Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, Thursday, Per 3

[deathsmajesty]

Class met at the Danger Shop, but rather than the standard classroom sim, they were standing on Loon Drive, right outside of the school walls, next to the junkyard. Waiting patiently were several rickshaws, bicycles, and other non-vehicular means of conveyance. Look, Liliana didn't want to walk around the island, she wouldn't blame her students for not wanting to, either.

"Congratulations, class," she said. "Most of you survived last week's onslaught, and several of you came up with creative means to do so, or used skills you were not used to. Today's assignment is a bit different. It's time for you to find a place to hole up. In most circumstances, you would be limited to whichever building you were either in or could get to when the zombies began attacking. Perhaps, by being very quiet or clever or lucky, you would be able to sneak somewhere else and better fortified. Today, however, you will have the chance to explore the entire island uninterrupted by zombies. Your task, then, is to find the best place to build a base in, the worst place to build a camp in, why you have decided on both of those options, and at least two safety concerns your potential base comes with and how you plan to mitigate them. You are free to explore on your own, or buddy up. There are, however, some caveats."

None of you had thought it was going to be that easy, right?

"There are a few changes to the usual places on the island. There are no sanctuary spells anywhere. Neither the dorms nor Caritas are magically protected, and neither is anywhere else, which includes the school, the school library, and the boarding house." Also anywhere else that there had been magic that she hadn't known about, because when she'd been putting things into the sim, she hadn't included magic for any of it. "Furthermore, special technologies have been disabled. Luke's no longer has a freezer large enough to require a tram service. The junkyard no longer has spaceships. The Danger Shop in the school, the Holoscene, and any other similar rooms no longer work. And, of course, neither my home or my shop exist on this version of the island. 'Go to the necromancer's house' is an excellent idea, assuming that said necromancer is not behind the invasion in the first place, but I am not in the mood for guests."

The Causeway was also disabled, but Liliana didn't mention that.

"Several important notes. The first is that there are zombies in the preserve and on the school grounds, so simply shutting the school gates and waiting for them to go away will not work. You're still welcome to potentially set up camp in any of the school locations, I just wanted to be clear that it wouldn't be so simple as that. Second is to pay attention to numbers. Some of you may find places suitable for just one person to hide. Some of you may want to take over the largest area you can find. Both extremes carry their own benefits and dangers, including the possibility that you might end up gaining or losing people, and that could seriously affect the safety and integrity of your chosen spots. Keep flexibility in mind, as well as your own basic needs, and, of course, safety from a threat that does not tire or give up."

She pointed to the park, where there was already a charming little picnic set up. "You all have forty-five minutes to explore. Please return to the park when you're ready to discuss what you've found."

And with that, she was heading towards the picnic to settle down and see what her class discovered.

Food Adventures, Thursday, First Period

[carbsliftthespirit]

"All right, folks!" Raiden said once his group had gathered at Portalocity, "We've got a busy afternoon ahead of us, so listen up. We're headed to beautiful Vermont, because, uh...it's fall, and if you can go to Vermont in the fall you should definitely do that. For the unfamiliar, Vermont is a state, part of the United States of America we're currently in, but up north of here, and they are in peak fall color right now, so be sure to bring your camera. Or...your phones," since that was what everyone used now.

"We've got a few stops planned. First, we'll be going to Bragg Farm to learn about how maple syrup is made and try some maple-based treats, before we head to the Cabot Cheese store to try some locally produced cheeses. After that, we'll be going to the Yates Family Orchard, where you can pick and sample twenty-eight different varieties of apple, so you're bound to find your favorite, plus try all sorts of goodies made with them, like fresh cider and fresh cider donuts." A pause as Raiden thought about those donuts. "And then, if we have time and you guys feel up for it, we'll swing by the King Arthur Baking Company bakery, cafe, and store." They might be tired out after the apple picking, but like...Raiden needed some specialty flour. "These locations are too far apart to walk to, and portaling would just be a waste of the views, so I've hired a van to take us around. So let's go meet our driver and get started!"

Great British Bake Off (But American), Thursday, September October 2 [2nd period]

[heroic_jawline]

The 'tent' was once again ready for the bakers to come back around for more ridiculous baking challenges! But the theme this week was honestly perplexing both teachers.

"Welcome back everyone. Today, we're apparently making school treats?" Tony said with a confused little frown. "I'm not sure what that means."

"Didn't you ever eat school lunch?" Steve asked.

"Well, boarding school, but I've been told it's not the same as normal school," Tony replied with a shrug.

"School lunch was sometimes my biggest meal of the day back in the '30s," Steve said. "We ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches."

"I don't think I've had one of those," Tony admitted. "But instead we have granola bars to start out! Whatever flavor you want to make."

"We don't care if they are crunchy or chewy, but tell us which one they were supposed to be before we chew on it," Steve said. "And first, let's judge your cheesecakes."

Your stacked cheesecakes. Which was a terrible idea.

"And then for your technical... square pizza? Is that a school lunch thing?" Tony was so out if his depth.

"The internet said so," Steve said, nodding. "So helpful."

Library, Thursday 10/2

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Had the library gremlins gone to the Spirit Halloween? Quite possibly. Or maybe Constantine had. Or someone else entirely.

Whatever the case, the library was starting to looking spooky. There were horror books and supernatural books on display, naturally. But there were also skeletons (not real ones, Belle was pretty sure). There were fake spiderwebs. There were pumpkins. There were little toy ghosts.

There was even a cardboard standee of the zombie band from Caritas. Who even knew such a thing existed?