14: Syllabus

"Damn, what are the odds?" Adam shook his head incredulously.

"Heheh… W-What do you mean?" Ruby asked, putting on her best attempt at innocence.

"'I mean' our schedules are exactly the same!" Adam laughed. "Honestly, we should try playing the lottery if our luck is this insane."

"Do you want to?" Ruby focused intently on him. "I could probably rig something up there… Maybe. Give me some time to research Mom's grimoire."

Adam turned to her, narrowing his eyes somewhat, "… Ruby. Did you have something to do with this?"

"Whhaaaaaaaaaattt~? Noooooooo waaaaaayyy~…" Ruby looked away, drawing out her words, a perfect picture of the height of 'innocence'.

"Ruby," Adam said pointedly. "I won't be mad."

Ruby fidgeted in place for a moment, "… Fine! I did! But-! But just a little! Just a scrying spell to see your class choices and then another little spell to make sure our schedules match! I didn't want us to reunite and then never get to spend any time together because we were both busy with school!"

"Huh… Cool," Adam nodded.

Ruby blinked at his non-reaction, "H-Huh…? That's it?"

"That's it," Adam confirmed. "I told you I wasn't going to be mad. If anything, I'm happy you'd go so far to spend time with me."

"O-Oh…" Ruby let out a breathless little sigh as her heart flicky-fluttered and her tummy did flippity-flips.

Dang him! Ruby swore viciously to herself. Why'd he have to be so-! So gosh darn sweet! It seemed Ruby was particularly weak to praise coming from Adam. But honestly, she thought! What girl WOULDN'T want to hear that just spending time with their crush made them happy?! That was like crack in cookie form! Cookies in crack form…? Whatever! It was frickin' addictive!

"So!" Adam clapped, grabbing Ruby's attention. "What's up first?"

"'A 'Simple' History of Western Civ for Inane Imbecilic Ignoramuses'," Ruby answered after checking her phone with furrowed brows. "… Rude."

Adam chuckled, "Yeah, HU is a bit… eccentric like that. At least, that's what Mom told me."

Still frowning slightly, Ruby asked, "Wait, uh, what did you declare for your major, Adam?"

"You mean, 'our' major~?" Adam smirked.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she realized the consequences of her actions, "Oh… Oh, crud."

Adam chuckled, letting up with his teasing, "Don't worry, I put down 'Undecided' for now. My — our, I mean — classes this semester are just covering some basics and getting credit hours. Yeah, you haven't locked yourself out of Mechanical Engineering just yet, you gun-nut~."

"Good," Ruby let out an explosive sigh of relief. She switched to a slight pout as the rest of Adam's words caught up with her, "Hey, I'm not that bad…"

Adam shot her an amused look, "I'm pressing 'X' to doubt so hard right now. What was it you built in your garage that ended up with flashing lights showing up to talk to your dad?"

Ruby's pout intensified, "It was just a little Slam-Fired Pipe Shotgun… Barely enough to swat a fly. The cops were totally overreacting. 'Potential damage', tch! I'll show them damage…"

"Alright, enough of that, gremlin," Adam chuckled, scooping up Ruby in a bear hug and carrying her along as she continued pouting limply in his arms. "Let's try and keep the ATF from showing up at your door. Think of what they would do to poor Zwei."

"No, not the dog-shooters!" Ruby gasped in horror. "They wouldn't dare!"

"Don't go building guns in your dorm room and they won't have a chance," Adam deadpanned.

"Stupid laws… Stupid dog-shooting suit-pigs…" Ruby grumbled, falling into a limp pout again.

Intensely amused, Adam carried Ruby the rest of the way to their first class. She flopped there in his arms like a boneless puppy, pouting all the while. Internally, she was quite happy to be pampered. And the way her legs dangled off the ground without Adam even trying… did things to Ruby's 'poor' heart. The pair utterly ignored any questionable glances they might have gotten from those they passed. Truly, the opinions of the masses didn't matter to them one whit.

The lecture hall they eventually entered was unassuming enough. Just about what they were expecting but hadn't given much thought to. It was relatively small as far as lecture halls went — at least from what Adam and Ruby had seen from movies and the like. Only large enough to fit 200, maybe 250 students, and arrayed like a closed-air amphitheater with a sunken 'stage' for the professor to lecture from.

The hall wasn't even half full when Adam and Ruby arrived. They picked out seats near the front, two rows back from the first row in some strange, unconscious inclination to not seem 'too eager'. In doing so, Adam naturally gravitated toward a certain darkness, sitting next to an unfamiliar young woman without even realizing what he was doing. The reason for Adam's subconscious attraction instantly became apparent, at least to Ruby.

