MC Bookstore Episode Two Hundred and Twelve: So Many Classes!
Episode Two Hundred and Twelve: So Many Classes!
Episode Two Hundred and Twelve: So Many Classes!
“You could take the test for, say, the core classes, and your top five. Then when you finish those, you can add on more classes. How does that sound?” I grabbed a marker and a blank sheet of paper. “Normally, people take 5 to 8 classes at a time until they finish the classes. You then take the next level of the classes offered, if there is one, but some only have one class. You can then replace that class with a totally different one.”
I drew out a sample schedule for one semester, then the second semester.
Indigo watched the marker as I wrote before nodding. “That makes some sense.”
“So if we are looking at this massive list, what 3 extra classes do you want to take more than anything?” The list was longer than I thought it would be, but it had extra classes from the 5th grade through the senior year of high school.
“Art and music, I like those...” She stared at the list, then motioned for me to scroll. “Creative Writing as well.”
I clicked on creative writing, but a few warnings came up that it was only offered to freshman and later students. That meant she would need to test in English at a freshman level.
“Let’s select the first two. For the creative writing course, you need to test high on your English test. That will be the one to focus on.” Art and music both had some things to test, but not much. The early classes were about colors, some composers, and minor projects. Those she just needed to learn a little for.
I was less sure about testing at a high school level of English.
“I already did the stuff for art,” said Indigo and she pointed at the checklist. “Same for music.”
She frowned. “English is reading books, so many... Takes a long time to listen to them.”
I nodded. “English classes usually involve learning how to write and speak in English, which is the language I speak at home.”
I didn’t have a clue what I was speaking at the current moment in time. It could be Dragon or English, I couldn’t really tell anymore.
“I only know some English, but more and more because of the books and lessons. Languages are easy to learn for book dragons.” Indigo glared at the screen before turning to look at me. “Don’t like speaking it, but will need to work on it.”
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“I wish I could learn languages like you,” I said with a smile. “Before coming to the bookstore, they were my worst subject.”
Indigo let out a huff. “So, no creative writing...”
“Maybe in a few semesters you will be able to take it.” I actually had no clue how long it would take before she could take the class. If she started listening ahead to the books on the list, it wouldn’t take her too long. Middle school was where they started assigning specific books to read, and not just to give book reports.
“But you have art you can take, along with music, so that is a win.”
Indigo’s eyes brightened and she nodded. “Need to take the test tomorrow. Then can focus on the classes I have, instead of all the classes.”
“That’s right, you should only focus on what you need to.” I turned the laptop back to her, glad she didn’t need help with a spreadsheet after all. While I needed to use them for my business classes, I wasn’t a big fan of them.
All of this reminded me of my own research I needed to do on the Fates. It was time to figure out exactly who they were, or at least all that I could find on them.
The book I’d received from Indigo appeared on the table next to my journal, where I kept notes on my magic and what I’d found out so far. Lorestone also appeared.
Indigo jerked back as the stone being arrived. “Lorestone! Do you know about English?”
I chuckled to myself and let them have their conversation, though the thought that Lorestone would also be taking class via Indigo came to mind.
Using search within the magic book took effort, but after a few moments a short list of titles appeared. Only one really caught my attention. “Stories of the Fates”
I opened it up and started reading. Thankfully, it wasn’t long, but still it took a good amount of time to finish it. Only ten short chapters, each a different story about someone who either had an encounter with the Fates, or, for the last story, someone who was promoted to a Fate on their deathbed.
Each encounter involved a grouping of at least 3 voices that spoke in harmony most of the time, and sometimes images of 3 people all outlined in gold.
Note to self, if three voices start talking to me, they have much to answer for.
The last story, though, wouldn’t leave my mind. It involved a young girl with fate magic who tried to save someone who had fallen into a frozen stream. While she did save the person, she herself had fallen gravely ill until a visit from the Fates that her mother witnessed. Then she vanished. The story had been written by her mother, who finally accepted she would never see her daughter again.
That just sucked.
She saved someone who she thought was important, and her reward was to get sick then vanish.
Like, I didn’t know what to think about that. My fate magic hadn’t led to anything like that. At least, not yet. It connected people in strange ways, or sometimes showed that they needed an item. Nothing life or death. Then again, I lived in a magical shop, and would for at least another couple of months.
What would my magic be like outside of Betty?
The conversation between Lorestone and Indigo had continued. They now discussed how he could use audiobooks to read the books she spoke about. They weren’t sure of the best way to attempt it, besides having him listen to them aloud.
I quietly stood and moved away from the conversation as Indigo started playing an audiobook out loud using the laptop. Given my empty mug, I walked down the stairs to Betty to make another drink while my mind swirled, thinking of my magic and how it tied me to the Fates.
That night, while getting ready for bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about my magic, and what it meant. Yet, part of me hesitated. Last time I’d tried to use my magic in my dreams, it distorted things and felt too real. Though I had gotten some answers about the Cat, it had been unsettling. Whatever he needed to fix needed to be fixed for him to be free.
Someone had to do it, even if it wasn’t him.
While I wanted to ask about what was left, my own abilities kept coming to mind.
What would happen with my fate magic when I left the Cat and Betty?