[ AW ] Let's Get Physical!

A R Y T H M E T I K

Winter was in full swing, but Professor Arythmetik was livelier than ever. Wonderful things were happening lately: the heat finally dissipated, a new friend gifted him a neat book, the circus troupe just traveled through the Lowlands with all sorts of fun activities…and most importantly, he and Grigori were sharing a den. Life was beautiful. There were still worldly concerns, of course. Enrollment in his courses was down, albeit better than during the heatstroke. Less than a season prior, he’d learned unsavory truths about King Adamh’s leadership that made him question the future of Rionnach. And yet, in the way that snowfall dampens all sound, winter created a tranquil paradise to shelter Aryth from outside anxieties. In the College of Èolas, with the guard-like Grigori by his side, he was home.


The Professor thought a lot about Grigori lately, but also something the charming sassenach told him: he should do what he loves. Aryth was well-versed in medicine and herbs; he’d hosted classes almost exclusively on the subjects since the Rebellion, when a new surge of healers was desperately needed. But plants and medicine were not the scholar’s passion. He yearned to teach others the joys of literature. He fantasized about sharing the wonders of mathematics and science that stoked his interest in reading at a young age. Today, he decided, he was going to forge ahead with schools the University laid to the wayside years ago. Today, he was going to expand the eager minds of his students and colleagues. Today, he was going to host a course on Physics.


But not without help, of course! First, Aryth prepared his lecture hall: a clearing with a thin layer of snow covering the earth and tree branches arching overhead like a domed ceiling. To the side he had a pile of acorns and a pile of stones. However, most importantly, he needed his assistant. When he was done setting up, the russet scholar called for his partner Grigori to join in the demonstration. Next he released a clear, ringing howl that anyone in Melrose would surely hear. Then he sat, prim and proper, a friendly smile shimmering across his soft, handsome features, waiting to greet the students who were willing to push their academic boundaries.

code by claerie


This is a Physics class open to anyone and everyone! (Even if your wolf is not currently enrolled in the College.) Canonically I think it takes place right before the Festival/Bonfire event.

Aryth is hoping for at least a few students to join, so I'll wait to post again until then :3 Tagging some interested parties:
@Grigori @Nimue @Willow @Genevieve

R

umor had it that Arythmetik was planning something special, a new sort of class than what Willow was accustomed to, though she had been a student at the College for nearly a year now. She had heard about it, perhaps because her mother was a professor there, and had been looking forward to the new class, if indeed the whisperings were true. When she heard the howl of the older brute, the girl, who would be a full fledged adult in only a few short weeks, was the first to arrive.

She had not seen Aryth in many months, not since the drought, and the sight of the handsome wolf caused the girl to stop in her tracks. It was true, in her younger months, she had had a crush on the auburn-hued wolf – not just because he was handsome, but because he was very smart, and Willow suppressed a small sigh when she looked at him, as well as the urge to look away in sudden shyness. Instead, she blurted out, perhaps a bit too loudly, ”Hi Professor!”

The young student failed to notice the teacher’s so-called assistant – though Grigori would be vaguely familiar to her, as well. Willow found a seat in the front row and plopped herself down eagerly.



@Arythmetik @Grigori @Genevieve @Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Adair had been finding his place among the College. He had been hiding amidst the cracks for a while, letting himself be almost invisible, hard to spot. He'd become a master at blending in. Ever since he was a child, he learned that being in the shadows was much easier than being the center of attention. It was why he was hard to see, hard to keep within grasp. He was slippery.

But, time came and went, classes started and ended. It was upon his second year that he showed himself to the world, and not just hide in the back of the classroom and return home, making no friends.

A morning came where he heard one of the professor's howls for the start of a class. Normally, he would have sauntered in quietly and sat near the back, in the shadows of the trees, keeping all to himself. But he was firm in his stance today, making his way closer to the front, where some young girl was already taking up the professor's attention. Adair let out a sigh of relief as he settled in, waiting for others to show.

