atreideslioness: (Beautiful Princess)
Ghanima Atreides ([personal profile] atreideslioness) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2025-09-09 10:55 am

Reclaiming Your Childhood, Tuesday, Period 1 [9/9]

Class had been handwaivly notified to meet outside the front door of the school. Upon arrival, students would find that Ghanima was coaching Trebor through tying his shoes.

Was he only two? Yes. But her culture had children wielding knives at this age, so, she did not think it totally outside his capabilities to learn how to make a bunny-knot with enough practice. "I hope you brought your walking shoes," she said, looking up at all of them. "Because today, we are off to the zoo!"

"In particular, the San Diego Zoo."

"It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its founder, Dr. Harry M. Wegeforth. The zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cage-less exhibits that recreate natural animal habitats. It houses over 12,000 animals of more than 680 species and subspecies, and it is one of the most visited zoos in the United States."

"The reason I've selected the San Diego Zoo, over the many options, is both their wide range of exhibits, including multiple aviaries," was that private apology for Arden after last week had made her visibly uncomfortable? Yes. Absolutely. "--and because the zoo is active in conservation and species-preservation efforts. Its Institute for Conservation Research raises over a hundred and fifty endangered species and has helped increase populations of endangered animals worldwide, both in captivity and in the wild. As a result, they have reintroduced more than thirty endangered species back into the wild, and have conserved habitat at fifty field sites." Ghanima beamed at the assembled class. "I have a particular interest in wildlife conservation, and so you must all suffer."

After all, what good was teaching if not to force your special interests on impressionable students?

The Portalocity portal blinked into existence behind her, and Ghanima stood to begin distributing physical tickets to everyone, including tickets for the Inside Look and Animals in Action, and two gift cards -- one $25 card good at any restaurant in the park, and another $25 card good for the gift shop.

Ghanima was an Empress who almost never dipped into her royal stipend. If she wanted to use her salary to spoil her students all semester, she was allowed.

"I paid extra for a 'time skip,' so if you want to stay at the zoo all day, you will still make it back in time for second period," she laughed. "So have fun! Take pictures, sketch, explore... all I ask is that you go into the experience with an open heart and mind, and learn one new thing -- about the world, or about yourself."

She waived towards the portal. "Let us depart!"
what_big_teeth: (;P)

Re: Sign-In

[personal profile] what_big_teeth 2025-09-09 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Eleanor Zarrin
deathtofrendo: (I will fuck you up)

Re: Sign-In

[personal profile] deathtofrendo 2025-09-09 06:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Quinn Maybrook
intheeyeofthebeholding: (loris)

Re: Sign-In

[personal profile] intheeyeofthebeholding 2025-09-10 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Jonathan Sims
what_big_teeth: (skeptical look to the side)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] what_big_teeth 2025-09-09 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Don't," said Eleanor, reaching out to grab Luma's arm before she started to wander off too far on her own among the animals, "go and turn and try to cause a fuss or stir up trouble."

Eleanor expected Luma to deny that she was even thinking such a thing, so the dismissively laugh that followed wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was Luma shifting to link her arm in Eleanor's instead. "Don't be silly," she chimed. "I would never. Grandmother may be dead, Eleanor, bug there are still rules. That sounds like it could only lead to disaster."

Out of the two of them, after all, which one had to be sent away due to lack of self control, anyway?

"Come on," Luma now took charge, pulling Eleanor forward with her, "I saw they have a sort of botanical garden tour, that sounds right up your alley, should we go and have a look at that first?"

That did sound more interesting to Eleanor than most of the animals, and she felt a tightness in her chest, unsure if it was that she was touched that Luma would consider that or if it was worry that Luma planned to hold it against her somehow later.

But she supposed she'd find out.
deathtofrendo: (introspections)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] deathtofrendo 2025-09-09 06:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Quinn hadn't been expecting much here. She'd been to zoos before, after all. The Philadelphia Zoo was America's first, and it refused to let you forget it. She'd gone at least once a year on a field trip before she and her dad moved to Missouri.

