Ian Gorman (anotherman) wrote in fableless, @ 2016-07-30 00:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! log/thread, amara carroll, ian gorman |
WHO: Ian Gorman and Amara Carroll
WHAT: BINGO prompt: First Day Of School
WHEN: School Days!
WHERE: The Academy
WARNING/RATING: Light!
Ian had realized pretty quickly in his freshman year that he preferred to study animals than humans. The only obvious exception being those humans who were part animal or who could change into animals. His parents, however, were less than thrilled about this divergence of their carefully laid plan but it was declared now. There was nothing they could do. The words, It was his life, rang in his head. It sounded like Marty. On his way out of Student Services he saw Amara trying to juggle too many books and papers. “Do you need a hand?” He offered himself up before putting out a hand to make sure nothing would fall out of her grip. Amara came into school knowing exactly what she wanted and her eyes had been on that prize from day one. Every class was a calculated choice, an addition to her overall plan for the future. To be fair, she probably wished at times she took at least one fun class, one thing that wasn't out of pure ambition, but it simply wasn't her way. She glanced up, struggling, when she heard Ian's voice, and smiled. Amara was not too proud and full of I Can Do It All to refuse help when she was just about to drop everything to the ground. She held on the tightest to her folder that had all her papers in it, because that was the kind of thing that would just go everywhere. The books sadly were closer to dropping, but luckily he was right there. "Thank you, my knight in shining armor." She smiled at him and tried to sort out her papers. "I know you're probably thinking, how could she possibly already be covered in these things on the first day?" “If I didn’t know you I absolutely would be.” Ian laughed, skipping over the knight in shining armor comment. He always felt a bit guilty when people made that guess about him but he tried to let it slide, preferring to keep his identity a secret from anyone that wasn’t Marty. Ian took full control of the books in the most precarious spots, letting Amara led to wherever she’d been traveling with these. “But me? I know you’re a crazy braniac.” "I'm insatiable, it's true." Amara laughed and was grateful once she managed to get together what she needed. She was always pushing for harder classes and more to do, joining as many clubs as she could juggle, dating Joe in her free hours, so it was amazing she had time to make friends as well. Luckily people like Ian were easy to work things out for. He and Marty were quickly becoming her favorites, although with Gideon. She never asked anyone what their Tale was. It seemed rude, for one, but also it didn't matter to her. It only mattered if they wanted it to, and they'd show that by telling her. It didn't mean she was never curious though. Amara was by nature a very curious person. "So you're starting your sophomore year! Are you ready?" Ian laughed along with her. He truly didn’t think he’d met a single person who had maintained a busier life than Amara did. “Yes.” Ian nodded his head. “Officially a student of Veterinarian Studies,” he left off and a complete disappointment to my parents. But Amara knew the unsaid words. They’d spent plenty of parties finding quiet spaces to chat while Gideon and Marty challenged other drunken students to arm wrestling matches or whatever their Brilliant Idea was at the time. “I’m excited to actually be taking classes I can devote myself to.” Amara's smile was sympathetic, wishing she could put her items down so she could show a sign of physical support. She was quick with a gentle hand or a friendly nudge. But they were at a comfort level now when a single look could say plenty. "You're going to crush it. And you'll be doing something you're passionate about, which not enough people can claim." Some people were still lost on that matter, well into their last two years, searching for answers. "I hope they come around, Ian. You're going to be happy saving lives either way." Animal lives were no less important. She saw animals as innocent and thus needing protection. Amara couldn't lie and seem certain that they would warm up to the idea, because his parents were fairly intense, not unlike her own. But hers knew about her Tale, and they wanted her to achieve greatness in whatever her chosen field was. Not in an exact field they picked for her. Ian gave a small, tight, smile at her words of encouragement. It was still one thing to make the actual choice to choose him major, now he had to prove that he would be good at it. The terrifying thought of failing at this - something his parents didn’t back - was enough to keep him up at night. “Don’t waste your hope on them, that’s not something that will ever change.” In order to move on and be happy he had to accept that his parents would feel the opposite. And that was just the way of it. Ian wasn’t going to fool himself into believing they’d embrace it eventually. “Besides, you’ve got way more important things to worry about. Like how you expect to carry all these books around for a whole semester.” "The hope isn't for them, it's for you." She could see parents disapproving of lifestyles their children had, but Ian was still ambitious and determined, it was just in a different subject than they expected. Vets were important. Then again, Amara could easily see her parents being disappointed. Not openly against it, of course. But she could almost see the 'you could do so much more' looks in their eyes as they forced smiles. She resolved if she ever became a mother that her child wouldn't have to fear the same thing. She laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "I'm getting buff, can't you tell? It's amazing I haven't already become a bodybuilder thanks to this." Dark eyes watched him to make certain he was alright. She was always a worrier at heart. "Where's Marty? I'm always surprised when I see one of you and not both of you." It was a good thing. That kind of friendship not everyone got a chance to have. He couldn’t help but laugh about her comment about her muscles - or lack thereof. “You mean you aren’t competing? I’m shocked,” he joked. Ian shrugged his shoulders, truly unaware where his best friend was at the moment. Generally speaking, he knew he was on campus today, but he didn’t know the particulars. His dorm room would have been a good guess but that didn’t seem necessary to mention. “There are a few moments here and there where we un-attach our hips. This happens to be one of them. Where’s your other half?” "I'm always competing," she deadpanned in response. "I'd try to get stronger than you, but I think I'd look very strange with that definite set of muscles." Amara was too small to make a bodybuilder torso work for her. She gasped dramatically. "You are? I would have never known." Amara smiled at the question about Joe, as she'd been thinking about him. That was usually true. She'd fallen for that boy in her Freshman year and that was that. He was a Mundane from a family full of Tales, but good natured about all of it. "Knowing him, he's leaving me a note saying to have a good first day." She shrugged. "I forgot to mention that I'm in just temporary housing right now … we're moving in together." They were young and it was probably an intense choice, but well, Amara was intense in most things she threw herself into. She'd just have to deal with living off campus, but it was worth it. Ian’s eyebrows went sky high at the mention of the two of them moving in together. “Whoa. That’s is, well, it’s really nice for the two of you, I’m sure.” He’d have reasoned that they were two young to be that serious. Or that living together was a whole lot different than just being together. But this wasn’t Marty. Marian had probably come up with a whole list of pros and cons before agreeing to it. She smiled at his surprise, shrugging. Amara never spent much time on second thoughts once she made a decision. "I made a pro and con list and thought it through before agreeing." No instinct or impulse from her. Although there was some of that, underneath it, because it simply felt right. "I'll have a dinner party at some point for everyone. And I'll be on campus most of the time anyway, so don't think I'll just disappear on my boys." And that's how she saw them, affectionately. Her favorite people. "I want to hear all about your classes once you get started, now that you're on the right path." The idea of Amara and her boyfriend living together and having people over to their home still wasn’t quite settled in his mind but he still gave her warm smile. “I doubt the offer of free food will keep Marty and Gideon away. But I’ll make sure to remind them that dinner parties mean they have to be slightly more adult-like now.” Once they reached the library Ian set down what he’d been holding for Amara on her usual table. Before leaving he gave her one piece of advice, “Don’t burn yourself out before midterms.” |