-The Leaving Song-, New Babylon HS Q/Cess

[Quentin]

"So, pass your homework on up, and we'll finish taking notes on the Trail of Tears." He tried for upbeat and very maestro...but looking at all of the students in his last-period US History class? Quentin was certain that look of desperation to just get up and run out of the room was mirrored on his own face.

"Ugh, does it involve being bored to tears?," called someone from the back of the room. Quentin raised a brow at the kid. Eddie Sanford was an annoying brat with the I.Q. of a retarded hamster. But he does have a point...,Quentin mused and immediately wanted to bash his own head into the chalkboard at the thought of agreeing with the twerp.

"Boredom yes. Tears? Tears'll happen if you don't finish up the notes and hand them in by the bell,Sanford."

This earned Quentin a chorus of 'ooohs' and a few cackles from around the room, and he smirked a bit while collecting the papers from the front of each row. Thank the Gods that it's a long weekend...At the bell, he'd have a 3-day weekend because of some obscure holiday he wasn't entirely sure about..and didn't really care even if it involved the consuming of millipedes or ritual sacrifice. Well, maybe the sacrifice thing might irk him just a little. "C'mon guys, eyes up on the projector. You'll be free in twenty. Use it."

[Cecily]

I hate children...

Cecily felt a lump of bile rise in her throat. Honestly, learning in an establishment as beautifully architecturally designed as this, you'd think that a Sexual Education class would teach more than just a disgusting show of P.D.A.

"Alright, that's enough, tongues in your own mouth, wipe off that spit, button your shirts, pants, and fix your hair, you both look a rotten mess."

Cecily's sudden interruption was greeted two pairs of wide eyes. Raising an eyebrow at the couple who hadn't moved from their spot in the corner of the hall, Cecily motioned with her hand, "Well, get on it, move your asses and get back to class," she paused, "you...do have class now don't you?"

Two heads nodded dumbfounded in union, Cecily sighed, "Look, just tell me where Professor McClellan's class is and I'll let you get back to sucking face, or whatever it is you call it now."

Looking at each other, they both responded (in unison) "A-two thirty four."

"It's been a pleasure," Turning on her heel, Cecily left the couple and rolled her eyes ashamed. "They could have found a much better place to snog than the corner, that is so ty-" she stopped hearing the familiar voice through the door.

She gave three knocks on the door and opened it, giving a wicked grin, "Sorry to interrupt, but I believe we have some unfinished business to discuss... Professor McClellan."

[Quentin]

"No, they couldn't have 'danced around the fire and hexed the White Devils into oblivion'. Really, you guys?," Quentin was sitting on the low filing cabinet next to his desk, looking both amused and dumbfounded by his class of Sophmores.

Though, the question they posed could actually have occured under the right circumstances..Unfortunately all the tribes hadn't been completely unified at that point, or something of the like...but some of the shamans and holy men he knew? Could have probably at least caused a good outbreak of some crazy syphilis amongst the American soldiers. Probably not a good thing to tell impressionable teenagers. Half of them probably have the symptoms. Gah,shut up!, he shuddered a little. The thought, and line of questioning were thankfully cut short by a knock on the classroom door.

Unfortunately, the spicy scent of some exotic perfume and underlying sense of power accompanied said knock. Quentin flicked his attention to the door, eyes narrowing at the sight of Cecily, and fought back a snarl. Forcing his expression to remain somewhat pleasant, he slid off the cabinet to stand between her and his students. Though why he was protecting them? My job, maybe?

" Miss Bosworth. To what do I owe the...pleasure?"

[Cecily]

The silence was deafening...

The tension could be cut with a knife...

But Quentin's face, oh his face, now that, was hilarious.

He doesn't look too happy... All the better, he's caught off guard and you can humiliate him... I don't want to humiliate, just, get what I want... And what you want is-... Finish that thought and I swear I'm conjuring a new voice...

Giving a slight smirk, Cecily entered the room with flourish (it helped that a little "Charm" charm was drizzled, but she'd never say it).

"Why, Mr. McClellan, the pleasure is all mine, I assure you," Cecily looked behind Quentin to smile brightly at his students, who have grown deathly still and quite observant.

