7.Where There’s Smoke

7. Where There’s Smoke

When I needed to get to the bay, Samson came through for me and helped me in my hour of need. Now that we're on better terms, why not help each other?

We were put together for tutoring. It's time we get started with that.

After a bit of texting back and forth, Samson and I arranged to meet to help each other study. I arrive at the classroom a few minutes early, taking in the space since I don't spend much time in magical classrooms with my current courses.

This classroom looks more like an arcade than a place of learning. Some desks are tucked into the corner but most of the space holds pinball and retro arcade machines and even an air hockey table.

Unlike a regular game room, all the machines look a little different, bulkier and off-color, since they’ve all been magically re-enforced and protected to resist damage from different elements.

My eyes drift to the door as Samson strolls in. "Hey, Argyle."

"Sor, Sam—uh, hi." I tried to use his first name, decided it was too intimate for the situation, and then tried to switch back to Samson before giving up altogether.

Off to a great start.

An awkward silence stretches between us as we stare at each other. Despite making peace, I feel oddly self-conscious. Where are we supposed to start?

Samson breaks the tension first. "So... you ready to get this tutoring thing going?" He rubs the back of his neck, and I notice the way the motion accentuates the flex of his biceps.

Clearing my throat, I tear my eyes away. Ogling him really won't help.

"Yeah, let's get started. No time like the present." With a nervous laugh, I find myself rambling on. “Actually, when I first started spending more time around humans, I thought the saying went 'no time like presents.' I thought it meant that nothing is as enjoyable as getting free gifts, but some things must be done, even if nobody gives you a present for it."

"You seem nervous," he points out gently.

I wince. He’s not wrong. “Wait until you see my grades, then you’ll understand."

"Argyle, I doubt intelligence is the problem."

He’s so matter of fact that it catches me off guard. “You don’t know that.”

“You’re having trouble with an ethics and law class, right?" Samson moves to the nearest table and sets his stuff down as he speaks. "Ethics is a huge, abstract subject with endless complexity as acting ethically means different things to different people. And legal and moral ethics are two different minefields. The law is the exact opposite of ethics, it's precise and technical. I bet you haven’t dealt with material like this much, but you’re going to get the hang of it. I’ll help you.”

Wow. I had no idea he was hiding such a brain under all his brawn. He remembered the course I’m taking and identified the root of the problem with only basic information about what was going on.

In any other context, his smarts would be sexy… it's still a little sexy. But his intellect only makes me more nervous.

Samson moves away from the desks, towards the magical area. "Hey, we can start with me. If you’re okay with it, that is. Helping a fire wizard practice control sounds like a tough job."

I raise my hand to conjure a tiny stream of water from my fingertips. "Pretty sure I can handle it."

"Okay then. Uh…" He opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water. "Huh. I have no idea how to work with a waterbrand."

"What?" I blink in surprise.

"A waterbrand's role in this magic is to put out fires, literally. Quench the flames if things get out of hand."

"Oh. You're right," I agree, feeling foolish. "I've worked with earthbrands and airbrands before."

"And I've worked with metal casters a lot."

"Okay, let's just do something simple," I suggest. "Maybe something here can help us?"

"The pinball machines are for air and electric magic. I'm not sure what they do with the video games, but they don't like us with the 'messier' elements touching them."

I approach the air hockey table across the room. "What about this?"

Samson grins. "I'll kick your ass at air hockey."

"That's not what this table is for, is it?"

"Nope." He sighs dramatically. "It's a mini arena for casters. The surface is reinforced to withstand exposure to elemental magic."

“Let's have a match." I smile and wave him over since he doesn't seem too thrilled. "Come on, show me what you've got."

"Is this really the time to proposition me?" he wonders.

My cheeks flush with warmth that has nothing to do with his fire magic. "What? I wasn't! I didn't mean—" Realization dawns, and I catch the laughter in his eyes before it spills from his lips. He's teasing me.

"You weren’t?" the big flirt snaps his fingers. "Damn, too bad."

