Slow down, Poe

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Date | Saturday, the 27th of November 2021 Time | It's pleasantly early in the morning - 08:17 Place / Area | Not too deep into the forest surrounding Athena Academy, Gaia. Outfit | Running getup; dark spruce green running tights, grey loose-fitted T-shirt layered under a tight, form-hugging black windbreaker/running jacket and strangely colour-clashing running shoes in a faded light pink shade.

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Hha… hha… hha…

Her warmth breath turned into an icy fog on immediate impact with the cold morning air and then, for just a second as she ran, it swirled past her like how fumes emitting from the corners of some fiery beast’s mouth. Then quickly it dissipated into nothingness before another moistened mist followed and so on and so forth in a perfectly controlled rhythm. She focused on that rhythm. On the soft drumming of her feet hitting the partially frozen bedding of the woods. On the swishing of her ponytail against the back of her neck. On the movement of her slightly bend arms, swinging instinctively back and forth, giving her body that natural momentum to keep going forward. And most of all, she focused on her breathing. Focused on keeping it calm and steady. She tried enjoying her surroundings and the meditating quietness of an early morning in nature but it was secondary.

Hha… hha… hhm….… hha

At lot had changed over the last 5 months. Maeve Poe especially. Not only stuff in her life but she herself had changed too. She had become noticeably leaner; a mere side effect of these exact runs, she regularly went out on. Multiple times a week. A coping mechanism to abstract her thoughts from spiralling. Her hair had changed too, although it was still the same rich chocolate brown colour, but the bangs, she had had cut for a fresh look - a fresh start - at the start of her employment at the academy, had now grown out. However, still not enough to stay tied back and away from her face if she moved around too much.
It was all to be expected. Time had passed. Quite a lot of it, actually, for someone like her. She was only human. She aged and she changed. For her - and every other mortal being - the world just seemed to… move along while you were strapped in for the ride with a strap with no buckle to unbuckle yourself. Having had her eyes opened up to the wider span of the existing world, this had become much more apparent to her. A year. Had it really only been a year since her whole world had been turned on its head? It felt like much longer now that she seemingly had become used to her. Or as used to it that she felt was possible for her. That old disbelief was still gnawing gently at her in her stomach. She’d need more years to become completely unfazed, that was for sure!

Unfazed… Used to it..
Unwanted intrusive thoughts suddenly invaded her mindlessness, that she had strived for and she picked up pace. First it was intentionally; it usually worked to put a bit more strain and effort onto her body and then force her mind to focus on that. But then she began to run even faster. And faster again. Unknowingly.
The beautiful scenery of the a forest only just barely frostbitten - no snow but naked trees with faint hints of frozen dew on the surface of the branches and trunks - bathed in the not-quite-there sunlight, swept past her as she went further and further down the small path. No one was chasing after her and had they, her form would undoubtedly have suffered but the desperation and growing panic was just as real as if someone was after her.

Beep beep beep..!

Like bursting a bubble, she was pulled back out of it when an alarming beeping sounded from her wrist. Vibrating violently against her skin. With an almost baffled expression, Maeve slowed her pace again until she came to a complete stop. She was breathing heavily from pushing her body as she had and in a staggering moment, she leaned forward to support herself on her thighs while casting her breath. Then when she straightened herself up again, she pulled back the sleeve of her windbreaker to observe the slim smart watch on her wrist. Vibrating as if the world was soon going to end and flashing the familiar red warning signs of her elevated heartbeat. She breathed in deep and breathed out just as deeply - a small sense of frustration in the middle of it all while she let her drop down her sides like sandbags and then almost collapsed down into a squat. Her bouncing chest resting comfortably against her thighs and her head down to relax. To calm and lower her pulse. Eventually the beeping stopped as the red numbers turned to orange.

Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Lucas focused on lowering his shoulders a little, as he paced through the wintery bare forest behind the academy, a water-bottle in his hand and up-paced funk in his ears. Just a little foggy, as if the sun couldn’t really shy away the winter this time, the first sign of frost had started to show. The bright morning air felt crisp and fresh on his bare shins with the comfortable speed he had set just 12 minutes earlier, having promised himself a quick 30 minutes to himself before taking on the day and all the paperwork he knew he would have to go through; something he had mixed feeling about since having started his new job some months back. Time was getting the better of him too, knowing just how much they still needed to do to get the academy back to standards; thankfully with added help of a few new people that Luke probably would have had a few mental breakdowns without.
As if this particular person had popped up in his mind as he mentally ran through the list of the people he appreciated, he magically spotted her running a little further ahead on the same little forest path. Easy to recognize she was, Maeve Poe, with her dark hair swinging in perfect time to her running speed; rhythmical and controlled and in harmony with herself and the nature around her. Something about the sight evoked a soft smile on his lips.

Lucas opened his mouth to call out to her and let her know of his existence in the little bubble he knew it was to go for a run - but no words passed his lips and instead he hesitantly pulled his eyebrows together, curiously studying how her otherwise controlled running pattern flaked and she picked up pace. Nearly stumbling as if something had started chasing her. The shapeshifter picked up speed with her, a lot more naturally than the slight hissing he couldn’t help but overhear from her lungs. “Poe?” He tried, hardly loudly but definitely in her hearing range, not wanting to scare the human. It wasn’t for very long, but long enough for Lucas to get momentarily concerned, that she managed to keep the speed before buckling over, placing her hands on her thighs.
Luke came to a halt a few meters behind her. As she squatted down he waited a few moments before allowing a low, warm chuckle escaping his lips. “Quite the heavy morning run there, Poe,” he called out, this time a little louder, and started a slow jog towards her, lifting the water bottle in his hands towards the squatted down figure. “Have some water, mh?” He urged her gently, not wanting to sound patronizing or overly concerned - he knew what that usually lead to and wasn't interested in anything but keeping her on the right track.

”Poe?” …

The shapeshifters call out sounded like nothing more than a completely muffed humming. Like she was under water or laid under a thick layer of snow. She hadn’t taken note of it at all. It had passed her much like the sound of twigs breaking under her feet and the swishing of the mild morning breeze in her ears. So when he spoke again, at her hearing had returned to normal, she nearly jumped. Her head flung up from hanging nice and relaxed only a second before and she turned it as far around as she could so look over her shoulder, although she stubbornly stayed squatted down and curled up, so it was a rather awkward position she put herself in. She could only just about see him come closer. Luckily he circled around to her front, and so then she only needed to strain her neck to tilt her head far enough backwards for her to look up at him. So bloody towering... The thought broke a relinquishing smile onto her lips and in turn emphasized her bright red cheeks even more.
She stayed down as she reached both her arms up with receiving hands, gesturing for him to throw down the bottle since she wasn’t up for having to stand for it just yet. It was so nice down there, balancing perfectly on mostly flat feet - until something minor would graze against her, throw her off balance and she’d fall right on her behind. Did he throw it, she’d catch it and not hesitate to take a sip. She wasn’t about to worry about sharing with someone like Luke. He was Luke, after all. “Thanks.” She had gotten her pulse under control, but as it always did when pushing yourself, the exercise could be heard in her voice. She sniffled unconsciously due to the cold beginning to make her nose a little runny as one would expect.

“I wanted to see if I still had it in me,” she then clarified - lying to the very last syllable, of course - before with a readied inhale, put her hands on her thighs and pushed herself up to stand and then immediately after leaned back in her hips to stretch out her back; herding her shoulders towards each other and let go with a faint sigh of relief. “But I guess there’s just something that’ll remain a college memory. Or at least I still have some way to go. Here.” She stepped closer and handed Lucas back his bottle. She even smiled bigger at him as she did as if she could sense the way he tiptoed around. She was okay. Really.

With her hands free again, Maeve turned attention back to her watch once last time. Just to make sure. And probably to let herself feel that last bit of annoyance and then swiped the pulse-monitor to show the time instead. Looking back up at the young vice principle, she throw her head a bit to move loose-hanging bangs away from her face and her brown eyes could watch him without anything in the way. She took a moment to looked him up and down. “Out for a run too. I’d expect to meet Jack out here at some point but not you, if I’m going to be honest. Well, not.. like that at least.” Despite the shorts confusing her, it wasn’t so much his get up she referred to. “You know.. human. I always imagine you sprinting about on all four,” she admitted with a mixture of cheekiness and befuddling. And as if she actually though he couldn’t decipher her cryptic talk she added: “Covered in fur.”
Of course she was mostly taking a piss. Lucas and her had had a bumpy re-start on their relationship but since then it had evolved into one where she quite enjoyed the banter. It felt natural with him. And he could take it..

