Trying to Study

[Katarina Karkov]

Yes, classes still happened at Xaviers. Occasionally. Much to the chagrin of others.

Katarina had her nose buried in a book, trying to get ready for her physics test...probably. She seemed pretty zonked out, half asleep on her books.

((open))

[Drake Martin]

"Do you know how many people are suffocated by physics books?" Drake quipped as he settled nearby.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Nnneh? Wha?" Katarina said, her eyes blinking open.

[Drake Martin]

She was greeted by a face out of princess-stealing storybooks.

"Your face was so far in that book I was beginning to wonder if you could breathe," he joked.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Eep!" she said, seeing her dragon-faced classmate for the first time.

Those princess instincts are hard to quash.

[Drake Martin]

He puts his hands up placatingly.

"Whoah! I come in peace," he said with an amused expression.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Sorry, sorry! You just....startled me, is all."

[Drake Martin]

"You wouldn't be the first to be startled by my totally awesome visage," he grinned.

[Katarina Karkov]

"No, no, it's...I'm sorry.

Were you waiting to use this table?"

[Drake Martin]

"Seems there's plenty enough room for the two of us. That is if you don't mind the company," he answered with only a little flirtatiousness. It was hard to turn off.

[Katarina Karkov]

"Yes, yes, of course.

What, erm...what brings you here? Tough classes?"

[Drake Martin]

"I thought I'd waste time between classes finding new ways not to finish my creative writing assignment," he answered as he set up his laptop.

[Katarina Karkov]

"You're in creative writing? What are you writing about?"

[Drake Martin]

"My usual thing, to the surprise of absolutely no one, is fantasy and adventure," he answered with good humor. "But I have to write a mystery with no magic or superpowers or anything I'm used to. For the experience."

[Katarina Karkov]

"Ooo, a mystery. Do you need any help?"

[Drake Martin]

"I wouldn't say no to some cooperative brainstorming. I had a plan for who did the deed, but I'm not sure the clues add up."

[Katarina Karkov]

"Well, lay it out, and we'll see if it makes sense. It will make more sense than this textbook, at any rate."

[Drake Martin]

He laid out a whodunit involving the murder of a tycoon in the classic retro theme of many a costume party, but with an espionage twist. The clues were clever for his lack of experience, but In the end, they weren't quite fully coherent.