Log:Caught Sleeping in Class

The Madness of David Flyte 2020/01/13 Connor Grimm 3

It's early in the semester, and already Grimm missed the second class after getting knocked out and shot by the thugs Night Marshal caught. Definitely not a good showing on her part. She shows up last in class, just a minute later and rushed as she sits in the back again. She tries to keep it quiet and keep her head down, getting out her tablet for taking notes.

Connor does notice, but doesn't call her out publicly at all. Instead, he starts going over the homework from the last class. The one that was missed. It was posted online too, of course. But the material was covered in the last class. There are a few questions from some of the students who are sitting up closer to the front. The problems deal with Sine and Cosine today.

Grimm looks definitively lost already. She pulls out her homework, which she tried doing just by reading the book's explanations. So most of the problems she did are wrong. The struggle is evident on her face, as is the exhaustion.

Connor does glance up at Grimm using his magic sight. She might notice that he doesn't need the crutch of his battery any longer to do so. Assuming she's awake enough to notice. He doesn't maintain it long. It's just to get a glimpse. After dealing with questions, he goes into the new material. It builds on yesterday's work. This time dealing with the unit circle.

Grimm doesn't seem awake enough to notice. Also she's focused on trying to solve one of the problems correctly. Those cracks in her aura have spread, and the seepage of Qliphothic energy's increased.

As they go into the new material, she starts taking copious notes. But her head is starting to dip a few times, only to jerk upright quickly and resume notetaking.

Connor finishes up with assigning some additional homework. There's going to be a quiz next week as well. After a couple more classes. After that, the class ends. His presentation style really has improved quite a bit. There had been a few students who changed sections or dropped the class, but not as many as he had been expecting.

It's definitely not dry as it once was. Grimm would have been sure to appreciate that detail had she stayed awake. Maybe the last ...ten minutes? Her head dropped down into her notepad.

Connor gathers up his things and goes to talk to Grimm as the other students file their way out.

Some of the students glance Grimm's way as she sleeps. One or two smirk or quietly giggle. Others maybe can't blame her. She manages to sleep through it still as Connor reaches her.

Connor taps the long table in front of her which runs along the entire set of seats.

Grimm blinks sleepily a few times. Then suddenly gasps as she realizes she's in class and sits bolt upright, disoriented. She looks around and realizes the class is empty, then groans and rubs her face.

Connor looks around, makign sure that the recording devices for class are off...and that no one is around. "The cracks are worse. You've gotten less sleep. There's going to be a consequence if you dont' get enough rest."

Grimm finishes at rubbing her eyes and looks up at Connor tiredly. "I've been trying to sleep. Just...not in class," she sighs apologetically. "It's hard to sleep through the night when super realistic nightmares keep waking me up..."

Connor nods. "That's the impact of the cracks in reality I'm seeing. I know you can't see it." He takes a deep breath, "Do you know how to link minds? Maybe we can help yo usee what I can see?"

"So...no sleep is making the cracks get bigger, which is making it harder to sleep, which is making these cracks bigger?" Grimm raises a brow. She seeks not AS skeptical as usual. Could be a minor sign of some of her resistance breaking down. She MUST be sleep deprived.

The request to link minds surprises her. "I know how," she admits hesitantly.

Connor takes a deep breath, "I am willing to let you do so...so you can see for yourself."

"If you're sure..." Grimm replies, though she isn't exactly eager for it, either. Linking minds with her professor and...not really rival per se? Grimm isn't even sure how to view Connor anymore. "We, uh, we don't have to. I'll take you at your word."

Connor shakes his head, "Not good enough. You didn't trust me before, for one thing. Secondly...you need to see it to help diagnose it and help stop it. I can't do it for you. I can help. But I can't do it myself."

Connor takes a moment and focuses, looking at her. "Sure enough, I can see them. Go ahead."

