[OFFICE] Professor Selene's Office (Read Plot Request Post!)

[Nio Love]

Professor Selene's Inbox!

You may now leave your homework posted here at any time, and Professor Selene will grade your work by editing the grade into the post.

 

[poke mattix]

A few days after the class, Astra turned in her homework to Selenes inbox, slipping it in and walking off happily knowing she had one less thing to do for school.

Astra's homework

Astra

I think glumguts theory could be very helpful in choosing a way to scare humans. It puts the different types of Fear into categories so we can pick the ones which match the scenario better! And it really helps if there are humans who don't scare easily. For example there are lots of humans who don't think Faeries are scary (which they are, but humans are stupid so they don't know any better), and there are lots of human children who even love us (And they put way to much glitter on us too! Glitter is gross, bugs are better). So we can use glumguts theory to use a different kind of scaring to make them scream! Excellent observation!

For example, we can use the abstract fear of darkness to sneak up on human children when it’s night-time. Children are more prone to being afraid of the dark because they know what’s lurking in the darkness (when human adults don’t, so they are even stupid then children. Stupid human adults not knowing any better). So what you do is sneak up on them, and then suddenly jump out! That’s the best way to scare children. Adults are harder so you can use multiple things to scare them. Like big glowly eyes! Humans really don’t like that, so you can make your eyes glow in the dark and slowly creep up on them. Then you make scary noises, and that show you use the theory to scare humans! Careful, classifying something as abstract can be tricky! But these are some great examples of using Fear creatively!

And there is a fear that fits into all the categories (at least I think it does). It’s gnawing! Cause it fits into tangible since gnawing exists when someone is gnawing on you. With really sharp teeth. And they are usually very big too. It also fits into actional because it’s the action of gnawing on someone. And it can be abstract because you can’t pin it down to one thing. Gnawing can just be the sound, or maybe you don’t like to gnaw on something. But more importantly you don’t want to be gnawed on, or it could be a really big fire breathing dragon with razor sharp teeth that you don’t want gnawing on you. And it’s something you can’t grow up from either. How can you grow up to not be afraid of a creature that’s always going to be bigger then you? Unless you can’t trick said creature and make it your minion or something, but that’s really hard to do. You need to have powerful magic for that, and I don’t have strong enough magic. Or maybe you could use potions, but you gotta be able to slip it into their food. Bribery is stupid way cause you need lots of money and it doesn’t do anything besides making you look stupid. But anyway you can’t really face it either because there will always be really nasty meanie jerks who would like to nom on smaller people. And gnawing is a legitimate fear! Even halloweeners are scared of it, yeah! Gnawing is not an abstract fear, but your examples of how it fits into the other two are quite good.

Quote:

Grade: B
You've learned a lot from attempting to classify and come up with alternating Fears! These are all very interesting ideas and your creativity will get you far in the world of Fear! Unfortunately you seem to have some trouble with the understanding of Abstract Fear, I suggest a bit more research into the subject! Thank you for your homework!

 

[Pales]

It was late. He knew it was late. Kettil felt horrible as he walked down the hall while Endzela perched on his shoulder lecturing him.

"Not only do you do all that stuff before she even starts teaching because you're BORED but then you turn in your homework late?! I just don't believe you, Kettil!" Endzela tittered at him while he hung his head low. Into the mail box the homework went along with a hastily scrawled note.

Kettil's Homework

Kettil Blacke & Endzela

I believe that Glumgut's Theory is very helpful in the way that it simplifies the process of scaring immensely. Not all humans have a phobia that is we can decide how to use it against them, thinking of a scare in terms of 'tangible', 'actional', and 'abstract' helps a lot when forming the scare because otherwise we get all lost and confused and junk because some of us might try a scare outside of our element and when we do that we need to try and make up for it in our own way and stuff. Sometimes we might mess up either way but at least then we know how we can fix it for next time or something. An excellent observation of the importance of classification!

The categories also help you know to learn how to master something that you might not be good at if you failed a type of scare on a human (or even in practice). For example I might need to brush up on abstract fears because I can't figure out how properly pull it off - putting a category on it just gives me a better way to figure out what kind of things to focus on like the fear of the Future of the fear of Death are things I can practice on since I know what category they belong in! Abstract fear is often the hardest to use. Practice makes perfect! Very good point.

