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Post by Demeter on Oct 8, 2006 19:06:35 GMT -5
(note: This thread will take place in the past...like twenty years or so in the past. It also takes place in winter...)
Dion tramped through the snow covered parking lot, muttering to herself. She'd just escaped from her math professor's office and his talk about her not passing if her grades remained like they were. Like she didn't know that.
Jamming the her key into the lock of her beat up, little car, Dion fought with the tricky door. Once she got the door open, she sloched down in the seat and beat the steering wheel with fist. This just wasn't her year. First the baby, her baby Oberon, being taken from her by his sleezeball father. She could still recall that scene.
She'd come home from the diner she worked at to find her husband, some tarted up floozy cooing at her son and a police officer. Caliban had it all worked out, claiming that she was some crazy who wanted his son for herself. That little plan of his had fallen through when Oberon proved to be her son. Of course, the disturbance she created in the wake of Caliban's plot caused a restraining order.
She'd returned home without her son. The notice of being served with a divorce came a few days later. The divorce had been messy, full of yelling, accusations, and the throwing of plates at Caliban's head but he'd come away with her little boy because the court believed her unfit to be a mother, claiming that she was flighty. She was even refused visitation rights. Bastards.
Dion turned the key and murmered to her car as it sputtered. "Come On, little one, start for me." she muttered. She didn't like the college parking lot and it was quickly becoming dark. When the car turned over, Dion crowed and eased out of her parking space.
College was new for her. It was her father's attempt to get her out of the funk caused by losing her son. As she puttered home, Dion pondered what her professor had suggested. "Get a tutor, your a smart girl but you need a little help." Dion snorted and rifled through her purse for the notecard with a name and phone number scrawled across it. Tobin Deluge. Probably a geek if he wanted to tutor freshmen in math. He was the same age as her, the professor had said, but had been in college a whole lot longer and could handle teaching freshman math. Dion twirled the card around as she waited for the light to change. "I think I can handle this."
After she pulled into the driveway of her father's earthbound house, Dion gathered up her belongings and scooted into the house, grabbing for the phone in the entryway. She plopped herself down on the bottom of the grand staircase and dailed the number. Once the phone rang and a very nice voice answsered, Dion perked up. He didn't sound like a geek. "Tobin Deluge? Hi, I'm Dion...Professor Martin from the university told me to call you about some tutoring. I need help. Would you be able to meet with me tomorrow, in the student lounge?"
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Post by Shinigami on Oct 8, 2006 23:52:51 GMT -5
Tobin had trudged his way up the stairs to his apartment, shivering and waiting for the oportunity to drop the book in his hands so he could get some feeling back in his fingers. He cursed himself for forgetting his gloves in his morning rush. When he got to his door he shifted his books around until he could free a hand and dig around in his coat pocket for his keys. He found them easily enough, but had trouble getting the right one into the lock with numb fingers.
When he succeeded he turned the knob and pushed the door wide open, kicking it closed behind him. Tobin dropped his books on the coffee table before pulling off the jacket and kicking off his snow covered boots. He tossed the boots back by the front door, wincing when one hit the wooden door rather hard.
Tobin had an apartment all to himself, and it was a fairly nice one for a college student, especially since he was only a sophmore. Well, technically he was a sophmore, but he had burried himself in school work and managed to rack up enough credits to put him just about even with a typical junior.
He made sure there was very little free time for him to spend throughout the year, hence why he took classes in the summer time to keep busy. His father had asked that he come home whenever he had a break, but Tobin knew Rhystic was still at home and he didn't want to face his older brother. It hadn't been very long since he'd had to deal with his brother's taunting, threats, even attempts to hurt or even kill him. All because of what his mother was, and what had happened to Rhy's mother.
Tobin's father had tried everything to get his sons to reconcile, to stop the rediculous feud that had started close to four years ago, and Tobin was more than willing to agree, but Rhy still hated him. He had escaped to college at 18 and had found it so great that he dreaded ever having to leave. He found that he was rather good at math, and always knew he wasnted to be a teacher, so he was working on his degree in Math and Elementary Education.
He had managed to shuck off his wet jeans and heavy sweater and change into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. his apartment was plenty warm. Although his father paid for the majority of he rent, he had managed to start chipping in more and more with his increased pay. He had loaned himself out as a math tutor for any class he had managed to complete. He got mostly freshmen, mainly because the professor thought he had an easier time dealing with them than some of the upperclassmen. It was also another reason not to have to go home.
Tobin had just managed to pry a hot poptart out of the toaster long enough to get the corner into his mouth when he heard a ringing noise. He cursed and dropped the poptart to the awaiting plate, swallowing what he had managed to bite off while he quickly rifled through this discarded jacket for his phone. He yanked it out, checking the number briefly. He didn't recognize it and it wasn't in his phone, but he opted to answer anyway. "Hello?" The voice that replied was nice, and he was happy to hear it was female, but when he heard the mention of his once math professor he inwardly sighed. She would be the next student he tutored. He prayed she wasn't ditsy, but she didn't sound the type. "Oh, Dion, hello. Yeah, tomorrow should be fine. I usually hang out in the lounge between classes anyway. I have a good break in the afternoon if you could meet then?"