Yes, the first thing Adam did upon entering a lecture hall that seated 200+ people was make a beeline for the nearest, gothest girl. Ruby pouted. Then she pouted even harder as she realized she couldn't even blame him for it. Not this time.

The girl exuded an aura of pure 'cool' that left Ruby green with envy. It seemed effortless for her. Coolly disinterested but not mean. Bored as if the world existed for her amusement and it was disappointing her. Relaxed and confident like a character straight from a movie. And of course, it didn't help anything that she was absolutely gorgeous.

Her hair was partially dyed. Ruby could tell. Her naturally crimson ends had been mistaken for dye more than enough times for that. This girl's hair was clearly 'fake'… and Ruby couldn't even hate her for it. It just looked that good — solid strips of pleasant dark turquoise amidst a short, stylish bob of raven-black hair.

Then there was her make-up and the rest of her styling. She leaned heavily into the color palette that her dyed hair offered her. The color of her lipstick matched the pleasant dark turquoise, maybe a touch darker to make her lips really *pop*. Ruby didn't know if her eye color was natural or if she wore contacts but it matched as well, shadowed darkly in a constantly-lidded look that added to her air of cool indifference.

A tight black choker hugged her neck. Because of course it did, Ruby grumbled internally. She wore a very flattering half-corset that dipped low to reveal what seemed to Ruby to be miles of cleavage. It cut off 'conveniently' just in time to show off her soft stomach and perfect belly button. Then came a skirt Ruby wouldn't even use to floss! That was an exaggeration but it was tiny… and tight… It gave way to sheer tights that hugged shapely legs. Ruby did like the 'stomping' boots though…

All in all… she was a threat. But Ruby didn't know if she was a threat to her or to 'less worthy' girls (read: less goth) for Adam's attention. Adam had a type, after all. A very pronounced type that he was very outspoken about. The girl fit it well. But so did Ruby, apparently. As much as she wanted to, Ruby wasn't about to jump down her throat just for that. Not without talking to her first. She'd just have to get… crafty~…

Ruby cackled… and Adam knocked her over the head once with a karate chop, "No plotting in public."

And with that, Ruby was back to a pout. He knew her too well, even if he didn't know what she was plotting this time. But the warning signs were clear enough. And a plotting Ruby was a Ruby bound to get herself into trouble. Trouble that Adam would have to drag her out of, of course. It was better to just cut her off at the knees. Adam shuddered to think of the last time Ruby was given the time and space to plot. So, so, so much whipped cream…

"These seats taken?" Adam asked the attractive goth girl who was already sitting there.

Amusement whispered at her painted lips, curling slightly as she watched Adam and Ruby's antics, "Nah, go ahead. I don't mind, dude."

"Cool, thanks," Adam flashed her a smile, still unaware of how deadly such a move was now that he was whole.

The goth girl's only reaction was a slight widening of her eyes where Ruby knew she'd be flustered to heck. Adam set Ruby down in the seat next to her and sat on Ruby's other side. Ruby breathed an internal sigh of relief. At the very least, she'd be able to act as a buffer between Adam and the gorgeous goth girl. Still, Adam reached across Ruby's smaller sitting form, casually introducing himself.

"Adam. The adorable gremlin is Ruby. Nice to meet you."

"Gwen," The Gorgeous Goth Girl Gwen shook his hand in reply. "Always nice to meet a fellow goth gremlin."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Adam joked, raising a good-natured eyebrow.

"More like perfectly seasoned steak," Gwen shot back.

She didn't say anything more, not even acknowledging how smooth that was. As if she didn't even notice herself. Ruby couldn't help but groan inside. Dammit, she's cool! So cool!

"Oh, uh…" Adam blinked, slightly taken aback but the unacknowledged smoothness. "Thanks, I guess. Uh, so… first class, eh?"

"Nice one, Adam," Ruby giggled. It was at times like this that she was reminded that he was just as inexperienced as her.

"Shut it," Adam grumbled out of the side of his mouth, jabbing Ruby in the side lightly. "She caught me off guard. That's all."

Gwen just watched them with a slight, amused smirk on her face, and thankfully, didn't acknowledge their awkwardness either, "Yeah, first class of the year. Freshmen?"

Adam winced, "Yeah… Was it that obvious?"

"Kind of. You two have this air of unsullied innocence about you. You'll lose that after your first finals week," Gwen nodded.

