fandomhigh | Entries tagged with teambuilding

Their last meeting was just going to be held in a regular classroom, and the energy in the air was definitely....off. A little tense. But, for the first time in a couple of week, all three of your instructors were present and accounted for, although it had been a real difficult thing to get Prompto to come at all. With how wan and distant he appeared, one had to wonder if there was really any point in his being there at all; he didn't seem to be present mentally, even if he was physically so, but Gladio and Ignis had both agreed that closing out your team-building class without your whole team just wasn't a great message to send.

So they were all there and Gladio sighed a little as he nodded and got things started.

"So," he said, "rough couple weeks for teams lately, huh? But that's fine, that's part of the process, sometimes things don't go to plan and your team gets broken up for a bit, but the important thing is that you come back together," he glanced over at Prompto; he looked back, although dully, "in the end. And sometimes things happen that are really going to drag you and your team down. Maybe you run into an obstacle you're having trouble overcoming. Maybe it's a big failure you didn't expect. Maybe it's two of your team members being trapped in a house in the woods for two weeks."

Surely, none of them knew anything about that.

"And that's rough. It can be hard to come back from something like that. It can be real demoralizing. But the important thing is picking yourself back up again and being ready to keep going. So today, we're just going to focus on motivation. Because one of the best things about working with a team is that you're not in it alone. And a team builds each other up, especially when you're down. So today, I want us all to talk about different ways of motivation that you believe in, and then I want to actually motivate each other in the simplest way possible: we're just going to go around and offer encouraging words to each other, about what we bring to the team, to end on a positive note, especially going forward."

chef_chocobro

This week, team-building was going to be held in the danger shop, where an elaborate and very moddable sort of obstacle course awaited everyone...as did a bunch of blindfolds.

"Welcome back, everyone," Ignis greeted them this time with a nod from behind the table that had all the blindfolds laid out in front of it. "I suppose it makes a certain sense for me to be leading the instructions on this week's activity, which will be a challenge in working together with both giving and following instructions. Being able to be clear and precise in your communication with your teammates can often be a crucial factor in success...and in saving lives, depending on the situation. To put these concepts into practice, then, we are going to do an activity that should put some of this to the test.

"Before you is an obstacle course filled with obstructions, pit falls, a few minor puzzles and challenges that you all need to get through. The catch is that all but one of you will be blindfolded, and that person has the challenge of instructing and leading the others through the course to the end. Prompto has set it up so that the maze will randomize after each pass through, so everyone can take a turn being the leader, hopefully, assuming we have enough time. Simple in concept, potentially challenging in execution, but we suppose we'll find out just how well you work together in the dark soon enough. And the sooner we get started, the more you can all work on working together and taking turns in the leadership role."

sword_chocobro

Maybe yesterday's game had just left Gladio feeling inspired, or maybe he just figured it would be a good idea to take advantage of the volleyball net still set up in the park while it was there, but that's where class was going to be held that day, and, if you couldn't tell by the broad grin on his face and Prompto shaking his head a little in dismay for how he was imagining this was going to go for him, it shouldn't be too hard to tell what was going on today.

"Sports," said Gladio, that shameless grin for both the easiness of this class plan and the blatant lifting of it from yesterday's activities, "are a great team-building exercise, and there's a lot of great sports that can really help you develop a strong bond with your teammates to overcome odds, match skills, and gain victory, without some of the high stakes you're likely to get when working with a team on the field. And volleyball, as a lot of us came to see yesterday, is one with some pretty simple objectives and rules without having to spend a lot of time going over it before getting to the good stuff.

"Now," he continued, "we're going to split this up by counting off, and we'll hop in, too, but first, let's go over how the game is played, first and foremost, for those of you unfamiliar."

chef_chocobro

"Welcome back, everyone," Ignis took the charge of the class this week, which meant he greeted everyone with a nod and a serious demeanor that seemed to provide a contrast to the lighter amusement of his cohorts flanking him on each side. "Last week, we all got the chance to get to know each other a little bit, and this week, we will be expanding on that concept. After all, familiarity with your teammates is what leads to trust, and trust can make all the difference in a challenging situation.

"So this week, we're going to be exploring a game called Common Ground, wherein the goal is to work with each other to try to find some sort of common ground that you all share. Now, obviously, being a resident of this island is right out, as is something like being a student in this class. Those we already know we have in common, and the more you challenge yourself to find something a bit more nuanced that encompasses everyone, the more satisfying that connection will be. And, perhaps, should we be successful in unlocking our commonality quickly, then we will simply continue to find other things we may share in common, as well."

