Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, Thursday, Per 3

[deathsmajesty]

Class had been instructed to meet in the Danger Shop for the remainder of the semester, though when they walked in, they'd see it was set to the 'standard classroom' configuration. In fact, Liliana had no plans that required the Danger Shop at all today, but her planned classes included a mix of lectures and practical 'experiences.' And since it would be very obvious what type of class she had planned if they only ever met in the Danger Shop on practical days, they'd be meeting in the Danger Shop regardless of what type of class was on the agenda.

"Welcome back," Liliana said once class had begun. "We deviated from tradition last week by not having introductions--" which she generally considered a waste of class time anyway "--because it would have done us no good to attempt to affix names to faces when we all looked like ponies. Which means we're doing them this week. Please state your name, a useful skill set you believe you would bring to a post-apocalyptic community, and at least one way that either media or your own experience has taught you to kill, avoid, or fend off zombies. As I will then be explaining whether or not that course of action would be effective, at least against my types of ghouls, I would highly encourage you all to listen to one another's introductions. I'll give you this one for free, though: shooting a zombie in the brain? Isn't going to stop a single one."

Once that fun little round robin of class interaction was over, Liliana continued her lecture. "Today, we're going to be discussing the structure of the class. As was mentioned last week, this class is going to be more of a hands-on approach to surviving a post-apocalyptic scenario, one that involved an uprising of the undead. In it, you will be given different scenarios and objectives, and then it will be up to your various skills, tactics, and planning to survive. Hopefully, through these classes, you will either develop or further hone your ability to think quickly, to be decisive, to adapt, to communicate, and to cooperate. As this is a post-zombie apocalypse, zombies will likely be present as an environmental hazard if nothing else, adding additional obstacles and time pressures. That being said, the focus of the class is primarily "how can I and possibly others survive?" not "how can I fix this whole scenario?" I'm not saying you won't have opportunities to end the zombie menace, at least for the duration of a class period, but I would advise you not to expect them." But it did sometimes make for an important friction point: attempt the sure thing that will increase your odds of survival, or attempt the very risky thing that may solve everything...or may leave you in an even more precarious position than you were in before.

"Now, a note about powers. Some of you have them. Some of you have powers that are particularly useful for this type of class even, even. I am not going to forbid you from using them. I am however, going to institute a rule that you are not allowed to use your powers on behalf of anybody else. Your powers can serve you and you alone. If what you're going to do will directly benefit anybody beyond yourself, do not do it. I am not intending to hamstring teamwork, but I want you all to get a better idea of what you, personally, are capable of.

"Honestly, if this were a real post-apocalyptic scenario, the smartest thing to do would be to have Summer use her portal gun to get you off the island, or, say, have Illyana teleport necessary supplies back to survivors. And, if there is a real emergency and you don't take the fastest option to remove yourself to safety and die to stupid heroics instead, I will be very cross with you and will give genuine consideration to raising you back up long enough to blister your ears with a lecture." Was she looking very hard at one Mr. Jonathan Sims at that? If he was present, then yes she absolutely was.

"But, as tactically sound as those options are, they don't actually teach anything. We are simulating dangerous situations now so that if you find yourself in real danger in the future, you have better odds of surviving, even if you don't have access to helpful magics or advanced technology. It is for that reason that I'm also suggesting people with powers minimize usage even on their own behalf, at least if you are trained and confident in them. Again, that isn't something I will be enforcing, nor will it have an effect on your grade, but this is an opportunity to learn, which means trying things you are not already proficient at. I will be much less impressed by someone who can breeze through a scenario because they have the right combination of gadgets, powers, and/or technology than by someone who failed it, but demonstrated creativity, effort, or learning. Any questions?"

Comments

Sign In #2

[deathsmajesty]

Post-apocalyptic!

Re: Sign In #2

[stringstothesoul]

Erasmus Boone

Re: Sign In #2

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer Smith

Listen to the Lecture

[deathsmajesty]

Do all the usual lecture things!

If you have questions about the powers policy (which also applies to advanced tech et al), feel free to get clarification! She'll be happy to answer any good faith question you have.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[stringstothesoul]

Erasmus had fully intended to listen to the lecture.

Unfortunately, there were somehow way too many spirits in this room (at the teacher's right hip?!) and he, uh. Couldn't really pay attention to anything else that was happening.

Was this what going insane felt like? Oh, Gaia, he'd really thought he'd dodged it.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Jon caught that look, and shrunk a bit under it.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[deathsmajesty]

TELL HER THAT WASN'T WHAT YOU'D DO, SIMS.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Awww!" said Sunmer, hand to her chest and beaming with flattered pride at getting a little shout-out, but also, like, Liliana was just stating straight facts, soooo....

Still, it was always nice to be acknowledged!

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Let's hear it for Team Teleportation," Yana said dryly, leaving over to offer Summer a high-five. "We are the best."

Clearly.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[gospel_of_oblivion]

Illyana had tried to come to class last week. She really had. She'd forced herself to go to her Tuesday class, but when it became clear the island wanted to be fucking whimsical for the entire fucking week... she just hadn't been able to leave the house. Especially as a stupid horse.

