Amanda Grayson

Amanda Elizabeth Grayson. I teach at the Federation Embassy on Earth, teaching Standard to Diplomats and their personnel. I specialize in Vulcan and Orion languages. Star Trek Indie Blog for Amanda Grayson

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

Because it would be an illogical, emotional response, Sarek did not sit in silence and read to himself out of spite. He did so simply because it would deprive his brother of any entertainment. But to call her advanced, he could not let that pass without comment. 

“How is arbitrarily assigning a student a volume of literature to read in any way advanced? In my opinion, her methods are better suited for the twentieth century, for a blindfolded Terran…” His eyes narrowed as he searched his brain for the right animal, because to leave it at human simply wouldn’t do. “…orange fish— goldfish.”

[theladyamanda]

"I doubt she gave you that for actual teaching, Sarek."  He titled his head.  "Did it even enter your calculations that she is teaching you discipline?  Or perhaps showing you what her course shall be, so that you may prepare yourself?"

[theladyamanda]

captndaddykirk started following you

[captndaddykirk]

Grays… you’re Spock’s mother?

I haven’t met your son yet but I’ve heard he’s an upstanding first officer. I also heard he’s keeping my Jimmy in line, that speaks volumes about his upbringing. It really is a pleasure to meet you.

[theladyamanda]

I'm afraid that's all of his father.   He only got my stubbornness.  James is a good boy--quite handsome like his father.  you must be so proud.

[theladyamanda]

captndaddykirk started following you

[captndaddykirk]

Yes ma’am, I am. But you can call me George if you like.

But you’ve seem to have caught me at a disadvantage; you know me but I don’t know you.

[theladyamanda]

Well I know your son.  He's your spitting image--so really, a lucky guess.  My name is Amanda Grayson.  Your son and mine are friends.

[theladyamanda]

ensign-pavel-chekov started following you

"I think I know you.  You're from the Enterprise aren't you?"

[theladyamanda]

cmobonesmccoy started following you

"Doctor!  How good to see you again!"  Amanda steps down and pulled him into a hug.

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

To anyone who ever said that Vulcans were above being facetious, Sarek would direct them to his brother. And then to himself, if only to uphold the belief that Vulcans were an honest people. 

“If you do not read it to me, you will be subject to my reading it. As you are well aware, my grasp of Terran is somewhat… subpar.” 

[theladyamanda]

"Oh, I am aware of your ineptitude.  The tickets to the Orian dance competition I was looking into fell through, there for I could do with a 'show'.  That, brother, is a terran colloquialism for the observation of entertainment."  He took another sip of tea, amused thoroughly with his own condensation.  "For a human, she is quite advanced.  I trust in her methods."

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

His gaze crept up from the strange glyphs printed on lightweight offset paper— important detail, as it meant that more words could fit on each page— and attempted to gauge his brother’s sincerity. “From my first and lasting impression of her, the only subject she is qualified to teach falls somewhere between ‘Klingon Manners’ and ‘Compulsory Irritation for Humanoids’.”

“Of course I did, which is why I fail to understand the purpose of ‘punishing’ me with more homework than I am accustomed to. Perhaps you could read this to me…” 

[theladyamanda]

"Perhaps," Selek said glancing at the ceiling as if in thought.  "Perhaps I could also fly by to Vulcan on wings made of silk, and perhaps my wife shall not find fault in my reasons for washing my filter thrice a day for one time in our marriage..."

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“You knew? Did you deliberately select the most temperamental tutor humanity has to offer or was it a random selection?” The old fashioned book hit the table with a heavy thud, rattling its lone teacup. Satisfied with his subtle release of frustration, he sat in front of the chest-high text and made a scene of delicately opening the synthetic leather cover and turning the subsequent preliminary pages one by one.

“…I mistook her for a custodian. Given that she was tidying the room and I did not know who to expect for my teacher, it was a logical, inoffensive conclusion.”

[theladyamanda]

Selek grabbed the tea cup before it bounded off the table.  Pouring more in to refresh the heat, he simply rose a brow and said, "She is the best at her work.  I believe she could teach the priests at Kolinahr a thing or two."

Suppressing a random display of amusement, he assured, "And I'm sure you relayed your assumption of her identity in the most logical and inoffensive way."

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“There was no lesson, brother.” It was custom to address family members by their title on Vulcan but over the years, Sarek had turned Selek’s title into an inconspicuous form of mockery.

“The tutor was most uncooperative, she assigned three public lessons per standard week and this,” He easily hefted the large book; its size was unimportant but it was the principle of it all. “This is my homework.”

