Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Observing Trifles on 12-11-2010, 07:08:41</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 07:08:41</strong>
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				The start of the spring semester at Hollisburg University saw hordes of new students from different parts of the country, all of whom crowded the campus during day one of freshman orientation. The first few weeks or so were always like this. Loud, bustling, and busy in general. The halls were alive with the sound of chattering students, teaming with fresh faces, half of them holding campus maps to their faces to find their way to their classrooms. Hollisburg was a labyrinth to those who didn't know it well; it took quite a bit of walking around before anyone was confident enough to go without a map.<br><br>Dr. Carson Ridley knew his way around quite well which, given the amount of time he had spent at Hollisburg, was no surprise to anyone. At only fourteen years old, he began his freshman year at Stanford, where he earned two Bachelors degrees - one in philosophy and one in sociology - by the time he was eighteen. Immediately thereafter, he came to Hollisburg, where in a short five years, he earned two Ph.D's for psychology and criminology. A certified genius with an IQ of 187, Carson had zipped right through four degrees and with them, at the age of 24, he became Professor of Behavioral Sciences, the youngest in the history of Hollisburg University.<br><br>Carson prided himself on his knowledge of the human mind, but for all his expertise, he fell flat in social situations. Perhaps it was because of all the bullying he had endured in high school (unquestionably, he had been the youngest student in attendance), but he was socially awkward and completely inept when it came to dealing with other people in casual situations. He understood the minds of the individuals he encountered, but for the life of him, he couldn't use any of that knowledge to help him in casual conversation, or even small talk in the elevator. But that was fine. He had his books.<br><br>Books didn't require him to hold a conversation. Books didn't expect anything of him, only to have those expectations shattered. Books simply existed, holding in them an alternate universe in which Carson frequently sought escape from the outside world. Not a day went by that Carson didn't speed-read his way through one book or another, often research material but occasionally novels. As long as it was semi-substantial and thought-provoking, Carson would read it - and he would retain it. An eidetic memory worked around the clock to make sure that whatever Carson read, he remembered for the rest of his life, and could recite effortlessly and accurately.<br><br>Before leaving his office, Carson double-checked his messenger bag to make sure he had everything that he required before heading off to his classroom. Copies of the course syllabus, check. Loose leaf paper, check. Mechanical pencils, netbook, light reading for lunchtime - check, check, check. Everything else was either in the classroom, somewhere in his desk. Sweeping a hand back through his untamed chestnut mane, he slid on his horn-rimmed glasses and directed his rich brown eyes toward the window to catch a glimpse of his reflection.<br><br>Not too terrible, he decided, self-consciousness reining him in soon after and prompting him to smooth out his argyle sweater vest. Deciding that he looked presentable, Carson shouldered his messenger bag and headed out, bound for his classroom. Once inside, he saw that students were already beginning to pile into their seats. His class was a core course for those majoring in almost every field of behavioral science (usually ranging from anthropology to psychology), so he was never in short supply of students. One day, he was determined to work his way up toward a criminal psychology class - but for the moment, it was a distant dream. He thought about it for the hundredth time while he moved behind his desk, organizing this and that in preparation for the first class of the semester. Then, at exactly 1:30PM, he moved to the whiteboard.<br><br>"Good afternoon, class." Socially awkward as Carson was, he was confident in his ability to govern a classroom. Snatching up a black magic marker, he scribbled the class number and his name on the whiteboard before turning to his class and reading it aloud. "Welcome to SBS 200, Intro to Behavioral Sciences. I'm Dr. Carson Ridley, I'll be your professor for the next few months." Moving away from the board, he began pacing in front of his desk. "The point of this class is to prepare you for what you'll encounter in your majors. Some of you are majoring in anthropology, others in psychology. Both of them are completely different fields, but both of them have one core subject - understanding human behavior. I'll be providing you with the basics, the tools to get you started."<br><br>Some members of his class (namely the ones who arrived at the last second and hadn't seen him setting up) seemed surprised to see him there. Carson was, after all, quite young for a professor and in the halls, looked more like a student than anything. So it came as a shock to some of them to see him at the desk, introducing the material. Carson was used to that and ignored the muttering he heard in the large, auditorium-like room. "Before we start," he said as he moved back behind his desk, "I'll take any questions you might have."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 08:08:54</strong>
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				Hollisburg University had not been Elijah Horton's first choice. In fact, he had applied and gotten accepted into a few schools that were first choice. NYU, UCLA, The University of Hawaii, all of these had been the places he had seen, liked, and had ultimately set his goals for. The thing was, despite how good these schools were and how there were hundreds of opportunities for him to party and to have the best times of his life, the money he did not have brought up the importance of him going or not. His mother would not help him, and neither would his father who lived forty minutes away from home. Not many people in his family were either rich enough or cared enough to lend him money and to ensure his future was a bright one that avoided the outcome of him becoming a thirty five year old man working in a Barnes and Noble for the rest of his life.<br><br>So, Hollisburg was the next best thing. Especially since he managed to get by on several scholarships and loans, it was like an answer to his prayers when that acceptance letter came in. True Eli was really bummed about not checking out the latest gay clubs and hitting up the streets where interesting shops resided, but for now if he could just get his education and in time his Master's degree in Psychology, then he would be perfectly fine, fit, and able to spend the rest of his life roaming big city streets with his bank account full and secured.<br><br>On his first day after a week of living in the dorms, Eli found himself in front of his bath room mirror, brushing his teeth for the third time and finally being satisfied with his pearly white mouth, he smiled and looked back at his dorm mate, James, who was hopping on one foot just to pull up a sock. "Hey man," Eli laughed, "You know you have chairs to sit in right? Instead of looking like a mentally disturbed, over grown bunny, why not just sit and pull up the sock." The young man opposite of him stood up and sighed, clad in jeans and now two socks, he grinned at the guy he had known since third grade. "Hey, I got the sock on man, my method works just as well as yours. You know, I think you're a little OCD. Your teeth are totally clean man, why are you obsessing?"<br><br>With a shrug, the eighteen year old just looked at himself in the mirror. He had beautiful, light grey eyes that rested like tiny silver moons in his handsome face. He had beautiful blond hair that went to his shoulders in soft locks with a gentle wave to it. Eli stood at six foot two with a toned physique that hinted he took great care of himself and worked out. Eli was actually a bit of a swimmer and had helped his team in high school win their fair share of events. He waved his wet tooth brush at James and laughed when the dark skinned man yelped at the cold water before he put the tooth brush back in the cup holder.The door rooms were weird like that, they did not have a shower or toilet right inside but they did have a sink. <br><br>"Just want to look good for my first day of college, you should try it some time," the young male teased and then got moving to finish getting ready and head on to class. <br><br>At eighteen, Elijah Horton was someone who was still exploring life and all it had to offer. He was smart, but not overtly so. His focus was more on people, culture, and seeing as much of the world as possible while also picking up some interesting experiences along the way. Most of his friends now knew of his orientation. He had come out in his tenth grade year of high school, first to his best friend James, and then to his family. It had been hard, and his parents still did not full accept him, but he had learned that parents found it hard to cope when their idea of having a daughter in law and a whole bunch of babies that resembled them was no longer in the dream.<br><br>Even so, Eli had only kissed two men in his life and had not been very impressed. Sure it had been thrilling to try since he had kissed girls before and found the excitement to triple with of someone the same gender, but the skill and the softness and the sweetness,they both had lacked it. So, he was searching, College Life had much to offer and he hoped it would serve up his first real experience with a man. <br><br>When he entered Behavioural Science, he was wearing slim black jeans with a long sleeved, grey thermal shirt that was unbuttoned two buttons down to show the soft, tanned flesh of his neck and the dip between his firm collar bone. When he sat, he inhaled sharply at the sight of the man up front. Was that the professor? If so, then...holy crap. Since when did professors come out looking like that? Eli's hungry silver eyes roamed up and down the man until&nbsp; class started. And then he just followed him, getting an excuse to look at him for the entire class period was absolutely delicious.<br><br>The rest of the class noticed his obvious good looks as well and Eli just smiled as girls whispered and giggled, as silly as he thought women were some times, he had the few friends he could relate to who were female and who were able to ogle someone who looked particularly hot. He was going need to sneak in a phone picture of this one. At Dr. Ridley's question, Eli raised his hand and smiled, "Would you consider offering tutoring to students who are...lagging behind?"<br><br>Not that Eli would fail this class, but oh he could definitely play dumb as long as it gave him the chance to get a little closer to the slightly older, and yet youthful looking man.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 08:54:43</strong>
