Chapter Text
"Tara, are you serious?" MC scoffed with a disbelieving grin, looking up from her compact mirror. She flipped it shut and tucked it into her pocket, pursing her freshly-glossed lips.
"Listen," Tara wiggled the two paper stubs in her hand as she ushered MC through the gym doors, "I'll buy you a coffee if you don't enjoy yourself. And if you do enjoy yourself, then you're welcome!"
MC let herself be nudged and pushed around, eventually herded into an empty row of bleachers. "You know I don't watch sports."
"It's never too late to start!" Her friend chirped as the two sat down on the crisp aluminum. People gradually poured into the gym, most of them notably more school-spirited than MC. "Besides," Tara gently squeezed MC's arm, "you've gotta watch at least one game before you graduate."
MC supposed she was right. Still, a basketball game ate away at her time to study. Maybe that was on her for choosing to wait until the night before the exam to lock in... no, it was definitely on her. How was she supposed to know Tara would decide the thing she needs the most is to watch a school basketball game?
She shook her head to clear her mind. At the very least, they were study buddies, so if MC failed there was a high chance she wouldn't be alone. She ran flashcards in her mind's eye-- according to Subsection 6-13 in the Hunter's Comprehensive Handbook, the appropriate response in case of a structure explosion when dealing with a Wanderer is...
The gym building filled with the sound of the ball dribbling and sneakers squeaking before MC really realized it. In fact, it was Tara's hand on her arm jostling her around that pulled her out of her mental reviewing.
MC straightened her back and readjusted how she sat to hopefully trick herself into being more interested. "Who're we playing, again?" She leaned over to ask Tara, needing to raise her voice over the crowd.
"Chansia City!" Tara replied. Her eyes were so excited it made MC feel a little bad about her own personal lack of interest. "We've been on a 5-game losing streak against them."
"Seriously??" MC almost choked. "You were just bragging about how good our team was earlier!" She could feel the beginnings of her exam stress lifting.
Tara leaned in conspiratorially and MC subconsciously followed suit. "You can blame our losing streak on the old coach. But we got a new one at the start of the season and we haven't lost a single game since." There was a twinkle in Tara's eye that made MC raise an eyebrow. "...and he's got lots of fangirls."
"Yourself included." MC teased with a playful nudge of her foot against Tara's.
"Guilty as charged!"
MC opened her mouth to say something else, but the syllable on her lips was swallowed by the deafening cheers beside her. She turned her attention to the court just in time to see a basket swaying in the aftermath of a hoop.
She squeezed Tara's wrist and leaned in again. "Was that us?"
Tara nodded back enthusiastically, almost slamming her forehead into MC's as she did so. "That's three more points for us!" She pointed a finger towards the electronic scoreboard. They were in the lead with 21 points for Linkon and... 13 for Chansia.
Maybe she wasn't getting that coffee from Tara after all. In fact, she was starting to enjoy herself. Now that she looked, she recognized some of the players. One shared a class with her, and she had seen a few faces around campus. Her curious gaze flicked to the bench with hopes of recognizing more of her schoolmates.
Instead, her eyes landed on the man standing beside the bench. Tall, broad-shouldered, and strikingly handsome at this distance, MC was more than guilty of staring. The white tank top stretched over his chest did absolutely nothing to hide his toned physique. Lots of fangirls, huh? "Tara, is that-?"
The question died on her lips when she turned her head. At the end of their row of bleachers stood Simone waving at them. She cupped her hands around her mouth to shout. "I'm gonna come sit with you guys!"
MC and Tara scooted over as much as they could and waved her over. As Simone clambered her way over, MC glanced back at the bench to-- shit, where did he go? He was just there a second ago...?
"I didn't know you were into sports, MC." Simone sat besides MC as she slung her backpack onto the floor between her ankles.
MC gave a playful upwards flicker with her eyes as Simone handed her two granola bars from her bag. "You could say I've developed an interest." She glanced down at the wrappers in her hand (ooh, apple cinnamon flavor!) before holding one out for Tara to take.
Simone hummed knowingly, tilting her head back in a slow nod.
Tara unwrapped her granola bar. "I had to drag her out here! I said if she didn't like it I'd buy her a coffee."
"I still would rather be cramming for tomorrow," MC countered halfheartedly, "but I'm enjoying myself. We should come to a game that isn't the night before an exam next time."
-
MC lost track of the time between the end of that conversation and the time when people began filtering out of the gym. Tara's hand squeezed her shoulder. "I need to use the bathroom. Do you want to wait for me outside?"
"Oh-" MC blinked. Simone was already gone (MC really needed to stop spacing out so much tonight) but the foot traffic by the exits was pretty heavy. "I'll wait for you here instead."
Tara looked towards the crowded gym doors and nodded. "I won't take too long. Don't fall asleep!" She called over her shoulder halfway down the stairs. "Let's get coffee anyways on our way out so we can study!"
MC nodded and stood anyways to stretch her legs. The numbness in her thighs faded to make way for burning soreness from the uncomfortable aluminum bleachers. It could be worse, she could be on the Chansia City team with a long flight back home after losing by 18 points.
