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Evaluations
Arus
arus-dot-geo-at-yahoo-dot-com
Voltron and its characters are owned by World Event's Productions.
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English Lessons - Hunk's Story
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William "Hunk" Shawn. Hunk. That was what he was known by when he first entered the academy when he was ten, because he could do what not mere 10 year old could do at his age. Eat four large pizzas with everything on it, in one sitting.
Hunk had enjoyed being the brute of his class. He would always do his best to impress the girls, and show off his "great" strength. He took pleasure in hearing their giggles and their hoots of encouragement. It made the academy life entertaining considering all the work they did. He did very well in the physical aspect, his strength making up for some of his speed, but he could never catch on to the book and paper work forced on him.
He hated them.
And the cheers of his fellow students, didn't help alleviate this feeling that he was not doing as well as he could have. He wanted help, but who would believe that the great Hunk, would need help in anything?
So he spent his afternoons, helping his uncle, who happened to be the Academy's groundskeeper, in making sure that things were kept in place; fixing anything that was broken, which could be anything from the communal toilets or to a simple light fixture. He enjoyed it. Fixing things, that is.
"What classes are you taking this year?" his uncle had asked him as they were working on a light fixture in one of the classrooms.
Hunk shrugged as he looked up at his uncle. "Engineering mostly," he stated. "Fixing some of the vehicles we are using. If I do good, then I'll be able to work on the fighters."
His uncle smiled. "It wouldn't be right without a Shawn working on something like that," he said. "Your father is the Alliances best handyman."
Hunk slowly nodded. "I wish I could do better on the other stuff," he said. "The paperwork is the hardest."
"Well, then you just have to work harder to see if you can do better," his uncle stated then turned to him. "Since you are good with your hands, then try and start exercising that muscle in your head."
"Easier said than done."
"William, if everything came as easy as the way you can fix old lights and vehicles, then the world would be filled with geniuses and would be boring," he said. "That's why we work on the aspects that we know are the hardest for us. It keeps the world entertaining."
Hunk slowly shook his head. "You sound like dad," he said.
His uncle laughed. "Cause we know what's good for our sons, William," he said. "Maybe you should ask one of your fellow students for help?"
"That's the problem," he said. "They are kinda afraid of me."
"Afraid?" his uncle asked then looked him over. He smiled. "I guess that would be a problem. You are bigger than most kids your age."
"Eh, I'll probably figure something out," Hunk said. "Always something comes along my way."
"That's the spirit."
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Hunk let out a sigh as he sat in his class, waiting for the teacher to come and start. It was his favorite class, so he always made it a point to show up early. He flipped through his book, reading over his notes he took the last class period, knowing that a quiz would probably be offered that day. He pretty much ignored as students began to pile in, taking their seats around him.
"What the heck is wrong with you!"
Hunk looked up when he heard the raised voice. He then watched as three students began to surround another student who was sitting not more than three seats down from his position. He already knew the three kids; Sam, Rick and Leslie. They were older than him, and were kind of considered the class bullies. They made it a point every year to pick on a new cadet to get them riled up or, worst, so scared that they would drop out.
The tried to do that with him when he started the year before, and they learned quickly that they wouldn't do that to him again. It looked as if they found their student for this year's round of bullying.
"Dont you understand ENGLISH?" Sam had asked grabbing the boy who was sitting in his seat by his uniform. "Dont you know that ENGLISH is what we all speak here. Now what did you just say?"
"I said, dat you would be best setting down," the boy they grabbed had answered.
"Setting down?" Sam asked as he lifted the boy out of his seat. "What the heck does setting down mean?"
"Im sorry, my english ish-- is not good," the boy said.
"You can say that again," Sam said with a smile. "Why is it you foreigners think you can just join up and be able to deal with us? Hmm? Maybe we should just box you up and send you back to where you came from? How would you like that?"
"No, I would not like dat," the boy said.
"Oh, I think you would."
Hunk watched as the boy cringed as Sam drew his right arm back.
