chosehumanity: (mitchell: what was that?)
chosehumanity ([personal profile] chosehumanity) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2010-02-08 09:54 am
Entry tags:

Horror 101, Monday

"Persecution is not new," Mitchell began. Why, yes, the Raven-Max thing had been resolved, he'd picked that up, but he was still in a mood. "...and as to how this applies to the previous lessons, see this as your first witch class." See? That worked. "Persecution," he began again, "Is hardly new. Fears, horror, it causes people to behave in strange ways. Something odd happens, someone gets killed, someone gets hurt, and suddenly everyone's jumping at shadows. The people who wind up suffering, are those of us who are strange. Off, somehow. Away from the norm."

Mitchell had no issues. None at all.

"The witch trials are the easiest example of this," he said, nearly poking a hole in the blackboard as he made notes. "It's funny, because in the 8th century, belief in witches was actually outlawed, you see? But it never kept anyone. Something would happen, like the plague, and someone else would see some political gain or something, and whip everyone up into a frenzy. They'd run around and devise all kinds of bizarre tests, like throwing women into the water, just to see if they were witches. And then of course they'd be burned at the stake."

He took a moment to eye that particular note on his blackboard. "...Anyway," he started, "how this links back to horror in fiction is that people are always terrified of chaos," he marked that word big time, "While at the same time they all fall into it. I mean, what is persecution but organized chaos? You pinpoint someone to blame and then rip them out of the house. And then another one. And then another one. It's this cycle that keeps feeding itself. Hence the Monster from meta for Frankenstein being forced to flee from monsters himself. It's a common theme, that way."

He dropped the chalk and turned around. Listed off a couple more movies that ended in or featured running someone out of the house with torches and pitchforks. "...You can even pull it into perspective with today. You know, stars and the papparazzi and that sort of thing. People spiralling into chaos after every incident." He dusted off his half-gloved hands by wiping them off each other. "So we'll be talking about persecution. Who knows what it feels like to be persecuted? Have you ever been drawn into a mob, or felt the need to? How did it feel?"

At least he was getting less overcompensate-y about it all?

"And we'll watch some film, of course." Meta for Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition sketch. Oh yeah. He was on a roll today.

[[ ocd up, have at! ]]
vanillajello: (Not really.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"Am not."

To be fair, though, Kate was pretty much always making some sort of a face. If her face was entirely blank, it was time to worry.

"... You made one first." No he didn't.
vanillajello: (Talking to Ben.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 06:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"You just keep telling yourself that."
vanillajello: (Whatever.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"There's something going on with you."

Kate wasn't always one for logic in conversations.
vanillajello: (Looking up the stairs.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate would have argued that she hadn't actually asked anything, just made a statement.

She eyerolled that away. "Anyway. I'm going away next weekend."

She figured some people should know she wasn't just randomly taking off.
vanillajello: (Smiling and about to talk.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not sure I can find a motel with a dance studio attached."
vanillajello: (What the hell are you saying?)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Snort. Eyeroll. "I'm too poor to have a vacation that doesn't sound illicit."
vanillajello: (Calm and looking at you.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm really more concerned about heart-shaped decorations," Kate said. "Try finding a place without any of those during Valentine's Day weekend."
vanillajello: (Tired of crap.)

Re: Talk to Mitchell

[personal profile] vanillajello 2010-02-08 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I totally would, but like I said, I'm poor," Kate sighed. "I could barely make it out of the state."