Fandom High School

Thor wasn't really a fan of final examinations, so he hadn't planned any real sort of test for today.

"Well, today is our final meeting as a class," Thor said. "There isn't a formal examination, just a few questions to think about: thinking about the different types of stories we've talked about and experienced throughout the past few months... if someone were to write a heroic tale about your own life, what would your journey be? Your nemesis? It is okay if your daily life doesn't see you facing off against armies or monsters, as we've seen in some of the tales we've read, heroism comes in all forms. If you would like to share your answers with the rest of the class, feel free, but you are not obligated to do so."

Once anyone who'd wished to share had done so, Thor spoke again. "It's been a pleasure working with all of you, and I hope there will be some familiar faces in the next class that I teach."

Why yes, the popcorn and snacks did in fact mean that today was going to be a movie day.

"I thought today would be a good opportunity to watch the first of the King of the Bracelets films," Thor explained. "Well, there is not enough time for us to watch the entire production, as it is quite lengthy, but we shall get through as much as we can. If you're interested, the rest of the film can easily be found in the library or one of the shops on the island." Or the internet, but Thor didn't really know a lot about torrent sites. "The story revolves around a young man who finds himself suddenly charged with an extremely important task, and the very unlikely band that comes together to support him in his journey."

Everyone in Thor's class would have received an email informing them to meet in... the music classroom?

Yes, for those wondering, there was indeed a music classroom. Just about every instrument was available for students to use, from any world Fandom could reach.

"I had originally intended for today to be about epic poetry," Thor admitted, as he handed out stacks of paper and pencils to everyone. "But Fandom's plans for us these past couple days gave me another idea. In the realm of Asgard, we enjoy telling tales of heroism and adventure, both historical and personal experiences. What makes these tales even more enjoyable to listen to is when the bards get ahold of them and set the tale to music! On that note," he took a moment to chuckle to himself, because that was hilarious, thank you, "I have decided we are going to discuss how to create song lyrics. And then, should you be so inclined, you could create the melody to accompany your lyrics." Yes, there was also blank staff paper available, as well as a number of technologies that could transcribe musical notation in standard Midgardian format used today, or any other format the students might use.

"Once you have decided on the theme or message of your song, you are going to want to start with your title. Create a phrase of one to five words that indicates the message you wish to convey to the listener. If you find yourself stuck here, write down some words or phrases you wish to include in your song, and perhaps one of those can be the title." He went on to outline the rest of the steps, and then let the students get to the songwriting. He wasn't expecting Grammy material here, of course, but hopefully everyone would have some fun.

Today, as the students stepped into the Danger Shop, they'd find themselves on the deck of a sailing ship. Not for long, though. As soon as class actually began, what appeared to be nice sailing weather quickly turned stormy. It wasn't long before it became clear that staying on the boat wasn't an option as it began to capsize. Thor directed everyone to swim for a nearby island, and for those who couldn't swim, well... thankfully the Danger Shop had safety protocols, so nobody was about to go under. They'd just find themselves somehow on the shore of the island as well.

Once everyone was ashore, the storm died off quickly, and class began in earnest.

"Well, it seems as if we are stranded. Look around you," Thor directed, waving an arm at the various sorts of moddable ship detritus that had washed ashore with them. "Gather anything that you believe may be useful while you await rescue. Keep in mind that we have no working electronic communication devices," or, you know, that would be the case if this were real, because no one's cell phones were actually harmed in the making of this class, "and so we've no idea if rescue will be an hour from now or a year from now." A beat. "I am not actually going to keep you in the Danger Shop for a year. But for the sake of the story. As you can see, the weather in this region is often unpleasant, so a shelter of some sort might be a good idea, perhaps further inland." He gave everyone time to gather what they thought they'd need before leading them to the spot he'd indicated, where he shared instructions on how to build a lean-to, similar to the time the class had done this in the tundra, though there were far fewer trees this time around, and cutting them down would be a lot of work without a saw. There was, however, plenty of wood from the shipwreck, and the trees that were around had large, thick leaves, making them conveniently suitable for roofing materials.

