xp_logs | Log: Callie and Nate

On a quest to get away with doing nothing but watching movies for class credit, Callie ventures to talk to Nathan.

"Signor Nathan?" Callie poked her head around the door frame into his
office in the boathouse. She figured her teacher was probably busy,
what with running a mutant centered non-governmental organization and
whatnot, but perhaps he would be able to spare five minutes of his
time. "Can I speak with you for a minute," she continued in Italian as
she stepped into the room. In her hand she clasped a sheet of paper, a
list of movies she hoped she could get approved for her independent
study. "If this is a bad time I can come back later?"

Nathan looked up, smiling slightly at Callie. "Hey, you," he greeted
her quietly. In the warm afternoon sunlight, the bruises on his face
didn't seem quite so dark. "I hear you had some wacky adventures over
in the old country this week."

Right. Of course he would know about that. Callie deepened a shade or
two pinker. By the look of it he had fallen into an adventure himself,
but that would be rude to ask about. "Yes sir. They were quite...
interesting." She cracked a small smile, something she hoped would
make it seem as if everything was fine. Which it was really, for the
most part. She took a step into the room. "I was hoping, if you had
time once more this term, you would be willing to mentor me in Italian
once more."

"Not satisfied with one A out of me, huh?" Nathan smiled again, to
make sure she knew he was teasing. "It's good to see you back," he
said, gesturing her to a chair. "I was thinking you wouldn't be, this
term."

"Thank you." Callie giggled a little at his teasing as she sunk into
the chair. While she did enjoy the A on her transcript, she also
really enjoyed the class. True it was pretty much self-guided, but
Nathan had provided several books she would never have thought of to
read, and the discussions that followed were always lively and
entertaining.

"My father did want me to stay with him," she continued, twisting the
bottom of her shirt in an apprehensive manner. "He did withdraw me, I
guess, but I really wanted to come back." And what a fun conversation
that had been to boot. She shrugged. "But now I'm here."

"Now you are," Nathan said, leaving the subject behind without looking
back. Clearly it wasn't something she wanted to discuss. "As for
another independent study - yes, of course. I just need to fill out
the requisite paperwork. What were you thinking of?"

That brightened Callie's mood considerably. She straightened up in the
chair, a wide smile on her face, and held out the list she had
composed. "A survey of Italian cinema... tying it in with the
socio-political changes faced in the nation?" Okay. So the last part
was a stretch. She really hadn't thought much past trying to convince
him to let her watch movies for a class. Well and write papers, but
mostly watch movies.

"That... sounds like a very, um. Challenging piece of analysis,"
Nathan said, and was actually a little amazed that he managed to keep
a perfectly straight face.

"I'm open for ideas you would feel are more appropriate," Callie said
not wanting to push the subject. "I was just thinking that with the
long and varied history of the cinema it would be a good medium to
express such changes. From the propaganda films of the Second World
War, to the Spaghetti Westerns of the 60s, to today." She shrugged and
lowered the paper. "It was just a thought."

"It's a good thought," Nathan said. He hadn't meant to dissuade her.
"I mean, I think you should keep what you want to do as open as
possible, while you're looking at your source material... film's
something you see whole college programs in, though. It's a perfectly
valid idea for study." Even if he was... utterly ignorant of the
jargon of that particular field. Ah, well. Worse things than staying a
few pages ahead of your student.

Callie nodded, absorbing all that he had to say. "What if, I take a
film or two from the different main eras of Italian cinema and just
analyze them individually? For themes, characters, motifs, etc. Like
with a book. But instead it's a film?"

"Not a bad idea. That way you're not having to watch a ton of movies.
You should read reviews," Nathan suggested. "Figure out which, from
which main eras, have been most influential." Certainly, that was how
he was going to cheat, here...

She quickly glanced down at the list. Well there were a few titles on
there that she knew were well-known and held in high esteem, but
really, most of the list was just movies she wanted to watch but
hadn't had a chance to. "I suppose I could go see if the library has a
book on Italian cinema and go from there. I'll try to come up with a
list of movies by the end of the month?"

"Do that. Remember, we have to have a full proposal to get this approved."

"Great." Callie beamed as she rose from the seat. "Well I'll let you get back to saving the world, Signor Nathan. I'll get that to you as soon as I get caught up with all my work. And, um, I hope you feel better. Ciao!" And with a jaunty wave, Callie turned and retreated back to the Mansion proper.