A Gathering of Common Interests

[saerwen]

Tall ceilings, quiet surroundings, the aromatic smell of books filled the place. It was calming and entrancing. Sitting at a table in the back of the library, in a tiny room, with windows for walls, that was set apart for study and discussion sat a rather miserable Jaedon. "Blast this wretched Chemistry!!!! I HATE MATH!" She spoke in general to herself. She was angry, again. Even though Jaedon was a good student and she tried very hard, there were certain things that she just couldn't understand, and Chemistry and math were one of them. All of the friends that she had at this school were older and more advanced than she was. She hated it. They had already finished this stuff while she was stuck way back in the dust. Right now she knew that she needed help, but she would never admit it, and more importantly, she would never ask for help.
She sat listening to nothing as she tried to think. "What was that stupid formula?"She knew that it was the formula for glcose, but for everything that was in her she couldn't remember exactly what it was. She didn't know why it had escaped her. She had spent the whole night memorizing it, and then, right as she sits to take her test, she forgets it. She stared at the problem for a few more moments and then threw her pencil on the table and said rather forcefully to herself, "I give up! This is impossible!"

[»Míríel«]

Miriel waltzed into the library with a thick leather bound book clutched to her chest. It was a midnight blue leather with gold and copper designs of a ring with a flaming eye in the center. It was a collection of all of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in one book and it was Miriel's favorite thing to read. The adventure the mystery, the magic, and the wonderful writing all took you back to a world of more interesting times. Not many would have believed that those creatures that lived in the book could live in real life.

She was just about to scout out a place to read in the glorious library when suddenly a familar figure met her eyes. "Jaedon, what are you doing here?" Her gaze drifted over the visage of her friend, it was distraught. Then her gaze dropped to the books as her eyes widened in terror as she turned to escape. But she feared it was to late.

[saerwen]

Right as Jaedons distress became beyond hope she heard a footstep upon the threshold of the little study room. She jerked her head up as she heard a familiar voice inquire as to the occasion of her presence. Miriel had seen what was troubling Jaedon and she desired an escape, but Jaedon was going to give none. "Ah!!!! Lovely timing my dear friend. Perhaps you would be so kind as to come and help me with this great task that has become to much for one mind to bear alone. I would do it alone, but it is my express desire to share this with you, seeing as how it is such a great pleasure. So what do you say, friend?" This was as close as Jaedon ever came to asking for help. She knew that Miriel would recognize it for what it was, and so she knew that she would never have to ask straight out. Jaedon gazed at Miriel with emerald eyes that were wide and round, they were starting to change, looking a little more feline. A slight smile came across her face. She wasn't trying hard, but she knew that she looked cute. "Please?" She spoke in a quiet little voice, perfect for the look on her face.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel couldn't stand to look at her friend, and a wince crossed her face at the question. She knew that Jaedon never asked for help and that this was the closest thing to it. But Miriel would rather heal a broken bone than do this, it was how much she loathed school work.

"If you look back now, Miriel, you will never be able to say no." Miriel's mind spoke back in reply, "But you can't say no without facing her.[/i]"

Turning she faced the undinable cuteness before her. "Stupid....cuteness.....ah" She covered her eyes for a moment. "Fine, I'll help, though with my help you'll maybe get a C" Pulling up a seat she scooted it close to the table. A thud resounded in the room as the book was slammed on the table. "There goes pleasent reading..."

Miriel was so easy to manipulate, it was actually sort of sad. It wasn't that she was weak of spirit, she just couldn't stand not helping her dearest friends, they meant so much to her. When it came down to it though, she could be as stubborn as a mule in some things, and never move her position on a subject.

