Correspondence Scholarship, Class Two [Tuesday Morning, June 17th]

[theexdisgracedacademic]

When the students arrived to their domed classroom, there was a broad-shouldered clay man standing before them. A pair of goggles were awkwardly affixed to her face. The hour to begin arrived, but no other tutor came with it.

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."

Targets acquired.

"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!”

 

Comments

Re: Lecture

[the_soft_hearted_maven]

So the Clay Man was a substitute? Well, with that feeling she was getting from the Academic, maybe that was for the best.

Or not, as the noises from the hall rang out. She popped another humbug in her mouth since it seemed a fine way of calming her last time. The familiar feeling was coming back, of the arrival of a predator. A feeling which increased when their gaze fixed on the class.

She did not try to write the symbol even before the Academic's warning. She had made that mistake before and nearly destroyed many important books in the process.

There were a few parts she raised an eyebrow at but which she could read between the lines as the Academic keeping in line with the Ministry of Public Decency and not necessarily being the truth. Which is disappointing, but not surprising on the subject of the Correspondence.

She raised her hand and asked, trying her best to convey her actual meaning, "Emissary, if we wanted to study outside of class time on our own time, what would be the best and most efficient way to do so?" AKA a way that isn't hampered by the Ministry of Public Decency's restriction over the truth and what can be taught.

Re: Lecture

[theexdisgracedacademic]

“Excellent question! Though your class materials will have important notes, one of the major difficulties in studying The Correspondence is that committing research to paper is difficult. Thus I would highly advise additional research trips to the Forgotten Quarter. Studying the ruins there will allow you to see how Fourth City scholars employed The Correspondence.” The Academic took the class roster from the podium, raising it aloft. “You can also go straight to the Benthic library and ask to see the lead correspondence plaques. You’ll need to show a proper ID, but I’ve submitted the class roster to the library for special permission.” The Academic smiled. “If you are denied access, calmly write down the name of the offending librarian, and put it through the slot on my office door. I will have a word with them, and ensure you are properly remunerated for your lost time.” The smile widened. “They will not make that mistake a second time, mark my words.”

“Also, as this is a language, I encourage each of you to use it as frequently with one another as is safely possible. We’ll soon have you able to write letters, and there is absolutely no better instructor than direct communication.”

Re: Lecture

[the_soft_hearted_maven]

As the Academic spoke, the Maven made sure to write out their suggestions. She had made many explorations into the Forgotten Quarter, it had in fact been her primary means of researching the Correspondence. And while the Brash Devil wasn't able to explain the nuances, he had been able to clarify certain baseline things (like "what does this symbol mean"). The library, however, would hopefully be a great resource for research; perhaps she could organize a study group with the rest of the students, they could collectively study the plaques? That could fall under what the Academic was talking about as well, with using the Correspondence to communicate with each other and practicing together! She was beginning to get very excited at the thought.