fandomhigh | History in Action, Wednesday, 3rd Period

While a morning wake-up call from Galactica had started her day early, the power outage had tossed a serious kink in Laura's plans for class. Rather than meeting in the Danger Room, which had miraculously survived the alien attack, the class today would meet at a clearing she had discovered in her wanderings. A tall cherry tree grew just across from the path which led the students there.

As the students arrived, they would find her standing just beside this cherry tree, leaned against a shiny new axe. "Bring it around here, if you would." She noted some eyeing of the axe and grinned. "I promise I'm not an axe murderer...unless you count cherry trees.

"There's a prominent saying here about 'to the victor, the spoils,'; the victor also gets to write the history books," she continued. "So how do we know what really happened? And what about those times where little more exists than the myths and artifacts? This seminar is going to help us examine those questions. We're going to do this by revisiting key events in various histories. A few of them will be from Earth -- the Boston Tea Party and the signing of the Magna Carta, for example -- and a few will be extra-terrestrial, such as the departure of the Tribes of Kobol."

She shifted her weight and brushed her hair back behind her right ear. "That brings us to today's lesson: George Washington and the cherry tree. For those of you who don't know, George Washington was General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, here on Earth. His home is actually across the river, a former plantation named Mount Vernon. He eventually went on to become the first President of the United States.

"Years ago -- and where this fable begins, no one is really sure -- a story circulated about young George chopping down one of his father's cherry trees. When asked about it, the young man was said to reply, 'I cannot tell a lie. I was the one who cut down the tree.'

"Looking at the story, it's possible it happened; it is, however, unlikely." Laura leaned the axe against the cherry tree, leaning over and picking up a stack of papers. She then handed a copy to each of the students. "What a young Washington did do, however, was develop his 'Rules of Civility', which he used to govern his actions from a young age throughout his adult life. Take a look at these, and we'll discuss them as we go around and get acquainted."

Once discussion drew to a close, she dismissed the class. "Provided that our power is back up and running, we'll be in the Danger Room next week. Now, get out of here and enjoy your afternoon."

[OCD coming up!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's the first day of this class, in the middle of a clearing. Yes, some OT discussion is expected.

Annette found a nice little patch of ground to sit down on. Well heck, she just laid down and folded her hands over her stomach, staring up at the sky, ready to make shapes out of the clouds.

She was thinking about that cherry tree though. What a nice tree.

"Hi Annette. That one looks like a cat." Robin said, flouncing down beside her and pointing.

She turned her head and smiled, "Hi, Robin." Then she looked back up at the sky. "...with a dog chasing it. And the dog's mouth is open, and his tongue is wagging sort of. I think there might be a bird on his back too."

"I know an old lady who swallowed a dog. She swallowed the dog to catch the cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird." Robin recited, giggling. "Ooh! And there's a dragon! Charging at an armored knight!"

Warren had been kind of hoping they'd get to chop the tree down.

Evie plopped down next to Warren, and smiled brightly. "Hello, I heard you say your name is Warren Cheswick? Do you have a sister named Wanda or Wendy or Wednesday, by any chance? I think she might be my roommate."

Warren blinked. "I don't have a sister." He wished he'd been paying more attention during the introduction. "Maybe there's someone else around named Cheswick?"

"Hmmm. Maybe? I'm Evie Carnahan, if you run into them, for that matter." She held her hand out. "Room 512, junior in the fall."

Warren shook her hand. "Room 512. . . . that can't be right, that's the room I'm assigned to." Then he blinked. "Holy crap, Evie Carnahan? Like, Evelyn Carnahan? I totally thought you'd be some stuffy British guy who's way too into tea."

"I like coffee too," Evie said weakly. "And cocoa. And biscuits. And I can't believe they did this, oh dear lord, this is, this is just..." She spluttered and waved her hands, then shook her head. "No no no!"

"Dude, I'm rooming with a girl!" Warren was doing a bit of his own flailing. "With a hot girl and . . . oh man, I'm totally just going to end up getting smacked every day or something and I can't room with a girl! I have manly modesty!"

Evie squeaked at being called hot, torn between flattered and horrified, and said, "I have a boyfriend! He's a warrior for the Water Tribe! He's going to be so upset! At least, I think he will. Oh, but what if he isn't?" She put her hands over her face and whimpered.

"Manly modesty!" Warren cried again. "Manly modesty!"

"Oh, I'm so so so sorry!" Evie said remorsefully. "If only I'd applied for a single! My roommate Layla just left for home, and I just wanted to have another person in the room, and oh, dear, oh dear oh dear oh-- perhaps we can change clothes in the bathroom? No no no they have to let us change!"

"We could put up a sheet!" Warren declared. "A big sheet in the middle of the room that we can't see through and it'll all be okay. Please don't let your boyfriend kill me."

"Oh no, no," Evie said, appalled. "Of course I won't! And maye a folding screen with very very opaque designs and perhaps loud music so we can't hear anything and oh dear lord, maybe we should sleep in shifts? Do you want to sleep during the daytime, or I suppose I could learn how to..."

". . . Sleep in shifts? What do you think I'm going to do, take advantage of you while you nap?"

"No! But, manly modesty! Maidenly modesty!" Evie flailed even harder, spilling the water bottle she had with her. "I've never slept in the same room as a boy! Not even my brother! Have you?"

"I've slept with lots of girls!" Lie. Also? Probably the wrong thing to say. "I mean, um. . . . I'm not going to do anything to you!"

Now Evie's just staring at him, not sure if she should be insulted or worried or disbelieving. "I never thought you... Right, then. Well! It's not as if... I mean, I'm in Chimera cabin. For the next two weeks. Surely they'd let us switch roommates in that time?"

"Oh, sure, yeah, definitely, it'll all get fixed,"

Evie so wished she really believed that.

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Ronan stood back a bit after his own introduction, enjoying the day as he took in other people's 'rules of civility'.

Adam found a shady patch of grass to sit down on, and thought about possibly going out tonight. Maybe check out the town, see what was going on.