Shit, now that she was looking at the scoreboard, it was only this late?? And she was already this tired... thank goodness for Tara's invitation to coffee even though she did clearly enjoy herself.
She sat back down and lounged her body more comfortably across the now-empty bleacher, leaning into the stretch in her legs. She fished her notebook out of her bag. She figured that while she was here, might as well catch up on some reviewing.
The worn pages under her hands were soft from months of repeated study and reference. It had been MC's dream since she was young to become a Deepspace Hunter and now that she was on track for that opportunity she refused to squander it. Linkon University was welcoming, but its course of study for aspiring Hunters was intense.
It was nothing she couldn't handle. She had already gotten this far and her determination was strong. Maybe she should transfer all her notes from this notebook into a brand new one with crisp pages... it would be a great way to refresh on all her notes at once. She could do that over coffee with Tara. Speaking of...
MC glanced up to check if Tara was on her way. No sign of her classmate, in fact barely any sign of anybody else. The only other people in the gym were the basketball team. Oh. Well, now the self-consciousness pricked at the back of her neck. Should she go wait outside? Maybe she should. Yeah, She should. ...Yeah.
She slid her notebook back into her bag and stood up, slinging the strap across her body. MC looked back up, and it was like the world held its breath.
Meeting her gaze was the most gorgeous pair of sunset eyes she had ever seen. They bore into MC to the point where she felt uncomfortably perceived. She opened her mouth, then closed it when she realized she had no clue what she would even say.
No wonder the team's coach was so popular.
Her ears warmed when she realized she had been staring. He tilted his head, a silent 'can I help you?' that pinned MC in place. Thank God for Tara coming through the gym doors, the creaking of their heavy hinges breaking the spell that had MC feeling like a preserved butterfly under a much-too-observant gaze.
"Sorry I took a while! It was crowded in there. I had to wait in line to use the mirror." Tara's voice cut cleanly through the room's stagnant air. She waved MC down from the bleachers and MC didn't need to wait for any other excuse to get out of there.
An affectionate scoff flashed across MC's face. "You didn't even go?"
"No, but I forgot my pocket mirror at home!"
"You could've just borrowed mine." MC turned around and held a hand out to soften the shut of the heavy door behind them. Over her shoulder, she saw the coach speaking to one of the players. Right before the door closed, she could've sworn she saw his eyes glance up to meet her gaze again.
Tara pulled her phone from her pocket. "...We have 2 hours before our coffee place closes." With a shared mumbled expletive they beelined across campus.
-
They made it into the warm building with a thankfully short line in front of them. MC's brain was definitely shifting gear into one that would like pajamas and a sleep mask, but if she didn't cram now, she wouldn't have time tomorrow.
She saved them an empty table while Tara got in line. MC's bag occupied Tara's seat while MC herself filled the surface with study supplies. Her notebooks, loose papers with single lines of notes scribbled onto them, pens, pencils, highlighters in colors she never even used...
This test shouldn't be difficult. This was for her class entirely focused on Deepspace Hunter protocol and handbook; MC swore she knew all this. In fact, she had surprised herself with how much she had been paying attention to this class. But she couldn't afford to fail.
Should she fail this exam, she would need to retake this class in its entirety. Given that all her semesters ahead of now were already planned and scheduled, having to retake this class would most likely require an extra semester.
Or, considering how rigorous and unforgiving Linkon University's Deepspace Hunter Program was, she could very likely be kicked out and need to retake the application exam-- and that would require waiting for the sign-up window for the application exam which only opened once a year and this year's had already passed-
Tara set down two cups of coffee in the middle of the table. "How're you feeling?" Her voice was soft, gently pulling MC from her thoughts.
MC hadn't realized she was crumpling a loose leafed note under her hand. "I am stressed out of my mind. And it's not even finals-- Tara, it's not even midterms!"
"You'll be fine," Tara reassured, far from dismissively, while gently setting MC's bag on the floor so she could sit. She then held up a stack of flashcards, edges softened over time.
The two drilled each other on the material for an hour, their drinks slowly going tepid. Only after they had both been through the entire stack twice did they allow themselves a break.
"If I flunk out, I guess I could enlist with the Evol Police," MC muttered in preemptive defeat. Tara's jaw fell open in offense.
"Don't even think about that! That's how you lose. It's all about mindset and manifesting success." As she spoke, her hands crisply shuffled cards that MC recognized as her friend's tarot deck. Tara's lip scrunched in thought. "Let's ask the cards what they think. How is our poor, sweet MC going to survive tomorrow?" She spread the cards in her hands and extended them across the table. "Pick three."
MC let her weary sigh pass through her lungs before complying, plucking three cards from Tara's hands at random before setting them face-down in a single row onto the table.
"This one," Tara explained, flipping the first card; Judgement, reversed, "is your theme of the day. It's the big problem you're up against. It symbolizes self loathing and doubt."
"I don't--" MC started, but was immediately shut down with a sharp pout from Tara.
"You didn't get a single flashcard wrong, but you swear you're going to fail tomorrow's exam? That... sounds like doubt to me." Tara flipped the middle card. Strength, upright. "This card is how you're going to get through your problem. It's about focus. An emotional strength, not a physical one."
