Chapter Text
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He knew what to expect. He knew first-year students well enough by now. He had hopes, but he knew what was coming.
“Good morning, class,” he said. “I am Professor Layton, and--”
A dozen hands were up already. “Professor!” two students were urgently chirping.
“--and I am not going to get out of this so easily,” he sighed to himself. He’d expected it, and knew he would weather it, but it still stung.
Nevertheless. He lifted his chin, and chose one of the more restrained-looking students. “Yes, the gentleman in the blue shirt, please.”
“Professor Layton, we heard you were at the scene of the-- the Azran incident in Froenborg,” said the young man. “Is it true?”
“It is,” he said. “Now, in this semester’s course--”
“Professor!”
It had been worth a try. “The young lady in orange, yes.”
“Is it true that you fought Targent, the archaeology mafia?”
“I doubt ‘fought’ is the correct word, I’d have to check the exact definition of the word ‘mafia’, and I fear I am legally bound not to comment on an ongoing criminal investigation. This semester--”
“Professor!”
He was going to keep trying, odds be damned. Someone would have to blink first, and the numbers might be against him, but he was strong-- stronger, perhaps, than he wanted to be. “The gentleman in red-- yes, you, sir.”
“Is it true that you were working with the notorious Jean Descole--”
“Please--” he tried, but the students’ patience had worn thin. Some were practically jumping out of their chairs.
“Was Professor Ascot’s wife really kidnapped?”
“Was the Azran Legacy really--”
“Is Professor Cra--”
“Enough!”
He hadn’t meant to shout that quite so loudly, but it certainly got their attention. “Might I remind you all which course you signed up for? The name and number are clearly written on the board, if you're confused. If you are looking instead for a course on the Azran, Professor Ascot has fully updated his material for the semester, though I do hear the halls are rather packed. Papers on the academic ramifications of the latest discoveries are forthcoming; the university librarians would be happy to help you locate them. If you’re looking for a discussion of Azran engineering marvels, you’ll be happy to know that a new course is currently in the works, though this, alas, is not it. And if you are looking for idle gossip, get out of my classroom. The last place you may expect to find it is here.”
The room was quiet. No one moved, but he expected the next session would be considerably less well attended. Well, that was ever the way of it.
“Now, to the matter at hand,” he said. “I remind you again that this course is Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, and your expectations of the content under discussion should be calibrated accordingly. Shall we begin?”
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