fandomhigh | Tracking: Urban v. Wilderness; Thursday, Period Three [ 10/21 ].

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tracking

Tracking: Urban v. Wilderness; Thursday, Period Three [ 10/21 ].

So far, so good. Angua was feeling a bit irritable, but not enough that class was going to be problematic. She hoped. The fact that the gender thing had resolved itself and that some of the students might be distracted with Homecoming anyway would help.

"So today," she started, having a seat on the desk in the front of the classroom, "we're going to just have a bit of a discussion class, since having the week yesterday probably got most of our minds off of tracking. Two parts. The first is in reference to what happened earlier this week. I know that not everyone found themselves a different gender on Sunday and Monday, but I'm curious. What did you happen to learn from being different in that way? And, more importantly, how can you use the experience to give you a perspective on better tracking, if anything?"

"And, secondly, the topic I had planned for the class, are signs we can look for when searching for someone or something in an urban environment. In the wilderness, you have better access to the classical trappings of tracking: food prints, subtle changes in the environment like snapped twigs or crushed grass. You consider commonly used animal trails and natural spots for water and shelter. Where are spots where one might burrow to hide or reach higher ground to keep a lookout for danger? These are the things I wants us to talk about today, and how can those translate to tracking something in an urban landscape, where you don't exactly have as many twigs to break, and hard paved streets may prevent the easy use of footprints? We'll just open it up, see where it goes."

"And then, for next week, I'd like you to spend some time observing behaviours and others things of the people around you that can be further used as tracking signs. Perhaps a friend of yours always has Cheetos for lunch, and so you could look for signs of cheesy powder left on doors he or she might have used. Or maybe you yourself always reads the newspaper in the morning; where are you putting it afterwards that someone might notice, and therefor be able to discern where you have been? Is there someone who always brushes their hair in the bathroom and leaves a few traces of it in the sink? Keep an eye open for tracking signs in every day life, and next week we'll see how they match up to the ones we thought of this week."

"And, yes, those were all good examples of what we're discussing today, to help get the ideas going. And we're talking about things, physical evidence left behind, so those of us with particularly honed senses should set those aside for this particular lesson and focus on things more tangible. Any questions? Let's get started."

[[ OCD ~~on the way~~ has left behind a clue! JAAAAAAM! ]]

Previous Classes ]]

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Leaving behind evidence!

Makita

Tahiri Veila

Jacob Black

Dana Scully

Roy Harper

Zack Fair

Andros

Kurt Wagner

Ben Skywalker

Cara

Bruce Wayne

Jason Todd

Dru Anderson

The talking helps distract her from wanting to eat all your faces in a few more days.

Did being a different gender give you any new perspectives that might be used to benefit your tracking method?

Or were you too busy with the fact that you were a different gender to care?

That's why hindsight is 20/20, my friends.

"Yeah, I don't think looking like someone annoying I know helped at all," Jake admitted. "Um... not that I thought a lot about it. I guess there's a few places or things you could do as a girl that you can't as a guy, but that works in both directions."

"I'd have to agree," Scully said. "Aside from being able to use the men's room if I wanted, I was the same age, so... if we'd been changed into adults, this might have been a different story. There's places men don't get a second look, where a woman might get noticed."

"And really, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to go there," he decided, because really.

Then again. Girls in showers. Yeah, he was distracted now.

Scully gave him an amused look for the distraction. "I wasn't just thinking strip clubs or something-- although I wouldn't have wanted to go there either. It's just safer for men to be alone in some parts of an urban setting, than women."

Although now she was considering, academically, the men's locker room at a certain sports club. .. Darnit. An opportunity missed.

Except that most guys there would have been girls too.

"True, I hadn't thought about that," he frowned. That would be because he still had been a werewolf and he tended to be the most dangerous thing around.

Not if she'd gone to a particular one in D.C.... but lack of proper ID probably wouldn't have gotten her in there either. Ah well.

"You're a guy, that's normal," Scully pointed out. "Women have to be slightly more aware in urban settings. City blocks. Different bars. It would make tracking someone difficult, if you had to constantly do your own threat level assessment, instead of concentrating on the objective. Having a partner who was male would probably even that out, though."

"Or having super powers?" he suggested, making a face. "But yeah, that makes sense. Even if it's kind of lame that it's like that."

