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fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
steel-not-glass.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2012-01-18 06:50 am
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Is A Cigar Just A Cigar, Wednesday, Period 3
Class met in the Danger Shop today, though when they stepped through the door, they'd find themselves outside the gates of the school. The gates themselves were closed, and the only sign of Cindy was in fact a literal sign; fastened to the gates was a sheet of paper that said Meet me at The Perk.
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
[Please wait for the OCD is up!]
Apparently, they needed to travel a bit to enjoy the privilege of a lecture. But at least there would coffee at the end!
After their adventures getting into town, they would find Cindy sitting inside, sipping a peppermint mocha. "Glad to see you all arrived," she said. "Get yourself something warm to drink and let's talk about that quest you just went on." She smiled at them. "Oh, didn't you know? All trips are quests. All birds are ducks."
"Almost anytime you see someone traveling in a novel, that trip is more than just a trip from Point A to Point B," Cindy said, once her students had gotten themselves situated. "What you are reading is a quest, even if it doesn't appear that way on the surface. This is obviously true in novels that are specifically about a trip, like The Odyssey, for example, but anytime an author bothers telling you about the journey a character is taking, it's because it's important. Remember, an author is consciously choosing what to include in the novel. If something is unimportant, they'll skip it. So if the author is going to spend several thousand words--and however much time it took him or her to write those several thousand words--describing a bus trip to Duluth or whatever, it's because there is a reason. That reason? Usually because it is a quest."
Cindy pulled out a marker from her purse and began writing on the table--upside down, of course. She wasn't writing it for her benefit:
A) The hero
B) A place to go
C) A stated reason to go there
D) Challenges and trials en route
E) The real reason
"So, A is obvious. That's the character we're reading about. B and C are also pretty obvious: wherever the character is going and why they have chosen or been told to go there. The reasons don't have to be all that noble and heroic--running away is just as valid as a rescue, as is a plan to go do something not very nice, like buy or sell drugs or commit violence. They don't have to be all that great as a reason because the stated reason they're traveling is never the actual reason. Odds are, the hero is never actually going to accomplish the stated reason for the task, and, if he or she does, they usually come to regret it and try to undo it if they can. Why? Because the real reason for a quest is self-knowledge. So whether your hero is questing around in search of the Holy Grail or just on his way to work in the morning, what they find is a deeper understanding of the self, what they're capable of, and what they want to do with their life."
"Keep in mind that when I say 'all trips are quests,' it's about as accurate as saying 'all birds are ducks.' Sometimes, I may slip up and use words like 'always' and 'never.' Trips are always quests. Spring is always about fertility and growing things. 'Always' and 'never' are wrong: while things are commonly or usually true, there is nothing I tell you in this class that is set in stone. People are always experimenting, forging ahead to try something new, or using irony to subvert the common meanings of things. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, sometimes a trip really is just a trip. This isn't like math or science, where there really are concrete answers to things. In nine books out of ten, a trip really will be a quest, but it's that tenth book that can trip you up. So don't be afraid to call me on it, if I use 'always' or 'never' and don't be afraid to point out things you've read that don't agree with what I'm saying, okay?"
She finished her mocha and set the empty cup back on the table, careful not to obscure her lecture notes. "So, let's break down your quest to get here." She pulled out a book of fairy tales and held it up for them. "Thinking traditionally, a quest involves a knight, a goal or 'Holy Grail', a dangerous road, a dragon or two, an evil knight, and a prince or princess. What parts of your walk corresponded to which parts of the quest? Was this a true quest at all?"
[
Sign In (Week 3)
Re: Sign In (Week 3)
Re: Sign In (Week 3)
Re: Sign In (Week 3)
Re: Sign In (Week 3)
Getting to the Perk
...Right?
Arrive and Mingle
Cindy will be less than pleased if you choose that last option, but she's not here, is she?
The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Just as you start to pass, you notice two things. There's a hole in the fence big enough for him to pass through--and the rope leash that was holding him has been gnawed through.
[Feel free to get past the dog by force, guile, or smarts! You can mod the encounter or ping me and I'll NPC. If Warren or Rinoa have decided to fly into town, they meet the same creature--BUT IT CAN FLY, NYAH.]
