I Came Here to Study {Coinin||Library}

[GIDEON GLASS]

Gideon Glass was in his element.

Of course, he wasn't quite as in his element as he might be in, say, the chemistry lab or the music room, but the library came remarkably close. After all, what respectable young man engaged so fully in his studies would not feel absolutely at home amidst the towering shelves of the university library? The place was simply a well of information from which Gideon could draw, and no doubt he did, frequently.

Today, he was doing research for a paper on organic chemistry - specifically, the many applications of the derivatives of hydrocarbons. Organic compounds had such a fascinating structural diversity; Gideon knew for a fact that it would not be at all difficult for him to write this paper.

Readjusting his glasses on his face, he scanned the shelves of the nonfiction section for exactly the textbooks he would need. Surely there had to be something here that would be a suitable resource for him, no doubt. Organic chemistry...hydrocarbons...organic chemistry...ah!

Gideon paused and removed several books from the shelf, gathering them all in a stack in his arms with a content sigh before tottering back towards one of the tables. He looked a bit comical, such a lean, dark, bespectacled young man hauling so many books, but he managed, placing the books on the table and taking a seat in front of them. His posture, as always, was impeccable.

Sliding his black messenger bag off his shoulder, Gideon pulled out a thick, heavily dog-eared notebook, straightened his cardigan slightly, and set to work on the enormous stack of books.

He would be here all afternoon.

[COININ CLISTE]

So, she was in high school, but here she was. Her heart pounding in her chest each time someone stared at her for too long. Each time a professor walked past her, she held her breath, as though she could go invisible. But this was the best library in the area. The high school’s library was filled with books that were dumbed down. The actual city library, was old, and never had the books she needed. However, the University library was like a nerd’s dream come true.

Currently, Bunny was in her books, several stacked next to her, her hand quickly writing down all the notes. Her hair was straightened bangs falling just below her brow. Her hand idly scratched her pale shoulder, and she pushed up the stretched sleeve of her sweater—until she heard a thud of books. She leaned over, glancing over the top of her glasses, and her heart sunk.

It was another student at the table. She sunk down in her chair, and drew in a small breath. Crap. Maybe she could play it off, right? She straightened up a little more, and tapped the end of her pencil in her palm, glancing at the books he had next to him. She was surrounded by a mixture of books; various titles of Classical Literature, Number Theory, Organic Chemistry, Psychology—she couldn’t choose between just one of them. They were all so good, so perfect.

“Oh, Organic Chemistry also?” She asked, raising her brows, offering the smallest smile to the stranger. Sixteen year old, trying to pass off as a college student. This could be absolutely terrifying. She spoke slowly, and carefully, annunciating as clearly as she could. The Irish lilt to her voice could be a bit hard to decipher if she spoke too quickly.

“Are you writing a paper on something? I mean…of course you are, ah…” She placed her hand on the Chemistry book next to her. The only chemistry to it, and it had some basis of Organic Chemistry in it. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and pushed the other book towards him, glancing up at him with doe-like brown eyes. “You need this? I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I’m just awkward,” She froze, and flinched. “New. I meant…I’m new here. Not awkward. Well, I’m awkward to but…” She dipped her head down, her cheeks tinting a soft pink, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. She glanced upwards again, and shrugged her shoulder, looking sheepish.

Notes:Zelda/Gideon/7th Evil Ex---I mean what?
Outfit:YOU PUNCHED ME IN THE BOOB...wait, wrong story.

[/center]

[GIDEON GLASS]

Gideon had been working studiously and taking endlessly detailed notes for several minutes before he was disturbed. When Gideon was in his work zone, it was very hard to draw him out of it without touching him or talking to him directly, so he hardly noticed the girl sitting in the chair next to him until she actually spoke to him.

He blinked once, eyes still on the book, before looking up at her, not even putting down his pen.

“Oh, Organic Chemistry also?”

Was that an Irish lilt in her voice? Interesting. Gideon peered at the stack of books she was exploring; what a wide selection of genres. He wondered what she could possibly need all those books for. Certainly she couldn't be doing one project on all of them at once...?

"...yes," he said, his voice even, serious, and slightly cautious.

“Are you writing a paper on something? I mean…of course you are, ah…”

His dark eyebrows descended a fraction of an inch, slightly annoyed that this girl was taking away from his important research time. "Yes, I am writing a paper," he responded. He paused a moment before adding, "On the practical applications of the derivatives of hydrocarbons." He wondered if this girl had any idea what that meant. She seemed young. She probably hadn't even taken a college chemistry course yet.