It also helps to kind of narrow things down when scaring a human. I mean if none of these categories work then they must have soul of steel or they are just really dumb - too dumb to be scared of anything at all! I also think that these categories help in a way of classifying your own strengths instead of just focusing on your own weaknesses. You can focus on getting EVEN better at that category than you were before because we can't just work in one category alone because then humans might get wise to you or just stop getting scared of you at all!

I would be interested in learning how you can probably use them in combination because then that just opens a whole new world of scares that we can use on someone like the fear of dying due to being on fire or even fear of falling really hard into a body of water stuff like that, maybe? I mean it seems like just simply knowing the category isn't enough to know what scares to use sometimes! Very limiting and not very imaginative! I think I could have a lot of fun doing that! Wonderful!

Some of the things that were touched on like Slipthroat's theories sound interesting too I hope to hear more about that versus what Glumgut has put in. I think they are both very interesting people to hear from but I believe that maybe Slipthroat is a bit jealous because he didn't ponder the possibilities of categorization first! Maybe he wouldn't have given Glumgut such a hard time if he'd just put his pride away for a couple of minutes and take a moment to ponder all the wonderful things that could happen.

In closing I very much support Glumgut's Theory because it opens a lot of possible doors in the world of scaring humans and gathering FEAR and it might help us in figuring out how to produce better scares in general within the Human Realm!

Kettil's Little Note

- Sorry it is late, I lost track of time but I got it in before next class! I hope it is soon, I really enjoyed learning about all those theories.

Quote:

Grade: A-

Your theories on the importance and optimal usage of Glumguts categorization are stupendous! I see great promise in you! Your paper is very well written, and would have received a perfect score if it had been submitted a tad bit earlier. But I appreciate your effort nonetheless! Thank you!

 

[Raja]

Molan was always one for being prompt when giving official work. After all, there was something of family name to be said on the whole matter. Needless to say, when he was assigned his homework and a book to review he took the bit seriously. Which led to him reading a book on 'Natural Forms Outside Their Own', which ended up being more of a guide to the use of natural forms when surviving in environments they were not designed for. Fascinating enough, seeing as his own had many issues when not in a cold snowscape, but it didn't go into as much detail as he might have hoped. It was a bit interesting that a creature, small and harmless, had popped out of the book while studying and writing his paper though. Amusing enough. All it seemed good for was crying out and roaring at the top of it's lungs when it wanted something. It was kind of cute too, in an odd way.

The paper left in the box was neatly written by hand, attached is a small picture of a beast that had appeared with the creature and a note mentioning that it came from the book. And that it had been named Squeaks. For it's ever so prominent voice. Somehow the boil felt that Professor Selene might enjoy that.

PET IN HATCHED FORM

A note attached: Squeaks here appeared from the book while reviewing the section in regards to swamps. It seems he is reptilian in nature, though not entirely a dragon. Perhaps a strange mixture of the two.

Molan's Homework

Molan Threepwood

The ability to survive, and make use of all of one's capabilities in every environment is key to utilization in all situations. The author, Vickto Mirebog, documents a variety of situations after working with a multitude of different associates to obtain key examples of ways to handle each of the main world settings you would come across. The involved parties included a wide selection of creatures that did cover each of the primary elements so give a good overview for every Fear Being to gain basic information from. My personal outlook on the documentation is that it is a valid source of a wide scope, however lacks much heavy detail for each. So while useful in gaining an understanding to each type of creature, it lacks the in depth I would have found more useful to my own personal application. Still, Mirebog is clearly passionate in his pursuit of bettering the general audience in their ability to survive in the wild and human world using their own natural abilities.

I found the section in relation to managing in deserts to be of personal interest, as it is an environment I have not personally dealt with. Managing in areas such as the Firelands, or heated areas and information on how to do so are of great value for an ice based being such as myself. The author's suggestions involved use of ones own fear abilities to a degree to assist with maintaining a balance as necessary for survival. For such areas traveling in the evening is clearly key, but also explained many of the natural hazards, or boons one could come across as well.

