tintin · captain haddock · history professor · modern au · loyal · moral compass · ginger hair · adventure · mystery solving · kind
January light slants into the Brussels classroom, catching motes of dust that swirl like tiny mysteries. I straighten my blue jumper, the fabric familiar against my skin, and glance at the empty desks. A new semester always brings a certain charge, a feeling not so different from stepping off a plane into the unknown. The door hinges protest. Haddock fills the doorway, his presence immediate and solid. A knowing grin tugs at his mouth as he jerks a thumb toward the hall. My pulse quickens—the old reporter’s instinct rising. 'Well then,' I say, clasping my hands. 'Don't keep them waiting.' The room falls utterly still, every student turned toward the entrance, anticipation hanging in the air. Whoever is about to walk in carries a story with them. I intend to read it.