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				Despite his glaring lack of social skills, Carson was very comfortable in front of a classroom. He felt most at home when he was explaining articles from text books, bantering with students about subjects in the newspapers pertaining to the behavioral sciences. Even with his colleagues, the only time he felt truly comfortable was when they discussed new developments in the fields of psychology. Apart from those occasions, he was very quiet and demure, content to be a wall flower. But in his comfort zone, he could talk up a storm. The classroom gave him that opportunity.<br><br>He wasn't sure what it was, except perhaps the idea of sharing his knowledge with his students that made him so comfortable in front of his classes, and in the two years he had spent as a professor, he was very satisfied with his work. Carson loved knowing that his students left his classroom well-informed and prepared to further their ventures into understanding the human mind. It was the kind of satisfaction that everyone sought from their jobs, but rarely ever attained. It made the long work days worthwhile, that was for sure.<br><br>Carson's attention shifted when he spotted one of his students raising his hand to venture a question. He gestured to him silently, indicating that he could speak freely. Questions about tutoring were often the first that Carson entertained, so he was prepared for it and nodded accordingly. "Of course," he replied, smiling pleasantly. "See me after class if you want to schedule some tutoring. That goes for the rest of you, as well." It wasn't so out of the ordinary for students to ask for tutoring within the first few days of class; the material was complex for individuals who hadn't gotten a head start on their readings.<br><br>"If you decide later that you need some one-on-one assistance, my office hours and contact information is on the course syllabus, which you can find on the university website. We're trying to go green," he said, "which means less paper copies&nbsp; of syllabi and course calendars, but I have a few on hand if you can't print them out on your own for whatever reason. Anyone else?" He scanned the population of students in his classsroom and eventually came to a blonde girl, to whom he gestured with a wave of his hand. "Yes, Miss...?"<br><br>"Brandon," she piped up. "Chelsea. Uhm... Sorry, but I have to ask... How old are you?"<br><br>Carson recognized the nature of her question; he could even hear her giggling in the slightest, courtesy of the classroom's acoustics. Plus, she had a dreamy look about her, as though she had just laid eyes on a male model. He nearly sighed, but he soon gave that same pleasant, tolerant smile. Really, he should have been used to the question by now, since it generally came up at least once every semester. Even when he introduced himself as <em>Dr.</em> Ridley, no one believed him at first. His genius was as much a gift as it was a curse for putting him so many years ahead of people his own age.<br><br>"Twenty-six," Carson told her. "I know what you're thinking and yes, twenty-six <em>is</em> young for a professorship. But we're not here to talk about me or how old I am." Mainly because he didn't want to be in the spotlight. It made him uncomfortable. Any attention at all that strayed from the world of academia made him uncomfortable and almost as a defensive gesture, he moved back behind his desk where he felt the safest. "So if there are no more questions..." He waited, checking for any more raised hands, before nodding to himself and propping open a book sitting upon his desk.<br><br>"Alright, then. Open your books to page 49 and we'll get started."<br><br>For the first day of class, Carson started his students off with basic exercises to help them identify certain modes of behavior. He tended to place focus on abnormal psychology, since that was his area of expertise, but he always moved back toward the broad spectrum of "normal" psychological techniques, cues, and other trivial forms of human behavior. Things that other people overlooked were essential to understanding one person's mind; the tiniest details were often the most important, which he urged his students to remember. Nothing was meaningless.<br><br>Class wrapped up at 3:15PM, whereupon Carson reminded them that they were welcome to stay after class to ask questions or schedule tutoring if they desired. A single-file line formed at the front of his desk and he took a seat behind it to work through them one by one, patiently. He enjoyed his work and wanted to help his students to the best of his ability, even if that meant staying a bit longer after class than was necessary.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 09:21:56</strong>
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				Since Elijah had been in middle school, he had always enjoyed the concept of Psychology and the idea of learning everything there was to know about the human mind and how to better equip peple in life. He always gave advice to his friends, especially the few close female friends he had, and when they took his advice, nine times out of ten, he was always right and always had the best things to say. Not only that, but Eli loved to watch people. At times when he was not in the mood to party or explore areas, he would just go to a mall or a park and watch. <br><br>Which, yes, it could be considered a little creepy and just a small amount of imposing on the lives of strangers he did not know, but usually it was just there to learn. So now, in the enviroment of his class room, he did not care to watch the student, but rather Dr. Ridley. The guy was so incredibly good looking, Eli had the desire to run his fingers through those milk chocolate locks and play with the fine strands of hair, instead he just ran his own digits through his sunshine hair and smiled when Dr. Ridley told him to see him after class should he hope to get extra help.<br><br>Eli sort of wished he had asked him privately, no one else had seemed to ask many questions, and so maybe the invitation he gave to all of his students could have been avoided and he would have only gotten Eli on his waiting list. It sucked but at the same time, Dr. Ridley had in fact smiled at him and spoke to him. That was enough for him as he tapped his black Vans on the floor, the shoes barely containing his nervously bouncing feet. <br><br>At Chelsea's question, Eli grinned, now that was a question he should have asked. Eli's eyes narrowed in on the teacher who seemed almost relunctant to answer...was he shy? Looking at him a bit closer, he could see that he was, he even ran around behind his desk after answering as if the wooden support would be a shielf from questions that delved too deep. Twenty-six years old, which meant Dr. Ridley was exactly eight years older, give or take a month here and there, Eli inhaled. An older man who apparently seemed to be incredibly smart to already be a teacher at a rather prosperous University, the man knew his stuff and when he began to teach, Eli was staring not only because he was handsome, but also because he was interested in what he had to say.<br><br>As a note-taker, Eli always carried around spiral notebooks and pens,letting the ink flow as he wrote down key points and ideas that Dr. Ridley had to show and to express to his open, brand new students. Being fresh from high school and seemingly wanting to pursue a better life, the students in that class did happen to whisper here and there but most of them simply wanted to soak up such useful knowledge, especially since they were brand new to the atmosphere of a large classroom and an adult way of life.<br><br>Once 3:15 rolled around, class ended and people began to either leave and report to the next class, or they went up to Dr. Ridley's desk and proceeded to ask questions and set up dates to study. Eli had stayed back to talk to a few people, laughing and smiling, nodding along and echanging information in case they might want to start a study group. He sighed and slipped the Behavioral Science text book into his large grey messenger back and then slid it over his shoulder as the tall, athletic male got in the very back.<br><br>Being the last in line, Eli tilted up his head in greeting and gave a charming smile, "Hello Dr. Ridley," the last student headed out of the class room and Eli would tilt his head a bit as his blond hair swept along his right shoulder. Looking over the desk a bit, being purposely nosey, he laughed as he saw all of the dates and appointments set for either tutoring, meetings, or something else. "Wow, your schedule is really packed full, Doc. You sure you can fit lil' ol me in?" He batted his lashes at him playfully with a hand over his heart before his husky chuckle came forth.<br><br>"Either way, I wanted to set up a time that works for you, I'm a college kid here so I don't have much of a life, haha...but also I wanted to ask you some questions if you were okay with it." Eli licked his lips and then pulled down his shirt before asking, "How did you get to become a Professor, so young? I mean, I definitely do not doubt your abilities at all as a teacher, honestly, you're one of the best I've ever had it's just. Odd. I mean, you have to be some sort of genius right?"<br><br>Leaning forward with his hands on the desk, Eli gave a smirk and said, "If that's the case, mind passing on some of that smart to me? I could really use it." He sighed and shook his head. "And also, what made you so interested in a subject like this?" 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 10:19:17</strong>
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				Carson went through each of the students who had lined up individually, answering a few questions about the material, explaining certain sections, and making appointments for private tutoring later in the week. He had two versions of the same class each semester -&nbsp; one in the early afternoon split between Mondays and Thursdays, and one in the morning on Fridays - which kept him very busy, but he&nbsp; made a point to always have time available for his students, especially if they needed some extra help. It made his job that much more fulfilling.<br><br>More than that, though, Carson's age was actually a benefit to him. He often found that because he was so young, he could relate to his students in a way that other members of the faculty couldn't. His students felt comfortable around him because he wasn't an intimidating authority figure, but someone they could talk to who was still in their age group, only a bit more advanced in the sense that in nine years, he had acquired the education that would have taken most people twenty. But he put his knowledge to good use, which had to be worth something, or so he hoped.<br><br>The last student lined up at his desk was a face Carson had seen just as class begun; he recognized him as the one who had ventured a question pertaining to tutoring. He was glad to see the teenager up there, already so comfortable with asking questions. Not everyone in college was so secure - particularly not the freshman, since they were still finding their footing. Looking up, he smiled in greeting to the student. As an occupationally-acquired habit, Carson had the tendency to "profile" people, and when Eli stepped up to his desk, he did just that.<br><br>Eli's posture told Carson that he was quite a self-confident young man, so too did the glint in those entrancing silver eyes. The fact that Eli was bold enough to look across his desk at his planner then told Carson that he was a very forward individual, one who preferred to take charge rather than sit back and watch life pass him by. And he was quite talkative as well. Refreshing as Eli's confidence was, it was also slightly intimidating. Carson was the exact opposite - self-conscious, withdrawn, and quiet.<br><br>"I always make time for my students," he assured, a polite smile on his thin lips. "And I'm sure I can make time for you." Carson turned his head down to look at his planner, but as he scanned the open days in his schedule, Eli extended a few questions pertaining to how he had attained his professorship and what had attracted him to the subject to begin with. Quite a curious young man, wasn't he? Carson looked up again, only to find that Eli had leaned forward, slightly closer now, which caused him to feel slightly uneasy because somewhere in the back of his mind, a nagging little voice pointed out just how attractive his student was.<br><br>God. He couldn't be thinking about things like that. Moving on.