Deserts as a whole seemed the most cruel environment of them all. The Firelands, while rough and covered in potential fire hazards, do have areas where one can seek shelter away. Things like caves, or at least simple cover from rocks. The shade provides a slightly more cool environment as well as a way to avoid any wildlife. However, the desert itself leaves one at risk from sandstorms, the sun, and any beasts. As well there are many creatures that lurk under the sands. This leaves any heavy footed, or not dense-furred creature at risk to the region. Still, the heavy coat to protect oneself in a situation leads to overheating issues if you are out in the day, and finding shelter to avoid that is akin to finding two matching snowflakes. As well, due to the nature of a desert it clearly lacks any real areas to rest. One must merely manage their way across. Even the fire based demon who was assisting found issues due to the harsh situation. However, Mirebog did mention that they lacked a comrade who would fit as having this as their proper environment. So they did not have as many tips beyond the basics. It was unfortunate, but there really was little about survival in those situations due to not having an expert. Still, the fire demon did have a lot of good points and I would suggest the chapter on the Firelands to anyone intending to visit there.

Mirebog did also have a section for the human realms, describing them as less severe versions of the areas we find in our own. They have deserts, mountains, snowscapes, oceans, and every sort of area one could hope for. They obviously lack the potentially dangerous beasts that we have roaming our own for the most part, however they have other hazards. Mirebog explained a great deal about large mechanical things, the rituals of some regions, and suggestions for ways to make use of them to one's abilities. It's intriguing, and quite useful to know which regions of the human world fear which beast most. Such things make utilizing one's own personal form to a full extent easier. While I was previously aware of the origins of my own race, it was useful to learn which other regions have higher chances of falling prey to fears of being lost in storms. It seems that few regions fear foxes, but some do find them more interesting. This of course, includes our main region in the east, but it was valuable to learn that a few other regions in northern areas are prone to wishing to follow them as well. Such could be useful after graduation.

While these are a few points that I care to review in more detail, the guide covers a variety of realms and the uses of various natural forms including dragons, canines, felines, aquatics, birds, and a few reptiles in the areas. This is a good intro for anyone starting to delve into the subject of finding locations that might suite you, how to manage in them, and what might be key to avoid. It even covers some dietary tips you might be able to find in the various zones for survival. While Mirebog's are an overview due to the wide nature of the subject it has many great points and could prove useful to any student who came across it. If someone is interested in the topic, it is a lovely introduction to the topic. It certainly brought up a few points I'll be reviewing in personal time in regards to handling swamps as well. After all, there are more than a few beasts lurking beneath the surface, one must due more than a shallow hole of knowledge to truly understand how to avoid them all.

OOC

HOW DOES I ESSAY? D: I sucked at writing papers for school. Now I'm writing them for ARPEE? /fails
inb4bigfatF

Quote:

Grade: A+

Stunning work, Molan! I look forward to reading many more insightful papers from you in the future! Thank you!

 

[Pixie Krysta Ordreg]

Rosy wasn't one for really getting things in on time. In fact, it came as a surprise to her that she actually managed to finish her essay. Before making a mad dash for the exist, she picked up a random book off one of the shelf. It was only when she got to her dorm did she realize she picked up “Frostbound Forms,” by Mortimar Rimefrost. It didn't seem like a bad one, so she just went with it.

Though, what bugged her the most was the little dragon she was now dealing with. Halfway through her book, she had turned the page when it started to to spark to life with fire.

This instantly caught her attention, and she leaned over the book curious as to what would happen next. This was a mistake, and it showed now as she rubs at her nose. She came very close to losing it as the dragon came bursting out of her book, and snapped at her face. She been thrown off her bed, and before she could finally get back up, her book was being torn and eaten by the creature in front of her.

Having only read half the book, she tries to finish her essay based on what she remembered she read. Every once in awhile, she glance over at the minipet who was now chew on a raw piece of meat she had given it. At least she found something it might like. Better it eating that, and not her minipets.

It took her a couple of days, as she had to rewrite the essay several times until she was pretty sure she did the best she could.

Four days later, Professor Selene would find the essay with the image of the minipet on her desk.

Report

Rosmiera Vaughn

After reading “Frostbound Forms,” by Mortimar Rimefrost, I learned that there are many types of frost based natural forms. Some frost based creatures even have no solid forms at all! It seems that beings based off the natural elements tend to have the largest amounts of forms. Forms seem to vary from being to being even of the same species.

For instance – some Frost Demons have solid natural forms, some are made of pure ice, while others are pure elemental beings of ice and wind. Though Mortimar argued that these different forms of demons could be considered their own separate species of demon each with a subtype of frost, but as of the books publishing it seems that the argument is still up for debate.