[saerwen]

Jaedon saw the dread in Miriels eyes. She really didn't want to help seeing as how she hated school, and in particular, she hated math. Even though Jaedon knew this was going to be torture, she could not bear to do it alone, and so, for her own needs, she would torture her friend. "Oh, why thankyou!" she smiled and returned her eyes and face to their normal. " I will make it up to you somehow. Perhaps you will be able to read your beloved book soon after this."
She heaved a great sigh and then started to think again. "First off, what is the formula for glucose? I know that is the answer, but I can't remember what on earth it is. And secondly, how on earth do you convert that into whatever this stupid question is asking for? I thought that it was already converted and balanced, but aparently I was wrong."
She ran her hand through her hair as a sign of hopelessness.

Not far from where this hopeless meeting was transpiring, Damion Cervantess sat in a large, plushy chair with a stack of books next to him, all of them in research of a certain spell. Jaedon had asked for his help, and he had been unable to refuse. The little witch had manipulated him he knew, but he had learned to grow used to it. He saw Jaedon and Miriel through the glass and he could only imagine what Jaedon was twisting Miriel into doing. He decided that it was better for his mental safety if he stayed away. He would let Miriel suffer alone, and Jaedon suffer even more. Her tricks had given her a painful price... Oh well, she bore it tolerably well it seemed. He chuckled to himself and went back to his book.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel's usual form of poise and posture slumped down to a more exhausted form. "Chemistry, chemistry chemistry Miriel's hands ran through her silky hair as she seemed to be crumbling down over the table. "Who ever created was to smart for their own good." A sigh erupted from her as she straightened up. " Glucose..... the formula of Glucose is... C6H12....Aye, this is as hard as remembering my locker number." Once more her form slumped down on the table.

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"Oxygen 6" A deep voice resounded from behind them.

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Miriel whirled around as a smile as bright as the sun came to her face, "Neron! Oh, you have made it here just in time! This....person over here has convinced me to help her with her Chemistry.. and you know how hopless I am in that..." She turned to Jaedon, "You really should have known better."

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"Well I will help as much as I can...But I don't know how much help I will be."

[saerwen]

"Too smart for their own good... Ha, if half of the people in the world realized they are too smart for their own good things would be much better. They would become hopeless and and realize their own insignificance compared to those who were just as smart as they need to be." Jaedon thought out loud. Her head was now down on the table, a blistering headache scorching her brain, and the lights were burning her eyes out of her sockets. She was utterly miserable.
As Miriel kept talking Jaedon listened with all of her might, trying to understand what was going on, but she was so tired that everything else was utterly useless. Miriel stumbled over the equation, and then Jaedon heard a sound that brought her the worst headache in the world. It was that man... Why did it have to be him...? Jaedon dragged her head off of the table just to make sure that she had heard right, and there, in front of her face stood Neron. Jaedon almost rolled her eyes, but stopped herself halfway there. She tried very hard to be grateful for his willingness to help but the whole time all she could say was, "Why did it have to be him?" She had not forgotten the comment that he had made, a formidable come back to her own scorching remark, but she was rather not in the mood for another fight. Her brain was far to tired. She just banged her head back down on the table and continued to bang it lightly as she tried to sort this mess out in her head. She was having lots of trouble... and now this.

[»Míríel«]

"Do I have to teach everything around here?" Neron smirked slightly at Jaedon. He was referring to showing her the violin. "I might as well become a professor here." He to was still pretty tired, but he couldn't resist.

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"Teach everything? Looks like you need to learn how to be humble." Miriel remarked without looking up from the chemistry book. Jotting down the rest of what Jaedon asked she held the sheet out to her. "You know if you just looked in your book you might be able to remember or check on your answers instead of relying on someone else."

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Neron frowned at Miriel, he hadn't expected that from her. Taking the sheet she held out to JAedon he glanced over it and wrote down some corrections. When he slammed the paper down and whirled to her all he saw was Miriel, looking up with innocent eyes. He glanced at them for a moment before he nearly burst with laughter. "You have been hanging around her" Her guestured widely to Jaedon before turning to her, eyes blazing with amusement, "You are quite a teacher, showing people how to manipulate others."

