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[physicus]

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[mooned]

[ She looks at him, eyebrow perked.] How old are you?

[physicus]

[ Too old for you, is the first thing that comes to his mind, but not what he says. ]

I'm 25. [ Possibly, under different circumstances, he'd add 'and I've got two masters'. But it feels pointless right now. ]

[mooned]

And how many degrees do you have? [ Bam. Time to brag, Z.]

[physicus]

[ He smirks. ]

Two. Three, of counting the teacher degree.

[mooned]

And you're twenty five? [ color her impressed.]

So you love science and school, apparently.

[physicus]

Nah. I was pretty terrible at school, actually. Until I got to skip a couple grades, I was so bored that I didn't even show up half the time, and the rest I was just being a shit all the time. [ He stretches his legs in front of him, and then stretches his arms over his head. ]

And then I got to join MIT early and that - that was cool. Mainly I love science. School I could have done without. [ Dropping his arms again, he looks straight at Charlie. ]

What about you? You like school?

[mooned]

[ She may or may not be admiring him as he stretches out because for all that he's pushing this whole school thing, he's pretty damn good looking.]

Well, long story short. I feel the same way about art as you do about science.

[physicus]

Oh. [ That's pretty great. Z's artistic traits stop at stick figures. ]

That's great. You should show me what you do, some day.

[mooned]

[ She can't gauge his enthusiasm for what she says. Most people don't take her seriously when she says she wants to focus on art.]

I have a bunch of it in my room and on my phone.

[physicus]

[ He has no reason to not take her seriously, and he doesn't look like he's about to laugh her off. ]

Would you show me?

[mooned]

My phone is over by my stuff? [ she offers, if he wants to see it now, moving to stand.] I'll be right back. [ She makes the very short trek to grab her things and come back to where he's sitting tossing her bag and towel back on the ground before sitting and digging out her phone.

After a moment, she pulls up her instagram and shows him a few of the things she's posted there.]

Here.

[physicus]

[ As he scrolls through, he takes note of the friends pictures - maybe more than friends, but mainly focuses on the art. He opens the pictures and leans in, making tiny noises of awe. ]

That's absolutely gorgeous, Charlie. [ He wishes he could be younger, that there wasn't this limit between the two of them, this line in the sand that he can't cross. She seems like a great friend to have, and if he'd been in school with her, he definitely would have had a crush on her.

He can't have a fucking crush on her now, though. ]

You're so talented. You know, if that's what you're most passionate about, and it looks like you are, you should... just go for it. For real.

[ Then, because he can't help himself: ] You don't need a muse, do you?

[ He regrets it immediately, because it's inappropriate, but whatever. ]

[mooned]

[ Once she hands over the phone, she moves to rest her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, her eyes focusing on the ocean. She doesn't like watching people look at her art, it feels invasive and personal. And she doesn't want to pressure someone to react a certain way.

And for some reason, it's important to her that this guy likes her stuff. It's a weird thing to need, to want. She barely knows him but maybe it's the passion she can sense within him that makes her want it for her own or at least, directed towards her in some regard.]

Thank you, [ she says, sitting up a bit and glancing at him, her hands on her knees as she flats her legs out. Of course, his question catches her off guard, a little. But Charlie's always been quick on her feet and she says something that's meant to fluster--]

You do have a very sketch-able form.

[physicus]

[ He grins, bashful and a little too amused, probably. ]

Thanks. I work out. [ He chuckles. ]

[mooned]

[ She chuckles softly, her lips curving teasingly.] I meant your face.

[physicus]

[ He moves his face into different grimaces and smiles, ending on another grin. ]

You mean you don't do like, the naked drawing thing? You don't drape people in sheets before sketching them or whatever, in art class?

[mooned]

[ charlie's about to take it past that line he drew in the sand.]

The naked drawing and draping people in sheets usually happens in private.

[physicus]

[ His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. ]

Oh? Oh. So, do you - do that often?

[ Fucking abort, Z. ]

[mooned]

[ A more insecure girl might be insulted or feel almost slut-shamed by that question but Charlie is Charlie and she laughs.]

I'm selective.

[physicus]

[ He didn't even mean it that way - he'd scramble to make it better and explain, but he probably would make it worse.

He nods. ]

Cool. [ He isn't sure what to say that wouldn't make it very difficult for him to pretend he's. IT interested. It's good that it's the middle of the day and they're in public, because otherwise... ]

You have a boyfriend?

[ He means it as an innocent question, but he's not sure that's how it comes across as. ]

[mooned]

No, [ she answers honestly. She has a few people she hooks up with sometimes, Arel is the only consistent one but obviously, not a boyfriend considering he's got his hands a little full with soulmates and destiny. She's let that notion go. ]

Do you have a girlfriend? [ she's going to assume he's straight, given the way she can feel him looking at her.]

[physicus]

[ He's actually pretty damn bi, which, you know. Works for him just fine. ]

No. [ Because he just got out of prison. ]

Haven't had much time for relationships lately.

[mooned]

[ Everyone at this school is bi, pretty much.]

Where's the fun in that?

[physicus]

Ah! It's not there, that's for sure.

[ He's not been having much fun, not at least he ended up in Mythian anyway. ]

There were other priorities. But maybe now that I'm here, I could. Think about it.

[mooned]

This place has a lot of options. [ She gives a half-shrug.] Everyone is hooking up with everyone. Students. Teachers. Students with teachers.