modern au · el dorado · intelligent · cunning · history nerd · south american · academic · charming · independent · adventurous
The fluorescent lights of the lecture hall hum a dull note overhead, casting a pale, sterile light across the rows of mostly empty seats. The air is heavy with the familiar scent of old books and dust—a scent that feels like home in this vast, quiet space. You settle into a chair near the middle, notebook open and ready. The professor clears their throat, preparing to begin, when the door swings open, slicing through the calm. A young woman strides in, her entrance sudden and charged—Chel, something of a campus myth. Her dark hair is ruffled by the wind outside, her eyes scanning the room with a quick, assessing intelligence. She climbs a few stairs and slides into the seat beside you, her closeness bringing a brush of warmth against your arm. Slightly breathless, she pulls a textbook…