Luckily, it didn't sound like she had missed much.

Introductions If We Must

[deathsmajesty]

Please state your name, a useful skill set you believe you would bring to a post-apocalyptic community, and at least one way that either media or your own experience has taught you to kill, avoid, or fend off zombies.

Re: Introductions If We Must

[stringstothesoul]

If Erasmus had been told to do something here it had been drowned out under the susurration of a million unhappy souls, so, uh.

Well, at least he hadn't fled the room yet? You had to give him points for that.

Re: Introductions If We Must

[deathsmajesty]

Hey now. They were also a million scheming, sneaky, manipulative jerk souls.

"Erasmus?" Liliana prodded. It was the boy she'd met last Wednesday. "Erasmus, it's your turn."

Re: Introductions If We Must

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"Jonathan Sims. I..." Look, Jon was an academic. He could read and figure things out. He wasn't even particularly good at planning, tending toward 'run into the middle and do whatever works'.

He grimaced. "I have a lot of knowledge. I can possibly know what's going on and where, particularly if it's frightening."

The Eye was about his only benefit here.

"I'm not sure if that counts as using a power for other people's benefit, though."

For the rest of the question...sorry, Liliana. "Based on past experience, I've mostly learned that I'm good as bait." Did he sound maybe just a little bitter there? Maybe it was because everything wanted to kill him and most people didn't care about that.

Re: Introductions If We Must

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Hiiiii!" Summer started out brightly, beaming, lifting a hand and wiggling her fingers at everyone. "My name is Summer, and I had a whole apocapylse phase back when I was a teenager, and I was, like, really good at it until my jackass gramps ruined it all by giving everyone civilization again."

Excuse her while she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, those are mutants and not zombies, but they shared a lot of similarities, and I've dealt with a lot other fucked up things I've had to fight my out of before that can track onto this kind of thing, too. I probably prefer a laser gun as a weapon of choice, but I'm also pretty good with an axe, a pitchfork, a spear, a sword, Honey Badger claws, cross bow, bow and arrows, and honestly? Just straight up choking a bitch out. And, yes, as Liliana said, I usually have a portal gun that can get me out of a lot of jams pretty quickly, too. But I'd say my favorite way to deal with a zombie horde would probably just be running them the fuck over with some tricked oit Road Warrior style vehicle."

She paused, to take a breath.

"Preferably with flamethrowers."

Re: Introductions If We Must

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Illyana Rasputin. If we are talking about a useful skill in the case that powers are unavailable, I am very good at violence, and it has been my experience that if you cut a zombie into pieces and then light them on fire, that tends to be a very good way to get rid of them."

It was a lot harder to raise functional corpses from ash. At least with the magic she knew.

"I am also a sorcerer, and a teleporter. In most cases," she practically spit the word out, "--I can remove myself and those with me from any situation, and I have a wide range of magic at my disposal."

Discussion Question: In the Immediate Moment

[deathsmajesty]

So. You're here, in this class, with your typical classroom kind of stuff in it. Suddenly, zombies are swarming the school, the town, the entire island.

What do you do? How? Why? What are some of the flaws of this approach? How can you improve it?

Re: Discussion Question: In the Immediate Moment

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"I would probably try to figure out where the zombies are, and be someplace else. Preferably somewhere I could close up securely."

Re: Discussion Question: In the Immediate Moment

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Get to the library," Illyana replied, agreeing with Jon. "That weird mage that runs the place has some of the gnarliest wards I've seen on the island, other than the ones on Caritas."

"Break the chairs, take the pieces as weapons, and go."

Discussion Quest: Long Term Planning

[deathsmajesty]

Hopefully, by this age, everyone had learned that the three keys to survival were potable water, edible food, and habitable shelter.

Where on the island would you try to go? Why? Does it provide everything you need, or are you prioritizing? What other supplies would you want to get? Which ones are important enough to make a concerted effort to get, versus which would you only grab if it were convenient?

Re: Discussion Quest: Long Term Planning

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

"If...If we're only working for ourselves, it doesn't matter where I am." Jon shrugged. He could live off fear if he had to, and with this scenario, there was bound to be plenty. "If we're trying to coordinate, I would recommend the basement of one of the apartment buildings. At least for as long as the water supply lasts. If we have someone that can reroute water from the pond, or from the ocean if we can desalinate it, that would be best."

Re: Discussion Quest: Long Term Planning

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"Long term, I would try to get home to Midnight," Illyana said. "It's a House of Shadows, and it can sustain its residents indefinitely if needed."

Because it used to prey on its 'food' that way, but she didn't need to bring that up in class.

"It won't be fun, but it would work. It can also move through the space-time continuum, so it is a potential way out of here."

Talk to Liliana

[deathsmajesty]

She's in a MUCH better mood this week.

Re: Talk to Liliana

[gospel_of_oblivion]

"You wanted to see me?"

Was Illyana hovering near the door? Yes. Would she admit to it?

Absolutely not.

OOC

[deathsmajesty]

I'm not going to see Josh Johnson this week. :(