fandomhigh | Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week II [Monday, Period 4]

When students arrived in the Danger Shop today, they'd find it set up for rock climbing.

"Hello, students," Ghanima said briskly, giving some handouts to the TAs. "Today, we study mountains and rock climbing."

"The important thing to remember about mountains is that each one is different, depending on the size and location," she said. "High mountains, and mountains located close to the Earth's poles, reach into the colder layers of the atmosphere. They are consequently subject to glaciation, and erosion through frost action, and such processes produce the peak shape for which mountains are known. Some of these mountains have glacial lakes, created by melting glaciers. Mountains can be eroded and weathered, altering their characteristics over time, so even if you've been to an area once, it may not be the same as before."

"Tall mountains have different climatic conditions at the top than at the base, and will thus have different life zones at different altitudes. The flora and fauna found in these zones tend to become isolated since the conditions above and below a particular zone will be inhospitable to those organisms. These isolated ecological systems are known as sky islands and/or microclimates."

"Mountains are also generally less preferable for human habitation than lowlands; the weather is often harsher, and there is little level ground suitable for agriculture. At very high altitudes, there is less oxygen in the air and less protection against solar radiation Acute mountain sickness, caused by hypoxia - a lack of oxygen in the blood, affects over half of lowlanders who spend more than a few hours above 3,500 meters, or 11,483 feet."

"Today, you'll be learning how to scale these majestic landmarks." Ghanima gestured to the gear and the walls. "There's easy, medium, hard, and expert trails here today, you just have to follow the color-coded tape paths. Or, you can try making your own goals. Race each other, work in teams, or get a feel for some of the unconventional maneuvers you might have do in order to move about a mountain."

"I just ask that you warm-up on the easy and medium trails first, no matter how advanced you think yourself. I don't want anyone getting hurt during the second week of classes."

[Ya'll know the rules. The OCD is up, so you're free to roam!]

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"What about?" Dinah asked, studying Triela, mildly worried that she *was* admitting that. "People leaving? Other stuff?"

"I'm getting bored, Dinah." She shook her head. "I haven't had a mission since spring break, and that was a simple one."

Which... wasn't the entire truth. Or even most of it. The truth was she'd spent way too long without seeing Hilshire. And that made her antsy.

Dinah bit her lip, 'cause she could sympathize with that, just having been home to help on a case. But she also knew what Triela's assignments were like. "The Reserves might help, but I know it's not the same." She fiddled with her line. "You could ask, when the next one would be," she said, very very reluctantly.

"The Reserves sounds like more practice." Not that Triela was against practice, but it wasn't the same.

Then she snorted and shook her head. "It doesn't work that way." And, besides, it wouldn't due to let Hilshire know she was feeling anxious or anything.

Relieved, Dinah let out a slow breath, and glanced upward at the rocks. "It'll happen. I'm sorry it's got you worried, though. Do you think something's going on at home?"

"No. Hilshire sends me regular letters, and while they never say anything, the way they don't say anything means it's business as usual."

"That's good, at least." Dinah shook her head. "You know they'll contact you eventually," she said, voice resigned and a little disgusted. "They aren't forgetting you." She smiled at her. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Just stick around," Triela suggested. "My roommate's leaving soon, so it's nice to know that not everyone I know," not all of her friends here, "will be gone."

"No worries," Dinah promised. "I'll always let you know if I go back to New Gotham for a little while." She was quiet, then added, "But I'm here 'til next May, at least. I went home this weekend, but it was-- different, sort of. I think I need to be here."

Triela blinked, letting her attention shift from the rocks to Dinah. "What do you mean?"

"I forgot how impulsive my sister could be. And I had to fill in for Barbara, she was in the hospital. Her job's a lot harder than I thought it was. I never thought I was smart enough to do it, but that's not the hardest part." She frowned. "I had to be the one to watch other people take the risks. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Not literally," she added hastily.

"Oh." Triela nodded at that. "There's a reason I don't like being someone else's backup." She didn't deal well with not being in front.

"Yeah," Dinah said, then quieter, "I might have to be, thought. Helena would never manage it. And the others involved are too keyed into their positions. Someday that might be my job, or partly." She shielded her eyes, checking the sun. "I need to learn more here before I can do that." And get tougher. It had been rough enough reining in Helena all weekend; without Jesse or Nightwing as backers, it would've been impossible.

Triela leaned forward slightly with concern. "But Barbara is okay, right?" And if that was the case then Dinah could do what she wanted.

"She is," Dinah said, smile breaking out. "And hopefully that's a long, long way off."

"Then..." Triela shook her head. "Sorry. I'm not used to thinking in the long term."

"I know," Dinah said, worried again. More carefully, she said, "It's not stupid to do it, though. I mean, hey, I might fall on my head in this class. I still need to plan for longer." She studied Triela. "Same goes for you."

Triela snorted wryly. "I don't have to plan longer. I've got another four or five years if I'm lucky." That was probably it.

Which still made Dinah mad. But she channeled it into, "You never know. That can be a long time. Especially when you're spending so much of it in Fandom."

"Can't argue with that," Triela chuckled. "This place is a bit unpredictable."

Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week II [Monday, Period 4]

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