Luke bowed down to pass her the bottle, not throwing it but letting it gently roll into her palms before straightening his back, rolling his shoulders back and breathing out. Better to keep the muscles warm in this weather, he told himself, to avoid any injuries when he would have to start running again. He nodded in recognition of her thankfulness and a soft smile reached him as he watched the human on her perfectly balanced feet, still squatting on the wintery forest floor. He couldn’t help a light chuckle at her pessimism.
Before he had the chance to even lend her a hand, she pushed herself up and did much like he had done only moments before, a stretch of the shoulders and a little tilt of the neck. “Yeah well, running isn’t exactly like riding a bicycle, Poe. You’ll get there.” His words of encouragement were very genuine. She had a good balance on her feet and seemed to have a good knowledge of her muscles and her body. Balance was a good word to describe it with. At least until she had pushed it a little too far and felt the consequences of that, but he would be lying if he was to claim he hadn’t done the same once too many.
The curiosity in his eyes must’ve been all to evident for her to give him such a disarming smile before handing back the bottle, and he found himself giving her yet another small nod in acknowledgement of the unspoken ‘I’m okay’ that he felt she had given him.

Luke opened his mouth to confirm the unspoken words, but the doe-eyed human beat him to it, and he closed his lips and tilted his head as he listened. Well, not … Like that at least. A puzzled ‘huh?’ and pulled together eyebrows turned to eyebrows that shot up in surprise but then fell down as the corners of his eyes came together in a humorous smirk. The right eyebrow raised slightly as the smirk grew into a smile. The playful tone in her voice had all and any concern he had previously felt disappear in an instant and he straightened his back, ready to take on her mischievousness. “Is that so?” He asked. His raised eyebrow wasn’t telling that she was surprisingly close to the truth – he did absolutely prefer running in his animal form but was always a little more cautious doing it in and around the academy, knowing that it could be a little dangerous because of the whole … turning back being naked business. Not a sight for kids. “You imagining me a lot, Poe?” He playfully jolted at her. “On all four and all that? I think you might need to take this up with the school councillor.”
He chuckled warmly, placing a hand on her shoulder to give it a light squeeze before setting off in a slow jog, continuing down the path in front of them. Slow enough for her to easily catch up with him if she wanted to. Expectantly he turned his head after a few meters, checking up on whether she would follow him or not.

Blood rushed to the human in an instant by the back talk he gave her. It really wasn’t anything to dig too much into, though. Just a sudden spur of cringing embarrassment which was only followed by more of it as soon as she realized how she had gotten embarrassed in the first place. She should expect something like that from exiting the shapeshifters mouth; it was far too smart for his own good, after all. Heck! She had awaited it from the very moment she had challenged him by her own comment. The cold must have slowed her brain down. At least the blood rush gave her a spike in heat so standing still didn’t feel as prickly. However, watching him run off again, she figured to shake it off – literally, shaking her head at them both – and finding herself smitten by his chuckle to the extent of a surrendering smile. She then tapped the front of her shoe in the ground behind her and ran the small distance up beside him. “You’d wish I was,” she pointed out with a laugh as she slowed down to match the speed he had sat. A nice tempo. ”I imagine you a hairy mess, although it’s not such a hard thing to do.” Turning her head slightly to look at him and then waving a hand around her chin and jawline, miming hints of his gingerly beard that he was sporting. She couldn’t remember a time she had ever seen him clean shaven. Perhaps back in the day but, honestly, her mental images of him then had already been tainted by what she saw in the present. She did see the man a lot more often now. On almost a daily basis. More than enough!

“Do you sass your students as much as you do me?? I mean, I do have a steady amount of them coming by my office.” Maeve left him with a last short glance before turning attention forward. They were running on a path, but best to stay somewhat alert of bumps on the road. Or trees in the way.
As she did, her face also automatically relaxed and her breathing fell perfectly into place, something she was sure her heart was very delighted by. She had been stupid there for a moment. One step at a time, she could hear the demon’s voice in her head once again. Should she maybe start to be concerned with just how much of a mantra they had become?

