Outdoorsmanship 101, Wednesday, period 1

[vdistinctive]

"So last week, y'all got a chance to hang out on a blindingly cheerful planet where the local wildlife was pretty much universally happy to see you," Eliot said, when the students had gathered for class. "That's probably the only time you're ever going to get that experience, unless you happen to be from a world like that one." He shook his head. "For the most part, the best you're gonna get from animals in the wilderness is indifference. And that's what you're going to want. Better a moose looks at you and then goes back to doing its moose thing than deciding you're a threat and chargin' and trampling you. Hell, you can't guarantee a deer ain't gonna want to do that, and they're more likely to bolt in the opposite direction. Most places you go on modern Earth type worlds, the animals are going to know about humans. Either they're gonna be used to you, like squirrels in a city -- who might steal your damn food out of your hand if you ain't careful -- or they're gonna see you as a threat and either get the hell outta there or try to take you down. Ain't really a whole lot of animals these days that look at humans and just see prey. We've got a rep. But that doesn't mean they ain't still dangerous."

Eliot led the way into the preserve, continuing to talk loudly as he went. ( He immediately gained a quiet following of several off-colored deer )

They'd reached their usual clearing by now, and Eliot turned and faced the students, smiling. "Alright. Now I want you to go and break that first rule I gave you about bein' noisy, and see what kinds of wildlife you can spot out here. I want a list of at least five different creatures -- at the very least different subspecies, I don't want anyone comin' across a squirrel press meetin' and callin' it a day -- by the end of class. Anyone who spots more'n twenty gets a coupon for Chilly Boulder." He clapped his hands. "Hop to it!"

Sex Ed, Wednesday, Period 2

[talentforlying]

As usual, the desks in the classroom had been pushed to the side and replaced by a small circle of comfy chairs,couches and beanbags. Didi perched comfortably in a red beanbag more or less at the front of the circle.
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"For those that aren't feeling the crafts today -- or if you finish fast and want to jump in, we don't care -- it's a bit of sharing: talking about ways in which you do and don't conform to societal stereotypes of your sex or gender."

How to Be Awesome, Wednesday, 3rd Period

[nomoresportscars]

The Danger Shop... was a sunny field.

Full of puppies.

Yes, all kinds of puppies. Really, just all kinds of puppies. They were all pretty damn happy, too, exploring the area and excitedly coming up to the students, before occasionally getting distracted by butterflies flying past.

Jackson, meanwhile, looked pissed off (now there was a novel concept!) and a little confused.

"This school is garbage," he said. "Play with some dumb puppies, I guess."