"We're included in this, too, by the way," Prompto put in with a grin. "Leaders are also a part of the team, and with all three of us added to the mix, that makes it even more challenging!"

"So, for example," Ignis elaborated, "were it just the three of us, our common ground would be pretty easy. We're all from the same place, we've all been members of the same group, and, to jump off of topical things, we share a deceased friend in common. We've all been teachers here at this school, have all lived together at some point, and the list could go on and on, but very few of those things would be able to branch out to everyone else here. The challenge, then, is to find what we do all have in common, besides the most obvious of being in this class and living on this island."

"So, with that in mind," Gladio concluded, "let's find out what we've got. Anyone got any ideas to get us started?"

hashtag_chocobro

If anyone couldn't tell by the class description, Prompto was kind of taking the charge with this one, and his eager bouncing that day had the added effect of a panic-driven adrenaline rush earlier when he realized his class was today when his last class had been on Thrusday, which had been a whole ordeal and--you know what? Never mind. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand, which was getting the class started and rolling now.

"Hey, everyone! Thanks for coming, and welcoming to Team-Building! For Fun and Profit, although, admittedly, mostly just Fun, but the Profit is clearly the friends we'll make along the way!"

Yes, he had been waiting way too long to use that, thank you.

"If you don't already know us, I'm Prompto Argentum, this big guy here is Gladio Amicitia," Gladio lifted his chin with a crooked grin and the dude with the specs is Ignis Scientia." A lift of Ignis' hand and a nod. "And we've been working together for a long time, through a lot of different things..."

Was there a slight pause there, a little bit of a wince, especially with the turn his dreams had been taking these last few days? Absolutely. And there was maybe something similar going on with Gladio and Ignis at that moment, too, although they were always much more subtle and reserved in literally everything, compared to Prompto.

"So we know each other," Prompto continued, "pretty well. And that is sort of our first lesson for the day. First classes are always about introductions, and when you're working with a team, it's important to get to know each other! Teams work better when you're comfortable and familiar. And knowing things like people's likes and dislikes lets you know more about their personality."

"And knowing their strengths," Gladio added, "means you can get a good idea of what they're good at and how to utilize that effectively in a way that makes the most out of what they do best."

"And knowing their weaknesses," Ignis contributed, "allows you to know what to avoid, as well as perhaps even plan ahead to know what your enemy might try to exploit to use against you."

Prompto gave a little bit of a chuckle. Leave it to Ignis to really throw in the darker side of these things, but he was not wrong! "And so," he continued, "what we're focusing on today is just getting to know each other. But not by the standard introductions that we do around here; just stating your name and why you're interested in the class doesn't create that sort of synergy we're hoping to accomplish here. We're just going to go around and talk to each other. Kind of like a mixer! If you want to put a margin on it, your goal is to take some time to talk to everyone in the class, at least a little bit, and get to know them better, even us three! We're part of the team, too. Get to know their name, what they like and dislike, some of their strengths and weaknesses....whatever might be helpful along the line of this class that'll really make the team work work, you know?

"So let's not waste any more time, we've got a pretty good size class here, plenty of people to chat with, so let's get going!"

There was a slightly awkward pause, as Prompto didn't seem to know quite how to finish it off, but, with a faintly amused snort, Gladio took a second to just clap his hands together loudly and said, "Break!" And, well, that...worked, he supposed!

heroic_jawline

Today Steve and Tony were surrounded by logs and rope when the Team Building class showed up. Were you worried?

You should be!

"Welcome back!" Tony said. "Today we're going to see how you do at building a raft."

As a team?

"As a team!" Steve added, beaming. "I did this all the time with my team of commandos back in the war."

"Now, we have some basic instructions to help if you get stuck," Tony added. "But you can try it without if you want."

"The worst that can happen is the raft falling apart and you getting wet," Steve said. "And then we can practice hypothermia mitigation!"

Don't sound so cheerful about that, Steve.

"It'll be fine," Tony assured them.

heroic_jawline

It was sunny today, which almost made up for it being freezing! Steve and Tony were wrapped up in coats, scarves, and stupid hats because it's a fact that the colder it is, the less you care about how you look.