There was something about running side by side with someone. It could probably be anyone, but she felt surprisingly safe around Lukas – which she should! him being just one step from being her employer now – so this was quite nice. She had opted for taking these runs on her own back when she had sat the goal to get back into it. She could tell herself nonstop that she preferred it because then she could breathe, but it wouldn’t chance the lie she evidently just told. She didn’t choose to be alone for wellness.

He didn’t have to look back at her, to know the exact look on her face. You’d wish I was. He adored that cheeky little smile; the one where the right corner of her mouth raised a little more than the left, she pressed her lips together in the middle and her dimples would show. He always had, really. That specific smile was the best part of sassing her. He caught himself thinking, as he had done many times before, how people often changed around her as if she was a fragile flower. And what a shame that was. They were all missing out on the best moments.
His head finally turned to her, locking eyes with the chocolate brown eyes that easily reflected those of his girlfriend; his lips parted in mock surprise at her taunting comeback. “Ah, Maeve Poe - you hurt me so!” Luke theatrically clenched hit fist and hit himself on his chest, right where his heart was, mimicking being stabbed with a very pained expression on his face. “I’ll have you know that my fur is a lot more well kept than my beard, thank-you-very-much.” Truly so, actually, though in the winter it did manage to turn a bit more fluffy and a little brighter in the golden hues. Not that she would know, he caught himself thinking. She had never seen him in his animal shape, as far as he could recall.

Glancing to his left to observe her running, he contently noted that she was back at the balanced and controlled tempo he had observed her in some minutes earlier and smiled softly at how easily she had matched his pace. His eyebrows shot back up and a wide grin took over his observant expression. Not a chuckle but this time a warm, hearty laugh. "As a matter of fact," he stated with a bright smile over the pure enjoyment of how his morning had turned out to be a whole unexpectedly lot more fun that what he had imagined. "You'd be surprised of my professionalism. No fun allowed in my classes, as you know. I personally like a monotone and boring module; that really shapes the individual, don't you think?" Which was the most obvious lie of all times. Luke hated being bored and firmly believed that boredom killed any sort of progress in life, so he strived to make his own classes interactive and fun and spent a considerable amount of time at home planning them to make sure.
All jokes aside, he couldn't help the flutter of curiosity regarding what his students might potentially have told her about him; or whether they even spoke of him at all. Maeve's new position at the Academy was a much needed one, he'd thought, and it had been one of the first ideas that he had pitched with Alison after they'd teamed up the year before and things were already going a little more steady with some of the troublesome students. Now they just needed to fix the teachers shortage so the rest of them could fully focus on their jobs.
Luke playfully stepped around her mid-run to reach her other side with a warm chuckle. "No fun," he repeated.

It was such a cliché thing to do; the theatrical stab to the heart and yet it almost instantly made her laugh warm-heartedly, enough to make her throw her head a little back and close her eyes for a second or so, although it wasn’t anything hysterical or knee-clapping. There was probably something rather crude about how she essentially laughed at a display of hurt, but the shapeshifter had so perfectly done the over-dramatized facial expression that, in that moment, all she really could was laugh. It didn’t even matter that it also meant she’d lost a small portion of their banter war by not keeping full composure. “I’m sure it is, Luke Hamilton. I’m sure it is.”
Not to say that Maeve Poe hadn’t caught herself wondering how this man looked in his.. well, other form. How could she not?! She found it rather difficult to do so, though, because whenever she looked at him, she saw no actual resemblance to a spotted animal on four legs and with fuzzy ears and probably a long tail - she discreetly glanced back behind him as the though passed through her head. Of course, he wouldn’t have a tail in human form. This wasn’t Thundercats.. No. Luke looked as human as she did! No sharp teeth; she’d have seen them with how much and how big the man smiled at her.

As her subconscious noticed him turning to look her way, she did the exact opposite and looked away from him. Averting her curiosity back to where it belonged together with common politeness. Also where it more than often ran off from. You’d be surprised of my professionalism. It would honestly be an understatement to say she hadn’t been. From back in the day to now, there was a huge difference in her opinion about Lucas. Huge. She was pretty sure the two of them didn’t like each other much back then. Only tolerated each other due to other circumstances. And she had possibly not thought he’d amount to much, let alone as much as he had. That being said! Monotone and boring? She didn’t buy it. Not one bit.

