The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Thursday, Per 2

[arboreal_priestess]

Good news, everyone! Today involved yet another field exercise, as the note pinned to the entrance of the Danger Shop informed the students to meet their teachers by the causeway, where they'd be stepping through a portal that would deposit them on the shores of the Owyhee Reservoir, somewhere in the wilds of Oregon near the Idaho border.

...An hour or so before the sun was scheduled to rise. The sky hadn't even begun to lighten, leaving them in the literal dark of night. "Today," Verity said, pulling out her phone and indicating everyone else should, too. Look, the reservoir was far from artificial lights and it got dark in the hinterlands. "We're going to talk about the dangers of messing with the ecosystem. One of the omnipresent dangers of importing animals to a new ecosystem is that they will escape and, due to a lack of natural predators, begin to breed uncontrollably."

( Eyes everywhere )

There was the sound of splashing as some of the eyes began swimming. And rustling in the underbrush as they began moving in.

"And that," Verity said cheerfully, "brings us to manticores."

Wisdom is a Dump Stat: Adventuring for Beginners, Thursday, Period 3

[magnusrushesin]

The tavern this week had puppies in it again. Though that could just be a weird glitch with the programming. One that Magnus was totally gonna take advantage of.

"Last weekend was... okay. I mean. Not great. But okay."

"In other words it was a perfectly normal weekend." Someone was leaning into the old repression there.

"She had a kid with me," Magnus stage whispered to explain it. You know. And to see her do a little twitch.

Mean, Magnus.

"Magical or adopted." Twitch. "Or both."

He was the middlest brother. He just had to fuck with people. "She wants you to punch things, but I think these puppies are the better option."

"Don't punch the puppies." In case that had to be clarified.

Magnus gasped in horror, hugging the fake puppy close. "Anyone punches a puppy, gets punched. Real hard. That's not cool."

"And Magnus will probably cry." Don't make Magnus cry, kids.

"I---might not not cry?" That made no sense, Magnus.

"Wait...what?"