"Today we'll work on some basic first aid," Steve said.

"Starting with CPR," Tony added, clutching his coffee like it could keep him warm. It couldn't, but a man could dream.

Steve knelt down next to the super creepy CPR dummy and gave an extremely comprehensive explanation--the Avengers worked hard on this stuff--and then said, "and now we'll show how to split up a sprained arm."

Tony nodded eagerly, gesturing to the supplies your average person might have before explaining that process for the students. "You can do either exercise or both, though we suggest working as a team for it."

geniuswithasmartphone

[The Final Job]

Hardison was bouncing on his toes when the class entered into the Danger Shop today. The final was bringing him right back to his childhood and it was amazing. Of course, it was possible that they might not notice their teachers, not when the Danger Shop itself was transformed into a ~~heavily bastardized version~~ of a Mayan Temple, complete with talking stone head. Granted, this head bore more than a passing resemblance to Eliot at his scowliest.

"Sup, class!" Hardison said, grinning. "Welcome to Legends of the Hidden ( Final )

"Right," Hardison agreed. "So the winners are the first team that makes it up to the Observatory an' back out again with the beetle, hitting the gong to show they're done.."

"It ain't as easy as it sounds," Eliot said, still side-eying Olmec like crazy. "That thing is damned creepy," he muttered to Hardison.

"Aww, but it looks just like you!"

"IT'S A GIANT FACE MADE OF STONE." Eliot clearly didn't think much of that comparison, no.

vdistinctive

Eliot had decided to let his partners sleep in this week (there may or may not have been late night teasing about Jacob Stone and the things he'd had to say about Eliot's life style over the weekend), and met the students in the Danger Shop alone. Jake's notes from the weekend had all sounded rather more mechanical than artsy or magical, all about "power, focus, and effect", which had gotten Eliot thinking about some of his old class assignments in a real actual public high school, and after some poking around in the system, he'd found an old scrap yard program he felt would work well for his purposes.

"Hey kids," he greeted as class was scheduled to start. "Hope you enjoyed the movie last week. Or the nap you took during the movie last week. This week we're getting back to work with something that may well be pretty familiar to those of you who've taken any modern American science classes." He picked an egg up out of a carton sitting somewhat precariously on a broken car seat. "Congratulations!" He grinned. "This is not your baby."

What? Ethics had that crap covered.

He tossed the egg into the air and caught it, then picked up two more from the carton and idly juggled them. "Your mission, yadda yadda, is to work out a way to drop one of these suckers off of that sucker," he pointed to a cherry picker, "without breaking it. You can use anything you find in this junkyard to do it. Points are awarded for lightweight design, speed of the drop, and creativity. Word to the wise: a banana is not actually a lightweight option here. But would've counted for creativity if I hadn't just told you about it." He caught the eggs again and tossed one to one member of each team. "You've got the whole class to work something out, and a whole carton of eggs to test drive with before the grand event. Get crackin'."

Yeah. He didn't even notice that pun. Sorry.

whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com

[Class #14: The Beanbag Job]

"There might have been a Danger Shop meltdown." Parker was looking shifty. And amused. "Or not. Or there might have been a major disagreement about your activity today." Wolves and reservoirs and gold bars don't mix very well. "Anyway. MOVIE DAY! Dig into the popcorn, and watch the junior hockey team story on these giant bean bag chairs."

[ooc: brought to you by traveling/exhaustion/ditziness, Inc. Have a movie day!]

whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com

[Class #13 - the Turkey Job]

There was -- a lot of food here.

Corn on the cob, turkey with trimmings, three kinds of stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, stir-fried vegetables, two salads, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, four kinds of pie….

“And a partridge and a pear tree!” Parker giggle-snorted. “No, that’s a joke, it’s from a song.”

"Because apparently there isn't enough emphasis on overeating this week in this country," Eliot said, sounding thoroughly exasperated. "Today you guys are having an eating contest."

Hardison, however, just looked proud of himself. "Careful not to overdo it too early on the carbs, yo," he told the class. "Ain't nobody winnin' if they fall asleep halfway through."

“I would have ruled at this game when I was in school,” Parker said thoughtfully. “So have fun with it! Consider it training for Thursday.”