<br><br>Genius? "I suppose technically," he offered, his modesty ringing true in his tone. "But the theory of multiple intelligences, a 1983 proposal by Harvard professor Howard Gardner, suggests that there are more than seven types of intelligences, and each of them has its own type of genius. A person can be a genius in one type of intelligence and not the other, so technically speaking, there are actually more than seven different types of geniuses. Of course, there's also the standard IQ test, the results of which can vary greatly depending on the interpretor. Any score above 140 is considered a 'high' IQ, and most experts base genius as falling anywhere between 160 to 180. Mine is 187, so by those standards, yes, I suppose you could use the word 'genius.' I try not to."<br><br>One of Carson's many eccentricities was that he tended to ramble. A lot. He heard a question and he answered in the most analytical term possible, not because he wanted to come across as intelligent or superior, but because that was the way his mind operated. More often than not, he tended to recite - word for word - theories straight out of textbooks by heart and would get through a paragraph or two before he realized that he was the only one talking. It was an unfortunate side effect of harboring so much knowledge - some of it tended to leak out of his brain in the form of run-on sentences.<br><br>It didn't matter if he rambled during class. But during one-on-one conversations... it got awkward.<br><br>Clearing his throat, Carson ran a hand back through his thick brown mane and shelved his thoughts for the moment to more properly address Eli's question. "I went to school here for my doctorates. I worked closely with my professors during the bulk of my education and it went a long way toward getting the support I needed to join the faculty. I worked as an assistant professor here for two years before I was tenured and allowed to teach on my own." Most assistant professors required more than two years for full tenure, but as with everything else in his life, Carson zipped right past with little effort.<br><br>"As for what made me choose this subject..." He smiled. "I simply enjoy studying human behavior. I used to people-watch when I was a child and I always wondered what all those little gestures meant. Interpreting people was always a hobby of mine and when I got into high school, I realized that there was a career in it." It was the one thing that Carson was comfortable with, knew he was good at. It was almost relaxing, even, as strange as that might have sounded.<br><br>"Now." Glancing back down to his planner, he tapped the business end of his mechanical pencil to the paper and asked, "Does Wednesday afternoon work for you? I can pencil you in for 4PM. Also, I didn't quite catch your name."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>12-11-2010, 23:00:11</strong>
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				Eli was happy to hear that Carson would be able to make time for him. It was probably incredibly stupid of the freshman student to even think of Dr. Ridley in any other way exceptfor him being his teacher, but it was hard to think rationally when those bright brown eyes looked at you like you were the only person in the room. Elijah had never quite felt so enraptured before by another man except for one of the friends he had met years ago who was almost as pretty as Dr. Ridley but was a Senior and way too straight to give him the time of the day, a homosexual Junior whose flirting techniques were a little too forward for his liking.<br><br>Elijah just hoped that Dr. Ridley would be more open to winks, touches on the arm, subtle innuendos. He wanted Carson to play along but the awkward adult was already rambling like a mad man and Eli had only flattered him in the way of stating facts. The man was a genius, it was clear to see now, and a human recorder who gave off useless but interesting information to his student who just stared blinking, with a crooked little smile.<br><br>"So in reality," Elijah began smoothly, "You're sort of like Einstein in the modern age,only your hair is far more nicer and you face is much more appealing then his was. Huh," he shrugged those blonde brows and smiled, "Beauty and brains. The complete package," Elu drummed his fingers on the desk and licked his lips as Dr. Ridley began to cool down from the over drive of info that he felt compelled to tell. It was cute, incredibly cute, and it only made Elijah all the more intrigued.<br><br>When he told of information of his choices of the career and the many things he did to become where he was now, Elijah simply listened, nodding here and there. He was impressed, genuinely so to learn that Dr. Ridley had done so much at such a young age, it was inspiring to know that there was still geniuses in the world among the crowd of young people who were vapid and without direction. Standing back up straight, he tilted his head, and nodded with a light laugh.<br><br>"I love to study human behavior as well, maybe not as extensive in my skill as you are, but like you said, I people watch. I still do it to this day, lately I've been watching you, a most interesting subject, might I add. Much more interesting then silly girls and boys in the park or busy adults in a mall, kind of wish I could make a career in studying humans who were more like you." Elijah winked and he put his hands in the pocket of his jeans.<br><br>"Wednesday," he repeated and puckered his lips before he took the initiative to walk and move around the desk Carson loved to sit behind as his tiny fort to block out the world when things got too personal. Coming up at his side, he leaned down and his blond hair brushed over the shoulder of Dr. Ridley and his left arm reached out to take the pencil Dr. Ridley held, his firm chest brushed over his arms as he got a little closer and wrote, 'Wednesday Afternoon with Elijah Horton, one o'clock.' And then Elijah drew a winking smiley face and turned his face, merely inches away from Caron, his silver eyes were like spotlights boring into the warm brown eyes of his professor. <br><br>"Read the schedule, memorize the name," he grinned, "I'm pretty sure I'll become your favourite student in no time. So let's skip the formal and have you just call me Eli, alright Dr. Ridley," and then he dropped the pencil and whispered, "Oh, hold still." His hand came up and index finger brushed over the smooth, and yet very firm jaw of Dr. Ridley, tracing all the way down to his chin before he let out a soft laugh and said, "Eyelash."<br><br>Standing back up, he walked from around the desk, picked up his bag and waved, "I'll see you in our next class, and also, for tutoring. Have a good day Dr. Ridley," he winked and made his way out, trying to ignore the excitement that went thrumming through his veins and made for him to walk a little oddly as he pulled at the right pant leg of his jeans. Ugh, sometimes being a male sucked, but at the times where it counted, it was also a glorious thing.<br><br>After a general English class later on that day, Elijah made his way back to the dorm room and went in to find it empty. He sighed and got out his books before he went to his desk where his laptop sat and began to work on the homework assigned by Dr. Ridley and Dr. Daly both teachers were brilliant and Eli was happy to be in two classes that stimulated the mind&nbsp; and...more,especially with Ridley. <br><br>He chuckled to himself as he thought about the Professor whose intelligence was staggering and whose awkwardness was so completely adorable. Elijah would yawn a bit, tired from the day of running around campus and carrying around all of the books. He was quick to do his work and finish up as well as he could. While Elijah was no genius, he was well above average and had interesting views on subjects and could write up an A plus paper in an hour or so.<br><br>Once he was finished, he sighed and decided to head out for some food since it was dinner time and he was starving. He threw his hair up into a ponytail and changed clothes into basketball shorts and a t-shirt with sneakers so he could work out afterwards at the gym that the University held especially for athletes, but open to the general public.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 00:44:30</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The most noteworthy attribute that Elijah possessed was his boldness. Carson had had his doubts initially, but as Elijah went on, complimenting his hair and his features - even going so far as to insinuate that he was beautiful - it became more and more difficult to ignore the obvious. Oh, but he was trying. Unfortunately, Carson was fairly transparent; his emotions read clearly on his face. As such, when the compliments sank in, at last registering, his fair complexion lit up with a bright pink blush and it was all he could do not to start rambling all over again - but for a whole different reason.<br><br>Carson wasn't always very tuned in when others were attracted to him, but Elijah was making no secret of it. It almost seemed like he was doing his best to put the fact out there, labeling him an "interesting subject" and citing a desire to study people like him. Of course, Elijah could have meant it in a purely academic way, but... Carson doubted it. There was a certain flirtatiousness to Elijah's stance, the glint in his eye, and the way he winked. And in that moment, Carson at last acknowledged what he had since attempted to deny.<br><br>Elijah was attracted to him. His teenaged, freshman student was <em>attracted to him.</em><br><br>This wasn't good.<br><br>Incredibly flustered by this development, Carson had no time to react before Elijah moved behind his desk, leaning in close enough to touch, and took it upon himself to scribble a note in his planner for Wednesday. He could feel the young man's sturdy chest pushing against his arm, that downy blond mane brushing against his shoulder, and even his breath as he exhaled touched upon his cheek. This was... uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Carson wasn't used to handling attraction to begin with, but attraction from a <em>student</em>? That was a whole other thing entirely.<br><br>So, Elijah planned on becoming his favorite student, did he? Carson wished that he could disspell such ideas, but deep down, he knew he couldn't. Elijah was a very attractive young man, very easy to look at - and he could easily get lost in those platinum eyes of his. It was wrong, so very wrong to think of a student this way - but he had no intention of acting upon it, so what was the harm? So what if Elijah was attractive? Just because he could acknowledge someone's outer beauty didn't mean he was breaching his ethics.<br><br>"Ah... Y- Yes. Of course. Eli, it is." Carson tried to smile, but when Elijah reached out to touch his face, ghosting a long finger down his jaw and to his chin, he froze. Oh, dear god. Why was he touching him? There was absolutely no need for Elijah to be this close to him; every last one of Carson's instincts screamed for him to protest. But he couldn't. It actually felt... nice. Although he could have scoffed at Elijah's assurance that his actions had only been to rid him of a wayward eyelash. Eyelash, indeed...<br><br>Quite the smooth talker, wasn't he?<br><br>Softly clearing his throat when at last Elijah pulled away, Carson scrambled to pick up his pencil, as though gripping the writing tool would reestablish some semblance of control over his own actions. For all his knowledge of the human psyche, Carson couldn't understand why his heart was beating so quickly, and he had lost the will to try. He looked up and, as Elijah bid him goodbye, Carson put himself back together as best he could (which wasn't much) and forced a smile. "Wednesday at one," he said. "In my office. Until then, Eli."