In fact, she seemed a bit too young. But that wasn't really his concern.

She slid a book towards him, and he finally set down his own text and the pen with which he was writing in order to take the book and examine it. He opened it, flipped to the table of contents, read it quietly, and nodded, seeming satisfied.

“You need this? I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I’m just awkward. New. I meant…I’m new here. Not awkward. Well, I’m awkward to but…”

"Yes, this would be useful to me. Thank you," he replied, glancing up at her from the book. He had only heard part of her nervous blather. Though he didn't smile (Gideon rarely smiled), his expression was not scornful, just...blank, and stern, as it often was. He had more the air of a professor than a student.

"New," he repeated tonelessly. "I see. And there's no need to explain yourself, I understand." Looking her up and down once, he added, "You look a bit young to be in college. Not that it's my business."

[COININ CLISTE]

Well shit. That was highly unpleasant. The least he could’ve done was crack a smile…or something. That just made her nervous as hell. She squirmed in her seat, and her toes touched the ground carefully. “Hydrocarbon derivatives. The smallest thing can cause a big change. Like, if you have methane,” Coinin rambled, staring down at her hands, “Ch4, and then you take away one of the hydrogen atoms and make it CH3. It becomes methyl radical.”

Coinin continued to stare at her hands, an excited smile on her face, “And you add an OH group, and then you get CH3OH, methyl alcohol. Two completely different substances, but only with such a small little difference in them. Hydrocarbons, and you add one little thing, and it’s just…” Coining grinned, and looked up at Gideon with a bright smile, hoping to see he was as excited as she was. Benny was well educated also, and it was fun to talk to him, but this guy…maybe he knew what he was talking about!

But he looked just blank. And bored, and that made her even more nervous. “Intelligence and age don’t always go hand in hand.” She said quietly, adjusting the strap of her tank top. “And no, it’s not your business,” She agreed with a nod, pulling her hair over her shoulder, before pulling off another book, and opening it up again, flipping through the pages. “But it doesn’t mean my intelligence matches what I look like.”

She glanced back up at him across the table, before sort of sinking back down in her seat, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.” She ducked her head back down, and glanced at the pages in her book, starting to go back to write. Well…at least she still had Benny, right? Her shoulders slumped a little bit, her other elbow on the table, putting her cheek in her hand to hide the twitch. Everyone was so different here.

[GIDEON GLASS]

“Hydrocarbon derivatives. The smallest thing can cause a big change. Like, if you have methane. Ch4, and then you take away one of the hydrogen atoms and make it CH3. It becomes methyl radical.”

Well, maybe this girl wasn't as silly as he'd thought. She did seem to know what she was talking about. Gideon blinked in slight surprise. "That's correct," he noted, raising his eyebrows slightly; the action softened his severe expression slightly.

“And you add an OH group, and then you get CH3OH, methyl alcohol. Two completely different substances, but only with such a small little difference in them. Hydrocarbons, and you add one little thing, and it’s just…”

"...just amazing." The corner of Gideon's lip twitched, almost like the beginnings of a very choked-out smile. "They're fascinating." Though his face didn't show it as clearly, the interest in his voice was clear. "And then that alcohol has the subunit C-O-H, as all alcohols do. It'll be able to form an ester that can then be converted to a halide."

Had he actually found another student just as interested in science as he was?

“Intelligence and age don’t always go hand in hand.”

Gideon frowned slightly, his eyebrows knitting together. Oh. She thought he was insulting her. That hadn't come out as he planned.

"No, that isn't what I meant. I know that perfectly well, I skipped a grade myself."

But she continued, still seeming offended.

“And no, it’s not your business. But it doesn’t mean my intelligence matches what I look like. Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Dammit, that wasn't what he'd meant at all.

"No, no, it was just an observation..." He paused to sigh softly, pushing up his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to offend you. I often come off as rather...austere. It isn't intentional."

[COININ CLISTE]

Coinin tried to hide a small smile when she heard the change in his voice. Good, she had surprised him. She had enough of an ego that she was proud of herself for surprising him. “Chemistry is crazy, and just think…this is all we know right now. Imagine if we knew every process of chemistry. And what we know how, can be proved completely irrelevant at any time.” She straightened up in her seat again, her brown eyes alight behind her glasses.