"I'm trained in the heimlich," Eliot said. "Try not to make yourselves sick. This is a terrible idea."

vdistinctive

The Danger Shop this week was modeled in the shape of a fairly stereotypical American bar. Well, typical American Irish bar. Well. McRory's Bar from Boston, Massachussetts. The teachers were all lined up at what was once their usual spot along the corner of the bar by the door as the students gathered for class.

"Don't get your hopes up," Eliot said, not looking up from his phone yet. "There's no real alcohol bein' served in here."

“Also there might be a Nate around, trying to get you thrown out,” Parker warned them, then turned to Hardison. “Is there?”

"Nah, mama," Hardison said, now looking disappointed for not thinking of it himself. "We got enough grumpy, jumpy, an' overall impatient folks in this bar to begin with."

Not that he was looking at anyone in particular or anything. Really.

"Your challenge today," Eliot said, and this time he did put his phone down, however reluctantly. "Is to get across the bar space to the backroom and retrieve what's waiting for you in there. How you do it is up to you and your team. All the team members need to make it to the backroom."

“If you do get thrown out, you can come back, but your team takes a penalty, so, try to convince people you weren’t the person who just got thrown out,” Parker added.

"This is the Danger Shop, so you can't get hurt," Hardison assured them, gesturing to what seemed to be an empty bar, with a door labeled 'Back Office' in plain sight of the front door. "Feel free to get...creative. Whatever that means to you, exactly."

"And if you're thinkin' it looks easy?" Eliot grinned and put two fingers to his mouth to let out a piercing whistle. From all the doors, windows, and in a few cases, seemingly through the walls themselves, came dozens of ninjas.

Because what else were you going to face in a bar? Really, now.

geniuswithasmartphone

[Class #10 - The A-Maze-ing Job]

Eliot and Parker had let Hardison play with the Danger Shop controls again. Which was why the Danger Shop now looked like something out of Minos's worst nightmare. "Hey, y'all," he said, giving the class a wave when they walked in. "Welcome to your next class on teamwork. Today, you're all gonna have to deal with..." He gestured extravagantly to the labyrinth behind them. "...this."

“One person on your team is Nat-- the navigator,” Parker corrected herself. “The others are going to be blindfolded. You have to get your whole team through the maze, which is amazing, and we’re playing hide and seek in there later, guys.”

"After everyone makes it out an' only them folks who want to go back in again," Hardison amended quickly. "Other folks can hang out an' eat snacks if they want. You know, in however much time y'all have after solvin' the labyrinth." They had significantly less than thirteen hours to do so, too. "Now, don't worry, navigators. You ain't gotta be in charge the whole time. At different points in the maze, the position of navigator will switch to the next person. And then that person gets to lead the rest of the team until it's time to change again."

"Your team loses points every time someone blindfolded bumps into somethin' that ain't a teammate," Eliot said. "So navigators are gonna wanna stay on your toes. There are a few surprises in there, too. Try not to injure yourselves."

vdistinctive

The class met up in the Danger Shop, in what looked like the front parlor of a swanky mansion. A swanky mansion that didn't like sunlight and hadn't been properly cleaned in a long time. There were portraits on the walls of glowering old-timey nobles -- who looked suspiciously like the teachers.

Eliot was glaring at the one that looked like him. The portrait was glaring back.

Hey, the teachers and friends. The portrait of Old Nate hung in a place of honor over the fireplace.

"Hey y'all," Hardison said, looking for more excited about class than his glowering co-teacher. "It's almost Halloween! So today you'll be putting some teamwork in to be appropriately spooooky." Yes, that was said with finger waggles to accompany the long drawn-out 'oooo.' Look, Hardison loved Halloween and didn't care what anyone else had to say about it.

Honestly, Eliot was just glad Hardison hadn't said "spoopy".

“You’re building the house! You each get a room,” Parker said, swinging a crowbar with a certain level of abandon. “It’s going to need a theme, and you’ll have to man it, or at least monitor it, so it needs to be something three to four people can manage. After that, it’s whatever scares the crap out of you. Just not literally.”

"You're gonna be judged the same way the dance challenge was, by . . . computer . . . people." Eliot wasn't really clear on how the Danger Shop worked. "Simulations. In this case, trick or treaters." He pointed towards the door, where a group of short witches and ghosts stood, comparing candy stashes. "Scariest haunted room wins."

"Remember, no throwin' the crowbar, it makes Eliot grumpy," Hardison whispered in an undertone. Then, more loudly, "Any questions? If not...let's get spoopy up in here!"