<br><br>The moment the classroom door closed behind Elijah, Carson deflated. He dropped his pencil and sank down into his seat, defeated. Confused. Bewildered. All that good stuff. He couldn't wrap his head around what had happened and for minutes after the fact, he tried to convince himself that he had read into Elijah's actions incorrectly. Surely, all of that forwardness had a logical explanation that didn't pertain to physical attraction. Yes, that was it. There was some other explanation that he just wasn't seeing.<br><br>Unfortunately, this was Carson's area of expertise; he knew that he hadn't misread Elijah's intentions. This was exactly the sort of behavior that he studied and he knew for a fact that Elijah's advances had been flirtatious in nature, there was no getting around that. And so, with a sigh, Carson resigned himself to a semester of discomfort, because he knew that with Elijah in his classroom, he would get no reprieve. Teenage boys were incorrigible. Particularly during their freshman year of college. With any luck, Carson mused as he packed up his things, Elijah would find some boy his own age and forget all about him. That would be ideal.<br><br>Ideal, perhaps. But unlikely.<br><br>Carson stayed behind in his office for a time to take care of some filing before heading off to the university library. He often spent much of his time there for a bit of personal research. Despite having a full schedule of classes, meetings, and personal tutoring sessions, he always found time to entertain his audodidacticism - his passion for self-teaching. He absorbed information like a sponge and he was constantly starved for more knowledge. Carson harbored interests beyond what his degrees covered, but he didn't necessarily want to study them officially, so he read up on the subjects in his free time. Unfortunately, it added to his isolated nature - but he didn't mind. He rather enjoyed being alone.<br><br>It was nightfall when he finally closed the books, returned them to their shelves, and left for the night. The campus was nearly empty now; nearly everyone had gone home save for some members of the faculty and the cleaning staff. The campus restaurants were still open, however, which made up all of the nighttime traffic. And as per Carson's luck, there was Elijah, presumably on his way to grab some dinner. He had changed into gym clothes, too. Carson was not a religious man by any stretch of the imagination, but he found himself praying nonetheless to be delivered from temptation. In passing, for the sake of politeness, he smiled at the young man, "Evening, Eli," before hurrying past him in an attempt to make it back to his apartment before he said - or did - something stupid.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 01:16:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Elijah walked, he noticed the appearanced of students all around. From freshman girls, giggling and looking out for hot older men, or aged college students who were near their last year and simply ambling about since the last year of college always came to be a time where you only had one or two classes a week, minimal homework, and free time to kill. Repeatedly. The males of his school were all very attractive in their own way. But it didn't mean they were what Eli preffered. His tastes at the moment were seeking out lanky, nerdy types who managed to keep their good looks and their shy nature.<br><br>It was perhaps pathetic to prey on the weak, but he figured preying on Dr. Ridley had just felt so good, surely more like him would be able to give Eli something to appreciate. The few nerds and moderately awkward young men that he saw were all interesting, but none of them caught his attention the way Carson had. They were not as striking nor did they give off a shy, and yet, pleasing air about them that made Eli's inner desire to devour such a beautiful little man come out of him. He sighed and his long arms stretched up as he neared the array of restaurants and tightened his blond ponytail. Right when he did, his eyes were caught by something and his muscled legs slowed down as his smile brightened his handsome face.<br><br>Just a few paces ahead was Dr. Ridley and he seemed incredibly put out just because his upcoming favourite new student was on the same path as he was. Eli licked his lips and smirked, purposely slowing down so that Dr. Ridley had no excuse not to notice him or say hi. At his greeting, Elijah took two steps back and then one to the left, blocking Dr. Ridley entirely. And because of this, combined with Carson's rushing, their bodies collided, and Elijah let out a gasp when Dr. Ridley's foot tripped up and their forms fell with Elijah bottoming out the blow and catching Dr. Ridley. Elijah absorbed most of the pain from the fall and he felt the back of his hairless leg become opened up from the rough sidewalk.<br><br>He hissed softly and winced, but his attention sooner went to Dr. Ridley and his big hands came up and gripped the sides of Carson's arms carefully as he sat up and lifted Dr. Ridley, ignoring his own wound for now he searched his eyes carefully, "Dr. Ridley, I am so sorry! I tripped," he lied and then said, "Are you okay? Here let's see if you can get up alright." Slowly he moved up and support Dr. Ridley, his hand began to brush off any dirt from the front of his chest and then Elijah moved his hands along his professor's legs and then turned around to start wiping down his back, merely grazing down his covered ass and thighs before he then ran his fingers through Dr. Ridley's brown mane to make sure nothing had been caught in it.<br><br>Coming around to his front, he smiled, "Are you alright? Dr. Ridley, please, let me buy you dinner for doing that. I feel like such a stupid clutz...please forgive me for that." Eli bit his lip and then said, "I'll pay and everything. It's the least I could do." Then he noticed his cut and looked back. "Oh, crud. Hm, I wonder if I can go into the bathroom and wash this up before we eat," he said as if the plans were already in motion.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 01:52:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Carson just wanted to make it back to his apartment. He wanted to put the long day behind him and curl up on his sofa with a cup of tea and a good book. Then, everything would be alright again. He would be in his own little bubble without the intrusion of bold, flirtatious students, where he could relax and enjoy the silence. That, to Carson, was the perfect way to spend a Monday night. Or... any night, really. He wasn't the social type when he didn't have to be. It just wasn't in his nature to spend free time with people, that was all.<br><br>And until he got his thoughts together, Elijah was the last person that Carson wanted to spend his free time with. The young man represented everything that put Carson on edge - boldness, forwardness, fearlessness. And, above all, flirtatiousness. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of anyone's desires. In fact, he was perfectly happy to completely shut himself off from the idea of sex and dating. Both just made him self-conscious and painfully nervous. Carson hoped that Elijah found someone else to vent his testosterone with because he was <em>not</em> going to tolerate advances from a student.<br><br>Unfortunately for Carson, Elijah was not going to allow him to walk away so quickly. Instead, he stepped in front of him and tried to block his path, but in his hurry, Carson contributed to the controlled chaos and before he knew it, he had tripped and fallen - right on top of Elijah. It took Carson a few moments to realize where he was and what had happened to him and when he did, his fair features lit up with a vibrant blush. This was <em>not</em> where he wanted to be and as a result, the moment he was able, he scrambled up into a sitting position and quickly moved off Elijah's lap.<br><br>"No, no," Carson muttered, flapping his hand dismissively while he moved back up to his feet with Elijah's help. "I'm fine, really, I-" But then Elijah began brushing dirt off him, starting at the front and quickly moving to the back. Carson was no fool and he knew that this act of generosity was merely a way for Elijah to feel him up. His slender body trembled in the slightest when the younger man's fingers grazed his ass, then focused on his hair. This was not acceptable behavior at all - but Carson was just glad that no one was around to see.<br><br>"I- I'm perfectly alright, thank you." He took a few steps back and brushed himself off again, despite not needing to, simply out of awkward impulse. He paused, though, when Elijah offered to buy him dinner to make up for his clumsiness. "Ah, that's... That's not necessary," he assured, but when he saw that Elijah had scraped his leg, the situation took an unfortunate turn. Carson couldn't leave him with that. He felt as though he had contributed to their fall and it wouldn't have been right to let him clean up by himself.<br><br>Sighing to himself as he adjusted the distressed leather bag slung over his shoulder, he smiled and gestured toward the nearby cafe. "But I suppose I should at least help you clean that up," he offered. "I have some bandages in my bag."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 02:28:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dr. Ridley seemed more then prepared to simply run as fast as possible. It only made the chase that more thrilling to Elijah as he first declined the offer for dinner. Pouting his lower lip, Eli looked off to the side and sighed a bit, "But. I really messed up Dr. Ridley, and you're my professor, I treated you so carelessly, please, let me make it up to you some how." He smiled and looked back to Ridley as he tilted his leg out to show the small stream of blood that he attempted to clean away with his palm but it just ended up smearing against his sun kissed flesh.<br><br>When Dr. Ridley offered to clean up the wound, with a motion to a cafe, Eli grinned and brightened up considerably. "Wonderful," he said and then turned, walking with a tiny, dramatic limp, he opened up the foor Carson and waved his arm out, "After you, Dr. Ridley." With that, Eli smiled and went in after him. His clean hand came up to Carson's small lower back and he turned them right to move into the men's bathroom that only allowed one person at a time inside with no stalls, just a toilet, sink, and the paper towel and toilet paper disposer.<br><br>Elijah shut the door and locked it once Dr. Ridley was inside, with a tiny sigh he said, "Thanks for this. Again I apologize. But you were in such a hurry," he started up the sink and ran his hand beneath the warm water of the dried blood on his palm before he got a paper towel and bent over in front of Dr. Ridley so that in the mirror it looked as if Carson was taking a handsome blond from behind. Eli moved back and forth a bit with a grin, shaking his head as he cleaned up the blood and sighed as he saw some of it got on his sock. "Crap," he murmured, "My favourite socks, ah well, when I go to the gym I'll just tell them I got a sex wound from a most unforgiving teacher," he chuckled.<br><br>Standing back up he threw the paper towel away and turned back to Carson with an outstretched, "May I have a bandage...well, two actually, kind of a long scratch. You're awfully fierce Dr. Ridley, I'll give you that," Elijah chuckled and winked at him. Once the bandages were in his posession he covered up the shallow wound so it would heal and then sighed.<br><br>"So," he flipped his hair back and smiled, "Were you rushing home to your wife Dr. Ridley? Or even...a lover? Or is it safe to say you're free for me to...treat to dinner?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 03:57:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elijah seemed determined to keep him around for dinner. Carson could have sighed again; this was getting far too close for comfort. Having dinner with a student was by no means unethical, but with a student who was blatantly attracted to him? That was borderline. Despite the obvious discomfort he felt at Elijah's advances, there was also his job to consider. If anyone even got the impression that the two of them were anything more than student and teacher, it was Carson's career on the line.