When the students entered the Danger Shop, they'd find it set up with all the equipment necessary to make mead. Okay, so that wasn't specifically from any Midgardian tale, but Thor had just spent a week in a realm that reminded him in some ways of Asgard, and they had been very fond of their mead. And mead was often an important component when telling tales, so... it made sense. Really.

"I hope you all had an excellent holiday," he started out. "If you went on the trip, I am sure at some point one of the local citizens offered you a drink called 'mead'. I thought today we would learn how to make our own, as drinking mead and telling stories often go hand in hand." See? Totally valid reasoning. "Now, typically, mead will take about a month to ferment properly, which is why we are only simulating the process rather than actually creating it. I do not think the school's administration would let me keep several barrels of alcohol on the premises, even if the laws regarding young people and drinking are rarely enforced here," he also thought said laws were kind of silly, but that was an argument for another time.

"To make honey mead, one begins by heating honey, sugar, and yeast together until everything has dissolved..." he started, pausing to let the students complete the first step. The process was slightly different from what he was used to in Asgard, given the relative simplicity of Midgardian technology, but mead-making wasn't exactly a complicated process to begin with. Once everyone had completed all the preparation and had poured their mixture into the container, he pressed a couple of buttons on the Danger Shop controls, and the opaque liquid in the carboys turned much more transparent. "This is what mead looks like when it is ready to be bottled," he said, picking up a siphon. "So, take this, attach it to your container, and begin to fill your bottles."

When all was said and done, Thor handed out several bottles of mead that he had prepared of his own to the students, because really... it wasn't fair for them to do all that work and only have it result in simulated mead. "Just please wait until you are back in your rooms to actually partake in it."

Once again, class was nautically themed and being held in the Danger Shop. This time, though, as soon as they arrived the students would be climbing aboard a submarine that was a replica of the one described in Eighty Thousand Kilometres Beneath The Ocean.

"Today, in the spirit of Mr. Verne's adventure tale, we too are going to explore the ocean!" Thor told his class. "I have it on good authority that of all his stories, this one has stood the test of time with regards to the scientific theories mentioned within the novel. So once everyone has found a suitable vantage point," he gestured to the large viewing area at the bow of the submarine, and then the several large portholes along both port and starboard, "we shall depart."

With that, Thor (gently) pressed a button on the control console, and they were off.

There was a television screen at the front of the classroom, and a bag of popcorn on each desk. Yes, indeed, it was a movie day. Of a sort.

"The Lady Rapunzel mentioned that she enjoyed tales of lady-heroes," Thor began. "So I thought today we could watch a film, and then read the tale that the film was based on."

The tale in question? Mulan not meta'ed since it is- however loosely- based on an actual legendary person.

Once the film concluded, Thor handed out a translation of the original ballad. "As you can see, the modern retelling embellished many of the details, and added many things not present in the original story. Why do you think they may have done so?"

If you'd told Thor a few years ago that he'd be living on Midgard and teaching children in a school, he would have laughed long and hard at you. But the truth was, like many things he'd discovered since his brief exile from Asgard, he'd found he truly enjoyed it. So he was excited for the beginning of another semester.

"Greetings, all, and welcome to Heroic Tales," he began, once everyone seemed settled. "If you are a fan of stories involving heroes and adventure, well. You are in the right place. If you're not a fan- I apologise for whatever mishap landed you in my class, but I hope you can still find some enjoyment from it! This semester, we're going to look at adventure tales from all over this world, and not just books- there will be some films and perhaps even a live show or two! But today, of course, is our first day together, and although I recognise many of your faces, we should still perform introductions so that we all know each other. So, I shall ask your name, your class, and a hero you hold in high regard- be they real or fictional. To start, I am Thor Odinson, your teacher, and a hero I regard highly is my dear friend, the Lady Sif, one of the most fearsome warriors I've ever had the pleasure to fight alongside." He pointed to someone at random. "Now, it is your turn."

After they'd finished, he spoke again. "Additionally, I am seeking one or two students for the position of Teaching Assistant. This involves being available to answer questions should your fellow students need assistance, or filling in for me should I be called away and unable to teach a class. If you're interested, please speak to me."