fandomhigh | Music Appreciation, Tuesday period 2

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Music Appreciation, Tuesday period 2

Hannibal nodded at the students once they were seated. "Today we will begin with a bit of opera. For those of you who may not be aware," he nodded at the students from other worlds, "opera is a musical form of drama. It tells a story in song, accompanied generally by an orchestra."

He wrote a title on the board. "Today we will listen to some of La Bohème, an opera by a composer named Giacomo Puccini. It was originally performed in 1896, and set in Paris in the 1840s." He smiled briefly at Cosette ~~assuming she's there~~. "It follows a story of several bohemians - artists and such - and the romance of two of them, Rodolfo and Mimi."

He explained the plot briefly and then played excerpts from a traditional production. When that was done, he said, "Also, there has been a more recent production, set in the 1950s. As one example of how to modernize opera, we have this."

//On the other end of the spectrum,// Jono said, leaning back against a desk and holding up a CD for the class to see, //we have a more modern retelling still, prevalent on the Broadway stage, by the name of ~~meta for~~ RENT. They took it, set it in New York, and then worked in current themes and issues, such as drug abuse and homosexuality, and had AIDS taking the place of the tuberculosis from the original.// He wasn't going to launch into an explanation of those things for the less modern students in the class, because they would never get through the syllabus otherwise. He was learning! //The result is a rock musical that draws parallels to La Bohème in everything from plot elements and character names to samples of the music itself. Here...//

Jono put the disc into the CD player, hit a few buttons, and stood back, letting La Vie Bohème begin to play. Not ~~work~~ school appropriate? Did Jono look terribly as though he cared?

Did Hannibal? These were clearly the coolest teachers in school, you guys.

//Anyway, now that you've listened to three examples of the same, or at least a very similar story told differently over the years, I want us to take some time to discuss it. Talk about what emotions the three pieces made you feel, or discuss the differences in the lyrics and themes between them. If you want to listen to more of one or the other, feel free to ask, and we'll play whatever we have time for through the class period. If you have questions about any of the themes in any of the above, again, ask, and we'll do our best to answer whatever we can.//

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"Of course!" Kaylin said, looking surprised. "That's why Marcus let me bring a mirror. That and so he could call and growl at me whenever he felt like it. And the Hawklord pretty much knows everything anyway, so..."

Hannibal held up a hand to forestall the babbling. "What does it take out of you, apart from sleep?" Honestly, teenagers thought they were immortal.

Immortal? Kaylin knew very well that she was mortal. She'd grown up in the fiefs after all and watched - well, she'd seen a lot of people younger and more deserving of good things than she die for no good reason. She just didn't really care. If she died saving someone else, well, maybe it would salve some of the huge guilt she lived with every day.

"Apart from sleep?" Kaylin opened her mouth to say 'nothing', then closed it again. He didn't seem a good person to lie to, even if she hadn't been told more often than she could count that she was a terrible liar.

"I... if it's bad enough... I might pass out. Or be weak as a newborn babe for a few days. It drains me, I guess."

Hannibal grimaced. "Ms Neya, I am more than passingly familiar with the attitude of working yourself to exhaustion for the sake of your patients. Until I came here, I had only ever taught medical students and other doctors," he remarked dryly.

"However, please keep in mind that you have finite resources. And as an adolescent, you need adequate sleep and food, not only to function, but to mature healthily."

"What's a medical student?" she asked. "Do you mean you teach people about herbs and things? It must be hard with no magic or anything, not that most healers back home can do much even with that. You're better off hoping you just don't get sick."

And her brow furrowed. Mature heathily? Was that some backhanded comment about how scrawny she was? She knew she was tiny even for her age and not much more than skin, bones, and muscle from Hawk training, but really!

"I eat," she said in weak protest. "When I remember anyway. And mostly I'm very happy to sleep."

Except that wasn't strictly true. If she wasn't completely exhausted the nightmares got her. If she was wiped out she'd at least get a few hours at a shot when she was too tired even to dream.

"Doctors and surgeons," Hannibal clarified. "People who use medicine and technology to heal. And who have a similar regrettable tendency to forget their own bodies."

He looked her over. "You will clearly learn nothing while you are exhausted. More than that, you compromise your own growth. But, as I said, I am familiar with the mindset; I doubt I could tell you to stop, even if it would be best for you?"

She looked up at him apologetically. "It's the one thing I can't stop, not even for the Hawklord. But I do try to be careful mostly."

"And I can learn even when I'm tired. I have to or they won't let me be a Hawk and nothing else matters except that."

Hannibal's eyebrows raised at that. "And a Hawk is?"