@Arythmetik & @Willow

ooc: short to start <3

Between the circus events and his work, it wasn’t easy to find the time for this. Yet it’s not as if Aryth asked for his help often, and besides, Grigori was curious. When they were alone, it was of course easy to think of the russet male as a scholar, but a teacher? Not as much. Even with their reading sessions, that was more private and in some ways intimate, so he didn’t exactly have the mental image of Aryth as a college professor. An image that, in all likelihood, was all that many wolves around here knew. As such, how could he possibly pass up this opportunity?

Upon arrival, the cowboy offered the other male an affectionate muzzle in greeting. He kept it brief though, before taking a seat off to the side, where he’d stay until the moment his help was needed. It wouldn’t do well for his presence to distract Aryth from his work too much, right? Besides, he knew how.. gossipy young wolves can be. Probably for the best if they don’t see a big security guard clinging to their teacher when they walk in.

A familiar-looking girl was the first to arrive. Grigori couldn’t quite recall a name, but he did remember her feeling uncertain about her studies. It was nice to see that she persevered, even with everything that’s been going on lately. A yellow-hued male with a large scar was next to join, after a moment followed by a small group that wasn’t so eager to take the seats up front and chose to stay back. No one seemed to pay him much mind, fortunately. He glanced at Aryth then, and found it difficult to pry his eyes away. Much like during the king’s ball, the scholar looked majestic while taking the center stage. It was as if space itself had to bend under his presence… Grigori wasn’t looking forward to having to enter that domain later. He wasn’t made for spotlights and attention.

„*”

T

here were many faces that she recognized, but did not know. Perhaps this class conducted by a man she felt she knew very well would change that. Nimue drifted into the group of wolves like a specter, the storm raging in her deep blue irises moving about the gathered, memorizing their features until she was able to collect their names. The sight of Arythmetik taking the podium as the professor enticed a grin along her maw and this grin only widened when she spied the other male at his side.

As she swept by the other students to take her seat near the front, she did her best to catch Aryth's eye and give him a knowing look. The two men could hardly keep their eyes off of one another, it was amusing how obvious they were. The smirk never left her face even as she regarded the sizeable brute that seemed to be taking on the role of an assistant of sorts. Nim sought eye contact with him as well, though the look she gave him had a hint of venom in it, a warning that misery would befall him if he ever so happened to break the heart of the gentle scholar he clearly had a hold on.

Just as swiftly, her pleasant demeanor would return and she would give a nod to the other golden pelted male, acknowledging him as a fellow student and colleague. Then there was the child, who had a familiar look to her though she could not place it. They were the only females among the students here and naturally, she took a liking to the girl simply due to their origin of the divine feminine. In this day and age, women were not seen as learned, but they would change that. With that thought, she gave the girl a smile with a twinkle in her eye before returning her attention to the professor and his eager attendant.



@Arythmetik @Willow @Adair @Grigori

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A R Y T H M E T I K

A familiar friend was the first to arrive, and Aryth’s eyes sparkled with surprise and joy upon seeing her. “Why, Willow Fritz! Losh, is that you?” The professor’s tail wagged gently behind him, a steady rhythm to match the honest smile on his face. The last time he saw Willow was months ago—when she was still a child, really. The woodland girl’s youth was still apparent, but she was taller, filled out around the face and chest. Aryth could scarcely believe that one of his first students was already an adult. (And what did that mean about him!?) “I’m glad you’re here. I can rely on you to apply our previous lessons to the new science you’ll learn today.” Even as he was speaking to Willow, another student slipped silently into the lecture hall. Aryth glanced over at him with a friendly smile, a mite of curiosity gleaming in the corner of his gaze. This man’s scent was…somehow familiar. Yet, Arythmetik couldn’t remember ever seeing those bright blue eyes or the striking scar against his pale fur. Odd…they appeared to be a similar age. He hoped he’d have a chance to give the student a proper greeting.