Mortimar also covered different varieties of Frost Monsters, including the Wendigo, Yeti and Ice Dragon.

The Wendigo, often confused with the Yeti and even the Sasquatch – often have very large, bulky forms with large teeth and claws. Mortimar noted that Wendigos vary in color, some are dark brown while others are white as fresh-fallen-snow, which is common in the regions of Halloween they tend to reside. Wendigos tend to favor snow-storms and blizzards, often using them as camouflage.

Yeits on the other hand, prefer clear snow-capped mountain ranges, have large hair covered bodies and tend to always be white or blue-white. While they share large teeth and claws like the Wendigo, they tend to have a less bestial visage than Wendigos. Yetis tend to favor higher altitudes, as well as colder temperatures than Wendigos.

Ice Dragons tend to reside in any area where ice and snow remain year round. They grow large rather quickly, often staying still and looking like large masses of ice. Ice Dragons tend to maintain a white coloring over their entire body, allowing them to blend in with their surroundings better. Ice Dragons often share their territory with other Frost based creatures, finding them to be useful neighbors as many Ice Dragons find traveling into warmer climates very uncomfortable. Their natural form tends to feature large wings and thick tails which they use to break ice, as well as long jagged claws and huge fangs also used to crush and break up ice. They can also breath blasts of ice-cold air, allowing new ice to form as they see fit.

Mortimar noted that most frost based creatures prefer to use their natural form as it allows them to best use of their attributes, as in the case of the Ice Dragon, where in their natural form, they are more able to rend and tear large floes of ice to make their homes, than if they not large ice-breathing flying reptilians.

In conclusion, frost based creatures tend to prefer their natural forms for the utility they provide, along with their ability to handle the cold climates to which they have grown accustom. Frost based monsters such as the Wendigo and Yeti, can easily be mistaken for the other if the time is not take to properly identify them, however, the differences are quite obvious once they are pointed out. All in all, creatures with frost based natural forms tend to prefer cold climates and tend to be very cold themselves. Mortimar said this is due to their affinity for the cold, it allows them to stay in cold environments longer without the need to heat up.

Image of Minipet

While reading the book I had chosen, halfway through it this little dragon type minipet literally came busting out of my book. I don't know how I'm going to explain to the Librarian what happen to the book. As this little thing ate the book. Cover to cover, gone.

It seems hungry all the time, so I am having to keep meat handy. If I don't, it tries to eat my other minipets. The bigger ones, I'm not to worried about, but my little ones....Um....yea I'm having to keep them up on my bed for their own safety.

I'm not really sure what to make of it honestly. But if I can figure out how to tame this little one, he might be a pretty nice companion.

No name as of right now.

OOC Note

I would have had this done sooner, but I'm in the process of packing for my move, and my sister in law came to visit over the weekend. So I became super busy.

Quote:

Grade: A-

Very well written! I would have been very interested in hearing a little more concerning your personal thoughts on the book, something to think about for next time! Thank you!

 

[PhiferWolf]

The visual input of individuals are a powerful aspect of a person's mind, the informational center of cognitive processes. Through these processes, the body responds with like reactions even if the visual stimuli is not present. In a recent observation, I watched as moving images that provoked immediate and over-time responses from the subjects. I would like to first point out that the subjects were 'humans', a species where the idea of dying is a the biggest subject of fear. Fear in humans are of aspects that could harm them, especially those that ultimately lead to their biggest fear; death.

The subjects, and other observers, displayed the appropriate response to sudden images appearing before them resulting in shrieks, screams, or hiding in some form. This may be due to the mind processed an image quickly and the accompanying sound. Because the image, if seen, is quick, one's instinct is to react defensively. However, if the imagine is not seen, but the accompanied sound resulted in the subject to react instinctively to a similar manner as before because the object coming at them is unknown. In both cases, the subject reacted defensively in the situation that they were best able to; because the object appears suddenly, it leaves the subject with little time to react, thus screamed, to incite it's own fear or alarm others, and shielding oneself, to hide or block. Another reaction was that of fear over-time. While the moving images continued to play, the images displayed a series of events that subjects could tell that something is not right and that something could occur to the humans in the images. In a way, I believe, that the humans put themselves as the humans in the images on the wall as a way to understand. In which case, they feel that they are in danger themselves and react in a way that is appropriate. With the over-time inducing fear, as the time prolongs and they feeling of dread is present, when the actual event occurs, which is often the sudden type, the reaction is much more pronounced. In both situations the subjects were objected to hypothetical and non-present instances where they could possibly be harmed. As such, they reacted out of instinct to protect themselves out of fear of being harmed. If this is the case, then the biggest fear inducing stimuli is of any sort which portrays the possibility of causing harm to an individual.

