merry adventures in backdate land

[righteousapollo]

Characters: Enjolras and Steeeeeve
Location: Staff room
Time: gosh who knows. Backdated to when Steve first arrived at the Institute I guess.
Content: The ‘marble lover of liberty’ meets the Marvel lover of liberty. lol wordplay
Format: MIME. Or third.
Warning: Too many blonde-haired, blue-eyed, freedom-lovin' men in one place for any mere mortal

Comments

[no_youmove]

"Someone else might want to read that, you know," was Steve's not-unfriendly observation as he closed the staff room door behind him. He was more curious than disapproving, really: he knew he for one had been wanting to read it - he kind of felt like he'd never stay on top of things otherwise - but finding pieces of them torn out wouldn't really be much more than a minor annoyance and he wasn't one to pitch a fit over that sort of thing.

[righteousapollo]

It didn't quite register immediately with Enjolras that he was being addressed and for a few seconds longer he concentrated on his careful tearing. Only once the article was free did he look up in quiet surprise in the direction of the door.

Enjolras, still holding the torn paper in hands, looked about the cluttered table-top. He'd made a mess, but he'd made a neat mess. He was so used to coming in every day and poring through the piles of old media without (much) opposition that it struck him that this was the first time he'd actually been asked to share

[no_youmove]

"I am. Steve Rogers," he said, holding out his hand; if he thought there was anything at all off about a man who looked as young as Enjolras did occupying the staff room as if he owned it, it sure didn't show. "I'm teaching Civics." He gave the little pile of article clippings - well, tearings - on the table another glance, and raised an eyebrow. "What are you collecting there?"

[righteousapollo]

Enjolras, indifferent to the streaks of newspaper print on his fingers, reached out and shook Steve's hand firmly. "Olivier Enjolras, but rather more Enjolras than Olivier if you don't mind." The trace of a smile momentarily found its way onto his serious face as he removed his hand and picked up his neat pile of tearings, waving them briefly in the air with a degree of triumph. "These? Letters that my friends occasionally manage to get printed!"

He added the latest one to the top of the pile before sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh, but you're the civics teacher? Interesting. You have an interest in politics, then?" With that last question Enjolras leaned forward, tapping the lead article on the nearest newspaper that featured the upcoming election.

[no_youmove]

"Pleased to meet you, Enjolras." He raised his eyebrows slightly at that enthusiastic proclamation; he wondered what Enjolras's friends were writing letters about, that he was so keen to collect them, but Enjolras spoke up again before Steve could ask.

"You could say that," he replied with a little smile. "I'd say I'm more interested in ... well, in what makes this country tick. Government's just one part of that."

[righteousapollo]

Enjolras listened intently, nodding silently as Steve spoke. "I see.

"For my own part, I'd say I prefer politics to government - that is to say, I find the application of ideas to a society rather more interesting than dealing with the inherent challenges of running one." He paused. "That's not to say I'm particularly satisfied with the way this one is being run." It was something of a test - Enjolras wanted to draw some kind of reaction from Steve. He was naturally wary of another politics lecturer - but his words were laced with such innocent affability that it was impossible to guess.

[no_youmove]

Steve nodded thoughtfully. He hesitated slightly at that last statement, though - it was hard to be sure what exactly Enjolras meant by it. He elected to give the other man the benefit of the doubt, though, and hope that he wasn't dealing with another bitter, angry pessimist - Enjolras seemed keen and animated enough that Steve felt it was unlikely, at least.

"I can't say I blame you," he replied, looking down at the newspaper article with a hint of a frown. For his part he faintly disapproved of both the current presidential candidates, in the same sort of way a protective older brother might disapprove of his younger sister's choice in boyfriends. "You have to respect the country's choice, but ..." He shook his head, dismissing his own thoughts on the matter. "I'm not here to lecture kids on who they should vote for when they turn 18. I just want to encourage them to make their voices heard - to make them feel like it's worth it."

[righteousapollo]

[cheese]

Enjolras looked relatively pleased at this - or about as pleased as someone as severe as Enjolras could look. "I don't think we have more than a handful of students that will be able to vote this time around." Enjolras lamented. "Not that they need to be able to vote to make their voices heard, I suppose," he added, thinking back to the last protest he'd taken the students to. Enjolras needlessly shuffling the articles around in his hands before throwing them down onto the table with a decisive 'thwap'.

"I teach international relations, by the way," he added with a small smile. "It's not a very large class but the students get some remarkably informed discussions going."

I AM SO SLOW 8(

[no_youmove]

"No," Steve agreed; "if he can find the right words, one man's voice can do a lot more than his vote. I think it's important to make sure they know that." He pulled up a chair as Enjolras shuffled his articles, but he didn't sit down just yet.

"Oh, really?" It was certainly good to know the students were engaging, at least. "You mind if I sit in some time? I don't start classes until next week; it'd be great to get a look at what I'll be dealing with ahead of time."

[righteousapollo]

"As long as you don't mind my dropping in on your own from time to time," Enjolras quickly returned, his tone quite serious as he looked up at Steve with a keen look. "And I was thinking of doing some kind of field trip in the future, perhaps to the Intrepid museum, or the Roosevelt site. Would you be interested in combining classes for either of those?"

[ooc: I seriously want to go to the Intrepid museum. Like now.]

[no_youmove]

"I think that'd be a great idea," Steve said earnestly, plainly pretty keen on it himself. "And you can sit in whenever you like - I don't know if I can promise any great moments in teaching, though," he added with a self-deprecating little smile. To tell the truth, he was moderately confident; he knew the subject he was teaching as well as anyone did, and he knew he could, generally, get people to listen to him - but he didn't have the experience to be entirely sure to what extent he could command the same authority without a mask on.

[OOC: YESSSS I'LL GO WITH YOU]