[theladyamanda]

The Vulcan raised both brows.  "Ah.  Sarek, I knew you would anger her some what by your manner, but it seems you are being punished most thoroughly.  By the ancestors, what did you say?"

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“Wait,” he called again, for one last request. “What is my ‘home work’, as you put it? Surely it cannot be this entire volume?”

[theladyamanda]

She glanced over her shoulder.  "Try...lets see how far you get."  That was her last word on the subject, her curls bouncing with her brusque step.

When he returned to the ambassadorial rooms in the Vulcan embassy, his brother was pursuing one of the actual paper news papers.  As a Vulcan interested in history. he preferred hard copies of texts to padds.  He glanced up from an article and raised a brow.  "A successful lesson, brother?"

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

He blinked once, the disbelief plain on his face. “You must be mistaken, Vulcans do not play pranks. Whatever Selek has done, he has not done with the intent to… to… joke. The word does not even exist in Vulcan.”

[theladyamanda]

"It may not exist in Vulcan," she said shrugging her shoulder   "But your brother, unlike you is bilingual."  She turned on her heel.  "Be on time for class or I'm locking you out."

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“‘Muscle memory’… you believe human learning aids will work for a Vulcan? Very well.” He would try it, for this one lesson. It would reflect poorly on him if he dumped two consecutive tutors after the first meeting. 

“Selek only wishes for my success. If that irritates you—” His eyes glimmered in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of way upon hearing that she could be irritated so easily. Perhaps in identifying a shared weakness, he could take measures to remove his own. ”—then I wonder what ever possessed you to take this profession.” 

[theladyamanda]

"No.  What irritates me is how he manages to pull off pranks in my class and look entirely blameless--even when he graduated two months ago!"  She huffed, but fondness for those memories sparkled in her eyes.

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“No.” He shifted the book so that its pointed corners couldn’t snag the loose sleeves of his robes. 

“Would you care to lose a most prominent student?”

[theladyamanda]

"Right now?  Yeah, I sort of would," she snapped.  "It's muscle memory.  If your hand can write it, your mouth can speak it.  And I want to see how low your level is.  And don't get your brother to help you.  I know him, and that's just the thing he'd do just to irritate me."

When she talked of his brother, her tone lightened, as if talking about an old friend she knew all her life.

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

His fingers barely curled around the edge of the book and in spite of its relative lightness in his arms, there was no way he could hold the antiquated monstrosity while still looking like a dignified ambassador’s son. 

“Must you assign homework out of a book? A padd would be the more efficient, logical choice.” 

[theladyamanda]

"Would you rather not have any lessons what so ever?"

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“My father does not believe public lessons will be of any use to me. But surely you must know more than him, having only known Vulcan for—” He studied her face in the light let in by the overhead windows of the embassy. “Nineteen Earth years, not including the time it took to learn your first language? Yes, I shall concede to your suggestion. How often do you recommend public lessons?”

[theladyamanda]

She glanced don at her dress.  It was bright blue, like the sky, and her strappy wedge heals were modest enough for summery work casual.  Yes she was a small thing, but she did not look that young!  Even if he was spot on in her age.

"Well...I was going to say one a week, but since you're already so well versed in sass, thrice.  With private lessons on the weekend.  8AM for the public lessons, 6pm for the private.  Oh and..."  She pulled out a a thick, heavy workbook from her bag and dropped it into the unsuspecting ambassador's arms.  "Do your homework."

[theladyamanda]

Getting To Know You

[fayeinash-vehashaukotik]

“Please?” To the untrained ear, his raised inflection sounded perfectly natural, as if he was asking an innocent question. In reality, any lilt in his voice was due to the unfamiliarity with the word. For all he knew, he was speaking a single syllable that was rumoured to be ‘polite’. 

[theladyamanda]

Amanda stopped, lifting her eyes to the ceiling.  It was a bit of an honest mistake, even if he was far to brusk for her liking.  She turned to him, narrowing her eyes.  "Your Standard is the worst I've heard," she stated quickly in Vulcan.  "If you're going to learn in a timely manner you'll have to attend public classes as well as private lessons."

[theladyamanda]

Home Coming

[spockxtmprsqzntwlfb]

The conversation was skating dangerously close to what he had to discuss with Sarek and the only diversion at his disposal were the baking kreyla cookies. But to check up on them would be to slight her cooking, which he could not do even under the gravest of false pretences. In the end he just sat there, doing his best to keep his composure. “I am aware the two are not mutually exclusive. However, I fail to see how his status as my father makes any difference. If we were not related, his counsel would be the same— logical.” 

[theladyamanda]

"I meant," she said giving him The Look, "that calling him by his first name does not make him any less your father, and doesn't erase the fight or the good things you have between you, young man."