Skipping Classes (Dr. Emerald Parker)

[V.K Caborn]

V.K rolled around on the grass under a shady tree in the courtyard. As a human, no cat forms this time. She was tired, mostly due to her inherited traits of her ability. Cats gotta sleep 15 hours a day, so it takes its toll. V.K yawned loudly and stretched, rolling against the grass like a happy feline.

The blonde was meant to be in a lesson right now, like usual. V.K skipped quite a few lessons, except for P.E. The girl simply didn't find it interesting, so she didn't go. Like History for example. Apparently, according to a few fellow students, Dr. Parker was looking for her. Thankfully, V.K had been good at avoiding her; Tinkerbell telling the teacher that she wasn't in the dorm, shifting into a cat form and running when she spotted the teacher, simply avoiding teacher-populated areas.

It wasn't that V.K didn't care; she did a lot of revision when she was more awake. The teen was hoping that Dr. Parker would get bored of chasing her up and down. Which is why she was out in the courtyard. V.K thought that Parker had given up and so was happily lounging around. Stretching again, V.K let out a happy sigh and rolled up against the tree; leaning her back to it. Maybe she could sneak in a few dozing hours before finding another place to hide...

[Emerald Parker]

Emerald was positive. Very positive...she wanted to pick up Victoria by the scruff of her neck like the cats she turn into, and plop her into her chair for class. But Emerald wasn't violent.

Classes were important, and the fact that Victoria was close to failing her class was not helping her case any. In fact, it made the lack of actual appearances worse. Emerald seemed to be liked by most students. She kept history fun and engaging overall, and spoke plainly and energetic about it. (It probably didn't hurt that most of the boys and a couple of the girls would probably want to be in her class no matter what she taught) She liked to think that those traits made her at least slightly more popular than some other teachers. The fact she wasn't a lot older (re: ancient) probably helped.

It looked like Victoria would evade her once again today, however, and Emerald's heels made loud taps on the hallway as she walked down it in the director of the teacher's lounge, when she happened to look out toward the courtyard and see the blonde cat shifter leaning against a tree.

Taking the nearest door out, Emerald stepped over to the girl, being careful not to catch her heels on any roots or small plants, "Victoria, can I talk to you without you running away or using your meta-whatever to hide."

Cautiously, knowing the girl was in a better spot to move away than Emerald, she added, "I promise no detention or extra homework or anything like that if you talk now." Not that Victoria was quite there, but she figured the girl wouldn't want extra homework on top of the issues she already had with just showing up.

[V.K Caborn]

V.K's eyes flicked open the second she heard approaching footsteps. Tilting her head, the blonde tensed when she spotted Parker. Oh shit! Very slowly, V.K leaned off of the tree; remaining in a sitting position. She remained perfectly still as Parker spoke, thinking of several options for this situation. I could shout 'You'll never take me alive' and run up the tree, though I'll probably get stuck. I could tackle her, no, no, that's a terrible idea. Sounds fun though. V.K jerked her head slightly as she began to listen to the teacher.

"Victoria, can I talk to you without you running away or using your meta-whatever to hide."

V.K nodded very slowly. The tree option wasn't running away, so she always had a back up. The tackling could also work, if she was careful not to hurt Parker.

"I promise no detention or extra homework or anything like that if you talk now."

Oh, she's playing good cop. But there's a motive, there always is. V.K rarely took people seriously, sadly she wasn't right now. Talk about what though? Oh yeah, the skipping of classes. Maybe, V.K could warp the teacher's mind. Probably won't work but worth a shot. "You know nothing..." V.K kept her face completely emotionless as she whispered.

[Emerald Parker]

Emerald rolled her eyes at the response that came from the girl. Coming over to the tree where the girl sat, Emerald looked for a place near her that wouldn't mess up her pants up too much, and sat down next to her. Uncomfortably, Emerald sighed and just looked at the girl for a moment before looking at her own feet, enclosed in a pair of high heels, "You know, I walked all over the place trying to find you. Could you have at least picked the day when I was wearing flats?"

Leaning against the tree, she understood why Victoria liked this spot, if only because it was a nice place outside. Emerald would love to read here...if it weren't so dirty. Maybe if she wore jeans...

Turning her thoughts (and eyes) to Victoria at last, Emerald began, "Look...I understand that school can be difficult..." She let the words hang in the air before looking up and giving a small laugh, one of her many genuine smiles on her lips. "Okay, honestly, no, I don't. When I was your age, I was already in college. Already had my Bachelor's in History."

