Aesthetics of Badassery - Period 1 | Monday

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby was in front of the class again, but luckily for everyone there were no chess sets in sight.

"Hi guys," he said with a little wave. "Mr. Bond couldn't be here today so we're going to watch a movie he left. It's one of the new James Bund movies, and it's supposed to be really good. I guess we're supposed to pay attention because there might be something in the movie that's on our final." Bobby was a little worried about that final. How could there be a final in being a badass? And was he going to totally fail it? "So, uh, I hope everyone had a good weekend, and I'm just going to hit play now."

And so he did.

Cultural Understanding, Monday

[badnewsandwit.livejournal.com]

"These past few weeks," Alistair began, looking a fair deal more dignified than he had last week, "We have spoken about all kinds of practices found among the living. But some say that what defines us as people is the way we pay respects to our dead."

Maybe not 'dignified'. Somber. Try somber.

"The Wardens are warriors," he continued, "And so we often fall in battle. There isn't always... time... to dig graves, and not all of those among us keep faith in the Chant. Often, perhaps... too often, we can honor our fallen only by speaking of them afterwards."

"Whereas in the Wilds, your option is to bury the body under a cairn of stone, in hopes that the animals will not ravage it, or build a pyre," Morrigan stated bluntly. "To speak of the dead serves no purpose to them, and 'tis only useful to those that cannot move on."

"Sometimes, speaking of them is what someone needs to 'move on'," Alistair said. Morrigan, sigh. "The Chantry, of course, has rites for the dead, and I assume so do the elves. The dwarves worship them - they say that when someone dies, their essence becomes part of the Stone around them. So I assume they have their religious rites as well."

Morrigan just raised an eyebrow. "Assuming things about The People is often dangerous," she chided. "Although you are correct in that they have rites for the dead. Those that have accepted the collar of the Alienage follow the ways of your Chantry, while the Dalish walk pathways that were old when your Maker was still in swaddling clothes."

Alistair shot her a foul look. "Can we do this without the sneering, Morrigan?" he asked. "It's a loaded topic." Not one he'd really had to deal with personally at any point, but still.

"I am making a historical point," Morrigan retorted. "Some methods are older than others, which shows that our concepts of respect for the dead evolve and change from time period to time period, not just between cultures." If she'd wished to 'sneer', she would have pointed out that bodies were just rotting sacks of meat. Honestly.

Oh, please. She was being all Morrigan about the topic - of course she was sneering. Alistair turned to the class - mostly to avoid starting another argument, no matter how badly he wanted to - and said, "How does your culture honor the dead?" he asked. "Does the practice stem out of practicality, religion, both, or something else?"

How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse

[shotbillmurray.livejournal.com]

When the class filed into the Dangershop today they'll find it looks like they are standing outside a gas station.

Columbus gave the class a sheepish grin. "I'm going to apologize for class today. It's different from the rest of the rules. ( Today's topic is a bit more... personal. )

[OCD is Up! Please mod your own zombie encounter this week.

Warning: This post contains zombies, possible violence and bathroom humor.]