“I can relate. The grades here are different than back at home. So they had to bump me up a few, so I could be on par with my classmates.” Not exactly the truth, but if he found out she wasn’t a college student, he’d probably make sure she couldn’t be in the library anymore.

“My name’s Coinin,” Coleen it sounded like, “But you can call me Bunny. It’s a bit easier than trying to explain my name doesn’t have an l or an e in it. People’s minds kinda get all…” She waved her hands around her head, trying to explain a brain explosion.

Her shoulders shrugged a bit, and she let out a small sigh, before scratching the back of her head. “I’m sorry for interrupting your work. It’s just…not every day that I find another person who actually gets what I’m talking about, you know? Maybe we could have a different discussion about it when um…you aren’t busy?” She asked, nodding down at the paper.

She bunched up her long hair messy, frizzed and held in place by a spare pencil. “It’s alright, it just makes you mysterious. I’m just not use to it, I lived in one town my whole life. So I pretty much knew everyone, you know? And I get nervous, and I just..words keep coming out.” She stuck her tongue out playfully, before shrugging again.

[/center]

[GIDEON GLASS]

Well. Though he was not studying, Gideon always appreciated a good conversation, and this girl was certainly interesting enough to hold his attention.

“Chemistry is crazy, and just think…this is all we know right now. Imagine if we knew every process of chemistry. And what we know how, can be proved completely irrelevant at any time.”

"Oh, I know," he agreed, a glint of excitement in his olive green eyes. "It's an absolutely fascinating subject. And the things you can do...truly. The reactions, the bonding, the compounds...chemistry is the study of how things come to be. We are all made up of a variety of chemicals, and chemistry is the branch of science that shows us how all those tiny little parts conjoined and formed living beings."

“I can relate. The grades here are different than back at home. So they had to bump me up a few, so I could be on par with my classmates.”

He wondered if that was true. Well, he had no reason to believe it wasn't...for the moment.

"Oh, I see," he responded, observing her. "I am assuming from your accent that you are from Ireland? I've read that the school system there is different."

“My name’s Coinin. But you can call me Bunny. It’s a bit easier than trying to explain my name doesn’t have an l or an e in it. People’s minds kinda get all…”

Gideon nodded. "Coinin is a lovely name, though," he commented, "regardless of how you spell it. But I can see how something simpler, like Bunny, would be preferable."

He paused a moment before realizing he hadn't actually introduced himself. "Oh. My name is Gideon, by the way."

“I’m sorry for interrupting your work. It’s just…not every day that I find another person who actually gets what I’m talking about, you know? Maybe we could have a different discussion about it when um…you aren’t busy?”

Gideon shook his head slightly. "Believe me, I do know. And I can spare a moment for a good discussion. I rarely find another mind so knowledgeable about my favorite subject." There was that almost-smile again. It was like it was painful for him to look happy. "Besides, this paper isn't due for a week. I just believe in getting a good head start on things."

“It’s alright, it just makes you mysterious. I’m just not use to it, I lived in one town my whole life. So I pretty much knew everyone, you know? And I get nervous, and I just..words keep coming out.”

"Mysterious? Hardly." His lips curled to one side into a dry smile. "I understand. The art of conversation is one that not all of us can master easily. And we all have our quirks when we're nervous." Retaining his dignity, he did not mention his own nervous habits to her.

[COININ CLISTE]

“It’s amazing. I just think how we can be mostly water, and carbon, but we just don’t float away, because of one atom. One molecule. One compound. Changes everything. Something that could save your life, bump off one molecule, and it’s suddenly toxic.” Bunny took her glasses off her face, and set them on the table, before pulling her arms off the table, and resting her hands in her lap.

Coinin shifted slightly uncomfortable when he complimented her name, her cheeks tinting a soft pink, clearing her throat a little. “Yeah, Irish. I transferred in earlier this year.” She dipped her head down again, “Gideon, I like that. It’s different. Different good.” Bunny nodded, and straightened her back a little bit, before relaxing again. “Chemistry is interesting. I think my favorite subject is agriculture, though. I live in an apartment, so…I only have one of those window-sill garden things?” She lifted her voice, almost like a question, trying to see if Gideon understood what she meant.

“I can pretty much only grow flowers, and tomatoes. It’s not deep enough for carrots, or potatoes. There’s not a single place in New York City that I can have a garden.” She grinned, trying to make a joke out of it. “Chemistry sort of has its place in agriculture too. Something as simple as growing a plant, is all so complex and advance when you break it down to a molecular level.”

