Folklore and Fact: Mystical Artifacts, Week 5 [Thurs/2nd Period]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Sakura looked unusually dour -- which for her translated to lips set in a tight line and slightly narrowed eyes -- as she waited for the class to arrive today. The lockbox and scanning platform were set up on the center tale again, and on the three display screens up front were images of a pumpkin stagecoach, a clock with its hands set at midnight, and perhaps most jarringly a hospital ward full of young women who appeared to be in comas.

She gave a stack of papers to the nearest student to pass around before saying, "Most of you may be familiar with the tale of Cinderella. The most common version of the story is Charles Perrault's, where the fairy godmother makes her appearance. The Brothers Grimm had a version called Aschenputtel, but many other variants on the story exist, including Basile's Cenerentola, a Finnish tale called The Wonderful Birch, the ninth-century Chinese story of Ye Xian, and the Japanese story of Chujo-hime."

"The details vary: the Cinderella figure receives aid from different sources, and in some versions the slipper is made of gold, or not a slipper at all. Regardless, the heroine begins the tale as someone socially undesirable, often one who doesn't match up to her culture's standard of beauty or marriageability, and who must receive outside help in order to achieve happiness by winning the hand of a handsome prince." Sakura paused. "It's a very archaic and limited standard of happiness, but one by which women today still set store."

She pressed a button on her computer console, bringing the image of the hospital ward back up onto the display screens. "Several months ago, my teammates and I were investigating the case of these young women. All of them were found unconscious in various public places, each wearing only one shoe. Witnesses who observed several of the women say that they were seen dancing with an imaginary partner, laughing, completely unaware of their surroundings -- and that they simply collapsed, unconscious, at the stroke of midnight."

Sakura opened the lockbox to reveal a single glass high-heeled shoe. Pointing her Accellular at it, she scanned the shoe and held the Accellular up to show the class the Hazard Level reading: 230.

"Analysis revealed that this is not actually a shoe, but the physical manifestation of an otherdimensional being. In his own dimension he assumes the form of a masked prince. Women who put on the shoe had their souls pulled into his illusion world, and if not awakened before midnight would be trapped there." Sakura's hands clenched into fists at her sides for a moment or two before she continued. "As for why it was so easy for them to remain trapped in his world . . . I've programmed a simulation so you can see for yourselves, if you'll accompany me to the Danger Shop, please."

Locking the slipper carefully away in the chest again, Sakura waited for the class to file out before taking them over to the Danger Shop.

[OOC: See the OOC note for further information. Class Info Post/Roster. Also, I am going to bed shortly but I'll pick up tags in the morning. Usual SP throughout the day, but we'll see how it goes. *crosses fingers for light work day* OCD is up -- have at.]

Comments

Sign In [FaF, Week 5]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Collapse like . . . a collapsible . . . thing.

Re: Sign In [FaF, Week 5]

[multiplez]

Z Delgado

During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

For all your academic and social (not necessarily in that order, no matter what Sakura thinks) second period needs.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi arrives during the lecture.

She doesn't look tired exactly, but she's wearing the same clothes as she had on yesterday.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[dark_slippy_thing]

Valentine is perhaps slightly indecently dressed today. Or he would be, except that his total lack of pants is cleverly covered with a handy-dandy, rather thrown together approximation of bedsheet toga.
He's had a long night.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[water-wonder.livejournal.com]

Tori was intrigued by today's lesson. It was very different from the Cinderella tale she knew.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[blessed_twice]

His grandfather had told Wyatt that Cinderella was Aunt Phoebe's favorite fairy tale. Wyatt began to ponder, wondering if they could turn Phoebe into a pumpkin to get her out of the Underworld.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[stykera]

Stark's at least heard of Cinderella before, so this week's lecture makes some sense. Except for the part where some creature is trapping people in comas and pulling out their souls, that part doesn't make sense. And the shoes of apparently pure evil weren't exactly something that made much sense either.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean jotted down notes as he listened. It was just like a hunt and he was going to treat it as such.

This was going to be fun.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[likethegun]

Sam became more and more intrigued as the lesson went on. He couldn't remember ever hearing this version of Cinderella before.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn was taking her usual ream of notes, but stopped to occasionally consider how her feet would look in glass slippers, and how Buffy's retellings of the fairy tale had involved very long descriptions of shoes and not so much about the prince.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[fh-kyochan.livejournal.com]

Kyo arched an eyebrow, but otherwise accepted the information.

Re: During the Lecture [FaF, Week 5]

[wannabehunter]

Jo started carefully writing down notes.

In the Danger Shop

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Once the class had arrived in the Danger Shop, Sakura started the simulation turning the classroom into an elaborate, if somewhat dark, ballroom (http://www.dyqatt.com//albums/Task%2026/boukenger-26024.jpg) full of young women in fancy gowns, all dancing with imaginary partners. The more observant students might notice that the young women were the same ones from the pictures of the hospital ward.

[OOC: Please use subthreads!]

The Dancers

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Each of the dancing women wore a tiara and the same glassy-eyed, dreamy expression; all of them could occasionally be heard to murmur "I'm Cinderella!"

Kurolinda

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Hovering about the edges of the room was a slightly older woman (http://www.dyqatt.com//albums/Task%2026/boukenger-26018.jpg) in a plain, dirty gown, a haggard expression barely discernible through the hair that fell over her pale face. She seemed to be fixated on the masked man in the center of the room, but she might be approachable.

The Prince

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Resplendent in a dress suit of gold cloth with a mask to match, the Prince (http://www.dyqatt.com//albums/Task%2026/boukenger-26038.jpg) strode about the ballroom with a possessive air, surveying the dancing women with no small amount of smug satisfaction. He seemed like the type to brag . . .

Talk to Sakura [FaF, Week 5]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

When the simulation had been shut down, Sakura stood with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, as if willing herself to calm down.

Re: Talk to Sakura [FaF, Week 5]

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

"You okay?" Billy asked. She seemed more uptight than usual.

Talk to the TAs [FaF, Week 5]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

After they ping in, of course.

Re: Talk to the TAs [FaF, Week 5]

[blessed_twice]

Wyatt was here, though a little distracted.

Re: Talk to the TAs [FaF, Week 5]

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn was here.

OOC [FaF, Week 5]

[blossomsofice.livejournal.com]

Oh god, finally some context for this icon. Er.

The dancing girls won't give you much information, but WTF at them all you want. Kurolinda and the Prince are interrogatable.

If any girls in the class are willing to let the Prince try and seduce them in a very PG way, ping here and let me know.

. . . God, I love this episode.

Re: OOC [FaF, Week 5]

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Raises hand.

Re: OOC [FaF, Week 5]

[water-wonder.livejournal.com]

*saw this episode, yay!*

*also raises hand*