Working the Long Con [Wednesday, Period One]

[talentforlying]

When the students showed up today, John had actually brought coffee for everyone - but not decaf, don't get carried away - and the room was set-up with a television at the front.

"Right. Movie day, you lot," he said, taking a bracing gulp of his own beverage. Hungover librarian was hungover. "How do you shoot the devil in the back? Well, I can suggest a few ways, but I've used them all and they don't work twice."

"Watch it, then tell me where the con falls down, and where it holds up. What would you have done differently?"

Hunting 101, Wednesday (3rd Period)

[likethegun]

"Today's class is about other types of shapeshifters. The kind that get furry or do the whole meta for Silver Bullet thing," Dean said. Because everything was pop culture related, damn it.

"The furry kind would be werewolves," Sam said, trying to be careful with his explanation to not annoy anyone too badly. Sorry, Dean. "I think most of you probably already know the basics of these guys - they turn during the full moon, and that's when they go out and hunt, and sometimes bite people and make new werewolves. They're usually harmless when it's not a full moon, and most of them didn't ask to be turned into monsters. If you come across one, silver blades work against them, or you can try to outrun them, but they're usually pretty fast."

He lived to annoy, Sammy! "What my brother is forgetting, is that they also tend to crave human hearts. At least where we're from."

"Which can be a little scary when the person wakes up and finds themselves covered in blood." And other things, obviously.

Weren't they the cutest lil' things?

"We also have wendigos," Dean added. "Which, unlike, werewolves have a less pretty origin story. See, most legends point to one of two options for how they come about. Either you're taking on the abilities to protect people from some big threat, and once that threat is gone, you get chased out to die in the woods alone. Or you engage in a little bit of dark magic with equal parts cannibalism."

Fun times, right?

"So! They're faster, stronger, and more dangerous than anything has a right to be. Plus, they have a hankering for human flesh from time to time, stocking up on it when they can. Best way to stop 'em? Fire."

"If it seems like a lot of the things we talk about here like to eat people, well, you're not wrong," Sam said, snickering a little. "What we'd like you to do today is think about something we hope you guys don't have to deal with, or don't have to deal with often, at least. What would you do if your friend, or someone in your family, got bitten by a werewolf? Would you protect them? Try to help them deal with the symptoms? Or would you try to find out who did it?"

Library, Wednesday, All Day

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Sholeh was feeling oddly melancholy today. She'd awoken from a dream of home and now she couldn't shake that lingering feeling of missing people. Not that she'd had many friends beyond her sisters back home, but it was home. Where you could just take things for granted because they'd worked the same way since before you were born.

The books weren't helping today, with Crafts To Learn At Your Mother's Knee and Home Cookin' taking every opportunity to shelve themselves in other sections.

Sigh.

How to Be One with Your City, Wednesday, Period Two

[cannotdenyher.livejournal.com]

This week, class was back in the Danger Shop. But this time there was no beach ––

Wel, actually, there was, if they walked far enough. It just wasn't in view right at this moment. See, today's simulation was one of Fandom. A little more noir-ish than usual, but still Fandom. They were standing on Leprechaun Vista, outside J,GoB. "Two weeks ago, I told you to go into town, and look around," the Spirit started without preamble. "Now, I didn't just send you on a leisurely stroll, although if you chose to take it as one, I can hardly blame you." He smiled. "It's a lovely little town. However, that was not the point. The point was for you to pay attention."

To what, that was about to become a little more clear.

Right on cue, a shadowy thug emerged from behind the corner, growling something about the Spirit giving him all his money and no one would get hurt, even though the gleaming knife in his hand seemed to suggest otherwise. The Spirit let the man come closer without even bothering to turn. Then, right as the thug was behind his back, he turned, grabbed one of the chairs meant for the bakery customers, and promptly incapacitated the robber-to-be with it.

It was pretty impressive. He had a lot of experience doing that to people.

Once the thug was safely on the ground and his knife kicked away, the Spirit turned to address the students again. "I could see his exact position by the reflection on the bakery window," he told them. "And, well, you saw the thing with the chair. What I just did was use my immediate surroundings to my benefit. So, kiddos, if you haven't figured it out yet: today's lesson is about paying attention to where you are. What's around you? How can you use it? It may save your life. Your city will provide for you, if you just let her."

Granted, it probably helped to also be unkillable, but still!

"So now, you're going to go to wherever you went two weeks ago – except inside this simulation – and you're going to find trouble there. And I want you to get out of it by using whatever is around you. Then, you can come back and talk about how it went and if you feel like you learned something valuable." He paused. "A little hint: you really should. Now, off you go."