Hey, he kinda smiled. Sort of. It seemed awkward on his face. She watched him curiously, before tilting her head a little bit. The change in his voice when he realized she could keep up with his conversation, the interest. Somehow, the change of his voice felt more of a smile than the actual smile on his face was.

Bunny opened her mouth, staring at Gideon, about to say something. Then shuts her mouth. Then settles back in her chair. Only to sit up again, her lips tightening slightly, choking on her words almost. It was awkward. And after all, she had just gone to the bookstore with Benny. What if a worker at the store thought she was some tramp? She’d get a reputation before she could even sneeze. Bunny shook her head, changing her tone, sounding sort of defeated. “What profession are you hoping to go into when you graduate?”

[GIDEON GLASS]

“It’s amazing. I just think how we can be mostly water, and carbon, but we just don’t float away, because of one atom. One molecule. One compound. Changes everything. Something that could save your life, bump off one molecule, and it’s suddenly toxic.”

She really knew what she was talking about. Gideon nodded eagerly. "Or you can remove a single atom, one tiny atom, and a stable compound will suddenly break down. And all the fascination of atoms themselves, how they interact with one another, how a combination of such...miniscule pieces can form metal, flesh, wood. It's astounding. Absolutely astounding. The excitement that had a difficult time being shown on his face was far more evident in his voice. He loved to talk about science. It was his one true love.

The girl - Coinin - was blushing slightly. “Yeah, Irish. I transferred in earlier this year.”

"I see," he replied, nodding. "Well, if it is any consolation to you, I'm from Canada. I only go to school here." He'd never liked the United States as much as Canada. Probably the politicians.

“Gideon, I like that. It’s different. Different good.”

Gideon blinked. "Thank you. I know it's a bit old fashioned, but my parents seemed to be into those sorts of names. My brothers are named Percy and Roderick, after all." His tone took on a hint of amusement.

“Chemistry is interesting. I think my favorite subject is agriculture, though. I live in an apartment, so…I only have one of those window-sill garden things?” He nodded in response to the question inherent in her tone. "I can pretty much only grow flowers, and tomatoes. It’s not deep enough for carrots, or potatoes. There’s not a single place in New York City that I can have a garden.” Gideon's lips curled sideways into that awkward smirky smile again. “Chemistry sort of has its place in agriculture too. Something as simple as growing a plant, is all so complex and advance when you break it down to a molecular level.”

Gideon nodded in agreement. "Oh, without a doubt," he piped up, eager to add to the conversation. "Agriculture is entirely about chemistry. What chemicals will make the plants grow faster, what will make them stronger, what chemicals will keep the pests away? And, most importantly, which of these chemicals is the least harmful to the humans that will consume the products?" He looked momentarily thoughtful. "Although, only science knows if they are really choosing what is best for us...but that is not science's concern. That's merely greed."

Gideon tried, for the most part, not to preoccupy himself with politics. He wasn't technically American, after all - though he was a citizen now - so what should he care? But he found that he got too involved in them despite, as much as he tried to keep his nose out of that sort of business.

“What profession are you hoping to go into when you graduate?”

Oh, dear. The million-dollar question.

"Well," he said, in his most diligent-college-student voice, "I would like to become a chemist, though I do not presently have any specific job opportunities lined up. I suppose an internship would be a good place to start...but yes, I'd like to be a scientist, and preferably a chemist."

[COININ CLISTE]

"Science for the lack of a better word...is totally cool." Bunny grinned, leaning foward on the table, her arms crossing over the open book infront of her idly. She was suddenly aware of how much of a retard she possibly looked right about now, and cleared her throat, and straightened up a bit. She peeked up through her bangs, and shrugged.

"Old fashioned is nice. I'd rather be surrounded by antique things, rather than all this smooth, neon, futureistic kick the rest of the world seems to be on." She waved her small hand dismissively, "I'm futureistic in my thoughts of the science, but in all things material, I suppose I like older things." She blinked rapidly a few times, then removed her glasses to rub her eye, and replaces her glasses.

Bunny decided that she liked to listen to him speak. His face didn't say much, but his voice was something completely different. It was slightly intimidating at first, but she liked it. "I like the natural science." She shifted in her chair a little bit, sort of wiggling side to side while she repositioned herself on it, resting her hands between her knees.

