Welcome to Gaia! ::

The beep the scanner made as Horace gained entrance into the library was kind of satisfying. It meant he had a shiny new student I.D. He was only taking two classes for now - it was all he had time for while working full time - but it was enough. And Spanish was interesting, even if business administration wasn't. This evening, however, he neither had classes nor work, so he was stopping by the library for some needed study time.

He had ulterior motives, of course. When he saw a certain familiar (vaguely familiar) person, he walked over. Slinging his neon green backpack (covered ina weird paisley print with huge flowers over top) off, he sat down. "Hey," he whispered, ingeniously. "What's up?"

"You look a little to well fortified for bull-shitting. Someone might think you're being serious." Horace should start studying himself, but instead he tapped his fingers along a book for a moment.

"Yeah, just two classes. Probably should pick up a study buddy. Hey - since I'm here, have you thought about unraveling the mysteries of this ghostly library yet?"

Horace nodded mock-wisely. Jordan's secret was safe with him. "You cover is safe if you teach me your bullshitting ways, o master." Then he snorted, because Horace was imagining Jordan as a Jedi, grave-faced and authoritative.

"Oh, uhhh, business admin and Spanish. I think the pronunciation for Spanish is throwing me. I can get the vocab and all - I remember things real well after I've read them, but saying ti aloud is something else entirely." He'd thought about approaching someone in class to have a conversation buddy, but all of them were so young and clearly held their own groups. He didn't feel like butting in on people he didn't particularly care about.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan - we can't do it now because, well, I'm sure we'd be ousted pretty quickly." The library was full enough that any shenanigans were being dealt with asap. "It's science as long as you remember to write it down."

Horace slumped down in his seat and flipped open his Spanish textbook. "How much more of your paper is left?"

"I promise to be an extra studious student." Horace adjusted his glasses, trying his best to look like a serious student. It was probably ruined by his silly smile. "But I would appreciate a hand with Spanish. Mexican pronunciation is probably more useful in the states than Castilian anyway. I can, hm, buy you lunch or something as thanks." He flipped a few pages.

"Right now, it's the basics, but my brain doesn't want to keep the sounds right.. or something." It sounded kind of dumb when he put it that way. Horace grimaced.

"But I'm definitely up for ghost hunting... scientific observation late on. When do you think we should show up for maximum spook?"

"Living that broke college student life?" Horace said, sympathetically. He was doing relatively well since coming to Ashdown and it was all by pure luck. Pretty much, he lived in constant fear he'd ******** it up and be left with no resources.

"If you finish up your essay, sorry, your professional-level bs-ing, wanna help me a bit with the Spanish stuff? It's not much, but I'm never one to turn down the possibility of help." He grinned even though it was a lie. Horace didn't like receiving help - it came with strings attached and implied promises. But it helped that Jordan had agreed to lunch in exchange. Like a business transaction, safer.

Before answering that last question, he looked around to make sure no staff was around. Horace seriously doubted any staff in a college library would really care, but... "I'm on call tomorrow, but I think I'll be good." He worked with the dead, so it was okay if he looked a little dead, too, right? Rubbing his chin in thought, Horace lowered his voice as well. "I think... for true science, a little rule bending has to happen. I'm sure there's a scientific theory about that. Plus, the witching hour and all that." He arched his brows up. It was important.

"Hmmm." He pretended to think about it. "I think the west coast might be a little far to go for tutoring. Especially when you're right here." It felt kind of weird to just be sitting down and talking to someone.

"And yes, yes. If a conference room doesn't work, I'm sure we could use a bathroom - feet up on the seats or something. Or a closet... I seem to have a knack for closets." Smiling too he met Jordan's gaze. He hadn't had this much fun in a while and they hadn't even done anything! "I can be super sneaky. The sneakiest."

"Sweet, and I'll keep my end of the bargain, too." The food end. It felt nice to be able to offer that. For so long, he'd lived off of other people's money and there was something intensely liberating - scary, too - about it.

He shot Jordan a look at the closet joke. Did that mean what he thought it meant? "Sneaky is as sneaky does - maybe we should make some spooky noises too. Y'know, just in case the ghosts are rude and don't show."

"Oh, yeah, of course!" He pulled out his phone (with all of ten contacts on it) and slid it towards Jordan. The bright colored case glinted in the light - orange with pink accents. "Wanna put your number in?" That way, Jordan could put whatever he wanted as a name.

Horace couldn't help but wonder about the closet joke. Well, it would just have to bother him forever, he decided. "If the ghosts don't show, it'll be because they're afraid of us. I guess, though, we better get working on this so we have time for them later." He flipped through his Spanish textbook listlessly.

"Right, ghosts? You better show - it's a date."