If a student is afraid of crowds, the sight of seeing a crowded area would set of a reaction. If a student is afraid of fire, the sight of flames or any indication of the material to be present could result in a similar reaction. The ability to cause illusion is a powerful skill to have among students. Illusions are like the moving images, thus the effect should very well be the same. The mind must process the visual stimulation of 'being harmed' to a level equal to that of 'being harmed' physically. The subject of phobia is another topic that could be looked into as an expansion on the subject of visual stimulation that could induce fear.

Quote:

Grade: A

Flawlessly written! Thank you!

 

[Raja]

And once more, after another class with Selene, Molan found himself wandering back to the woman's office. Not that he disliked her, just that she seemed about the only teacher to request proper homework. What an odd, peculiar thing. For him to find it rare for someone to require homework on him. He didn't mind, actually writing essays was a bit of an enjoyable process for him, and seeing as he'd paid close enough attention to the movie... not too painful to recall. Well, aside from the part he had to sit a seat away from the brat. And had been covered in popcorn.

...thinking back on it part of it was his fault.

Oh! And losing his tail. And ears. And horns. And being human in general. He could have passed on that part. Actually it might have been a bit amusing if they'd all taken their pins off during the movie while no one was watching. You know, and scared the already terrified movie-goers a bit. That would have likely been a suggestion his brother had made, or just been amusing. Either way, he sort of felt sad there hadn't been more mishaps in the trip. It almost went too smoothly. Minus their teacher being knocked into an open grave with a shovel.

Not the best moment there.

Still, all in all... an interesting class. Perhaps he'd keep an eye out for her topics, aside from attacking beasts and her somewhat... frail nature that left her falling over a lot.. well she seemed one of the more sane teachers. And didn't end up turning him an array of colors.

Molan could respect that. Which was why once again, a sheet of paper with homework was left behind in her box as promptly at the boil could manage. Because anything less was unacceptable.

Molan's Homwork

Molan Threepwood

I would like to start, by stating that after witnessing humans firsthand. I believe they make our roles a bit too easy. They seem skittish, frail, and easily frightened by the smallest of things. If a mere image on a screen, mind you it was one that popped out, is enough to send several nearly leaping from their chairs, then certainly anything a Halloween Citizen could produce will potentially cause a heart attack. Thankfully, that at least do not keel over quite that easily.

That said, I believe some of the finer points to gaining a greater effect involve the use of proper cues along with the attempt. Lightning, sounds, even just a shadow. The silence itself suddenly being broken by a loud noise was enough to scatter them. I believe one of the finer points they used was the fact it was night, which made seeing things near impossible for humans. (They do have such poor eyesight in such situations I have heard. Tragic, really.) This created a feeling of the unknown. They never knew what lurked around the corner. Which is where sound came in so closely. Their secondary sense they relied on was just that. Hearing. So when they couldn't hear, nor see, they were rather terrified. Both those in the film and the theater.

Not that silence was required. As per the kitchen, the tiny click of nails to prove something was there also drew a similar effect. That quiet knowing that you have little to no chance to escape, that it's patrolling for you. That seemed to fear the sensation of something lurking nearly as much as never knowing if someone could be there.

Size as well does play a large role I will add. Humans, from my gathering, just dislike anything larger than them. Their initial reaction to anything that was big was to scream or run first, usually both, and then realize it was harmless. It truly makes me wonder how they'd react to some of our larger students even if all they desired was a handshake.

Though in truth, I believe the greatest induction of fear for humans portrayed in this movie it one very specific, and rather important to note, thing. They feel a need to control all that around them. They also fear what they cannot control. They showed little to no fear of the beasts(perhaps respect for them) until the things didn't do as required. Even in the first scene where the man was eaten. It was not until he was in the beasts gaping jaws that they felt any true anxiety. Because the creature was trapped in a cage. Respect for the danger it could pose, but not true fear. On the ride to look at the dinosaurs as well, they felt no fear even looking at the goat about to be eaten by the largest of the things. They were curious and wished to see it. Until it was on the loose.