Just for you, Eliot.

geniuswithasmartphone

The inside of the Danger Shop was set up to look like a roller rink when the class entered today. Not an old-fashioned one like out of ~~meta for~~ Xanadu or anything; no, this was high-class, state-of-the-art skating rink with a laser lightshow on the ceiling, speakers to pump out adrenaline-pumping music, and more shiny chrome than you could shake a stick at.

...It was entirely possible Hardison had no idea what roller rinks built after the 1940s normally looked like. But he'd remembered to program in a circuit track and everything else was just gravy, right?

Eliot was side-eying the place like crazy, but, well. It was actually pretty fitting, when you got right down to it. "We're doin' something a little different this week," he said. "For one thing, team three, you're gettin' split up. Kira, Cosima, you're joining team one this week. Edward, Ringo, you're on team two. Roller derby just works better as a two team sport."

"Each team puts five people on the rink at one time," Hardison added, glad to be able to use the one bit of information he'd learned about the sport. "So this works out!"

“You need to pick names. And costumes. And figure out who’s playing jammer, and who’s the big … elbow?” Yeah, Parker wasn’t as familiar with all this.

"Blocker," Eliot said. "A roller derby team consists of one jammer, whose job it is to navigate through the other skaters. Every member of the opposite team they pass scores one point. The other four team members are blockers. They're there to stop the other team's jammer from getting through, and help their own get ahead. One blocker from each team is your pivot. Pivots control the pace of the pack." He went on at some length, including covering the way a jammer could become the lead jammer and end a "jam" at a strategic moment in order to keep the opposing team from scoring points.

He'd swear up and down this was a very simple sport. There were a lot of people who would vehemently disagree with him.

Like Hardison, for example. "So, uhh, yeah," he said after the lecture. "But you also get to come up with fun personas and wear cool costumes. Before doin' all that...jammin'. An' stuff. That he went over. Skate, uhh, hard, y'all?" He had nothing. Parker, help him out?

What, her? “Don’t kill each other. ‘Cause that would be real easy. And!” She paused, and said very seriously, “Nachos after, whether you win or you lose.”

vdistinctive

Parker was singing some song about bunnies, bunnies, IT MUST BE BUNNIES under her breath. Eliot was giving her some very distinctive 'what the hell are you singing?' looks. And Hardison was just shaking his head while he played with the Danger Shop controls.

This class revolved around thieving and bunnies. Anyone wanna guess who had come up with it?

“Teamwork! Goals!” Parker held up a rabbit that was as fluffy and adorable as any meme on the internet. “BUNNIES.”

"You're saving them," Eliot explained. "From an evil magician."

An almost painfully smarmy magician in a top hat, playing with a deck of cards, snickered to himself in the corner. The look on Eliot's face when he spotted him was an almost indescribable mix of incredulity and hilarity, and he finally had to turn around and bury his face in his hands for a moment.

Hardison was having a difficult time keeping a straight face as well; okay, he wasn't managing it at all, but at least he was able to speak. Your teachers made their own fun, kids. "Of course, things ain't as easy as just sneakin' in an' sneakin' out."

"For one thing," Eliot said, having nearly regained his composure. "There're the guards." A few bog-standard security guards appeared, armed with nightsticks and walkie-talkies.

“And the maze of backstage flats and catwalks and wings to get through,” Parker said, pointing to various bits of scenery moving in what seemed to be a randomized pattern. The bunny wiggled its nose adorably at the onlookers.

"Let's not forget that the bunny is bein' held in an office, behind a locked door," Hardison added, pointing to a blue door in the distance beyond the maze of scenery. "The guards will be patrolin' the entire backstage, which means you'll have to find some way to keep the guards from spottin' you while you navigate the area an' as you find some way of breakin' into the office."

"You've got five minutes to plan. Then it's time to get to work."

“Whiskers and Floppers and Cottontail are depending on you guys.” Parker put the bunny into a hat, and made it vanish. “Go get ‘em!”

The magician snickered again and Eliot snorted, then tried to turn it into a cough. Unsuccessfully. "Man," he muttered to Hardison. "Tell me you're recordin' that."