Brown eyes followed him shifting places and she couldn’t help but feel impressed by his ability to move around like he did. Sure, she wasn’t wobbling around like a baby deer on ice, but she was a track kid! She ran in straight lines for the most parts with perfect posture. She wouldn’t be moving as gracefully and naturally like him even if she tried. Perhaps he did resemble a big cat a little bit after all. “I couldn’t agree more,” she commented back, his energetic smile being contagious and mirroring onto the human, though having taken a more amused twitch on her lips. “We can’t have students leaving the lesson in high spirits and motivated. Inspired! Imagine that. Tsk tsk.”
Now, Maeve had really only popped her head in one of the classes Lucas still assisted in - being appointed vice principle seemingly taking most of his time now - a few times looking for students of his but their teaching styles were obviously pretty different. She ran her classes like she’d run her position at Clover. Being approachable and engaging. But it was a job. And she had responsibilities to the curriculum.
“By the way,” she then added, changing the air around them a little bit. Calming it down as she also looked at him with something softer of a gaze. “I haven’t thanked you for the other day, have I? Thanks for stepping in before… yea.” Before things had gotten worse. A few students had been fooling around with a camera in a class room, setting off the horrible flash just as she had passed the open door and she really only remembered stopping abruptly, being unable to move. She was sure something else had happened because the next thing she had remembered was Lucas being there looking all worried and telling people around them off.

It had felt like a good while since Lucas had lowered his shoulders and simply felt free. In this moment of laughter, friendly banter and fresh air; that was as close to freedom as he could think. Surrounded by the whistle of wind through the branches and the smell of humid forest floor. “Motivation?” He chirpily chipped in, sounding wholeheartedly shocked and shaking his head violently by the mere thought. “Synonym for trouble, I’d say.”
By the way. Luke tilted his head, halting slightly as he did so, to make sure he’d be matching her pace for whatever she was about to say. He looked back at her with a curious gaze, easily catching onto the change of atmosphere surrounding them. A gentle smile reached his libs, tugging lightly in the corner of his mouth as their childish excitement from the banter dimmed slightly in favour of the more serious note she used as she thanked him. It seemed the rosy cheeks was taking turns this morning, as he felt the surprise hit him, heating his face. Or perhaps that could be excused on the fresh winter air.

It had not been a pleasant experience for anyone involved. Not a lot of people had gotten around to see Maeve’s medical journal, but he had, and he had thoroughly made sure that the classes she taught had been free for any triggering tasks – tastefully so of course and without making an obvious deal out of it. That was probably also why he had reacted swiftly upon seeing her freeze in the hallway, harshly telling anyone off who had dared to laugh at the reaction. It was not often the students saw Lucas angry, so thankfully the simple reaction had had an impact. It had been visible in their eyes, the flash of shame they had felt, and the Shapeshifter had thought it sufficient enough before he had turned to Maeve, companying her to her dainty office space to make sure she was in fact alright. They had not however, talked about it since, and he had not wanted to bring it up in case she felt embarrassed or annoyed. It seemed grateful would be more fitting and the unexpected emotion took him by surprise. “Hey,” he replied, wanting her to know that he thought it no big deal without sounding dismissive of her gratitude. “Anything I can do to help, alright? What you do for this school is nothing short of amazing, but your comfort is the priority.” And he meant that with every fibre of his body. It had been a joy to see how well she’d settled into her new role at the Academy; and clearly her own progress followed suit.
He slowed their steps down to seek out her eyes; nodding for her to understand that he meant it and disarming the seriousness with a soft smile. “Alright?” He confirmed, wanting to make sure that she knew and understood. Work was important but wellness more so. He meant that both as her friend and her colleague.

