[Wright Memorial Library] Homework, Schmomework! (Solo)

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 4th, 2012, 3:44 pm

An Expert's Guide to Clockwork Engineering

Now THIS was more like it!

Minerva pulled over the book and started reading. There was no introduction. No history. No listing of meaningful or significant clockmakers throughout history.

Just pure,

simple,

science!

Diagrams. Blueprints. Stress to torque ratios. Gearage requirements. Customizable mechanisms! Kinetic energy conservation maximizers!! Pendulum Balance Weights! Radial Effects On Rotation Speed!! MAXIMUM SPRING PRESSURE PER SQUARE INCH!!! COUNTERWEIGHTS AND BALANCERS!!!!

She started sketching on her pages furiously. She began drawing out a simple yet bold design. Screw homework... She had an IDEA!!

With the help of the diagrams in the book, it was much easier to lay everything out and come up with a workable design. She wasn't going to bring her Gadgeteering teacher another dumb essay. She was going to bring her an INVENTION!

She sat there for hours, doing multiple drafts of the schematics. She took multiple measurements, referring back to the mathematics book several times to make sure she got everything right. She discarded a few ideas as the image refined in her mind. It was rather simple, yet would require some complex work. Good... she was sick of studying. Work would be better.

Once she had a draft drawn up she was satisfied with, she grinned, leaning back in her chair and propping her head in her hands. This was going to be fun.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 4th, 2012, 5:50 pm

And of course, the Gadgeteering lab was locked.

"Oy, where's the Professor?" she asked a passing student. The boy stopped and stared at her chest. More accurately, he was staring at the contraption she was carrying, but she didn't realize that. After all, what was so strange about a girl carrying a mess of metal poles, springs, and chains?

She snapped her fingers to get his attention. "Oy, eyes up 'ere, ya perv!" she said, giving him an annoyed glare. He tore his eyes away from the thing she was carrying and looked up at her.

"Huh?" he asked. Minerva sighed, and gestured to the door.

"The professor!" she practically yelled. "Where is 'e? I need 'elp wit' my 'omework..."

The boy scratched his head. "Umm..." he muttered, looking around. "Maybe he went to dinner.

"Lovely," Minerva sighed. The boy scurried off, casting one last confused glance at the mess she was carrying. Grumbling, Minerva slumped over to a bench and sat down. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't even properly get started without help. Not this time.

Sighing, she pulled out her next book, one of several she'd checked out from the library for the night. She'd left the stupid, boring books behind, once she was done with them. She'd only brought the interesting ones with her. Except for the stupid Philosophy book... she still had to write another essay for that one. Her Animation professor INSISTED that a strong understanding of philosophy was crucial to properly crafting Soulcores.

Silently cursing the wasted time that she could have been BUILDING something, she cracked open the book and started to read.

Philosophical Study of the Human Spirit

The Difference Between Animals and Humans

While many biologists and psychologists will argue that it is our physiology or our complex minds that make humans different from animals, there is another, deeper argument that philosophers make. That the human spirit is both stronger, and more developed than the soul of an animal.

Consider emotion. Animals are often very simplistic in their emotions. They can experience fear. They can be happy or sad, as evidenced by the wagging of a dog's tail, or the drooping of his ears. Yet can a dog be said to experience a more complex emotion, like pride, or ambition? What about spite or the desire for revenge, which are far more complex than mere anger. Even people who love and personify their pets would have to admit that these complex emotions require an understanding that is beyond an animal.

One might postulate that these more complex emotions are the sign of a more complex soul. Being more evolved, the human spirit is capable of experiencing a wider range of emotions. This is often seen as one of the blessings the Gods granted to us, to set us apart from the lesser creatures of Mizahar.

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 4th, 2012, 6:37 pm

Philosophy Essay

Minerva put off starting her essay for as long as possible, hoping that her Professor would show up and then she'd have an excuse not to do it. She waited and waited... and finally got so bored that she pulled out her quill just for SOMETHING to do.

Why Human Souls Are Good

Human souls are more complicated than animal souls. Like we have more parts. And the more complex parts all work together like a big soul machine, which is what makes human souls good.

Working with animal souls is like buying your parts at a second hand store. They'll get the job done, but if you want a really good final product, you need better quality parts. Which means human parts.

But not by sacrificing people because that's just wrong.

Her Professor finally showed up just as she was finishing the essay. Professor Beadle was a short, pudgy, stuttery man, with thick glasses and a bald head. "Minerva," he said, tilting his head back to peer at her through the glasses on the tip of his nose, "was there... something I could help you with?"

"It's Tock," she said. She HATED the name Minerva! "An' yeah, I needed some 'elp with my 'omework..."