"I'm… not looking forward to that," Adam said, shaking his head. "I've heard horror stories."

Gwen chuckled, "Oh, it's not as bad as movies and pop culture make it out to be. Stressful, sure, but you'll manage, especially for your first year."

"And you?" Ruby piped in. "You're, what? Sophomore? Junior?"

"Junior," Gwen easily answered. "This is my third year at HU."

"Sooo~…" Adam sported a mischievous grin. "You're our upperclassman?"

"Call me 'senpai' and I'll stab you," Gwen deadpanned, her tone only 'mostly' joking.

"So noted," Adam laughed and backed down. "Still, I guess we know who to go to for advice now, huh, Rubes?"

"I'm also a home-towner so I grew up my whole life here in Hallow. I even intern for the mayor's office," Gwen casually added.

"Ooooohhh…!" Ruby went wide-eyed, putting on an obvious act. "Connections, Adam! Connections!"

Gwen rolled her eyes but still chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, be in awe, little fishies. Big Sis Gwen will look out for you."

The same mischievous grin as before resurfaced on Adam's face, "Aww, thank you, Onee~…"

Gwen cut him off hard before he could finish, "Don't."

"Heh, alright, alright, I'll stop."

"Good boy."

That caused Adam to visibly pause for a brief, brief moment. He quickly forced himself to move past it, not even shifting in his seat to rearrange the half-chub that grew with those words. Still, Ruby could tell he was affected. It was half funny and half… worrying. Ruby knew SHE couldn't pull off the whole 'good-boy, dommy-mommy' aesthetic even a fraction as well as Gwen did. Heck, Ruby wasn't a boy and she wanted Gwen to call her that! O-Or maybe 'good girl'…?

Seeing Ruby's reaction to his reaction and knowing she'd be overthinking herself half to death, Adam leaned in and placed an arm around her as if staking a claim, even as he continued the conversation with Gwen, "Think I can pick your brain on this class?"

"Go ahead," Gwen shrugged nonchalantly. "Obviously, I haven't taken this class before but I've had Professor Yen before. She's good. A bit strict and she has no patience for idiots but she's very smart and unlike a few professors I've had, actually speaks well. Trust me, a professor who knows their stuff is useless if they can't actually get the information across to their students."

"Makes sense," Adam nodded. "Good to know we're in good hands here then."

The lecture hall had filled as the trio talked. Soon enough, someone at the front of the room demanded their attention. The 'Professor Yen' that Gwen spoke of. At first impression, Adam thought she was rather young for a professor. She couldn't be older than 35 and she wore those years very, very well. She had a certain air to her. An aura, really, that screamed the world itself served her will first and foremost. She didn't just expect it to be that way, she COMMANDED it so.

Dark locks of semi-curly hair fell about her shoulders. Her manner of dress was positively regal, harkening back to an almost medieval vibe. She was the kind of woman who kicked ass and took names. Stern, shockingly purple eyes stared out at the crowd awaiting her every word.

"Welcome. To 'A 'Simple' History of Western Civ for Inane Imbecilic Ignoramuses'. Despite this course's title, I expect no dull-witted fools to waste my time," Her voice was just as commanding as her mere presence. "I am Professor Yennefer. I will be your guide to Western Civilization this semester. And though this will be only a brief overview in the grand scheme, barely scratching the surface of true history, you will learn it well if you hope to pass my class."

"Jeez, you weren't kidding," Ruby muttered. "She's kind of… scary…"

Gwen chuckled, whispering back, "I know, right? She's dope, isn't she?"

"That's certainly one way to put it," Adam joked.

After her rather memorable introduction, Yennefer began distributing the class' syllabus. More accurately, she handed big stacks of paper out to the students in the front row and instructed them to pass them back. While everyone got their copy of the syllabus, Yennefer stood back and observed her first class of students. Her gaze and attention roamed, dismissing most, until it came to rest on a certain specific trio.

Examining Ruby, Yennefer made note of the potential to be had there. Another Witch in Hallow was always welcome. The coven always needed fresh blood and Yennefer was more than experienced enough to recognize Silver Eyes when she saw them. She also made note of the familiar cloak around Ruby's shoulders. It seemed that Summer had passed on her legacy…

Turning her focus to Gwen, Yennefer smiled slightly. She was familiar with the upperclassmen. She was a cool, charismatic, and connected girl with her head on rather straight, in Yennefer's opinion. Unfortunately, she didn't have the right spark of magic inside her. She would have made a rather good Witch. As it was, she was doomed to a life of 'mundanity' (or what passed for it in Hallow). Though, perhaps not completely considering that she worked directly under… that man… in the mayor's office.

