[center]
[h1][color=f7491d]Dakota Brookes[/color][/h1]
[h3]Lunch Break[/h3]
[sub]Mention: [color=0072bc]Joryldin[/color] [@Jade Blades][/sub]
[/center]

The unmistakable sound of a bell startled Dakota from their daze, a small trail of dust what remained of a trickle of drool that had previously rolled across the skin. Wiping it away with the back of their hand, the mage blinked away the fog of sleep to gather some semblance of bearings.

Last thing they could remember, Joryldin had asked a question concerning the platforms of each house they would be required to report on throughout the semester. The response had been rather clear, though it could have been phrased a little less dickish than it had been. It would see this particular class would be styled more like AP courses offered back home, expectations being the students fill in the gaps of whatever they are missing on their own time. For a normal class subject this wasn’t all that daunting, but for those new to this side of the treaty in question… such a task seemed overwhelming at best.

A couple of other questions were asked, and answered, before the TA continued on into another long-winded lecture. He started out with article one, something known as the Declaration of Authority. Dakota could feel their eyelids growing heavy as Varis continued on about what the article actually covered. The longer he spoke, the less the mage heard before losing focus entirely. 

Dakota also vaguely remembered some kind of commotion but as to what exactly happened, they had to piece it together from the bits of conversations going on around them. A shake of the head helped to clear the senses somewhat, eyes darting around to search for Jory so they could head off to lunch together. Unfortunately, it seemed that whilst recovering from the nap, Dakota had lost track of said partner. Heaving a sigh, belongings were packed back up into a bag before the mage stood up to stretch.

Choosing to ignore the group gathering at the front of the room, Dakota wandered out into the hallway with a large yawn. It was unfortunate missing out on what was likely a significant portion of information, however, it was not an immediate concern for the youth. If they weren’t going to cover the basics to understand the material being taught, Dakota would have to do most of the subject learning on personal time.

Currently, though, the mage had more important issues to attend to… such as the uncontrollable growling noises emanating from the stomach. Breakfast had been lighter than usual after rushing out for first class, so a food break was a welcome time for the starving youth. Dakota chuckled quietly and set course for the lunchroom.

It wasn’t long before Dakota had loaded up a plate with a burger among various other goodies that drew the eye. There was a table on the outskirts of the room that happened to go overlooked long enough for Dakota to set up shop, claiming a seat to settle into for the remainder of the lunch hour. As other student filed in Dakota watched them, wondering if it was worth moving to join the groups but ultimately decided against it. With so many classes to attend, opportunities would present themselves before long. All Dakota had to do was wait for the right one.

Withdrawing a pair of headphones, the mage kicked back with a small, portable gaming system. A few of the more reserved students found refuge at the quiet table, content talking amongst their smaller circles and taking the occasional peek over Dakota’s shoulder. A few recognized the title to be an animated rhythm game, the mage’s furious finger tapping a stark contrast to the calm facial expression. Dakota would use the time during loading screens to pick at the food on the table before playing through another song. This cycle continued until the bell signaled the end of the lunch period, a fellow mage tapping Dakota’s shoulder on his way by to let them know time was up.

[center]
[h3]Spell Theory[/h3]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=f26522]Cassandra[/color] [@Gisk]
Mention: [color=0ef3ac]Professor Tinley[/color][/sub]
[/center]

Shoveling the last few bites of a danish into their mouth, Dakota stuffed the electronics back into the bag and recalled the schedule. Up next should be Spell Theory which meant Dakota was set to return to Onyx Hall where Affinity Master had taken place. There were plenty of differences to note upon arrival however. The room itself was set up more like the lecture hall that Varis had been teaching out of, complete with large monitors meant to display prominent information for the lessons. Dakota assumed the cheerful woman welcoming in the students was the professor in charge of the class, making her more engaging than the fossil Max had been complaining about.

Looking around, Dakota hoped to see the grumpy mage among the sea of faces. It would have been great to already know someone, not to mention it would give the pair a chance to get to know one another like Joey had suggested to the pair. Unfortunately, it seemed the Max would not be making an appearance to this class period leaving Dakota on their own. With a shrug of the shoulders the youth found a seat with a good view of the front of the room, the earlier nap leaving them feeling refreshed and ready to learn.

Despite the name of the course being Spell [i]Theory[/i], Dakota was not at all bored by the information being relayed to them. It was a bit of a shame that this class hadn’t been scheduled earlier in the night than the other, some of the subjects touching upon links Dakota had been missing. Primary affinities made sense, the main elements and a natural knack for said magics, making that feel more an extension of one’s own spirit rather than an artificial tool. But it wasn’t until the Secondary (or Combinations as they were apparently called), that pieces began fitting. Some of what was spoken about felt similar to what the earlier course had been able to reveal but it still wasn’t enough to figure out what the element in question could be… Still, it was a place to start.

As the professor moved on into Tertiary affinities, Dakota couldn’t help but think of Max. It seemed most of what the teacher described fit what Joey had been saying about Max’s own affinity. The mage had to hold back a laugh at how perfect it sounded.

[i][color=f7491d]Still not an element, but it should narrow down the research. Maybe give us something to bounce some ideas off of. Worth a shot anyway.[/color][/i] Dakota thought to themselves, tuning in for the follow up on something known as a ‘Conditional’. The youth supposed the category was given a cute nickname to make up for a less becoming name: Miscellaneous. It sounded like the category for misfits, elements that didn’t seem to fit any of the categories or in some cases… all of them. It was possible Dakota fell into this category instead, but it would take a little more experimentation and research before options could be narrowed down.

Questions were opened up to the floor, a girl directly one seat ahead raising her hand to ask something about non-human entities possessing Secondary and even Tertiary affinities. The idea that creatures had the ability at all had taken Dakota by complete surprise, but the statistics were definitely on the student’s side; especially if it were a newer, underdeveloped study.

Dakota scribbled some words down on a scrap of paper, leaning forward to drop the note over the girl’s shoulder before raising a hand to ask a different question.

[hider=Note to Cassandra]
[i][color=f7491d]I like the way you think. Looking for a study buddy?

~Dakota (one seat behind you)[/color][/i]
[/hider]

“[color=f7491d]Earlier, you were saying something about arcane magics and how it can be more difficult for those with closer bonds to their affinities to perform… Does that mean it could potentially be an alternative for those who have yet to discover their affinity. I mean, you can’t have much of a bond if you can’t even figure it out, right?[/color]”