“Uh, could you explain it one more time?” chuckled Dhurgan.
“What do you not get? The angle in the first quadrant is π/6 and it’s basic symmetry that the second angle’s terminal line must form an angle of π/6 with the negative x-axis as shown above. So it’s π−π6=5π/6! It’s not alchemy for crying out loud!”
Dhurgan just stared blankly at Homraz. It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was totally lost. They’d been going at the equation for fifteen minutes straight. Presently, the two were at the dormitory commons and sat just across from each other at the small coffee table. Binders, folders, and journals lay strewn across the table, forming a small wasteland of work. At this point, both orcs were willing to tear out their tusks, and it showed.
“Look, I’m sorry I don’t get this but I’m trying,” sighed Dhurgan. “Can we take a break? Please?”
Homraz sighed as he rubbed his eyelids. It would do them both some good to relax and try looking at the problem with fresh eyes.
“Alright. But only for an hour. After that I’m gonna beat that equation into your brain, got that?” he growled.
“Sir, yes sir!” beamed Dhurgan jokingly.
Dhurgan got up and headed to the kitchen. There must’ve been something left in the fridge, but between the takeout the other students frequently indulged in and the protein shakes she chugged religiously, there wasn’t anything that’d be enough for a real meal.
She considered warming up a couple of the leftovers when Homraz came into the kitchen. In the small space, Dhurgan towered over the small male. Her frame greatly outsized his and she could easily fit her large hands around the line of his jaw.
“This place is filthy!” he exclaimed.
The proclamation jolted her out of her short muse.
“Yeah, sorry dude. It was Adit’s turn to clean today but they had something to do. I don’t know where they are.”
“Didn’t ask,” Homraz grunted as he started rifling through the cabinets and pulling out two saucepans.
“Anything in there that isn’t fried?”
Dhurgan gave him a sheepish smile.
“Move,” said Homraz as he pushed Dhurgan aside to root through the fridge. There were various biodegradable containers in there, each had some form of fried food. One takeout box harbored something that looked like it used to be a bushboar barbecue. Another had the most putrid smell permeating throughout the poor fridge.
“Bestos, this isn’t a fridge! This is where leftovers go to die! How are you alive?” snarled Homraz
“Uhh, protein shakes?”
‘Good moons, this sire is crazy.’
Casting a pessimistic glance back to the takeout grave, Homraz left the kitchenette and grabbed his jacket off the couch, still washed up with papers from the abandoned calculus homework.
“Where’re you going?” called Dhurgan.
“Getting some actual food. You’re coming too. C’mon,” Homraz called back gruffly.
“What about calculus?” snorted Dhurgan.
“Forget that. You’re starving, I’m starving, and a genius can’t think on an empty stomach.”
Dhurgan stifled a laugh and followed Homraz out the door. Since her RV still wasn’t fixed, and Homraz didn’t rent a car, the two opted to walk to a small grocery store, just three blocks away, which was open 24/7. As they walked the soft blue, purple light of near dusk bathed the street and walkway leading out the dorms.
The automatic doors slid open with a chime as the pair stepped inside the store. Homraz made a beeline for the produce aisle as Dhurgan followed behind him.
“So,” she said in an attempt to break the awkward silence. “What’re we looking for?”
“Anything that isn’t a protein shake, fried, or alien spawn.”
“Oh c’mon, it’s not that bad,” whined Dhurgan.
“You’re right, it’s a lot worse.”
Homraz picked up a couple of morga peppers and inspected them. Stuffing them into the cart, he also picked up a head of cabal, some dried iggyberry, kola nuts, and some rotisserie harpy.
“So,” interrupted Dhurgan. “What’re we gonna make?”
“There’s no we,” snapped Homraz. “I’m going to make something edible, and you’re going to learn from watching.”
“I’m starting to doubt your teaching methods here,” grumbled Dhurgan.
***
The sweet smell of roasted kola nuts and harpy wafted throughout the kitchenette.
