[M] What Once Was Lost [Namingtoohard & Ashen]
[The following roleplay is rated mature for reasons that may include but are not limited to strong language, suggestive themes, violence, and possible drug use. Reader discretion is advised.]
The classroom brimmed with the anticipation of a summer vacation, and Dr. Thomas Vetere struggled to reclaim control of his students. The humidity of Gloucestershire was always something to be admired, but even with fans blowing hot air around the lecture hall the permeable discomfort remained. Dr. V cleared his throat again, calling the attention of his students once more. "This will be the last assignment you are expected to complete," he reminded. "For most of you, this will be the last thing you turn in before you graduate. Recall that failing this project will cause you to fail this class, which will postpone graduation. There are no exceptions." A few students groaned. "I am giving you a day off to dedicate to this assignment. None of you are expected to be in this lecture hall on Wednesday. Use this time wisely to conduct your research and finish your project. With that, I wish all of you a good night."
The university students filed out of the large lecture hall. Most muttered something about how unfair this professor was, while others enthused about their summer plans. One student remained in the lecture hall. He was the last one to stand, and he eagerly approached Dr. Vetere. He cleared his throat, and waited until his professor's wise brown eyes were trained on him. "Dr. V," he started, "you know I respect you immensely, and I appreciate the assignments you have given thus far. They have all been very enlightening. Your class is my favorite, of course, but I just have a slight... problem with this final project."
Dr. V looked over the student before him. Luuk Schnell was his best student by far. The kid was a genius, often getting into quarrels with professors and outsmarting them. He was studying to be a historian, which is what landed him in the history professor's class. Dr. V had come to know a lot about Luuk; the kid seemed to be in his office more than the professor himself, and they often got into long discussions about the history of the world. He was intelligent, the professor had to give him that, though his penchant for arguing had undoubtedly gotten him into trouble in the past. Now, he looked down at Luuk with a smile. "Go on then," he urged.
"Well, you see," Luuk started, already talking speeches with his hands, "a family tree is a fun idea as a project, though I wonder if perhaps it might be better suited as a high school project. Not, of course, to discount the amount of time you must have put into coming up with such a project, I think it could be--"
"I've a meeting in ten, Luuk," Dr. V interrupted. "Please, get on with it."
Luuk nodded. "Dr. V, you know I'm adopted. I've searched every ancestry site out there, I've talked to every historian I could find. I don't know anything about my family, and I don't know how to figure it out. I don't think it's entirely fair for a project like this to hold so much weight when students like me cannot properly complete it."
Dr. V put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Now Luuk," he said softly, "you're a brilliant student. I am positive you will find a way to ace this final assignment." Retracting his hand, he turned back to the folders on his desk. "Now, if you will excuse me, I ought to meet with my peers. Best of luck to you."
~~~
Luuk Schnell hated history. He found wars, genocides, and other such man-made disasters to be interesting, but the majority of the world's long story was so incredibly boring. He was incredibly good at it though; the kid's photographic memory had helped him a lot throughout the years, even allowing him to skip a few grades. He had been held back for behavioral issues, but really, Luuk had just been bored. Challenging his teachers had caused him to receive several diagnoses for different behavioral disorders he knew he didn't have. Now, he was studying at the University of Gloucestershire to become a historian. He was here on a full academic scholarship, and he'd been studying for six years now. His scholarship had warned him that they would not be paying for his tuition forever, and they had told him six years was the limit. It was longer than most, but he had nowhere else to go.
He'd been tossed around foster care a bit as a kid, had never really found somewhere to fit in. Now, the twenty-five-year-old lived at his university, surrounded by the countless sources of knowledge abound.
He'd be graduating that month with a degree in history. As much as he didn't like it, he hoped that, somehow, learning about the world's history would somehow teach him about his own.
~~~
An hour later Luuk sat at the desk in his dorm room, staring blankly at the document on his computer screen he had started two weeks ago, when this project had first been assigned. Never in his life had he felt so directionless when it came to school. He sighed. This would be the first academic assignment he'd ever fail, and it was completely out of his control. No, he told himself, he was not going to fail this. He just didn't know where to begin.