"I was hoping you can answer a History question for me, it has been simply driving me insane, and I knew you where the man to go to."

[Quentin]

At the few students who were brave ( or stupid) enough to snicker or whisper, Quentin shot them a withering glare," I didn't think I was trying to educate a class of hyenas. See if you can can it for the next five minutes while I talk-to-my-guest-in the -hall."

It was fortunate that Quentin could inspire some level of fear in his class, as they all quickly went back to work...or more likely, to sleep. Either didn't matter, and as he walked up to Cecily, he bent to speak low near her ear. His students wouldn't dare rib him about how it appeared later...besides,what was one more rumour?

"Out in the hall. And if you ever barge into my class again, I will not hesitate in breaking your neck in the filing cabinet." Excessive? Maybe, but the outward calm he exuded only masked the intense dislike roiling inside as he stepped out into the hallway,waiting for her to follow. "And close the door behind you,"he called over his shoulder.

[Cecily]

"You know I've always loved that fire in you, Quentin, but I must say," Cecily started to say as she bowed her head to the group of students still staring wide eyed at her, and followed Quentin to the hall, shutting the door like he said, "if you dare threaten me one more time, I promise you the next few steps you take will be the last. And I'll make it look like an accident, McClellan. And I will not think twice about it."

Cecily could handle the sharp tongue and quips that Quentin threw her way, but the one thing she didn't particularly appreciate, were the threats (mainly because she was afraid of the day she might push him too far and she wouldn't be able to think of a "Protection" spell to save her life).

Cecily crossed her arms and looked Quentin straight in the eye, "You don't need to worry about me barging in anywhere near this disease ridden cesspool, I assure you."

She sighed and let her eyes wander around the gray corridor. "But I... need... your assistance." Who knew asking for help was so difficult?

[Quentin]

He cringed at the desk shuffling and minor uproar from inside the classroom as Cecily closed the door. Why do I teach again?

Quentin crossed his arms over his chest, brow quirked at her little admission. Cecily, for all the posturing and threat-wielding, could be irritatingly cute. He had to be absolutely twisted to find it so, but then again, he'd met very few Weres human society could consider 'normal' in his life.

So, despite his brain screaming at him to continue being a prick, he cracked a smile at her. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you." It didn't surprise him that Cceily had bothered to show up;he'd actually expected a bit of a show...just not while he was in class. What did surprise him, and make him worry slightly ( though he wouldn't admit), was her sudden insecurity...and her asking for help. " Are you freaking serious?"

Quentin wanted to laugh in her face, and quite possibly go on a little tirade at some point. Yet, in their brief past he'd some to know one thing about the woman in front of him. She just didn't ask for assistance from anyone. Unless she's under you, you mean? I will cut you out, brain.

" I should probably ask 'with what' before agreeing, I'm guessing?"

[Cecily]

Cecily was sheepish.

"I, in fact, am nauseatingly serious," she said, staring at the floor.

Seriously drooling, did you know that Quentin could shape up so well when he's in teacher-ware... That is not what I am paying attention to at the moment... Well, someone's bloody pants just caught fire...

"Now... take what I have to say into careful consideration," Cecily started slowly, looking up at Quentin, "I did not come here to fight or humiliate you, albeit the thought came to mind... on many occations... but I stopped myself, obviously, because I forgot to look at my charts today, which I never forget to do, as you know, and that only proved to create horrible luck what with this school, and the smell, which I can swear is mix of asbestos and maybe just a dash of formaldehyde, and... I'm... still talking, aren't I?"

Stupid... Very... Idiot... Extremely... Moron... I get it... Flipping lunatic... Enough... Bloody crackpot...

Blocking out her other half was becoming something akin to breathing to Cecily, as well as digressing from a topic.

Clearing her thoat and looking right past Quentin, she said "The vase."

[Quentin]

Quentin blinked at her slowly for a moment or two, occasionally trying to comment...only to stand back and stare at her dumbfounded some more.

He'd been used to the frequent rambling, but this? That was pure nerves and verging on insanity. Thankfully, Cecily came out of it long enough to make a point, which was rare.