As it was, the sassenach’s entrance distracted Arythmetik completely. His tail, which had swayed at its steady pace, waved with wild excitement at the touch of Grigori’s muzzle. “Hi, thank you,” the Professor mumbled breathily, reaching out for a gentle caress as his partner walked away. Aryth felt his face getting hot and he sat a little straighter. Still, it took several long moments for him to tear his emerald gaze away from the other male’s gorgeous, grey eyes. (Enough time for Nimue to notice and probably plan some quality teasing for later?) The Professor turned to his Lady of the Lake and caught her knowing look. Briefly, Aryth glanced at the snow-dusted floor and tried to suppress his smile. Failing quite spectacularly, he decided to lean into his excitement, barely allowing the students to settle in before he addressed the class.


“Thank you, everyone, for attending a first-of-a-kind lesson here in the College of Science.” Aryth’s attentive gaze swept across the four, friendly faces staring back at him. His smile was as warm and exuberant as his voice, and yet, there was a persevering tranquility to his aura that reminded the students this was a safe place of learning. “I’ve been studying some texts, the contents of which I’m quite thrilled to share with you today. Most of my previous lectures were focused on Biology and practical medicine, but I am fascinated by this theoretical field, and I hope you will be too.” Quickly, the scholar glanced back at his handsome “assistant”; it was Grigori’s encouragement to follow his passion that gave Aryth the bravery he needed to branch out. Rising to his feet, Aryth explained, “Today, we’re going to study the basics of Physics.”


The russet male looked over his shoulder once more. “Grigori, here, will help demonstrate some concepts of Physics. One thing we must acknowledge is the difference in our size and weight. As you can see, class, I am quite a bit smaller than my partner here, and his musculature weighs much more than mine.” Aryth chuckled good-naturedly. “This is going to have a critical effect on how our two masses, or our bodily matter affecting motion, will interact. You all probably know this instinctively from life-long observation. Grigori, would you mind standing next to me, please?” Aryth would wait until Grigori was shoulder-to-shoulder, and if the guard allowed, Aryth pressed his left arm right against Grigori’s right arm-pit. He glanced between his students and what he was doing as he continued. “Now watch as I nudge him gently. See how he only moves slightly? This is a principle called Newton’s First Law. Essentially, I must enact force to propel Grigori’s mass into motion.


“However,” Aryth continued, his front leg still shoved into the crook of Grigori’s, “due to Newton’s Second Law, which is me applying minimal force, Grigori hardly moved. There are other factors affecting this. Because Grigori’s mass (including his weight) is greater than mine, I would have to apply great momentum to move him a significant distance. The harder I push him, or the more force I apply, the greater the momentum and the farther he’ll stumble.” Aryth shoved his partner again, a little harder this time, but of course not hard enough to hurt him or knock him over. (That would be quite difficult for Aryth to do, anyway.) “Again, many of these terms might be new, but the concepts are familiar, right?” Aryth smiled at his students before grinning up at Grigori. “Now, would you please try to resist when I push against you?” If the minty cowboy complied, Aryth would spread his back legs, thrash his tail once in preparation, then shove against Grigori’s shoulder with considerable might. As expected, Grigori still hardly moved, and Aryth barked out an “oof” from the effort. Then he laughed and stood straight. “Class, this is what we call Newton’s Third Law. I may be applying force against Grigori, but he is also applying force in the opposite direction. In fact, even if he hadn’t braced himself, there would still be weight, force, and friction pushing against me when I try to move him. These principles are the reason why objects don’t go flying to the end of the earth every time we touch them! Newton’s Laws have some practical applications, such as self-defense, mathematics, and setting bones, but mostly these theories just help us understand the world around us.”


