InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Bye Felicia!"

Halo's Cast (cast_no_shadow) wrote in mistaken_pieces,
@ 2009-01-28 20:03:00

Entry tags:

! ip, - 2020 september, - classroom, [player: halo], [player: lex], [player: mandy], cordelia selwynn, darl rayne, tristan moore

September 28 - Potions Fun
Who: Tris, open =P
Where: Potions lab
When: Evening
Rating: R. Wolfsbane makes Tris tense and sweary.

Status: Ongoing
Summary: Wangst

Tristan exhaled softly as he worked the potion. The first few steps were fine. They always were. He had the first few steps down. It was the upcoming part that always fucked him over. He tried variations now and again, different methods of focus to try to make the potion turn the right color, but he'd only ever come close once.

Once.

He hadn't been able to recreate that moment since. And he knew at least half of it was mental - he was expecting to fail, so he did. But it wasn't all mental, so did it matter if he expected it or not, since it was going to happen?

Staring into his cauldron, Tristan reached for the powdered willow bark to add it in. Then there was stirring, a little bit of sweating, and then there should be blue.

Why was there never blue?

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_noblesseoblige
2009-01-31 05:32 pm UTC (link)

With her patrols finished for the evening, Cordelia had decided to stop by the Potions lab for a bit of practical review. It was, perhaps, a bit early to be reviewing for her OWLs, considering it wasn't even October yet, but better safe than sorry, she thought. Cordelia wanted the best grades possible.

When she came into the Potions lab, she saw that she wasn't alone. Another student was working on something. At first she only saw his back, but when she got a better look from another angle as she set her things up, she recognized him. Tristan Moore from Ravenclaw. Well, even if she didn't know him that well, it didn't hurt to say 'hello'.

"Hello," she said once her things were set up on her desk.

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	cast_no_shadow 2009-01-31 07:59 pm UTC (link)
	Tristan watched her, very curiously, and when it became apparent she was setting up to work, he gaped. "What the hell," he said quietly, but in a cold voice. "Do you think you're doing?" Wasn't it posted somewhere that this was a private lesson, and other people needed to stay out of it? If it wasn't, he was of the mind that it should be. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-01-31 09:32 pm UTC (link)

"Tristan," Darl said quietly, voice a hint of authority as he reentered the room, having stepped out for a moment to restock. He hadn't accurately anticipated how much of some of the materials he needed to have readily available this evening, and had get some from storage - where he kept some of the more volatile ingredients locked away.

Offering a small smile to Cordelia which did not quite reach his eyes, he said, "Apologies, Miss Selwynn - I didn't expect any other students this evening. Tristan is here for..." he paused. "Extra credit," he decided. It was true enough. He knew it wasn't a secret that Tristan was a werewolf, but he wasn't going to go about spewing that knowledge if there was someone who didn't know.

He paused a moment, reluctant to kick her out if she wished to work - it was so rare for him to see a student working on their time instead of his. "You're welcome to stay and work, if you'd like," he said. Though his gaze did turn to Tristan, and he anticipated protests.

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_noblesseoblige
2009-01-31 10:56 pm UTC (link)

"Thank you, Professor Rayne," she said. She had heard that Tristan was a werewolf, but she'd never sought confirmation of that particular rumour. All she did was tuck the information away in case it became important later.

"I'll be quiet so I don't disturb Moore while he's working."

Cordelia was somewhat surprised at Tristan's hostility and cold tone of voice, but she could only guess that the assignment wasn't going well. She wasn't at her best when she wasn't getting the results she wanted, so she wasn't going to judge someone for being a bit rude in one single instance.

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cast_no_shadow
2009-01-31 11:12 pm UTC (link)

"Can I go then?" he said curtly. He could barely handle things when he was alone with the potion. Now there was someone else present to watch him fail? Lovely.

He flicked his wand at the non-blue mess of a potion he had, cleaning it away, though he made no move to pack away the rest of his things. With his luck, he was going to be made to stay.

Blue eyes shifted toward Cordelia, and he really, really thought about telling her she should pick her random potion nights a little better - there were five days that he wasn't in the lab at this time; couldn't she have come down then?

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unrulybehaviour
2009-02-01 02:17 am UTC (link)

Darl turned his gaze to Tristan. "By all means," he said, though his voice carried the hint of a warning. "We can make up the the rest of the time at a time that is more convenient for you. Perhaps during lunch hour tomorrow?"

He wondered if Tristan would go anyway, even with the promise of detention - or something similar, at any rate. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I agreed to this extra credit because you expressed an interest in learning, Mr. Moore," he said quietly, aware that Cordelia was probably listening. "I'm sorry if this is not the privacy that you wished for, and in future we can put up a notice, but for the moment I would rather that my time and commitment to you not be wasted."

He'd wait to see how that went over.

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_noblesseoblige
2009-02-01 10:54 am UTC (link)

Cordelia kept silent, true to her word, and began working on her potions work. She thought a notice would have solved a lot of problems if Tristan was going to be so grumpy about another student showing up to work. It wasn't as if there were many other places that were good for the more practical side of potions homework. It was like expecting someone to work on herbology anywhere but the greenhouse. Not entirely impossible, but best to work in a place designed for that sort of work.