"Like I'd pass this opportunity up for the world, yo."

geniuswithasmartphone

The Danger Shop was set up like a sunken living room that would be at home in the 1960s, right down to the color palette and the oddly-shaped furniture. At one end was a large easel with an over-sized pad on it; Hardison stood in front of it, black marker in hand, while Parker kept excitedly shouting guesses and Eliot watched everything with a dubious eye. On the pad was an ~~over-~~ complicated drawing of a handsome elf shouting something while an army of orcs dragged several tiny people (with particularly hairy feet) towards an ominous black tower.

Anyone who who had seen an incredibly popular fantasy franchise would recognize the scene. And anybody familiar with internet memes would recognize the phrase Hardison was attempting to convey.

"Hardison," Eliot said, exasperated. "You realize you're supposed to try to get it across quickly, right? We're not looking for photorealism, here."

“PETER JACKSON. Frodo and Sam forever! Winning at the raiding party favors!” Parker was bouncing on her toes, and stopped to uncap a marker and take a small sniff. “Ooo. Licorice.”

"No--and, mama, I told you about sniffin' markers, you're just gonna get a headache. C'mon, y'all, this is easy! Eliot, I showed you this video on Youtube like six months ago!"

"What, you thought I was payin' attention?" Eliot shook his head. "Those things are always all shrieking and bad music."

“So anyway, class.” Parker capped her marker and looked vaguely sneaky. “Don’t sniff those, you’re too young. And today’s activity is about communication with people on your team. Also, art!”

"Yeah, Eliot, art," Hardison said, gesturing to his meticulously-detailed picture. "Each person's gonna get a phrase they have to draw while they're team guesses what phrase they got. But they can't use any numbers or letters in their drawin' and they can't say nothin' to their teammates. All they can do is keep drawin' an' write down any words their team gets right."

"Whichever team guesses theirs first wins," Eliot said. "So speed is important. Symbols and shorthand are key." Hardison.

Parker was drawing on the wall now, something that looked like a time-lock safe schematic. She stopped abruptly to add, “Charades is cheating, but if we don’t see it, it didn’t happen.” She pointed her marker at the students. “Get started!”

"An' anyone who can guess the sayin' I'm drawin' here gets to be my favorite forever," Hardison added, giving his co-teachers a disappointed look.

whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com

[Class #3 - The Tap-It-Out Job]

“Sometimes we do make up classes just because it’s funny.” Parker looked a tiny bit guilty about that today. But only a tiny bit.

The Danger Shop was a dance studio, with mirrors, barres, and wide paneled flooring. Also, some DDR mats and a couple computer screens for those of you who might need the help.

“Dance is easy. It’s just steps.” See? Parker can dance. She looks like a marionette, but she can do the steps. So you can too!

Yeah, Eliot wasn't going to be dancing. He was manning the stereo system. Which was only not full of country standards because he didn't know how to program the danger shop's stereo system. "Each team will be assigned a song. You get half the class to plan, then show us your dance."

You were all welcome, class. Hardison was in charge of your musical selections today. Which, okay, technically meant a lot of Hall and Oates, but there was a minimum of country and more stuff with an actual beat. "A lot of modern dance is just attitude an' bein' able to move your body in rhythm, but a lot of dances involve learnin' proper steps in time."

He bowed to Parker, holding out a hand, and then swept her up into a waltz, moving her in a one-two-three pattern around the room. Parker followed his lead, smiling happily, perfectly in time with the music (and still, stiff as a board).

“We have judges!” Parker pointed over Hardison’s shoulder, and then pirouetted, holding onto his hand. The judges were Danger Shop created. They all looked like angry old people from the former USSR. “So have fun.” And don’t worry about the scores too much.

Those judges looked a little like people Eliot had once had to take out on jobs. They were getting some serious side-eye from him. "You'll be scored on creativity, artistry, and technical precision. Probably." There was no telling. The Soviet judges were always notorious hardasses. "I don't know, Hardison programmed them. If you've got any complaints, bother him."

Hardison was still dancing his way over to Eliot, letting Parker go with a spin and reaching for Eliot. The music changed to something a little spicier, with a Latin feel--yes, without Eliot actually fiddling with the controls. Because Hardison controlled the whole sim. But he promised he'd let Eliot have full control once the lecture was over.

"No," Eliot said. "No, don't you -- dammit, Hardison!"

Yeah, protesting never worked.

Hardison grinned at Eliot and proceeded to ignore his protest. "Y'all can make up any dance at all," he explained, moving into the steps of the Lambada--which was totally scandalous back in the 90s and was practically tame in comparison to, say, twerking. "But it's gotta fit the theme of the music--an' also tell a story about Fandom."

