UN: ThreeCoffins

[improbablenotimpossible]

Hello. This is Arthur Bell, RA of Aube 3 and TA for the science courses in the afternoon and evening classes.

I'm open to offering tutoring in chemistry, biology, and physics on weekend afternoons and during breaks if you are staying on campus during holiday. I am fluent in quite a few languages if you feel more comfortable learning in your native tongue - not counting my own native English, I am fluent in German, French and Spanish, while I can carry on a conversation in Japanese and Italian.

And on a less business-like note, I am wondering if there is anyone else at the academy with an interest in mysteries or detective stories - book, film, etc. I'm looking for recommendation and others to discuss the mysteries at length with.

Comments

UN: Epicyon

[heromedal]

Hello, this is Rex.

[ Just in case, yah know. Hasn't been in the dorm for the past couple days, but that's normal Rex. ]

I can't say I've much experience in fictional cases, but I occasionally examine unexplained events (typically from the perspective of those with no understanding of magic) and attempt to reason what truly occurred.

[improbablenotimpossible]

Ah, solving cold cases and phenomenon can be entertaining - though too often other investigators are so wrapped up in their bunkum and balderdash theories that any attempt to illuminate the truth of the matter gets dismissed out of hand.

[heromedal]

True. Additionally, not being able to investigate the situation personally renders it all speculation- but they can be interesting thought experiments to keep me occupied sometimes.

It can be quite confusing when the speculations of those who are not part of the Real World put forth conjecture upon the involvement of magical influences they don't understand as well.

[improbablenotimpossible]

If I have to hear another ridiculous guess about the Ripper murders I will scream.

And I do not like to guess - it's a shockingly terrible habit, one no one should get into. Especially on matters so remote. You look at the evidence and form the theories, and it's best to only bring in magic when mundane answers cannot explain all the evidence.

[heromedal]

Jack the Ripper I could not even begin to speculate on. The data is simply too muddled at this stage.

It is a curious point you make though- that it is moreimportant to be a sceptic when you know that magic is real. There is a horrendous tendency to say 'it's magic' in response to nearly everything, as if that explains anything, from the magical community. Very frustrating.

[improbablenotimpossible]

Police work was quite poor in that era.

I suppose that is an artifact of my being introduced to the supernatural relatively late in life. I considered myself a man of science first and foremost.

[heromedal]

Sorry if it is rude to ask, but is that a first-hand opinion or based on your studies of the time?

[ Immortals, you gotta ask. ]

Personally, I try not to make a distinction. The pursuit of truth is science embodied. Magic is no less scientific than any other field of study- it simply widens the scope of topics. That said, conventional science is more common on Earth and should be the first assumption.

UN: xhatgurlx

[hattersgonnahat]

...arent those like, just normal school stuff? [Would say that those are rather boring to have at a magical school, but...hmm...]

i like a mystery sometimes!

Re: UN: xhatgurlx

[improbablenotimpossible]

That it is, I feel that one shouldn't ignore the core sciences in favor of magic alone. Understanding one will help with the other.

What kind of mysteries do you like?

[hattersgonnahat]

yeah but...theyre boring right?

umm...just the ones they have on tv. i read a couple when i was at my other school.

[If she can find the cover of them, it looks like some sort of elementary level book series. Teens going on wacky mystery solving adventures, likely with some kind of an animal companion.]

[improbablenotimpossible]

[Honestly he would've been shocked if a kid her age was reading Agatha Christie]

They're not boring - but a dull teacher can make anything boring. For example - there's fun things you can with chemistry such as growing crystals, creating smoke bombs - that sort of thing.

[hattersgonnahat]

oh, i wanna do stuff like that!! [Sounds a bit like the rune lessons with Jail, somewhat.]

[improbablenotimpossible]

And you can use the principles behind these little experiments to tackle larger and more complicated works, such as perhaps when you're older to build a rocket if you so wish, or create new forms of medicine.

[hattersgonnahat]

i want a rocket! then i could go into space whenever i want!

[Arthur seems to have found a weak point.]

UN: Galanthusnivalis

[buddinghopes]

I may take you up on the chemistry tutoring, I'm not sure how much of the lessons at my last school actually stuck with me.

As for the mystery stories, I've picked up some of Agatha Christie's works from time to time after I had to read And Then There Were None for a school assignment. I like watching Columbo, too, but I don't know how interested you'd be(/you are) in inverted detective stories.

Re: UN: Galanthusnivalis

[improbablenotimpossible]

Christie is a master at her craft, even if I did not personally care for Poirot as a character, there's something about the little Belgian that rubs me the wrong way. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is on my short list of 'must read'.

Ah - Columbo is quite enjoyable, I've certainly binged the series, the mystery is still there but more 'how does he put the pieces together?'.

[buddinghopes]

That one's on my to-read list! It's sitting on my desk right now, even. I've been planning to get to it once summer vacation starts.

True! Do you have a particular favorite episode?

[improbablenotimpossible]

I also recommend John Dickson Carr - 'The Judas Window' and 'The Three Coffins' in particular. The last is in my opinion one of the best locked room mysteries, and there's a particular monologue in it that you can say serves as a primer to how to puzzle out the Locked Room subgenre.

As for Columbo - 'Death Lends a Hand' - it does a few things different from the usual formula, and the interplay between Columbo and Brimmer is quite well-done.

[buddinghopes]

I'll have to keep an eye out for those the next time I'm at the library, then! Thank you for the recommendation.

I'm pretty fond of that one! It's difficult for me to pick, but if I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably say it's 'A Deadly State of Mind.' I really enjoyed the twist with the blind man's brother.