#earthrunes

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"Love, do you want more tea?" Coradel asks August where they're both sitting in a breakfast alcove, books open alongside the table settings.

"Mm?" He's reading; it always takes a moment for him to come back to the present.

"Oh, ah, yes. Thank you."

A smile and she pours for him, then takes a bit more for herself. "Good reading?"

"Interesting." he agrees "Case histories."

She nods, sips her tea, and turns another page in her own text.

It seems to feature a number of reproduced blueprints.

He peers at it, interested.

She catches him looking, grins, and turns the book for him to see. "Stable layouts. I need to design one for my senior portfolio."

"Ahhh...." understanding "What are your thoughts?"

"Well...I like this..." She points out a feature or two. "But this area looks a bit too cramped to be practical. Mind you, I'd just design a castle-sized stable, but most mortals don't have the resources."

He chuckles. "Do you plan on actually constructing something? To what end?"

"Well, not at the moment, no. But the program requires the design, so...." She considers the blueprints. "Maybe, though. I might expand on the DuBois stables."

August seems amused. "You can only ride one horse at a time, Coradel. You are satisfied with Samson?"

A smile. "Very satisfied. Dear Samson," she says fondly.

"Perhaps not expand, then, but improve." he sips his tea "Not that you need me to tell you your business."

"Improve, precisely. They could stand to be updated." A bit of a sigh. "I'll be glad to be done with this, though," she says, indicating her books.

"Was it that bad?" gently and not without humor.

"Mostly not...but some of the classes have definitely been tedious. Not to mention some of the other students and professors." A bit of an eye-roll there. "I'm sure you've encountered the same?"

August nods. "I have. I like to think some of the other material balances the tedium out."

"Enough to get through, yes." She sips her tea.

"What do you think you want to do after?"

"Well, not more school, I can tell you that," she says with wry emphasis.

She leans her chin on her hand. "I was thinking some sort of advocacy endeavor. Charity non-profit for equine welfare."

August nods, his interest caught. "That sounds wonderful. I've read that equine therapy is becoming more main-stream."

"Oh, yes, absolutely. And I suppose that's another option," she allows.

"Ah, yes. Of course." sip.

"When you decide how to proceed, you'll let me help if I can?"

She smiles warmly. "I'll absolutely badger you."

"How much longer do you have before you're all lawyer-fied?"

"Oh... I'm thinking this year I'll start looking for work. An internship, maybe? Something in the public sector. There's such a need.... ah, and then I'll graduate next year but with a paralegal degree. Not a law degree. That would take quite a bit longer."

She frowns delicately. "Don't they know they need you now?"

August has to chuckle. "I'm sure they don't, Coradel. And that's ok. I'll show them."

That gets a pleased smile. "You will." Utterly confident.

He nods matter-of-factly. "Of course, if I take a job...."

"Your attention will be even more divided," she says with a slight pout. "But I suppose that can't be helped. You're not likely to run into the risk fo forgetting yourself."

"My time will have calls on it, yes." he agrees, not without regret "And no. I'm not." with a smile as he touches her hand.

She turns her hand to lace fingers with his, palm to palm. "My love...we will make it work. And you will do brilliant things, and help those who need it."

"I will certainly try. And you will make a difference in the lives of those beautiful creatures, and in doing so, show others how they can change lives too."

She beams at him. "See? Concordia is terribly lucky to have both of us." She offers him a strawberry.

August chuckles, amused, and takes the strawberry. "Thank you."

"Do you know what the plans are for your graduation? So much has been done virtually over the last few years....."

"I believe it's still undecided, but they're likely to opt for in-person. I suppose my parents will be thrilled."

"Understandably, I think, from their point of view."

"I suppose." She shrugs.

"Do you know if they have plans? For your graduation, that is."

"Oh, I have no idea. Honestly, I haven't thought much past Carnivale, myself."

"Ah, yes. Carnivale. I had thought to ask what the plans are?"

"Well, I'm sort of thinking of something futuristic? Give the nockers and gadgeteers something to play with. I can be robot-servant, zip around on one of those hoverboard things."