MC folded her hands in her lap obediently and nodded along. This all felt a little too on the nose, though she supposed that happened in an interpretive medium such as this.
"This one's my favorite." Tara gave a playful little shimmy with her shoulders, though the motion was tinged with late-night exhaustion. "It's what you have to look forward to after your struggle is over."
She flipped the third card with a flourish. MC stared at it. It looked drastically out of place compared to the other two. From where she sat, she could make out two figures standing across from each other and a snake. This card wasn't one she recognized.
"So that's where you went!" Tara shuffled the first two cards back into their deck, leaving this third card on the table. "I was looking for it last night."
"Which one's that?" MC allowed herself a sip of her coffee, though to be honest, it wasn't doing its job very well.
"Two of Cups, upright. Lucky you," Tara folded her hands under her chin and leaned forward, wiggling her eyebrows. "It can represent a new partnership. You're not thinking of replacing your study buddy, are you? Or--!" She gasped, eyes going wide. She leaned in harder, bumping the table. "It could be a romantic partnership... have anybody in mind?"
"No...?" MC gave a tight bewildered shake of her head. Now that it was past her lips, she realized it may have been a partial lie. Sunset eyes stared back at her in her mind, but that didn't count, right? "I've never seen that card before." She changed the topic before Tara could push farther.
"It's not supposed to be in this deck." Tara explained. "I have two tarot decks I use. The one I bring outside with me only has the major arcana, but I have a full deck at home. I suppose I must have mixed them up somehow." She reshuffled her deck once more, leaving the Two of Cups out. "Let's try again. What do you have to look forward to tomorrow after you've overcome your hardship?"
MC had an odd feeling in her gut. Her face must've given her away, because Tara nudged the cards even closer. MC shut her eyes and plucked a card at random, setting it onto the table with a little too much force.
"...Soooo..." Tara's hesitance made MC open her eyes and stare directly at the Tower, upright.
"That's not a good one!" MC buried her face in her hands, torn halfway between exhausted giggles and despair.
"Don't say that!" Even though she said it, Tara's rush to shuffle the card back into its deck gave MC no reassurance. "Fortune is like nature; it's never explicitly good or bad." She paused. "...Even if the Tower represents... calamity... or disruption... maybe it'll be a change that's good in the long term!"
"A big change, like if I get kicked out of the Hunter Program." MC mumbled, receiving a wounded gasp and a "no!" from Tara across the table.
That was the point where the two decided maybe they'd be better off retiring for the night. MC was sluggish packing up her study materials, feeling the weight of the crisply untouched notebook she meant to transfer notes to today. Maybe after she got home she'd do some more last second reviewing...
She glanced at the clock across the top of her phone. 12:09 AM. "Tara, I think we're screwed."
"I'll send you positive affirmations to do before you to go bed tonight." Was the reply. It lightened MC's heart, if only a little. She slung her bag over her shoulder and gave their table a quick once-over, then a double-once-over to make sure they hadn't left anything.
The crisp night air surprisingly only made MC feel sleepier. She and Tara walked in silence to the subway station, where they parted ways. "Meet you here tomorrow?" Tara squeezed MC's shoulder.
"Don't wait for me if you'll be late." MC agreed, waving over her shoulder as she padded down the concrete steps.
The station was quiet at this time of night, but thankfully the trains were still running. Her apartment wasn't far from campus, in fact it was only two stops away, but it was an inconvenient route to walk.
It felt like hours before MC pressed the pad of her finger into the identification scanner. It beeped and she could hear the lock behind it click open. Her apartment was pleasantly chilly when she stepped in and kicked her shoes off, the wood under her socks sending a small shiver across her shoulders.
Tossing her bag unceremoniously onto the couch, she made her way to her bathroom. If she didn't take a shower now, there was no way she could wake up in time to take one before leaving for classes tomorrow.
Waiting for the water to warm up enough was agony. It felt like every single blink could be her last. After tomorrow's classes were over, she'd go straight home to catch up on sleep. Even now, she wasn't feeling any of that coffee's effect. Maybe she should ask if Tara somehow accidentally ordered decaf. It was already 1:15 AM by the time she had dried her hair.
She wasn't a morning person by any means. In fact, she had a tendency to stay up later. But her relentless class schedule bowed to no one and she was determined to take her Hunter's Exam on time, even if it meant waking up so early it made her want to cry every morning.
Slipping under her sheets, MC realized she had left her phone in her bag. She reluctantly forced herself up and into the living room to retrieve it. Something else fell from the pocket when she pulled her phone out, fluttering down and hitting her leg. It was Tara's Two of Cups-- she must've accidentally taken it while they were packing up. Shit, she'd give it back tomorrow. She set it on the coffee table for now.
The second she hit the bed again she was out like a light. She had forgotten to turn on the heat on her way in, but sleeping under heavy blankets in a cold room was always the best.
She wasn't the strongest believer in the spiritual-- that was Tara's job-- but the thought of what tomorrow might bring filled her with an anxious excitement. It wasn't like it could be anything life-changing...
Right?