Library [5/27]

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wesley was late for his shift today, and upon checking his watch and realizing that fact, he managed to spill some coffee on the floor. Which, given that it was a library, would have been a major point of concern on another day. Today, with Katniss' Games looming over his head, it wasn't really an issue.

He sat at the desk, stuck his head in his hands, and slumped over. He hated this summer.

[[open library, and OCD-less!]]

Life's a Circus, Friday, Second Period

[exboywonder.livejournal.com]

The Danger Shop today looked like the inside of the familiar big top circus tent. It had a lot more columns, tightropes, trapezes, and - crucially - safety nets. Dick was on one of those tightropes, ready to address his students.

"Hey everyone," Dick said once everyone was there. "A lot of people seemed to think they could adapt their skills into being an acrobat, so this week should be a treat for you because we're going to see what you've got."

"Theoretically, most of this stuff is pretty simple. The tightrope is just a test of balance and being able to walk in a very straight line. The trapeze is just a big swing that you hold onto with your hands. But that's just in theory," Dick said. "In reality, maintaining your balance on a rope is pretty tough. And while your grip on the trapeze might be solid thanks to the terror of swinging through the air, you're eventually going to have to let go, whether it's for a trick or because you're back at the platform where you started."

"And that's why safety is absolutely key. It's just like driving a car, or firing a gun at the shooting range, or doing something that I'm not going to discuss with teenagers. You can be safe or you can risk some pretty dire consequences. And here, that consequence could be death," Dick said, getting somber for just a moment.

But then he perked right back up, "But that's why we have safety nets to catch you if you do fall. If you want, we can also get you into a safety harness so that you'll only fall a couple of feet if you lose your balance. And, of course, the Danger Shop is programmed to not let you hit the ground if you do fall. Think of it as the ultimate safety measure, but one you don't get in the real world. But I wouldn't suggest testing it out."

Advanced Astrophysics (And Arts & Crafts), Friday, 3rd period - 5/27

[notawoodwind.livejournal.com]

Today, the classroom set up was altered enough to allow room for a number of pottery wheels for each student to work at should they not wish to take notes on the lecture. But what were the odds of that happening?

Reed had a lab coat on as his only concession to the no doubt messy work of pottery making. Because science was way more important than pottery, darn it. "Hello, everyone!" he said cheerfully, passing out a worksheet of a simple, easy to understand explanation of how to make a pot with those wheels. It was probably for the best that Reed did it this way because the Ghost jokes would be rampant otherwise. Rampant!

"While you work on your pots or whatever else you feel like making." A beat. "Please, nothing offensive."

Look, Johnny trained him and everything! Awww, best family ever.

( Supermassive black hole! )

Computers 101, 1st Period [Friday]

[likethegun]

This week, when the students arrived to class, they'd find the computers turned off. Sam had decided that it was time to start taking the training wheels off, at least a little bit.

"One of the most useful things about computers, in my opinion, is how they help us communicate with each other," he said. "There's a lot to be said for receiving a well-written, handwritten letter, but sending messages through the computer is a lot faster, and more effective, most of the time. Communicating online is especially important for people in Fandom, because sometimes, electronic messages are the only way people here can keep in touch with friends who have gone home. To be honest, I'm not sure how that all works, but it's one of the nice things about this place that balances out things like ending up in places where it never stops raining." Fandom was all about the balance sometimes.

"Another thing about communicating on the computer is that you don't have to talk to people you already know. There are lots of ways to meet new people who you share a common interest with, and the one we're going to play around with today is chat rooms." This had the potential for disaster, but Sam was keeping his fingers crossed that it would work out anyway. Once everyone's computers were on, he showed the students how to connect to IRC. "There are a lot of different rooms you can connect to, most of which are based on a single topic or interest. Find one that interests you, and see if you can strike up a conversation."