[Open]

[komarran]

WHO: Duv Galeni, anyone who wants to bother him in class/while working
WHERE: De Chima University + Lucky Cat Café (Heropa)
WHEN: Anytime in October
WHAT: Attempting to teach another Earth’s history and a lot of cursing as he grades at a café.
NOTES/WARNINGS: Grading. It’s a warning and an adventure, trust me. Also feel free to hit me up at topsecretgirly if you want to do something specific!


1. De Chima University
He’s taken the entire summer to prepare. It’s a far cry from what he had been prepared to teach back home, scaling back entirely for teaching a thousand years removed from his own period and a topic that is ancient history for him. How in the hell did anyone manage in these antiquated lecture halls?

The topic is historical methods. Research and concepts had been easier for him to adapt into a semester-wide course though he’s had to amend all of his examples and readings to fit with recent American historians. One difficulty with the Cold War being in full swing was a lack of uncensored or unbiased sources and his bitterness at having to rely on such comes across more than once in his tone when referencing the limitations and responsibilities they had as researchers.

To his credit, he maintains a good presence while at the lectern. The class is large enough and plenty of students come in late that new faces and stragglers aren’t noticed immediately. Should an imPort wander in, the distraction of the students toward them is more of a clue than anything else. It’s enough to earn the intruders a look once noticed that says he’ll be seeing them after class.

If approached after class, he’ll be slowly packing his things and waiting expectantly. So much for the mundane and keeping his skills sharp without interference.

2. Lucky Cat Café (Heropa)
Unapologetically, he’s taken up one of the larger tables for himself. His papers are spread out in organized piles and he has his red pen at the ready. His least favorite task of the teaching profession, but a necessary one. All he can hope for is to get it over with quickly and without his drink spilling.

“There’s not even a name on this one,” he grumbles to the world at large as he rubs at his temples. “I need another coffee.”

A spiked one preferably.

Comments

2

[dendarii]

[ Just in time to make Duv's life a little brighter, a familiar bird perches on Duv's shoulder. Gently, of course, so as not to stab him with those talons. Head bent forward inquisitively. ]

Oh, that one's mine.

[komarran]

[ Duv wonders when he reached a point in his life where a small falcon perching on his shoulder is something to not be phased at. He frowns as he glances over at him. ]

This is yours? You aren't enrolled in the course.

[ At least, not according to the last roster he saw. ]

[dendarii]

[ Miles makes an innocent little chirping sound. ]

Yes I am. Just a few days ago, in fact.

[komarran]

What? Why? You weren't there last week.

[ Excuse him, he's pulling out his phone to access his official roster and fact-check this. ]

[dendarii]

That's because I was still auditing at the time. From the window.

[ He says, fluffing his feathers out a bit. ]

[komarran]

You do realize auditing requires paperwork to be filled out. And fees to be paid.

[ Which he highly doubts Miles did. He has his roster up now and yes. Miles Vorkosigan. He needs a moment to stare. ]

[dendarii]

Yes, well, it's all taken care of now, isn't it? I'm on your list. And there's my essay.

[ He sounds quite smug about that. ]

[komarran]

I don't see your name on it and I have no proof it's yours beyond your word.

[ Which would mean quite a bit if they were in the Barrayaran Empire, but they are far from it. ]

[dendarii]

You have my word and my paper. Why would I write it if I weren't in your class?

[ Other than just trying to mess with Duv. Which he would also do. ]

[use_everything]

[The idea that the cafe needed a liquor license for that was baffling, frankly.]

It looks like Miles' scrawl. [The downside of staying at the Lucky Cat Cafe is the sheer awkwardness of actually GETTING coffee from the Emperor or the Butcher. On the plus side, the timing of the refill was likely excellent.]

[komarran]

[ At least he's prepared when Lord Vorkosigan approaches him. He's not entirely sure the coffee makes a visit from the Butcher worthwhile, but the man is here and Duv can't exactly change that now. ]

Is it? He must have slipped it into the stack back at the Residence.

