SnitchSeeker.com - View Single Post - Arithmancy Lesson 1: Mechanical Calculators, an Introduction

Felixir · 10-06-2019, 01:05 AM

The sound of the closing door meant that Kaiser could no longer get away with being half asleep on his desk. Blinking his eyes hard, he sat up straight and gave his head a little shake. Sure, he could tell himself that once classes were over he could go have a nap in the broom closet, but Kaiser knew better than to think that that would turn out as planned. As soon as he got within fifty feet of a bed or couch, all signs of sleep vanished. It was... frustrating.

Anyway, Arithmancy. And... arithmetic... exercises.

... Maths. Actual, proper maths. Kaiser ran a hand over his face and heaved a great sigh.

He hated maths. Loathed and despised it. Hadn't properly learned it until he was a teenager, and then never got the hang of it. He couldn't imagine he'd be any better at it now.

All the same, Kaiser copied down the unfinished calculations... huh, was number 6 supposed to be missing?... then looked over them and realised he had written several numbers and two symbols wrong. Great start. He scribbled them out, rewrote, and then got to work.

SPOILER!!: there are numbers in here

... And then he was stuck. Kaiser hadn't needed to write any workings out for the first few questions (though he was unaware he had the second and fourth answers wrong), but he could be observed counting on his fingers to help him out. Then he hit multiplication, and it was basically game over. After trying to do the first one in his head, he resorted to working things out as best he could on his parchment. But trying to add six twelves together did his head in, and as he gave up on that question and moved to the next one, he found it only got more ridiculous.

Eventually Kaiser's parchment was covered with attempted workings out for the last five questions, but he was no nearer to writing down any more actual answers. Giving up on the last one, he went back up to the second multiplication question and tried that one again, but Kaiser had been working so slowly that by now he barely had any time left.

10-06-2019, 01:05 AM	#20 (permalink)
Felixir Forum Manager Book Club Mod Alley Proprietor Banshee Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posts: 50,161 Hogwarts RPG Name: Charlie Upstead Gryffindor Fifth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Aurelio Kaiser Slytherin Third Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Alexei Petrov Slytherin First Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Yves Flamel Slytherin Sixth Year Hogwarts RPG Name: Achilles Zacharias Ravenclaw Third Year Diagon Alley Proprietor: Ezekiel Ransom-Kruus Ollivanders x12 x12	Lovely™ \| Captain Hurted \| Ariana's Bane \| Resident Antagonist \| Unparalleled Delight The sound of the closing door meant that Kaiser could no longer get away with being half asleep on his desk. Blinking his eyes hard, he sat up straight and gave his head a little shake. Sure, he could tell himself that once classes were over he could go have a nap in the broom closet, but Kaiser knew better than to think that that would turn out as planned. As soon as he got within fifty feet of a bed or couch, all signs of sleep vanished. It was... frustrating. Anyway, Arithmancy. And... arithmetic... exercises. ... Maths. Actual, proper maths. Kaiser ran a hand over his face and heaved a great sigh. He hated maths. Loathed and despised it. Hadn't properly learned it until he was a teenager, and then never got the hang of it. He couldn't imagine he'd be any better at it now. All the same, Kaiser copied down the unfinished calculations... huh, was number 6 supposed to be missing?... then looked over them and realised he had written several numbers and two symbols wrong. Great start. He scribbled them out, rewrote, and then got to work. SPOILER!!: there are numbers in here 1 + 6 = 7 7 + 17 = 23 25 - 7 = 18 156 - 82 = 34 4 × 7 = 24 6 × 12 = 13 × 15 = 135 ÷ 9 = 144 ÷ 12 = 471 ÷ 3 = ... And then he was stuck. Kaiser hadn't needed to write any workings out for the first few questions (though he was unaware he had the second and fourth answers wrong), but he could be observed counting on his fingers to help him out. Then he hit multiplication, and it was basically game over. After trying to do the first one in his head, he resorted to working things out as best he could on his parchment. But trying to add six twelves together did his head in, and as he gave up on that question and moved to the next one, he found it only got more ridiculous. Eventually Kaiser's parchment was covered with attempted workings out for the last five questions, but he was no nearer to writing down any more actual answers. Giving up on the last one, he went back up to the second multiplication question and tried that one again, but Kaiser had been working so slowly that by now he barely had any time left. __________________ Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Chocolate!