[Open Class] Art of Seeing (Agsil&Meara)

[Kaefaux]

NAME OF CLASS: The Art of Seeing, and Being Seen (Socio-Cultural Anthropology)
PROFESSOR NAME: Mr. Darcy

General Information: After spending many months away from Amity travelling abroad and taking care of what he's termed 'family affairs', Mr. Darcy has returned to instruct students on the importance of being earnest- and observant. The whys and whims of cultural norms - from the lowliest minotaur to the wealthiest demon - will all be examined with his typical scrutiny and decorum. Professor William is prepared to look down his exceedingly handsome and classical nose at everyone with impunity. He will not shirk at any topic, and as seen previously is still a firm believer that participation is paramount to understanding. After their glimpse of alien culture during their time on the clan isles, he feels it is high past time they open their admittedly small and probably weak minds to the societies of peoples who, while a little closer to home, are no less wild.

The Course: Rumors have been flying that the elusive Mr. Darcy has returned from a mysterious leave of absence, and students brave enough to venture toward his long-abandoned classroom know why. Taped to the door is what appears to be a reading list - as if anyone needed more work to do during the busy prom and festival season. While some might pretend they didn't see anything and keep walking, a few may notice bats lingering near the hall's ceiling, and decide completing their homework might be in their best interest after all...

Below the book list is a very strange questionnaire. Is this a book report or a biography?

Mechanics:
You can repeat this class up to 4 times! Each time you must select a different book. It might behoove you to do them in order, as they scale in difficulty! Simply roll 1 10 sided die to see what information you've gleaned! . Use the chart below to determine what you've learned! You need to discover at least 3 Unique Clues to consider this a success, but you can try for more if you want, you over achiever you!

My First Scaring

My First Scaring
Fiction; Children's

'My First Scaring' is a book written by reknown Weregoose author known simply as 'Mother'. While the many early editions of this short story feature art of young weres, recent releases have seen a wider audience boasting baby Undead, Demons, and various monsters (although only the races with a natural affinity for thumbs). Miss Mother Goose is also unveiling a underwater cave painting version of the work that is a co-operative piece between herself and famous each uisge artist William McAdams. The edition available for his class contains prints from the aforementioned work, and for the first time features children of both undead and monster lineage.

DICE

1 - Ugh, who assigns a children's book? You leaf through the pages, but learn nothing new.
2-3 - Look at you, rediscovering your childhood! You find it hard to read as you keep glancing to all the pictures...They're very well done actually, but sometimes they seem to follow their own script. Goodness, that little patchwork girl is so mean to that little...bear? Werewolf? Gorilla? You've found a clue!
4 - You're so bored you actually bother to read the About the Author section. Apparently Miss Mother Goose has an adopted were-ape daughter who's engaged to the artist of this book. You've found a clue!
5-7 - On the last page, it appears that the horse-boil child and the gorrilla looking kid are holding hands. Storybook romance? The patchwork girl is glaring at them in the distance. A little creepy... You've found a clue!
8-9 - The dedication page reads, "To my daughter, Francine." Isn't that the name of one of the other authors? You've found a clue!
10 - Mr. William sure is putting an emphasis on how kind and pretty that ape-girl is. You've found a clue!

Flylight

Flylight
Fiction; Teen Romance

This awkward and halting work hails from one of the finest fan-fiction writers of this age, the up and coming undead novelist Selena Mayard. Written for teens, it follows the tale of young Isabelly Swine - the destitute daughter of an estranged yeti couple. Belly was forced to move from her cold, northern territory home to her father's hutt in the murky swamps of central Halloween. Here, she meets and falls into a forbidden romance with the each uisge Eanruig. Their struggles as he resists the urge to take her to the water, and as she has to deal with the fact that she will never truly be as beautiful and smooth skinned as he, provides an emotionally flat and predictable plot that nevertheless has proved overwhelmingly popular with young ladies between the ages of 14 and 40.

DICE

1 - This is seriously a great book! How could people hate it?! For some reason, this read-through has you thoroughly ~*enchanted*~. You feel you can strongly identify with the characters, especially that poor undead girl. How dare Belly and Eanruig chose each other over her?! TEAM JESSY FOR LIFE!
2-4 - You read the forward. It's kind of awkward, and has a lot of notes written to the author's ex-husband...A Mr. McAdams. You've found a clue!
5-6 - It becomes increasingly clear as you bash your head against the word-vomit of each chapter that the author really has something strongly against the main protagonist. It's as if she is trying to make her as plain, boring, and utterly unlikeable as possible. Meanwhile, it seems the only half-decent character is that poor patchwork, Jessy. Destined to be locked in unrequited love forever! Hey, isn't the author an undead herself? You've found a clue!
7 - You suddenly find ponies very attractive. This book shows a side of the each uisge you never thought exsisted. A dark, brooding and sexy side. Go team Eanruig! Ok, that motto needs some work...
8 - Some of the lines in this book seem oddly... derogatory. And personal. "I know what you are." "Say it out loud." "...Hair fetish." What does that even mean?! You've found a clue!
8 - 9 - Mr. McAdams...The same last name as the artist for one of the books on your list. Could he be Selena's elusive ex husband? And isn't he also an each uisge? Odd that she'd use that as a main character in the book. And she portrays Eanruig so unflatteringly! You've found a clue!
10 - You fall asleep in the middle of a chapter. Teen romance just doesn't interest you, or maybe this section is just particularly boring.

