Weapons 101; Thursday, Third Period [06/11].

[special_rabbit]

This was a lesson that Amaya may have usually held off until later in the session, but, well, the end of a session could sneak up on a person, and now that Diaz was out for a little while, Amaya didn't see any reason why not to hit her favorites as well as the ones that she could actually teach the students how to use on her own. So the field they were in today was much more open and wide than usual, and there was a castle (it's only a model!) sitting on a gently sloping hill nearby, and the weapons they were using today were definitely not going to fit on a table or a rack as usua

"Siege weapons!" Amaya announced proudly, excitedly, gesturing to the small collection of various delightful mechanical wonders around her. "Specifically, petrary weapons, which are a classification of siege weapons that involve flinging heavy objects or missiles, typically large stones, though not always. And before anyone asks, no, we will not be flinging each other, even if it is the danger shop." Not even you, Beaker! "I'll admit, they're not exactly the most practical of weapons in this particular day and age. They're not really the most practical of weapons outside of war, if I'm entirely honest, but I dare anyone to give one of these a try and then look me in the eye and tell me that they didn't have a good time with it.

"Petrary weapons were developed as a way to break down fortresses and walls to gain points of entry into enemy strongholds. Some of them are gravity operated, like a trebuchet, where a large counterweight is used to propel the missile, or they're tension operated, like a catapult, where the throwing arm is pulled back and then released.

"Today, you'll have the chance to give four different petrary weapons a try: the classic catapult, the traditional trebuchet, a biting ballista, and the more manual mangonel..."

And if anyone in particular was wanting a complete and detailed dissection on exactly what made each one different in painstaking detail, you were in luck! Because that was exactly what you were getting now, as Amaya launched (ha!) into how each one was made, how to use one, what the benefits and downfalls of each design was, and all the thrilling science behind it all. Look. They were both weapons and machines. She was going to geek out about them, especially since most of the students seemed to actually be interested in her little rambling lectures, and it was kind of her job, anyway.

But she also knew that they'd likely be itching to go break down some fake walls on that nice stately castle (even if it was only a model), because she felt that way, too. "If anyone wants me to go over anything again once they actually get up to one of the machines and start to figure out how to put all of this into practice," she said, "just let me know. But I think you're ready to give it a try, so go ahead and let's get our siege on."

Animal Handling for Fun and Fun, Thursday

[magnusrushesin]

The tavern today was full of snakes today. Snakes and snacks. Snake snacks, to be precise.

"So, we had a lil' mix up on what we put into the computer thing," Magnus said as a snake just slithered on by.

Cara pushed a giant, brightly coloured jelly snake out of the way. "There was going to be death defying wrestling, but Australians ruin everything." You knew what you did, Australia.

"Ohthankgoditwasn'tspiders," Magnus said very, very quickly. He didn't like the spiders, kids. Not a fan of the spiders.

Cara looked over Magnus's shoulder, then threw a bar knife at something that very definitely wasn't a spider. "Yes. That would be unfortunate."

"Nope, fu--uudge that," Magnus said, immediately hiding behind her. "Spiders are where I gotta draw the line on animal handling! No ranchos!"

If Cara was a completely different person, she might have patted Magnus's hair reassuringly. Instead she addressed the class "Defeat the snakes, and the things that are also snakes, just with more legs. Then eat them."

The Heroic Journey, Thursday, Period 4

[solarhippie]

When the students came in this week, they found Karolina standing at the front of the classroom. Along with one of those old-fashioned TV set-ups. You know, the ones on wheels? Complete with a VCR.

"Hi!" Karolina said with a little wave once all the students had come in. All... three of them presumably. "As you can tell, I'm not Miss Li, who's unfortunately not available right now. And unfortunately, the moose notified me kinda at the last minute, so today you're getting a movie class."

She glanced a little sheepishly at the TV.

"I don't know where all our more modern equipment is hiding," she admitted. "I also had a different movie picked, buuuut there was a tape already jammed in the VCR and I couldn't get it out, so... Guess we're watching I Was A Teenage Teenager." A beat. "And 'cause there's so few of us here, please feel free to comment on stuff during the movie. Especially if you notice something that actually relates to this class!"

Because she hadn't had time to research and hadn't actually picked this movie, so.

She pressed play.

In Space No One Can Give You Chocolate and Other Problems Solved By Cupcakes (Thursday June 11)

[stykera]

Stark was once again in the Home Ec room when the students arrived he is far more punctual than his player.

“Are there foods that remind you of home? Things you eat to make you feel at home? Things you eat just to feel better? ‘Comfort food’?”

“You may have guessed,” Stark said with a half-smile, “that cupcakes are definitely one of my comfort foods. Chocolate frosting is best, I think.”

“When I was at school here I had a friend who would bake me cupcakes. His name is Anders. He...looked out for me. I miss him. When it was time to leave, after graduation, he baked me a dozen to take with me when I went back. I lost most of them...but before I did they helped when I felt homesick. Fandom was home then. Moya, the ship I lived on sometimes, was also home. But Moya didn’t have chocolate. Usually.”

“Today, design the most comforting of comfort food cupcakes you can. I don’t have every flavor available but there’s plenty to choose from. Mine would be yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.” He held up one covered in blue sugar crystals. “Yours can be whatever you like. It should be whatever you like. Whatever would make you happiest to eat if you were far from home.”

[OCD is going up. I have no excuse for extreme lateness other than lack of brain.]