fandomtownies | Community Center Class: Making The World A Better Place (Tuesday Evening)

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Community Center Class: Making The World A Better Place (Tuesday Evening)

When everyone arrived, they'd find that Yang had booked for class a space with a lot of bean bag chairs that she'd kinda shoved into a circle. Each chair had a ~~moddable~~ notebook and pen on it, and by the door was a big box labeled 'SUGGESTIONS.' Yang herself had already grabbed a seat -- and a notebook with a dog on it -- and wasn't wearing her mechanical arm. Instead her t-shirt sleeve ended just above the metal cap that sealed off her scar tissue.

"Hey," she said, once it seemed like everyone that was going to show up was there. "Grab a seat. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Yang Xiao-Long. You can just call me Yang. "

"So. You all saw the course description when you signed-up. Or read it on your schedule when the Moose decided to mess with you. But to recap -- sometimes, we all get wrapped up in the chaos that is Fandom Island, and think the only way to help is to fight. Together, the might of Fandom makes right. And that's wrong. I'm aware that might sound like bullshit, coming from someone with super-powers, but it's true."

"Some ways to help without fighting seem small, some are bigger. Some are temporary but no less-needed, some make a lasting impact, and others are volunteer-tourism that hurt more than it helps."

"So, I'd like to hear from you -- why did you sign up for this class? What do you think your greatest talent is that you bring to a group? What's one thing you'd like to accomplish this semester?"

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Optimistically!

Prince Sidon

Stark

Jonathan Sims

Nell Ingram

Take notes, pass notes, take a nap.... okay don't take a nap. Yang will throw a spitball at you.

Considering that traditional chairs and desks and tables were even more of a problem for Sidon now than they were back when he was a regular student, he was very grateful for the arrangements Yang had set up for this class. Even if sitting for prolonged periods of time was still something he found rather odd and a little uncomfortable, he dutifully shifted until he found a position that would work for him and then turned his rapt attention forward to see what they had to learn for today!

This was...quite a bit less formal than Jon was used to, and he tried to sit upright and proper on one of the beanbags. It wasn't going that well.

He did manage to balance the notebook on one knee, though, even if he wasn't sure what they were supposed to be writing yet.

"It's only fair that I go first," Yang said easily. "Like I said, I'm Yang. The greatest talent I bring to any group isn't my powers... it's that I'm stubborn. Yeah, that can be a bad thing, but it also manifests as loyalty. I'm not easily swayed by shallow things once I've decided on my people, or my course of action. I'll see the mission to the end."

"And I guess the thing I want to accomplish is... helping people without needing to fall back on my powers. Yes, they're part of me. I love them. But they aren't all that I am."

Madame Mallari echoed in the back of her memory. I swear, you think more than anyone else gives you credit for...Did any of your professors realize you were more than an animate cloud of yellow hair shouting about your baby sister and brandishing more weapons than one?

She shook her head, trying to stay in the present. "You. Next."

When it came around to Sidon's turn, he was, as anyone who'd known him for more than two seconds might assume, branishing a bright energy of excitement, because introductions were still, easily, one of his favorite parts of meeting new people and taking new classes.

"Hello!" he bellowed naturally, his excitement making it difficult to approach this in any other way. "ISidon!" And there was the pump of his fist across his chest, as energetic as ever when while sitting, and there was the toothy grin to accompany it, complete with a well-timed catch of the light to sparkle perfectly off his fangs. "The Zora Prince! And as well as providing an easy reach to fetch things off very high shelves," why, yes, he was going to give a small chuckle at his own joke there, "I am always good for encouragement and seeing things through, even when they get a bit rough! A Zora never gives up!

"And as for reasons why I signed up for this class," his smile tempered into something softer now, more gentle, although still quite radiant, "how could I not? Anything we can do, however large or small, to make the world a better place is a worthy pursuit! I remember fondly a class I took in my youth here at this very school that was focused on exactly this topic, and it was an absolute joy, to discover all the ways in which one could help that didn't necessarily involve marching out to the nearest moblin and making mincemeat of him! And, of course, having my very good friend Yang," he flashed her an appreciative grin, "being the instructor of such a course was just the icing on the cake, as they say! I've very excited to discover what wisdom you may have to impart to us this semester, Yang!"