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Miriel looked over and noticed Damion sitting in a chair, trying not to get noticed. Turning to Jaedon she asked, "Isn't Damion good at this sort of stuff? Maybe you should ask him over." Misery certainly loves company.

[saerwen]

Jaedon tried to ignore what was being said between Miriel and Neron. She perked up when she heard Neron mention how Miriel had been learning some rather interesting traits from Jaedon. She started to chuckle as she heard the reference. After knowing Miriel for so long and being such good friends with her she should know how to manipulate people at least a little bit. She should also know how to be cunning in an incredibly evil way. Jaedon sat for a moment head still bent admiring her handiwork. Then as Miriel mentioned Damion her head shot up, her eyes narrowed and she zeroed in on Damion.
"What a dirty little scoundrel." she said in a seething voice. She was slowly getting angry with him. How oculd he leave her with these two all alone, and struggling through chemistry. "I will surely get him back for this. What a possessed and evil thing to do to me. There is no way that he didn't see me!" Jaedon let out a low growl, barely audible, but still rather fierce. She started to move, but then she stopped herself. "He isn't good in science...he isn't that logical. He's of absolutely no use. Let sit there, let rot. Good riddance to him." her voice continued to have the consistency of a growl, but she figured she might as well let it go. Such a thing was not worth her effort.

Damion on the other hand was enjoying his solitude quite well. It was only when he saw Neron enter the room that he had second guesses about whether or not he should join the party. He had heard Jaedon speak of a "tiring argument with Neron." He inquired as to what happened but she wouldn't tell him anything and later crashed on the floor of the library as she had attempted to read The Scarlet Letter to find a certain quote. She had fallen asleep so quickly that she had not even finished the first page. She had been too tired to read, a rare thing. Damion had the mind to pull Neron aside and ask what the heck he had said to Jaedon, but had yet to get the chance. He considered this for a moment... He didn't know what he should do.

[Neron]

"You know if you just asked him to come over it might be a bit easier." Neron walked away for a moment in search of a chair that he could lug over. Maybe a nice big one that he could relax in. But ever chair he saw was either to small or to large for his comfort. Finally he settles on one. IT was a medium sized chair that was as black as night, it was leather and looked quite comfortable. Taking the chair in his hands he started to drag it back to where they were. He hadn't realized how far in the library he had wandered.

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Miriel smiled slightly, " What a fine group we are, we all stink at this and yet here we are trying to bash our heads together, hoping that some information might fall out. " Miriel was wondering what was going on between Neron and Jaedon, they had both seemed cordial to each other, something she wasn't expecting over the event a couple of nights ago. But at least they seemed friendly, Neron usually wasn't the one to open up to people, and Jaedon was the same way, unless she was going to use you for something. Miriel's jade eyes glanced over the chemistry book again, "Well it seems like we have answered your questions, are we done?" Her eyes shone with hope.

[saerwen]

"Not by a long shot. I have a big test tomorrow and I need help studying. I am as good as useless right now. However, if I don't do it now, then it will never get done. I hate waking up early to try and rush into schoolwork, and then I'll end up failing anyway." Jaedon was sitting back, head hung over the back of her chair, staring up at the ceiling. She was so tired, and she knew that after chemistry she would have to study for race econ. but that was easy. A big sigh escaped her lips as she saw Neron coming back with a black leather chair. She laughed as she saw the look on his face that told her he had not expected getting his chair would be that hard. Then looking to Damion, quiet and comfortable, she got angry again. She jumped up from where she was and strode over to Damion like hell itself was on her heels.
"Damion, I am having a hard time figuring out whether you are doing this will fully or not."

Damion looked up as he heard footsteps launching his way. "Oh my..." he thought to himself, "She looks rather scary... I wonder if she is mad at me." Then to her question he answered verbally. "Well that is hard to say seeing as how I can't remember my crime, of what are you talking, my dear?"

