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 Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:16 pm
Fall in Destiny City was nothing to write home about. Sure, they celebrated Halloween, had Thanksgiving… but the season itself was not grand. There weren’t parades, or changing leaves- it was just one season moving onto the next. Time passed, people moved on. At least, that was the way it looked to Lune. From the letters he received from his parents of the trees in Boston, or the parade in New York, it occurred to Lune that a great many people romanticized the season. In reality, there were only three redeeming qualities to the whole fall debacle.
Scarves, long sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything.
Today had finally brought him all three. Sitting outside of a coffee shop, Lune sighed in contentment with his current situation. There had to be a special place in heaven for whoever deemed long sweaters fashionable. Not the woolen sort, god no- that was your own personal kind of hell. But soft cotton blends that made you feel like you were comfortably in your own home… those were simply divine. Hence why he had picked out today’s.
Absolutely nothing was going to get under Lune’s skin this afternoon. Not with how perfect the day was turning out.
He’d finished his homework for the week the day before. No friends meant that he had plenty of time to study, learn the material, and get on with what would be the rest of his life. And he certainly wouldn’t want to be saddled with company when he had the pleasure of entertaining a pumpkin spice frappucino. They’d just expect him to talk, and the poor drink would probably melt. What a terrible waste. No, it was far better to enjoy these sorts of things alone.
God forbid they asked him to share. Lune shuddered at the thought.
Some people might have thought he was lonely. Occasionally, Lune entertained the thought. He just liked to consider himself wisely solitary. With only his own company, he could people watch. Make snide comments without someone thinking them ‘in poor taste’ or ‘mean’. It was far more pleasant this way, enjoying things by himself.
Taking a sip of his frappe, Lune smiled.
Oh, if only every day could be this enjoyable. He might buy into the idea of celebrating fall more regularly, if that were the case.
Yes. Nothing was going to get to him to today.
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Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 7:40 pm
For Michael, fall was second to summer — the season when the oceans and lakes enchanted many... and there was no school. Being a teacher had its rewarding moments, he supposed, but he couldn’t wait to be done with it so he could enjoy the lingering days of warmth before winter took over.
“I guess I’m lucky you like the pumpkin spice, too.” There was amusement in Michael’s voice as he approached the table where the young man sat, and a smug grin to match.
It wasn’t uncommon for Michael to frequent the local cafes around Destiny City, especially when he had emails to respond to and papers to grade. He had yet to start dressing for the cooler weather, and still wore the lightweight dress shirt he’d donned for class. Black slacks also weren’t unusual on weekdays, but he was much more comfortable wearing jeans and teeshirts on the weekends.
The strap to a leather computer bag was slung over his shoulder and he didn’t bother asking if it was okay to join Lune when Michael placed his own drink on the table.
Or it was supposed to be his drink, but as he turned it to show, there was a definite ‘Lu-’ scribbled onto the cup.
“So that’s what happens when you walk away from the counter,” he shrugged, pulling out a chair and making himself comfortable. It had been entirely his own fault. He’d gotten distracted by a phone call and it figured someone else would pick up a drink that was called out only by what it was. He'd just been surprised when he realized the jerk who'd taken his drink was an old student of his.
“What have you been up to, Lune? Getting beaten up at Shlip, too?” He hadn’t seen the guy since he’d graduated earlier that year, so of course he was curious as to how his former students were doing. If one could call it that, with those kinds of questions.
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Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:36 pm
There was a definite and noticeable moment, upon Michael's arrival, where Lune's shoulders tensed and his back straightened. No. No way. This could not be happening, on the day he'd set aside for himself to relax. Of all the coffee shops in all the world, he had to walk into Lune's.
And take his drink, apparently. Lune scowled a bit at the start of his name scrawled onto the side of the cup. He'd wondered why Michael was scrawled on the side of his frappe- and really, how could you lose track of someone like him? Green hair, pearls? He wasn't exactly doing a grand job of being inconspicuous.
"Apparently taste doesn't account for everything," he murmured more to himself, finishing the thought with a long sip of his drink. There were plenty more conversations he'd rather be having than this one- like telling his father he didn't like girls, or tutoring some moronic football player. Hell, he might take putting a knife through his eye over this. It certainly seemed the better option, from where he was sitting.
