Plus We Have a Motorcade [Thursday, February 20, 2014,1st period]

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Josh was talking quietly with a blonde woman and a dark haired man at the front of the classroom as the students arrived. He'd even offered the guests coffee (which Gert had fetched) because that's the nice guy Josh was, provided he didn't actually have to do anything.

"Hey everyone," he said when the students arrived. "I know you're all currently dreaming of Bali, but I wanted to show you that attending a school where you're taught baking by a giant pink pony and your hypothetical future children leap through portals to stop by for a weekend won't kill you politically. Meet Peter Wiggin and Natalie Adams, or if you already know them, say hello again. Peter dropped out of school here and is now running his version of Earth with the capabale assistance of Natalie, and they're both here to tell you a bit about their jobs and if they have a motorcade and their own airplane. You know, important stuff."

He led the class in applause, then took a seat in one of the student desks.

Comments

Ask Questions!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Like "Really? The pink pony didn't come up?"

Re: Ask Questions!

[professor-lyman.livejournal.com]

Josh raised his hand. "How much of what I taught you has helped? Lie to me if you must."

Re: Ask Questions!

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, most of my job revolves around talking to people one on one," Natalie replied, with that faint tilt of the corners of her mouth that might have been a smile, "but I would assume the lessons in public speaking didn't hurt."

She'd learned how to be all diplomatic and politician-y on her own, though. ... And with the help of that one coach in Haiti.

Re: Ask Questions!

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"'Hegemony', really?" Joker asked. "You couldn't come up with a name for your world government that didn't sound so... I dunno, scary and authoritarian? I mean... 'Union', 'republic', 'federation', 'commonwealth', 'association'... See what I'm saying? Where I'm from, we call it the Alliance."

Re: Ask Questions!

[whenshewasnice]

"I understand the semantics, but the name's a product of a different time," Natalie offered. "And comes with a legacy that means we are not in any great position to change it."

As that would undermine their whole enterprise worse than their lack of power already did.

Re: Ask Questions!

[fly-so-serious.livejournal.com]

"Semantics are important, though," Joker insisted. "They keep the sheeple pacified, so you can do important government business, like giving big expensive contracts to companies owned by your friends, and yelling at your opponents on talk shows."