"No!"
Sam was about to swing his arm, when he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his uniform and his right arm was then grabbed and twisted to his back. A large hand then came down on his head when he was forcefully pushed into the desk top before him, and a heavy knee pushed into his back.
"Ah Sam, I thought we had this talk last year," Hunk stated as he pushed the boy's head into the desk. "That it would be in your best interest to keep your hands to yourself."
The boy struggled under Hunk's hold as he looked down at the boy he had been picking on.
"You alright?" he asked.
The boy could only stare up the larger kid as he held down the kid who had attacked him.
"Now, I dont think he appreciated your little crass remark you said about foreginers," Hunk said as he pulled on his arm harder. "You do realize that my family is not from here, having only moved here 10 years ago. So if you want to start picking on foreigners, as you state it, then you better start picking on me first."
"Get off!" Sam yelled from under his hand.
"You owe him an apology," Hunk said. When he got no answer, he pulled on the boy's arm again. "Well?"
"Im sorry!" Sam yelled. "Im sorry."
"And the next time I see you picking on another kid here again, I'll be sure that this little arm of yours will go up on my wall," Hunk said. "Do you understand?"
"Yes!" the boy yelled. "I promise!"
Hunk slowly released Sam's arm and grabbed him by his uniform, shoving him into his two friends. "Now, as he said, sit down, the class will start soon."
The three boys then moved away and all the students who were around them quietly took their seats. Hunk smiled to himself, then he turned to look at the young boy who was the object of Sam's attack. He took a seat next to him, as the boy turned to him.
"So what's your name?"
The boy looked at him, surprise in his eyes. "Sven," he said. "Sven Richardson."
"Ah," Hunk said then offered his hand to him. "William Shawn, but most call me Hunk," he said.
"Hunk?" the boy asked.
"Its a nickname."
"What is a Hunk?"
Hunk smiled to himself. "Listen, that boy Sam, he will not bother you anymore," he said. "I know how hard it is, to be some place new, and barely know the language. You're awfully young to be taking this class."
"It..it is interesting," the boy struggled to say. "But a little hard."
Hunk slowly nodded. "Tell you what," he said turning to him. "My mother is an English Teacher, and she has access to learning materials that can help you learn the language. If I help you with your English, you want to help me with some of the school work?"
Hunk smiled when he saw the look in the boy's dark eyes. He then clapped his large hand over the boy's shoulder and laughed.
"I take that as a yes," he said. "We can meet during lunch and go over some of the material, and then sometime after schoo, we can over the school work. How does that sound."
Sven nodded. "Hunk you say?"
He nodded. "Yeah," he said.
"Its very nice to know you, Hunk."
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Hunk spent every day that year, with Sven, working through the troubles they both had. Through him, he was able to befriend Keith and Lance, however, they being in different classes, their meetings were always during their lunch hours. He found that the three were somewhat closer than most friends would be, and after speaking with Benson one day, he realized why they were close. He was already familiar with the tragic events surround Keith Takashi, but after researching in the library, he found the information about each of their fathers.
As fate would have it, he thought to himself upon the realization.
However, Benson had noted how Hunk had somehow became the 'unofficial' go to person, should a new student be acosted by other students, or needed help. As he looked over a file in his hand, he realized that he would be perfect to help.
And one day, Hunk found himself sitting in Benson's office, wondering why he was there. When Benson walked through the door, with a young boy in tow, he immediately stood to greet them.
"William, I want you to meet Pidge Lasser," Benson stated as he walked around his desk. "He is a transfer from our Balto based Academy. I want you to show him around, get him acquainted with everything here."
Hunk slowly nodded then turned to the young boy. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old.
"Where will he be staying?"
"South Wing Dorms," Benson said. "Here is a copy of his class schedule, make sure that you and he get to class on time, alright?"
Hunk nodded as he took the schedule from Benson and quickly looked it over. His eyes widened seeing that these were classes that would have been taken by a 5th year student. Classes that he was taking now.