The dishes that had spilled over the sink and almost devoured all space on the countertop were tamed and in the dishwasher. A bright sheen replaced the mysterious stains from all the takeout on the countertop. The floor no longer harbored mysterious gunk and stains from takeout past, but brightly proclaimed it’s baptism by mop and broom.
Over the small stove, stood the orchestrator of such order, tossing a salad of cabal and dried iggyberry while checking on the sauce.
“Phew,” sighed Dhurgan. “Everything’s finally clean.”
She flopped her head over to the stove where Homraz was finishing up the meal. Thankfully, the two had managed to restock the fridge with some essentials and banished the abomination of late-night dinners to the compost.
Two large plates clattered their way onto the counter. Steam wafted from the lovely roasted harpy and kola nut on a bed of cabal, morga, and iggyberry salad.
“Oh gods, this looks amazing," sighed Dhurgan, giving a quick blessing to Muth before tucking into the meal.
“Of course it is,” huffed Homraz. “I made it, after all.”
Dhurgan stared, starry-eyed, at him, her mouth overwhelmingly full of meat and salad.
“Bro, where’d you learn how to cook like this?”
Homraz shifted a bit, and put down his fork.
“None of your business,” he grumbled, his eyes courting the floor.
Though Dhurgan felt a sting of hurt, she knew better than to press the issue. Homraz often shied away from personal questions like those about his home. He’d lash out whenever Dhurgan tried to pry into it and sulked for a long time after.
The best thing to do with Homraz was to ease off. Show him that she wasn’t his enemy. Give him space.
And give him time.
Silence blanketed the atmosphere between the two. Homraz pushed the food on his plate around awkwardly, until Dhurgan pushed herself up from the table and left to the living room. A minute later, she came back with Homraz’s and her binder.
Homraz eyed her warily.
“Come on,” she smiled. “It’s barely 7:30, and curfew’s at 12:10. We’ve still got time to figure this problem out, ‘kay?”
Homraz sat up warily with a soft “okay”.
It took a while, but two hours later, they’d conquered the entirety of Calculus and half of Alchemy.
“Finally!” shouted Dhurgan, pumping her fist in the air.
“Not bad,” smirked Homraz. “Now for the other half.”
“No!” groaned Dhurgan, falling to the couch dramatically.
*Two hours later*
The two had finally conquered all the homework assigned that weekend. Alchemy and Calculus, the great academic beasts that tormented Dhurgan, lay vanquished at the end of the day, and the two celebrated with two warm mugs of aether.
Just as the exchange ended the curfew bell screeched back into existence.
As the two walked back to the rooms, Dhurgan worked up the nerve to ask the question weighing on her mind.
“Um, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“We go to the same classes and both have a study session, what do you mean?” he asked rather confusedly.
“Ah, right,” chuckled Dhurgan. “I meant after all that.”
“None of your business.”
“Well, if you’re not doing anything, do you wanna check out the gym with me?”
“No,” he answered rather pointedly.
“Please?” Dhurgan pleaded.
“Why do you need me? Can’t you ask Alan or whoever?”
“First of all, their name’s Adit. Second, I was kinda hoping to hang out with you.”
Homraz paused a bit and eyed Dhurgan warily. “What’s in it for me?”
“You might get to punch some alphas in the face?” she offered.
Homraz carefully mulled over his options. If he said yes, he’d have to actually go to the dumb thing. On the other hand, it did sound more entertaining than reading the same chapter of World History II.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
“Really?” beamed Dhurgan excitedly.
“Only if you’re not stuck on the same chapter of Calc when I get back,” Homraz amended.
"Alright! Thanks man!"
“Do you have to be so fuckin' loud?” groused Homraz as the two reached Dhurgan’s dorm.
"Night!" called Dhurgan from the hall.
"I'm literally four doors down!" he snarled back.
"It takes more energy to say all that than just saying goodnight, y’know, " she laughed back.
"Fine! Goodnight," the huffy half-orc growled out.
"Knew you could do it, dude!"
"Get your arse in bed. It's late!"
"Okay, mom!" giggled Dhurgan, finally heading back inside.
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