2019-08-14 - The Wise Fear the Darkness

Summary:

Fear, Darkness and Wisdom meet at school - no clash follows!

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Wed Aug 14 19:55:21 2019
Location: East Village

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

tommy-wisdomlaynia-petrovnaphobos

New York University. A perfect place of education and learning done by many of New York's youth.

Tommy Wisdom is one such youth. Though he was a bit busy dealing with something dangerous in Dormammu's dimension. A ghost asked him to. Don't ask. But, a fiery portal opens up in one of the alleyways leading to the university, and out of it comes Wisdom. He wears a black suit with a black overcoat. Straightening out his jacket and popping his collar, he takes a breath. "That was a close call."

As he walks, he puts a ten-spot in the coffer of a homeless man before he's on the way to the college proper.

He sees an empty bench, and he sits down on it. It was a hobby of his to just people-watch.


An institution like NYU can be confusing to anyone unfamiliar with modern education and the staggering amount of hurdles one must leap through to be able to attend. It's not simply meeting the admissions requirements, there is the soul-grinding bureaucracy that must be endured to simply get the paperwork. The office hours that must be navigated. And the conversion of credits from one institution to another. Then make those institutional credits separated by years and years… and you get a recipe for a bad time.
Alexander Aaron, has had to endure such. Disappearing for several years, partially home-schooled, then all the kerfluffle of other events. It has all led to him dealing with it until exhaustion. But it has also given him some expertise in the matter.
So when he's standing outside in Washington Square Park, next to the bank of portable booths and admissions advisors, he finds himself figuring out his own next semester details… and looking over the shoulder of perhaps another prospective student.
"Ahem, excuse me?" He attempts to gain her attention, then adds. "Sorry, not to be nosey. But I think they mean your social security # there?" He gestures with his own pen.


Poor Laynia, she's still getting a handle on the twenty-first century, she missed most the last quarter of the 20th, and a big chunk of this one, so she's a tad behind the times. As a result when she came to NYU considering enrolling in some classes to get on track, she's struck with a bewildering array of forms, requirements, documentation she doesn't have and other minor handicaps like only the most rudimentary understanding of computers. She's used to the ones that fill whole rooms, and used punch cards or tapes for the most part!

Seated on her own bench, a laptop bag beside her, she's presently using the few years old PC as a desk, attempting to fill out her forms with a pen. A blink over her shoulder, and Laynia brushes her hair back out of her way and tucks it behind an ear as she does. "Da? Oh…of course. How foolish of me, spasiba." She rummages around in her purse, producing a /very/ new looking Social Security Card, like, barely creased new. "So…there we go." She writes with a prim exactitude, and excellent penmenship as if classically trained.

Definitly a bit of a strange mash-up with the Russian accent, the super new card, and such.


Tommy continues to sit there. Thankfully, he game in early before the mass madness of students to orient himself within this particular college community. But he sees Alex…and he also sees Laynia. He seems to look amused and he stands up to his feet, approaching the pair.

"You two need any help?"

Its not like he's the grand sensei or the headmaster or anything, but he's been down the trail a few times.


As for the youth standing there, leaning a little against the end of the cement and wood bench, he's clearly another of the students. Wearing the prerequisite ubiquitous baseball cap (Mets) and with a backpack slung over his shoulder, he blends entirely with the crowd. While Laynia, and for that matter… the fellow wearing the black overcoat… does not.
"Oh and if you're wanting to take classes now you're registering for the Fall Semester…" Then he apologizes again for nosiness, "Sorry."
But then Tommy speaks up and he looks over towards the fellow. "I'm doing okay, but…" He sort of glances at Laynia and gives her a wry half-smile.


A little surprised at how helpful people are being, Laynia looks up as Tommy approaches, his trenchcoat and suit standing out as much as Laynia's mostly leather attire, also in black. Cinnamon eyes are study, and then she offers a smile. "I think perhaps as much as I can get." She agrees readily enough. "How fortunate I am to have two such gallant gentlemen to offer their aid." Now, Laynia is a bit older than both men — a LOT older if you go by the calender, even so she looks about her late 20s, maybe mid 20s.

