Orient Yourself (Julien)

[Simon Fournier]

When Simon had been a much younger man, he had never imagined that he would ever look forward to freshmen orientation. As a freshmen he had been so uncomfortable and nervous when he'd started college that he was sure he'd missed half of what was going on during orientation. A few times during his college career, he'd been dragged into help out with the incoming students. Although he'd never complained out loud about it, he had seen it as something that got in the way of his own start of the school year.

But now, Simon really enjoyed this time of the year. Though he did teach a few summer classes, he still had a lot more free time over the summer. And though he and Saul had found ways to fill that time, he was excited for the start of the fall semester. And he was excited for all that these new students would be experiencing over the next four or so years. 

Today he was sitting at one of the booths outside of the dorms helping new students find there way around the campus. He smiled, answered questions, and handed out maps to the young men and women. He also had a box of room keys and a list of names to hand them out to for the dorm directly behind him. 

When he saw one particularly lost looking young man walking around, Simon waved him over. "You need a map?" he asked. 

[Julien Duval]

It was true. Julien certainly felt lost. First day of university. He'd told his parents he was staying a while ago, staying in the United States, and they'd been rather upset by his decision, but he needed to find himself. And as cheesey as it sounded, it was the truth. He was sick of feeling like he didn't know who he was or where he was going or what was missing and he was hoping he could find that all here in Vermont.

But so far, his first day as a college student was proving difficult. And older man waved him over and Julien awkwardly walked over. "Uhm, yeah. That'd be nice actually." It was such a different atmosphere and he was holding his schedule, trying to sort everything out, where he would need to be when and so on.

[Simon Fournier]

It may have seemed that Simon had multiple personality disorder because his in class and out of class personas differed so greatly. Beyond his husband and a select few close friends, Simon found it near impossible to have a normal human interaction out in the 'real world'. He stumbled to find topics for small talk, shifted nervously whether he was sitting or standing, and generally just made everything feel awkward.

But put the same man in his college setting and was calm and collected. Even more so in his classroom where he was king of his own private domain. So while he sat helping the freshmen find their way, he had no worries about what to say or how to act. Somehow being at college was different, like he knew he could handle it without having to think.

"Here ya go," Simon said handing the young man, who was obviously either a freshman or a transfer student, a map. "I'm Professor Fournier by the way. Are you in any of my classes?" He pointed to the schedule the young man was holding. Simon taught mostly pre-law classes, but he also taught a few basic writing and reading courses as well that ever incoming freshmen had to take. Though there were several professors for those classes since so many students took them each semester.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Simon asked. After all, a map was only so much help and this young man looked like he might need a few more pointers.