This shows that humans true fear is in what they are unable to control. If they feel they are still on top in a situation they will likely not be afraid and may lash out. It is when they realize they are no longer going to win in an outright fight they they feel anxiety, and better yet, all out fear for the situation. At which point they run, they escape, they may fight. Though any of that is just in pure blind desperate survival instinct and little else. So in truth, if one truly desires to leave humans scrambling for their lives while never lifting a finger to scratch them you would simply need to portray and show in some way that they can not, and will never be able to truly control you. To stop you. At that point. A human will truly, and completely fear you for what you are.

Quote:

Grade: A+

Your observations on human need for control are brilliant! Well done as always!

 

[chirigami]

It seemed for once, Olivia would actually be doing homework. Or at she just followed someone to Selene's office and realize they were turning in something and jotted down something very quickly. Most likely the latter. But, there was something on Miss Selene's desk from the little wight. Good luck reading it and making sense of it.

Oh wow, Olivia's homework!

BY OLIVIA


Scaring humans with images seemed to be a very easy thing to do. In the movie and also not inside the movie. It was very odd that some of the characters in the movie knew what the dinosaurs were but were still very scared of them, didn't they know that would happen? And just by looking at them and the dinosaurs pointy teeth and stuff seemed to send them running. The dinosaurs weren't even that big and didn't even have like fire (there was a long pause after writing this word out) or anything. Just teeth. Though, they were attacking those humans so, I guess that would be scary and why they wanted guns and stuff to not be eaten. And the humans watching this movie seemed very frightened by this. Perhaps they thought these characters were like friends or creeple they knew and didn't want them to get hurt, I wouldn't. It would be sad. It was hard to tell what exactly was scaring them since they were in the front row and I didn't pay all that much attention at times but I think a few of the ghouls in the front screamed a little when something popped out or there was a large sound. Actually, I think I kind of did too. It was all very sudden. So, that seems rather effective. Things popped out suddenly. I noticed the FEAR also a lot more near the end of the movie, unless it was just collecting and I didn't notice. But near the end when I started to pay attention a little more it seemed like things were picking up a lot more with the characters on the screen. There was a lot of running and characters trying to get away and trying not to get attacked. I think a few of them died also, so the humans watching were very afraid of the rest of the cast maybe and watching the smaller faster dinosaurs just go at everyone until the big one ate them at the end.

I think the big one just wanted to be friends with everyone, and I don't know why all the human characters were so afraid of her. She saved them at the very end too and they just left her. That was a little sad really. She did go after the scarlings in the car, if I remember right, but they got her attention with the light when one of the male humans was clearly telling her not to. They were in different cars but even the little boil was telling her to stop. I think some of the humans up front were frightened by that part, or maybe nervous and worried for the scarelings and for the rest of the humans throughout the movie. Nervous is like being scared but only a little. Like with fire (another pause) thankfully there wasn't a lot in the movie itself. There were a lot during the previews. Humans seem to like fire when I think its rather scary.

But yes. It seems that humans can be easily scared by images and movies and things like that. I found a word, suspense? Because they didn't know what was going to happen throughout the movie so they grew worried and afraid. And scared. And made FEAR.

Quote:

Grade: A-

Good observation concerning the importance of suspense! Well done! Thank you!

 

[phantompanther13]

Andrew shuffled by and shoved in a slightly crispy piece of paper printed on both sides.

Quote:

Andrew Conner
Professor Selene
Indirect Visual Stimuli

The Use of Movies to Create Fear

Humans produce fear through visual stimulis even though no actual danger is present. They fear large creatures, and shadows, and seem to be most afraid when no creature is present on the screen. The fear of where they might be seems to be stronger than the actual presence.

The use of sound in the movie was also a form of indirect fear the vibrations allowed the humans in the room to feel as if a creature was there. The other visual simulius such as the water shaking in the cup, also allowed humans to see the big dinosaurs presence without direct visual contact. The humans in the theater reacted to that, and the people who were displaying signs of fear on the screen to produce actual FEAR. Another indirect fear was the use of water and the fact they were on an island. The water was calm in the scenes leading up to the main portion of the movie but it clearly indicated they were cut off from other people. It was not easy for them to rejoin their herds. They also had many obstacles to rejoin their herds, such as the gates that were meant for the creatures.

