http://drjcovington.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] drjcovington.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2006-09-06 09:10 pm
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Myth Into History, History Into Myth, Week 1: Reintroductions [Danger Shop, Thursday 1st Period]

When students arrived in the Danger Shop, they would find it set up to look like the interior of an old canvas tent -- not a pup tent, but the kind you would find at the base camp of an archaeological dig site from the late 1930s or early 1940s. Piles of crates lined the walls at varying degrees of dubious balance, and inexplicably a large Gatling gun (sans ammunition) stood on a tripod opposite the door. Next to the Gatling, behind a desk cluttered with artifacts and notes, sat Janice with her booted feet up on the desk, her fedora down over her eyes, and an unlit cigar clenched in her teeth.

"There you are," she said finally, once everyone was seated in the half circle of camp chairs at the center of the tent. "First things first. My name is Doctor Janice Covington, and the first person to call me Doc gets detention faster than I can crack a whip -- which, let me tell you, is pretty damned fast. I'm an archaeologist, in case you can't tell, and I'm here to teach you something about the myths and history of the ancient world. We'll be focusing mainly on Greece and Rome in this class, but some of the material will cover events in Gaul, the British Isles, Egypt, and even China. Come up at the end of class and pick up a packet with all the reading material you'll need for the semester. If you don't, you have no excuse."

She stood up and paced slowly around the tent, sizing up her students; God only knew how she managed to keep that cigar in her teeth and still speak fairly clearly around it. "Whatever you think you know about the ancient world? You're probably wrong. For centuries scholars have been missing a huge part of the puzzle. But thanks to my father's research, my partner Melinda Pappas and I have made a huge discovery that changes everything. Everything," she repeated, her toothy grin hinting at perhaps a slightly unbalanced psyche. She picked up a fragment of well-worn parchment and held it in both hands, almost reverently.

"This was the first piece my father found. The key to finding the last piece of the puzzle: the most important archaeological find of the century. Something that will revolutionize the way we look at the ancient world. It has the power to turn myth into history -- history into myth." The dramatic pause was, perhaps, a touch overdramatic. "This was the first fragment of the Xena Scrolls to be unearthed, and it tells the story of Xena's first encounter with her nemesis, the crazed warlord Callisto."

Janice handed the bit of parchment to the nearest student, along with a translation in Mel Pappas's impeccable hand. "It's only a virtual replica, but treat it with respect," she ordered.

Once the parchment had made its rounds, Janice tucked her thumbs into her belt and surveyed the class again before speaking. "So. We'll keep it pretty basic today. Who you are, when and where you're from, why you're in this class, and a brief rundown of what exactly you know so far about the myths and stories of this time period. After that, we've got a little activity to do."

Syllabus, Roster, and Class Info

[OOC: OCD is up. Have at!]

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] bookyeve.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
Evie was diligently taking notes, and studied the parchment very seriously and without a hint of mockery. She might have been looking at Dr. Covington a little uneasily-- and enviously-- but the parchment? Completely enthralled.
janet_fraiser: (hidden mirth)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Janet leaned over to Evie. "It's my fate in life to be surrounded by crazed archaeologists, isn't it?" she asked softly, grinning.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] bookyeve.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Evie looked up, blinking herself back to reality. "Oh, hullo, Janet." She turned a little red, thinking Janet was referring to her. "Only a *little* crazed. It's all so fascinating."

[ooc: back in 2 + hours!]
janet_fraiser: (exclamation!)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 02:50 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's certainly something," agreed Janet dryly.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] bookyeve.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm so far behind," Evie confessed. "It doesn't make much sense to me, but I have to believe I can catch up. And you know, Dr. Jackson is just as nice as you said he'd be." She bounced a little. "He helped me learn how to use a computer on Monday."
janet_fraiser: (Default)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Dr. Jackson couldn't use a computer properly even if it saved his life," muttered Janet, who was still grouchy at him. "Don't worry, you'll catch up. You're not going to school just to find a husband; that's already a huge step into the modern age."

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] bookyeve.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, true, but really, in my time, if you were seriously going to college, you *weren't* looking for a husband. It tended to affect your marriageability slightly negatively, in some circles," Evie said. "And Dr. Jackson also said he might be an advisor for an archaeology or anthropology club! I do hope he does. I really should join something, but this school has a rather intimidating array of activities."

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[identity profile] dorky-broots.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
Broots frowned as he took notes, but he still typed away.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
Zack raised his hand. "Dr Covingtion, I don't think Principal Washburn would take kindly to you slandering a past student in class."

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
"But by using such biased source material, you are implicitly condoning what they say."

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'd be happy too."
sensethevisions: (Default)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] sensethevisions 2006-09-07 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
Phoebe is taking notes... and the news about Callisto apparently being a crazed warlord didn't faze her...much.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] untouchableskin.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 10:59 am (UTC)(link)
Marie took notes and decided this class was going to be interesting.

Though she found it an odd coincidence that her former cheerleading coach had the same name as some crazy warlord.
janet_fraiser: (sexy wild west 04)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 02:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Janet waved at Marie. She had no idea that Marie didn't know that Callisto really was a crazed warlord.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] untouchableskin.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 03:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hey," Marie waved back.


[ooc: work is insane today!]
janet_fraiser: (Default)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Janet grinned. "What do you think of our teacher?" she asked.

OOC: No worries! Slowplay is our friend. :)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] untouchableskin.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"She's... interesting," Marie said.
janet_fraiser: (thoughtful soldier)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] janet_fraiser 2006-09-07 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Janet nodded and resisted the urge to twirl her finger by her head. "She seems kind of like a mad scientist," she whispered.

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likethegun: (i'm laughing while looking down)

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[personal profile] likethegun 2006-09-07 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Sam was taking notes and possibly wearing a look of geekish glee at seeing everything around them. Callisto as a warlord? That wasn't hard to imagine at all.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] dbiers.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
The parchment? Weird.

The professor? Wee and weird.

D'anna? Wondered if there were any other open classes lacking in weird.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Billy took notes as he listened, and cast several uneasy glances at the gattling gun.

Re: Talk, Take Notes, Etc.

[identity profile] notawitch.livejournal.com 2006-09-07 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Will spent half of her time in class taking notes, and the other half wondering just how much practice it must have taken the teacher to learn how to talk properly around a cigar.