Weaponry; Wednesday, Second Period [03/16].

[special_rabbit]

"Morning, class!" said Amaya, with the usual nod of greeting, the adjustment of her gloves, the pound of her fist into her palm to show she was ready to get going on the lesson for that week. "Now, thing is, with weapons, is there's only so many categories before they start to sort of resemble each other in one way or another, and while we've definitely got a few more categories to cover, tomorrow's one of the many holidays that this world has to offer, so Detective Diaz and I decided we might be a little topical about the whole thing and bring a nice focus on some shillelaghs to the table, because, apparently, around here, they have roots in Ireland, and that's what tomorrow's holiday has to do with!

"Not to put too fine a point on it...because, well, they're clubs, the point is that they don't really have points," no one should be as proud of as convoluted a pun as that one as Amaya Blackstone was, and yet there they were, "but a shillelagh is basically a cudgel, or a bludgeoning weapon, much like maces that we covered earlier in the semester, only distinctly made of wood, which is why I don't pay them nearly as much mind as a metalsmith. And, in the grand tradition of most simply weapons, there's a functional side to a shillelagh as well as a battle side, in that they are often used as walking sticks or staffs, depending on the side, when they're not being used to bludgeon people or things with.

"A nice, stout, knotty blackthorn, or sloe, is the preferred wood for a shillelagh," Amaya now picked one up from the table for demonstration, "although oak is often pretty popular as well, and its distinction comes in the knob at the top, which is typically formed out of the root of the wood, which is stronger, so it's less likely to break or crack. Commonly, the staff was then cured in a chimney for several months, sometimes years, to give it its distinctive shiny black appearance, although treatments of dung or slaked lime are often used, as well, then finished with polish and oils. Occasionally, you'd fine one that was actually brined, or treated in saltwater.

"Now," Amaya continued, "clearly, most shillelaghs are a good size for a walking stick, making them useful in that regard, but they mostly came about as a weapon to use in settling 'gentlemanly disputes,' better known as duels, as opposed to using a sword or a pistol. There's also the Irish marial art of bataireacht, which is mostly just a fancy way of saying 'stick-fighting' and seeks to elevate the act of just swinging around sticks at each other into a true art and a form of self-defense.

"That's just a basic overview of the shillelagh," she concluded with a nod, "though if you've got any questions or anything you'd like me to expand on, by all means, let's hear what you got. If not, though, we'll hand you on over to Detective Diaz here, who will teach you some of the techniques associated with bataireacht and you'll be right good shillelagh weilders in no time!"

Great Legends of Hyrule; Wednesday, Third Period [03/16].

[in_sidon_we_trust]

The class would be meeting in the Danger Shop that week, which meant that Sidon was particularly excited about the lesson and all it would entail. And, apparently, what it would entail included a very moody, atmospheric forest cloaked in fog, the skeletal shapes of the leaf-less trees emerging around the ruins of some long-gone entryway. Although the air was temperate and mild, something about the misty desolation of it might just send a chill racing up your spine, but Sidon's eager grin might just be enough to chase it away.

"Nestled in the Great Hyrule Forest, on a island at the center of the great gorge known as Lake Mekar, is a vast and mysterious place known colloquially around Hyrule as the Lost Woods!"

And, yes, Siodn's voice dropped to an appropriately awed and enigmatic hush there.

"Not much is known about the Lost Woods, although many things are said about them, and it is of little surprise! The constant cloak of fog that wraps around the place keeps its mysteries far from prying eyes, and it is said that anyone who attempts to venture too deeply into the woods will find themselves either utterly lost for all eternity, or, if they are lucky, swept back to this very entrance instead, as if the very forest itself were politely escorting you to the door and asking you to leave! Naturally, the lure of attempting to solve such mysteries is a powerful one, and one that many adventurers of Hyrule have attempted to answer, but to no avail!

"When viewed from above, one might take notice of a burst of pale pink leaves at the very center of the fog and mist and skeletal branches, adding even more questions to the nature of this place. What is so special about this tree? How might one reach it? Will we ever truly know? The tree is said to be a great and powerful forest spirit, perhaps even a forest god, and I have even heard whispers that he may somehow be tied to the Sword that Seals the Darkness that we have mentioned in a previous lesson. It is also said that he looks over those known as Koroks, or Children of the Forest, who protect the forest and all the vibrant life that goes along with it, and that these mists and the deadly feeling of the Lost Woods is said to be merely a disguise to protect their realm and keep interlopers out. Only the truly worthy may find the path to the heart of the Lost Woods, and the vibrant Korok Forest within!

"And so today!" The grim enigmatic tone of Sidon's voice lifted back up in a burst of excitement and another broad grin. "That is what we shall attempt to do! Perhaps one of you may be worthy to discover the Korok Forest and the great Tree Spirit within the mysterious woods! Or perhaps we shall all be but lost souls in the mists, constantly whisked back here to this very spot to have to try again! Don't worry, though! There are torches throughout the forest to perhaps guide the way. How are these torches lit and maintained? Is it by the Forest Spirits themselves? Or perhaps the woodland creatures that seem to be able to gallavant through these woods without the same care and caution that we must take for ourselves? Perhaps. There is only one way to find out!"

Bakineering, Wednesday, March 16, 2022

[heroic_jawline]

"Today we're making leprechaun traps," Steve said. "Edible ones that will hopefully not annoy an actual leprechaun."

Because Steve was Irish and he'd been taught very early not to piss off the wee folk.

Tony just side eyed him for a moment at that. "Which apparently involves a lot of cream being left out?"

Look, he wasn't up to date on Irish folklore.

"Milk," Steve said. "They like milk. And whiskey." He shrugged. "That's what my mother told me."

"Shortbread might be good to try for the traps," Tony added. As that was definitely Irish to fit the theme. "If your trap works... please be careful in case it's a squirrel or a gremlin."

"Maybe with a sign that says you don't really intend to trap them?" Steve added. "Leprechauns are pretty spiteful."

He'd heard.

"Make your box at least three apples tall," he added, "or the leprechauns won't fit inside."

Were they real? Steve had no idea, but he wasn't taking chances.

Intro to Mechanical Engineering - Wednesday, 1st Period

[notagoose]

“Good morning,” Goose began when everyone was seated and ready to begin that day’s class, “today we’re going to be looking at strength of materials, which lets us look at how how materials respond to dealing with particular loads,” he explained, going through a few different examples and how they specifically related to mechanical engineering.

“For today’s practical, we’re going to be working on rubber band helicopters to highlight the stress of the materials and see how far we can propel the helicopters,”