Prince Among Men

[helpdesk_hero]

Frankly, he hadn't expected to get this chance. At all. Didn't matter that he was the top of his class. That he learned things mostly instantly. Sure there was a lot of reasons that this shouldn't have happened. Yet here he was, two days in to an internship at the Genoshan royal palace. And David's been moving through things carefully, juggling a large pile of folders and binders. A lot of stuff went on behind the scenes he'd learned, working as he did under a minister of commerce and trade.

And as an intern his main jobs seemed, at least for these first few days, carrying things back and forth and fetching coffee. He'd networked with someone who did the internship the year before and learned that yeah, it sucked the first few days, but then you started doing cool stuff, so he had his fingers crossed.

Okay, not actually, he was too busy moving quickly through the halls, trying not to trip and drop a massive pile of reports that he was certain had only been given to him because hazing the new guy who had already turned out to be smarter than half of the undersecretaries. Oops.

The big problem, of course, is taking a corner too quick. It wasn't that he meant to run into someone, but there it was happening anyway.

Comments

[wearingthestars]

The prince shakes his head softly. "He has to learn all the things that make a good ruler. He's next in line after our Uncle, and given his relationship with our grandfather..." He pauses and tries to phrase things as neutrally as possible, "...It seems likely Thomas will have to fill the roll at some point, regardless."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I would think that you would take the lessons as well," David frowns. But clearly he's not as smart about all of this as he could be.

[wearingthestars]

"I take a lot of them," he volunteers, and it doesn't occur to him that maybe some of this he shouldn't be sharing with just anyone. "But he does better than I do with retaining the lessons."

[helpdesk_hero]

Really? David, just for a moment, relaxes his shields. Relaxes to let himself feel the air. The knowledge in it.

"You're retaining it better than you think, Your Highness."

[wearingthestars]

He gives a curious flush, almost bashfully averting his gaze. It may be more a question of confidence than it is smarts.

"...William is fine, if you like."

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh god, that just looks good. So he shuts down his powers and just keeps walking.

"I could never, Your Highness."

Imagine what Billy's family would do if he did that!

[wearingthestars]

"No one would know," he counters softly, but he understands David's worry, and won't press him on the issue.

"...So what is it you do here with all of this?" he asks, gesturing to the files.

[helpdesk_hero]

They aren't friends, William. He's a complete non-entity next to a Prince. Sure, someday he may be useful to the throne. But for now? Nope.

"I copy things. I carry things to places. I make coffee. I nearly bowl over royals on my third day when the only reason I know how to get around is because of my powers."

[wearingthestars]

They aren't, but this is how you make them, right? No, really, he's not sure. He doesn't get to see a whole lot of people outside of his immediate family.

"Sounds like they're making great use of your powers," he notes, and offers a smile, "You're not the first. Just be glad it was me."

[helpdesk_hero]

Well, it's not like people would WANT him to make friends with a random mutant, right?

"They're... I made an undersecretary look bad. And a few of the lower level assistants," David sighs. "I'm getting grunt work for punishment. But I'm an intern, so there you go, it's my job."

Glad it was him? Yeah, the speedsters could have dodged.

[wearingthestars]

Definitely not.

Well, there's always the women of the family, or maybe worst of all, the King himself. Of those options, William may be the best bet.

"How did you make them look bad?"

[helpdesk_hero]

Lorna might have just killed him on the spot for all he knew.

"Knew things they were supposed to know. I actually read my handbook. And my powers means I could find out what I needed just from their minds. No one likes a know-it-all."

[wearingthestars]

"...They're punishing you for doing your job well?" he concludes, arching a brow. That doesn't seem right.

[helpdesk_hero]

"People don't like it when there is someone in the room smarter than them. I'm always the smartest person in the room. People don't like that. But with time I'll figure it out. They'll take me seriously. I'll put this on resumes for colleges and other leadership programs, hopefully spin it into a job."

See, he's got plans. He doesn't know where they are going yet, but he has them.

[wearingthestars]

"Jealousy doesn't help anyone," the prince reasons with a frown. Genosha is meant to be an example to the world and to the mutants. How are they meant to do that if things like this are still going on.

[helpdesk_hero]

"I'm an intern. A basically unpaid thing. They give me a place to stay and cover food because of a voucher system, but hazing tends to be part and parcel," David shrugs. "It's better than the school I was in. I knew a TK/TP who really didn't like me."

[wearingthestars]

"Respect is important at every level," he argues, but of course the prince has little understanding of what it's like in the real world. Hazing is something well outside anything he's ever known.

He frowns softly, "It doesn't seem fair."

[helpdesk_hero]

"It's not, it's just... it's how it works, Your Highness. Everyone has a place. Right now I'm sorta lower on the ladder than the janitors."

Which is just how life works.

[wearingthestars]

The prince gives him a look that suggests that analogy doesn't help him very much. Shouldn't the janitors be respected as much as anyone else? Obviously he has some understanding of hierarchy and social rank, but he doesn't think himself inherently better than any of the staff he's met or grown up with.

"...are you liking it? Apart from all that?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"It's my third day. I don't know yet," David sighs. There is so much he could say. He's not doing anything valuable with himself. He hasn't really interacted with anyone on a friendly basis. He's... he's adrift. Which you can't just tell a prince of the realm.

[wearingthestars]

He frowns softly, seeming to sense that unease well enough.

"I understand if my presence would distract you from your work, but if you didn't mind I really would enjoy seeing what you do. I don't see a lot of people my own age outside of my brother, I think it would be refreshing."

[helpdesk_hero]

At last David comes to a stop and just looks at the Prince. There is so much he could say. Should say. That if he comes in with the Prince following him like a lost puppy he's going to seem like an ass kisser. That the level of boredom would just break the Prince's brain. That Prince William being there will make other people uncomfortable. That he wouldn't mind being around the Prince but he isn't important enough to beg even a second of his time.

"You would be insanely bored to have me around.

[wearingthestars]

"You haven't bored me so far," he counters with what might have been a flirtatious sort of a smile, though that quickly seems to make him bashful. "...I shouldn't be imposing myself, I'm sorry."

[helpdesk_hero]

Did... was... did a Prince just flirt with him? Yeah, he's definitely aping a little as he tries to process that. No, that isn't possible. That isn't even remotely possible.

"It is your home, you can hardly impose in it."

[wearingthestars]

He definitely did, and now he's feeling quite shy about that fact.

"It's also your place of work. I won't insert myself where I don't belong, you probably have a lot to do, and I've taken up too much of your time all ready."