Let's Get Creative!, Monday, Period Three

[jedigrammarians]

Today class looked almost dangerously low key for Aphra, just desks and flimsy and styluses.

"So there's one of this planet's big romantic holidays coming up," she said. "Which since you are teenagers and full of hormones, is likely to encourage you to do something stupid with your crushes, or ex-crushes, or ex-crushes who are now deadly enemies." Aphra, most people's exes didn't become their deadly enemies, you were just special.

"Now some people claim that spontaneity is the essence of romance." Including Aphra, usually when someone realised she'd forgotten some important date or the other. "They are wrong, that way lies drama and mixed messages and bounty hunters. Though sometimes they'll just cut out the middle man. Woman. Being. Whatever. Point is. Planning, planning is great. So you're all going to plan out your most creative romance related gesture, whether you want to impress someone, make them feel special, apologise for screwing up, to make it clear just how awesome your life is now that their not in it and they should be the one feeling bad and lonely that they dumped you."

"Anyway, feel free to workshop, kids!"

Sexual Health and Education, Tuesday, 1st Period

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hey, class." There were two teachers at the front of the class today. Rejoice! Or something. Either way, Dante was draped over the desk again. "So we talked about condoms a couple classes back, but we didn't, like, tackle all the birth control options. Not by a long shot." He glanced at Kathy. "And you better pay attention, 'cause we're making you research the shit out of this."

Kathy's return glance was chilly. She had been absolutely dying, and Dante hadn't even cared and everything was terrible, class, how were you? "While they're still working on advancements on hormonal birth control for people with penises, for the most part, the only option for them to prevent pregnancy is condoms. But for people with uteruses, there are a lot more options. There's the birth control pill, IUDs - though those are harder to get if you are younger, unmarried, or childless, subdermal implants, injections, and a lot more. Now, an important thing to remember is that most contraceptives do not also prevent the transmission of STI's, so it's important to double-up to protect yourself fully."

"So you can get an implant, or an IUD, or go on pills or whatever, you're still gonna want your partner to wrap up unless you guys have decided you don't care or aren't worried about the disease shit," Dante said merrily. "But it at least takes the whole kids problem off the table for a while. Uh, I think some of them also help with like... menstruation stuff?" He tossed Kathy a questioning look.

"Some of them can ease menstruation pains, or severity, or even reduce or eliminate periods altogether," Kathy agreed. "So even if you aren't sexually active now, if you have difficulty with periods, you may want to talk to your doctor or Planned Parenthood about potentially starting a round of birth control to assist with that. But definitely talk to your medical practitioner first - unusually painful and heavy periods can be a sign of something truly wrong."

"Right," Dante said, snapping his fingers. "So watch for that."

He reached out and patted a stack of papers. "Kathy made some handouts about all the different types, so grab one," he said, and hopped off the desk, snagging a piece of chalk as he walked to the blackboard. "Today, we're gonna make you all pick a type of birth control and research it. But all that hardcore info sounds kinda sterile, right?"

He was writing on the board:

IMPLANT, PROGESTIN IUD, COPPER IUD, INJECTABLES, THE PILL, THE PATCH

"So... write an ad. Make these fuckers sound cool and sexy and shit, and present it to us next week."

Have Portal, Will Travel; Tuesday, Fourth Period [02/09].

[somethingwithturquoise]

When the students arrived in the classroom, not only was their next portal already there and waiting for them, but there was a collection of various different rainboots in all sizes and styles sitting on the front desk, too.

"Sorry about last week, guys," Summer started with a faint, apologetic smile, "but I'm sure Ignis and Prompto did a good job and it sounds like you guys had a good trip to Insomnia and everyone survived, so yay! One of the greatest things about Fandom is that everyone comes from so many different places that you really don't have to dig too deep to find someplace really interesting just through association, which is why this week, we'll be visiting another homeworld of a former Fandom student that maybe some of you had the chance to meet, but don't worry. He is literally the most friendly and enthusiastic person I have ever met. And he's also literally unlike anyone I've ever met, and that's saying a lot.

"His name is Sidon, and he's the prince of the Zora people in a land called Hyrule. Today, we'll be visiting him where he lives, in Zora's Domain. You're free to sort of look around, explore a bit, talk to the various people who live there, and he also has a task for anyone who feels they may be up for it. Since they're an amphibious people, Zora's Domain is very...well...wet, so I do have gollashes for anyone who may not want to get their current shoes wet or go around barefoot.

"So boot up if you'd like, and let's go see a giant shark prince!"

That was all the warning you were going to get about Sidon, yes.

Adulting 101- Tuesday- 2nd period

[throughaphase]

Back in the Danger Shop today, which looked like a sunny, warm courtyard with three very different apartment buildings behind them.

"Today we're talking about apartments," Kitty said, gesturing behind her, because she felt like that explained itself. "Once you move out of the dorms, you have to figure out your living situation. In Fandom it's pretty easy. You don't have as much selection as you would on the outside, but if you're working here that probably doesn't matter to you. Or maybe you're lucky enough to be able to live with family or friends while you figure things out and save money, but for the rest of us, it's time to look elsewhere. You have options. You can find a roommate and split costs to save money, or you can strike out on your own, which is more expensive but means you get privacy. Today we're going to visit a few places, just to let you see what's out there, and you're going to get to figure out what you want in a place. Like I would need at least two bedrooms, it'd have to take dogs and dragons, or at least dragons that look like cats if you put an image inducer on them, and I'd need room for a toddler, and maybe a good closet to lock myself in when I need a minute. Just know that you can want a lot of things, but unless you've got the money to back it all up, you'll have to make some concessions. Before we go in to the first place, I want to hear what you'd want in your apartment. If they take pets, if they have laundry in the building, if there's anything you wouldn't want in your place."

Diplomacy, Relationships & Tactics: the Art of War [Tuesday, Period 3]

[atreideslioness]

"Today we are going to discuss the breaking-down of tactics and use of energy," Ghanima announced briskly. "Energy, to Tzu, was vital in the directing of a force, as was the endless combination of tactics at his disposal."

"First, tactics are not always as straight forward as they may seem." She turned away from them and quickly wrote out on the board;

10. In battle, there are not more than two methods
of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two
in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

11. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn.
It is like moving in a circle--you never come to an end.
Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?

"Endless permutations, all made possible by the energy held by your troops." Ghanima continued to write, her slanted scrawl quickly filling the board as she spoke. "The limits only created by your own lack of imagination, and the strengths and weaknesses of your force."

21. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined
energy, and does not require too much from individuals.
Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize
combined energy.

22. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting
men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones.
For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain
motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope;
if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if
round-shaped, to go rolling down.

23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men
is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain
thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy.

"So. Energy feeding into tactics, and vice versa. What is an indirect tactic versus a direct one? How do you know? How does 'energy' work into it all?"

"Discuss."