Jaedon was about to strangle him and he decided to play idiot. "I am talking about how you are sitting out here, leaving me to fend for myself. Neron has bested you by being the gentleman and helping me even though I know for a fact he must be tired, while you sit here quite refreshed and happy. I am tempted to drag you into that rooom if you don't come willingly." Then Jaedon remembered something, and she slowly started to play a game. "And if you don't come, then I will brag on Miriel and Neron, maybe they are my true friends...I wonder what you are..." With that she turned and walked away at the same conquering stride, flicking her hair out of her face as she went.

Damion knew...he could feel it... Just the slight use of magical power. Jaedon was suckering him into it. He knew! But he could not say no. Her words stung like a knifed being plunged into him again and again. "Why do I always let her get the best of me. His eyes started to turn a paler blue as he saw Miriel in the room. Because of Jaedons comment he didn't like her, or Neron...but that was not much of a loss there, he hadn't liked Neron from the first time he spoke. Damion slowly rose from his chair, and mozied his way over to the study room. He took his sweet time, just to make Jaedon angry. If she was angry, then she might start thinking a little better. "Oh what fun games there are to play with a tired, mind-bending bicorne." he thought to himself..."What games indeed." he spoke out loud.

[Neron]

Miriel nearly fell out of her chair to what Jaedon said. Her hope had been hurt, killed, then trampled upon until there was no hope of reviving it. Crossing her arms on the table she rested her head on them. "Tell me this is a dream, just a silly little nightmare...and that I am going to wake up any moment."

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Neron had finally managed to drag his chair over and he placed it with Miriel on one side and JAedon on the other. "Oh, come on, it's really not that bad." Leaning back into his chair he sighed with contentment. The chair was really comfortable, and if he could do anything right now, it would be to fall asleep. But he wasn't going to do that, if he just waited a couple minutes he could go to his dorm and sleep in his true form. That would be so much better. BUt even still he tempted himself by leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
Then Damion was heard muttering, "What games indeed." Neron cracked open one eye. "I don't know if you are in the wrong place, friend, but I believe this is a the library and I believe we are trying to study here. If you want to go play tag or something outside you're more than welcome or perhaps Duck- duck-goose is more to your liking." He was just playing but he didn't mind if the words had some sting to them. Damion just wasn't the type of person he wanted hanging around, he was to....light and happy. He was interested in the response he would get, perhaps there was something to keep him entertained.

[saerwen]

Jaedon watched as Miriel tried to recover from the horrible bashing that Jaedon had done to her hopes... She knew that Miriel wanted to go, she wanted to read and have fun. Jaedon considered letting them all go, and continuing her work in vain, however, she was so...tired.
She was shocked when Neron made an attempt to cheer them up. She was tempted to say something very bad, but for now, Neron was giving her what she needed, and so, she would keep him. Anyway, she was not prepared for another battle with him. Jaedon heard Damions mutterings as well, and she knew what he was talking about, and for a slight moment she felt guilty, but then Neron made his comment and all thoughts of conscience escaped from her. She couldn't help it... It started out with her covering her face with her hands, trying to hide what was overcoming her visage. And then she was sure everyone had noticed her shaking uncontrollably. Then she tried holding her breath, but that failed too. When that failed she gave up and just started laughing. She was laughing so hard she was sure that she was going to stop breathing soon. She laughed so hard that it hurt.

Damion stood there speechless at Nerons remark, trying very hard to understand why the comment had been made, and why it was so funny. He had no idea what to do. He was unaware that his previous words had been heard. "Was that jerk talking to me?" Completely clueless he stared hard at Jaedon who was having much fun at his expense...apparently. He continued to survey them with a rather dumbfounded look, trying to figure out what had happened.

When Jaedon finally recovered enough to look up at her friend, she started laughing again. "Why is it that you are such an AIRHEADED GENIUS!?" she said trying so hard to stop laughing enough to explain the situation to him, but she just couldn't.

