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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
“Would you care to explain what you find ‘weird’ about this symbol? As a scholar, I am always fascinated to fill in the gaps found in my own extensive knowledge.”
Look out. Their face is too serene, their tone too calm. It’s a trap.
Re: Lecture
"I mean it's weird! How are you teaching the Correspondence and you can't see it?!" he stood up defiantly, "Where did you learn Correspondence, from the Masters or something? Is that why it sounds all old and outdated, or is that just how they do it in their little club? Is the point of this class to teach the Correspondence wrong?"
Re: Lecture
“Oh? That’s fascinating. Much of what we study is, in fact, quite old indeed. There are even some professors here at Benthic who study Middle English for fun, and while it is in fact the same language, it's hardly useful for modern communication. But while modern argot can come and go, older words in the Correspondence have a more predicable and enduring weight, and can be used to communicate in a very special and flammable way."
But that's what The Academic said in English. The funny flip of the hair curled their ponytail in a wide swoop into a zigzag, the strange arc of their sleeve found itself at odds with their coattails, the gleam of the light bouncing off their monocle finishing as punctuation.
Old Fire Smokes Out the Entire Hive/Your (Queen)Mom Giveth and Taketh It with Stunning Frequency
Now that was an insult straight from The Iron Republic. So fresh, it might already be illegal on Wednesdays. The Academic lacked the limbs to distribute their weight properly; the garments helped, and the point was communicated pretty damned clearly. But as they returned to their normal posture, they were favoring their right leg. The Rose Giveth was as cruel to limbs as its parent language is to eyes, and The Academic hyperextended their ankle to prove a point.
"I can't say I know much about how The Masters speak other languages. But if you'd like to correct my verbiage in the future, then you know what to do." They offered a friendly wink, and put a hand on their hip, risking another twisted ankle.
Procure Proof from Your Home/Go to Hell
Re: Lecture
Re: Lecture
No. They couldn't place it. At the most, they could only think of the Dance of the Elder Continent they had seen occasionally at the finer parties. But this was nothing like that. Still, something about the shape of the fabric... The way the garments laid. There was something to that.
They wondered, and then returned to their work.
Re: Lecture
He seemed about to snap when a hand firmly grabbed his wrist. He glanced down to his side. The Maven was not looking at him in admonishment. Rather, she was glancing back and forth between him and the Academic. There was a worry in her eyes. No, not worry. Fear. Telling him to be careful how he proceeded. Not necessarily to be deferential, she knew he was never going to do that. But careful.
Deep breath. He looked at the Academic and grinned. Fine, he could play this. He moved as he spoke as well, tossing his scarf over his shoulder, adjusting his smoked lenses to shine just right, adjusting his coat and moving his arms and hands at just the right angles.
"Well! That may be true, but surely someone as well-learned as you is aware that the Correspondence isn't just some old dead language, and it is still used by a good chunk of London's population. SURELY you can see how it would make sense to teach those learning the Correspondence in the ways it's being used by those actively using it? Or does the university think..." slight pause, furrow of the brow before his eyes widened, "...fostering communication between the citizens of London isn't a worthwhile endeavor?" (he mentally patted himself on the back for remembering that one, thank you Maven for being such a wordy nerd all the freakin' time)
In Correspondence, however, he said:
The Old Has To Fall For The New To Prosper/Untrimmed Roses Kill The Whole Bush
And then he threw in with an arch of his fingers, another toss of the scarf, his own twist of the ankle:
The Stench Of Bat Lingers On You/Those That Speak Of Giving And Taking Know From Experience
Re: Lecture
“Nobody would deny that. But people do have to walk before they can run, mon petit imago. We only have three months to set the rest of the class off on the right first steps. Fluency takes years to obtain. And a rhetorical wit like yours?”
It looked like a deferent half-bow of the head. A respectful “need I say more?”
The orbit of a moon around a dwarf planet/A minor endeavor quickly accomplished
The Academic finished the gesture and returned to the podium, ready to gracefully return to the lecture. But behind a calm and measured exterior, their inner monologue was one long line of “AAAAAAAA.” They’d definitely pulled at least two muscles in their neck. Perhaps three? There was a new one in there and yes, it was certainly very much injured.
Ah, well. It would be worth it to enrage the Devil student. The Academic couldn’t imagine how that one had slipped through class vetting, but at the very least he’d be an excellent source of curator-targeted insults. As soon as the lecture was done, The Academic was going to figure out how to write that last one down. It would come in handy sooner or later.
Re: Lecture
He removed her hand and said through his clenched teeth, "I guess we'll see by the end of the course how well that strategy works, won't we?"
Before he sat down he added one last movement of Correspondence
The One That Climbs The Mountain Still Won't Reach The Stars
(In the Devil's mind he meant whatever kind of social climbing he assumed the Academic was doing with the Masters, not aware of any other meaning that line could have to certain people)
Re: Lecture
Just instead of symbols it's anatomy. The necessary muscles to pull, reminding themself of it being intended for arthropods, thus considering a dermoskeleton (maybe it's the angles the plates should form in such a gesture?) and the absence of bones, discarding their aportations to shape entirely. But, if this was correct, then the Academic either has some extra muscles (likely) or has strained some others (also likely), probably both.
Re: Lecture
"If they can speak it, and if you can speak it, then the Emmisary is lying about not knowing the pronounciations." Or they're woefully inadequate and shouldn't be teaching this class.
ooc: oh whoops sorry, only saw the most recent reply after i had sent mine!