Care for Magical Creatures; Monday, Fourth Period [ 09/28 ].
"Good afternoon, students!" Minsc greeted them with the usual cheer, settling with folded legs and a hamster on his knee on the pillows at the centre of the floor. He had decided to abandon that abominable blackboard today, which might have actually been the cause for his increased mood. Or it was simply that he was Minsc, and he was always kind of cheerful like this.
It might also have something to do with the feast set out behind him, all sorts of food, though a bit higgly-piggly in its selection, as he'd gotten many things from the variety of restaurants on the island, as Minsc was no cook. It smelled amazing, though, as long as you were one to like lots of meat and sweets. Minsc wasn't one for vegetables. But the feast would be explained soon.
"Today, we are going to talk about two separate sides of faeries. This is, of course, a broad generalization; I am sure you are all experts by now on the fact that faeries could never be as simple as only two sides, but there you see the inherent flaw in trying to be too learned. You have to simplify things a little in study, and today we're simplifying them to talk about the two major effects faeries can have. The good and the bad. On one side, you have faery healing! On the other? Faery blight!"
"Now when I say healing, I don't just mean the light-wounds, once-per-day, ouch-a-gushing-gash, I'll-fix-that-right-up kind! Well, I do. But not just that kind. Faeries can do that kind, but their healing tends to be a little...deeper than just skin. It is transformational, like them! But in order for faery healing to work, one must have an open heart..."
There was a small pause.
"Not in the ouch-a-gushing-gash way, either, I mean. I mean, if you're heart is open like that, not even a faery's gonna help ya, sorry."
"We are complicated beings...all that mushy stuff and hard stuff and squishy bits and ropey bits and wet bits, all confined to make a working person, like the complications of the universe; our blood moves with rhythms of the moon and our bones are made of the dust of stars...we, like faeries, are connected to the universe. Any universe! Several universes! ...Universi? Either way, point is, this ties us to faeries as primal creatures, too, and they are the cosmic mechanics of these connections with the universes! They bring us messages and connections within ourselves to heal us: physically, mentally, spiritually. Their chaos can help bring to us form! Interactions with faeries, as being of pure energy, can energize us, where ever we may need it. But to receive this sort of power from faeries, you must open yourself up to receive it. Stay open. If you desire it, actively let them in, even if you cannot see them there. And if you get really good at it, you might even be able to send this outward, and use your knowledge of faery healing to help others as well!"
"But there is a converse side to this coin, as with every coin! Faery blights! Open your hearts all you want; some faeries are just going to want to cause trouble. And if you've got just bad stuff in there, even if you don't open it, then they're really going to want to cause trouble! They can give us great gifts or they can cause incredible damage. The great cabbage famine of Neverwinter is sometimes attributed, for example, to very hungry, cabbage-loving faeries. Childhood illnesses can sometimes be faeries having stolen them, leaving sickly replicas in return, which is why survivors of such childhoods have special gifts or insight beyond normal human reckoning; their time with the faeries changed them. Strokes and being touched by madness? Faery work. Blindness? Coma? Forgetfulness? Beserking? They can be just as attributed to faeries as they could magic or science, and some choose to believe that they can all share the field quite easily, especially those who have dealt with faeries personally."
"But not everyone who receives these blights are bad people deserving of them! That's probably where science and magic come in. If what is in your heart is bad, however, or you fail to respect the fae, then they will likely turn their hand toward your illness or misfortune! They do not like to be ignored or disrespected; who does? And their dark side is just as powerful and profound as their light, so we do not tread on easy ground here, my students! A faery may offer us endless pleasure, but while she does, she drains the life out of you. They may invite you to play in the water with them, or even trick you into thinking they need help, only to drown you as soon as they can! They hunt and steal, and not just things, but people and souls."
"Respect is key! Even I, a Rashemi beserker, will stop to think twice before cutting down a tree that seems enchanted by faeries just because it is there. Even I would think twice about charging into a mushroom circle! And if I can practise that sort of discretion, it should be a cinch for well minded kids like yourselves! Always be wary, always be careful and courteous and take everything with a sense of caution. If your heart is good and your intentions likewise, they will know, and you will benefit from it."
"I cover this very serious talk today because I am hoping that next week, our studies will become more hands-on and we will actually be encountering specific faeries. I want you all to be prepared for what may come, so take these words to heart and ask questions, because preparation is the key to dealing with faeries without devastation!"
"Thankfully," Minsc then shot the class a grin, "we can discuss this over food! For today is another holiday! Remember those badgers we scratched? Well, some of them still tend to be sore about it by this time of the month, and so the faeries make up for it by holding a great big feast! In a moment, I will invite the badgers in and we shall feast and discuss! I feel it is always better to discuss things when there is food involved, anyway, don't you? And, just like faeries, it never hurts to get a badger back on your good side!"
