History of Poisons, Thursday Per 2

[glacial_queen]

Yeah, a few steps onto the island and Karla had decided to readjust her lesson plan for the day. The pollen was still going strong and odds that her students would be able to pay attention to much else was slim. A pity the Danger Shop didn't filter it out of the air somehow, but if that was a setting, Karla had no idea how to find it.

Coming in the Danger Shop today, the students would find themselves in a large field of familiar, if vastly oversized, flowers, though Karla had thoughtfully programmed the day to be sunny and warm, with the occasional breeze. To the side was a rack of moddable weapons and a few gardening implements. "Hello," she said when her class arrived, foregoing her usual 'kiss kiss' for obvious reasons. "Let me start by saying this is one of the things that doesn't usually follow you off the island. So there's that small benefit, at least. I'm going to try to make this lecture fast--but topical!--because I know how your attention span get get, especially a week into this."

She'd barely been on the island ten minutes and she was already finding it hard to look at her students, rather than the winged guy sitting on a blanket and making silly noises at a baby.

"When engaging in sexual activities, it's important to use protection and be aware of the consequences. The two main, physical concerns of sexual activity are the transmission of disease, which can happen to between sexually-active people, and pregnancy, which is generally limited to biologically-compatible couplings. However, no form of contraception is 100% effective. Even with magic active as a preventative, there's always the possibility of human error." An example of which was now watching colorful butterflies in her daddy's arms. "In the case of accidental pregnancy, there are steps that can be taken if the mother chooses not to bear the child. I know this is considered a divisive issue in many cultures and I'm really not interested in having a debate over it. Regardless of the societal beliefs around her, if a woman is dead set on not having a child, for whatever reason, she will take steps to end the pregnancy. However, many methods are dangerous, and could have unforeseen consequences including illness, infection, sterility, and death."

"Regardless of your views on the subject, I hope we can all agree that such consequences are unacceptable. Now, if at all possible, a woman seeking to end a pregnancy should do seek the safest and most effective medical procedure she can. However, those options might not be available, for any number of reasons, including level of medical care, economics, or other concerns. But, where humanity fails, nature often provides. For millennia, certain plants have proven effective abortifacients. Most of them are poisons and should be treated as such; while these methods may be safer than some others employed, they are no means safe. Many of them come with side effects that can be extremely taxing, physically, emotionally, and mentally, and, like all poisons, they also have the potential to kill. Pennyroyal, for example, will kill if the essential oil used internally. One must brew a tea and keep careful track of how much is drunk and how quickly instead."

Karla passed out a information about the related risks with using herbs to stop a pregnancy and another on the far more ineffective herbal contraception. "If all goes well, this is information that you will never need to use; either by care and planning it will not be an issue, or you will always be in a place where you and the people around you have access to sufficient medical care to make these methods unnecessary. Should that not be the case, however, this information may allow you to help others facing an important decision. Take from this lesson what you will."

That conversation over with, Karla clapped her hands. "I'm certain I've used up all of the attention span you have, so the rest of the period is yours. There's an entire field of the flowers that are playing havoc on most of us. Feel free to take out any frustrations you may have--for whatever reason--on them. Kick, hit, stab, rake, pick, tear, stomp, destroy...whatever will make you feel better. And whatever else you do once you leave this classroom, please remember to be safe."

[Like the cut says, today's lesson includes a brief talk of plant-based abortifacients. I've tried to keep it as low-impact as possible, but if you would prefer not to read such content, click here to skip it all together.]

Comments

Sign In (02/19)

[glacial_queen]

With an icon you rarely use!

Re: Sign In (02/19)

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

Karina Lyle

Re: Sign In (02/19)

[not_every_mage]

Anders

Re: Sign In (02/19)

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle Lightwood

Re: Sign In (02/19)

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra Pentaghast

Listen to the Lecture

[glacial_queen]

With however much attention you have left by now.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[not_every_mage]

A lot of this was similar to how things were handled in Ferelden, which was just fine with Anders -- it meant it didn't matter how little attention he paid. He drifted through the lecture, taking a note or two but mostly just enjoying the sun and looking at the other students.

