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benthic_universityThe 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: Activity
Date: 2025-06-17 08:19 pm (UTC)Something was, perhaps, distracting the Socialite, but that did not stop them from dedicating their attention to their work.
In practicing the radicals, the penmanship was simultaneous shaky and far too careful, like a child attempting to write for the first time. His hesitance was found in a subtle fear of catching ablaze, having seen how little it took to do. The wrong pen stroke might destroy his notes, a level of risk he couldn't allow. The third page was far faster, far more at ease and comfortable with the movement of their pen nib on paper, occasionally testing the page for emanating warmth. By the fourth page, the Socialite was moving with too much confidence to notice that a stray mark was causing one of the symbols to send up the first whisps of smoke before ignition, almost invisible in the air. The fifth page of practice was the cleanest, the radicals consistent, clean, and separate from each other, the paper giving off only a mild warmth. One might only pray that the resounding success wasn't erased by the fourth practice page's lighting or dousing.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 12:21 am (UTC)You know. For a random comparison.
The wet sheet landed on the floor, sodden, the unburnt ink quickly becoming illegible. The Tailor turned back to the Socialite with a grimace, shaking out their sleeve. The linen was slightly darkened in a spot. Out of caution, they soaked the fabric, but it appeared to just be soot. Their was a pinch in their brow--was it concern?
"That was closer than I'd like. Is the other work salvageable?"
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 01:20 am (UTC)"It is. Even damaged practice is good practice." They lifted the thoroughly doused page by one corner and watched it fall apart with its own weight. They couldn't help the sour curve to their lip, ensuring the ruined page was incapable of anymore ignition before discarding it. "I apologize, dear Tailor. My wits are not about me today. I thank you for catching my blunder. I... I must have been rushing... Are you alright?" He finally stood, the concern returned in kind.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 01:41 am (UTC)They examined the papers in his hand, eyeing the clean strokes. "Those are very good. There's a surety in it. You know, the last symbol for place reminds me a little of the Neath? Is that silly?"
They wanted to pry. Perhaps they would. It was clear all was not well with the Socialite. But how best to really broach the subject?
"Maybe we could compare notes on the meanings of those last symbols, and you could share what's on your mind. The better to clear your head and find your focus."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 02:07 am (UTC)"Please," the Socialite almost begged under their breath, holding the papers just a minuscule bit tighter. "Please, do not ask me that. Not today and, preferably, not ever, though I cannot help but fear the topic will return and I will not be able to contain myself. There are some cards you hold close to your chest, my friend, I can most assuredly tell but will never speak of. For this, for only this, I ask that you return the favor." It seemed as if they wanted to be angry, indignant, sharp, but found not the energy nor the whet stone with which to hone his defensive edges. He simply spoke a gentle, tired plea, from one secretive soul to another.
The Morbid Socialite sat again, the frustrated hurry melting into exhausted reverie. "I do not think it's silly. In fact, it may be intentional. For logographic languages, the symbols assigned to certain concepts tend to contain the image of that concept in their form. Form to match function. As the Correspondence is strange and powerful, it may hold the power to display concepts in even the vaguest of forms."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 02:41 am (UTC)It itched, to not know. They tried to soothe the itch, turning back to the sheets in front of them. "Form to match function..." They traced one of their many chevrons, glancing back to the board. "I wonder. I have a thought on those last symbols, but I think, maybe, you know a little more on the subject than I do. Do you have any insights?"
It was, among other things, a peace offering.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 03:14 am (UTC)Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 03:31 am (UTC)"The verb in the symbols I keep coming back to. It has flourish to it, here, and here," they pointed at the first and last symbols, to the chevrons in each shape. "If it's to indicate action, why the gestural looping? It's not English, it's not the loop of a g or a y in a poem. But..."
How to explain this? They didn't even know if they were on the right track.
"There's something... playful, to curves. A curve is relaxed, unlike a stark line, which implies strict law. If form matches function... does this verb relate to something like play? So the meaning of the first symbol, it's a person who plays, perhaps?"
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 03:51 am (UTC)"However, keep in mind, our own English has a great many characters that resemble each other, such as the B and P and R, V and W, O and Q, and on and on. We do not know that this is a verb. It could be a marker of the possessive or reflexive, perhaps even place marker to denote the location of the person speaking. If I recall correctly, Russian has pronouns that denote the proximity of subject to the speak in the realm of space. We might ask the Emissary, though I do not know how well they will take the question. I've not yet had direct contact with them..."
The Socialite shook his head of the thought and returned to the subject at hand. "Regardless, I think your theory is quite sound, a wonderful application of deductive reasoning that I'm certain will serve you well in learning."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 04:07 am (UTC)They had been so certain that was a verb... but the Socialite knew far more in terms of other languages, it was apparent from how they spoke. And the letters he mentioned, even in English, had given the Tailor some level of trouble when they were young.
"Thank you, for your insight." They looked at their own notes, the list they had formed, and picked up their pen. "Maybe I will ask them after class, if they are free. They do at least seem to enjoy... sharing how much they know."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 04:48 am (UTC)He seemed much more put together now, having been given sufficient distraction from whatever troubles may have been haunting him. They opened their outer coat and pulled out a small card, no bigger than a playing card, and passed it across pinched between two delicate fingers. "Your theories are worth exploring. Do not forget that. If you wish to trade ideas once more, perhaps over a cup of tea, hand this card to Tularemia and she will lead you to me, wherever I may be in the City."