"Super powers would definitely help," Scully agreed. "Although guys would still probably remember you, if you were at all attractive. Which would make stealth a little harder, but if that wasn't an issue, you'd be able to do that job." She grinned at him. "Yes, it is lame. And thus, I carry a gun."

"I consider myself warned," he grinned. "But that kind of works for guys too. People can still find you attractive and remember your face."

"Point," Scully conceded. Then grinned. "There's certain bars *you* would be mobbed, where I wouldn't get a second glance."

Jake laughed and he beated his chest in a posturing gesture. "I can handle being mobbed."

Scully smothered a smile. "Gay bars too?" It had happened to Mulder, that once...

"I am confident in my masculinity," he defended instantly. Maybe a little too confident. "As long as I don't need to kiss anyone..."

"I think that would get us noticed too much," Scully said, very seriously. "So you're off the hook."

Although Claudia might be disappointed.

Jake thought Claudia might just prefer he'd kiss her, honestly.

"Thanks. Some of those guys don't shave," he made a face.

So everyone was happy!

"If I wouldn't kiss them, you shouldn't have to," Scully said, very magnanimous.

"Yeah? Who would you kiss then?" he asked. "Just so I know what's waiting."

Didn't see that one coming, did you, Scully?

"No one!" Ahem. Take it down a bit. "I mean... well, someone. Possibly. But he isn't at school here."

"Yeah? Someone back from home?" he asked. "Did he visit for Parent's Weekend?"

"Yes, he's in D.C. And, well, no." Liaaaar. But the first blush was still there, and she couldn't get any redder... although Jake might notice some confusion in the way she smelled, if he could do that. "He was busy." He was!... getting bitten by a vampire. "My best friend. But. I'm fairly certain he's not into me... like that."

Woes. Fifteen sucked.

Maybe he could, but he honestly never really concentrated on it and no one had explained him those details so they tended to just pass him by.

"How do you know that? Have you asked?"

"No," Scully squirmed. Okay, this was awkward. "We usually are just-- very busy, when we're together. And we flirt sometimes, but it's never gone further than that." Hadn't needed to; and she, at least, hadn't wanted the distraction at work most of the time. Most of the time. "He notices other women. Girls," she corrected herself. "I don't know. It's... complicated."

"He's a guy. I bet he's noticed you as well," Jake said. "We're just dumb sometimes."

Thinking back to Parent's Weekend, Scully snorted. "And I wish I could disagree with that."

"I have a better sense for how females move now," Bruce said. "That gives better insight into things like footprints, or how they might brush against something. I think it ties into this lecture specifically very well."

Can you think of other things to look for when tracking someone or something, especially in an urban environment, that might be different than the conventions tracks and paths type of clues?

"Blood can be tracked in streets as well as forests," Firekeeper contributed with a shrug. Of course, tracking via the smell of blood was... probably only helpful if you were a wolf. Or perhaps a vampire.

"But also, in forests, it is easy for one who does not wish to get caught to stray away from usual trail. This is much harder in cities, with rules of people on foot walk here, people in vehicles go here, people dressed a certain way cannot enter here... you need to stop and look for sign of their passing, but perhaps not as often."

"In the city, there are different beings you can also ask for information," Ben noted. "There are certain areas that the sorts of people who are generally tracked gravitate to--bars, cantinas, gambling clubs, pawn shops, weapons stores. People there might have a general interest in not noticing things, but it doesn't mean they can't be convinced to help."

Who you may find by following the hairballs and ashes, perhaps.

Hey now. Jake didn't do hairballs, thank you very much. Just because he turned into a huge ass wolf which involve a whole lot of hair all over his body and...

Shut up. There weren't any hairballs and if there were, he was never telling.

She's there and she can still tolerate people a little better than she'll be able to tomorrow and Saturday, so now will be the time to catch her.

And, of course, as always, feel free to bounce ideas and discussions of each other, as well!

I have a cat sitting (sitting, not lying, mind you) in my lap, purring and watching me type. D'aaaaawww.

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Tracking: Urban v. Wilderness; Thursday, Period Three [ 10/21 ].

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Listen to the Lecture -- Tracking, 10/21.

Discussion 1 : Gender -- Tracking, 10/21.

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Discussion 2 : Tracking Signs -- Tracking, 10/21.

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Talk to the TAs -- Tracking, 10/21.

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OOC -- Tracking, 10/21.