Speaking with an ex teacher was... Unpleasant. Couple that with him being a teacher Lune had crushed on, and the situation was downright nightmarish. Come to think of it, Lune was certain he'd had this nightmare before. Only he was poorly dressed in those sorts of things.
At least that part of the terror would never come to fruition.
When Michael questioned whether or not he was being beaten up, Lune set his drink upon the table. Fixing the other man with a stare, he seemed completely unphased for a moment's time. The neutrality turned to a grin that seemed more of a bearing of teeth than amusement, and Lune cocked his head to the side.
"Surprisingly, no. The Neanderthals who entertained themselves with my status as a punching bag either went to party schools or married their high school sweethearts on the realization she was pregnant. Such a shame- I was certain their unintelligence was a facade, and they were due to flourish in the end."
In all honesty, Lune bore (relatively) no ill will to the aggressors he'd faced in high school. A bit of research on his part had shown that, really, most of them had amounted to nothing. Fortunately for the world, someone had to flip burgers or fix his car.
Shame about their tragic personalities.
"What about you? Still crusading as the attractive, dashing hero of education? Saving the school one damsel in distress at a time?" Lune quipped, resting his chin upon his hands. His grin was less savage now, though it certainly still held a level of malice to it.
"I mean, you did such an excellent job with me. Changed my entire outlook on school. I really ought to write my 'Describe Your Hero' college essays on your feats of chivalry and heroism." He drawled, sounding entirely unimpressed by the challenge thrown at him.
"It's a shame you caught me off guard. I'd have prepared a token of my favor, had I known you were coming. Truly, I pray you don't find me ungrateful." The false saccharine of the last statement was accompanied by an over dramatic fluttering of Lune's eyelashes.
If that's how Michael (since he could call him that now) was going to play, fine.
Sharp tongues and cutting comments were definitely games Lune excelled at.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 7:05 am
Teaching had never been an ambition of Michael’s — in fact, it had been rather far down on his list of ways to spend his life. He could have done anything he ever wanted, been anyone he wanted to be, and yet somehow he’d ended up being a teacher at some rich-kid high school where brain outweighed brawn. Geeky boys who spent more time hunched over computers and science experiments than passing around balls of various shapes and sizes.
How Lune had managed to get caught by a group of guys who were more suited to be Hillworth boys than geeky Azure was beyond him… Of course, he had suspected that it might not be just Azure kids who gave Lune trouble.
He wouldn’t know. Lune had been too stubborn to give away their identities.
“Wow, when you say it like that, it really is surprising,” he pointed out as he lifted his own drink to sip at. He wasn’t trying to condone violence, but maybe if Lune wasn’t such a smart a**… “How have your new professors adapted to your shitty attitude?” he wondered, eyebrows raised in mock curiosity as he looked over the rim of his cup.
While he would admit that his intention of talking to Lune at first had been for sheer amusement, he knew he should have anticipated ire and contempt for reasons beyond him. Maybe he had hoped that Lune’s obvious disdain had been because he was having such a bad time in school, despite being a very clever and intelligent young man, but clearly that was not the case.
Michael was used to people not particularly caring for his company, but even Marissa didn’t string mocking comments one after another. Sure enough, Michael’s amused grin continued to grow strained until it disappeared altogether.
“Look, if you don’t want me to talk to you, then just say so,” he cut to the chase, holding up a hand to try and get Lune’s attention before he started mocking him again. “And no, I don’t find you ungrateful — I find you pathetic and needlessly spiteful.” There was a line between teasing and just being mean, and Lune had crossed it on a number of occasions, and there were plenty of other ways Michael could spend his time.
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Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 5:33 pm
“The funny thing is? Most of them couldn’t care less. I parade around like a trick pony, making good grades and making the school look good, and they couldn’t give a damn what I do. I’ve been caught—“ here, Lune paused a moment, uncertain of whether that was the best thing to admit. He wasn’t too concerned with what Michael thought of him, but… there was just an inkling. A little nagging feeling, at the back of his mind, that this might not have been the best place to take the current conversation.