"Man-kind got so far without all these high-tech pesticides, right? Just a nice hosing down, and a balanced ecosystem will keep the pests away." She smiled, a completely different tone and expression came over her. She seemed to radiate warmth, and her eyes seemed far away, and there was a serene smile on her lips, her tone gentle, and just as warm as the glow she seemed to radiate.

"Back home, my parents let me have most of the backyard. I had carrots, and potatoes. Tomatoes, lettuce. And flowers, lots and lots of flowers. It smelled so nice, and I never had to go and buy the vegitables." She shrugged her shoulder, "Didn't have a bad bug problem. The spiders kept the smaller pests in check, and the birds kept the spiders in check." She nodded eagerly, before settling down again, feeling homesick once more.

"Well, I am sure you will be very wonderful at it. Oh, that was pressuring wasn't it? Well, either way. You seem like a very smart guy, I think you will be excellent." Her nail idly scratched at her book, her lips twisting to the side, glancing up again, the corner of her lips tugging upwards. "How do you feel about coffee?"

[GIDEON GLASS]

"Science for the lack of a better word...is totally cool."

Gideon's smile widened just slightly, and he nodded in agreement. "For lack of a better word, it's totally awesome," he concurred, his eyes sparkling with a humor he could not express properly on his face.

"Old fashioned is nice. I'd rather be surrounded by antique things, rather than all this smooth, neon, futureistic kick the rest of the world seems to be on." Gideon hummed agreement. "I'm futureistic in my thoughts of the science, but in all things material, I suppose I like older things."

"I agree completely," he replied. "I have a very modern perspective on science, but I'm not at all interested in modern culture...I find history far more fascinating. The Victorian Era, for instance...just imagine how much different it was then. It's fascinating to examine the implications of the advances made during that era on the entire planet in the modern day." He nodded sagely. "I am a scientist at heart, but I can understand the draw of history."

"I like the natural science." He observed her movements silently, analyzing her. She was a sweet girl. Young, but sweet. And very smart, he liked that.

"I'm very fond of it, too. Chemistry, Biology..." He pushed up his glasses. "But most science is natural...that is to say, it occurs in nature with no human intervention. And that is truly the fascinating part. All these reactions and connections and metamorphoses...all of them happening before we even existed, and will surely continue happening long after we are gone." He exhaled, almost exhilarated. He got so excited talking about science sometimes.

"Man-kind got so far without all these high-tech pesticides, right? Just a nice hosing down, and a balanced ecosystem will keep the pests away." There was a quiet warmth about her now that Gideon rather enjoyed. He himself emanated an aura of cold austerity most of the time, but now he was more relaxed, and that had faded.

"Exactly my opinion," he noted. "If you are going to develop such new pesticides, at least go to the trouble of making them safe for human consumption. It seems counterproductive to put harmful pesticides on something that is going to be paid for and eaten by customers who can easily file lawsuits..." He looked pensive for a moment. "Well, not easily, there is more to a lawsuit than that...but I try to stay out of that branch of knowledge, I've heard too much of it from my family."

"Back home, my parents let me have most of the backyard. I had carrots, and potatoes. Tomatoes, lettuce. And flowers, lots and lots of flowers. It smelled so nice, and I never had to go and buy the vegitables. Didn't have a bad bug problem. The spiders kept the smaller pests in check, and the birds kept the spiders in check."

Gideon blinked. "That sounds wonderful. I'd like to grow a vegetable garden if I ever get the chance, but my parents were not very interested in agriculture beyond landscaping...they were not very interested in anything natural, really." He shrugged. "I grew up in the city, though...not much greenery."

"Well, I am sure you will be very wonderful at it. Oh, that was pressuring wasn't it? Well, either way. You seem like a very smart guy, I think you will be excellent."

He pushed up his glasses almost shyly and fidgeted slightly. "Well...thank you. I'm flattered that you think so. I certainly hope I will be proficient at it, at least enough to keep my job."

"How do you feel about coffee?"

Gideon blinked, wondering if he'd heard her correctly. The implications of that statement...but most girls weren't interested in a brainiac like him, and besides, he was...well...

But he was overreacting. He liked talking to Coinin, and that was not a crime.

"I enjoy coffee," he replied, smiling slightly.

[COININ CLISTE]

Gideon was smiling at her. He was smiling. Woah he has nice teeth. Bunny swallowed hard, and grinned again with a nod when he agreed with her. He was coming out of his shell, she liked that. He seemed less grumpy like that, easier to talk to.

