Fandom High School

So last week had been... odd. Liam still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about all of it. But right now that wasn't what he was worrying about. Right now, he had a class to focus on.

Once again, they were portaling to a destination, and once everyone had made their way through, Liam began to speak.

"Welcome to the South Bubble in Acadia National Park, Maine," he greeted. "This is what we're climbing today. What we're doing today is called a 'top rope' climb, because we're relying on ropes that are already secured in place with bolts along the route, and these helpful people here," he said, gesturing at the NPC mountain climbing guides who had conveniently just arrived, "have agreed to belay the ropes for you. This way, in case you lose your footing, you won't fall more than a few feet. Before we get started, let's go through the basics on how to properly secure your harness to the rope."

Once he was certain everyone had that down, he walked them over to the cliff itself, and once everyone had secured themselves properly, they were off!

The class was once again meeting in the Danger Shop, which was set up to look like an indoor rock climbing gym. Specifically, a bouldering gym.

"Today," Liam said, once everyone had arrived, "we're going to get to the 'climbing' part of this workshop. Specifically, the sort of climbing where you might not always have ropes or harnesses to help you out." Because for some reason he had the sneaking suspicion that that's the sort of climbing many of them would end up doing. But hey! That meant no one had to worry about any sort of safety gear this week. Yay?

"This type of climbing is called 'bouldering', mostly because out in the real world, you'd be climbing, well, actual boulders. I've set up the walls to cover a range of difficulty levels- the ones that go straight up are the easiest, and the ones that involve horizontal climbing are going to be harder. Obviously, the goal is not to fall, but if you do, the floor is well-padded." Because while some of them might be invulnerable, that wasn't the case for everyone.

"The best way to start a climb is to think your way through your route. Once you've decided which wall you're going to do, take a look at the footholds, try and decide which ones you're going to use before you even start climbing. As you're climbing, remember to keep yourself balanced. If you've planned your route correctly, you shouldn't have to lunge or swing towards your next hand or foothold too often- the only part of your body that should move significantly is the part you're reaching with.

Last- keep your hands lightly dusted with chalk to improve your grip," he added, passing out small bags of chalk dust that could be either be secured to clothing with a clip, or belted around one's waist.

"So go ahead, pick a wall, and get started. If you get stuck, jump back down and try a different wall. If you finish your wall, climb or jump back down and go for a different one."

When the students entered the classroom, they'd find their teacher standing at the front, by a table full of helmets of various sizes with lights mounted on the front, as well as an array of flashlights and matches.

Liam had never imagined that he would ever be in the position of a teacher. Technically speaking, he'd never had the leisure to imagine being anything at all, having stepped into his first job mere hours after being born. But if Fandom was good for anything, it was new experiences. So here he was. In front of a class full of students. A little nervous, but not letting anything about his expression or mannerisms betray as much.

"Hi," he greeted them all, once the number of people in the room matched the number of people on his attendance list. "This is my first time teaching any sort of class, but if I'm given to understand the radio broadcasts, the first week is usually full of introductions. So I'll start with myself: My name is Liam Kincaid, I used to be- well, I suppose the closest definition would be a bodyguard of sorts, and currently I'm the Sheriff in town. Neither of which have anything at all to do with this course, but since you all have to share a little bit about yourselves, I figured I'd return the favor. I'm teaching this course because caving is something I've enjoyed since-" a slight pause, there, "- well, my mother was an expert caver, and it's something she passed on to me." In a slightly more literal sense than how most children learned from their parents. "From you I'd like name, class, if you've got any experience with either mountain climbing or caving, and what prompted you to take this class, regardless of whether you have experience or not. Why don't you start," he instructed, pointing at a student at random.

Once the introductions were finished, he continued: "This class will involve a combination of Danger Shop scenarios and real-world field trips. While the former will have safety measures programmed in to the scenarios, with the latter, safety depends entirely on your behavior and level of preparation. Responsible caving is a team activity, and not a competition, so don't worry about being the first or the fastest, or jumping down heights you shouldn't. If you want to be reckless on your own time, I'm not your parent, so I'm not going to tell you not to, but I won't tolerate it in this class. As for preparation... each of you is going to need to pick out a helmet, as well as take a flashlight and matches. You're expected to bring these to every class. Yes, even if you don't think you need a helmet." Sure, at least one of the students looked distinctively non-squishy, but Liam wasn't about to take any chances. Sorry Peridot. At least the light on the helmet was useful?

"The flashlight and matches are because you should always have backup sources of light. If you wear clothing, make sure it's in layers and ideally waterproof. As well as a sturdy pair of gloves and hiking boots if you have them. If you don't, you should be able to pick them up at one of the clothing stores in town." Here, at least, he was willing to make concessions for those who didn't usually need protective clothing. "A water bottle is always a good idea, if you drink water, and you might want to bring a camera to record anything of interest. Which leads me to the cardinal rules of caving:

Take nothing but pictures
Leave nothing but footprints
Kill nothing but time."

"And speaking of time," he said with a smile. "Ours is up for today. I'll see you all next week, and don't forget to bring your equipment."