"Hey Sidon," Yang said with a slight grin. "Welcome back to the party."

"If there's any places in the Zora realm that needs help one week, let me know."

"I'm Stark," he said when it was his turn. "I'm...not much of a fighter. I can, if I need to. I try not to need to."

"But I try to help, if I can. When I can. I can be good at that." He was good at offering support and occasionally plotting.

"I've worked in the clinic before. I like to be useful, if I can. This sounded like a good way to do that. To be helpful."

"Not everyone is a fighter," Yang said, "if everyone was, well, who would put us back together?"

She leaned down and pulled her arm out of her duffle bag beside her beanbag chair. "In my case, literally," she joked. "I built my first weapons, sure, but I know nothing about prosthetics."

"Jonathan Sims," Jon introduced himself. "I...um. I'm not really very good at fighting." His numerous scars were testament to that. "I am good at research. And I suppose at being stubborn, if we're counting that." He wasn't sure most people would list it as one of his better traits, but there it was.

"I'm new here, and I saw this listed, and thought it might be a good thing to practice."

He'd ended one world; he thought he might as well try to make another one better, if he could.

"Welcome to the madhouse," Yang deadpanned. "You probably have until, um, midterms or maybe even finals before something tries to invade again."

"That does not mean you have to fight. Pretty sure the library is usually popping when stuff gets weird, but that's not really my scene."

"Inva-" He cut himself off and just sighed. "Of course things invade. Dangerous things, probably."

That would be his luck.

"World ending, sometimes," Yang said, almost apologetically. "You'll find a lot of people around here have survived multiple apocalypses."

"Luckily, holidays tend to just be weird when they're not trying to murder you."

Jon's mouth just hung open for a moment. He'd just managed to (hopefully) stop one. Now there might be more?

After a moment, he closed his mouth, then muttered darkly, "There shouldn't be allowed be a plural for that word."

"M'not sure I'm supposed to be here," Nell said, "But I suppose doing something to make the world better is worthwile enough to make up for my confusion."

She looked around at all the people. "I'm Nell Ingram. I'm not sure I have anything all that special to offer, but I'm a hard worker and I'm good with plants and growing things."

"Everyone is welcome here," Yang assured her, "--even if they didn't sign up for the class originally. I'll take anyone who wants to help other people."

"Is there still a community garden on the roof of the dorms?"

Nell nodded. "I think so, but I grow a lot of things in my room or at the flower shop," she explained.

"So!" Yang said, once everyone had spoke. "What's with the notebooks?"

"Easy. Over there is a suggestion box, which I'm going to leave in the lobby of the community center. You can use your notebooks to write out and pop in ideas of where you'd like to volunteer as a class. It can be signed, or totally anonymous."

"Also. I'd like you to write yourself a journal entry after each volunteer trip. Where we went. What we did. How you felt. I am not going to read or grade these, but hopefully they'll help you get to know yourselves a little bit better, and help clarify what it is you want out of life."

Was Yang using some of her own PTSD-therapy homework assignments on her students? ABSOLUTELY.

"So if you've got any questions, now's the time to hit me with them." Beat. "Not Literally."

Jon looked at the box, looked at his notebook, frowned, and held his pen up. "Excuse me. Are there...A list of possibilities might be useful," he said. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start."

Got an idea of something you'd like to do, or somewhere you'd like to go? Pop it in here!

The box will be available every class, for things to be tossed in. Submissions are assumed anonymous, unless stated otherwise.

She's here, before and after class.

No letting the post fall out!

(Dwight would be here but he is currently spending some time as an adorable pit bull so yeah- please excuse his absence from class today :P He will be there next week!)

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Community Center Class: Making The World A Better Place (Tuesday Evening)

Sign-In!

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During the Lecture

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Introductions!

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Lecture 2.0

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The Suggestion Box

Talk to Yang

OOC

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