"Modern culture is a bit sad," She agreed with another nod. "The new generations are too self-centered." She shrugged her shoulders, and glanced down for a moment, before pulling one of her legs under the other, listening to him with a small smile that kept on her face. "I think Mother Earth can handle herself just fine. We're a bit like fleas. When it gets too much for her, she'll just shake us off, I think." Coinin pondered, scrunching her lips to the side.

"Politics and law are a bit of a bore to me. If you don't study hard, you have no idea what's going on. As well as I hardly understood the politcal system in Ireland, I can't even begin with this one. But anyone can understand science. It can be put into simpler terms. Like...you can try and explain the atomic structure of water and phosphorus, or you can just say. Phosphorus plus air equals boom. More or less." Not the best joke, actually. She wasn't that good at them, but it was nice that at least he'd probably understand her ramble about it.

"If you've got some dirt, I can get you a garden." She curled her hands into fists, her thumbs sticking straight up, "I have a wicked green thumb. There's nothin' I can't grow." She lowered her hands back into her lap, "Plants are like animals, sort of. It's going to sound funny, but. If you talk to them, and you plant them with care and love..not just half assed, then you will have something beautiful you've created."

Bunny leaned in again, pushing her bangs carefully from her eyes, and pulled up her other leg, sitting cross legged in the chair, and lifted her hand to toy with the Claddagh charm on her necklace, "You'll do just fine, if you love it as much as you seem to." She lowered her eyes staring at his neck for a moment, and then glanced back up. It was getting somewhat easier to make friends, at least...once they opened up.

"When you finish your paper, we should get some coffee and geek it up a bit. I'd love to read your paper, if you'd let me. I mean, when you're done. If you want. But you can say no, cause...we just met, and..." Her brown eyes were wide, and she held very still, staring at Gideon much like a startled rabbit. The sudden smile, however small was enough to throw her off guard for a moment.

She then flinched and squinted at him, "That was awkward wasn't it? It was. You know, forget I said anything." She attempted to laugh it off. You don't just. Ask a person out to coffee just because, right? Was that different here? At least she and Benny talked for a couple days before hanging out.

[/center]

[GIDEON GLASS]

This...Coinin really was not bad conversation at all. Young and shy, certainly, but intelligent. It was a nice change to have someone like that to talk to.

"Modern culture is a bit sad. The new generations are too self-centered."

"I most heartily agree," he replied with a note of dryness, before nodding for her to continue.

"I think Mother Earth can handle herself just fine. We're a bit like fleas. When it gets too much for her, she'll just shake us off, I think."

Gideon formed his lips into a pensive semi-pout, pushing up his glasses. "Yes," he concurred. "I think we are harming ourselves more than we are harming anything else...still, I'm sure that Mother Earth - if you'd like to put a personification to the planet - doesn't appreciate all the damage we've done, reversible or not."

"Politics and law are a bit of a bore to me. If you don't study hard, you have no idea what's going on. As well as I hardly understood the politcal system in Ireland, I can't even begin with this one. But anyone can understand science. It can be put into simpler terms. Like...you can try and explain the atomic structure of water and phosphorus, or you can just say. Phosphorus plus air equals boom. More or less."

He smiled that wry, sub-humorous smile of his at her joke. "It certainly does," he concurred. "Politics are strange...I've become a bit too involved in them for my liking, despite not being American. I just wish they were simple enough for everyone to understand...it's as if they don't want us to know. Which is just shady in and of itself." Gideon shook his head slightly and sighed. "I read a book once about how most politicians are psychopaths. It is the only way they can do the things they do."

"If you've got some dirt, I can get you a garden. I have a wicked green thumb. There's nothin' I can't grow."

He raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise and blinked. "Well, I'd love to see what you can do with a garden, then. But alas, I'd probably end up neglecting any garden I tried to keep...I tend to forget things like that."

"Plants are like animals, sort of. It's going to sound funny, but. If you talk to them, and you plant them with care and love..not just half assed, then you will have something beautiful you've created."

He smiled faintly again. "You certainly seem passionate about gardening," he commented, before sinking back into listening to her talk. She had a very soft voice. It was unobtrusive and pleasant.

"You'll do just fine, if you love it as much as you seem to."