"It's one of the branches of the Halls of Law," Kaylin explained. "We, they, investigate crimes. The Swords keep the Peace and the Wolves track down the ones who try to run."

An entire branch of law for people who tried to run? That spoke well of your legal system.

Hannibal nodded. "And you want to do that, instead of healing?"

"Being a Hawk means everything to me," Kaylin said fervently. "But I can't stop doing the other things I do. Marcus understands. So does the Hawklord. I can do both. I'll find a way."

"If you intend to take on two highly demanding careers at the same time," Hannibal answered, "I suggest you learn to pace yourself. If you run yourself ragged, they both will suffer."

He crossed his arms and looked at her a moment longer.

"Also, learn to assess your own needs, and ask for help." He suspected she was good at neither. "Or can you tell me you truly learned anything here today?"

Assess her needs and ask for help? Surely you jest, Hannibal!

Kaylin bit her lip. "Probably not anything good. Will you get mad if I tell you what I really thought about the things?"

Videos, whatever.

"I try never to get upset at a student speaking honestly," Hannibal answered. "It's not expected that everybody will enjoy everything we hear. We only require that you give it a chance."

"They were way too clean for people who lived that way," Kaylin said honestly. "Way too clean and everything was too bright and all that silly love stuff and dying like that and everything, it just didn't make sense. And do you have any idea how much those clothes cost? They could have bought anything they needed with that! And the second one, I didn't understand half the things they said or did and I'm not really sure why everyone sang everything in either of them anyway."

Here, have Kaylin, raised in the fiefs and far closer in time period to La Bohème, but with even less ready cash than most of the people in Rent and absolutely no understanding of any sort of romantic love.

At least he could tell she'd been trying to pay attention?

Hannibal laughed. "They were very clean for that," he agreed. "Opera is highly stylized, as is modern musical theater. You aren't meant to think that the people involved would have such clothes or would actually be singing; it's simply part of the genre."

But yes, at least she had been trying.

He eyed Kaylin and pointedly moved the rest of the food closer. "How likely is it that you will be called away again?"

"Oh? Well... Okay then."

Kaylin shrugged. "They really only call if they absolutely need me. Might not be for a month, might be tonight. You can't predict how a birth will go."

She hesitated, then grabbed more food and nibbled again. "This is really good. Thank you."

"Thank you," Hannibal replied with a nod. "Take as much as you like; that's what it's here for, after all. And then, since you missed some of my portion of the class, we will discuss when you can meet me in my office to make it up."

Sorry, Kaylin; detention by any other name...

"Should you be called upon again, here is what I expect," he continued. "Either before you leave or immediately upon your return, you will see that I or Mr. Starsmore is informed. You may e-mail one of us, or tell the front office, or ask a reliable classmate to tell us.

"You will then, once you are done, get sufficient sleep, whether that should mean missing the class or not. Should you miss it, we will make it up later in a similar fashion. Agreed?"

Kaylin nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

"I freely admit that I hope this will give us enough time to convince you of the value of music and the arts," Hannibal added with a knowing smile.

"Also, I would recommend you speak to your other instructors and make similar arrangements; they are likely to appreciate the advance notice and be more willing to work with you. And please try to eat." Because you were seriously a bit scrawny, Kaylin.

Kaylin started to roll her eyes, then caught herself and gave him an apologetic look. "I'll try," she said.

"And I do try to eat. It's easier here because back home I was always running short on money, but here the cafeteria is free so there's always food. When I remember. Which I'll try to do better at."

"Thank you." Hannibal answered to both things. He did his best not to roll his eyes at the idea of eating cafeteria food, but he supposed it was at least calories and a modicum of nutrition.

"And please take the rest of this with you; it will save me carting it back to Baltimore. Now, when shall we meet to listen to La Bohème?"

And a lot better than the simple bread and cheese and/or gristly stew she'd be eating back home!

"If you're sure," Kaylin said. "And I don't have classes on Friday or Monday - or on the weekend either." And then her curiosity kicked in again. "Where's Baltimore? Is it another world, too? Is it far?

"It is..." Hannibal cocked his head. "I was going to say the same world, but I'm rather certain this island is in no world but its own. Baltimore is the city across the water from here; if you were to cross the causeway, you would find yourself there. It's where I live and hold practice when I'm not teaching."

He pulled up his schedule on his tablet. "Would some time Sunday work for you?" That way he could be out here for Derek's therapy as well ~~assuming it happened~~.

"Oh. Okay."

She nodded. "Anytime. Except maybe not too early in the morning?"

Music Appreciation, Tuesday period 2

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