A New Lesson [Hugo/Violet - Closed]

"Well, I've got some ideas, but right now, I'm more concerned with, ah, being fed? More precisely, where exactly can I get work?" He stood up from his seat, and walked over to his coat. "I've got all the fixings of an academy education, they just never gave me a diploma." From deep in one of his coats' inside pockets, he pulled out a slip of paper. "This is my notice of termination." There was a bit of an awkward silence. "Tourmaline told you about how I horribly maimed a professor, right?"

After handing it over to Violet to look at, he sat back down. "I tried to join the army, but they wouldn't accept me without some kind of education and proof of residence. I imagine it goes the same for anybody else that would hire me. I don't suppose there are any, as it were, unofficial jobs I could apply myself to? Assuming I didn't want to freeload for many months."

Violet smiled, taking the papers. "I don't recall her saying it was a professor, but yes. It's not a huge deal; the two of us can handle ourselves if need be. And I'm sure you'll be the model student." She raised her eyebrows at him.

Violet glanced at Tourmaline, confused. "I think we were under the impression that, for now, we would give you room, board, and teaching--plus some extraneous money so you can buy things-- in exchange for various..." She searched for the right words, "Gopher-like tasks?"

Tourmaline spoke up, "That is to say, you'll do what would be trivial tasks for Violet and I, and would be a learning experience for you. For example, I'll show you how to set up some rudimentary labs later on; this is valuable to all three of us, as we'll get to avoid doing something menial, and you'll learn how to... Set up labs."

"Of course, if you'd prefer to get a different job and pay me-- or anyone else-- to teach you, that's fine too."