Eliot's lambada was perfectly serviceable, and not nearly as stiff as Parker's waltz. He just looked kind of like he wanted to murder something the whole time. "However the hell you manage to do that," he said. "It's up to you guys to figure it out."

Parker was now doing the Robot. It looked oddly natural. “And go!”

vdistinctive

Class met up in the Danger Shop again, this time programmed to look like a lava-filled crater. Tall, narrow rocks stuck up out of the lava at regular intervals, and raised, flat platforms of rock lined either side of the crater, where the students and teachers could stand without risking lava-doom.

There were also three little garden gnomes with three different colored hats running around, three sacks of grain, and three rather suspicious looking goats.

And the three teachers, of course. At least one of which looked like he wanted to deny all knowledge of today's challenge.

"Hey kids," Eliot said, apparently stuck in permanent face-palm. "Today's your first week with a graded challenge."

"An' so Eliot's come up with a great challenge for you," Hardison continued, looking totally stoked about class. "Remember, givin' credit where it's due is an important part of teamwork."

It had been your idea, Eliot.

It really had! “We embellished, but Eliot came up with this obstacle course! And not letting yourself or your teammates fall in.” She turned to say something to one of the gnomes. It said something in Swedish back to her. “Oh, totally.”

"My idea involved stumps and two-by-fours," Eliot said. He pointed to Hardison: "Lava." Then at Parker: "Garden gnomes, oats, gnome-eating goats. And the sharks."

A fin wove its way between the rocks in the lava pit. Had you noticed the sharks yet, kids?

Look, they'd wanted it to be a fun and exciting first challenge! A couple of two-by-fours weren't going to do that. "So, not only do y'all have to make it across the lava without fallin' in or gettin' eaten by lava-sharks, you're gonna have to do it a couple of times. Cause you gotta ferry over the goat, the oats, an' the gnomes, but you also in the right order. You leave the gnome alone with the oats, he's gonna eat 'em. You leave the goat alone with the gnome, an' the goat's gonna eat--" Hardison checked his notes. "Am I readin' this right?"

Parker checked. “Yup. Those goats are mean. And gnomes are good fiber, but we shouldn’t let that happen.” She gave the students a stern look. “I’m going to be very disappointed if you sacrifice a gnome. Or a goat. But mostly a gnome.”

"Fiber?" Eliot was back to facepalming again. "Anyway. You have three two-by-fours. You can use them to bridge the gaps. Be creative." He sighed. "Try not to die."

geniuswithasmartphone

The Danger Shop was set up like a massive kitchen today, with three main stations, shelves of ingredients, various appliances, and knives. Clearly, the safety protocols would be in use.

“Welcome back!” Parker looked around and grinned.

"This is Competitive Team Building," Eliot said. He had his arms folded over his chest -- as usual -- and was giving the set up a fair amount of side-eye. And no small amount of the facial expression version of grabby hands.

Dammit, Hardison.

( The Randomized Choice Job )

thefearwasreal

The Danger Shop resembled a warehouse which had been renovated into a sleek, open-plan office. Oz stood by a large display screen, and motioned for them all to take a seat in front of it.

"Greetings and salutation. Today is our last class together." And they'd all survived, Oz was so proud. "Which means that hopefully you've learnt a little something about the importance of teamwork. To find out, we're going to have a little exercise. You're going to try to do what I do when I'm not teaching, namely testing security systems by trying to get around them. That's right kids, you get to plan a heist then carry it out."

"Since this is your first job, we're going to have something of an easy target." Oz gestured to the screen, and a building came up on the screen. "Most of you should be familiar with J,GoBs. Your mission is to find a way into the building, reach the kitchens, and then exit with a number of cakes. Try and get a good selection."

[OCD up]

Current Mood: accomplished

thefearwasreal

As each student entered the classroom, Oz held up a hat for them to take a folded-up piece of paper from.

"Afternoon all," he said, once they'd all arrived. "Good to see we're all back to normal, if anyone has any lingering urges to rip people's faces off please wait until after class is over to do so. I wouldn't want to have to tase anyone, the paperwork's a mess." And it was supposedly wrong to tase students or something like that.