[[ please wait for the OCD has managed to steal all the bacon! ]]
It might also have something to do with the feast set out behind him, all sorts of food, though a bit higgly-piggly in its selection, as he'd gotten many things from the variety of restaurants on the island, as Minsc was no cook. It smelled amazing, though, as long as you were one to like lots of meat and sweets. Minsc wasn't one for vegetables. But the feast would be explained soon.
"Today, we are going to talk about two separate sides of faeries. This is, of course, a broad generalization; I am sure you are all experts by now on the fact that faeries could never be as simple as only two sides, but there you see the inherent flaw in trying to be too learned. You have to simplify things a little in study, and today we're simplifying them to talk about the two major effects faeries can have. The good and the bad. On one side, you have faery healing! On the other? Faery blight!"
"Now when I say healing, I don't just mean the light-wounds, once-per-day, ouch-a-gushing-gash, I'll-fix-that-right-up kind! Well, I do. But not just that kind. Faeries can do that kind, but their healing tends to be a little...deeper than just skin. It is transformational, like them! But in order for faery healing to work, one must have an open heart..."
There was a small pause.
"Not in the ouch-a-gushing-gash way, either, I mean. I mean, if you're heart is open like that, not even a faery's gonna help ya, sorry."
"We are complicated beings...all that mushy stuff and hard stuff and squishy bits and ropey bits and wet bits, all confined to make a working person, like the complications of the universe; our blood moves with rhythms of the moon and our bones are made of the dust of stars...we, like faeries, are connected to the universe. Any universe! Several universes! ...Universi? Either way, point is, this ties us to faeries as primal creatures, too, and they are the cosmic mechanics of these connections with the universes! They bring us messages and connections within ourselves to heal us: physically, mentally, spiritually. Their chaos can help bring to us form! Interactions with faeries, as being of pure energy, can energize us, where ever we may need it. But to receive this sort of power from faeries, you must open yourself up to receive it. Stay open. If you desire it, actively let them in, even if you cannot see them there. And if you get really good at it, you might even be able to send this outward, and use your knowledge of faery healing to help others as well!"
"But there is a converse side to this coin, as with every coin! Faery blights! Open your hearts all you want; some faeries are just going to want to cause trouble. And if you've got just bad stuff in there, even if you don't open it, then they're really going to want to cause trouble! They can give us great gifts or they can cause incredible damage. The great cabbage famine of Neverwinter is sometimes attributed, for example, to very hungry, cabbage-loving faeries. Childhood illnesses can sometimes be faeries having stolen them, leaving sickly replicas in return, which is why survivors of such childhoods have special gifts or insight beyond normal human reckoning; their time with the faeries changed them. Strokes and being touched by madness? Faery work. Blindness? Coma? Forgetfulness? Beserking? They can be just as attributed to faeries as they could magic or science, and some choose to believe that they can all share the field quite easily, especially those who have dealt with faeries personally."
"But not everyone who receives these blights are bad people deserving of them! That's probably where science and magic come in. If what is in your heart is bad, however, or you fail to respect the fae, then they will likely turn their hand toward your illness or misfortune! They do not like to be ignored or disrespected; who does? And their dark side is just as powerful and profound as their light, so we do not tread on easy ground here, my students! A faery may offer us endless pleasure, but while she does, she drains the life out of you. They may invite you to play in the water with them, or even trick you into thinking they need help, only to drown you as soon as they can! They hunt and steal, and not just things, but people and souls."
"Respect is key! Even I, a Rashemi beserker, will stop to think twice before cutting down a tree that seems enchanted by faeries just because it is there. Even I would think twice about charging into a mushroom circle! And if I can practise that sort of discretion, it should be a cinch for well minded kids like yourselves! Always be wary, always be careful and courteous and take everything with a sense of caution. If your heart is good and your intentions likewise, they will know, and you will benefit from it."
"I cover this very serious talk today because I am hoping that next week, our studies will become more hands-on and we will actually be encountering specific faeries. I want you all to be prepared for what may come, so take these words to heart and ask questions, because preparation is the key to dealing with faeries without devastation!"
"Thankfully," Minsc then shot the class a grin, "we can discuss this over food! For today is another holiday! Remember those badgers we scratched? Well, some of them still tend to be sore about it by this time of the month, and so the faeries make up for it by holding a great big feast! In a moment, I will invite the badgers in and we shall feast and discuss! I feel it is always better to discuss things when there is food involved, anyway, don't you? And, just like faeries, it never hurts to get a badger back on your good side!"
[[ please wait for the OCD has managed to steal all the bacon! ]]