Getting Out of Tight Situations- Period 5- Class #1

[solo_sword]

Today the students met in the classroom, where everyone would find a lemon on their desk. No tools, just a lemon. And it was going to take Jaina a bit to get to explaining it, too.

"Hey, guys," she greeted them. "Welcome to class. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jaina Solo. I used to be a student here, graduated, went home, and now I teach. But since this means I still see way too many familiar faces here, just call me Jaina. It's just easier that way. I'm a Jedi Knight and have served off and on in my galaxy's military for eleven years. Between the two of those things- and other reasons, let's be honest- I've seen a lot of missions, a lot of battle plans, and it doesn't matter how well you plan everything out and think of every detail, there's almost always that one moment where it all just goes wrong. At that point you have to improvise a little and make the best of what you have in order to deal with the situation. This doesn't just apply to things like missions, either. I'm sure you've all had moments in your everyday lives where you've had something unexpected happen and all of a sudden you're forced to figure out what you're going to do about it. I mean, welcome to being a teenager. Sometimes there's a way out, sometimes there's not and you just have to deal.

"Which I'm sure you've all figured out is what this class is all about. Most weeks we'll be meeting in the Danger Shop, where I'll throw a simulated scenario at you. It may be something out of an invasion, it might be something completely ordinary. Your job is going to use the smarts and skills you have to see how you deal with the situation. Speaking of which, you might have noticed the lemon on your desk. You get to figure out what to do with it." Jaina didn't expect everyone to know the 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade' expression, but it might be interesting to see what people did with it, if anything. It was what the class was about, after all.

"So since this is our first class, we're going to go the completely ordinary route and do introductions. I want to know your name and what you think is the best quality you can have in a bad situation. Also, if there's anyone interested, there's a TA position available, come see me after class."

Comments

Sign In

[solo_sword]

It's the first day of the new semester! How do you feel?

Re: Sign In

[endsthegame]

Andrew Wiggin, mellow

Listen to the lecture

[solo_sword]

Yeah, sorry she gets talky on day one. But at least you have lemons!

Re: Listen to the lecture

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce appreciated the visual metaphor. He figured he could also make lemonade with the materials he had at his desk. Granted, in this case they would have to be served in pen casings with the ink removed, but at least they were nice pens?

He didn't do this while Jaina was talking, but he thought about it.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[wrongkindofsith]

Cara poked at the lemon and frowned, maybe she was supposed to throw it at someone?

Re: Listen to the lecture

[pyromanyac.livejournal.com]

It was all well and dandy, but then the teacher -and she couldn't believe she actually was attending to a class in a school- mentioned something the galaxy and what not, and she had to wonder if she wasn't still out cold, floating in the water, dreaming everything.

The lemon looked quite real, if anything.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

James stared at the lemon for a moment, to make sure it was a real piece of fruit. Once the lecture was over, he would peel it and eat it.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

There were lemons. Or a lemon, anyway, but it wasn't as if Stephanie had any reason to think about weird versions of the lemons-and-lemonade metaphor that had a thing to do with slapping people (http://dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/post/2419309005/mm11).

Mostly, she was trying to figure out the lemons-into-lemonade logistics of the class roster, because ackackackackackack, was she supposed to have a witty solution for this already?

. . . if nothing else, she could throw the lemon at someone. She hadn't made varsity softball for nothing.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[momslilassassin]

Ben listened to the lecture as he fiddled with the lemon.

By the time Jaina had finished talking, Ben had made himself a battery.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

A quick examination determined that the lemon was not a threat. At which point it got ignored.

Re: Listen to the lecture

[longislandiceme]

Bobby had a lemon. And... no idea how to make lemonade other than it probably involved water and sugar in varying quantities and did you really want him attempting to make it on his own? He'd probably end up setting something on fire like the player did that one time.... Maybe Sookie would know how to make lemonade. Or, oooh, lemon tarts!

Re: Listen to the lecture

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

Alex listened to Jaina's lecture and eyed the lemon, suddenly craving lemonade.

Introductions

[solo_sword]

Name and what you think is the best quality to have in a bad situation, por favor.

Re: Introductions

[endsthegame]

"Ender Wiggin," Ender said, mostly for formality's sake. "And it's the ability to be adaptable that's most important. If you're too slow to adapt, whatever you're facing will find a way to hit you in the back."

He held up the lemon. "Food source, antidote for scurvy, a weapon if you're particularly desperate - both sliced up and as a blunt object - and its pH value of 2.3 means it's relatively acidic, which could probably be of use in situations I haven't thought of yet." A beat. "And a very good way to introduce strangers to Earth proverbs, I think. It's a matter of how you think about it."

Re: Introductions

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Bruce Wayne. The best quality in a bad situation is a level head. Stay calm and your decisions should be much better," Bruce said.

Re: Introductions

[wrongkindofsith]

"Cara. Good reflexes." They kept you alive long enough to be able to think.

Re: Introductions

[pyromanyac.livejournal.com]

"Charlie McGee. And...a plan B. And hey, a plan C doesn't hurt." It would had come in handy for her.

Re: Introductions

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

"Squire James, of Krondor," he said. "The best quality is to be at least one step ahead." He dug his thumb into the lemon peel.

Re: Introductions

[batwaffles.livejournal.com]

"Stephanie Brown," Steph said, proud of herself for managing not to slide down in her seat, or freak out, or anything incredibly embarrassing, even though unexpected-teenage-Bruce's "level head" comment kind of hit a sore spot. Go figure. "As far as the best quality, well . . . being able to improvise on the fly?"

She hoped she'd managed to make that sound adequately I-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing-here.

Re: Introductions

[momslilassassin]

"I'm Grand Master Whango Mittphool Ben Skywalker," Ben said, "and I agree with Bruce. If you panic at the first sign of something going wrong, all of the good reflexes and adaptability won't save you. Keep calm, then come up with a way out." He smiled. "Because there's always a way out."

Re: Introductions

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela nodded at Bruce and Ben. "Agreed. Staying level-headed, especially when you've been properly trained, insures that you will make optimal decisions, and that you will do so quickly."

After noticing it when she sat down, Triela hadn't even given her lemon a second glance. After all, it wasn't a threat.

Re: Introductions

[need-no-moon.livejournal.com]

"Jacob Black. I'm not sure if it's a quality exactly, but self control is handy," he replied, thinking of what Bruce and Ben had said. "Not that I'd freak out or anything, but keeping my temper is usually the hardest part."

Re: Introductions

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

"Harper Finkle, and I think the best quality to have is the ability to think clearly and not panic," she said. In her case, it was easier said than done.

Talk to Jaina

[solo_sword]

She's around before and after class, and is trying not to be too freaked out that yesterday was her last welcome picnic.

Re: Talk to Jaina

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Jaina?" Bruce asked, walking up at the end of class. "I'm interested in the TA position."

OOC

[solo_sword]

TA is already chosen OOCly, but you can feel free to ask about it if you want!

And omg I am actually around! Yes I started off the new year with a day off work on purpose.