<br><br>But... well, nothing would happen. Because Carson wasn't going to let anything happen. That was that.<br><br>Repeating those facts over and over in his head, Carson gave a small, grateful smile when Elijah opened the door for him and he stepped inside without ceremony - although it was worth noting how much emphasis Elijah was putting on his injured leg. It was only a scrape, but he was milking it for all it was worth, likely to try and guilt him into sticking around for a meal. Fine, Carson figured. Let him indulge his fantasies, because they weren't going to come to fruition.<br><br>That alone offered him little solace, however, once they entered the one-person bathroom and Elijah locked the door behind them. Instantly, Carson's heart beat quickened. "It's... It's alright," he assured, clearing his throat awkwardly as he dug through his messenger bag for the small first aid kit that he kept there for occasions such as this. Fighting not to look in the mirror, given Elijah's suggestive pose, he added, "If anything, it's my fault. I was in a hurry and, well... Anyway." Side-stepping from the mirror, Carson extended two large bandages for Elijah to slap onto the wound.<br><br>Moving nearer to the door, Carson shouldered his bag once more as Elijah ventured a question regarding a potential wife or lover that he was hurrying home to. Fishing for information; and not subtly, either. Carson was visibly intimidated by Elijah's forwardness, but he said nothing on it, instead trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't sound like an open invitation. "... No," he said at last. "There's no one. Just some work that needs to be done. A professor's job is never done, really..."<br><br>But Elijah was going to persist, and Carson was no match for him. Exhaling quietly, he forced another small smile and inclined his head in defeat. "But... I suppose I could stick around for a burger." Maybe if he entertained Elijah for a while, he would back off.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 05:21:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				No wife, no lover, the man was single. Making him an open target for the ever excited and hungry Elijah whose eyes could not help but stray. He felt like he was a beast in some ways, the way he stalked after Carson as if the man was helpless, beautiful prey. He was waiting for the moment Dr. Ridley would come out and outright reject him but that seemed to be highly unlikely which made the blond excited. He intimidated Dr. Ridley, a student intimidating a teacher in the most sinful of ways, it was delicious.<br><br>With a sparkle in those silver eyes and walking forward, his ponytail lightly bobbing behind him, he tilted his head and grinned, "A burger sounds delicious right now to have, especially with you, Professor." He then went around Carson, their bodies brushed and Eli could not ignore that pleasurable tingle that went up his toes to his legs, he bit his lip as he unlocked the door and opened it from the man, letting him pass, he felt suddenly energized.<br><br>A date with the Teacher, a most delicious idea though he was pretty sure Carson thought of it as anything else but that. But maybe by the end of the night he would call it that. A man could dream after all. With Dr. Ridley at his side, Elijah led the way to a booth and sat down. Coming across from Carson, the student's long legs stretched out a bit as he straightened up and nodded to the pretty, young waitress who laid down some menus. "What would you like to drink?"<br><br>"Sweet tea," Eli answered readily and opened up the menu, when the woman had the ticket and flipped it to take Carson's order, he interrupted, "Put it on the same ticket, please, I'm paying." The girl blinked but shrugged and nodded and got Dr. Ridley's order. Once she was off and Elijah was scanning the items to buy, he chuckled and asked, "So, Doctor," he folded his hands and surveyed the man's face thoughtfully, "What were you rushing home to study?"<br><br>Elijah had a feeling that getting Dr. Ridley to open up would take time and careful picking and talking. The man was handsome, but awkward, his conversation was easily made into something more when talking about the things he knew. So Elijah was curious, plus the man was smart and was teaching a class, there had to be something to learn from him outside of the classroom. Maybe if he could learn more of the more...delicious things, from Dr. Ridley, then that would be a plus. But he could settle for golden nuggets of wise information instead.<br><br>"Is that all you do every night, Dr. Ridley? Go home and study? Surely you must go out...dates, get together, just even going exploring the city...something else besides that, right? I mean what's so invigorating about studying, how do you do it, is there a system?" Eli was wondering maybe because he wanted to learn more on the art of studying...but also he wanted to know just what interested Carson beyond books.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 06:22:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As he moved to his side of the booth, Carson took a moment to reflect on the fact that he rarely accepted offers to have his meals paid for by those he dined with (however rare those occasions were). He always felt like he was imposing. But in this particular situation, he was sure that that was not the case. On the contrary. Elijah seemed perfectly happy with the idea of paying for him. Instinctively, Carson bridled at the thought, since Elijah was a freshman and no doubt living on a budget, but he knew ahead of time that there was no use trying to talk him out of it. The young man wanted to impress him, sweep him off his feet, and the price of a burger was fairly small in comparison to the end game.<br><br>Uncomfortable again.<br><br>"Just a... ginger ale, please. Thank you." He smiled at the waitress before she turned to leave, before picking up his menu and unfolding it on his side of the table to look over the dinner options. Perusing the combo menu allowed him the distraction that he required to avoid slipping into complete awkwardness, which he was grateful for. But inwardly, he was hoping that being in public would be to his advantage, because there was no way that Elijah would continue to flirt with him out in the open. With so many students around, it was risky for both of them. But then again, Elijah had practically felt him up outside only minutes ago... There went that theory.<br><br>"It's more light reading than studying," Carson offered, but his eyes remained fixed to the menu. "Academic journals, social science quarterlies, that sort of thing. I like to keep myself updated on new developments in behavioral sciences. It benefits my class, really, since not everything is in a textbook. Almost all fields of science, even social science," he went on (and by the tone of his voice, it was a precursor to yet another ramble), "are subject to a staggering degree of bias. By nature, textbooks are supposed to be objective and informative, but you'd be surprised at how often an author injects personal bias into the pages, twisting facts to suit the theories and passing it off as credible information."<br><br>Because he had already opened the door on that subject and because it was in his nature to keep talking when he was nervous, Carson went on, "Case in point, there have been numerous claims that the government-approved history books in Japan consistently whitewash the actions of the Japanese during World War II in concentrated efforts to paint their country in a better light." Finally catching up to himself himself, he looked up from the menu and, feeling awkward all over again, he promptly looked back down and focused his attention elsewhere. "... But that's... not really what you were asking about, is it?" Carson felt ridiculous for constantly losing himself in his rantings.<br><br>"I don't go out very much," he said at last, deliberately watering down whatever else he might have said. "My schedule keeps me busy. I teach three days out of the week and for the other four, I'm either tutoring, grading papers, or doing some freelance consulting. So really, I don't have much time for a social life." And as far as he knew, he wasn't missing out on much. Carson simply didn't see the appeal that came with dropping work for social interaction. Books intrigued him far more than people did.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 19:09:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elijah would not do much flirting in public, just the minimum that he could get away with. After all, he was no idiot. He knew that the school board would jump at the chance to tear Dr. Ridley apart if there was even the slightest notion that he was interested in a student. Schools were pretty unforgiving when it came to affairs between staff members and students, Elijah just thought it was kind of hot. Granted, he had never been the type to pursue the fantasy of a teacher and student relationship, but now that he was here with Dr. Ridley, he remembered all the sexy teachers he had seen in his own school. Elijah had thought they were all either married, straight, or out of his league, but looking at where he was now, he reflected that he could have whoever he wanted as long as they were willing.<br><br>Maybe Dr. Ridley would come around, for now, Elijah would just entertain his own fantasies and suck up. As he talked about light reading, Elijah just nodded, he was slightly interested in what Carson had to say, but ultimately Elijah just liked to hear his voice go on and on about things. And he seemed so confident when he spoke about academics, he truly was a vat of information, and Elijah would be wise to soak it all in. However, his attention was repeatedly distracted by his long hair and his fingers as he moved around the menu. He would hum in some parts that Dr. Ridley brought up, finding it interesting.<br><br>When Dr. Ridley told Elijah about his lack of a social life, the student just frowned and pushed his tongue against his cheek as his eyes went up thoughtfully and then back down to meet his eyes. "Well that's not much of a life, Dr. Ridley. I mean," he up his hands, "No offense of course, but being cooped up all day, your nose in a book or grading papers, I mean understand your job keeps you busy but, there has to be something else in life to balance it all out so you won't lose your mind. Otherwise, you're just going to either explode from so much information, or you're going to find yourself old and alone, and that's...that's not a life to live, Doc."<br><br>Elijah licked his lips and was about to speak again until the waitress came back with their drinks and asked for their orders. "Hmmm, roast beef sandwich please, with fries, and a side of honey mustard." He nodded towards Carson to order and once they were taken up, the woman walked away and Elijah ran his fingers back through the front of his hair and then let out his ponytail to shake the locks loose. He but the band around his wrist and smiled.<br><br>"Surely you must have a hobby outside of learning...like,I don't know, sports, art...see, mine is, I play the guitar." He nodded and said, "Me and my friend James, we write music, we had a band set up back home but moving to college killed it, so we're looking for people. Guitar and working out helps me to...wind down. Ya know? You gotta have something that does that."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>13-11-2010, 21:55:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elijah was right about one thing - it wasn't much of a life. Nonetheless, Carson had been an introvert for so long that he didn't know of any other way to function. As a child, he had always been worlds ahead of his classmates, which had resulted in a permanent bull's-eye on his back. Simply because of his quick wit and rapidly developing wealth of knowledge, kids his age and students at his own level had both labeled him a freak and cast him out of their social circles. Even the chess club had eventually tired of him because he always won. For a boy with enough troubles (namely puberty), the ostracism was too much to bear.