"That thing you decided to chuck at my head in a fit that one day? I told you it was on a dig site. I can't get another one, Cess." He shook his head,raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose to stave off a sudden headache. " Are you really going to argue with me about pottery?"

[Cecily]

You never told him... I was concerned, there was no time for thinking... Irony at its best...

"I don't want another one, Quentin," Cecily said, "And I don't want to fight with you period, unless it's for satisfying purposes, but this isn't just pottery!"

At this point Cecily was breathing hard, blinking back tears, and getting waves of Quentin's frustration.

She took a breathe to calm down. "The vase you found was Canopic. I'm surprised, shocked really, that you didn't notice," she explained, "There's another vase you found, and I need it."

Well that sounded believable... I swear one more thought and...

It were times like this she was happy Quentin couldn't read her mind.

[Quentin]

He snorted,checking his watch. She was trying to school him on historical artefact now? " Cecily...Canopic jars are Egyptian, used to store the vital organs of the deceased. I found those jars on a dig in South America."

It stung a bit that she'd try to fake him out, especially in his own area of expertise. " I know we didn't part on the best of terms, but really? Didn't think you'd lie on top of it." Quentin tried to step around Cecily to get back inside the classroom, but gave pause once he was directly in front of her. He was angry, yes, and maybe a bit hurt__Gasp, admitting rejection burned you? I have a lovely pocketknife that could shut you up... Touchy, touchy...__ but there was something...off.

It was difficult not to scrutinise her whole story as he looked down into her face. Mind reading? That was her shtick. All the little physical signs; heartrate, scent, body language, the Animal in him picked up on. He sighed, reaching out to brush back her hair from her face. A simple gesture to add to the confusion," Why are you trying to keep me in the dark? You want my help, but you don't want me to know the details."

[Cecily]

“You can’t know the details!” Cecily choked out, shaking her head from Quentin’s light touch, which both comforted and puzzled her.

Letting out her feeling was never easy for Cecily, but when it was concerning a life, and a man she couldn’t easily forget, she couldn’t help but feel like she was going to break down.

Crybaby… Sodding hell, I swear I will re-program you, does this look like the right ti- … It’s always the right time for me, when I see possibility for fire, I make sure to bring the starter match…

Cecily covered her ears to shut out the voice from her alter, and tried to make time stop for just a second. She couldn’t tell him everything now… while he was teaching a class… while they were standing in the middle of the hallway… while he was so close to her…

And yet Cecily wasn’t sure how much longer she could take feeling the waves of disappointment rolling off Quentin’s being.

“The Vivendi Copic Urn,” Cecily said quietly, coming to a decision and dropping her hands from her head, looking down, “There were two you said you found on your dig. You kept one at your place, and you gave one to me. Those urns are symbiotic,” she said, turning her face to look him in the eye. “Sort of like a Yin-Yang… only with a vase,”

By this point Cecily felt herself begin to hyperventilate, “The one I broke, the one I threw at you, the one that’s destroyed, that was Yin..."

Huff... Puff... Destroy the bloody balance of the universe...

[Quentin]

Even for the short amount of time they'd been together previously,Quentin felt he'd aquired a knack for pulling Cecily out of one of these...episodes. He kept his hands resting on the sides of her neck,pressing lightly at the pulse points with his fingertips. Heavy in the magicks she knew, Quentin was not. But he did know how to focus his own aura, his own energy; now trying to influence a little bit of calm.

Quentin was not normally so protective, or very nurturing for that matter. He was a loner,caring mostly for himself and few others he deemed worthwhile. Cecily, no matter how angry he was at her, always managed to channel her emotional run-off onto him whenever they were too close. She's normally so sure of herself, he reflected, a worried fown taking over his expression as she spilled out the story. Should I have pushed it?

Feeling a little ill, he waited until she seemed to deflate before responding quietly, " I never thought that they were so important to you. Why couldn't you tell me earlier?," Suddenly the realization hit, and he pushed away slightly to gape at her," What do I have to do with it?" Quentin almost forgot to pull focus,lest his own anxiety affect her as well," Cess...", he was imploring her for the full story...right as the bell rang. 'Fuck', he cursed, turning his head to snap a glare at his students rushing past who were trying so very hard to make it appear like they weren't gaping at the little picture he and Cess made.