fandomhigh | World Mythology -- Third Period -- Monday

When the students arrived that day, they'd find the table along the back wall held plenty of juice boxes, granola, and yogurt, and Ghanima was standing off to the side of the classroom, occasionally saying something quietly into her mobile and looking high amused as a serious-seeming little girl sat on her desk.

Well, she only looked serious until you recognized that glint in her eyes, and anyone from the Atreides or Trebond families would probably run screaming.

"Good morning," she began, once everyone was settled. "I am Elianne Sihaya, and Mother says I'm going to teach today, most likely because she thinks she's funny."

"Therefore, we are going to touch on the Romans, and look at the tale of Romulus and Remus."

"Plutarch presents Romulus and Remus' ancient descent from prince Aeneas, fugitive from Troy after its destruction by the Greeks. Their maternal grandfather is his descendant Numitor, who inherits the kingship of Alba Longa. Numitor's brother Amulius inherits its treasury, including the gold brought by Aeneas from Troy. Amulius uses his control of the treasury to dethrone Numitor, but fears that Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia will bear children who could overthrow him, so Amulius forces Rhea Silvia to perpetual virginity as a Vestal priestess."

"She ends up having children anyway, although different versions present different fathers, the most common being the god Mars, and the other Hercules. The king sees his niece's pregnancy and confines her. She gives birth to twin boys of remarkable beauty; her uncle orders her death and theirs. One account holds that he has Rhea buried alive – the standard punishment for Vestal Virgins who violated their vow of celibacy – and orders the death of the twins by exposure; both means would avoid his direct blood-guilt. In another, he has Rhea and her twins thrown into the River Tiber. In either event, in every version, a servant is charged with the deed of killing the twins, but cannot bring himself to harm them. He places them in a basket and leaves it on the banks of the Tiber. The river rises in flood and carries the twins downstream, unharmed."

"The river deity Tiberinus made the basket catch in the roots of a fig tree that grows in the Velabrum swamp at the base of the Palatine Hill. The twins were found and suckled by a she-wolf until a shepherd of Amulius named Faustulus discoverd them and takes them to his hut, where he and his wife Acca Larentia raised them as their own."

"In all versions of the founding myth, the twins grew up as shepherds. They came into conflict with the shepherds of Amulius, leading to battles in which Remus was captured and taken to Amulius. Their identity was discovered andRomulus raised a band of shepherds to liberate his brother; Amulius was killed and Romulus and Remus were conjointly offered the crown. They refused it while their grandfather lived, and refused to live in the city as his subjects. They restored Numitor as king, paid due honours to their mother Rhea and left to found their own city, accompanied by a motley band of fugitives, runaway slaves, and any who want a second chance in a new city with new rulers. Of course, it did not go well."

"The brothers argued over the best site for the new city. Romulus favoured the Palatine Hill; Remus wanted the Aventine Hill. They agreed to select the site by divine augury, took up position on their respective hills and prepared a sacred space; signs were sent to each in the form of vultures, or eagles. Remus saw six; Romulus saw twelve, and claimed superior augury as the basis of his right to decide. Remus, angry at this claim, leaped across the wall Romulus was building as an insult to the city's defenses and their creator. Enraged, Romulus slew his brother, before burrying him with all honors and founding a city that would go on to spawn an entire civilization -- Rome."

"So, what do you think? For those not normally in this class, after spending the weekend with your parents, would it be better or worse to be raised by a wolf? What makes a 'parent?' What is 'family?' Genetics, affection, support? For the regular denizens of Fandom, what makes us 'your' children? A quirk of the timeline, or something more eternal?" Essie smiled at the class angelically. "Discuss."

[OCD is up, credit for the class topic goes to the ever-creative mind of

tyler_back !]

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*Make sure to note it in the baby scrapbook, too,* Karla said, trying not to grin. *Baby's First Fandom Adventure.*

You're not that funny, Ben informed her.

*Awww...is Daddy in a growly-bear mood?* Karla sent, smirking. *Consider this my way of helping to keep little Jaenelle a Fandom-figment.*

I was pretty sure of that, Ben replied. Um, no offense.

*Gee, Ben, you're too kind,* Karla said, rolling her eyes.

Yep, definitely where Jaenelle got it from.

I saw your face when she showed up, too, Ben reminded her. This wasn't exactly something you wanted.

Oh sure, Ben. Bring logic into this.

*I was surprised! Four seconds after learning I'm some child's mother, I find out you're her father, too? It was kind of a shocking thing to learn, okay? I didn't think it was a horrible idea.* Expression at the time notwithstanding. *Just a really, really weird one.*

Really, really, really weird.

*If it makes you feel any better, I'm less surprised to find that I have a child with you, than it is you have a child with me,* she added, going back to staring steadily at her desk.

Hopefully he wouldn't be able to parse that for a bit.

Edited 2010-04-12 21:21 (UTC)

Yeah, it took him a few seconds of intense thought.

Finally: Huh?

Guess all that time with Bean and Petra hadn't really helped.

Males were so dense sometimes.

*Never mind,* Karla said. *Not our futures, not ourselves, not important.* Her eyes strayed towards Jaenelle, who was furiously coloring with a pencil and some scrap paper. *They're good parents, though, right? To her, I mean? Even if it isn't me, I'd want to think I'm a good mother.*

She seems happy, well-fed, and with all of her limbs intact, Ben replied. Maybe we should check how many times she's been kidnapped...

Skywalker thing.

*There's more to being a good parent then that,* Karla protested. ...Isn't there?

I'm probably not the one to ask, Ben admitted.

*This whole situation is weird,* Karla sent, looking a bit disgruntled. *It's making me question everything I ever kind of assumed about who I am and what my future would be like.*

She looked down at Jaenelle again. *She does seem happy, though. And loving. So maybe it is enough.*

Didn't see kids? Ben replied, cocking up an eyebrow.

Karla shook her head. *Neither kids nor Consort,* she admitted. *Between who I am and what I'll be doing, I just didn't think it likely.*

Don't you need to continue the di Glacia line or something? he asked.

*Not really,* Karla sent with a shrug. *Remember, rulership rarely goes down familial lines. The mother of the next Queen of Glacia could be a washerwoman. I just...never saw myself loving anyone enough to have children by them. Or anyone loving me that much.*

I think you're not giving yourself nearly enough credit, Ben replied. Having never learned to flirt, he had also not learned enough not to tell the truth as he saw it either.

*I saw what my parents had before they died,* Karla said, looking steadily at her desk, Jaenelle murmuring quietly beside her. *I don't want to settle for anything less than that. And that kind of love is rare, even for people who aren't difficult.*

She'd spent several years listening to the things her uncle and his Ruling Council had to say about females in general and her in specific. Internalizing at least a little of that had been practically guaranteed, even if she didn't consciously realize it.

Ben gave her a look. You're challenging. There's a difference.

*And that difference is...?* she, well, challenged.

'Difficult' is mean, Ben replied. But every woman I care to spend time with is challenging.

Karla snickered at that one, then hastily tried to make it look like the noise had come from Jaenelle. Or at least was in response to the little girl.

*I suppose I can handle being 'challenging,'* she allowed a moment later, her psychic scent still threaded with amusement. *Since it places me in such vaunted company.*

Wait until you meet grown-up Aunt Leia, Ben said with a grin. Then you'll realize what high praise it is.

*Well, when do I get to?* Karla teased. *It's important for young females to have proper role-models, you know.*

Re: Listen to the Lecture

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