<br><br>Upon entering high school, unarguably the most vicious of academic ventures, Carson had simply accepted the fact that he would never truly fit in with neither people his own age because of his wit, nor people on his level because of his age. And with that, he had resigned himself to a lonely existence with only books to keep him company. He had learned to be happy with it and had no reason to complain. Even if he could have, he wouldn't have changed the way his brain functioned, even if that would have made him a little more "normal."<br><br>But... Elijah did have a point. It was very likely that somewhere down the line, Carson would wake up and wonder where the best years of his life had gone. He had thought about that on occasion, but never given much credence to it - until someone else pointed it out to him. It was in that moment that he decided maybe Elijah had a little more going on in that brain of his than he let on. He was very bright, that was for certain, but he was also very insightful. The two were not the same and Carson had to give particular credit to the latter. But before he could comment on it, the waitress returned to take their orders.<br><br>"I'll take a burger and fries, please. Hold the onions." He smiled politely at the woman and handed back his menu, after which he turned back toward Elijah, who had since taken down his ponytail. Inwardly, Carson had to admit that the long, golden locks did him justice. Elijah had just the right face for long hair and the perfect skin tone to compliment the color of the strands. By no means would Carson entertain the idea of being attracted to the young man, but he knew attractive qualities when he saw them.<br><br>A look of genuine interest flashed across Carson's face when he learned that Elijah was a musician. "The guitar, huh?" He smiled a little despite himself and leaned forward, clearly interested. "That's quite a stretch from a psychology major." But, he supposed, not everyone's interests were completely centered on one subject. Elijah was likely a very electic young man. Very intriguing...<br><br>"Well," he said thoughtfully, mentally filing through pastimes he enjoyed that didn't necessarily entail education. "I'm not much of a sports fan." No surprise there. "I couldn't even muster up the enthusiasm for tee-ball when I was younger. But I do enjoy art. I visit the local galleries fairly frequently and I make it a point to see others when I'm out of town on business." He chuckled. "Mind you, some part of me still wants to dissect every piece of art that I lay my eyes on, but it's really one of the only things that can just exist without having a purpose. It relaxes me. Plays, too."<br><br>In general, Carson was a fan of culture. Art, operas, classic plays - he indulged in all those and then some. Given his position at the university, he had the money to entertain his cultured interests, but they were often things that he did alone. But he was used to that.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>14-11-2010, 05:35:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elijah was pleased to see the look of interest cross Dr. Ridley's face. He smiled, nodding at the question in those words and laughed, "Yeah. The whole majoring in psychology thing deals more with my intellect and choosing a job that challenges my mind. The guitar and singing that I do, it's the whole creative side coming out. I need that outlet ya know? Too often I can sit and think up songs or lyrics just letting my mind wander, and I figure, hey, might as well let more then just my smarts shine. Plus I'm pretty darn good at it, been playing since middle school, mainly acoustic guitar and bass, but James is trying to push me into playing electric guitar. Which, I sort of have a knack for...we're thinking of starting up small shows and gigs around the area, you should come some time."<br><br>He doubted that Dr. Ridley would show up, but it would be nice. And it would be a way to get the man out of his house, office, and his tower of books and into the real world. When Carson began to tell Elijah about his hobbies and interests, Eli was glad to know that the man was interested in things like art and culture. Simply because Elijah could actually relate more to those interests then he could the mindless studying and learning information that made his head hurt. He was no stupid boy, but he was a young man who wished for the excitement of growing up, seeing the world, hearing music, watching five star plays, tasting fine foods, have fine fashion,and in the end, helping people make it through life.<br><br>Because unfortunately, Elijah had his fair share of ups and downs, he was still reeling from having gotten into this school with the contract of working on the weekends in the library to help with his tuition. With absolutely no support from his parents. Then again, it hardly surprised him, his parents had left the boy to fend for himself at a young age. He was used to taking care of himself, of needing to be bold and forward to make sure he got his basics down. Confidence was needed to make in life, specifically when taking a road that required you to be smart, quick, and able to pick through someone's mind and tell it to them straight. One could not be bashful or unsure of what to say, there had to be a certain amount of authority brimming in each and every word. And Eli had that.<br><br>"That really cool, Dr. Ridley." Eli smiled and said, "No seriously, plays fascinate me, I could sit for hours in a theatre and just watch the actors on stage. They have so much emotion, so much talent, in movies they get away with being dull because they're pretty. They're not loud enough or passionate enough because they're wary of the camera. But for a stage, there's so much...passion! It does not matter how ugly they might look when singing or screaming, or crying so hard they can barely breathe because plays are...different. You''re expected to show all that you've got to the audience. It's beautiful."<br><br>Surveying Dr. Ridley now, he saw that he had hit a certain nerve of interest with the talk of guitars and hobbies. A different fire went off in those brown eyes that intrigued the student and made him watch a bit closer. It was as if Carson was slowly waking up to seeing who Elijah was, which they had just met but, Eli knew he had made an impression on him already, and when he showed more and more of himself, his interests, the impression began to change and it made Elijah happy. Maybe in time he could see more of who the student was and actually become in a way attached to him.<br><br>Oh Elijah had such a silly head full of dreams, but his motives were genuine, he wanted Dr. Ridley as more then a teacher, and those motives were not exactly pure, but they could have a potentially lovely outcome. "What's your favourite play," Eli asked and shrugged his brows in question, propping his palm up beneath his chin, he just watch Dr. Ridley, blinking in languid and slightly seductive little motions, with a serene smile on his face. Maybe if he took things slower, more subtle, and made a friend of Ridley first, then the way of seduction could be easier.<br><br>Eli had a feeling that Dr. Ridley did not have much friends, and maybe he could use one of those first before jumping into the whole...wild, passionate lover category. "I know down town they have a theatre, travelling groups and locals all the time, and from this college, go there and perform, maybe one day we can go, as friends. A day where you're not too busy reading the latest studies and wasting your life away, hm?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>14-11-2010, 08:29:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Now that he gave the matter a little more thought, the guitar actually suited Elijah quite well. He was a very outgoing young man, charming and even slightly rugged, which made the guitar the perfect instrument for him. As such, if in the event that he and his friend managed to put a band together, Carson wasn't entirely opposed to seeing one of his shows. There was certainly nothing wrong with a professor supporting his student; just because it strayed beyond academia didn't make it inappropriate at all.<br><br>Besides that, now that he was learning a little more about Elijah, Carson was growing the slightest bit more comfortable around him. When he only had the young man's attraction to him to focus on, he became incredibly awkward, but seeing that there was more to his personality made him easier to identify with. It was fairly basic psychology and Carson recognized it immediately. Before this, he had associated only unease and awkwardness with Elijah's presence. But now, as he learned about Elijah's interests, it was easier to actually <em>want</em> to talk with him and learn more about who he was when he wasn't being such a flirt.<br><br>"I'd be happy to come see you play if you get a band together," he said then, and rather confidently. He wasn't sure if that would happen anytime in the near future - Elijah had only just moved into town - but he would take the invitation if it ever came about. Anything to support a student, he decided, and he was content with his decision.<br><br>When Elijah first admitted to finding his interests "cool," Carson at first suspected that his response was bordering on sarcastic. But then the young man assured that he was serious, even going into detail as to why - and Carson was thoroughly intrigued. Despite his understanding that not every person wore his interests on his sleeve, he hadn't pegged Elijah as the sort who would enjoy that sort of thing. Most young people didn't. Some claimed to (usually young men trying to be "sensitive" to win points with the ladies), but most didn't. It seemed that Elijah was more complex than Carson had first given him credit for.<br><br>"Really, now?" Carson smiled; this time, it wasn't strained or forced in any way. "That's actually quite impressive, Eli. Not many people your age are open to that sort of thing." But, he reminded himself, things like that just went long ways toward proving the very statement that he stood behind - people weren't always what they seemed. Carson's entire career hinged on the idea that the most telling details were not always the most obvious ones. As such, when Elijah divulged this sort of information, Carson was inclined to believe him. And, truth be told, it made him that much more interesting to listen to.<br><br>Favorite play? Narrowing it down was going to be quite difficult, since he had seen and read so many of them, and all of them numerous times. "I'm a big fan of Hamlet, actually," Carson told him with a soft chuckle. "Call me old-fashioned. It was the first play my father took me to when I was a child, so I have a lot of good memories associated with it." His parents had always cultivated his intelligence, his desire to learn, and his penchant for culture. His father would take him to plays and his mother later introduced him to opera - both artistic pastimes that he still enjoyed. As such, when Elijah suggested that they visit the local theater together at some point, he was able to look past his reservations to entertain the idea of maybe, just maybe, taking him up on his offer.<br><br>"Well... We'll have to see about that. For now," he said, "you should be focused on your studies. Freshman year is an important one."