fandomhigh | Freelance Treasure Hunting, Monday, Period 5, Class #1

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Freelance Treasure Hunting, Monday, Period 5, Class #1

As the students arrived, they would probably notice a woman clad in form-fitting black leather perched on a picnic table, swinging her feet as she waited for them to arrive. Some students, if they had met her, might be shocked at the woman's resemblance to Aeryn Sun.

Not that Vala knew the girl's last name, but that wasn't the point.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Vala Mal Doran and I'll be your instructor for this class. As you know, this class will be about how to make your living as an interdimensional space pirate."

"Now, the first question you may have is why you would want to be an interdimensional space pirate, er, treasure hunter, in the first place. Clearly, you have much to learn if this is your question--because first, it's about fun. There's excitement, and danger, and your adrenaline rushes, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that you have done your best at every step of the process, and that the money you hold in your hand at the end of the day has been if not precisely honestly earned...well, you still have it in your hand, so it hasn't been used as bribes or bail money, and that's always a bonus."

"But enough about me," she said, getting up and wandering around, "I want to know about you--your names, where you're from, how long it takes to get there, the most convenient travel route, and any valuable or mythical objects that, if you were from your universe, you would attempt to appropriate and sell. Also, if you know of any pitfalls to obtaining these objects, either mystical or legal, please feel free to elaborate."

"Don't be shy," she coaxed, after a minute, "Who would like to go first?"

[ooc: ~~Please wait for~~ OCD is up!]

[daughter of ooc: Going to run errands for a few hours, will pick up pings when I get back.]

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"No," he said. "Forgive me for sounding rude, but that's not correct. I'm aware that for some unfortunate people theft may be their only recourse to survive. But she said," and he recited from memory, "the money you hold in your hand at the end of the day has been if not precisely honestly earned...well, you still have it in your hand, so it hasn't been used as bribes or bail money. She spoke in terms of want, not need, so that is neither survival nor historical preservation."

Evie frowned, biting her lip and looking torn. "Oh, dear. Oh, I suppose you're right. But, but... she's the teacher." She gave him a worried look. "Perhaps it's a test? And we're supposed to confront her?"

She really, really didn't want to do that.

Karal had his doubts. The woman's voice when she'd spoken of fun and excitement had matched her words. "Perhaps," he said thoughtfully. "Though just because someone holds a position does not mean they do so legitimately." He would attempt to speak to her after the class finished, he decided. "My apologies, again, Evie," he said with a small smile. "I didn't intend to lecture you."

"No, no, I admire your priniciples. I fear mine are somewhat more-- flexible, after time both on digs and here on the Island. I really don't want to end up in Detention for back-talking a teacher." She sat up a little straighter. "Although! I am taking a class on how to annoy them! So perhaps I will be able to be more assertive later on."

"I've learned many thing that I believed to be True are only truth as I understand them, Evie. A certain flexibility is necessary just to survive," he said, smiling reassuringly. "But some things I can't accept." He shook his head and changed the subject. "Though I think I'm in that class, as well. Is it with someone name Ares?"

"No, although I had Professor Ares last semester for a class on gods and myths." Evie blushed a little, then looked worried. "He's very charismatic, but, well. Biased. I took two sets of notes in there. Just as I did in Professor Covington's course... In any event, the class I'm taking is being taught by John Crichton. He just graduated from here."

Karal wanted to ask her if this Ares truly believed he was a god, but he wasn't sure he was ready for the answer. "Is that the class about annoying your teachers?" he asked instead. "I'm in that one as well, though I don't know why. It will be good to have a familiar face to look forward to."

"Yes, it will," Evies said, giving him a cheerful look. "And I do know how overwhelming this place can be. If you just take it bit by bit, and write everything down, you'll do just fine, I think." She giggled a little. "John Crichton is evidently an expert on annoying teachers. Something about being turned into animals? I really should get that explained to me at some point."