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cast_no_shadow
2009-02-01 01:00 pm UTC (link)

Tris' frown deepened. Extra-credit? He scowled at the professor. "Then I'll see you at lunch tomorrow," he said coolly as he began to pack up, casting a very pointed glare at the girl. Who the hell came down for extra potions just randomly like that?

"It isn't extra credit, and you ruddy well know it," he snapped to the professor, perfectly aware that he was very likely signing himself up for a week of detention, and not exactly caring just then. "It's a bit more than that, isn't it? Rather something like a necessity?"

He was shaking a little, and he figured he should probably get out of there before he cried or pulled his wand or something like that. "Sodding snakes," he muttered, loud enough for Cordelia to hear.

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unrulybehaviour
2009-02-01 11:53 pm UTC (link)

Darl narrowed his eyes, and schooled his temper so as not to make a scene in front of the other student. He rather thought that Tristan should do the same, but he wouldn't point it out. He understood - to a degree - why Tristan was upset, and was familiar with this sort of behaviour now and could be tolerant of it. But he didn't approve of it in the slightest.

"I suppose that's true for you," he said coolly to Tristan. "But with that comes a certain willingness to learn Mr. Moore. I have no interest in pushing you to learn how to brew this potion - there is a reason why it is not in my student's curriculum. If you feel it is a necessity? Prove it to me. Enough with these..." he bit his tongue sharply. He'd been about to say 'childish tantrums' but he refused to belittle Tristan in front of another student - to that extent, at least. He closed his eyes, swallowing heavily, searching for different wording.

"Enough with these pointed jabs, as though this is some sort of torture that I am enforcing on you," he decided finally. "You expressed a willingness to learn, and so long as you continue to do so, I will teach you. But I will not stand to be treated like your oppressor!"

He bit down hard on his lip, practically shaking at the effort to hold in misplaced laughter at the sudden thought that 'oppressor' rhymed with 'professor'. This was very much not the time for that.

He paused then, trying to school his breathing and recover control over his emotions. "We still have a great deal of time remaining. I don't imagine that one lunch hour will cover it. Perhaps lunch hours for the rest of the week will do."

He hated to give up his own free time like that, but he knew that if he let this go now, he'd regret it later.

His eyes glanced over to Cordelia, and it bothered him that he couldn't decide if he hoped she'd choose to come back another night or not. He really didn't like the idea of sending her away if she wished to learn, but at the same time... he didn't think it was fair to punish Tristan for his mistake of not putting up some sort of public notice, or being here in time to prevent her from setting up.

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_noblesseoblige
2009-02-02 05:44 pm UTC (link)

Cordelia was determined to stay. She would have gladly left if Professor Rayne told her to, or if Tristan had shown some small bit of manners and just said that it was a private lesson. Since he was being rude, she had no intention of rewarding bad behaviour. While she could have made a few comments of her own, she decided to be a lady about it and simply stand her ground.

Particularly while Professor Rayne was around. Of course, sometimes the best revenge was behaving politely when the other person seemed to be just itching for a confrontation.

"I am sorry that I startled you, Moore," said Cordelia, making an effort to be as civil as possible. "Though if you had just politely asked me to leave, I would have."

She had other things that she wanted to say, but that was all she really felt she needed to say. Slytherin house had a certain reputation, but Cordelia tried to project some of the better qualities - such as ambition, and less of the pureblooded prejudices.

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cast_no_shadow
2009-02-02 06:00 pm UTC (link)

"Fine. Then I will see you at lunch for the remainder of the week, Professor," Tristan said to him as he slung his bookbag over his shoulder. He pressed his lips together - his response to biting them, since actually biting them would likely leave scars.

"And that?" he said as he rounded on Cordelia, "is bullshit. You didn't even ask if I was busy, or didn't want your invasion. You just paraded right in with not a word to me before setting things up. Didn't even ask if it was okay for you to be here."

His jaw clenched tightly, and he was well aware he'd lost house points and probably gotten a week of detention as well, but he really couldn't bring himself to care.

He hated this fucking potion, and he hated that he couldn't do it, and he hated for anyone to see him fail at it. Even the professor, though that could hardly be helped.

Shaking with anger, and perhaps a bit of shame, he started toward the door, though he was listening for the professor's deduction of points and detention. He thought he'd skip his visit with Ace tonight, and just ... go for a walk in the forest, or something.

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unrulybehaviour
2009-02-02 10:21 pm UTC (link)

"20 points from Ravenclaw, Mr. Moore!" Darl called after him, trying to keep his voice even. "We respect our fellow students here!"

He had an entire lecture that he might have jumped into for that, but he opted against it. It wasn't like Tristan was sticking around to hear it.

"I apologize for the disruption, Miss Selwynn," he said quietly, his eyes still on the door Tristan had exited from. "We were not expecting company."

Obviously.

Sighing slightly, he turned his gaze away from the door, sweeping his wand over what was left that needed to be cleaned from the early brewing. "Did you require my assistance with anything?" he offered, intending to retire to his office if she didn't, where she could reach him if she did have a question.

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