arcadianvampire: (Cape Flourish)
Valvatorez ([personal profile] arcadianvampire) wrote in [community profile] daybreakacademy2019-01-23 02:53 pm

You Better Have Done Your Reading...

Who: Valvatorez and You
What: [A] Lecture Time! or [B] Office Hours! Join Valvatorez for one of his (in)famous lectures in Daemon Defense, though before the Practical classes have begun. Alternatively, if you're seeking academic help, have a question, or want to get to know one of hte professors, you can reach him at his office hours. Faculty are welcome to both attend his lecture or come to his office. His door's open to everyone.
When: ....Whenever in January fits.
Where: The classroom, or Valvatorez's office
Warnings: Lots of ham, most likely. And Defense Against Vampires and Daemons Class.



[A: The Lecture]

[To those who are attending the class for the first time, many of the rumors you might've heard about this class quickly turn out to be true: Valvatorez hands out a syllabus to anyone attending his class, and it's packed. The homework demands are pretty rough, requiring quite a lot of reading outside of class, and if people are considering the practical portion of the class, there's even more. Worse, the works are that much more difficult to digest at the higher level. Breakdowns of the lectures are included in the syllabus as well... but with a proviso that information might change on a moment's notice. And being a Daemon, this is not an idle threat: rumors will have persisted about Valvatorez changing lecture subject matter entirely, and while it seems like a whim, it's actually more calculated than that. In truth, it's his way of ensuring his students are not inclined to skip his class.

If this happens to not be the first class of the term, the lecture will start going over the required reading very early... and Valvatorez will be quick to keep an eye out for weakness: students who have not done the reading will find themselves singled out to answer questions unless their poker face is perfect. He will not be making deductions for lack of performance in class yet, but he definitely keeps notes as to who might be slacking or simply falling behind.

For the lecture's part, Valvatorez is quite an orator, and delivers his class with intensity and a controlled enthusiasm. If there's one thing you cannot accuse him of, it's being dry or boring. Peppered throughout his lecture include personal anecdotes and experience; actually useful bits of information, given the context. While the early part of the lecture might come off as more stern, this part has him more at ease, so long as no one's causing trouble. You're not causing trouble, are you?]


So then, I hope you have all learned something valuable today. Remember, what vampires are weak to can vary greatly from instance to instance: some are vulnerable to sunlight, some are not. Some can be turned by religious imagery, others, like myself, will simply laugh at you if you try it. The required reading for the next class will cover these differences in greater detail, and because vampires are such dangerous and cunning foes, you would do well to read and reread the section. Make flashcards or a mnemonic device for them if you must. Anything it takes to help you retain this information.

And importantly, if you are confused, do not be afraid to come to my office hours and ask for additional instruction. My door is open for a reason.

[He then quietly claps his hands in front of him.]

Now then, are there any questions? And do not be shy. If you do not ask, I cannot help you.


[B]

[Valvatorez's office hours are posted, and as promised, while he is present in his office, his door is open. The inside of it is filled with several bookcases, stuffed to the brim with magical tomes, grimoires, Hunter manuals, monstrous bestiaries, scientific journals, and scientific books on the ocean and marine biology. The aesthetic of the office might not appear terribly inviting however, as it is... well, somewhat Gothic in nature, including... well, gargoyles, mounted on the walls and magical torches that burn with smokeless and heatless flame. In front of his desk sat three large, stuffed chairs with bright red fabric; they actually looked comfortable, though the backs of the chairs appeared to sprout carved bat wings made of a dark wood. His own chair, though, was reasonably sized, with a back shaped more like a coffin sprouting similar wings.

Mounted in various places around the room include several trophies of dead monsters; often skulls of fantastic, dangerous beasts that are known to terrorize humans that Valvatorez doubtlessly brought down. There was even what appeared to be a dragon skull mounted above his desk. ...Though it was truthfully just a replica, as the original was too large and too valuable to keep for a trophy when the Academy had more use for it.

Suffice it to say, his office was truly as extra as he was. But he liked it that way, and he wasn't going to change it for anyone. The only thing seemingly out of place is a surprisingly plain assortment of soft drinks and bags of snacks in a basket on the corner of his desk. ...That, and the floor-to-ceiling cylindrical aquarium filled with sardines and other fish in the rear portion of his office. What? You didn't think he'd have something like that?

Upon someone coming into the door, Val's red eyes would dart from the book he was reading and meet his visitor squarely... and with it, a surprisingly sincere, if small, smile.]


Ah, hello! Do come in, and have a seat, and help yourself to something in the basket, if you would like.
hippocarnival: (✮ 149 ✮)

B

[personal profile] hippocarnival 2019-01-23 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yuya pokes his head into the door first, waiting for Valvatorez's offer before he comes in all the way and closes the door behind him.] Thank you.

[He sits in one of the opposite chair, hands folded in his lap and much shyer than he normally is.] Um, Professor Valvatorez, I had some questions not... about the class, but about daemons still. You know a lot about them, right?
hippocarnival: (✮ 173 ✮)

[personal profile] hippocarnival 2019-01-23 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Is it possible for someone to have a contract and not know about it? [Yuya starts slow, brow furrowing uncertainly.] Maybe if they forgot or... someone else did it?