It was then that the Morbid Socialite realized his usual companion was not perched on his hat. He swore under his breath and sighed. "If you can find her, that is. She has an uncanny ability to be where she's needed only when she's needed. Regardless, if you spot a small, ermine stoat who doesn't run from you, you'll have her."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 05:14 am (UTC)It was not often they received such a compliment. They tried to take it to heart. Even so, when they looked back to their notes, it was with a newfound skepticism.
Their pen raised and they nearly scratched the whole thing out, but finally thought better of it. Instead, the Tailor chose to lay a long line of separation underneath the notes, and they began again.
As a small afterthought, they added, "I hope all will be well."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 06:22 pm (UTC)"I'm certain they will be. And, if not, then we shall make them well." They returned to their seat and began reviewing their work, analyzing mistakes and ensuring their next attempt would be perfect.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 09:47 am (UTC)Then returns to their notes, excited.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 04:45 pm (UTC)They really, genuinely didn't know much about Correspondence beyond what it felt like to them, but to go with that instinct seemed silly. Such an instinct didn't work with English, obviously.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-18 08:23 pm (UTC)"Yes of course! It seems consistent with the verbal radical coupled to the curved shape... Remember, good Tailor, that this language is both born in the stars and involved in almost everything we know and are. It is by definition both eldritch and natural, so a good way to interact with it (when in a safe environment) is through instinct. Try to learn how your first impression interacts with the actual meaning, once revealed, and progressively angle that perception into a more accurate base, and it'll start making more and more sense."
The Professor encouraged, their tone seemingly proud, slightly sibilant though.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-19 08:31 pm (UTC)The Tailor ducked their head a little from the praise. Usually, their instincts were good for hunting, but a more practical application had yet to be realized. When your gut feeling was that everyone was keeping secrets, that really did only get you so far. This was London for God's sake.
So it was likely a verb radical, they hadn't been off the mark. Could their instincts about this be more reliable than they had been in other formal education settings? They glanced to the board again.
"What about you? Are you making progress with these? I had just been trying to identify the radicals in each, but do you see more than that so far?"
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-19 09:40 pm (UTC)If accepted, the Professor would share both their written notes and side thoughts stemmed from them.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-19 10:09 pm (UTC)(ooc: for ease, the Professor might do the trade and share their thoughts, and as followup the Tailor will consider the Professor's notes? This way we don't have to mix up threads when we've already got links to them.)
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-20 07:51 am (UTC)"Don't be afraid. The way of learning involves giving unsteady steps, making mistakes, developing ideas and refining them until they're closer to reality. Prudence, beyond preventing something catching fire or causing harm, isn't useful in the endeavour. Trying your best implies trying, after all."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-20 07:55 pm (UTC)Trying, meant risk of failure. Failure was frustrating; it meant a lack of skill and ability despite all attempts to improve and--ah, that was an unnecessary tangent. They took the Professor's proffered notes and examined them. Some of their thoughts were reflected back to them, others were a new angle they certainly hadn't considered. Maybe their idea of boxes relating to confinement said a bit too much about them...
"You think the slash in some of the symbols is a negation?"
A jester, for that last one, now that was a thought. They had nearly considered an actor, possibly from their own experience around them in the costuming rooms at Mahogany Hall. And "to do something strange", yes, they could see how the Professor had gotten there.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-20 09:17 pm (UTC)"My apologies" said, simply. "And yes, I'm not entirely sure but it seems likely. After all, if a radical has a meaning, an antonym may be easily formed by denying it, rather than through an entirely new radical... I can be wrong, though. But it looks fairly common, looking at the given examples... Also taking into accoun the first example, the 'Unmappable direction'. See how the slash is placed right next to the verb radical? And acknowledging the place and adjective with now an obvious interpretation leaves the bigger radical, looking like a curved place radical. I thought it seemed like a place radical was becoming a noun radical, thus the individuation of a place, or its mapping. Then we have the map, the place, the verb, an adjective... What's missing? The 'Un-' in 'Unmappable'."
This explanation, despite excited, was obviously open to debate. The look directed towards the Tailor, in fact, could have been a request for feedback.
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-20 10:18 pm (UTC)There was the verb radical. There was the place radical. There was the adjective radical, on the very outside of the symbol, possibly indicating the entire subject was an adjective? Or was it just the looping radical that it claimed as one?
Their mouth moved silently, their finger trying to draw the shape without consigning it to ink, but maybe that in itself was still risk. They didn't know, they weren't paying attention to the action.
"Verb intersecting with place, a verb being done to a place, or in relation to a place--but if it's a negation, the verb cannot be completed... But then why not intersect with the verb? Why the place? The place itself can't have the action done to it?" They shook their head. "Even knowing what the symbol means, I don't think I see all that you're finding."
And then, looking back to the homework: "If it is a negation, then I don't know that these first and last symbols are right. The slash doesn't run parallel to the verb, so would it be attempting to negate the noun?" Their finger tapped on the page. "I keep.... seeing it in a third dimension, if that makes any sense. Like when a thread is run through a fabric, and exists on either side of it and needs to be illustrated as passing through. But that, I think, is a little unlikely."
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-20 11:06 pm (UTC)The Professor observed both the symbols and the Tailor's hands intently before looking back at them with an excited smile, the overstretched makeup already revealing the the red scales around too thin white lips, from which two sharp fangs poked out.
"It's a good thing we are here. There's so much to learn, and these classes provide the means to do so"
Re: Activity
Date: 2025-06-21 12:28 am (UTC)But they detected absolutely no threat, and that instinct at least was honed. So there was only the barest moment of adjustment when they responded, "I really am looking forward to this semester, I think. Thank you again."
Re: Activity
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