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Post by Demeter on Oct 9, 2006 18:40:54 GMT -5
Dion used a foot to close the door of her car, hands full of purse and bookbag. In addition to her meeting with her new tutor, she had her history class to attend...of which she was passing. After adjusting her luggage, Dion started the long hike to building that house the student lounge. The parking was on the south end of campus while the lounge on the north.
At the door of the lounge, Dion stomped her feet on the ground to shake the packed snow off. It was only early november but the snow was already falling in inches. Dion fought her way through the crowd that was seeking warmth and found her way to the lounge.
Dion scanned the crowd, looking for a person who might be a math tutor. She spotted a young man looking through the textbook for her class and supposed that he might be the tutor, as he also had an adanced math text with him. Dion wov e her way through the crowd and sat down in the empty chair next to his. "Hi, you wouldn't happen to be Tobin Deluge, would you?"
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Post by Shinigami on Oct 9, 2006 21:01:21 GMT -5
Tobin had bummed a ride from an upperclassmen who he happened to have his morning Calc 3 class with. They weren't exactly friends, more like aquaintances, but he still offered Tobin a ride, especially in the winter. Tobin was sitting at a table in the lounge. He had already finished his Calc 3 work, so he was flipping through the book that Dion was using in her class. He was trying to get a general idea of where she would be, so he knew what she might need help with.
He was roused from his thoughts when someone sat down next to him and said his name. He blinked as he looked up to see the woman sitting next to him and his brain finally caught up and reminded him that it was probably Dion. "Oh! Yes, I'm Tobin. Sorry, I was zoning out a bit. You must be Dion. It nice to meet you." He smiled and held out his hand.
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Post by Demeter on Oct 23, 2006 0:43:50 GMT -5
Dion reached out and shook the hand offered to her. "Thanks for meeting with me. I don't like math but I need it to get into the english program." Dion slouched over in her chair and dropped her bag and purse on the floor. "So, will you be able to help me out?"
Before he had a chance to answer, Dion spoke again. "I have to be honest with you. I'm not in school for the joy of it. Its to get my brain off certain subjects. You see, I'm recently divorced and getting both my education back in order is my father's plan to get my mind off my sleezeball ex-husband. I wore out my like for math while getting my GED, bastard convinced me to elope."
Dion leaned back in to her chair, completely oblivous to the fact that she'd spilled about a portion of her life to a complete stranger, and looked at Tobin.
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Post by Shinigami on Oct 23, 2006 22:34:52 GMT -5
Tobin smiled when Dion mentioned her dislike of math, which he could understand. You were either good at it or you weren't, and most people he had met outside of the math department claimed to be bad at it. He was about to respond, but Dion kept going, so he listened patiently. His eyes widened a bit at her story, but it didn't seem any odder than his own, and he wasn't at all phased by what most of his peers called an "over share."
He was prone to his own over-sharing, as the next words out of his mouth proved. "Well, school is about the only thing that brings me joy now-a-days. At least, it keeps me away from home, and away from my pyscho older brother who's tried to kill me multiple times since we were children. And it's not like I could go home to my mom, who hated me enough to give me up to my father in the first place."
He blushed lightly, while he didn't mind "over-sharing", he was there to help Dion with math and knew he'd be babbling soon if he didn't stop. "So, Dion, what section are you working on in class?"
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Post by Demeter on Nov 14, 2006 0:35:44 GMT -5
Dion leaned over and pulled the notebook she used for math out of her bag and flipped it open to the last entry. "We just started graphing equations. I hate it. So, how does this tutoring thing work? Oh, and how much do you get paid?"
Dion curled up in the chair, feet still hanging off edge. "What time is good for you. I'm pretty much booked on Tuesdays and Thursdays." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a card. "Here's my number, feel free to call me at anytime if something comes up. Thats a private line."
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Post by Shinigami on Nov 14, 2006 14:54:13 GMT -5
Tobin smiled when she mentioned her disdain for graphing equations. It could prove to be difficult, especially with the higher powered equations. He spoke up at the mention of his pay. "Oh, you don't have to worry about my pay or anything. I get paid through the college. We just set up a time when we can meet for tutoring."
He took the card Dion handed to him and smiled. "Well, I only have one other student that I'm tutoring, and he likes to skip out on our scheduled sessions on a regular basis, so I'll give you first priority. Most of my afternoons are free, especially around this time. How often do you want to meet?"
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Post by Demeter on Nov 17, 2006 0:50:58 GMT -5
Dion looked at Tobin, glad that he was making this easy for her. She hated math with a passion and was only taking enough classes to fill the credit requirment. "Well, I only have classes on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays until one, and then I'm free for the rest of day. So, how does one thirty work for you."
Dion uncurled from the chair, setting her feet on the ground. "Um, where should we meet? We could meet here but getting a pair of chairs in this place isn't the easiest thing. So, I guess that is your call, after all, you're helping me."