Emerald put her right hand on her knee, letting her dominant left hand make some motion in the air with her speech, "I doubt you want to hear a lecture about how history is awesome and how you should totally come to class just because of that...though I do want you to know that history is awesome and you should totally come to class because of that."

Putting her left hand down, she made sure to try and keep eye contact with the girl if at all possible, "So how about you tell me why you can't make it, and we'll go from there."

Emerald doubted it was because of her, if only because there didn't seem to be many complaints, and she even told them to call her Miss Parker as opposed to Dr. Parker, just because she liked to be as young as she felt and that helped. She wasn't a meta like most of the students, but she had still experienced many things as a child prodigy that kept her from living a normal life. So at least something must be relatable.

[V.K Caborn]

If V.K had her ears, she would be twitching them as the teacher sat down. Please no! Not another feelings talk! Parker was beginning to remind her of her mother. V.K wasn't a closed off kid, but her emotions were hard to read and very.... fluctuating. About once a week, her mother would sit her down and make her talk about how she felt. Please not again, its too weird.

Okay, so Parker wants me to go to her class because history is awesome. Lies, in V.K's mind, most history she had been taught involved World War I and World War II and other wars which all seemed to repeat themselves. The only cool 'historic' things were myths and legends, but you didn't exactly get a degree in that. At least, she didn't think you did.

There was no way in heaven or hell that the blonde was going to tell the flat-wearing teacher, what are flats? Like flip-flops? I could run and she couldn't keep up with me, the main reason that pushed her away from classes and studying. If she tried, V.K might actually be an academically advanced student but she refused to let herself get smart. "Nothing good comes from being smart..." She muttered to herself as her head drooped slightly, unaware if Parker heard her or not.

V.K's head jerked back upright and she stared at the teacher. "My planet needs me during lessons. I must sacrifice my education to save my people." She spoke, rubbing at her neck briefly. Teachers made her awkward. Must spout awkward back.

[Emerald Parker]

Victoria seemed...uncomfortable at best. Emerald didn't exactly blame her...

"Look, I know this isn't the ideal. But I have to do my job, even if neither of us like this part..." Emerald said quietly, regadring the obvious discomfort of the girl. Emerald wasn't good at reading people at all...but you'd have to be truly ignorant to miss this. "I think the question is...do you want to fail? Because you can still make a B if you really tried, C if you show up most of the time and do most of the work. My class isn't hard if you care."

Emerald was trying her hardest. She loved having friendships with her students and talking to them as if she were their age. But usually they also were willing to communicate. There's only so much positive energy she could expend. When Victoria muttered about nothing good coming from being smart, Emerald's face (which had been mostly a smile that was only about 1% forced, 99% genuine) twitched slightly as she tried not to react...well...like a teenager. Staying silent for a moment, Emerald bit her lip before saying, "Do you honestly believe that? Because I doubt I need to go in detail on why I think that's false. We're both humans after all. At least...most of the time."

Jerking upright did cause Emerald some surprise and she leaned away a bit as Victoria uncomfortably stared at her and spoke her piece. "Not exactly the reason I was expecting, but it's cute nonetheless," Emerald replied awkwardly (this whole situation was that way anyway). "Anything from history your planet could use? I mean there's gotta be something..."

[V.K Caborn]

"Do you honestly believe that?"

V.K ducked her head down again as Parker apparently picked up on her mutter. Both humans? Well, I doubt very much that she was used as a test experiment for some sick mind game. The blonde felt herself grow cold; her usual glimmer of deviant joy flickered out her eyes and her face just dropped to one of controlled hate. As soon as the expression came over her, it vanished again; the glimmer was back as was the grin but both seemed very forced. No, I won't be like her. V.K turned to Parker, her forced smile still on her face. "Yep, pretty much."

"Anything from history your planet could use? I mean there's gotta be something..."

V.K squirmed about, rolling further down until she was lying on the ground; not caring for the dirt sneaking into her clothes. She raised a fist and put in front of her mouth, mimicking a thoughtful cough. "You humans are curious creatures. Your history does not appeal to us but we may steal your invention, the 'scratching post'. It has brought great joy to our kittens and will for the next generations." V.K rolled her head to face Parker and shot her with a pretend gun; two fingers pointed as the gun. Why? Why not.

[Emerald Parker]

Victoria was really refusing her help and yet Emerald couldn't stop herself from smiling genuinely at the girl. Honestly, she found it more amusing than anything...or maybe she just wanted to be able to smile at the situation and her mind was letting her. Whichever it was, Emerald was just happy that she didn't appear sour to the girl who clearly wouldn't appreciate sourness.

