Outdoorsmanship 101, Wednesday, period 1

[vdistinctive]

Class met on the edge of the preserve. As soon as the students arrived, Eliot made sure they all had sunscreen (or other sun blocking cover), a water bottle (near as he could tell, all his students this time around would hydrate with water), and a reusable fire starter. Once everyone was gathered and basically prepared, he waved for them to follow and started them hiking into the woods.

"This is a class on outdoorsmanship, so you're all going to want to show up prepared to spend the whole class period outside. That means you're going to need to be dressed for the weather, whatever it ends up being. That means checking the weather before coming to class. This is the only time I'm gonna be providing water -- you gotta bring your own for the rest of the session. You show up without water, you better be able to get some before we set out at the start of class, or you're not going. I ain't havin' anyone dehydrate on my watch. Rule number one for outdoorsmanship is to be prepared. Any of you ever spend any time around the Boy Scouts of America, that'll be a familiar refrain to you. Goin' out into the wilderness unprepared is a great way to get dead. I'll give you a couple tips on how to get by without your supplies if you end up kidnapped or shipwrecked or trapped by a plane crash or something, but for the most part, if you're goin' outside, it's 'cause you want to be there, in which case, you got no excuse."

That lecture got them all the way to a nice little clearing Eliot had scouted ahead of time, with a small creek running along one side, and plenty of small rocks, sticks, and tinder along the edges.

"It's the first week, so we're going to do a pretty easy one this time," Eliot said. "We'll get on building fires shortly, but tradition dictates y'all statin' your name and such, first. So let's get that out of the way. I'm Eliot Spencer. You can call me Eliot, or Mr. Spencer, or just Spencer if you want, I'll answer to any of it. I served with the United States Army Special Forces and did freelance work requirin' me to be out in and survive in most climate types on the planet Earth, and before that I grew up doin' plenty of campin' and adventuring in the wilds of Oklahoma. I still do this sort of thing for fun, any time I can convince my partners to tag along. Now . . . you." He pointed to a random student. "Name, experience in the great outdoors, and why you're takin' this class."

Comments

Introductions

[vdistinctive]

Name, outdoor experience, and why you're in the class.

Re: Introductions

[kenselvren.livejournal.com]

"Jalian. Jalian d'Arsennette y ken Selvren," she said, and shrugged. "I am a Huntress. Part of that is surviving in the wilderness. I decided to take this class to see how things are different in this timeline."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

Eliot nodded. "Welcome, Jalian. I'd be interested in hearin' more about bein' a Huntress, sometime. If I end up glossin' over something you don't know, bein' from another timeline, let me know, yeah?"

He didn't actually anticipate her doing so; she seemed like a rather capable, independent young woman, the type who liked to figure things out for herself first and foremost. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to make sure she -- and everyone else -- knew that he wouldn't jump down their throats for asking questions.

Re: Introductions

[kenselvren.livejournal.com]

Jalian nodded. Eliot might regret that - she'd driven at least one of her instructors to kinked tentacles with her questions.

Then again, Eliot didn't seem like the type to talk about things he didn't know, either, so he was probably okay.

"I will."

Re: Introductions

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Ringo Noyamano. I spend a lot of time outside, but I think that's kinda different from outdoors? Never spent much time in the forest or mountains or anything like that growing up, you know?"

She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. "And I guess I'm here to try to change that? I've met a lot of people from less, um, urban places than me, and I kinda want to know how to handle things if I ever get a chance to visit or something."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

"That's true," Eliot said, smiling. "Bein' outdoors in a city doesn't work the same as bein' outdoors in the woods, or out on a prairie. There's a bit of crossover -- fire is fire, if it's in a fire circle in a clearing or in a trash can in an alley -- but the main challenges are gonna be different. Still, maybe you'll pick up some tricks for your own home, along with those of some of your friends."

Re: Introductions

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Maybe." Ringo didn't sound as doubtful as she might have otherwise. Mostly because Mister Spencer kept surprising her with the things she actually learned in his classes.

Re: Introductions

[vrajna_kralis]

"I am Hyacinthe," he said with a merry laugh. "And I've little enough experience outside. I was born on Night's Doorstep in the City of Elua and until I came here, I've not gone more than a few miles from there. I believe my patron wishes me to gain additional knowledge of how to live off the land, so does he send me to Skaldia or the like, I can return without needed to be carted like some pampered noble."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

Oh lord, it was like listening to a Shakespearean play.

Which, fortunately, Eliot wasn't terrible at, but it did take him an extra moment to make sure he was parsing that floridity properly.

"Always good to have an extra level of self-sufficiency," he said. "'Specially if you might want to do any side trips on those, uh. Missions your 'patron' might send ya on."

Re: Introductions

[vrajna_kralis]

Please. Shakespeare only tried for the poetic tongue of the D'Angelines! He was at an immediate disadvantage because he didn't speak French, too. Besides, at least Eliot hadn't asked him to use smaller words, as another of his teachers had last semester.