"I certainly hope so," he replied with a humorless sound. "But in this job market...well...I'll be fortunate to secure a position anywhere."

"When you finish your paper, we should get some coffee and geek it up a bit. I'd love to read your paper, if you'd let me. I mean, when you're done. If you want. But you can say no, cause...we just met, and..."

He blinked. "A-ah..." His mind whirred uncertainly at her rambling.

"That was awkward wasn't it? It was. You know, forget I said anything."

"No, no, I'd be happy to continue our discussion at a later date, you're very good conversation. It is a bit of an odd request, but...well, Schrodinger knows I've found no shortness of oddities in this city." He tilted his head slightly. "And of course you may read my paper. I always like a second opinion."

[COININ CLISTE]

The more she talked to him, the more that Gideon seemed to open up to her; which in turn relaxed her. Making friends wasn't that hard...right? "It's true, the damage we've done to the planet will prove to be our own undoing." She sighed, and leaned back in her chair, dropping her hands into her lap, peeking across the table.

Coinin blinked a few times, and rolled her shoulders back, taking Gideon's words about Politics into thought. "That's the thing though. Politicians will tell you everything you want to hear, and then the fine print is nothing but giant words that would never be in an average person's vocabulary--and that fine print undoes everything they've promised." She smiled at the comparison to politicians and psychopaths, and even allowed a small giggle to bubble up, while she nodded in agreement.

"I feel about gardening, the way you feel about science," She shrugged her shoulders again, and picked at the end of her sleeve, "Even if the job market sucks, there's certain jobs that are always in demand. Like..doctors, farmers, lawyers, scientists. There's already a shortage of them all, so, you will be able to find a place to work." She smiled again with her smile that almost looked like a sleepy child's. It wasn't enough to distort her face, but her eyes seemed to close for that moment her mouth curled upwards, before her expression relaxed again.

And then she had rambled about the coffee shop. And he was staring at her dumbfounded. Great--it was all going so good, and she blew it with one blurted out request. She had completely ruined her intelligent facade with useless sputtering and rambling. Were the bookshelves secure? Could she pull one over to crush her to her embarassing death?

But he then agreed. To go to coffee with her. Well. That was unexpected. Bunny looked back up, the pink color leaving her face, and she grinned again, before pointing over her shoulder in the general direction of the city, "There's a coffee shop near Central Park." She leaned foward, and tore a corner off her notebook, and wrote down a series of numbers. "You can call this, if you ever need help with something, or if you want to hang out...or something." She pushed the corner of paper across to Gideon, "Thank you for not laughing me right out of the table."

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[GIDEON GLASS]

Gideon had never been talented at making friends, but meeting someone who seemed almost as intelligent as he was – if not more so – was a good way to get him to open up. “Yes, indeed...I only hope we can either find a way to reverse the problem or discover a method of living on another planet before we run ourselves into the ground.” His voice took on a familiar note of cynicism. He had never attempted to be an optimist. It was not logical.

“Yes, and that sort of convolution is what has kept me out of the political sciences,” Gideon confessed, rolling his tense shoulders. They always seemed to be up around his ears. “I believe in taking everything with a grain of salt. Doubt everything until it is proved. Hard evidence. Nothing else is acceptable as a basis.” He was quiet for a moment before his expression softened into something almost sheepish. “Of course, that is largely the scientist in me. I treat everyday life as an experiment in and of itself...perhaps that is not wise.”

Blinking, he refocused on her. She did seem fond of gardening. He wished he was more talented with growing plants sometimes, he was fond of the taste of organic vegetables. “Then I can understand why you are so fond of it,” he replied. “And I suppose you are right...still, it concerns me. Although I suppose the government is always hiring...ah. I don’t know. I shall have to look into it more deeply. I am only twenty years old; I have time.” He observed her odd smile – though it was rather endearing – and reciprocated with a slight twitching of his lips.

He tilted his head, watching her. She seemed surprised that he had agreed to go get coffee with her, but he did not find it odd at all. Gideon viewed the situation completely logically: two friendly acquaintances going out to get coffee and converse about science and mathematics. To him, there was nothing odd about this, and he certainly did not detect any romantic overtones. Of course, it was like him to be slightly oblivious to emotional implications when it came to women. “Ah...?” He took the slip of paper, examined it, memorized the number, and tucked the paper into his pocket. “Very well. And you’re welcome. I would hardly be keen on chasing you off; I haven’t had such good conversation in weeks.”