#calijane

Jane tapped her pencil against the page of her spiral bound notebook-- the cover had Fred Astaire so it was an obvious buy-- and pursed her lips. Note-taking was just one of the many study skills that made her an excellent student, but college professors tended to diverge from the textbook in ways she hadn't experienced before. She'd taken to casting a recording charm, a simple spell she'd perfected at six to better archive her baking process, and filling in the gaps later. Her grades thanked her, as did her many study buddies, but the tediousness of it all did annoy.

Especially when she had brutish cherubs sprawling into her space and distracting her. Cherubs who were determined to sit next to her every Tuesday and Thursday, no matter how many times she changed seats. It made her grind her teeth, but she never said anything, determined to just ignore his uncouth behavior and focus on graduating at the top of her class. As expected, of course.

The cherub's name was Caliborn, not that he ever introduced himself, or asked for her name. No, she simply noticed it scribbled at the top of a handwritten essay, one of which he wrote while the professor was lecturing.

Jane had never turned in anything that wasn't typed, perfectly formatted, and protected in a glossy folio.

Today Professor Vantas had scrawled Group Project across the board in his typical blocky script, using his hands, not levitating the chalk like all the other professors did. Jane appreciated his mundane approach, she loved magic of course, but there was a certain grounded realness to doing things by hand, the old fashioned way. His salt and pepper hair was endlessly appealing, candy corn horns peaking through artfully curled black hair. Jane didn't have a crush, she just appreciated an older man, especially one wearing a cancerian amulet around a thick, muscular neck.

Caliborn yawned next to her and she subtly shifted away, her lip curling in disgust. Honestly, his lack of decorum was just awful.

"So for this one I'm pairing you off into duos." Professor Vantas growled, leaning against the chalkboard and folding his arms across his chest.

"Pipe down." He snarled at the groaning teenagers in the back. "This is Bonded Magics 101, if you thought you were getting through this course without working with others, then quite frankly you're too stupid to live and should drop out now. Not out of my class, college in general. Now shut the fuck up and listen."

He picked up a chunk of chalk and scrawled a few stick figured on the board, then a big jagged line connecting the two together. "You're gonna, as a team, research a famous bond between two people. You can describe whatever foundation for the bond you like, heart, blood, anything we've covered in the course so far. I want a timeline for how the bond formed, and what repercussions it had on the individuals therein. Show me the way history was changed, based on that bond. Think you lot can handle that?"

Jane nodded frantically, and Professor Vantas rolled his eyes at the chorus of unsure 'Yes's. "Great. Your partner is on your right, it's due in two weeks. I want a presentation and essay accompaniment, MLA, typed." He threw that at Caliborn specifically, who snarled wordlessly back. "And if I hear any of you didn't pull your weight, you are fucking out of here. Got it? Good. Now partner up and get to fucking work."

It was silent for a beat, but then everyone in the lecture hall started slowly gathering their stuff and looking around for their would-be partners. Jane glanced right and dread instantly sank in her gut, of course, of course she'd be stuck with the most disrespectful, aggravating, rude cherub in the entire school.

Determined to start things off right, Jane gathered her courtesy and raised her chin, extending a hand to shake. "It seems we're partners, I'm Jane--"

"I know your fucking name, you idiotic broad." His face stretched into something truly hideous, sticking out a forked, grey tongue. "We've sat together all year and you think I don't know your name? Y'know, with those glasses and fancy notes, you'd think you'd be smart. Good on you for breaking the stereotype."

"I beg your pardon." Jane sputtered, and withdrew her hand like it was burned, clenching a fist to stay her fury. "If you can't be civil, I'll tell Professor Vantas and get a new partner, I don't have to stand for this!"

"The Signless ain't gonna do that and you fuckin' know it, stupid." Caliborn stuck a pinky in his nosehold and dug around, flicking whatever he found on the ground without a care. Jane felt nauseated.

"Fine." She grit her teeth. "Then I suggest we go to The Arcaneum, we can find all kinds of books on the topic and be done as soon as possible."

"Aw where's the fun in that, Janey." Caliborn grinned, crooked white teeth gleaming, a gold fang glinting worst of all. "I think this project really speaks to me, y'know I think it might take us awhile."

Jane stared, truly horrified and unable to even speak. He grinned even harder, squinting his eyes and making his spiral cheeks bulge from the strain. Slowly, she gathered her supplies and stowed them in her Bag of Holding, all the while Caliborn's eyes lit up with pure glee. He messily shoved his garbage in his pack, not even bothering to ensure his papers stayed flat, and stood up, looming over her.

Hideously sick, Jane noticed he was large. Bigger than her, by a large margin, taller and broader in every dimension. Not bothering to disguise her upset reaction, she walked from the lecture hall and headed out, Caliborn right on her heels.

Would retaking Bonded Magics 101 totally ruin her schedule? Maybe if she was diligent she could squeeze it in somewhere, there was no way she could do this. It was impossible. Jane stared at the biography with sightless eyes and knew she had to try, her future depended on passing with flying colors.

Me: *gasp* this art is SO cute and totally brand new--

God I love snuffysbox please go follow them they make great art.