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>14-11-2010, 08:54:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A little burst of happiness made the handsome blond perk when hearing that Dr. Ridley would definitely come and see him play. Elijah would smile and tilt his head, his mind already turning and having a need to call James now so that they either found more members or got their ensemble together and blew a cafe or two away so that they could perform on an Open Mic night. If he could see Carson in the crowd, supporting him, it would be enough happiness to last him a month or so. "That's awesome Doc, thank you, I would feel honoured to have you at a show. Nervous, probably, but honoured!"<br><br>When Dr. Ridley commented on how it was unusual for a man his age to be open to the world of plays, musicals, the arts. Elijah just shrugged and laughed. "I'm not like everyone else, ya know? I enjoy the finer things. My friend back home, she introduced me to a lot of stuff, and since she knew my love for music and the arts she kind of just blew my expectations out of the water with what she had shown me. I love it, the dialouge or the songs of a play or musical are often so wonderfully thought out and it could just be three little words that change it all. Fascinating really. At one point I considered majoring in Theatre Arts but," he laughed, "I'm better at Psychology."<br><br>"Oh, Hamlet. A sticky plot, twists and turns, a very good play." He nodded and smirked, "Not old-fashioned at all if you ask me. Just well learned. It's cool that your father did that, I wish mine had given me the time of day to take me to plays...to a museum, anything. Ah well, past is the past, you're lucky you have such wonderful memories. Don't ever take it for granted Doc, I mean it." With a slow smile Elijah considered what his Professor told him. Looking off to the left he laughed and said, "I focus when I need to. I do my work when I make the time, which I do, and then that's it. Once that hour or so of working is over and I have my day free, I try to take in as much as possible."<br><br>Leaning into the table, Eli crossed his arms on the top and his foot nudged Dr. Ridley's with a smile, "You're right though. Freshman year IS really important. Though from what I've heard it's when the most interesting parties happen and you make the most fun memories." He laughed, "I wouldn't know yet, but I'm curious. How about you,Doc? Did you have any wild parties back in the day?"<br><br>The waitress came and laid their food down with a smile. She served them both so happily, probably eager to see such handsome men again. Eli thanked her and smiled, batting his lashes as he asked for a refill on his drink and then began to eat. Looking at Carson, he said, "I bet in college, girls and boys flocked to you like honey to a bee, eh?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>14-11-2010, 09:46:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The more Elijah talked, the more willing Carson was to think of him as someone he could spend more time with. Initially, Elijah had come on so strongly that he could barely even function with the young man looking at him, but now that he had toned things down a bit and actually talked to him, rather than flirted with him, Carson was having a much easier time of things. Granted, he was no more social now than he had been earlier that afternoon, and that wasn't likely to change. Still, it was nice to just talk with Elijah like this. Like a friend. (Because that was all Elijah would <em>ever</em> be.)<br><br>Then Elijah mentioned his father and Carson gave pause. Even before the young man divulged any details, Carson knew that he didn't have a very good relationship with the man. It was in his tone of voice, the wistful expression on his face, as though he was daydreaming about something he had never received. It was a shame, he thought. Men like Elijah could benefit greatly from a strong male role model, but he didn't seem to have one. Carson kept quiet on that particular topic, though - it wasn't really his place to draw conclusions.<br><br>Clearing his throat awkwardly when Elijah nudged him with his foot, Carson looked down at his plate and, in absent mind, shuffled all the fries off to one side. For some reason, he couldn't stand it when they touched his burger. He didn't really know why (because for as well as he could analyze someone else's mind, he lacked the self-awareness to conclude that he was a little obsessive-compulsive about certain things. Little things). Even more so when someone was asking him about any wild parties he may have had "back in the day."<br><br>"I... don't know if I'd say 'honey to a bee,'" Carson told him, lifting up the top half of the burger bun and shaking a bit of salt onto the meat beneath it. "Kids my age weren't really interested in a geek from the chess club." He smiled wryly, but there wasn't a trace of bitterness in his voice. "And I wasn't really the partying type. In high school, I was too busy with college applications, and in college, I was too busy with my dissertations." They could have been seen as excuses for him not to socialize, but that wasn't always the case.<br><br>"I know it might seem crazy," he said with a smile, "but even though it doesn't really leave much time for a personal life, I love what I do. This is exactly where I wanted to be at this point in my life. Although," he added after a brief pause, picking up one half of his burger, "I do envy you a little for your free time." He grinned. "Enjoy it while it lasts because it doesn't last long," he said, and took a bite.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 01:29:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Watching Dr. Ridley move his food around, Elijah found the small oddities charming about the brunette professor, and would just smile as he took a bite of his delicious sandwich and hummed a bit. He was considering being mean and moving Carson's food together but he wanted to make a friend in his teacher, not a victim to a bully. Besides, the man would grade his papers and decide his outcomes. It was just his own silly, naughty mind that wanted to lightly torture the man that way and at the same time, throw him down on the table and kiss him until they were out of breath.<br><br>He cleared his throat and looked away with a sip to his tea, Elijah sighed and reached beneath the table to pull at his shorts, trying to ignore the slightly growing bulge. Jeeze, what was wrong with him,entertaining such thoughts and actually being...aroused by them. It made him embarrassed that he could hardly control his body around Dr. Ridley. Then again, the man was incredibly good looking, and adorable. Looking back to Carson, he just smiled and waved it off.<br><br>"Well the kids your age were obviously dumb. You're much more then a chess club geek. You're a geek, with class, finesse, and obvious taste in things like art and culture." He smiked as he ate some fries and then said, "Hm. So have you just never been to a party then? I personally, don't much like parties, but I do love going out to clubs and dancing. I feel like parites are meant for getting drunk and hooking up and trashing someone's home. I would much prefer a club. That's how I party. Plus the stress goes away when you can just, move your body to the music."<br><br>"It's not crazy," Eli decided. "You should always make a job out of what you love to do so that you hardly ever grow tired or sick of it. Do something that makes you happy and earns you money. It's the key to a good life. In my personal opinion, anyway, it is." At Dr. Ridley's warning, he chuckled,"My free time will last for as long as I desire so long as I make sure I get it. It's people who don't set up schedules and become too bogged down with work and life that they never catch a break and up having a nervous break down or something."<br><br>He sighed, "Depressing really. If people would just learn to slow down, smell the roses, and enjoy their friends and family, life would not be as complicated. Families would not fall apart so much. Friends would stick together. If we just took the time and stopped pushing everyone who cares out of the way, it could be an easier life. People are too concerned with money and appearances though. It's hard to get through to those types.Or they're just used to being alone and don't realize when they've got someone willing to be with them and help make their life happier."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 03:50:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Out of all his eccentricities, his habit of sectioning off his food military-style was the most tame. He wasn't entirely OCD, but he found a certain comfort in having things organized in a specific way, as though all that unyielding order would make up for the lack of certainty in his life. Things just made sense when they were meticulously organized and when something fell out of place, he felt uneasy. Like the entire world was going to crumble as a result of that one displaced element. Logically and from a purely academic standpoint, he knew that there was no truth to it. That one displaced french fry wasn't going to kill him. But knowing the theories and feeling the symptoms were two very different demons.<br><br>For the briefest moment, Carson detected a touch of fluster in his younger companion. The way he cleared his throat and focused on his drink, it seemed like his attention was elsewhere, and when he heard a bit of shuffling under the table, he came to the conclusion that Elijah was struggling with unruly testosterone. The fact that he couldn't openly flirt had likely caused the teenager's imagination to run wild and... well. Carson didn't want to think about what that meant. Didn't want to think about the topics that might have been turning over in Elijah's head. And it was too soon to draw any conclusions about that, anyway.<br><br>If nothing else, though, he could appreciate that Elijah hadn't pegged him as just a geek. Carson didn't have very good self-esteem, so for Elijah to insist that he had class and taste meant quite a bit to him. "I appreciate that," he said, eased all over again. Although no degree of class or taste would make him more comfortable with crowds - that seemed to be Elijah's forte. Carson couldn't imagine himself going out clubbing, but Eiljah was young enough and friendly enough that he could easily blend in with the club scene. "I'd imagine you'd have a better time at clubs than parties," he noted. "College parties can get... pretty wild, from what I hear." Maybe even a little too wild for Elijah's taste. For as outgoing as the young man was, Carson didn't see him as being the typical freshman party animal.<br><br>And thank goodness for that, too.<br><br>On top of not being a party animal, it seemed that Elijah possessed quite a bit of wisdom for his young age as well. He seemed to understand the value of prioritizing and not watching one's life go by, which Carson had to admit that he respected. But at the same time, it sounded like the young man was calling him out on his solitary nature - and his failure to notice that he had someone on the outside trying to get in. At this, he smiled wryly, washing down a mouthful of food with a bit of ginger ale, and gave a small nod.<br><br>"You probably have a point," he conceded. "You have a sharper mind than I gave you credit for. Not every eighteen-year-old has that sort of insight."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 04:19:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				With a laugh, Eli began, "Yeah. College parties are not my idea of fun. I don't drink, don't like the thought of it." His eyes got a far off look as he said, "Drinking ruins things. So I don't touch it. I'd prefer to have my fun sober, to know what I'm doing and doing it well." He smiled and scratched a bit at his jaw before he finished up his food and drink. "One of my friends recently went to a party at her own Uni, I had to stop myself from driving down and kicking someone's ass when she got slipped a roofie. Luckily she had other friends there, but no one messes with the people I love or skulls are going to crack." <br><br>Shrugging he said, "College aged kids prefer the easy way of having fun and they would rather alcohol loosen up the atmosphere and "bring out their true selves" rather then trying. A cheap form of entertainment, if you ask me." With a gentle sigh he watched Carson finish his food and he grinned. "My insight is just common sense. I'm definitely not a genius like you, I just put everything in a point of view that's easy to understand. Or at least I try to." Once their check came, Elijah paid and the waitress went off to ring it up and give the change back.