"Admiral?"
"Its alright, William," Benson said. "Balto didn't have classes at his level, so that is why he was transferred here."
Hunk nodded then turned to the boy. He smiled.
"Pidge was it?" he asked.
The boy turned to him, managing a smile. Big round glassed framed the boy's face, and Hunk could not help but smile at how innocent it made him look.
"Y--yes," he said.
Hunk offered his hand to the boy and he shook it. "Look, you should be thanking Benson for picking me to help you out here," he said with a large smile. "There is no one on this campus that is going to do a better job than me. So stick to me like, glue, alright?"
Pidge slowly nodded. "Do..do you think the class schedule is too hard?"
"If Benson says that you can handle them, then I dont doubt it will be too difficult for you," he said. "Hey, do you like fixing things?"
"What kinds of things?"
"Oh, maybe the Trans W drive of a Aruca Mark 10 fighter jet?"
Benson smiled to himself as he watched the two boys banter about engineering and different engine modifications. After a while of this, he sent the boys on out of his office, with their final argument on which ship was the fastest in all of the Garrison fleet.
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"Hunk was a resourceful student," Benson added as he took a sip from the cup before him. "William that is."
Allura smiled. "Tough on the outside, soft on the inside," she commented. "So he and Pidge took to each other like milk and cookies?"
Benson smiled. "I see that our colloquial expressions have been rubbing off on you," he said. "Yes, you could say that they were pretty much inseperable those two years. Pidge was the youngest to graduate from the Academy, and his first assignment was to come to Arus."
"And Hunk was there for him all the way?"
Benson nodded. "William protected each of them, in his own way," he said. "With Sven, from those who found him to be too different because of his upbringing; with Lance, mostly from those he'd find trouble with; Pidge, someone who didn't go out of the way to please him, but treat him like the kid that he was; and with Keith, an older brother, not to replace Keitaro, but someone he could learn from. Learn that there is much more to life than books and getting perfect scores."
Allura slowly nodded. "Hunk has been that way with me as well," she said honestly. "I didn't have the pleasure of growing up with someone I could turn to, but Hunk's open nature and willingness to be there for you, is a quality we rarely see, now in these times."
"So you are quite happy with his performance here on Arus?" Benson asked.
"He's well liked by the team, he gets along fine with my servants, the guards absolutely love the way he works with them, and my people; he is very good with the children," she said. "Outwardly, he probably would have scared a lot of people, but seeing him the way he is, I absolutely love him."
Benson smiled. "If it weren't for his interest in engineering and mechanics, I would have offered him to move to becoming a diplomat for the Alliance," Benson said. "But politics seemd to bore him."
Allura smiled. "So does paperwork," she said.
Benson quietly laughed. "Yeah, that seems to be something he still has a problem with," he said.
Allura smiled as she reached into her stack and then offered him a disc. "Same as before," she said. "Reports from Coran and I, Dr. Gorma and the Captain of my guards."
"Anything in summary you want to say?"
"I wish we had more men like him on Arus," she said with a smile. "However, a little more polished on the behaviour and of course the social skills need to be touched up. Though I really think he does all that he does to spite my Nanny."
"Oh, I've heard some stories on that," Benson said.
"Oh?" Allura asked. "What kind of stories exactly?"
Benson shook his head and then smiled. "I would like to leave here, alive, Princess," he said. "If i relate any of it to you, I dont think the Alliance would be happy that they'd be losing an Admiral because of the ire of one Castle's Nanny."
Allura laughed. "Then we should save it for a time, when we're both old enough to not worry about nannnies," she said.
"Well, if that is all for William, then we can move on," Benson said as he looked through his folders and pulled one out. "Pidge Lasser."
Allura nodded. "So why was Pidge moved from Balto to Earth?" she asked.
Benson smiled. "Well, it was definitely a lot more to it than what I gave William as a reason," he said.
"I'm sure there was," she said.
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tbc