"Today we're going to play a game to work on our team skills." Just be glad it wasn't pass the grenade. "Roleplay scenario, you are all prisoners of war, trapped behind enemy lines. You have to plan an escape. Only problem is none of you know each other, and some of you, not going to say how many but you're the ones with a X on your paper, are spies, planted specifically to foil any escape attempts. So before you start planning, you need to figure out who you can trust. No showing each other your papers either. That's cheating."

[OCD up]

Current Mood: rejuvenated

thefearwasreal

Oz sat at the front of the class with a scaly grey rash that covered half his face and a bucket of what was probably...hopefully, fried chicken.

"Film today," he called out between bites when the class arrived. "I want you to see the importance of coming together to be a true team. You'll see that when a team isn't really a team, but just a group of people with no real connection, it can be torn apart and destroyed by outside forces. Then you get dead and those of us left will feast on your tasty flesh. Hopefully in that order."

"Also there's juice if you're thirsty."

[OCD up]

Current Mood: infected

thefearwasreal

Today the Danger Shop was set up to resemble the library, though with a complete lack of librarian or library aides. Oz sat reading at the main desk with his feet up as he waited for the last of the students to file in. Once said last student had arrived, he spoke up.

"Detention. All of you." After pausing just long enough for that to sink in and get a reaction, he stood up and continued. "That's today's assignment. You see, it's easy enough to form enduring bonds of friendship and team spirit during times of adversity and life-threatening danger, but it's harder you're just shoved in a room together with nothing to do. Hence, detention."

"What I want you to spend this class doing, is to sit at the library desks, and to stay there and write essays about who you are, while I read in the office. I don't you to move, I don't want you to talk, or move, or argue, or bond over the various reasons you're in detention which are in envelopes next to your blank essays, or go on a wacky adventure to steal leftover cupcakes from the last class, or anything like that." Oz completely wanted them to do these things, he just didn't want them to get caught. "Got it?"

When the students were all seated, Oz picked up his magazine and headed towards the simulated librarian's office. "Remember, shutty," he said as he closed the door.

[OCD up]

Current Mood: predatory

thefearwasreal

Today, when Oz told his students to meet him at the Danger Shop, there wasn't a wild goose-chase over half the island to follow, instead he numbered them off as they entered.

"Hey, kids, good to see you all back again. Sadly, there's no explosives in today's class." Didn't they all feel sad about that? "But I do want us all to give a big warm round of applause to my new assistant Topher, please direct all future complaints about course content to him."

"Now much as I believe in the power of incendiary devices to bring people together, if you can't get the necessary permits, there's also the good old fashioned road-trip. Just a small group and the open road, it's a perfect recipe for bonding." Or causing the party to fracture under the pressure resulting psychotic breaks, murder and cannibalism, but, hey, Oz was an optimist. He hit a switch, revealing a wide prairie vista and several covered wagons, each with a number emblazoned on the side. "And we all know that there's no greater road-trip in American history than the Oregon Trail."

"I want to all to divide up into groups according to the number you got at the start of class, you all have different resources, and I want you to discuss in your group how you might use those resources, and any skills you might have, to before setting out. Try not to die of dysentery along the way, and since none of you are still ponies, no hitching each other to the wagons."

[OCD is up!]

Current Mood: relaxed

thefearwasreal

"Good afternoon. Nice to see you all got my instructions to met me at the main campfire," Oz said by way of introduction, tossing a small, off-white ball from one hand to the other. Those would be the instructions he'd left on the classroom door, which had led to the Danger Shop, then the library, then the gym, and then finally the campgrounds. Sure, he could have just sent an email, but where was the challenge in that? "Now if you could all form a circle around me. The faster the better."

( Long introduction is long. )

[OCD is up!]

Current Mood: chipper

Fandom High RPG

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Entries tagged with teambuilding

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [08/17].

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/27].

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/20].

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/13].

Team-Building for Fun and Profit! - Thursday, Third Period [07/06].

Advanced Team Building, Thursday, February 11, 2021

Advanced Team Building, Thursday, January 28, 2021

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, Period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Teamwork Class, Period 2

Teamwork Class, Period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, Period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Competitive Team Building, Tuesday, Period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Competitive Team Building, Wednesday, Period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Competitive Teambuilding, Tuesday, period 1

Competitive Team Building, Wednesday, Period 1

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Teambuilding for Dummies [Thursday, 4th Period]

Fandom High RPG

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