“My attitude wouldn’t be so shitty,” Lune redirected, staring pointedly at his drink, “if there was anything that could actually… occupy my time. Instead of boring me, like everything else.” It was a bit odd to be honest with Michael, but. He had been the most interesting challenge posed in a while. Cute with brains? Well. That was just a fun bonus to this whole little game they had going.
And technically, since he wasn’t in school anymore…
“You didn’t exactly open with the kindest comment in the world,” Lune snapped, finally looking up with an annoyed scowl. It quickly vanished in the face of a calm façade, and he instead opted for a sigh. Yes, Michael had opened with a dickish comment, but… that didn’t mean Lune had to stoop to his level. He was better than that, after all. Pondering his next statement with another drink, the young man took a moment.
“…I apologize none the less. That was a bit cruel, I’ll admit,” it wasn’t the most sincere apology, with groveling and tears, but it was quite the concession for Lune. There was a slight flush to his cheeks- he did hate to admit he might’ve been wrong- and he quickly turned away to mask it. Academically, it was fine. Mistakes happened. But on a personal level, open like this… it was rather the admission of defeat.
“As I said— you were the best challenge I’ve had in years. If… you’d really like to sit and talk, I suppose I wouldn’t object.” That was neutral enough. Not too inviting, but not icy to the point of scaring Michael off. Lune did turn to look at Michael once more, regarding him with some curiosity. Surely he had better things to do than this? He couldn’t fathom any reason for the unnecessary dalliance of their time.
“I will honestly admit to being spiteful. It’s the best way to get rid of people. Cut the rot away at the root, and you save the rest of the plant. Works for gardening, business, and people.” Lune paused a moment, and quietly murmured to his drink before taking a sip.
“Seems I just bring out the rot in people.”
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Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:21 pm
Michael sat back in his chair listening as Lune... spoke more about how he felt than he ever had while in Michael's class. It wasn't too surprising, Michael decided. Who really wanted to talk to their teacher about their life and how they felt. Over the course of the year Lune was in his class, Lune himself had been one of his biggest challenges. Not because he wasn't a good student - he was probably one of the brightest kids in the school, but he also seemed to be the most miserable.
There was a definite divide between wanting to make sure someone was okay, much like a friend, and keeping the professionalism and personal separation expected from a teacher. Even when Michael would pull Lune aside, he never gave him enough to gauge just how miserable he really was. But Michael always had his suspicions, and hearing Lune now, only seemed to confirm them.
Once Lune was done, Michael sat there in silence for a few moments, his face void of all emotions, but his eyes may have betrayed a glimmer of concern.
"Have you decided what you're going to study?" he asked, unable to look Lune in the eye as he did so, not wanting to risk his eyes betraying him more. His drink was lifted to sip at, as if everything previously said had been entirely pleasant.
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 3:40 pm
There- there it was. Beneath the attitude and the blustering on his own greatness, Lune caught sight of… something. Care was probably too generous a term, he thought. But recognition, or understanding… those might’ve worked. He made no physical sign of acknowledgment, but instead shrugged slightly and took up his drink once more. Idly, he twirled the straw in his mouth, mulling over what in particular it was he was going to say. He’d already been deadly honest with Michael once today. Could the poor man handle any more? Likely not, but. Well.
The cards were on the table now, weren’t they?
The façade of uncaring, Lune could handle. His own mask slipped back into place with ease, and once more, the young man shrugged. He honestly hadn’t thought on his major- not that it was really his choice.
“Business, most likely,” Lune offered, setting his drink on the table and staring at it. Better than Michael and… acknowledging he had seen something, anything, in those eyes. “My father will likely have planned some dramatic, grand reveal that I’ve been his intended successor from the beginning. It’s only a matter of time, I suppose.”
He paused a moment, and looked up to watch Michael with some curiosity.
“Why? What did you peg me studying, in the end? Something more glamorous? Or is that right on the money?”
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Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 5:38 pm
If Michael was having any serious thoughts about how he felt about Lune’s situation was completely lost when the subject of ‘business’ was brought up.
“Are you shitting me??” he couldn’t help himself, although he showed no remorse for the outburst, despite a woman with a young child scowling in his direction. “Business?? Wow, you don’t get any kind of say in your life, do you? That’s nice. A real way to motivate someone,” he huffed with a forced, ironic grin as he picked up his drink to hold — it was probably more just to keep himself distracted than anything else, as he didn’t drink it, just… held it and seemingly contemplated what to do with it.
