Author's Note: I own nothing.
"Are you seriously trying to tell me that the government should have shut down the Lodzian mines?"
"That is exactly what I'm telling you!"
"Fool! Without the income from the mines, the military budget alone would have crippled the economy!"
"Have you forgotten the income from the agricultural exports? Last year's gross made up a sizeable chunk of the budget!"
Avan groaned without looking up from his book – a rare sight. "Don't tell me. They're at it again?"
"I'm afraid so," sighed Cosette.
Raymond was trying and failing to hide his large frame behind a medical textbook.
Still furiously arguing, Zeri and Juliana walked across the courtyard and turned a corner. Not a few students watched them go – surreptitiously, after a hapless Class A student had been accosted by a seething Juliana for commentary on the Mellvere grain market prices.
"Mellvere sells grain?" the boy had replied – and was verbally lambasted by both Zeri and Juliana.
These days, everyone kept their distance, even the teachers. "You should do something about those two," scowled Professor Rossin, "especially your student." Outside, a pair of voices raised in argument had every teacher in the staff office suddenly busy with paperwork.
Professor Brixham smiled. "Your student's involved too, Professor Rossin."
"Hmph."
The pair's strident voices echoed along the corridor, cueing students to start scrambling for cover. Safely locked in the office, the teachers waited for the storm to pass.
"Themier should have revised the wings first."
Zeri blinked. "Now that's going too far."
"Please, Darcsen. Even you can see that the equations he recorded in his tests are flawed – look, he uses the wrong variable here."
"But the results are negligible. If you factor in wind resistance and the thrust-to-weight ratio he was getting for the fuel…"
"Will they ever quit?" asked Joachim of no one in particular.
They climbed the stairs towards the dorms, still arguing, when Juliana stopped short. "Are we alone?"
Zeri listened intently. "Yes, I believe we are the only people in the vicinity."
She strode briskly forward and took his hand in hers, interlacing the fingers. He smiled.
"That was a brilliant plan of yours."
Juliana smirked against his chest. "Naturally. Otherwise we'd never get any time alone."
Zeri dipped his head for a searing kiss. "Of course, this doesn't mean you've won, Juliana."
She pushed him back against the stone wall, tracing his jaw line with a finger. "I haven't even begun to fight the real war, Zeri."