'Teenies' at Sai Thamë College
Teenies are teenaged personae (in Virtualia represented by teenaged avatars). This continues an Aristasian tradition that long predates Elektraspace.
In the earliest Aristasian communities in Telluria, schools were part of life and many Aristasians, regardless of physical age, had teenaged personae. The reasoning behind this was that in entering a new world, one needed to re-learn, if not from the beginning, then from something near the beginning.
There was also an idea prevalent among some that their true, innocent childhood had been stolen by the Pit and needed to be replaced.
This phenomenon is not nearly so universal in Aristasia in Elektraspace, which is why the model used is of a College rather than a girls' school.
One of the reasons for this is that we have found that multiple personae are much less common in Elektraspace. Most girls have only one persona, and since they are adult, that persona will be adult (though not necessarily that same "age" as the physical body).
Nevertheless we do find a significant minority of girls who have gravitated toward teenaged personae for a number of reasons. Some are not much older than teenaged (in some cases no older) and wish to "do the last part of childhood again" - since it is often the last part that the Pit tends to spoil most significantly.
In some cases it is because a girl - for whatever reasons - feels more comfortable and 'real' interacting with others as a child.
In a very few cases there are "plenary teenies" (known as "pleenies") - girls who really have never developed a grown up personality. This can happen for a variety of reasons. In rare cases it may be that a teenaged personality from the Motherland has been incarnated in a body and is simply not capable of growing along with that body.
The Aristasian 'teenie', however plenary she may be, is by no means intellectually backward. Most are extremely intelligent, but she will be childlike (sometimes even pre-teen) in other respects. If she is plenary, her tastes will be largely childlike - she really will have little interest in adult things. If she is simply teenaged in Aristasia she will have such tastes and outlooks within her persona.
Many years ago before Elektraspace, it was written:
The Aristasian schoolgirl is a remarkable being: genuinely childlike and innocent, and yet full of both intellect and intellectual passion. She is unlike any child that has ever been, yet equally unlike any adult that has ever been. She will turn from philosophy to childlike games and absurd humour in a moment. Her passions and heroine-worship are more tempestuous than the love-affairs of the profane, and yet untinged by a hint of carnality. The Aristasian schoolgirl is a whirlwind of emotion, intellect and foolery mixed in near-equal parts.These words are as true today as when they are written. But what we need to bear in mind is that most of them are equally true of older Aristasian girls too. The innocence, the amity, the purity and passion - and in many cases the silliness too - are part of Aristasian life, particularly in a group such as a college. And in many respects, scholars (especially the more junior ones) are treated more like children than a Tellurian undergraduate of 18 would expect to be.
Conversely, teenies will be expected to produce work equal to that of adult scholars. The age of one's persona is no excuse for inferior work. The standards of Aristasian teenies are very high. Teenies may join study groups at all levels and become members of Sororities. They will, however, be excluded from some specifically adult activities (needless to say, these are not in any way unsuitable activities. The College maintains the strictest moral standards for all scholars. They are just times when grown-up scholars wish to feel themselves in specifically grown-up company). Teenies can serve in almost any capacity within the college, including teaching and membership of administrative bodies. Only the most responsible teenies will be given such positions and they will be expected, at their peril, to be on their best behaviour
What then is the real difference between a grown-up scholar and a teenie? Really it is only a matter of sensibility and "inward age". If you are looking for innocence and protectedness (especially if you are chelana - "blonde"), you will find that as an ordinary scholar. You will be a teenie only if this is a specific need that you have. If you have it you will be aware of it. If not you do not need to worry about it.
Since the College has a number of teenie scholars, provision is made for them. They have their own uniform and may have their own school within the College, although lessons and most social activities will normally be taken in common with the grown-up scholars.
It should also be understood that even teenies who have 'senior' positions will, when not actually fulfilling those positions be expected, in courtesy, to obey any grown-up scholar. That is what is expected of a child in Aristasia, and if it troubles you, do not opt for a teenie persona. The most important words in a teenie's life are "yes, ma'am".
There is also a less clearly-defined category, known (with the girls' usual facility for coining colloquialisms) as 'tweenies' - these are girls who are not minors but also are not fully grown up. Once again this is a category that you need only concern yourself with if you feel that you are part of it.
The normal state for a girl entering the college is as a grown-up member. You will only enter as a teenie if you feel that necessity within yourself.
See Also:An Introduction to the Aristasian Lay College
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