fandomhigh | Adventuring Survival Tactics, April 27. Period 4. Final

The Doctor had printed essay booklets at each desk, and even had number 2 pencils (Dixon Ticonderogas, to be specific) there as well.

The test booklet read as follows:

Short Answer

1. You run into a Dalek in a dark alley. What do you do?

2. What's the most important thing to secure for yourself in a foreign locale?

3. What do you include in any proper adventuring wardrobe?

4. Pie?

Long Answer

1. Describe in detail several stupid plans that could get you killed on an alien planet.

2. Describe in detail why getting killed is a bad plan.

3. Describe in detail the match between Manchester United and Arsenal in 2009.

Hey. No one said the test would be fair.

The Doctor also had written 'Talking = Class Failure' and 'Cheating = Class Failure, Detention, Meeting the Principal'.

He was apparently a little cranky this morning. He was watching the classroom like a hawk. Best not to cheat or talk, then.

[ooc: OCD up. And thank you ALL for making a -wonderful- class this semester. You all deserve cookies and pie and cake.]

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"Would you like to explain why you've brought a panther with you to class, Miss Lang?" the Doctor said.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Lana said, half sprawled on the floor, clinging to Panther!Jim's neck and trying to shush his growling. "I couldn't leave him alone in the room and he promised to behave."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" the Doctor asked.

//Stop that! Behave!// she hissed at Jim in Panther before turning her attention back to the Doctor. "I suppose I could have, but he would have completely trashed the room and then found a way to get here anyway. And he'd have been even more aggravated then. So, since I value both the things in my room and wanted to prevent him from bursting in here and causing extreme havoc... I brought him along. He, um... doesn't have the best of tempers in human form and like this, well..."

"Miss Lang," the Doctor said, sighing a bit. His expression softened. "In the past two weeks, you've run from the classroom in tears, this week you bring a pet with you to class, or at least a student transformed into an animal. And given that information leads me to know you are at least in some small way responsible for more than a little bit of havoc that involved my public nudity a few weeks ago, I have to ask you an important question."

Pause.

"Do you even bother to pay attention to what I try to teach?"

"Of course!" Lana said looking a little startled, still holding onto Jim.

Then her face fell as she realized the rest of what he'd said. "I... You weren't on my list of people the radio said I'd run into while I was possessed or I would have apologized earlier. I'm very sorry for anything I might have done or said during that time." She ducked her head, feeling sick again at whatever she'd done.

"You specifically weren't involved," the Doctor said. "Your unfortunate accomplices were." He reached over to put a hand on Lana's shoulder.

"I'm not trying to blame you, I'm not trying to stir up painful memories. But the fact is, you've been very quiet about something horrendous. And that just leaves the pain to eat you up from the inside. You may not have meant for what happened to happen, but I'm sure you're still blaming yourself. I'm not asking you to talk to me, I'm asking that you talk to someone. Running scared from classes... that's no way to live."

Lana could feel her eyes fill and despite her best efforts she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Jim yowled at her distress and wriggled around to be able to lick at her face. She buried her face in his warm fur for a moment.

"I know," she said quietly. "And I haven't really wanted to... live - like this. But I'm trying. And people are helping. He," she gestured to the panther she was clinging to. "He's helping. He's helped me keep trying, going, for his sake, until I could start trying for me."

The Doctor looked at Lana with a bit of an incredulous expression. He wanted to tell her how incredibly self centered wallowing in that much guilt was, but he decided to let it pass.

"Well then, out of the classroom and get onto something a bit more fun, would you?"

Which was probably all for the good as she certainly wasn't yet in a place to hear that. ~~And besides, if he'd ever seen her wallow in canon? *facepalms* This is nothing!~~

"I will," she said, managing a smile. "This was my last final so I'm officially on vacation." She looked a little ruefully at Jim. "Of course, our plans are going to have to be put off for a bit. And I will try to talk to someone. I'm getting better, really I am."

"Good," the Doctor said. "Take care of yourself."

"Thank you, I will," Lana said and managed another smile for him. She got up off the floor, still hanging on tight Panther!Jim. //Come on, time to go home,// she said firmly to Jim.

"Have a good summer," she said to the Doctor as they left the room.

Adventuring Survival Tactics, April 27. Period 4. Final

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