A scowl simmered just beneath Yennefer's masked expression. Her self-control kept it from showing outright. That damned McLean… As far as men went, he was the worst of the worst. No, that was sexist, Yennefer corrected herself. He was the worst of the worst that ALL of humanity had to offer. If she didn't know better, Yennefer would have mistaken him for the most profane demon of the darkest pits of Hell. The fact that he WAS just a regular human man was what made him so damned dangerous.

Strangely enough, Yennefer could feel his fingers on the young man who sat with young Gwen and Summer's heiress. That was… interesting. And potentially worrying, depending on McLean's plot-at-play. 'Looking' closer, Yennefer's eyebrows raised on their own. He was… simply magnificent — a perfectly painted portrait of magic and masculinity, shadowed by something quite literally mythical.

But 'further inspection' would have to wait, Yennefer realized. She still had responsibilities to her class first. Looking out at her new students, she raised her nose slightly. A simple raised eyebrow commanded attention, silencing all of the quiet conversations that had been struck up while the syllabuses were passed out.

Nodding her satisfaction, Yennefer began, "Thank you. Now, we will have much to cover in the short time allocated to us. But today is merely the first day. As such, I thought we might learn about something insignificant to the world as a whole but rather relevant locally. Today, we'll be getting a snapshot of Hallow's history — a peek at the stories that shaped your new town and eventually, this very university. Take notes if you wish but this will not be on any of my tests."

There was a light ruckus at her words as students clamored quietly to each other or rearranged things on the small desks in front of them. To Yennefer's expected amusement, quite a few students completely cleared the space in front of them when they heard that today's lesson wouldn't be on any test. Still, more than a few — including the fascinating trio Yennefer had her eye on — prepared to take notes regardless.

"Who among you knows anything about Hallow's colonial past?" Yennefer asked. A few hands were raised but she didn't call upon anyone, instead continuing, "Originally, Hallow was something of a safe haven. Like many other American colonial cities, it was settled as a fresh chance for persecuted religious and societal minorities — mostly from Europe but also some from the Near East and parts of Africa. Among the earliest settlers, there was a single common theme: they'd all been demonized.

"When I say 'demonized', I mean in a very specific way. These were not merely Puritanical, Jewish, or other, 'more standard', religious minorities. Hallow's original settlers were the outcasts among the outcasts. Those who all organized religions frowned upon as 'inhuman'."

Pausing, Yennefer chuckled slightly, "And yes, I realize that could be said for any minority in history. Quite often, societies are quick to dismiss those different from them as 'inhuman'. But in this case, I mean it in a rather more literal sense of the word. You see, Hallow was founded by the 'supernatural'."

Yennefer knew her words had captured the whole room. Even the students who had chosen not to take notes were hanging off her every word. She didn't quite relish in the sensation but it was as satisfying as always. To have such influence and sway over the younger generation. To help shape personal views that would go out and change the world. And while she had to couch her talk of the 'supernatural' with the appropriate skepticism, she knew it was objectively true. She made note of the students who knew the same, their varied reactions of shock acting as amusement for her soul.

"Yes, where other cities were founded as havens for religious freedom, Hallow was founded as a haven for Werewolves, Vampires, Witches, and the like," She continued her storytime 'lecture', smirking slightly as if they were all in on a joke. "Or so, that's what they claimed. Whether you believe that is up to you. I won't influence your opinions there. Merely give you the most accurate recounting of events as I know them."

A general chuckle spread through the lecture hall, more nervous in some places than others, "Still, no matter the actual source, the result was an exceedingly diverse community here in Hallow. 'Werewolves' from France. 'Vampires' from the Balkans. 'Witches' from Eastern Europe. 'Goblins' and 'Fae' from the British Isles. 'Djinn' from Persia. 'Fallen Angels' and 'Nephilihim' from Israel. 'Obayifo' from Ashanti in West Africa.

"Quite often, the 'supernatural' outcasts of the native tribes also came to integrate into Hallow's society. There are even tales of settlers from as far afield as the 'Yokai' of Japan, though I have doubts about their veracity. Such a journey would have been quite the feat in the 17th century. The point is thus: for all of its history, Hallow has been one of the most diverse settlements in all of North America, with colors and creeds from all across the known world seeking sanctuary in some form or another.

"But of course, Hallow's history is not without its low points. Even outcasts may fall into fear and hysteria, persecuting each other despite the one commonality they share. The most infamous of such periods is in Hallow, without a doubt, the 'Wizard Hunts' in the early decades of the 19th century.