"Bit by bit is good advice, and I've been well trained in taking notes." Unconsciously, his hands touched the pens in a neat row, the paper, reassuring in their familiarity. "It could be a metaphor? There are a number of uncomplimentary terms that coincide with animal names." He grinned a little. "Maybe John Crichton has a sense of humour."

"From everything I've heard about him, yes," Evie said, half-remembering something about him building a fort in the library. It was the library, for heaven's sake. "I didn't have him in any of my classes, although his fiancee taught me flying for one term. It was lovely."

"Flying? What sort of flying." Not that he'd known there were sorts before speaking to Gavin. "I've flown in a basket, carried by two gryphons. It was astonishing."

"Oooo, gryphons!" Evie said, equally thrilled. "In an aeroplane. Flying machines. Oh, does your world not have those? We just developed the technology for them a few years ago in my time, but they've come rather a long way in the intervening century."

"No, we have nothing like that. Molly was kind enough to explain the light switch and telephone yesterday, and I believe those are extremely common items," he said, leaving out everything else he had only half grasped, as his attention was caught by her last word. "Century? You come from a different century?"

"Oh, yes. Time travel is rather common here. I'm from ninety years in the past, and another country. But we have people here from five hundred or a thousand years in this world's future, and they're not all the same. Which tends to be rather confusing," Evie admitted. "I don't pretend to understand it at *all*. I'm just very careful not to do any more research about myself again."

"Ah, yes, that could be confusing," he said weakly. Karal's mind was reeling again, with concepts and ideas he could not fit into what he knew, and he could feel a headache starting.

"Oh dear, am I overwhelming you?" Evie decided not to tell him that their teacher looked exactly like Aeryn Sun. He already looked like he wanted a good lie-down. "Really, it's hardly germane. Don't think about it unless you must. Oh, and avoid Locker 327. That can be... yes, just avoid it."

"No, it's not you," he said, trying to smile. "It's simply a lot to adjust to. But it has only been four days. I'm sure it will become less overwhelming as time progresses."

"My first day here I saw Hermione Granger move a cup of water using a magic wand, and I didn't think that was possible," Evie said. "Not to mention Alec without his shirt." She turned deep red. "And, um. Right, then. Forgive me, that was inappropriate."

He flushed slightly. "No, no, it's fine," he said hurriedly and leapt on magic as a welcome subject. "Magic I'm familiar with. Where I was, before here, I had rather a lot to do with mages."

"Oh, really?" Evie was still pink, but nodding vehemently. "I didn't. This world doesn't, by and large. That's usually one of the larger moments of disconnect, I think. What kinds of magic? Did they use magic wands too?" And because she's Evie: "I have a boyfriend. Not Alec. He just... wanders around like that."

Head, meet desk.

"So if I see a boy wandering around without his shirt, I know it's Alec and not your boyfriend," he said calmly, seeking to reassure her. "That's one more person I'll know, so thank you. And no, not wands. There's two kinds. One that comes from the mage gift, and mind-magic. Mind-magic doesn't really exist in Karse, but is very common in Valdemar."

"Yes, Sokka leaves his shirt on," Evie told her desk, then sloooowly managed to look at Karal again. "You're welcome? And, um. Mind-magic?" The blushing is there, but at least her voice isn't strangled any more. "I don't think I've heard of... oh, wait. Like telepathy?"

"Like telepathy," he agreed, carefully rearranging his pens while he explained, giving her time to recover. "And thought-sensing, foresight, fetching, even firestarting, thought I understand the last is not common."

"Ahhh. We have a few of each of those here, I think." Evie's interest in this is slowly drowning the prior embarassment. "As well as juts magic. And a few other things. Jake Gavin, who just graduated? Could shapeshift, and make himself look like anyone he wanted to."

"Mages can do such things," he glanced over and smiled, seeing her embarrassment had faded. "Though not without cost to themselves."

Freelance Treasure Hunting, Monday, Period 5, Class #1

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