"Well, that sucks," Emerald replied, unconscious to the fact that it wasn't very teacher-ly. "You must hate me then..." Emerald said, for once not looking at the girl, instead staring at her heels. She was lightly tapping them against each other as if she were Dorothy wishing she could go home. Emerald's smile had faded slightly but was still present. She just wasn't sure what to tell the girl...confrontations were not her best...she really just wanted to get along with the student and do what she needed to do.

When Victoria squirmed and rolled away, Emerald didn't change position much herself, instead watching the girl with amused interest at what she had to say. And Emerald was definitely entertained by it, first laughing very shortly before covering her mouth to giggle (quietly) but obviously. Emerald reacted to being shot with the pretend gun by half-falling, half-rolling like Victoria had, ending up being situated very similarly to the younger girl, roughly the same distance away as they were before. "So if I put a scratching post in the classroom would you come?" Emerald asked, looking at the girl updside down, a mirthful look to her face.

[V.K Caborn]

"You must hate me then..."

"Pfft! No!" V.K sat back up with a quiet huff, shaking her head harshly; pulling a stray twig out of the blonde locks. Meh, she'll have a shower later. On the serious matter, V.K didn't hate those who were smart. That's terribly stupid. She just wanted to avoid becoming something that had driven fear through her core for the past two years. "I don't hate you, that's stupid." 

"So if I put a scratching post in the classroom would you come?"

V.K grinned as she made Parker laugh. Finally, some sort of joy. It always felt like such a triumph to make people laugh, except when the triumphed was crying on the inside. Wow, that's dark. Stop thinking about her V.K, she's gone for the most part. The teen quietly prayed that they didn't do Parent Days at Hammel. If so, she would probably come to visit V.K; the cat-shifter wouldn't be able to cope with that well. V.K strengthened her accent, sounding similar to how the British royals would sound. "If I hook a history book to the end of a fishing rod, would I be able to tempt you away from your classroom?" V.K retorted with a devilish grin.

[Emerald Parker]

The girl huffed at her and Emerald smiled. Okay, good, progress. Victoria didn't want to be smart, but she doesn't hate (most?) people who are smart. Emerald never understood people who hated intelligence...after all, she had had to deal with it for nearly two decades from her sister Sapphire. Oh, how Emerald had grown to hate her back.

Positive thoughts. Returning her gaze to Victoria, she said, "Well, I should imagine so. Here I am trying to be friendly, I'm glad you don't hate me or we'd have a real hard time." And the last thing Emerald wanted was a hard time with one of her students. Then she'd have to talk with other faculty, and...the absolute worst...maybe even a little strict. Emerald almost threw up at the thought of being strict or m-me-mean.

Emerald laughed hard at the girl's retort, leaning toward the girl with a hand in hair as if the two were a couple of young girls on a plushy bed, "Only if it's mythology or something fun like that. The wars bore me to tears...I was barely able to get through that part of my doctorate." The fact that Victoria was grinning made Emerald respond in turn, her whole face glowing with young energy and happiness. She wanted to get through to the girl and it seemed their light banter might be getting somewhere at least.

At the very least it removed some stress from Emerald, even if her blazer got a little messed up in the process.

[V.K Caborn]

V.K slyly watched Parker out of the corner of her eye. No she didn't hate the teacher but what she was doing was unnerving. Sure, fun was being had but still... Most teachers would rather avoid student problems, at least in V.K's case. Parker was after something. V.K turned her gaze downwards as she thought it out. It's kinda obvious, the blonde though, scratching at the side of her neck, teachers need their students to get passing grades in order to keep their jobs. The higher percentage of good grades, the more successful the teacher, the bigger the payroll. V.K shrugged and turned her gaze upwards, watching a few other people wandering about the courtyard.

"Only if it's mythology or something fun like that. The wars bore me to tears...I was barely able to get through that part of my doctorate."

V.K tilted her head upwards to stare at the tree's branches. I bet that sooner or later she's gonna get all serious about education and historical fun times. If she does, I'll just eat her. Furrowing her brow, V.K turned her gaze onto Parker; adopting an almost predatory stare. Now, that I think about it, I probably could. "I could eat you..." V.K murmured, not realising she had spoke out loud. Her leopard form was big enough- wait, stop it. No cannibalism. Would it be cannibalism? Probably not, there aren't any laws against wild cats eating peo- no stop it. Bad Victoria. Quick! Think about something else, not her sister or cannibalism! "History repeats itself, I don't really find any point in learning about the details."