Fandom High School

In a shocking turn of events, no doubt, the class had been notified and informed to meet in the Danger Shop this week. Which meant that the landscape was looking a little different, but Gladio was still waiting with the usual hiking packs. It was also night time, with a whole sky full of stars.

"Now," Gladio said, "one aspect of camping that's a little hard to do during our usual class time is the whole settling in around a fire before turning in for the night, telling stories and maybe singing campfire songs and enjoying the stars." And, of course, there was a little extra softness there in his grin at that. Anytime you get these Insomnia boys talking about stars and sunrises, really... "So I brought the night to us. Your packs have flashlights and lights you can clip onto your shirts for visibility, and you see that faint blue smoke rising up out of the trees? That's our destination. So gear up, head out, and I'll lead the way. When we get there, I'm hoping we can all share some good stories or campfire songs, so think about a few you might have while we hike, and we'll go from there."

At the meeting spot outside the preserve, the class would find Gladio there waiting, with packs already prepared, and with Ignis there standing beside him, and as everyone gathered, he greeted them with a grin.

"Hey, guys," he said, and then hitched a thumb toward his companion, "I know you all know Iggy here at least a little, if not more, so you've probably figured out just by him being here what today's lesson is going to be focusing on: camp food. So I hope you're hungry, but, if not, maybe the hike to the campsite'll get that appetite going. When we get there, Igs is going to show you a few cool cooking techniques for camping and hopefully you'll have a few of your own you can share, too. But let's save that for when we get there. Grab a pack and let's get moving."

Anyone who knew Gladio would know that these camping classes were among some of his favorite to teach, and anyone who'd taken one of those classes with him before would know to meet just outside the preserve on a day like today. Anyone who hadn't would have at least received the class email or perhaps squirrel-delivered note to let them know the deal, and there, they would find their hulking instructor eager and raring to go with a broad grin on his face.

And, of course, camping packs at his feet.

"Hey, guys," he said. "You ready to get camping? Now, I know some of you," all of them, really, in one way or another, "have taken my Wilderness Survival classes, which are pretty intense, so this class is probably going to be a breeze for you. This one's all about enjoying the nicer, recreational side of camping, and just having a good time in the woods, you know? We're gonna start out nice and simple, though. Grab a pack, and we'll hit the dusty trail to take us out to our campsite, and there, we're gonna work on pitching tents and starting campfires, and once we've got that taken care of, we'll roast some dogs...hot dogs," he corrected, with that strangled sound out of Prompto, "and do our introductions. Pretty straightforward, right? So take a moment, get a little limber for the hike, and let's get moving."

Even though he was pretty sure some of his campers weren't going to share the sentiments, Gladio could not be happier that the forecast that morning called for rain and that there was a good sprinkling of it because I said so by the time for getting class started. He grinned all too eagerly as he tossed a poncho over to anyone who didn't already show up kitted in rain gear--he himself was going entirely without--and then hitched up his pack.

"Finally," he said, "we've got some rain, which means today, we're going to go over some essentials for camping in the rain, but, of course, we've got to get to our campsite first, so you know the drill. Grab some gear, try to stay dry, and let's hit the trail."

Gladio had been very busy that morning, laying the groundwork for today's class, so by the time he met everyone at the edge of the preserve as usual, he was pretty excited and met them with a faintly proud grin.

"Hey, guys," he said, nodding his greeting. "Hope you all brought some good hiking shoes today, because we're going to be doing a lot of walking today. As far as camping activities go, you really can't get much more basic than hiking, and while anyone can pretty much follow a trail, there are plenty of opportunities for those who want to go a little off the beaten path and do a little bit more exploring. Things like orienteering or geocaching or treasure hunting gives you the opportunity to get out into the wilderness with a particular goal in mind. Birdwatching and wildlife spotting can fall into those categories as well.

"Unfortunately," he huffed with amusement, "they can also be pretty good ways of getting lost. Which is why today, we're going to be focusing on learning some wilderness navigational skills to help you out when you're out in the woods, and then we're going to put those skills to use with a bit of a woodland scavenger hunt."

He held up a few rolled up maps and lists and grinned.

"You can decided to team up and work together or go it alone if you're feeling pretty confident and independent," he said, "but I've got some different colored flags hidden in various spots throughout the preserve for you to find. You've got some maps, compasses, and some hints to guide you along the way, and the goal is to find as many of them before the end of class as you can. And I'll let whoever ends up with the most have a say in what camping activity we embark in next week. How's that sound?

"But, before we get into that...let's try to not get lost, yeah? Anyone here not familiar with a compass...?"