fandomhigh | Ocker 101 - fourth period

Mick was waiting at the end of the Causeway, leaning on a pillar, hat over his eyes and a box on the ground next to him. He'd had the office handwavily tell his students to meet him there, and bring sunscreen and their togs.

"G'day," he said when everyone had arrived. "I heard tell a final test was somethin' of a tradition round here, but you lot aren't gonna get a test. Instead we're going walkabout." He started pulling hats out of the box, one for everyone (and a little one for Robbo) and passed them out. "You're all honorary Aussies now, so you've gotta have a hat." He turned to walk through the portal. "Come on."

They stepped out into a red desert, flat and hot and dry, and in front of them was an odd rock formation. With a smile, Mick tipped his hat back and took a deep breath, obviously pleased to be home.

"I was raised by the local Aboriginal tribe and I asked one of the tribal elders once when I was born. He said 'summertime'." He grinned over his shoulder at his students. "Time don't matter so much out here but no worries, I'll have you back for your next class."

[We interrupt your regularly scheduled playing for some OCD. Please stand by. OCD has been achieved.]

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In finest Ocker fashion.

Edmund Pevensie

Jonas

Cara

Clark Kent

James of Krondor

Get your hat settled on your head then pop through the portal.

Jonas settled his hat on his head and walked through the portal without any trouble. It got easier the more he did it.

The hat, Edmund thought, was a surprisingly touching gift. He admired it in silence for a few moments before adjusting it carefully on his head.

Cara was wearing the hat. Under great protest, but she was wearing it nonetheless.

If she'd known photographs existed, she'd be so very grateful none had been taken of this.

Clark had to admit, the hat was kinda cool when he got to wear it, too. He stuck it on his head with a cocky little angle and headed out, feeling prepared for the day's adventure.

James plopped the hat on his head and stepped through the portal, wary of anything that might immediately kill him.

"See those rocks sticking up there?" He pointed to the rocks in the distance. "They've been standin' up there for six hundred million years. Still be there when you and I are gone. Thing you need to understand is, you can't own the land anymore than a flea owns the dog he lives on. Aborigines know it. They belong to to the land, they love her. They know you can't own her, but you can leave your mark." Mick led his class down a short slope until they were standing at the base of the rocks, which were (http://www.colophon.com/gallery/minsky/jpegs/austral.jpg) covered (http://australiaphototour2008.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/cave.jpg) in (http://www.wolvo.net/gallery/d/173-11/Aboriginal+cave+paintings+-+Mutawintji) ancient (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/2550512198_9bc888ab79_b.jpg) paintings (http://www.richardholway.com/A545%20Cave%20paintings.jpg). "See? You're lookin at stories told forty thousand years ago. People just like you speakin' to you out of the past. Go on, have a good look."

Amazed by the paintings and how much they reminded him of the Kawatche Caves, Clark spent a good deal of time looking at the paintings and trying to find something familiar.

When they were done looking at the rock art, a truck picked them up and took them to a billabong (http://www.mediastorehouse.com/image/paperbark-forest-weeping-paperbark-in-billabong-yellow-water_645545.jpg). "No crocs here cause of the mineral salts. Have a swim, cool down, then help yourself to some tucker."

There were plenty of bushes to change behind and towels to dry off and, when they were done swimming, tin mugs (http://www.tinparade.com/images/ala_train_cupsBIG.jpg) to drink the strong billy tea (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Billycan) out of (and even some milk and sugar) and enough hot damper (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Damper_%28food%29) bread (http://www.taste.com.au/images/recipes/agt/2002/01/12308.jpg) to go around.

Swimming in a completely unfamiliar place was an attractive concept to Jonas. So, once he'd changed, he took a few moments to scan the area, the water before he jumped in and started wading around.

A swim before food seemed the best thing to do in this type of weather. He pulled off his shirt, was already wearing shorts to swim in and joined Jonas. He couldn't help but be wary of the 'no crocs' claim though.

Cara was far from a stranger to the idea of communal bathing (even if it was slightly odd not to have at least one other woman present). Sadly, the concept of bathing suits had yet to appear, let alone catch on, in the Midlands. Luckily, the particular set of bushes she'd picked to change out of her leathers behind happened to lead all the way down to the water's edge.

With her eyes closed, she could almost pretend she was back home.

James ducked behind a clump of bushes to 'change'... Bathing suits were not a standard item of swimming back where James was from. Luckily, ~~the mun read Cara's post~~ the bushes extended to the shore, so everyone was saved from James' immodesty.

The truck took the students on a slightly longer trip, driving down a dirt road as Uluru grew steadily larger in front of them (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/53/149439508_8a7654f6f5_o.jpg). They arrived a few minutes before sunset.

"This here is Uluru. The Aborigines say the world was once a great big blank space. Then in the Dreamtime these creator beings, shaped like people, plants and animals, traveled all across the land. They fought and died and built and fought some more and made everything you can see. They reckon this land is still full of spirits, the Tjukuritja and the Waparitja. Whether that's true or not, I dunno, but this place is somethin' special."

The sun started to set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrunawO4iZM), and Mick pushed his hat back and turned to watch.

Who's probably pretty glad this is the last class.

Edmund was partially glad that this was the last class, but the gift of the hat was leaving him with some remorse. Perhaps Professor Dundee wasn't so bad after all...for an Australian.

Grab him anytime in the trip if you want to have a yarn.

Through the magic of portals and fake timezones everyone will be back in Fandom an hour after they left.

Thanks for being a ripper of a class; you're all bonzer!

Edited 2010-06-25 11:08 (UTC)

Ocker 101 - fourth period - week seven [25/06]

Sign in [25/06]

Re: Sign in [25/06]

Re: Sign in [25/06]

Re: Sign in [25/06]

Re: Sign in [25/06]

Re: Sign in [25/06]

Hat up and walk through

Re: Hat up and walk through

Re: Hat up and walk through

Re: Hat up and walk through

Re: Hat up and walk through

Re: Hat up and walk through

A bit of the past

Re: A bit of the past

Swimming

Re: Swimming

Re: Swimming

Re: Swimming

Re: Swimming

Sunset over Uluru

Talk to the TA

Re: Talk to the TA

Talk to Mick

OOC