“Yeah, no… And I don’t think you see yourself in that field, either, if your school work has anything to show for it. Why the hell do you like making yourself so miserable?? Is it really that important to--” he forced himself to stop, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth and looking towards the traffic on the nearby street.
He was crossing the line and he knew it. It was none of his business as to what Lune did with his life, and even if it was, why would he care to influence his decision? It was just a chance coincidence that they’d crossed paths, after all. Had it not been for the mixed up, yet same drinks, he wouldn’t have even been assed enough to realize Lune was even there.
“Whatever… do what you want. I don’t know what you’d study, just not…” he stopped himself again, wondering why he was getting frustrated with this new knowledge of what Lune was planning on doing with his life. With all his good grades and cleverness, Michael was sure the kid would be good at anything, and yet… waste it on business? For his father??
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 6:30 pm
Though he was fairly surprised at Michael’s outburst, Lune’s face did not register any such immediate reaction. As he himself hated the field of business, and had no desire to commit to it, it wasn’t… shocking, to say that someone else would be so passionate about it. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he listened patiently as the other man ranted, seemingly passionate about the subjects. But no, it wasn’t Lune’s inclusion. It had to be a far more personal issue than that.
He gave Michael a mock sympathetic pat on the hand, then turned to flash a winning smile at the displeased mother.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he crooned, sounding sincere to anyone who didn’t really know him (which was most of the population, were he honest). “He gets like this sometimes. Very passionate about education, isn’t it admirable?”
His attention did turn back to Michael, and there it was again. That guarded façade, like Michael was hiding something. It shouldn’t have fascinated Lune, the way it did. But it was just removed enough- just enough of the fruit of all knowledge- to get his interest and draw him in. What was it that Michael was hiding, anyway? Decency as a human being?
Curiouser and curiouser.
“Careful there, Michael,” Lune teased lightly, deciding he was rather intrigued by this game. It wouldn’t be hard to keep up- he knew where Michael worked, after all. And having a car did wonders for one’s traveling abilities. He had to take a moment to keep from smiling too coyly, investing too much too quickly. Instead, Lune kept it very light, drawling a bit as he continued.
“Why, someone might be convinced you really care, with how passionate you’re getting.” This was practically a purr, the way Lune spoke it. It was far different from the malicious, cutting teasing he had done earlier. No, whatever test he had been issuing earlier was beaten- Michael had played too many cards and made himself far too interesting to give up this game just yet. Setting his drink on the table, Lune ‘hm’ed’ to himself.
“And what about you? Did you see yourself in the noble pursuit of education, at my age? Or were your goals aimed elsewhere? I do admit, you have me rather curious.”
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:03 pm
Lune’s hand touched his and Michael froze, ice blue eyes snapping up to lock with green. They remained trained on the young man as he apologized to the woman, and then turned back to tease him. Something in Lune’s voice… something in the way he looked at him… it made his blood freeze over, and Michael remembered why he didn’t bother with little shits like Lune.
“Yeah, I’m going to stop you right there,” Michael told him as he began to collect his things and move the strap of his computer case back over his shoulder. “I may not be your teacher any more, but if you’re not going to be decent enough to not treat me like a child, then I’m not going to waste my time with you.”
It was probably better that Michael got up to leave now, because if he stayed much longer, he wasn’t going to be held responsible for what happened to this child.
“As adorable as you think you are? It’s no wonder no one wanted to do team work with you. Maybe you should study business, make your father proud that you can accomplish something other than being a little s**t all the time. Or maybe that’s what he wants?” Michael shrugged, any sympathy he’d shown before was lost behind sharp, cold eyes.
Michael had hoped, for a while at least, that Lune was different than what he exhibited in school. That maybe he put up walls to protect himself from the kids who might have been jealous of his accomplishments. But talking to him now…? Michael wondered if he should regret talking to him at all. Maybe he should have just taken the drink and left instead of trying to engage one of his past, wayward students.
Purposefully ignoring the questions posed to him about his goals, Michael stood and picked up his drink. “I hope you have a fabulous life.” He waited only long enough to see if Lune would respond before turning to leave.
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