"Yes, fall semester, thank you." She checks another box she was hesitating over marking. She peers up and back again, amused by Alex's comment, nodding ruefully. "As I said, all the help I can get."


Looking at Alex for a second, Tommy just couldn't help but just grin. "Good to hear. And…" his gaze falls on Laynia. "I understand. Well, might as well make it a team effort." Though now its time to just be friendly. "…your not from around here. I want to say…Russian? Ukrainian?" Not trying to stereotype, but rather getting a familiarity. "The Name's Tom. Tommy Wisdom, to be more precise. Whats your name?" He'd look at her sheet, but he doesn't want to be nosey.


Alexander had the nosiness covered, but for now he sort of settles back.
Turning to the side a bit, Alexander scritches his chin with the tip of his pen and looks thoughtful as he tends to his own paperwork that requires a fair amount of attention. He'll shift on his seat again, comfortable now that Laynia likely has someone better to handle the answers she might need.
When someone moves off the end of the over-crowded bench he'll slip down and to the side to take the seat on the end, his back toward Laynia and Tommy as he gives her some needed advice. Though for his part he frowns as he ponders his own problems with the catalog.
Over his shoulder he tells her, "Sometimes I'm tempted to sort of just fill it out randomly and see what I'll end up with." He nibbles at the pencap, chewing absently.
Then he leans over to the side and tells both Laynia and Tommy, "Also remind her about the needing to take labs along with the classes too." Very important info!


"Laynia Petrovna, and da, I am from Russia, is very hard to place though, I am very good at hiding things." This with eyes wry with laughter one can also hear in her accented voice. "Is pleasure to meet you, Mister Wisdom." She leans over then, and elbows (though just hard enough to get attention) Alex. "And you sir, how are you called, mister Mets cap?" She definitely takes in the information about the labs, fortunately she's not going for a full course of study, not joining a program, just signing up for a couple of classes - so far she's picked out a couple history courses, and Introduction to Computers. Probably much needed considering her use of a laptop as lapDESK at the moment.


Tommy looks over at Phobos for a minute and he seems to chuckle. "You sure you don't need help either? I'm currently a student here at the University, and I've made enough mistakes with it that I know what to do." he grins at him, then he looks at Laynia. "Nice to meet you, Miss Petrovna." He doesn't speak Russian, which might be a problem if she's not fluent in English.

But there's a spell for that, probably.

and he looks at Alex. "She might not be taking a full thing. So far, she's just got some history classes and a computer science course." he teases him. "Why? You a science student?"


"Agh, violent Russian." He feigns a wince and pain as he rests a hand on his side, but then turns around to move face the others. His smile is warm, open as looks between Tommy and Laynia, now with the three of them creating their own little cabal against the predations of the bureaucracy on that park bench. It's a nice capsule of conversation even though around them many people are milling around and walking about. Hot dog carts and snow cone makers as well.
But now he addresses them both, "Alexander. Aaron. Alexander Aaron. Alex." He emphasizes the last word more as if to settle on that one. "Good to meet you, Laynia, Tom." Ah hah, he was listening in. The snoop.


"Da, I am taking 'mix and match' of courses." Laynia's English is actually pretty good, she does have a noticable accent however, and her word choices are a little odd but that's probably the Russian thing right there. "And please, Laynia is fine, yes?" She says it LahnYuh, not LayNeeUh by the by.

"Oh yes, very violent, I am what they have in mind when said 'Red Menace', of course. I would growl, but is so terrifying that I would not wish to cause such distress." Yeah, she's clearly laughing at herself right there. Five-six? Sure, terrifying!

Laynia offers Tommy and then Alex her hand. "Is very good to meet you both, gentlemen. So…Tommy, Alex, what courses will you be taking?"


"Alright LahnYuh." Tommy says somewhat teasingly that also serves as practice in how to say her name right. He does look at Alex though. "Nice to meet you Alexander. Aaron. Alexander-Aaron. Alex." Tommy jokes, but he nods. "But in seriousness, a pleasure, Alex." Then its back at Laynia, amused by her self-mockery.