"Shut up and play, funny guy," I grumble, but it's hard to feel upset. As he teases me again, I realize how much I missed it.

We decide to start simple. An elemental battle, my creation vs. his.

Raising my hands, I focus my energy and begin crafting a figure out of mist and water. It starts as a mere wisp, but soon takes shape into a long, graceful avatar about a foot tall.

Samson summons forth a tank-like figure made of fire. His flame creature is half the size of mine but packed with more mass.

Seeing flirtatious, fun Samson again is welcome but watching him go laser focused and still as he concentrates is just as attractive, in a different way. He really does want to learn. I can’t let my renewed lust or my inexperience with tutoring keep him from improving.

"Alright, on my count," I announce, feeling a thrill run through me as we prepare for the elemental battle. "Ready...set...go!"

The watery creation flows gracefully across the table, leaving a trail of droplets behind it, while Samson's fiery warrior rumbles along, sparks dancing in its wake.

When the two figures collide, there's a sudden explosion of steam that fills the air with a hissing sound. In an instant, both avatars are gone. The elements cancel each other out and leave nothing but a cloud of smoke behind.

Huh. Guess we should have expected that. Direct contact is out.

Adjusting our approach, we decide to use the air hockey puck so our avatars can fight over it with some distance between them. I create another water avatar and give it a small hockey stick made of ice.

The second round, my watery figure gains possession of the puck and begins driving towards Samson's goal. But all it takes is a second where the avatars get too close while wrestling for control of the puck and then it's all over.

"Maybe we should try working together," I suggest. "Instead of playing on opposite teams."

Something has to work. How can I help him if our powers can’t interact?

We both move to one side of the table. The puck sits in front of us, near the closest goal. All we need to do is send the puck into the opposite goal.

"Couldn't you just flood the table and send the puck into the goal?" Samson realizes as soon as we start forming a game plan.

I pause, considering his suggestion. Yes, that would be easiest. But we’re here to give his powers a workout. And if we cause a flood, we will need to clean it up when we finish. "Maybe your help could keep things from getting too messy?"

Samson studies the table and eventually raises his hands. Jets of fire burst forth from the vents that normally shoot air on a regular table. He makes a gesture with his hand and the flames gain power, lifting the puck into the air.

Okay, I can work with this.

"Now!" I shout, and Samson ceases the flames. As the puck begins to descend, I unleash a focused jet of water, striking the puck before it hits the table.

We watch as it sails a few inches across the table before falling with a clatter, wobbling and then going still.

It takes me a second to figure out what went wrong. My spray of water was supposed to be precise and powerful enough to send the puck sliding across the table. But it lost strength when crossing the heated air where Samson had created jets of fire. The surface is still too hot, so the water turned into steam before it could push the puck any further.

I knew fire and water wasn't the easiest combination to make work, but I didn't think it would be this impossible to do magic together.

“Think that’s enough for one day,” Samson says, walking away from the table.

"Good job today," I say, trying not to sound as disappointed as I feel.

He shrugs dismissively. "Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious. Your powers were controlled, you did everything I asked…" Except we didn't really get a chance to push him or test his powers. We failed before we even got started.

"Water and fire don't play well together. You can’t test my powers if you can’t even work with them."

"We'll figure something out.” Hopefully. "We were put together after all."

"Because we both need help. Not because our skills complement each other."

Not only am I failing a class, I'm also failing at being a tutor. I open my mouth to apologize when he gives me a sharp look and cuts me off.

"Don't get me wrong, teaming up is a good idea. I'm sure you have a lot to teach me. But how will you ever be able to show me anything? Whenever we do magic together, your water and my fire are only going to produce one thing."

"Smoke," I say.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with a bunch of smoke?"

Good question. I have no idea.

We're on the same page and ready to work together, but our powers aren't cooperating. How am I supposed to help him if we can’t cast together and our elements fight against each other?

Our powers aren't compatible. I try not to read into that… and fail. What if there’s no hope for any kind of partnership between us?