Aria's head was bowed during their lecture, her eyes running over the words in one of the protection magic textbook instead of really listening to what was being said. She always learned better when she taught herself, viewing most teachers and professors as avenues to answer various questions than anything else. With chaos magic, it was easy for her to learn this way, given that the rules regarding the rituals and such were much more lax and less defined. Protection magic was different. There was a way to do things and you had to do it in that way. There was room for improvisation, but not nearly as much as with chaos magic. The classes taught concentration more than anything else and Aria found it difficult to maintain focus on one thing. She hoped the books would help her find her own way to these spells, but so far, she was met with a wall.

She vaguely heard Professor Miyamoto tell them to go into pairs to practice what she had just taught. Slamming her book shut, she glanced around the room to the students shuffling toward the friends and classmates they usually paired up with. Most of them kept a wide birth away from her.

Her eyes landed on Aurelia. They were both outsiders, though for different reasons, and Aria liked being able to speak with her without feeling as if she was walking on eggshells. Picking up her things, she went to her side. "You got a partner?"