So she was a little bit surprised herself to find herself sitting in the hummingbird aviary, watching the brightly colored birds flit by, and feeling fully . . . chill. Mellow, even.

These birds held no animus towards anyone, as far as she could tell. They were protected from predators and given everything they needed to thrive, and they were just allowed to . . . exist.

She swiped quickly at her cheek, scowling at herself.

"Mellow." Yeah. That was the word for what she was feeling.
napking: (Default)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-09 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, obviously Gray had to visit the sloths. Including Cashew, the newest baby sloth! Awww, continuing Gray's legacy of cute laziness.
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel (Smile - Cloud Hair)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2025-09-09 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
More than ever, Arden was glad that she'd taken photography courses with Prompto; even just using her phone's camera, she was able to get some beautiful shots of wildlife.

"That's what I should have asked Castor for for my birthday," she mumbled to herself, taking a picture of Gray grinning at the sloths. "A proper camera."
napking: (Default)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-09 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"There's always Christmas," Gray reminded her. "Get your list in early, and all that." So he didn't buy you a winery.
napking: (hoodie lyfe)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-09 09:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, you know, your Christmas list?" Your list for Christmas. You knew about Christmas lists, right, Arden? "Hey, do you wanna go see the birds next? Actually, let me rephrase. Which birds do you wanna go see next?" So many birds.
Edited 2025-09-09 21:01 (UTC)
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel (Smile - Grin Backwards Shoulder)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2025-09-09 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh! The Parker Aviary!" Arden said, happily skipping over the prospect of Christmas lists in favor of birds. "They have tamarins in there, too! And a bunch of Central and South American birds with beautiful plumage--wait no! Safari Park! We've gotta go see the kestrels in Safari Park, they're my favorite."
napking: (aw shucks)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-09 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do we want to go see the penguins in the African thingy?" Gray asked. "They're cute." Even if they didn't fly.
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel in 4 Weddings and a Funeral (Smile - Distant Thoughtful)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2025-09-10 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
"Sure! But after the kestrels," Arden said. "Kestrels first." Beat. "Also, are the penguins kept slightly removed from the audience? Sometimes birds get...excited. To see me."

AND THEN KIWIS JUMP INTO HER ARMS AND SHE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT BEING DEPORTED FROM NEW ZEALAND.
napking: (aw shucks)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-10 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay, if we go anywhere and we decide the bird separation isn't good enough we leave immediately," Gray decided. "We don't want to cause any jailbreaks."

The good news was they couldn't be deported from San Diego? They could, however, be kicked out of the zoo.
afraid_of_marshmallows: Nathalie Emmanuel in 4 Weddings and a Funeral (Laugh - Face Down)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] afraid_of_marshmallows 2025-09-10 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
And then Lady Ghanima would be disappointed with them!

"Good plan," Arden agrees. "...Unless it's a kestrel. Then it's okay."
napking: (hoodie lyfe)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] napking 2025-09-10 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
"Unless it's a kestrel," Gray agreed.

Sorry, Professor Atreides.
Edited 2025-09-10 03:17 (UTC)
mylandmyrules: (Happy Y)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] mylandmyrules 2025-09-09 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Nell was delighted! The animals! The plants! She was very grateful that she could spend the whole day here before returning via the time skip and she was going to use every last minute! Her feet - her whole body! - were going to be exhausted, but it was so going to be worth it!
intheeyeofthebeholding: (Default)

Re: To the ZOO!

[personal profile] intheeyeofthebeholding 2025-09-10 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
This was...a lot bigger than the London Zoo. Jon opted to start with the guided bus tour, which had the added benefit of being on the first double-decker bus he had seen since ending up in the States.

After that, he was tempted to see some of the wildlife experiences, but you never knew when they might break out a spider or something, so he just set his phone to alert him in time to leave and went wandering.