Cheerleading Practice // The Gym // Wednesday After Classes

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

Setting up the gym for cheerleading practice went fairly quickly. In fact, Harper finished early enough to sit down with her sketchpad and work on an idea for new cheerleader uniforms. Harper thought it was a great idea, which meant that in reality, it looked horrible. She wasn't quite ready to share it with the others, though. Maybe she'd quietly ask a few people for feedback first. Or maybe she could whip up a sample uniform and wear it to practice next week...

Let's get this practice started to distract Harper from her plans.

Second Floor Common Room, Wednesday Morning

[endsthegame]

After the gym and his morning swim, Ender decided to have his breakfast in the common room this morning. He was at least mildly curious as to the news of the day, and sometimes TV was just more simple than going through all of his newsfeeds.

So with a bowl of cereal in hand he sat down to catch the morning news. Jane had been snarking at him about recent developments back home - so the news from the 2170s, he was more than up to date on - which had put him into a certain historical frame of mind. Some of the riots going on in the Middle East bore a dangerously close resemblance to what was going on in Alai's neck of the woods, and...

...he would have continued to pontificate on that if the first thing that had turned up when he put on BBC News hadn't been a story about a cat.

A very important cat, apparently.

Ten minutes later, they were still talking about the cat, and Ender was starting wonder if the entire universe would turn into one giant cat macro one day.

[[ open! ]]

Danger Shop, Wednesday After Classes

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"Hello, everyone," Dolf said. He was looking a mite bit sheepish today. "So last weekend was really weird, I think we can all agree on that. And a little, uh, unexpected. We had to run around and take care of a whole bunch of people and we hadn't expected to, which can always be a rough thing. I used to do it a lot when I was in the past, but you have to know what you're doing. And not just if it's kids, either. Anyone who needs your help. It's important we know where to begin with that. Like making sure they have water and food, and a place to stay. If they haven't eaten or drank much, then you should be careful how much food or water you give them. Sometimes it can be too much and hurt them. Small amounts."

He gestured at the table that had all the food resting on it. "Like two cookies, and some water, or what else you think is reasonable."

"It's also important to make sure that whoever you're taking care of is and remains as healthy as possible," Karla added. "Both on their own behalf and to help protect the rest of the group. If they are sick or injured, they may not always be able to communicate that to you--perhaps they are too young, or don't speak the language, or they may be unconscious and it's up to you to determine why. Keep an eye out for obvious indicators, like fevers, difficulty breathing, bleeding, and pain. Make sure to institute good sanitation practices and stick to them. One sick kid can infect dozens more, and people who are already hungry or exhausted or injured are also more susceptible to illness."

"And even if you're really nervous about being with them and don't know exactly what you're doing," Tara chipped in, "it's important you stay calm. It's like with animals -- being upset will just make them more upset. Just relax and try to kind of go with the flow once you've taken care of whatever's immediately wrong. Maybe watch a movie or something so you can all rest."

"While we use these meetings to try to best prepare ourselves for things such as this, many of our classmates do not," Raven said. "If they are suddenly thrust into the role of caring for a child or having someone else totally dependent on them, they may easily become overwhelmed. We are here to provide support for our fellow students and all who live and work on the island, and in this matter, they may need it just as much as in an invasion. So, please, keep an eye on your fellow students and offer them aid if you think they need it."

Dolf flashed the group a smile. "So today we will practice with working together, and taking care of people," he said. "But we thought that it might be easier working with animals. ...In the Danger Shop, so they aren't real. Or really hurt. Just pick one and make sure they have food and water and are feeling okay."

Second Floor Common Room - Wednesday Evening

[notlikejack.livejournal.com]

Bobby's computer had completely stopped working. Or, it worked, but after a few minutes, it got so hot that it shut down. It was a little bit annoying - especially since it meant he couldn't try again for a perfect landing on Mars.

Since there wasn't any more Mars Landing and he didn't quite feel like studying some more, Bobby was hunched over a table in the Common Room, a chessboard set up in front of him. On the other side of the board was a big plate of chocolate chip cookies. Every time white captured a piece, Bobby got a cookie.

Give it any second now, and the sugar rush would kick in big time.