Day one of classes at the university was always... fun. At least, for some definition of fun. Alexander was well known across campus as "the nice guy", and he wore that label with pride. It was especially fun for him to see a roomful of bright-eyed, eager, and slightly nervous Freshmen relax when the fabled TA "A. Brandy" turned out to be the bespectacled, tall fellow that had helped them find a class, or who had helped pick up their books. He was nearly renowned for his quiet, thoughtful demeanor and his charitable nature.

Of course, once you entered a classroom setting with Alexander as your TA, he became much less kind.

"You are in University now," he began his professor's lecture, knowing full well that the professor wouldn't appear for the first class. "This means you are responsible for yourself. Neither myself nor Professor Cross will ask you why your paper was late. We will not ask you why you did not attend class. We will not baby you. You are all adults, and we expect you to act like them." He looked over his glasses at assembled students, sternly. "If you wish to use this class as a chance to sleep, or talk on your cell phone, or browse the internet, I strongly recommend leaving now and finding a class that you will at least attempt to pass." His soft, gentle voice was crisp and clear as he went on, going over the syllabus and generally preparing the students. "If you need help, be an adult and ASK for it. There is no shame in asking myself or Professor Cross for help -- there is a reason we have office hours." And so forth.

He was torn between amusement and pity as the young students left at the end of class, some trembling. He always came down on them hard on the first day, but he found it helped.

He stood at the desk, packing up his notes and adjusting his gloves. It was common knowledge that he was a touch OCD, but the student body found it prudent not to tease him over such a thing. Sure, he was "the nice guy" that everyone knew and liked, but he had a bad side. Nobody liked his bad side.