He nodded and unlocked the door. "Of... of course, dear," he said. "Please... come... come right in." He led her into the Gadgeteering lab, which was Tock's single most favorite place in the University. In the city. In Mizahar. There were tools hanging all over the walls, and rows upon rows of shelves, filled with parts of every kind. There were lines of boxes filled with every size screw, bolt, nut, spring, washer, and coil you could ever need. At the back of the room was a workshop for making molds and pouring metals, since so many designs needed custom parts. And there were books... not boring, dusty reading books like in the library. No, these were books of charts, graphs, schematics, and numbers. They were books of science.

"S-so," Professor Beadle asked, "what can I do for you?"

Minerva dumped her armful of parts all over one of the tables and said, "I need help with my essay..."

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 4th, 2012, 7:11 pm

Beadle looked at the parts, licking his lips, then took his glasses off to wipe them on a handkerchief. "The, umm..." he stammered, "the essay was supposed to be on how mechanical parts work in unison..."

"Aye," Tock nodded, "but I decided I ain't gonna write 'at. I's gonna show it..." She looked up at him expectantly.

Beadle licked his lips for a moment, then smiled. "Very well," he said. "I hate reading those things anyway. Show me what you have in mind, my- my dear."

Minerva grinned and pulled out one of the books from her pack. "I don't know 'ow 'ydraulics work. I need some 'elp figurin' out 'ow ta power 'is part 'ere." She pointed to the main gearshaft and coil on her schematics, opening up the book to show the professor.

Chapter Five: On Wings Of Passion

Jillian stood before the Akvatari Prince, her bosom heaving with excitement and anticipation. The battle had been long, but the Archduke of Fear had been driven off, and they had peace. For tonight, at least. Perhaps just for tonight.

The Prince came towards her, floating on gossamer wings, his smile of gratitude sending another kind of adrenaline rushing through the young heroine. He reached up to gently brush her long, crimson locks back over her shoulder and gazed deeply into her emerald eyes. "You have my eternal gratitude," he said to her, "though I fear I have no reward befitting such a brave and immaculate woman as yourself."

"None is needed," Jillian said breathlessly, leaning closer to the Prince's touch. "For I have done only what I was destined to do..."

"Is it only destiny?" the Prince asked, his hands gliding across the bare, smooth skin of her shoulders. "Does a lady such as you know only fate... or are there times you can embrace the moment...?"

In answer, she reached up and slid his hands lower, curling his fingers around the torn silk of her blouse. At her urging, he ripped it off, exposing her firm and supple...

"Umm, Minerva...?" Beadle asked, looking up from the book. He was starting to sweat nervously.

She looked at the pages and her eyes went wide. That wasn't Principles of Hydraulic Pressure! It was The Adventures of Jillian Smythe, Lady Adventurer!!!

She snatched the book up and clutched it to her chest, letting out a panicked laugh. She looked around the room, anywhere but at her teacher's eyes, and said, "'At's... at's fer another class!!"

by **Minerva Agatha Zipporah** on May 4th, 2012, 8:04 pm

Beadle sputtered. Minerva turned bright red. Neither of them could look at each other. Finally, Beadle broke the silence by saying, "So, these are your plans...?"

"Aye... AYE!" Minerva replied, shoving the book into her pack, out of sight. There were illustrations. Very generous illustrations that brought up some interesting questions about Akvatari physiology...

But she had work to do!

"This certainly isn't complex enough to require hydraulics," Beadle said, looking over her design. "Just a hand crank here, and you'll need a guide cable here..." he pointed at a couple of spots on her designs.

"Nah," Tock replied, "'ose is gonna be Animated."

"Ahh," Beadle replied, scratching his chin. "Well that... that would certainly cover any power requirements. You've got some stability issues here in the arm, though." He ran his finger across the metal arm that ran from the crank shaft to the grip. "It'll hold better if the extensions are crossed, like this." He started sketching some adjustments, and Minerva nodded along.

After they worked in the designs a bit longer, he said, "There. I think these designs will qualify you for a passing grade on your, heh, 'essay'. W-why not bring them in to next class, and get started on construction?"

"Oy, sounds good, mate!" Minerva said. Enough homework... next class she would get to BUILD something!

OOCThe actual building of Tock's invention will be in another class thread.

by **Cascade** on May 9th, 2012, 4:03 pm

Adventurer's Loot

Tock's Loot :

Did you actually write most of those texts from the books she read yourself? Because if yes, that's amazing! Unfortunately, I can only give you Copying points for them since Tock didn't actually "write" them. I gave you some points in the skills from what she read as well though, because I'm sure even if Tock hates studying, she surely picked something off of those. I was able to give you writing points for the essay, and again, great job on showing off your skill level. Tock's essays made me giggle. And, god, the steamy novel -- I can't describe how much I laughed.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me!