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Post by Shinigami on Nov 19, 2006 19:15:41 GMT -5
Tobin smiled. Dion seemed motivated, at least to do enough to pass her class so she wasn't forced to take it again. She seemed like fun, so it he would be able to look forward to their tutoring sessions. "One thirty sounds good. So you're willing to commit yourself to learning math for three days a week then?"
He was used to running out of places to tutor kdis, and the library was an instant 'no' because the librarian had told him not to bring students any more. She hated that they had to talk to eachother to figure out problems. He had an easy fix however, being one of the few Math Majors at the college. "The lounge in the Math building should be clear. It's for professors and majors, but the professors never use it and there are only a handfull of majors here."
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Post by Demeter on Dec 31, 2006 0:21:18 GMT -5
Dion rolled her eyes. "I'll commit myself to three times a week to get through this stupid class and never take another math course again." Dion eyed the math books on the table. "I need this one last class and then I'm done with math, forever. Well, atleast the things that are taught above simple math and stuff. That I can handle."
"The Math building, thats the one, the big white one, in the southern area of campus, right? I guess I could do that three times a week. My last class is nearby so it isn't that hard to get to. So, is it all right if we start next monday?"
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Post by Shinigami on Jan 8, 2007 15:00:15 GMT -5
Tobin had settled his elbow on top of one of the massive math texts he had brought with him and rested his chin in his hand. He was still smiling as he listened to Dion, utterly amused that she hated math so much. Most people thought he was odd for being a math major, but in reality he was a math/business major, and more importantly - it kept him as busy as possible.
He nodded when Dion described the math building. "Yup, that's the one. When you walk in the lounge is to the left. I'll probably be the only one there that time of day." He had no problem with waiting until next Monday. He would take that time to go through the text book, as he'd been rushing to do so before Dion had shown up. "Next Monday sounds great. By the way, what chapter has Professor Martin gotten to with your class?"
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Post by Demeter on Jan 24, 2007 1:48:27 GMT -5
(ooc: I'm bumping this thread forward a little. Lets just say, chapter four for Tobin's last question.)
Dion sidestepped one of the few remaining piles of snow and stared up at the white building. So far, today had not been an easy day. Her request to see her son over the weekend had been denied by her bastard of an ex once again. She had no orders to remain away from her boy but Caliban saw to it that she remained away.
Dion stepped into the building and turned to the left. She supposed she showed some dedication to getting this class out of way considering the events of the day. Besides, she couldn't afford to miss anything when it came to her math education. Dion poked herhead into the lounge and glanced around. When she didn't see Tobin in any of the chairs, Dion glanced down at her watch and rolled her eyes. Today had been such a mess that she'd come straight to the math building after her last class, forgetting that there was forty minutes between the end of her class and her tutoring session.
Dion muttered to herself and planted herself into one the chairs. After dropping her back on the floor, she pulled a hair band from an outside pocket and pulled her long hair back into a sloppy mix between a ponytail and a bun. She then pulled the thick textbook from her bag, scowled at it and settled in to read the newly assigned chapter.
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Post by Shinigami on Jul 24, 2007 14:52:28 GMT -5
Tobin gathered his books together and shoved them in his bag, actually having a bookbag on him for once. He had to have all of his math stuff with him, plus the book for Dion's class, and then books for one of his other morning classes, so the load was heavy that day. He made his way down the stairs to the lounge, hoping to grab something sugary or caffeine infused to keep him away for a few more hours.
He dropped his bag right inside the door to the lounge, not even noticing there was someone else in the room, let alone that it was Dion. He stood at the vending machine for a second before he decided on a chocolate bar and proceeded to haggle with the machine for his purchase. After he was victorious he turned around to get his stuff again and noticed Dion. "Oh, Dion! You're really early. I wasn't expecting you for a little while"
Tobin grabbed his bookbag and and set in on one of the chairs around the table Dion had chosen. He was unwrapping his chocolate bar as he spoke. "If you want, we can start a bit early and get it over with. Or we can wait for a bit, I know your probably not in a hurry to do math." He smiled and took a bite out of his candy.
((ooc- kind of crappy.. but its there, lol))
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Post by Demeter on Aug 4, 2007 3:33:56 GMT -5
Dion glanced up from her history text and started when she saw Tobin sitting across from her. she'd been rather involved in the politics of the french revlution that she hadn't noticed when the young man has entered the room. She, after making her place, dropped the text to the floor and sighed. "Can we please wait for a bit, I'm having a crappy day."
Dion toed off her damp tennish shoes and curled up on the rather coushy chair. She needed to talk and none of her sisters were currently available. "Never told you this but I have son. I mean, why would it occur to me to tell you about Oberon, you're my math tutor. Anyways, his father, my ex, refuses to let me see the boy. I know what you are thinking. Why don't I have custody rights?"
Dion drew in a breathe. "His godmother was the judge in our divorce. The woman doens't like me. she made sure he got the one thing I wanted. Oberon. Anyway, Caliban has once again denied me to see my son."
Dion looked up at Tobin. "Sorry for the overshare. It had to happen."
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