Exit Strategies, Monday, Period 2

[jedigrammarians]

Today the Danger Shop looked like a very fancy, very intimate, very romantic restaurant, complete with several small tables for two, each with a relatively attractive humanoid seated at them.

"Welcome, kids," Aphra greeted them. "In honour of the holiday, today you'll be learning perhaps the most important escape skill of all. Breaking up!"

So romantic!

"Now I realise this may make me sound like a cynic, but the ability to end a relationship with a minimum of hurt on both sides is a rare and valuable skill." It certainly wasn't one Aphra exercised well. "So today you're going to be breaking up with your long term partner. They're perfectly nice, they haven't done anything wrong, you haven't been unhappy, but lately they've been talking marriage and kids and you've realised you don't see that kind of future with them.

"So get out there and break some hearts. But gently."

Rage Against the Machine: Etc, Etc, Etc; Tuesday, Second Period [02/15].

[somethingwithturquoise]

The class was back at the ancient temple/new rebel base in the Danger Shop again, only this time, they were definitely starting out near the top of the structure, on a wide ledge that could not only comfortably fit all of them, but also a long line of turret cannons.

"Alright, guys," Summer started with a nod. "So we've got our base and we've kitted it out with all the basics, and now it's time to talk defense. Because eventually, the evil galactic empire in question is definitely going to find out where your base is hidden and there's a good chance you'll have to defend it, probably with your lives. We're definitely not going to go into a full on battle strategy...yet...but we are going to learn how to use some good heavy equipment," she set a hand proudly on one of the turrets, "to start out with. Good for taking down any suspicious air craft that may be floating around trying to get all up in your business. Of course, if a spy drone or ship goes does, that's definitely going to get traced back to you, so sometimes, you just gotta let 'em fly and lay low, but after a while, it might be a problem, and that's where the heavy artillery might come in.

"How exactly did our low-key rebel operation manage to procure high quality turret guns in the first place? I don't know. Probably stolen. Could have been refurbished out of junk parts. Maybe we had a bake sale. Financing a political movement isn't nearly as exciting as just shooting stuff, although it is important and something we'll probably go over, too, but not on the week right before a break. That is definitely a 'let's learn how to use giant fucking guns and shoot shit' sort of week."

So, with that said, Summer took some time to explain the turret guns themselves and demonstrate how they worked, so that hopefully even the most firearms deficient newb could pick it up and feel...well, maybe not comfortable, but at least willing to try it out. "Now, of course," she added, "these might be way different from the kinds of heavy weaponry you might have in your own worlds and dimensions, but it's all basically the same concept, if you learn one, you can probably pick up another pretty easily."

Uh, no, Summer, sorry, but not everyone was you or Rey.

"Let me know if you have any questions. Once you guys get settled, behind the guns the sim's going to kick in and you'll have some bogeys in the air to shoot at and get some practice in. The more you go, the quicker and more evasive they're going to get, too, so hopefully, those of you who are new to this will have some time getting used to it, and, if you pick it up pretty quickly, you'll still have a challenge. So go ahead, man your guns, and let's shoot some shit."

Living With Trauma, Tuesday, February 15, 2022

[sith_happened]

Speaking of trauma, surprise! The dean is teaching you today!

"Hello, everyone," Anakin said, sweeping into the room. "Your teacher is temporarily in space and so I will be substituting for him today."

He leaned back against a desk. "I'm not unqualified to teach this class," having both received and inflicted just so much trauma in his life, "but I admit to being slightly unfamiliar with what Stark has already covered this semester. So today we will watch a film--" experience trauma as a group, "--and then discuss how it makes us feel."

So. Enjoy ET Oh Noes, An Alien in My Closet.

Prepare for questions.

Books vs Movies, Tuesday first period

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Good morning." Jon nodded at the class. He looked fairly good this week (albeit still somewhat sleep-deprived). "I hope you enjoyed the reading for this week. The movie that goes with it has quite a few differences as well as similarities, so I look forward to discussing them. Particularly, pay attention to the treatment of magic and Christianity in it, and the growth of Gawain as a person.

"One thing you may notice is how few of the characters are actually named, so make a note of that, too. When it might be important and who it is. Keep an eye on the symbology used." He thought about it. "That's it, I suppose."


Before they left, he wrote next week's assignment on the board: The Princess Bride.

Mad Kings & Queens: Raving Royals and How To Survive Them (Tuesday, 4th Period)

[atreideslioness]

"Right then," Ghanima said cheerfully. "I decided that since some of you may have been distracted by romance yesterday, we'll be watching Wildcat in Snow. None of them are, technically, mad, unless you count the lust for power as a madness. Horribly clever, most of them, which is part of the problem."

"As you've learned, the lines of succession can cause problems," Ghanima continued. "Sometimes rulers behead potential rivals. Sometimes they lock them up. And sometimes, it is not always clear who is next in line."

"Henry the Second of England. Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Philip the Second of France. Three of the most powerful people in the world. Add in three would-be players, and a hapless pawn or two, and you've got a dynastic battle of the highest order."

"So get comfortable, enjoy the movie, and chat amongst yourselves. Is this madness? Or just good-old-fashioned family squabbling on a much larger scale? After all, it's not just the family silver at stake - it's two countries, and the entire balance of power in the 'civilized'--" and if you thought you heard air-quotes around that word, you were totally right. "--world."