Aryth’s smile widened, and his ears perked forward. “I’ll pause to allow questions before I continue with a couple new concepts. Also, I would like you to partner up for the next part of the lesson. Grigori, would you please partner with whoever’s left?”

code by claerie

@Willow @Adair @Grigori @Nimue
(Grigori powerplayed a bit with permission from Lyk! <3)

W

illow felt a burst of pride as Arythmetik noticed her, calling her by name and everything in front of the whole class! Whatever the lesson didn’t matter much, she was happy just to see his smile. She was beaming as she regarded the wolf with a nod. ”It’s me! And I’m very glad to be here, sir, thank you!” Other wolves trickled in, and Willow was the youngest amongst them, but she didn’t mind. She smiled warmly at the pretty she-wolf who arrived, the only other female to do so.

Then, she noticed someone she sorta, kinda knew – Grigori was there, standing near the front of the classroom. Vivid green eyes grew wide with surprise, and the girl turned away quickly. She had met him before, when she was barely a yearling, and had thought highly of him. Just like Aryth. Her cheeks blushed against her will when she turned back around to see the two males standing close together.

The lesson began, and almost instantly, Willow was lost. She missed the first part, and the rest didn’t seem to make sense without the first part… The young student blinked hard, trying to concentrate even more.

The professor spoke of working with another wolf for the lesson, and the Lowlander girl’s ears pricked forward with interest. She cast a swift look at the other wolves who had come to advance their knowledge. Grigori was instructed to partner up with the student who was left, but Willow had already made her mind.

Quietly, she inched over to the pale brute. Willow looked different now – taller, more grown up. But her shy smile, one reserved for only a few wolves, was just the same as she greeted Grigori. ”Hi! I know you!” She paused to see if he would remember her, as well, hope shining in her bright eyes.



@Arythmetik @Adair @Nimue @Grigori

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Only two more wolves snuck into the class, one joining the front next to the professor. Mint wafted the air from the tan male, clinging to his fur like smoke. He watched the professor like the rest of them, not without greeting him with a soft nuzzling. It made the golden man's heart clench for a quick second; he felt as if a flash freeze went up the back of his spine, making him sit up straighter. How was he still affected by this? It'd been a while since he'd even seen the metallic man. He'd been banished after all.

Adair tried to pry his mind off the subject and glanced to the other girl that arrived, giving a small dip of his head when they met eyes. After greetings were passed around, Aryth started the class. The professor seemed excited. There was something more to this lesson, something that he had not taught before. Of course, Adair's specialty was in medicine and biology, but this would be wonderful knowledge to obtain. He was interesting, where Adair did not find his eyes drifting somewhere else. Funny, so Adair smiled. It was easy to listen to him through his lecture, golden tinted ears honing in.

After the male finished, Adair peered around him, seeing as they were going to have pick partners, and it wasn't like he could sneak out now, leaving them in odd numbers. He took a quick breath, pulling himself up to all fours, seeing as the youngest in the class had already gone up to the professor's helper and claimed him as her partner. So his eyes turned to the woman he'd nodded to previously and made his way over. "Hello.. I think we're the only two left. I'm Adair by the way." He introduces himself, an undertone of hesitation in his voice. It'd been a long time since he'd gone out of his comfort zone and talked to those he wasn't approached by first.

"Speak and be heard."

@Nimue

P

hysics was not something Nimue had ever contemplated before and thus her attention was fully and intensely set on Aryth, once the lesson had started. It was an intriguing concept, simply due to the fact that it was something so ingrained in their every day lives that she hardly noticed it as a subject worth studying. A wolf would gain their bearings and navigate the world without a thought as to why or how or what was it that made it so.

As the Professor went on to explain the basics of the study in detail, Nimue did her best to absorb it all. Newton's Laws...that was most interesting. That is what the foundation of all of this, but who was this Newton fellow to claim this way of their own living experiences as his own and to call them binding law. Nimue's nose visibly wrinkled when the theories were introduced in such a way, yet she tried to look beyond it and focus on the subject matter rather than their arrogant founder.

Nimue could not help but to smirk as she watched the way Arythmetik used his "assistant" to demonstrate what all of this meant. Any excuse to be close to him, huh, Poet? She directed the thought towards her friend with a sly grin. Then it was suddenly announced that they might partner with someone if there were no questions. She turned her gaze over to the other male present in their group of students. The brute approached her and she allowed it, awaiting his introduction before she held a paw out in a greeting.