Rain was another environmental fear. Although it did nothing to harm the humans it obscured vision and got them wet. They did not seem bothered by it actually touching them but the rain’s presence made the movie scarier. Rain was also accompanied by darkness which obscured the vision of the Big dinosaur when it was chasing the humans.

Even though it was a movie another point in which the humans gave a strong reaction was when the one human was eaten. Seeing another one of their kind die is clearly a strong creator of FEAR. Clearly it is against the law to actually kill a human but the Fear created from making a human think another is dead is very strong. In the case of the movie, it was a useful indirect stimulus. Illusionis might be able to use that to their advantage if they have some skill. Another option would be, to create a fire and spilt the humans apart and make them think the other is dead from the fire. Another point when we knew there was a dead human was the arm that touched the woman. She showed signs of relief and then extreme fear. Humans want to be together and giving them the illusion that they are followed by a removal of that belief causes them to create more FEAR. Another time when that is present is when the children were afraid the man was going to leave them because the other man from the car had abandoned them.

They also seem to have a natural fear of fire, which was present in many of the previews. The fire often occurred at times of excitement due to explosions that the humans created themselves. This likely means humans will continue to use fire as a natural fear stimulus in future movies.

Using movies can be a useful way of creating fear for any type of monster or otherwise as they can be presented without creeple actually being present. This also allows for humans to voluntarily create fear. The humans seemed to enjoy the movie despite being scared and therefore will continue to return to scare themselves.

Quote:

Grade: A-

All very good observations! Thank you!

 

[Pales]

Kettil had no excuses. Excuses wouldn't do. Either way he turned his homework in and slunk off with his head appropriately bowed in shame.

He'd turned in his homework late again.

Quote:

Kettil Blacke
Professor Selene Apophis
CLASS: Intro to Natural Forms

I find that I am a little like a fish out of water with the subject of having natural forms and using said form to get FEAR from humans. I appreciate all the hard work and effort that those with Natural Forms have to go through to get the FEAR to keep Halloween going as it is today, but I can't say I understand it entirely.

The inability to understand Natural Forms got me to seek out a book that better explained it in simpler terms, at least for me. The book I found came in form of a rather insulting title of, Natural Forms for Complete Imbeciles by Ira Ate-Wulf. Still, I gave the book a chance because maybe it would be able to teach me something.

Natural forms can be honed over time by those that have them to become more powerful and able to draw in better fear but not all forms are created equally in a sense. Some are larger and some are much, much smaller but draw in about the same amount of FEAR depending on the human they approach with the form they have. A monster with a wolf form may not get the same result from a human that isn't particularly scared of wolves where as a monster with much smaller spider form might garner a more successful fright. Not all humans are scared of the same creature and so I find that those with Natural Forms have to be much, much more careful when picking who to frighten while out in the field.

Adversely, here in Halloween, there is an advantage to having a larger more frightening form than that of your peers. Those with a more terrifying or higher power can possibly intimidate or get respect of those around them to get things done. While those with smaller forms may find themselves prey to the larger folk that have natural forms, due to the 'food chain' effect. Again, the book reiterates, that just because an individual has a smaller form doesn't always mean you are at the 'bottom of the totem pole of life'. Some that can take the form of a highly venomous creature, despite being small, can command a high power and high respect of their peers.

I can see why those with natural forms might be proud of what they can achieve and they have every right to be. There is a need to be cautious around the more aggressive humans who will gleefully hunt unusual creatures to try and turn into trophies or even pull apart to study them more closely to see if they are fact or even if they are tasty. As humans apparently want to stick anything in their mouths they can get a hold of or so Ira Ate-Wulf claims.

All-in-all I found the book to be informative but it was also so dumbed down that I had to actually read the book in short sittings or else the book would quickly find its way into a pile of burning wood...

Quote:

It keeps trying to chew on the essay...

Quote:

Grade: A-

Wonderful work on your assignment but we've talked about being late with homework already, Mr. Blacke. Tsk tsk!

 

[poke mattix]

'Someone' may of just remembered that they had homework due from a few previous classes, and had snuck in to drop the essay off before creeping out of the office with a innocent whistle.

