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benthic_university2025-06-17 07:31 am
Correspondence Scholarship, Class Two [Tuesday Morning, June 17th]
The Clay Substitute laid her hands upon the podium. "PLEASE. OPEN YOUR TEXTBOOKS TO PAGE-"
Much the same as last week, there was a hubbub in the hall outside. The door slammed open, and one figure marched another to the front of the class. The Beleaguered Dean, swathed in a coat of thick tweed and a thicker coat of nervous sweat, was all but pushing The Ex-Disgraced Academic back into their pace behind the podium.
The Academic wasn't missing a beat in the argument: "-can't at all see what the issue is, so long as they learn the material-"
"You cannot offload your duties to an Underclay aspirant!" The Dean's fury is only matched by the fearful tension in his voice, "And an unfinished one at that! How did you get it up here-"
The Academic's eye widened in almost-honorable affront. "You can't prove that this perfectly capable worker is unfinished, can you?"
"No, but I can certainly prove that it's not on the faculty list." The Dean wiped his brow. "Get on with it, man!"
The Clay Substitute barely moved, but the grinding of her turning head rumbled through the floor. "I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE PAID IN FULL, REGARDLESS OF HOW LONG CLASS WENT?"
Coin was exchanged, and, the Dean ushered The Clay Substitute out of the room. The Academic hissed through their teeth, clearly ready to vent their terrible mood at the first faces to cross theirs.
They turned to look at the class. And smiled a terrible smile. "Good morning."
"So! You've all decided to return for a second week. I suppose it can't be helped. Any damage you incur from here on out is upon your own heads." They began their lecture.
“English is a phonographic language, as the distinct letters of the alphabet each represent units of sound. The Correspondence is logographic, meaning that similar to the languages of the second and fourth cities (and the Khanate, of course), Correspondence Symbols each represent units of meaning.”
In bold, rapid strokes, The Academic scrawled a symbol onto the chalkboard:
They whirled around, pointing an accusing claw at anyone unfortunate enough to still be moving their pens. “Do not copy this into your notes! If you fancy yourself cheeky and attempt to copy it whilst my back is turned, I will still know, so do NOT try me.” They turned back, circling the image. Anyone foolhardy enough to ignore the command would earn immediate combustion to their notebook, and a quick, scathing look of satisfaction from The Academic.
“This is the symbol for “an unmappable direction. It is one of the more frequent symbols to be found in practical human application of The Correspondence, as well as in architectural engravings ranging from first city ruins all the way up to lapsarian London. It is also exceptionally flammable. None but the most expensive of papers can contain it.” And with a terrifically wicked smile: "Chalkboards are fine, though."
They continued. “The Correspondence is a purely semiotic construct. There are currently no known pronunciations or verbal applications for these signs-“ The Academic covered a bark of laughter, and then continued, “-apologies, but I would hate for my lectures to contradict the well-documented research that the Ministry of Public Decency has gently requested I adhere to."
The Academic pushed their current chalkboard up and out of the way, revealing an unblemished second layer. They added a tidy column of six simple symbols. "There are one hundred and eight basic radicals, and we've discovered twice as many in total. But for this course, we will begin with six."
And, after writing these on the board, the academic turned to the students. “These you may record in your notes, however-“ their tone sharpened, slicing through the momentum of those who may have rushed to begin- “confine each radical to its own sheet for practice. None of these, alone, is a complete symbol. But some can be converted very easily into real Correspondence symbols, and it is vital that you do not accidentally do so. Spend the rest of today's duration memorizing and practicing these radicals until you can reproduce them by heart. You'll know if you're doing well, because you paper will become warm to the touch once half-full. I will also be writing additional complete correspondence symbols on the other chalkboards. Your homework is to discern which of these six parts of speech each of the symbols is.”
The Academic pointed once more at the spray bottles on each row of desks. “At any sign of smoke, you are to douse the offending student’s work, without hesitation. Last week was not a one-off exercise. Consider this both a basic safety precaution, as well as your first taste of operant conditioning. Get to it!”
Re: Lecture
The Academic checked the layers of chalkboards, before finding the correct one and pulling it down. With nobody else using the classroom, everything unerased remained, and the safety rules from last week were pulled into view.
“The study of this language is only nominally legal. I have been given impeccably strict definitions as to the limits of what may be taught in this class. As such, it is my duty to inform you that The Correspondence absolutely cannot be spoken aloud. To insist otherwise is to flout and make an utter mockery of the entirety of The Ministry of Public Decency. It would be perfectly ▙̷ ̷▞̷▚ ̷▜̷▛̷ ̷▜̷▛̷ ̷▚▘ ̷“
What came out of The Academic’s mouth was several things. It was certainly a fireball. It erupted like the exhale of a man quite adapt with smoke rings. But the sound of it
dealt 4 change points of Nightmares to all within earshotwas positively dreadful and deeply unsettling. The scratching within the walls of your home while you tried to sleep.The Academic reached under the podium for a glass of water. Add a raspy throat to the strained muscles surrounding it. “As I said, it would be fantastically illegal to even suggest such a thing. And anyone who might want to learn how to do it would need to study their radicals with great gusto. Only an exceptional student could even dream of it.”
Oh, well. How could one expect them to resist a setup like that? They’re only human.
They’re mostly human. But the other 4% isn’t any more mature, either.
Re: Lecture
The lingering headache felt like it just got a spike down it's hemispheres, the words at least smelt less like zalt water and more like... brimstone--it absentmindedly noticed between the shake in it's hands pushing away the objects immediately on it's desk into someone else's to make room for it's head. "Oooi, point taken... whatever narc's your bark..."
Hopefully silver won't be a great conductor of heat before it becomes a problem.
Re: Lecture
A Nightmares increase has been aggravated by a "Boon" they are "wearing""Ah..." tries to mutter, too enraptured. Maybe too intense of a first experience. Tears run down their eyes, not smearing the makeup in the slightest. At least it's actually waterproof, thank you F.F.
Re: Lecture