anywhere else.” Because her parents both had jobs that required them to be in town, and because living anywhere else just never seemed logical. Not at all, really. Still, they’d traveled somewhat. She didn’t regret the childhood she had one bit, because she knew that she had pretty incredible parents, but of course, the idea of having been a well-traveled child was a tempting one. Ariadne took another sip of her drink. “It’s fine, though - I’m not - I don’t - you don’t have to feel bad, if you were feeling bad.”
She sighed, thoughts drifting away for a few moments before she startled herself back to the present. “I - you’d do that?” Ariadne didn’t think to question the fact that it probably wouldn’t be feasible, but for the moment, she could enjoy living in the fantasy where she could easily travel anywhere she wanted. “Thank you - that’s - yeah, if my parents said it was okay, yeah, I’d like that a lot.” She grinned.
“Mhm, since I could walk, basically. I like other dance too - I love contemporary, but ballet’s where it all began, yeah.” Ariadne fiddled with her nail beds. “Do you like ballet?”
“Oh, it’s all right,” Jasper tried to make the young girl feel a little bit better about her situation, realizing that his words may have made her feel a bit insecure about things. It wasn’t like everyone got to travel the world every other month. Some things were more important than sightseeing. Like paying the bills or making sure your kids had plenty to eat. Besides paying the bills, Jasper didn’t really relate to relationships, familial or not, binding him to a place, to a responsibility. He’d very much want that but it seems to be forever out of his grasp. Probably the mines’ fault. “You’re still young. You’ve got plenty of time to change that.”
“And, sure, why not?” Jasper took a sip of his cup as well and then gave her a warm smile. “If your parents would allow for it, then you can join me and Ms. Jung. Between you and me, she needs friends her age in this school. Hopefully you two will get along. I see no reason why you won’t.”
It was hard for Jasper to take on a protege like Yvonne Jung, even harder that she was the only daughter of his mentor, the guy who helped him get where he was, and hardest that Professor Jung seemed to be forcing this field on his daughter when she clearly enjoyed something else more. But it wasn’t his place. The least he could was make things more tolerable for her, for anyone really, for his students. They were all that he had at the moment.
“Oh, really? I’d love to watch you sometimes,” Jasper nodded before realizing that must have sounded weird without the proper context. “...dance. I mean, watch you dance. I don’t know a lot of people who do ballet, but I’ve always thought it’s a pretty interesting dance. Very cultured and elegant, I think.”
More time than you know, she wanted to say. Except, of course, she couldn’t. Wouldn’t, either. Ariadne knew enough to follow that rule, even if it wasn’t one that she’d been told about hundreds of times, or even dozens. Maybe a dozen, given or take a little bit - but regardless, she knew that admitting she’d live an abnormally long amount of time was not the smartest idea. “I hope so.” She offered him a reassuring smile, unsure of if it was more for her or for him, but either way, someone in this room had to need comforting, and that was that.
“I can ask them,” though Ariadne wasn’t sure exactly how she’d phrase that, but that was a worry for another time, and strangely, the prospect of having something different to worry about was a weirdly welcome one. “I’ll get along with her, I’m sure.” There were very few people that she’d found it difficult to get along with, and so there was no reason for this to be any different. Especially if they were nice, but even if not, she knew she’d find a way.
“I - oh, yeah, of course. I can send you the dates of performances for next school year, once I know them?” Professors came to the performances all the time, and maybe he just wasn’t aware of the performing arts calendar. “It’s also fairly rigid, but I actually don’t mind that - I like the structure it provides.” Ariadne shrugged. “I’d be happy to have you come, even if I don’t exactly love an audience, always.”
Jasper grinned, nodding his head. The thought of finally having someone else go with him and his teaching assistant made him feel…great, as if a giant weight was lifted off of his shoulders, even though no one gave him that burden, especially not Yvonne who’d clearly rather not get too involved in the field she had no feelings for. But, hey! Maybe Aria would change her mind. Maybe they’d all end up happy together as geologists and friends. Friends? They’re too young to be…friends with me. That would be weirder than me not having friends at all.
Feigning a cough, Jasper tried to shoo those negative thoughts away. Of course, professors and their students can be friends. Maybe not the kind of friends students are with each other. Maybe not the kind of friends that hang out after classes, during holidays. Maybe more like associates than anything, really, for fear of tampering with the status quo, subconsciously growing bias toward specific students and that kind of thing. But friends nonetheless. Yeah, that’s never going to work.
“That would be lovely, Aria,” Jasper had never tried to go over the performing arts calendar after that one time he tried to ask one of the professors in that department out and she bluntly rejected him. Terrible trauma aside, it’s been a few months already, so it should be fine for him to take a gander at some ballet events, right? Maybe they’d even forgotten about him already. “So I’ve heard,” he nodded again, this time more pensively. “I’ve seen movies about ballet and ballet dancers, but it’d be nice to see an actual performance up close. I’d be very happy to come and watch you…dance, I mean.”