Bigfoot Burlesque

Bigfoot: Burlesque
Non-fiction; Alternative Lifestyles

Written under the pen-name, W. M.A., this work is a written history of the burlesque club "Hair There", whose primary song and dance acts feature bigfoot and yeti performers. The piece is written from the perspective of a frequent patron, and is often critized for handling the subject material in an overly familiar and non-objective manner. However, the interviews with some of the actresses are particularly poignant, and the work often reads like a memoir. It is an interesting look into the underground world of bigfoot performance art from someone who appreciates dance, comedy, and body hair.

DICE

1 - Ok, so this book uses a psuedonym, but the questionare asks for the author's names. You wonder if the name is in the book somewhere, but you check the nifty included character index and none of the initials match. But there is one person whose initials DO match- the artist from the children's book you were also assigned. You've found a clue!
2-3 - W. M. A.... Women's Modesty Association? No, that can't be right...
4-6 - This book also has a dedication page- to "F. S. and her darling Mother G." Time to check your author list again, you suppose. You've found a clue!
7-8 - You are really not into body hair. Really really. You have to put the book down, and resist the urge to cough up a hairball.
9 - Whoever this WMA is, it's clear he really is into girls with a hairy hiney. You've found a clue!
10 - It mentions, briefly, that the manager of the club is a mad scientist by the name of Doctor Diddle. He has a daughter who's a bartender at the club, whose name was not disclosed, and is referred to as M. S. Another initial? The book indicated that she quit eventually, as she grew jealous of one of the performers. You've found a clue!

In Stitches

In Stitches: An Observer's Guide to Persons of Put-Together Personage
Non-Fiction; Reference

A reference guide for the uninitiated. Written by an up and coming professor of the reknown College of Laboratory Arts, wereape Francine Stein. The piece functioned as her LabArts thesis. It features both basic descriptions of the many types of patchwork undead, as well as profiles on some of the more famous members of their races.

DICE

1 - Francine Stien- isn't that the name of Mother Goose's daughter? You've found a clue!
2 - You leaf through the glossary, looking for clues. There's an entire chapter dedicated to Selena Mayard, but unlike the entries before and following, it's unusually harsh, and seems to focus a lot on her personal life and her inability to 'let go'. You've found a clue!
3-7 - You aren't in stitches, You aren't even chuckling. This is the driest book you've ever read.
8-9 - The book's author is a wereape, and isn't Mr. William engaged to a wereape? And Selena Mayard's got a mysterious ex-husband... You've found a clue!
10 - This book is so boring. You fall asleep before you even make it through the foreword!

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BONUS MECHANIC:
Complete all four reading assignments and answer the questionnaire to get a special minipet! (Simply PM your question answers &class link(s) to Ravvlet)

 

[Kaefaux]

Learning about other peoples--cultures, races, identities, and beyond--was something that Agsilved was finding to be the most enlightening about being at Amity. To the point that, if she had to pick a favorite class, among them would definitely be Mr. Darcy's lessons.

Though she was delighted to hear he'd returned from a leave of absence, she was a bit startled to find that on the door was a... reading list? She eyed the bats up above, and quickly jotted down the names of the books, along with copying down the questions from the questionnaire. Most of which had her dark brows raised. This was... an interestingly deep assignment.

Looking up at the sound of footsteps, she smiled to see Meara again, giving a quick wave as she finished taking down her notes. "We've got an assignment from the professor. There's... a few books to get through, but perhaps if we look over things together and compare notes, it might go smoother?"

If they could get through the Thunder Road, they could get through this...

Natsuko-neko

 

[Natsuko-neko]

After seeing just how many different beings were at the school alone, learning more about culture was high on Meara's list of things to do. If nothing else then to not end up offending anyone she hadn't meant to do so to. So when the option for a culture class came up she had no problem signing up for it.

Of course when she actually got to the class she found a familiar face writing something down in front of the door. "Reading assignments already? Not even taking a step into the class and already we have homework." She said with a smile as she looked over the list. "Studying together and comparing notes sounds like the best option to me as well. Which book would you rather focus on first?" The Loch Lady pulled out her own notebook to jot down the texts.  