[use_everything]

[Really not. Duv's ability to endure the cruelties of the multiverse was astonishing, really.]

I wouldn't be surprised. I didn't know he'd an interest in [A pause, and eyebrows rise further, both at Duv and the subject.] Earth history.

[komarran]

Methodology, [ he clarifies. ] I have to use Earth history and historians to give them relatable resources and examples. It's created an interesting reading list.

[ And he means that. Because he is a huge nerd. ]

[use_everything]

[... Well, there is one way to get a Barrayaran's interest, it's to relate it to Barrayaran history.]

Such as?

[komarran]

I didn't think you'd be interested in old Earth history. I have the reading list. [ Which he is already pulling out of his bag to conveniently set on the table. ]

I've had to go more general in my readings in preparation for this course, but my focus has been on recent United States history and what I can glean of the Soviet Union from biased sources.

[use_everything]

We're here. If we're to survive, it seems prudent to know how this world is built. The past ... or illusions of it, shape the present. [Or well, it did on Barrayar.]

I'd run into the same source of bias. The few books I'd found in Russian were difficult to read, unfortunately. [The lettering system was only ... vaguely familiar. That had been unsettling.]

[komarran]

[ The fact that the Butcher of Komarr agrees with him on the importance of history has him perking up more attentively than he anticipated. ]

That's been my experience as well. I've been working on an article addressing the shortcomings of what's available here. [ There's a small amount of hesitation before he continues, a hint of his internal debate, ] I could share a copy of my draft.

2 b/c this seems to be a trend

[unwiseheart]

Do you lose points for that?

[ There's no real lead up to the sudden voice in Duv's head, entirely unlike what he might be used to with the Vor. This carries no extra baggage, no additional thoughts or emotions. It may as well just be someone talking to him from nearby, which, unsurprisingly, is exactly what's happening.

The voice, at least, may be familiar enough. It carries a Russian accent, Earth Russian, not space Russian.

As for the who, well, should Duv look down, he'll find he's suddenly gained a pet dog. The pet dog is actually a one-eyed wolf, but said wolf is sprawled out under the other side of the table like any domestic creature someone might bring to a cafe with them, only he's lacking in the collar and leash department. ]

[komarran]

[ Telepathy? Of some kind. Surprising only in the fact that normally it's not used on him though he knows there are imPorts that possess such abilities. The cadence is familiar and his brows furrow as he tries to place it.

The 'dog' doesn't escape his notice and his gaze shifts downwards at the new presence. A shapeshifter? Similar to Kitty perhaps. That or Duv will appear incredibly silly talking to a wolf while in the cafe. Sadly, it's hardly the strangest thing that's happened here. ]

Yes, you do. Everything expected was laid out in the instructions. Many failed to read them fully before submitting.

[unwiseheart]

[ He tilts his head while Duv explains, then lets out a soft huff. It's as close to a laugh as he's going to get in this form. ]

If that many really failed, you may want to look over your instructions again, Duv.

[komarran]

Better they fail the first assignment than the larger ones, [ he remarks readily. ] It's not as many as it appears. [ He pays attention to stats and grade spreads.

At least his impression that the wolf was speaking to him was correct. ] Someone I know in a new form?

[unwiseheart]

[ As someone who's never been to college, well, he doesn't have much more to say to that. Duv will have had more experience in that department, much, much more. ]

Only new in that I've never shown up around you in it. [ So, yes. Kind of. ] It's Nicolas.

[komarran]

[ As soon as the name is said, the voice falls right into place. He raises a brow as he looks over Nicolas once more now with the human-version in mind. ]

Is this normal for you? Or new since coming to this place?

[unwiseheart]

Normal. I did tell you before, I'm not human. [ Although he doesn't recall if he'd ever gone into detail on that or not. ] I've been a shapeshifter since I was fifteen.

[komarran]

You did, yes, but this detail did escape mention. [ Or at least, he hopes his sanity hasn't been drained so much from Vor proximity to have forgotten. ]

That's quite some time. Are cafes in the area used to you showing up like this?