He kept his eyes carefully averted from Cassandra's direction. He didn't need a repeat of the last time they'd spoken.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[glacial_queen]

After she was done lecturing, Karla paused in front of Anders. "I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?" she asked. "Though if now is not a good time, I understand."

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[not_every_mage]

"Now is fine," Anders said, confused but agreeable. "But if it's about class, I promise, I'm not likely to get anybody pregnant right now."

That was a benefit of dating a boy.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[glacial_queen]

Kathy chuckled a bit. "Glad to hear it," she said. "I'd say that as a future Healer you have no excuse to ever mess that up, but I try to keep my raging hypocrisy to a bare minimum."

She glanced over her shoulder to smile and wave at Warren and Kayla before looking back at Anders. Sorry, some reactions were just automatic.

"But, no, I have no reason to lecture at you, I promise. But I was catching up with some podcasts the other day and finally heard about the day with all the eels. You use your magic to fight?"

A roundabout way to get to her point, but at least topical!

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra was seated not too far from Anders, but that did not mean she was going to pay him any attention. Rather, she appeared to be making many, many notes.

It was entirely possible she was making these notes on top of some fanfiction print-outs, but still.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[glacial_queen]

And Karla had a reason to stop and talk to Cassandra, so seeing all those notes made for an excellent ice-breaker. "Do you have any questions?" she asked, nodding at the notes Cassandra had been taking so furiously.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra shuffled her papers together hastily. "...No."

Destroy the Flowers

[glacial_queen]

Have at! Work some frustrations out via exercise!

Talk to the TA

[glacial_queen]

If she's here.

Re: Talk to the TA

[notamascot]

Kaylin was here and very unhappy about the... stuff that was making everybody feel... things. She had been spending all of her free time running and training and everything elsing that she could come up with.

As well as staying far away from everyone vaguely male that she could manage to avoid.

Talk to Karla or her Guests

[glacial_queen]

Contrary to the most obvious of reasons, Warren did not accompany Karla to the island this week for pollen-related reasons!

[Please wait for not_a_parakeet to ping in to thread with him, though work-related SP will be in effect most of the day.]

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[glacial_queen]

Pollen or no, Karla was just happy to sit in the warm (fake) sunshine with her family.

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[giveherahand]

"Here's my report," Mara said, handing over an incredibly detailed rundown of poisons used on Imperial Center against some that Karla had mentioned.

"I spent a lot of time on it this week. It was good for concentration."

Sure, we'll go with that being why it was so good.

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[glacial_queen]

Karla grinned and held her hands out for the essay. "Then I'm very grateful of the timing!" she said, forgetting to telegraph 'Suuuuuuuure, I believe you' in her enthusiasm to read it over. "This looks like a fascinating read."

She honestly meant that.

"Did you find any that seemed especially interesting to you in your research?"

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[wwiii]

And look, Warren was mostly here to see to Karla's safety this week. Yes, even with the baby in tow. But there were reasons for that, and so far he didn't seem too concerned about the possibility that the worst would happen.

He'd be happy to stop making stupid noises at the baby to talk if anyone had their heart set on a conversation instead of smashing flowers. And if not-- he was over here being a daddy for a while, okay?

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[glacial_queen]

After Mara left, Karla nudged Warren lightly and gestured after her. "Isn't she a good student?" she asked.

On a psychic thread, she added, *That's Ben's mother, Mara Jade. I'm not sure he's been back to the island since I told him that she was here.*

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[wwiii]

"Handing in her things on time and all?" Warren smiled faintly, maybe a touch wryly. "All students should be so dedicated."

Meanwhile, what he was thinking back as he gave the baby a gentle little bounce was more along the lines of, *I can see the resemblance. And I don't think I blame him much if he hasn't. That can't be easy for him.*

Re: Talk to Karla or her Guests

[notamascot]

Kaylin woud have been totally all smiley wings!!! over seeing Warren here.

Except male and stupid pollen whatsit so she was mostly grumpy, though she did manage to politely say that it was good to see him again.

And really smile at the baby, because, well babies were cute.

OOC

[glacial_queen]

Sooo tiiired.