"World Civiliazations and Agriculture-related classes really."


"The classical era, ancient history." Since, really, Alexander sort of knows that area already fairly well… and he tends to move towards things he already excels at. For shame. "I figure I'll eventually teach." He offers as he looks between the two of them, and really it's a touch hard to imagine the wryly smiling youth with the golden hair as someone in authority.
Then he adds, "Or be homeless. Either/or." He shifts his own college catalog to the other knee and sits on the edge of the seat sideways so he can look to both of them easily enough.
"Hey, we might share a few classes, Tommy."


'LahnYuh' laughs softly and shrugs good naturedly. Hey, she's a bit out of her usual depth here - sure, field strip an AK-47 while blindfolded? Piece of cake. Dodge rocket fire in flight? Been there, done that! But this—THIS paperwork, this Bureaucracy is almost Kremlin Level!

"My own history needs are more current, alas, gentlemen…we are not so likely to share classes. Perhaps fate is being kind to you both." She adds with a chipper grin.

"Can you not do both, Alex?" Homeless Teacher - sounds like a sitcom!


Tommy grins at Laynia as she speaks about being in more advanced classes. "Doesn't surprise me, you look like a smart one." Then to Alex. "Wouldn't that be a fun job…homeless teacher. But you seem a bit too laid back to be a teacher, unless I'm wrong?" Insert motivational speech here. "But we might, and I think would be fun to compare notes about Mesopotamia in class."


"A wry half-smirk replaces that smile as Alexander eyes Laynia sidelong, "Mmm, brilliant. I mean hey, I'd save a bunch of money on rent." He closes up his catalog and then pulls the tip of his pen off with his teeth and then covers it by reversing. Then that pen gets pocketed as he drags up his backpack from the side. "And you can be my wacky Teaching Assistant, Laynia the wildly violent Russkie."
The youth's lips twist with mild amusement as he meets her gaze, then he undoes the zipper of his backpack to shove his catalog inside. "For being a recent immigrant, Mr. Wisdom, don't you think she definitely has the snark of an American down." Then he straightens up, slinging the pack over his shoulder. "I'm not always like this though, just…" He looks across the way, eyes distancing a little before he turns back to them.
"I'm in a good mood."


Well, not more advanced, more /current/, she's actually pretty good on older history - it is the modern era that she's needed help with! "You are too kind, Tommy." And then she loos suspcious, absurdly so were it not for the mirthful eyes. "So…what do you want?" She asks with her accent also a bit thicker as she teases.

":Homeless Teacher with Wacky Teaching Assistant…from Russia, sounds definitly like prime time television show…could call it 'Homeless Room'?" She frowns more earnestly. "Or perhaps not, people seem sensitive about such things."


Tommy Wisdom says, "I don't believe Snark is Trademarked, Alex." Wisdom grins a bit before his attention to Laynia, giving a bow of his head in appreciation of her gratitude.

What does he want? Good question. "Might bs an Archeologist or a historian."

Simple living. He seems to be amused if Alex and Laynia."


Rising from his seat, Alexander shoulders that backpack with a twist to the side. Then he stuffs his hands into his baggy pants and takes a step back. "I need to mosey, but it was nice meeting you guys. A wonderful little like…" He looks to the crowd of people at the information booths, then back toward them. "Humanizing experience with people."
A step back is taken and he nods to them, "Laynia. Thomas." A sort of half-bow given to each and then he rocks back on his heels, spins to the side and starts to walk on through he crowd, strolling with the casual ease of the truly young.


"Snark is not trademarked, I am disappoint." Laynia says with a grin. "I thought nearly everything in America was. Is very disillusioning." As her teasing question is answered with a serious answer, Laynia smiles. "Interesting fields both." And then she gathers her papers, and puts the laptop away as both Alex and Tommy seem to be about to go, heck, her papers are done, she just needs to apply at this point, and that's simple enough.

"Da, was very nice to meet you both, perhaps we meet again. Is not so big a school, yes?" Done packing, she shoulders the laptop bag, and smiles to both men, inclining her head in thanks, then heads off to deal with submitting her paperwork.


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License