A mellowed chuckle escaped her throat. It wasn’t much, but it still had a little flare of disbelief. A sense of humble acceptance towards his underlying compliment. What she did at the school, huh? Maeve wasn’t one to think so lowly of herself to not believe one lick of it but the shapeshifter had a trait of over-exaggerating things, if not only a little bit. Besides, it did the job of making her – and she was convinced; other people as well – feeling better so it didn’t do any harm at all. Now, Maeve didn’t answer him back verbally on his seeking confirmation but just because she instead nodded her agreement, it didn’t mean she didn’t mean it. “A large chunk of my work is keeping students from picking classes only based on their teacher’s attractiveness, you know. A thing that doesn’t seem to change no matter how many decades or centuries you’ve lived,” she had to point out in the midst of the lingering of her laugh until the softness took over for a short while again. Just to let her tell him again. This time with the gratefulness visible in a warm, sweet smile. “But still; thank you.”

With how much Lucas had slowed down their jogging, the small human eventually just slowed down completely to a casual walk, calming the rhythmic swinging of her smooth ponytail, and took a very deep breath and exhaled drastically enough that her warm breath created a big cloud of mist that draped around her before disposing. It was only getting colder and colder and glancing to her side towards - actually, he was probably a sort of brother-in-law, since she at least was starting to think it was only a matter of time before him and Cecilia tied the knot - she felt a bit jealous of him in his shorts. With or without animalistic fur she had a theory that he, as a supernatural being, kept warmer than she, as a simple human, did. How would it even feel to be anything else than what she currently was, she found her thoughts wander to.
Hmm. She hummed a curious tune as she pointed her eyes further along the slim dirt path in that stretched out in front of them. The forest surrounding the academy felt like it just went on forever, although there was a very stark line when it switched from proper school ground to the vast woods. They wasn’t even close to that edge yet. After going a bit into the trees to give the sense of privacy, this path ran along rather than deeper. “You’ve been a teacher here for a few years, right?” she then asked while looking back at him and crossing her arms right under her bust, nestling her as much of her hands naturally in the position without straight up stuffing them into her armpits. “How long did it take you to get used to the fact that many of your students are as old as some of the later materials you use in class? If not older.” It had been on her mind ever since she had taken the job. Hell, it had been on her mind ever since the veil had been lifted! She had honestly no real idea how to behave amongst, to her, ancient beings and so far just winged it to the best of her abilities. The best way had been to not think too much about it. Funny enough. “I don’t know, it just feels a bit weird, having the authority to tell someone my grandparents’ age to do their homework.” Even weirder that they listened. For the most parts. They were like how she remembered her and her peers being like back in high school.

It was, in Lucas’ humble opinion, an admirable trait to be able to soften and lighten serious situations. It had not been on purpose, the shift from their usual banter to underlining how much he appreciated her, and with anyone else, it might have been easy to end it on a more awkward note; not with Maeve Poe, though. Her lighthearted comment forced a spluttering laughter from his chest, caught off guard by the coy, underlying implications.
He was not as ignorant as not knowing that some of the female students would chose like that, and was usually fairly quick to spot them and make sure they actually would benefit from his classes or gently nudge them towards any other beneficial subject; but it was often uncomfortable to him and the thought made light rosy spots appear on his cheeks. He groaned loudly through the end of his laughter and shook his head at her. “My God,” he agreed, not bothering to try to dim his wide smile. He dragged a hand through his hair - slightly curly at the end to indicate that he had gone just a little too long without having it cut. “Don’t even go there.”
She was right too; it was a strange and funny thing. Especially considering the different ages. He would have never thought it a genuine thing before starting his work at the academy those five-six years ago, he knew. That girls would ever find him attractive like that - not really, at least. Not people twenty time his age. But then again, back then, he would have never thought any of this possible. Teaching. Leading. Learning. Growing.