"'Tis highly unlikely that he'd send me to Skaldia even with my advanced knowledge of the outdoors," he said, still smiling as he explained he'd been joking. "Or expect me to listen did he try. Though I suppose Alba might be an actual possibility. Even so, this class will be of use. There is more to Terre D'Ange than the cities."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

"Yeah," Eliot said, and restrained himself from making a snarky remark about not knowing what half of the proper nouns the kid was namedropping were. "I've had plenty of folks send me to plenty dangerous places they'd rather not go to, themselves. Good on ya if you've got an employer who ain't the type, but survival skills are plenty useful, just in case."

Re: Introductions

[vrajna_kralis]

He was used to it. And, if reminded, would use the names he'd painstakingly learned here. It just wasn't habit yet.

...Though Eliot would likely appreciate him refusing to go, once he discovered that Skaldia's borders included Germany and thus, Hyacinthe would also be traveling into the Black Forest if sent. The wolves were only one worry. Witches lived in the forests of Skaldia and the old gods of blood and iron were strong there.

"Messire Delaunay is known as the Whoremaster of Spies," Hya explained with a careless shrug. "I suppose it suits him to offer patronage to one such as me to skulk about in the background while all eyes are on his wards."

Re: Introductions

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"I'm Mabel Pines, and I might be a city girl from California, but my brother and I had all kinds of adventures in the woods in Oregon. You never know when a class like this is going to come in handy!"

You better believe she had her trusty grappling hook with her again, too.

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

Eliot approved wholeheartedly of that grappling hook. It had come in rather handy with the rampaging alot last year.

"That's the kind of spirit I like to see," Eliot said, smiling at Mabel. "Oregon's got some damn fine woods, too. Hope you're plannin' on going back to visit, sometime."

Re: Introductions

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"Definitely am," Mabel agreed, "we have friends and family back there, and we didn't get a chance to meet up with them before Dipper and I fell into the bottomless pit and wound up here."

Look, usually it was bottomless. That day, Fandom happened to be the bottom. It wasn't even the weirdest thing about that particular trip to Gravity Falls, either.

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

"Right." Eliot blinked. "Well, hopefully we won't be dealing with any bottomless pits in this class. But we'll be sure to keep our eyes out for 'em."

Re: Introductions

[rhymeswithtable.livejournal.com]

"Can't hurt," Mabel replied, nodding sagely. "They aren't really all that bad, though. They're great for family quality time!"

It helped that they generally spat you out again where you fell in. No bottom, just a double dose of top.

Re: Introductions

[notamascot]

Kaylin was already covered head to toe in dark clothes as usual so she hadn't used the sun thingy. Yes, her face was uncovered, at least that part of it that her hair hadn't fallen over as it escaped from its loose knot at the back of her neck. She looked up at Eliot. "I am Kaylin Neya and I grew up in the fiefs, which while not exactly wilderness, might as well have been compared to here. But I thought it would be useful to learn more."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

Eliot nodded. "My partner likes to say that the progress of our particular civilization has all been about gettin' more and more inside." The Hardison bear, which had absolutely been dragged along for class and was sticking its head out of Eliot's pack, let out a very grumpy, sarcastic sounding 'wuv you' in response. Eliot ignored it. "So I'm guessin' there are a few worlds that are pretty wild compared to this one. Always good to see someone wanting to know more, though. If there's anything in particular you want to know, let me know."

Re: Introductions

[notamascot]

Kaylin, despite having been here long enough that this shouldn't startle or surprise her, nonetheless just stared at the bear. "That's a little creepy," she said. "Is it some strange pet thing?"

She didn't quite understand the pet thing, even if some part of her - deeply shoved down! - kind of liked the idea.

She shook her head and focused again on Eliot. "If something comes up I'll let you know. Um... we won't have to deal with horses, will we?"

Horses were scary, scary creatures.

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

"No plans for 'em this time," Eliot assured her. Parker wasn't a big fan of horses, either. "And that's my partner. He's been a teddy bear for about a week and a half."

Eliot was no longer drunk about it, but he still wasn't happy.

Re: Introductions

[notamascot]

Parker was very smart. Kaylin liked her very much. Even before learning about the horses thing.

She looked again at the bear and shivered a little. "Sometimes the magic here is cruel. Or has a very strange sense of humor."

Re: Introductions

[omgnochecksyet]

"Eric Bittle, I was a junior counselor at a summer camp a few years ago, as well as just some regular ol' camping and, well," he shrugged. "It just seemed like the kind of thing that might come in handy."

Re: Introductions

[vdistinctive]

"Definitely," Eliot agreed. "Good to know at least some of you are into the recreation side of things. What kinds of stuff did you get up to at the summer camp?"

Re: Introductions

[notfinnyet]

"FN-2187," said FN-2187, "and I haven't had the basic outdoors survival training module yet, so, minimal experience with the outdoors, but since I seem to be stuck planetside for the time being it seemed advisable to get some experience?" It came out like a question, yes. Approve of his reasoning, authority figure. Please don't send him for retraining for thinking on his own.