"Last, but certainly not least. Not so by my standards anyway. Charmed to meet you, darling. Nimue, although Nim will suit me just fine." She tilted her head back towards Aryth and cut her eyes at Adair. "What do you suppose he'll have us do? Push each other off of a cliff?" Her melodic laughter filled the air and she winked at him in case the jest was not completely obvious.



@Arythmetik @Willow @Adair @Grigori

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

He hadn’t expected the students to pay him too much mind, and for the most part, he was correct – the exception being that one of them gave him a rather nasty look, although it was so brief that he couldn’t be sure if it wasn’t merely a trick of light. Regardless, there was no time to dwell on it, as Aryth was getting down to work.

The cowboy could put two and two together at the very least, so the preamble made him realize that this lecture was a consequence of a conversation they once had. It made him happy that the scholar was finally allowing himself the time to focus on what he was truly passionate about. He also felt a sudden weight of responsibility. It’d be disastrous if this class isn’t well-received, so he had to make every effort to play his part without fault.

It was truly impressive how the young professor could carry out his explanation without a moment of hesitation, never losing his train of thought or having to pause to look for the right words.. all while being the center of everyone’s attention, no less. It wasn’t a rigidly memorized lecture either, because he couldn’t imagine rehearsing comments about the weight of his muscles. Which, incidentally, sounded perhaps a bit to self-assured by personal experience, even if it was humorous and common sense alike. It could be that Grigori only saw it that way because he already knew it, but now he felt like everyone would be thinking it, and that made him much more nervous.

So, when Aryth asked him to, the blonde brute approached in rather stiff steps. He couldn’t look at the students, merely at some indescript point behind them. But then when the russet male leaned against his side, that was a much easier sensation to focus on. One that brought Grigori comfort. The sound of his voice of soothing, even when the meaning was difficult to follow. It seemed like a great many words to describe something that anyone who has even a little experience with.. well, living, would be aware of. It wasn’t something he’d care to learn on his own, when what he knew instinctively without words was good enough. Though the scholar admitted as much, so perhaps this is all leading up to some greater point?

“Uh, sure.” He glanced towards Aryth, and that was all it took to know that he didn’t need to brace himself too much. Not that a wolf of this size couldn’t give him a good shove, but a wide, lowered stance is good for taking a hit, or ramming through a smaller obstacle – not attempting to budge a greater one. For a moment, Grigori considered pretending to be pushed considerably. It could be funny… ah, but it would mess with Aryth’s point if the result wasn’t what it should be. So he just stood there, and watched the scholar bounce off of his side harmlessly. Then the explanation continued, and became a bit too much for him to follow. What does this have to do with flying off? And if that’s the case, then what does it mean about things that do fly off, like birds and bugs? Aryth allowed some time for questions, so he could have asked.. but it’d feel weird to outdo the actual students in terms of curiosity, and he wasn’t keen on possibly making a fool of himself in front of them. If it keeps bothering him, he has the luxury of being able to ask whenever he wants to, in private.

In all honesty, having to pair up with someone else wasn’t something that had crossed his mind as a possibility in his mental preparation for this event. He hesitated for a moment; without Aryth to rely on, he was completely out of his depth in anything related to the college. Then, he felt annoyed with himself. It’s just one lesson and a bunch of students, why does he keep getting uneasy? He just had to deal with it and stop being a baby. “Pawnin' me off already? Fine.” he joked, forcing a grin on before he moved to walk towards the rest of the class. He barely took a few steps when the familiar girl popped up right in front of him. Ah. What a greeting. But even though it wasn’t much, it was more than most wolves around here could say. “Good to see ye kept at it.” He’d told her not to quit her studies too rashly, Grigori could remember that much… but what was her name? It’d be rude to say he couldn’t recall.. he’ll have to just act naturally and hope that it won’t come up.

„*”