Lost in thought, it took him a short moment to realise that Maeve had slowed down a little further, and he had to look backwards before matching her speed, halting the jog and fluidly letting his legs slow to a walk instead. Her light, curious hum made his eyes wander to hers, eyebrows raising in a silent question; or encouragement if you’d like, for her to ask whatever was on her mind. An encouragement she had probably not needed, as her eyes were on their surroundings before they found his with whatever she had been lost in thought about.
The rhetorical question got a simple nod as a reply. He had. Years that seemed a lot longer and plentier than what he could count. He’d grown so much that whatever had been before seemed like a distant dream.
The actual core of the question came milliseconds later and had him look up and away with a mild tug in the corner of his lips. He had thought about this quite a lot when he had first started out and truly felt a little silly that the conversation hadn’t come sooner. He let out a low, thoughtful hum, carefully considering his words. Age was a strange thing in this world of the supernatural, and although he himself would never age much more than that of a human being like Maeve, he had had his whole life with the clarity and understanding that came with the knowledge that some beings simply were too old to even comprehend.
“I think,” he started, pausing slightly before continuing the line of thought. “I think that it gets a lot easier once you realise that knowledge and skill doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with age. Nothing at all, actually. Some of the older beings on the academy need even more guidance than the young ones because they have a bunch of bad habits they need to get rid of, if you get me?” His blue eyes lowered to look back at her again. “We all continue to learn - the newer material is more up to date too, so it makes sense to teach it to someone who was around before it was discovered it, I think. As long as they have the right mindset to learn from us.” It was a little silly when you really thought about it. How utterly immature a 3000 year old vampire or angel could be, and then how mature another much younger being would seem in comparison.
Luke let out a mild chuckle and shook his head. “I think I forget a little too often how old some of the students are, huh? When you really think about it it seems so far fetched.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought. But in a way it also felt nice knowing that age had nothing to say in a lot of matters. Calming in a way, he though, to not need to stress about such a thing.

Watching Lucas Hamilton getting embarrassed with a fairly rare occasion for Maeve. Especially since he usually was the one bringing it forth in her rather than the other way around, being more resilient in that department than she was. She was both easier annoyed and easier embarrassed than him, as it looked from her side of things looking, not only from the inside in his company but also looking from the outside at interactions he had with people. So, of course she felt a spark of victory upon his reaction. And of that exact reasoning, she the didn’t have the heart to point out to him, that he actually hadn’t been the one she’d thought of when making the remark. There were ground for these… high thought about himself, sure, but in general, the classes that were mostly affected by things like that weren’t even the athletic ones, although one would automatically think so. Raised pulses, movement, sweat and muscle. According to ill-informed teenage magazines, it was any teenage girl’s wet dream. And yet, statistics showed that classes like psychology with Prof. Casteli and Spanish with Mr. Gonzáles – that was when he substituted – were sought after more. Purely regarding the ogling-opportunity.
It was probably pretty clear, that she had something to say, from the way she smiled but even if he had noticed and prodded her, she simply shook her head at him. He had, after all, told her not to go there and she could only interpret it as not to go further as well.

Used to falling behind due to her short legs, it felt just as natural when it took the shapeshifter a little bit to realise the slowed down tempo of his running companion. Having people compensate for her had, in a way, become subconsciously expected, so she didn’t make an effort in meeting him in the middle by taking longer steps until reaching him.
For just a moment, after she had laid out her silly concerns in front of him, her thick brows then furrowed as her eye, having been keenly looking at him for a reaction, caught into the discreet pull on his face. To her it immediately looked like a smile, no a laugh on its way. Did he think she was being funny? She was absolutely serious! It had been filling up in her mind and she was not about to be laughed at like tha-… The spark of audacity was suddenly, and quickly dispersed when he opened his mouth and them beginning wrinkle between her brows smooth perfectly over again and the danger alert her eyes immitted were no where to be found although they looked exactly the same. Big, brown and at that time; heedful.
“Right,” she said. “We’ve gotten into our heads that age equals respect. Or rather; something that should be respected more. We’re told to respect our elders, as one thing. I guess you can respect people of having managed to survive longer but you’re right! It doesn’t really mean anything other than that. Not as something stand alone.” This time it was her turn to dwell into her thoughts, reorganize them with what Lucas had just said. She should give the man more credit, really. Up until a year ago, she had had a very firm image of him in her mind. Not the best of images. Highly influenced and altered by her own personal bribe with him back in the days. Affected by young adult immaturity too. “Maybe ageless beings minds don’t actually develop like humans,” she blurted out as the possibility hit her. “You’re the neuroscience fella, have you ever come across something like that in your research?” Despite how it worked, calling farfetched was such an understatement and she paired his little nose wrinkle with a humoured wince. “Yea. I can usually get through the day without thinking about it and everything is fine and dandy but as soon as it creeps in, it goes down a spiral. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one, though.” Especially someone not human as herself. Opposite to her, Lucas had had his whole life to get used to it in some way.