<br><br>When his wallet was back in his pocket of his gym shorts and she had his blond hair in a ponytail again, he smiled. "Hey Doc, you want to go for a walk with me? Maybe not now because you're a bit too dressed up but if ever you feel like letting off some steam with a walk or a run, or just going and working out, I'm your man.Or we could do something else. I imagine that sometimes the teaching job isn't always so relaxing, right? I know when I'm stressed I like to either sweat it out," he paused and then gave a little naughty smirk at how suggestive that might have sounded, "Or talk to friends...play guitar...or I eat."<br><br>He laughed and got up, walking with Dr. Ridley outside, he licked his lips and stopped on the sidewalk, looking over to those deep brown eyes, he ignored that flutter in his chest and stuck out a hand. "See you later then?" The moment their palms touched, Elijah ignored the nerves and just bent and leaned forward, their palms tightly pressed, he rose Dr. Ridley's hand up and then kissed the back of it, his long lashes fluttering up, those moons of his staring brightly, glowing withing his handsome face before he smiled and let it go. Walking past him he said, "Good night."<br><br>With a pleased swagger to his step, Elijah kept his way onward where the gym would be, knowing that while he worked out he would have highly entertaining and seductive thoughts on a man who was out of his league and yet made even more appealing by being so. And in the moment he vowed to get what he wanted. Dr. Carson Ridley would be his in time, he just had to be patient.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 07:06:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				While he wasn't the sort to party <em>or</em> club, Carson had to admit that Elijah had a good way of thinking. A good many college students drank to enhance the experience, but failed to realize that their heavy drinking might have actually stifled it. If that was the way they wanted to spend the first few years of their college education, that was their prerogative, but Carson had never understood it himself. He drank on occasion, usually fine liquors, but he did so sparingly. A glass of brandy every now and then, but that was it. He knew his alcohol, but he was also a lightweight; more than one glass and he was sufficiently drunk.<br><br>Shortly thereafter, he finished his plate, and he smiled in thanks at Elijah when he took the check. He still felt a little bad for letting Elijah pay for the meal, but he knew that his protests wouldn't have done him any good. The young man seemed intent on impressing him, and one of the simplest methods for doing so generally entailed paying for dinner. Carson would give Elijah one thing, he was persistant. Infinitely confident in his ability to win in the end, even if his chosen prey put up a fight. It was actually quite commendable. Carson had never been that confident when he was Elijah's age.<br><br>Upon stepping outside, Carson actually entertained the idea of taking Elijah up on his offer to go walking some night, or perhaps running (which he was ill-suited for), but he gave pause when the young man hinted at something <em>other</em> than mere exercise. At this, Carson cleared his throat uneasily, fidgeting with the strap of his distressed leather messenger bag. "Well, we'll... We'll have to see about that. The last thing I want is for your classmates to think I'm playing favorites." Spending too much time with Elijah could make him a target amongst students, which was something he particularly wanted to avoid.<br><br>But they would indeed see each other again soon and so Carson nodded, letting out a hand to shake - only to have Elijah bend down to kiss the back of his palm instead. At this, he abruptly stilled, his fair complexion lighting up with a furious blush. That was incredibly forward. Carson's first instinct was to look around and make sure that no one had seen, but he couldn't even find it in himself to speak for a few moments, much less move. He stammered a bit, taken completely off-guard, before giving one shallow nod. "... Yes, I'll... be seeing you later, Eli." Wednesday at one, he reminded himself, as he watched the young man go. <br><br>What had he gotten himself into?<br><br>Carson went home that night utterly confused. He had somehow managed to attract the attention of a student - a barely legal student, at that - and now, he had to figure out how to deal with it. He had until Wednesday - two days - and he was going to enjoy those two days of peace, because he knew that when he saw Elijah again, he would have a whole world of unpleasantness to look forward to. They were going to be in his office, alone, for Elijah's studying session and god only knew what the young man would try when there was no one there to see. He tried to put it out of his mind while he propped open an academic journal to read, but his thoughts were elsewhere.<br><br>That following Wednesday after wrapping up his morning class (one that Elijah was not in, thank goodness), Carson adjourned to his office to await the steady flow of students who would come by for their tutoring sessions. He only had a few, one before Elijah and two after him. And the whole time, he was fidgeting with the rolled-up cuffs of his button-down shirt. Fortunately, the student in his first session hadn't noticed and he bid her goodbye without ceremony once her hour was up. Afterward, he flipped open a science magazine to read while he waited for his dreaded 1PM appointment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Reyne</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 19:15:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Aftertwo days of working out and catching up on studies, Elijah was rip-roaring to go. He wasexcited to finally see Dr. Ridley and wanted terribly to go in there looking his best with his most influential lines and an easy going charm to mask his nerves. Wait, the cool kid of the century was nervous? Oh yes, he was. Being alone with Dr. Ridley inside of that class room, with the door closed, could open a whole new era of opportunity. Elijah did not know if he was ready or if he would handle it correctly.<br><br>The kiss on the hand had been pretty forward that Monday night, Elijah knew that. However, he truly had the intentions of making a friend but his Gentleman bursted out of him and onto Dr. Ridley like candy. He was hardly able to control himself. When he entered that Wednesday afternoon, his blond hair was down. He was dressed in a black, grey striped button up shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans that had designer rips and scratches along the legs which fit him tightly. His black vans padded against the floor and he had his messenger back on his right arm, walking with his head up and a smile.<br><br>"Good afternoon, Dr. Ridley." He came in, put his books down near the teacher's desk and then looked before grabbing a chair and sitting down with the back of it to his chest, his legs straddling it as he crossed his arms along the top. Elijah had no problems with the class, he was understanding all of the reading perfectly, this was just an excuse for a hello. A way to talk more.<br><br>"How was your day? Do anything interesting since I last you?" Eli ran his fingers back, supporting the right side of his head against his palm, his long lashes drooping a bit, he looked tired, but happy. "Take this wise old man's advice," he pointed to himself, "And make some time for fun or anything?"<br><br>Elijah had done some English and Math homework for the classes he had done Monday and Tuesday that would be due on Thursday and Friday. Eli had Dr. Ridley's class again the next morning and he was pretty excited though he knew he might be more intrigued on Carson's ass moving as he walked and wrote on the board or the way his hair flew when he walked. Elijah had stayed up late the night before talking on the phone to his best girl friend back home,gushing over college boys and the hot teachers.<br><br>Elijah crossed his arms and lowered his firm chin again, smiling with ease, "Hmm?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Love and Other Subjects [BrilliantDays/Reyne]</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Observing Trifles</strong> on <strong>15-11-2010, 20:50:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Maybe "dreaded" was too strong a word; Carson reflected on it in the short time he had before Elijah was due to arrive. He didn't exactly <em>dread</em> Elijah's presence, but he was rather put off by what it carried. With that particular student came a world of uncertainty and unease for the young doctor, along with some general discomfort depending on how close the other man decided to get. Elijah was extremely bold, as Carson had witnessed when he went to make an appointment for tutoring - he could practically still feel the brush of the young man's chest against his arm, blond hair against his shoulder. And he had worked the entire night to forget it. Entertaining anything even remotely related to attraction for a student was as inappropriate as it got.<br><br>And besides, Carson wasn't sure that it really was attraction to begin with. It could have just been a touch of fluster. Carson was by no means inexperienced when it came to that sort of thing, but he was extremely (almost painfully) shy and quite modest, so while he had been around the block a few times, he wasn't nearly as confident as he could have been. And he highly doubted that a boy of eighteen was going to change that. With any luck, Elijah would simply focus on their tutoring session and everything would be comfortably platonic and normal again. Unfortunately, Elijah seemed to have a firm grasp on the material, so it stood to reason that this tutoring session... was a ruse.<br><br>He sighed. He really need to stop over-thinking like this or he was going to drive himself crazy.<br><br>Just as he managed to put the topic out of his mind, Elijah stepped into his office, greeting him brightly and straddling a chair in front of his desk. Carson smiled despite himself and inclined his head in greeting. "Afternoon, Eli." Elijah seemed to determine whether or not he had done anything mildly interesting since their last meeting a few days prior. And since Carson knew what Elijah considered interesting (anything that didn't include sitting on his own with his nose in a book), he was forced to shake his head in response.<br><br>"Ah, I'm afraid not," he said, closing his magazine and slipping it back into a drawer in his desk. "The first week of class has got me a little frazzled. I won't have much time for myself until the second week or so, once I find a rhythm." With the second week came the papers, which meant grading, and it was around that time that he generally found a groove that worked. Until then, everything was quite uncertain, even for people like Carson who were meticulously well-organized in nature and tended to have rigid schedules.<br><br>"But enough of that." Moving up off his chair, Carson went to the bookcase standing off to the side and fished out the main textbook for his class, which he brought back to the desk and began flipping through on impulse. "So. What is it, exactly, that you're having trouble with?"
			</dd>
		</dl>
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