[A: The Lecture]

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-23 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[Toki very much enjoys Valvatorez's outlandish tangents and dramatic lecturing, and that's the only reason he ever shows up. He has not done any of the required reading, nor looked at any of the syllabi distributed. Valvatorez may have already covered this in an earlier class, or in the current lecture even, but if it isn't part of an interesting anecdote, he hasn't been paying attention.]

The midterms are multiple choice, right!?

[He may or may not have actually signed up for this class. There's a strong possibility he entered the wrong room once and just kept coming back.]

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-23 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Mystery would indeed be part of the fun under normal circumstances; I do grant you~! However, causing undue stress to students over something as insignificant to you as test formats is an unnecessary cruelty in these trying times as we approach the Nightfall~! It does nothing to better prepare your pupils, only tragically causes them to allot more of the precious little time they have left in this world to studying~! It's a travesty~!
hippocarnival: (✮ 092 ✮)

[personal profile] hippocarnival 2019-01-23 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[If they have some measure of authority...

Yuya worries over his lip, sinking back in is seat.]
I--might? How would you know if that's what it is?

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-23 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[He has no idea what the ants and the grasshopper fable is.]

I wouldn't consider it scaremongering so much as a realistic approach for those of us who will very likely perish in the upcoming war~! I have made my peace with that inevitable failure, as I'm sure several other students here have also done! Is it not unwise to build up their confidence with the idea that schoolwork can save lives!?

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-24 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
Obviously long enough to lose touch with the current youth of this century~! How old are you?
hippocarnival: (✮ 071 ✮)

[personal profile] hippocarnival 2019-01-24 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
I see... so there's no other way to know for sure without asking someone who was involved, right?

[Yuya didn't have demonic powers on his profile, so he's assuming nothing from that has tipped off their nature--otherwise, wouldn't someone have noticed it wasn't just mage talent? Unless there's something else...]

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-24 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Toki shrieks in surprise at the voice. He had definitely not been paying attention to the lecture, and had no idea Valvatorez could do that. After that statement though, he feels the need to point out another interpretation of what the class has witnessed.]

Your actions certainly support your opinion on the matter at hand, Professor Valvatorez~!

[He addresses the room with dramatic flourish, an homage to Valvatorez.]

However, consider this, my fellow students~! One might also infer from this scenario that daemons are far too cunning and quick for a student lacking in power to ever best them, nor even to match their strength! And so, I submit to you, Professor Valvatorez has just proven how unimportant the time you spend here truly is~!
spelleton: off the end (☀ with warmth to stave)

B

[personal profile] spelleton 2019-01-24 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's a polite knock on the door, more like an announcement of his presence than an indication Valvatorez should get up and open it; Ekkehardt's quietly opening the door with a folder in hand. ]

Professor Valvatorez.

I've written up your official lesson plans for the next few weeks. Feel free to look over them and make corrections as you see fit.

[ Valvatorez's style of teaching is unpredictable, training students to pay attention no matter what the situation, but the amount of paperwork it takes is a little more than usual.

Considering the small stack of paper he's got in his hands for 'the next few weeks', it's a substantial amount of 'more than usual'.

He's going to...uh, try to find a place to put this among Valvatorez's belongings where it won't get lost.
]

It amazes me how you managed to fit gargoyles in here among everything else. [ It's half muttered, but he knows the professor's hearing is good, so he wouldn't have said it if he hadn't meant for it to be overheard. ]

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-24 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Wasn't life in general just a distraction?]

I am here because the Watchers extended an invitation~! And I had nowhere else to go~! And this! France! Magic! I could not imagine a greater wonder in this world~!
spelleton: consumed by the earth (☀ set forth a soldier)

[personal profile] spelleton 2019-01-24 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's just handing over the folder rather than visibly puzzle about where to even put it. ]

I'd be a poor assistant if I couldn't even do this much on time. [ Ekkehardt has standards in some areas that even the usual run of perfectionists might sort of shy away from, but it's fine, probably. He applies them only to himself, anyway. ]

That...makes sense. Sometimes I forget runes can be used for more practical applications, not just what I'm used to. [ Daybreak is simultaneously more mundane than he's used to and exactly the kind of environment he can thrive in to do his job. ]

How are your students settling in, Professor? Are they taking the lessons well?

[personal profile] yokeye 2019-01-24 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[What he got out of that speech was death is inevitable (and nothing means anything because you'll be dead someday), but one could somehow live on by preserving culture and making their mark upon the world. That's idealistic optimism to the extreme, considering what was going on out there.]

Oh, Professor Valvatorez, your words have moved me deeply~!

[He drops to his knees and sobs.]

How I long to contribute to humanity's lasting presence and be a guiding light for the next generation! We will prevail over the Outlands~! Nightfall will not be the end to our most treasured ways of life~!

[Toki's going way overboard with this, but he can't stop himself. Usually, no one lasts this long. He has newfound respect for Valvatorez.]
hippocarnival: (✮ 093 ✮)

[personal profile] hippocarnival 2019-01-24 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Yuya wonders how hard a contract that doesn't seem to have come to anything will be. And why hasn't he ever seen this daemon? Maybe he should ask his mom, but if this is something from his father she might not even know.

He thinks in silence before he nods slowly and looks up at Valvatorez.]
Okay. Thanks... even that much helps.

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