fandomhigh | Supernatural Studies, Wednesday, Period 1

"Welcome back," Jack said, clearly more relaxed now that he was on his second week on the job. He deistributed a stack of handouts as the students took their seats. "For our first class, I thought we'd talk about the first supernatural creature many children who grow up in Western cultures on Earth hear about -- angels. In several religions, angels are seen as benevolent creatures who carry out the will of God on Earth. Traditionally they act as messengers, guides and protectors to humanity."

He moved over to bring up a PowerPoint slide. "The modern image of an angel is something like this," he said, bringing up a slide of an extremly cute being in a white robe with wings and a harp. "But that wasn't what the first people to believe in them saw at all. Descriptions of angels in ancient spiritual texts include seraphim, who were on fire and had six wings. Traditional depictions were more like this."

He regarded the image for a moment."It's said they glow so brightly humans cannot look on them. Satan, the lord of Hell, is described as a fallen angel. Another named angel, Samael, brings death; Michael performs acts of justice and power. in the original stories, they are not meant to be especially nice." That point, he thought, deserved some emphasis. "But in addition to seeing angels as warriors for God, early on people began to believe in 'guardian angels.' This is the concept that an angel watches over each of us at each minute. Some early religious leaders believed this, some did not, and it ended up firm in the popular imagination. Even now, people who are not terribly religious may refer to their 'guardian angel' when they feel spared in some way. Other people may say we're all angels for each other -- that sometimes God moves a human to do something angelic."

Jack wasn't sure he believed any of that, but he would admit it was a nice idea.

"That brings us to our discussion," he said. "What do you think about the concept of heavenly beings who intervene in human lives? Is it something you feel you've seen, or a fairy tale we tell children?" He was prepared to intervene if the discussion got too heated, but asking the question seemed safe enough. "Also, the office seems to think I have a second TA. Charley Brewster, come see me after class."

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"It's a drawing for children." Because clearly that meant it couldn't be up to something. Clearly! "It has dots for eyes. I don't think it's planning world domination."

"I didn't say it was planning world domination." What kind of spirit cared about that, anyway. "But something doesn't go from looking like that to looking like this without an agenda."

Clearly, Korra was going to be awesome once she started the less bend-y side of Avataring.

"Uh huh," Jackson said. Clearly not believing or even entirely following that line of thought. "How so?"

"Because spirits are powerful." Duh. "And something that powerful doesn't want to seem harmless for no reason. So clearly it's hiding something."

Said the girl who hadn't exactly told that many people on the island she was the Avatar and even less what that meant she was capable of doing given the right conditions.

"But we're supposed to know it's powerful anyway," Jackson pointed out. "Besides, it's a drawing. For kids."

Hadn't he said that already?

"Drawn by someone not an angel. Is that escaping you entirely?"

"That doesn't make it any better! Do they want their kids to go up to spirits?"

If so they were failing their parental duties.

"It's an angel."

Yes, he was very much of the school of thought where repeating things at her should make her realize she was being dumb. In his opinion.

"There probably won't be anything to go up to."

Meanwhile Korra thought he was kind of dim for not realising spirits could be dangerous.

"You say that then, boom, forest spirit's got you."

"Mm. I highly doubt that."

Said the kanima.

He was selective about what he chose to believe.

"Well don't come crying to me when you get spirit-napped." Because she...would probably help.

Wait, did getting soulbonded with a creeper count? Because if so, it was already too late for that, Korra.

"Yeah, I'll try not to."

Give it a month or so.

Well she could always Avatar up the place, or bend up a nice cave for lizard-him, or at the very least have Naga sit on him. "You say that, but you're getting taken in by angels."

Jackson was never going to live it down if any of his murderous lizard phases was ruined by a polar bear dog sitting on him.

He was a very complex guy.

"Angels aren't real," Jackson pointed out. Foolishly. "No one's going to descend from the heavens and take me anywhere. So I think I'm good."

Whoever he was trying lizard murder would probably appreciate it though.

As it was, Korra was eyeing him oddly again. "Spirits are real."

"Uh huh."

Okay, that was sarcastic. But at least he kept further disparaging remarks to himself?

Supernatural Studies, Wednesday, Period 1

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