Quote:

The book I grabbed is called Nautical denizens of the deep, and it appears to be a very detailed description of a few monsters that reside in the deepest parts of halloween oceans. I say a few because it's nearly impossible to catalogue that many things at such a inaccessible level. It's interesting though to read up on them, and how they use their forms to scare humans. For example, there's a creature that's called the 'loch ness monster'. It's like a sea serpent mixed with a seal, though has less of the cute and more of the sharp teeth and wanting to eat you. It lives in very deep lakes, and only surfaces to scare humans at nighttimes or in low light areas. The book also mentions that some humans seem to worship this beast. They wear strange green dresses without underpants, and play these instruments made with sheepish intestines in hopes they'll summon it. Pretty cool, wish I could have some humans worshiping me.

The book also goes into depth about sea serpents and how they attack large marine vessels with their natural forms. Some are even large enough to sink a whole ship with just one coil of their body! Usually these sea serpents are centuries old, or in some cases can be over a thousand years old. Though weather they would be called a 'ancient' or not, the book doesn't specify.

One last creature the book talks about is called a angler fish. The human world has them too apparently, but ours are much larger, with a ton more teeth. Their jaws can extend to engulf all kinds of prey. I even heard of one trying to eat a dragon. (Not that I would know from personal experience or anything...) The book went on to mention some strange facts about the human version of the male angler fish...I better not write it down, as it was somewhat disturbing and made me glad I am a dragon and not a angler fish dude.

I also read some interesting things about the way deep sea monsters tend to scare humans. Though most of it was the standard; Find a large ship, sneak up on it, then jump out and make a lot of noise. This scare tactic can have it's flaws however, namely finding a large ship to scare. But the book talks about using other locations to scare, such as rivers or lakes, swamps, or even swimming pools. There was also the toilet as a option...but it was recommended to creatures with a tiny natural form. Good thing I'm not tiny. The book also has a tiny passage mentioning that a good way to get the maximum fear out of a human was to drag it underwater. I have heard kelpies have done this before, but it usually doesn't work out so well for the human involved.

In summary, Sea creatures are usually giant, and they have interesting yet similar ways to scare people. And some are just weird.

Pokerus

Quote:

Oh, and a puppy jumped out of the book when I opened it.

Quote:

Grade: A-

Well done, you found a lot of great information! Please remember to be less tardy next time, though. Thank you!

 

[poke mattix]

Said person also dropped off some homework from another class

Quote:

Using movies to scare humans seems a lot easier then trying to scare them yourself. This would be because in a movie you can control everything about it. The things you see, the sounds you hear, even what certain humans say and do can be developed by the producer to create a scary effect. The movie we saw on the trip is a good example of this. Humans fear large monsters with sharp teeth and claws, ones that can chase them down and gobble them up. By combining this with suspenseful music, lots of dark areas where you can't see, and some spooky dialogue, you can create something truly frightening. It also helps to have a few humans acting scared as well, since if humans see one of their own is afraid, then they will become afraid as well. If there is something in the area which threatens their lives, then it's only natural to be scared.

Trying to scare humans in real life is more difficult, as you can not control their actions, nor can you predict what they will do. Some humans will fight back to protect themselves and others, which may lead to injury on our part (they may also form large groups and make weird a** weapons in order to hunt us down...). There is also the case that humans may not be scared at all. Without all the special effects of a movie, a monster may not be so scary, and in fact some humans might find them rather interesting or really cool.

It is also worth mentioning that the humans in the movies seem really, really stupid. They make the stupidest decisions which invariably will get them killed. There will also usually be a traitor somewhere making everything worse, not to mention everything just screws up indefinitely. Also, humans like to wonder off by themselves on a regular basis. None of them fight back, and the monsters act like they have PhDs in tracking and stalking.

In order to make a good movie on scaring humans, you need to have a scary monster (who is educated and at least has a degree in capturing humans), lots of quiet and loud suspenseful music, little to no light, lots of cars that take ages to start, and more importantly, humans with no brain power what so ever. It also helps to have one human who is evil or at least doesn't like the other ones.

The best pictures to use for scaring humans, would be ones with the monster showing off their best assets for hunting and killing. Opening their jaws wide and roaring into the camera is sure to give of a terrifying vibe to anyone who happens to see the picture. You can also use a partially hidden monster as well with little to no lighting. If one can only see part of the creature, their imagination will fill them in and likely make it look ten times worse. And only showing off your glowing eyes would make it even more horrifying.

Pokerus

Quote:

Grade: A

Fantastic points! Thank you!