"Alright," Grimm sighs and relents. "I won't be poking around in your thoughts or memories. I'll only sense what you want me to." She falls quiet and concentrates. When Connor feels the touch of Grimm's mind, it's unexpectedly gentle. She's making extra effort to ensure it's not uncomfortable. She sees through his senses the perception of the cracks and looks surprised. Sure, he warned her, but she wasn't quite prepared.

Connor makes a point of looking her over so she can get the full extent of the problem. He transmits all of it to her.

Grimm sucks in a breath. "...what the hell is this?" she asks, finally retracting her mind's presence from his. It was painless and brief, and as promised, she didn't pry into his thoughts.

Connor tilts his head, "You coudl see it, I'm assuming?"

Grimm nods halfheartedly, looking worried. "Yeah. I saw." It takes her a moment to say the next part. "I'm...sorry for doubting you, Dr. Duran."

Connor smiles. "No need to apologize, Gabrielle. I understand where you were coming from. I'm just showing you...that I'm not the kind of person you think I am. Or you thought I was."

Connor takes a deep breath. "We need to come up with a way for you to get sleep. A way to alleviate those nightmares. Because it's only going to get worse. And I don't think I want to find out what happens when you hit a breaking point."

Based on the magic from the Qliphothic dimension seeping through the cracks, the breaking point could in theory result in Grimm being consumed an turning into a tear in the multiverse. Worse case scenario. Having rigged his own dimensional harness, Connor has fair confidence he could construct something reseal the rift inside her.

Connor thinks about it. "I can probably build something that will either seal the rift...or at least block you from it temporarily. But we'll need a short term solution while I work on that. I have a possible test we can try. My harness has...some dimensional characteristics. It might help you sleep if you wore it."

Grimm raises a brow at the suggestion. "Your harness...?" she asks uncertainly. "I...guess I could give it a try. Don't you need that, though?"

Connor quirks a smile. "I created it to help save lives. If it helps you sleep...I'm saving lives. It's temporary, mind you. We just need to get you enough sleep to make sure the problem doesn't get worse while I work on something more long term for you. And there's no guarantee that it'll work. If you want to give it a try tonight, you can crash in the guest room. Alternatively, at Randal's place."

Grimm looks a little embarrassed, mostly after how she's behaved towards him. "Umm. S-sure, we can test it out. Who knows? Maybe it'll work. Wherever is fine." She may as well trust him enough to let him choose the place, since he's loaning her his gear.

Connor nods. "Tell you what...since you're my student right now, we should probably have you crash at Randal's. Just to be safe about it. Stop by there this evening, and I can show you how to turn the thing on and off. It needs to be running, I suspect, to create the distortion field. You don't need to use it to do anything. Just...let it run and exist. I think the field it generates might be enough to dull the impact of the nightmares."

Grimm suddenly blushes as she realizes the implication. "Oh god. I didn't even think about how that...yikes! Yeah, Randal's if he'll be okay with it. Definitely!" She's all too eager to avoid a misunderstanding.

Connor smiles, "I'm sure he'll say 'yes'. He likes you. I'd have suggested my sanctum, but...well, if you used the harness by accident, I'd be trapped there. So...I'm playing it kind of safe."

Grimm nods. "Of course. Umm. Is there anything I should bring as a thank you? For both of you?" she offers.

Connor smiles. "Umm...a bottle of scotch? But hold off until we see if it works."

Grimm chuckles. "Oh, right. No scotch if it doesn't work? Well...we'll see. I'm already inconveniencing you both..."

Connor chuckles. "You going to be okay getting out there on your own?"

"Yeah, I'm walking," Grimm promises. "And I'll get the homework assignment online," she says as she starts gathering her things and putting them in her messenger bag.

Connor smiles. "See you this evening, then."

Grimm nods and slips her messenger bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you and Randal then," she smiles.

Connor waves and heads out to the hall. After all, he has some office hours to deal with after getting some coffee. More students who dont' understand what's going on in the class.

Next: Log:Harnessing_the_Power_of_Sleep