Study Corner!

[will_be_god]

Who: Cyrus and YOU!

What: Study!

Where: what passes for a library

When: Mid-June


Cyrus's efforts to salvage the library from the old school hadn't been completely in vain. Some books had somehow appeared in their new location, and that had been a small comfort to him. Their knowledge could continue.

But preservation of knowledge was nothing without education, and Cyrus knew just how to draw attention to it.

His reputation was one of strictness, of rigidity, of being unbending no matter the circumstance. So he would draw on the theory that self-direction led to greater advancement. It was a foolish theory to apply en masse, that much he knew for sure, but if it could change what others thought of him and thus permit him to influence them to his side, he would bear it for the time being.

So he advertised the event in advance and set up tables with writing implements and paper, and waited for people to arrive.

Comments

Hope you're ready for more than you bargained for

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

The idea that Cyrus was going to set up a school of sorts was an appealing notion. One that Rosalina intended to take advantage of... though perhaps not in the way he'd hoped.

For when she arrived at the library... she was accompanied by a small horde of Lumas that she ushered in to take seats.

Re: Hope you're ready for more than you bargained for

[will_be_god]

That was surprising. He hadn't seen anything like that around the school before...but for some reason the sight seemed almost natural around Rosalina. As if they were meant to be together.

The small creatures piled themselves into seats meant for human-sized creatures, impeding their view of the table. Cyrus wasn't sure how they even intended to handle the materials.

"So, these are your children," he surmised. "What do you intend to teach them?"

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

Rosalina smiled as she watched the Lumas pull themselves up as close to the tables as they could get, grasping for pencils. Some even started taking to doodling on the papers that were laid out in front of them. "They are," she explained. "Some of them at least... I thought perhaps I would teach these little ones to read and write, given the opportunity."

[will_be_god]

He nodded slightly. "There are many, yet I expected far more. Perhaps as many as stars in the sky. That is what they are, yes?"

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"Not yet," Rosalina reminded him. "My children have not yet become stars, and may become stars, planets, or other heavenly bodies when they finally grow up. I watch over them until that time comes." She shook her head. "And yet these are only a few... The rest are on the Comet Observatory, or scattered among the heavens... These are the few who came with me to this place."

[will_be_god]

That wasn't how stars worked...but Cyrus had seen more bizarre creatures. "You speak of standard celestial bodies such as the earth beneath us, yes?"

Perhaps they had something in common with legendary pokémon.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"That's right," Rosalina explained. "Although I will admit the reality may be different in your reality, this is how things work in mine."

[will_be_god]

He shook his head. "So, they perish in the process? Stars and planets are unliving things."

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"In your world, perhaps," Rosalina corrected him. "They mature and grow and become what they were destined to be."

[will_be_god]

It was a lot to take in, especially for someone who spent his life simply knowing everything.

"So they are alone. Stars do not wander not interact. Unless that is another difference."

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"That much is true," Rosalina explained. "They change, become far more than they once were and more than they could ever imagine."

[will_be_god]

"They ascend." It came out as a whisper. "Regardless. I will teach you of the stars of my universe."

Cyrus headed towards a shelf not far from them and retrieved a book that looked fresh from the press. Or it would have if it didn't have severe water damage warping the entire thing. It was still perfectly readable though, as was evident as he opened it to the first page and placed it in Rosalina's hands.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"I would be pleased to learn," she said, taking the book. "Although, if you would be willing, I would appreciate if you could give this lesson to my children. They ARE here to learn, are they not?"

[will_be_god]

"Of course. Though you have attended as well, so I trust you will join them."

But he waited to see if she would hand the book back to him or not.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

Rosalina softly laughed. "If you insist," she replied, returning it to him and taking a seat, smoothing out her long blue dress.

[will_be_god]

He sat amongst them and opened the book. It was a bit simplified for his tastes but served as a useful beginner guide. "First off, I will quiz you to determine your present knowledge."

He proceeded to ask questions of varying difficulty, picked throughout the book.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

And she answered each of them in turn with accuracy. Rosalina has been watching the stars since she was a child, and her present nigh immortality has given her all the time in the world to study and learn.

[will_be_god]

As he had asked, his pace had slowed, and upon reaching the end, he snapped the book shut. "You wished for me to teach your subjects. Yet you answered in their stead. If this continues, I must ask you to leave."

Sorry, I thought he was quizzing her directly!

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

The lumas giggled happily, bouncing about. "Mama's in trouble!" they joked until Rosalina made a quick gesture with her hand, signalling her children to quiet their giggles. "My apologies," she told him. "Please continue."

He be vague like that

[will_be_god]

Cyrus waited for them to be quiet, then asked them successive questions. Occasionally he would glance at Rosalina, sometimes longer than others, but his even tone never wavered, his cadence never slowing.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

Rosalina was quiet throughout the exercise, as the Lumas tried to squeak out answers. Most of the time they glanced to Rosalina, hoping she might help them out. She simply smiled patiently.

[will_be_god]

"Very well." Cyrus eventually closed the book, setting it on the table. "Your knowledge is perhaps greater than I believed, yet a true being of the cosmos must be able to answer all of these correctly. That is what I will teach you."

Almost as an afterthought, he again looked at Rosalina. "I assume you will want to join, either them or me."

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"I think I will observe," Rosalina told him. "Far be it for me to interfere with your lessons, after all."

[will_be_god]

"Very well."

He drew out another book and began reading from it, without notes but remembering what questions he asked, waiting for the Lumas to write their answers down.

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

And Rosalina simply continued to observe. She gave a small smile as she watched the Lumas try to answer their questions, putting pencil to paper in study. It was a hard impulse for a nurturing figure to fight, to want to help them, but like any parent she had to let them succeed or fail on their own at times.

[will_be_god]

After, he gathered their papers and looked through them. "...remarkable. Their answers are nearly identical. There is almost no deviation." He looked up at Rosalina. "They have paid attention in your teachings."

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"And yours as well," Rosalina commented. "You are a fine teacher."

[will_be_god]

"I speak only the truth and expect only truth in reply. There are those things grander than either of us, and the quest to comprehend them is in our nature." It was almost flippant, if not for his solid tone.

"Though we must understand ourselves if we are to understand anything else. To recognize the true nature of sentient beings, that is a harsh reality that many are not prepared for." As he spoke, Cyrus turned to stare out the window. "This world and the last...they are no different in that regard."

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"Perhaps, but for now, I will settle for what you can teach my children," Rosalina replied. "The harsh realities of existence can wait for another day," she added with a small smile, almost teasing.

[will_be_god]

"In time they will know," he cautioned. "Will you be prepared?"

[ladyoftheshootingstars]

"I already am," she pointed out. "I would not be a very good mother if I were not." There was a sadness buried underneath that statement, one that she did not acknowledge openly.

[dazzlingribbons]

Oren had been terribly bored stuck in such a lifeless, dreary mansion. A source of any kind of positive input was immensely welcome for him.


"Hello," he said to the strange man as he walked in and sat down at an empty table. "My name is Oren. And I'm here to... uh..."

He glanced around the room and noticed quite a few empty tables.

"...I was, uh, here to learn... Er, where is everybody?"

[will_be_god]

Cyrus rose from where he had been seated. "They would prefer to remain ignorant of the world around them. Your mere arrival demonstrates that you are an uncommon being."