“You’re not a fan of having an audience?” Jasper wondered if she was one of those shy dancers in those movies about ballet and ballet dancers.
“I’ll make sure to get you the calendar then, once the new school year starts back up.” Ariadne hoped that he wouldn’t regret having asked her to do that. “Uh, if you ever - if you want to not go, or stuff comes up, don’t worry.” She didn’t want him to feel obligated to go. Especially since what else exactly was he going to do when she was in the room with him? Tell her dancing was stupid and that he didn’t care about it?
“Movies can be good, but like most things - geology included - I think it’s best seen in person. So it’s not all Hollywood glamorized or what have you.” She was talking more than she wanted to, and so she looked down into her now nearly-empty coffee cup. “So I hope it’ll live up to your expectations.” That I will, Ariadne added silently, to herself.
“Not always, but I guess dance is like, the one time I am good with it.” She forced a bright smile on her face. “I just don’t always love attention, but dance is one of my favorite things, so it’ll be good. Promise.”
Jasper simply smiled at Ariadne’s promise. He could probably get that calendar himself, but her getting it for him? That sounded much easier. At least he wouldn’t have to go back there, embarrass himself again. She was a life saver. Hopefully, he could do the same for her. Somehow. Some way. “Oh, don’t worry! I’ll definitely be there. Wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.”
“I know it will,” Jasper took another sip of his cup, eyes never leaving her face, but then realized there was nothing left, not even a single drop. He raised an eyebrow, took a look at the inside of his cup to confirm, and was pretty much disappointed with what he saw. Maybe he should get another cup?
Or maybe he should let Ariadne go. It was probably the longest conversation with a student he’s had since recent memory, with a student that wasn’t being forced to be in the same room with him, so Jasper was a little saddened that it was close to being over. “I hope it won’t be weird, me coming to watch you dance?” Why would it? Because he’d only go to see her? Jasper didn’t realize it right then and there, and maybe he wouldn’t for quite some time, but she was the only reason he’d actually make the first step to see a ballet performance live for the very first time.
“Good, then I’m looking forward to it. That – it means a lot that you want to do this, especially since I’m not even a long-term student of yours.” But that didn’t have to matter, did it? She supposed that it didn’t really, in the grand scheme of things. So Ariadne pushed those thoughts away, once again, not wanting to make some sort of truly not-so-good mistake even though it very much seemed like Jasper – was it okay to call your professor that? – didn’t think she was even remotely close to making some sort of mistake.
“No, you’re good. The dances are usually open to the whole campus, and I’d be happy to have you come. Promise.” She set her now-empty cup down. “Though I should probably be going, and I wouldn’t want to keep taking up too much of your time! Thanks a whole bunch again for talking, I’ll be sure to stop by again sometime soon.” Ariadne picked at her nails for a moment. “I hope the rest of your day is good, Jasper.”
“Well, what can I say?” Jasper wasn’t just asking her. Rhetorically or not. He was also asking himself. Well, he was asking himself mostly. What could he say? That wouldn’t get him in any trouble through wrong impressions. Was being friends with his students really that bad? Maybe of the second opposite sex? Maybe because he wasn’t that old? Nah, it would be worse if he was much older. What even was he getting at? “You did catch my eye.”
They are?! Jasper frowned at that, though he quickly tried to sweep that look of disappointment and semi-betrayal under a figurative rug. To be fair, no one betrayed him. No one even told him to steer clear of the dances, of the theater, of the entire arts department. That was all on him. That was all him. He rose to escort her out his door with a smile, leaving his own cup on a nearby table.
“Any time, Aria,” Jasper lingered on her face for a moment that was a bit longer than he’d liked, especially when she called him by his first name. Was that all right? It felt good, didn’t it? It was all right in his book. No one else needed to know. No one would even care to know. She reminded him, right then and there, of his lost childhood friend, Faith. “Thank you… Yours, too. Study well, work hard, and break that leg!” And now it felt unnecessarily worse.
“Thanks. Guess I’m just not too used to that.” Not that people never paid attention to her, but she wasn’t used to catching people’s eyes. Which she was fine with, too much attention had never been something she was fond of nor something she was comfortable with. Ariadne offered Jasper a smile, though. “Just, uh, even if you think I’m neat, please don’t grade based on that. I want to earn whatever my semester’s grade is. Not that I think you would, but I just feel like, morally, I need to make sure. If that makes sense?” Another case where she was grateful that she couldn’t physically blush, because she was making enough of a fool of herself that she’d absolutely be blushing if she could.
She looked over to him with wide eyes, wondering what he was thinking - which, in turn, led to its own hunger pain piercing through her stomach. But no, she wasn’t going to do that, wasn’t going to overly focus on that. Instead, staring at him with wide, nearly sad eyes would have to suffice. “I’ll work hard, promise. I - thanks.” Ariadne bit her tongue. Even if that wasn’t technically the word for dance, she still could appreciate the sentiment, and it wasn’t like she could get extremely hurt again, anyhow. “And just let me know about that trip, if you ever want to. I’ll see you around!”