As Damion replayed the scene in his mind he found the source of ridicule. As he finally discovered what was going on he heard Jaedons remark and started to get a little sheepish. "Forgive me if my wit is not at its top momentum my friend, but your playing with my head has greatly affected my ability to catch on. If you would get out then maybe I can defend myself more readily." Then he looked at Neron. "Perhaps you should tell that cute little phrase to Jaedon since she is the one playing games." With that he walked over to get a chair. He hated to admit it, but he walked away just so that he could hide his face which was starting to contort with anger. He calmed himself quickly, but he was still hurt, his pride greatly diminished as he strode back into the room with a chair in hand, careful not to say anything else... impromptu.

[Neron]

Miriel's shoulders shook slightly after Neron's comment, she couldn't help it. Even though she didn't like making others feel bad she just couldn't hold back the laughter. Though she might not have had such an explosive reaction she could still be seen, shaking, with laughter at the whole scene. Her face stayed buried in her arms, for she knew if she looked at Jaedon she would also start laughing uncontrollably. Yet nothing lasts forever and soon her laughter subsided and she lifted her head up, wiping a tear or two away from her pale skin.

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Unlike the others, Neron's visage showed no sign of laughter, nor of any emotion. Her just said the comment watched Damions reaction and then closed his eyes. That was one thing Neron was good at, keeping a straight face. When Damion replied back Nerion opened his eyes a crack and looked at Jaedon. "Well for playing tag or duck-duck-goose I'd saying she's failing miserably, after all she hasn't really moved much." His eyes closed again. "Now that we have a new addition to our "happy family" why don't we get started. Perhaps genius here should help you out, he seems quite knowledgeable. How about you use your head and tell us the gases that are make up air, since you seem to be so familiar with it."

[saerwen]

Damion looked at Neron with contempt. Why did he have to be here? He gave a side glance to Miriel who had recovered from her laughter. He didn't mind that they were laughing at him, just so long as they were laughing. He would play the idiot for as long as he needed to in order to make sure that faces stayed happy and pleasant. However, he was not going to let Nerons comment pass. "You know what kind of games I meant Neron. Jaedon doesn't enjoy duck-duck-goose as some seem to think. She likes to play sardines, and her only hiding spot is in the back of your mind where she slowly chews your life away. Even though you find her, you can't hide with her, and no one else is there to rescue you. I seem to recall you having a run in with this..." Damion was trying to make it all too obvious what he was hinting at. Jaedon had leaked about the fight in her exhaustion, especially her irritation with his stuck up comments.

Jaedon perked up when she heard what Damion had said. "What a devilish little imp. He is taking revenge on me. He knows that I don't want him to bring it up and yet he does it anyway. OOOH I could just kill you!" She thought quietly to herself as she held her head in her hands. When she heard what Neron said though, he mood lightened again as she started to laugh again. Not so obvious, but still, she was smiling like the cheshire cat.

Damion didn't catch the joke right away and so he started to spit out the answer. "Well, air is mainly composed of nitrogen, and then oxygen, CO2..." he paused as he considered the question. "Wait a minute..." He turned to look at Jaedon and got his answer before he could even see her.

Jaedon was about ready to burst. When Damion started to spit out the technical answer to the rhetorical question she died. Laughter... she was so bad, Neron was bad, but it was soooo funny. This was exactly what she needed. She almost thought for a moment that Damion might be doing it on purpose just to make her laugh. "No, he's as clueless as he ever was." She thought to herself. She continued to laugh until it she started to cry. She looked at Damion and then just looked at Neron in wonder.

Damion smiled as Jaedon laughed. He hadn't seen that happen in a long time. Not like that at least. She was always so serious, but now, she was loose, relaxed. He didn't mind playing the fool at all. He would deal with Neron later. Revenge would come when he least expected it. He just sat down and looked at Neron. "I hope you realize that games must be won or lost."