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Why had she wanted to crash Cindy's class today, again?
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Warren was pretty fond of dogs that stayed on the ground, thank you, but this wasn't the first time he'd out-manoeuvred an aerial opponent. While he swooped toward the nearest building at a breakneck dive and then pulled up again at the last possible second, the flying dog did as most dogs tended to do when they needed to stop on a dime.
It scrabbled for purchase on the whole lot of nothing that was under its feet, and wound up hitting the side of the building with a solid whud.
Score one for Warren.
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
The dog's growling brought her up sharply, and she noticed the chewed-through leash and hole in the fence with something resembling panic. She forced herself to fight it down. This wasn't a monster; just a dog. She didn't want to lash out with magic and hurt it. Imagine if someone did that to Angelo.
Thinking of Angelo made her remember she carried dog treats in her pockets, if she could get to them before he got to her.
The dog was on a leash; clearly, the dog had an owner, and that meant maybe, maybe the dog had been trained?
She straightened her shoulders and tried to project fearlessness. "Sit," she said sharply.
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
Re: The Walk into Town (Part 1)
The Walk Into Town (Part 2)
It gets dark fast; almost like night has set in prematurely. The wind picks up and starts howling. It's a bitterly cold wind, too. The kind that cuts right through your clothes and skin and gets into your bones.
On top of it all, the clouds open and it starts to pour. Freezing rain and sleet, soaking through everything.
Hope you're bundled!
[This weather will last until the last student makes it into the Perk. There's no waiting it out, though your student is free to try to for a little while.]
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 2)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 2)
Soggy feathers all sticking to one another and matted down like that weren't flattering at all, and he was not, in fact, a duck.
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 2)
She couldn't think of a useful spell, either. Fire would put itself out, and what exactly could she burn? Everything was wet and sticky and freezing. If only she could ... hrm.
Being the Sorceress meant she was magic. Could she channel enough of a low background hum that she could ... somehow ... warm herself up? It was worth a try.
The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
The water is getting choppy and it looks like the raft could capsize at any moment. Worse yet, looking closely, you can see their hands are bound together. If the raft sinks, they'll drown!
[Mod whoever you'd like as your rescuee; they'll appear by the magic of the Danger Shop. *spooky fingers* Again, you can either mod the entire encounter, including a showdown with the wooden soldiers of the icon who will appear just as soon as you bring the rescuee to shore or ping me for an NPC. Also, if you'd like, feel free to invite someone from outside of class if you want to actually play out the rescue.]
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 3)
The Walk Into Town (Part 4)
Except your rescuee doesn't want to go there! They want to go somewhere else and have you join them. Do you continue on to your lecture, or head off with your friend?
[If the rescuee successfully convinces you to go elsewhere, they'll turn into another wooden soldier and try to fight you. (As always, no one has to fight, out-witting or out-running or some other way out is totally acceptable!) Again, modding, threading with another player, or poking for an NPC is fine.]
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 4)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 4)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 4)
Re: The Walk Into Town (Part 4)
The Perk! (Listen to the Lecture)
As soon as you enter the Perk, you're warm and dry and look exactly as you did when you stepped into the Danger Shop. Order something warm, get settled, talk about your adventures, listen to the lecture, hate Cindy, take notes, whatever.
Re: The Perk! (Listen to the Lecture)
Rinoa curled up with a peppermint mochaccino and gave her professor a bit of the evil eye. She was not taking notes. She was too busy grumbling.
Discuss
Re: Discuss
Sorry, Cindy. Rinoa had her Crankypants on. Soon enough, her Nerd Engines would engage and she'd be more interested in dealing with the fascinating symbolism than bitching about her walk o'doom, but the super-mature sulky fit seemed to need to go first.
Re: Discuss
Re: Discuss
Damnit, Kenzi still wanted her boot back. "If this was a fairy tale, there would be a moral here about not doing that. I'm going to ignore it."
Re: Discuss
Re: Discuss
Talk to Cindy
...She did!
Talk to the TA
OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC
Re: OOC