Norse Mythology, Thursday, Second Period

[ifwebeworthy]

Don could have sworn he'd signed up to teach something in his medical wheelhouse, but he knew better than to take it up with the moose, so here they were.

"Good morning!" he greeted his students. "I'm Dr. Donald Blake, this is Norse Mythology, and if you're wondering what my qualifications are to teach this class, well..." He winked. "That's classified." Half of his students would get the joke. "Doing review for this class reminded me that a lot of the myths as they're written down here are not how they happened in my world, but then, the texts get a lot wrong there, too. So we're going to be going by the texts, because that's the official version, although I may provide commentary, and if things are different where you're from, please, let me know. It's always interesting to learn about different traditions.

"Now, since we're going by the texts that means this class will not be 'Ten Times Odin Was The Worst,' and don't even get me started on Loki." Also it would make Thor sad. That was his dead dad and brother, Don. Yes, they were kind of the worst, but still. "Also, I, for lack of a better word, follow Thor." He used his thumb to hitch the chain of his Mjolnir pendant out from under his sweater, so everyone could see it, and then added, "Not her," with a gesture toward Jane if she was present. "It's complicated." In that he followed Thor in much the same way thunder followed lightning, but sure, people could think he was talking about the 'two Thors' thing. "We all have our biases, and now you know mine. And now I would like to know yours. You know the drill, or should by now. Name, where you're from, a skim of what you already know about Norse mythology. Your religious affiliation, if you think it might be relevant to the class. Let's start with you," he said, picking a student at random.

Philosophies of Mana (Extended Edition), Thursday Per 3

[deathsmajesty]

The students had all been handwavily instructed that they would be meeting in the Danger Shop for every class, though when they entered it today, it was currently set up to mimic a classroom. On the board at the front of the room a five pointed star was inscribed, and at each point was a word: Peace, Freedom, Perfection, Acceptance, and Power. Beneath the star, several questions were written out:

• What do you desire? What is your end goal?

• What means do you use to achieve these ends?

• What do you care about? What do you represent?

• What do you despise? What negatively drives you?

• Why do you like your allies and hate your enemies?

• What is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

Liliana was leaning against the front of her desk, sipping a cup of tea and watching the class file in. As soon as the bell or whatever rang, she began to speak. ( Have introductions on your own time. We have lectures in this class. )

"Each of the words listed here is a summation of what its corresponding color of mana ultimately desires. Due to either a similarity to how the mana seeks to achieve those goals or a similarity in what it repudiates, each color has two allied, or complementary colors. Blue mana plays nicely with black and white, green mana plays nicely with red and white. And, as follows, each other has to enemy colors as well. White magic is enemies with black and red, and red mana is enemies with blue and, again, white. The colors that one type of mana is allied with will be enemies of each other, and the enemies of one kind of mana will be allies. So, while black mana is allied with blue and red, blue and red are enemy colors. Black's enemy colors are white and green, white and green are allies. However, just because certain mana colors are enemies, that doesn't mean you can't use both. Again, I was using black and white together as a girl; in university, I belonged to Witherbloom, which uses black and green mana, and Izzet, a guild on the plane of Ravnica, uses blue and red. All color combinations are possible."

It was a surprisingly elegant system, all things considered. "The questions on the board are questions we will seek to answer every week as we discuss each color in detail. Today, we'll be applying those questions to you, in order to get an idea of what color mana you might be personally drawn to. I'm also interested in hearing your opinions about what desired goal is linked to what color mana, and why you've decided that, and also any questions you have thus far. And, of course, the required introductions. So. Let's begin."

Library, Thursday 1/8

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Belle was certain she did not want to look into why there were books about pizza and books about cannibalism scattered all over the library. She didn't want to know. Not even a little bit. She didn't even want to know why there were gremlins arguing about those two topics. It was better to live in ignorance.

She was going to do some reading on Norse Mythology instead.

The library was open but the gremlins were real sus today.

Cupcakes of the World(s), Friday 1/9, Period 3

[stykera]

Once everyone had arrived in the Home Ec room, Stark looked around the room. “Welcome to another class on cupcakes. Or maybe your first class on cupcakes. I’ve done several. I’m Stark, but I think I’ve met all of you by now. At some point.”

“I don’t know if you’re all familiar with cupcakes.” Although they’d all met him before so the odds were good they’d acquired at least a passing familiarity. “But they’re these.” Behold, students, the dozen neatly frosted and sprinkled cupcakes before you!

“They’re for eating. Of course.” He wasn’t a monster. “So please take one if you’d like. Or two if you’re very hungry.” He waited for that to happen, if it did.

“So…cupcakes. One of my favorite things. We don’t have them where I’m from and we don’t have chocolate but I was introduced to them here, on this island, years ago, by a friend. He used to make them for me and then I learned to make them myself and then I just kept doing it. For today…I did a little research. About cupcakes.”

“I learned that cupcakes were first invented here. Not here on this island but here in the United States on the other side of the causeway. Over 200 years ago, it seems, in 1796, but the word ‘cupcake’ wasn’t used for another 30 years or so. And the cakes weren’t the same as the ones we have here and now. I have a copy of the recipe that may be for the first cupcakes for everyone if you want it.”

Cupcake trivia for everyone and a vague recipe!
"A light Cake to bake in small cups.
Half a pound sugar, half a pound butter, rubbed into two pounds flour, one glass wine, one do. [glass] Rosewater, two do.[glass] Emptins, a nutmeg, cinnamon and currants."

“I don’t know that it’s a good recipe. Not very easy to follow. It doesn’t say anything about the temperature of the oven or how long it might take. But it may be interesting to try it out sometime. We'll be trying a lot of different sorts of cupcakes, from many different places.”

“So…introductions today while we eat the cupcakes. Who are you? Do you have cupcakes where you’re from? Do you have a favorite type or flavor? And, if you want to share, why you decided to take this class.”

Cinema Studies, Thursday, Period One

[wrongkindofsith]

The classroom was cozy, but most importantly, it smelled like fresh popcorn. Mostly because there was a lot of it waiting for the class.

"So, movies!" Jane said. "Much easier topic than driving on this island."

That was a low bar

Below the floor even.

"So you'll have no excuse for not passing." Not that Cara had ever actually failed anyone, that would require classes actually making sense.

Jane ate some of the popcorn with a thoughtful look. "She's not wrong."

"It's a simple enough deal," Cara said. "We play some movies, you get some culture, everyone wins."

Especially Cara once everyone figured out what kind of movies they'd be showing.

"Amd today we start easy," Jane said. "With introductions. Oh! And your favorite movies."

"Maybe we'll show them."

Spoiler: they wouldn't.