[Kaefaux]

She gave a light snort at the joke--which, here at this school? Unfortunately was more common than the dragon had expected upon being.... enrolled here without much warning.

"You'll find this to be sort of common. Classes are a bit more... abstract here," she said slowly, grimacing a bit. Some being far, far more worse than others, in her opinion. They'd just encountered one such example.

Agsil hummed a little as she eyed the list, shrugging as she tucked her notebook into the satchel slung over her shoulder. "Start at the top and work our way down? At least the earlier ones will be simpler texts to read." Offering a smile, she nodded her head down the hall. "To the library, then."

The two were soon in just the place, a table commandeered for their purposes and a pile of books for each. Agsil sat in a low backed chair she'd pulled over, allowing her wings to rest comfortably and her tail to flick lazily through one of the holes. More comfortable with the control over her ink, she no longer carried writing utensils, able to more easily pull back any potentially staining ink from her fingertips after using her nails as quill tips. There wasn't any hesitation as she picked up a first book, My First Scaring.

"This is rather charming... it's been a while since I've read any of these stories," she chuckled, flipping through the various illustrations with adoration clear on her features. Ink dragons, at least those of her clan, hadn't strayed much to deal with the rest of the world, though they had been given copies of other books, scrolls, and so on from the outside world by travelers and merchants here and there. This one included.

Her attention continuously wavered from the text, focused on the artwork that astounded and thrilled her. But her brow furrowed. "This little patchwork girl is... being quite rude to the little... hm... what would you say? Gorilla? Werewolf? Bear? But that's strange. I don't think I remember that from the stories."

Quote:

Look at you, rediscovering your childhood! You find it hard to read as you keep glancing to all the pictures...They're very well done actually, but sometimes they seem to follow their own script. Goodness, that little patchwork girl is so mean to that little...bear? Werewolf? Gorilla? You've found a clue!

 

[Natsuko-neko]

Meara gave a small sigh at the thought that homework before stepping into the class room was normal but then just nodded. It was at least a way to learn anyway. "Sounds like a good plan to me, though I don't know about you but I for one am not looking forward to reading the romance one." She said then followed the other ghoul to the library.

She took her seat after helping find the books, picking up the first one and looking the book over, crossing her legs at the ankles absentmindedly. "I'm not sure if I ever read this one in particular but agreed." There hadn't been many books around her family group unless they were enchanted to be water resistant but she had read through all of the ones available to her.

Looking up from the book she gave Agsil a small smile. "So this isn't normal? I was hoping not as I noticed the same thing."

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2-3 - Look at you, rediscovering your childhood! You find it hard to read as you keep glancing to all the pictures...They're very well done actually, but sometimes they seem to follow their own script. Goodness, that little patchwork girl is so mean to that little...bear? Werewolf? Gorilla? You've found a clue!

 

[Kaefaux]

The dragon shook her head. "Not so far as I remember, though it has been a long time since I was just a hatchling and reading such things." She gave a small snort of laughter, eyeing the images a few moments longer before pausing to take more notes.

Not that there was much to take notes on here. Some content, mostly images. Beautiful, don't get her wrong. Flipping through, more bored than she'd anticipated, she came across the About the Author section. Intrigued, she skimmed it, humming softly a little at one bit. "Interesting that such a furry character would be the one that's the focus of the teasing. Mother Goose here seemed to have adopted a were-ape daughter who... oh, that's very sweet." She chuckled and looked up to Meara with a small smile. "Her daughter was engaged to the artist of this book at the time of it's printing. That's rather adorable. And useful for having family assist in projects like this."

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You're so bored you actually bother to read the About the Author section. Apparently Miss Mother Goose has an adopted were-ape daughter who's engaged to the artist of this book. You've found a clue!

 

[Natsuko-neko]

"Maybe little hatchling you didn't pick up on it then?" She asked with a smile, the mental image of Agsil being a tiny adorable hatchling in mind. Meara couldn't help but think that she got into all sorts of messes when first learning how to control her ink while being around books though. Her eyes dropped back to her notes and she flipped back to the dedication page as the Ink Dragon spoke up. "That is sweet." The Loch Lady cooed at the information shared. "I wonder if they got married later or if they ended up splitting up."

"Speaking of adopted daughters though, she dedicated the book to her's listing her name as Francine." She said looking over to Agsil with a raised eyebrow. "Wasn't that also the name of one of the other authors? Might be something to keep an note on for when we move to the next books?"

Quote:

8-9 - The dedication page reads, "To my daughter, Francine." Isn't that the name of one of the other authors? You've found a clue!

 

[Kaefaux]

""

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