"The original cause of the Hunts has been lost to time. Perhaps 'mundane' outsiders came to influence the 'supernatural' community. Or perhaps the women majority of the town became scared and threatened by the idea of educated men. Or perhaps even, the Hunts were orchestrated by one cruel person or a single group with unknown ambitions," Yennefer speculated.

Pausing again, her words became thoughtful and wise, "One must always remember that, no matter how distant the stories are, history is nothing more than the interactions between people. People just like you and I. And though we might try to retroactively apply an overarching narrative to it, we will always be missing critical context. We will never live in those times. Nor will we ever know every individual thought and bias of those involved. As such, when studying history, we must always accept that the whole picture is so, so much larger than we could ever fully know.

"However, that does not mean we cannot study or know the past. We have the unique perspective of always looking with hindsight. We see the concrete results just as we see the beginnings. In this case, we are lucky to have a very personal understanding of events because they were documented in the diary of a young, aristocratic woman by the name of 'Mary Shelley'."

There was a brief moment of noise as some of the students recognized the name and Yennefer chuckled, "Yes, 'THAT' Mary Shelley. The same author who would go on to write 'Frankenstella' and pioneer the Gothic Fiction genre. Some of you might know the trivia that she was a proud native of Hallow. Less commonly known was the title she gave herself. That of 'Wizard Sympathizer and Necromancer's First Lover'. Perhaps Frankenstella was written from personal experience, hmm~?

"It is unlikely but an interesting thought nonetheless," Yennefer smiled. "As with all sources — yes, even secondary sources, for all history is biased in some way, shape, or form —, we must take her account with a grain of salt. From her diary, we know she was quite deeply involved in 'Wizard' and 'Witch' culture at the time, though she never once claimed to be a 'practitioner' herself. She was, however, romantically involved with one of these 'practitioners', and as such, rather invested in the outcome of the Hunts.

"According to Shelley, a man named Albus Dumbledore was the first victim of the Hunts. He was young and had not 'come into his power', or so Shelley claimed. He was also homosexual, which might, unfortunately, have had more to do with his fate than his apparent 'magic'. The next victim was named Severus Snape. After him, came Lucius Malfoy. Shelley… Well, let's just say she knew them well enough to not lament their deaths and leave it at that.

"If you're interested in learning more, I can't recommend Shelley's diary enough. It is a… fascinating read. Just certainly not for… ahem, sensitive sensibilities. She can get rather graphic at times. But for the sake of time, I'll skip over the next half-dozen victims of the Hunt. Some of them were innocent and some guilty — as Shelley claims — but all of them were young men in the prime of their lives. The actions of the Hunts were almost unthinkably heinous, even for the time. ESPECIALLY for the time. Nearly ten men were removed from the community over nothing more than a Wizard Hunt. As you might expect, the effects were… dire, to say the least."

Shaking her head at the foolishness of their ancestors, Yennefer continued, "The Wizard Hunts only came to an end when one man managed to escape their hysterical 'justice'. John Constantine. How exactly he escaped is not agreed upon. Shelley claims he vanished straight from the cross he was to burn upon as the flames licked at his heels. Other sources claim he made a 'deal with the devil' that saw him absconded from custody before reaching the cross."

As she spoke of John Constantine, Yennefer's voice took on a spooky timbre. Her students sat on the edges of their seats, listening closely. Yennefer grinned a haunting grin. She very much wished the lights were dimmed and she had a flashlight to light up her face from below.

"But no matter the method, it is widely agreed that he did escape somehow, with rumors abound of him hiding away in secret to plot his revenge against the town that wronged him. He is Hallow's Doom, a dark wizard lurking in every hidden nook across town. Even today, he is an urban legend — sightings just frequent enough to keep him in Hallow's subconscious. Be careful where you venture on late nights, students~. You might just run into a Wizard Scorned~…"

As she went to say more, the alarm Yennefer had set on her phone went off, "Ah, I suppose that's it for today. Thank you all for coming and listening. For our next class, read the syllabus. If you don't and ask me a question that is clearly stated in the syllabus, I WILL call you an idiot. Likely, in even more scathing words. That will be all, feel free to dismiss yourselves."

As the students began to do just that, Yennefer kept a close eye on young Gwen, Summer's daughter, and the man with them. She quickly realized she was wrong with her initial impression. Magnificent barely began to cover him… Already, ideas were swirling in her mind. Maybe — just maybe — with him, that damned McLean was finally showing a weakness…